Lectures part 2
by Srila Prabhupada

730105ND.BOM

The Nectar of Devotion

Bombay, January 5, 1973

Pradyumna: (reading) "…propensity expands just as a vibration of light expands, but we do not know where it ends. The Nectar of Devotion teaches us the science of loving every one of the living entities perfectly by the easy method of loving Kṛṣṇa. We have failed to create peace and harmony in human society even by such great attempts as the United Nations because we do not know the right method."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. The example is just like there is air vibration, water vibration, the radio message. In one place, the vibration is made, and it goes like waves. It expands. Very quickly, within a second, it expands seven times the earth, so far we have heard. Or if you throw one stone on the lake, they'll become a circle, circle, and the circle expands, unless it goes to the limit. So our loving propensity is there, and it should expand. Ultimately it should reach the lotus feet of the Lord. Then it will be perfect. So this is being explained.

So nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Our love for Kṛṣṇa is there already, but it is being choked up by material conditions. I want to love, but some blind leader, he comes. He says that "You love your, this country, your society, humanity," and you love your society but you cut throat of another society. This is going on. Because it is imperfect. One side, they're teaching "Love your nation," and cut the throat of another nation. So this kind of love, or this kind of loving propensity will not be ever satisfied. We shall always remain unsatisfied, because this is artificial. The same example: If you want to love, then you have to pour water on the root of the tree. Then it will be all right. Otherwise, if you manufacture so many ways of love, then certainly you'll be confused and frustrated. (aside:) Why don't you sit down here? Come on. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The method is very simple, but one has to understand it with a cool head. The Nectar of Devotion teaches all men how to perform the simple and natural method of loving Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we learn how to love Kṛṣṇa, then it is very easy to immediately and simultaneously…"

Prabhupāda: In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said,

kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya

śraddhā-śabde-viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya

To be elevated to the transcendental platform of loving service of the Supreme Lord there is a process. The process is that as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. This is the process. You have to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. This yoga system you have to adopt, how to increase your love for Kṛṣṇa. That is not very difficult. Just like this arcana, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. So these are the different processes, how to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. The attachment of Kṛṣṇa is there, but by śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya.

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya

śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

Everyone has got love for Kṛṣṇa. It is not artificial thing. Everyone has got. Otherwise how these Europeans and American boys and girls (are) taking to this principle? Why they are mad after Kṛṣṇa? Because it was there. It is not… Artificially, you cannot make such thing. It is not possible. Artificially you cannot make a staunch devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Artificially, one day, two days, three days-then goes away. Just like it has become in our country. Our love is now for material happiness. Poverty for the last two thousand years or one, little above, one thousand years, India was foreign-subjugated. So they are now thinking that some way or other, if we can become like Americans, skyscraper buildings, our life will be successful. So they have… Artificially, now… They're killing their own culture and trying to imitate. This is artificial. But this artificial way, one cannot be happy. They'll be frustrated. Just (like) the Americans have become frustrated. They have got enough. What is the skyscraper buildings in Bombay? They have got hundred times skyscraper buildings in New York. Hundred times. And what is this skyscraper? Say, twenty stories? There are hundred and four,-five stories. When I first went to New York I saw one building, Empire, Empire State?

Devotees: State.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It was hundred and two stories. Now the others, they have increased to hundred and four,-five. So… But why these American boys are frustrated. Their fathers, their grandfathers have got enough money, enough skyscraper buildings, but they are not satisfied. They don't want to work like their father and grandfather. They've left. I have got many students, my disciples, their father, very rich man, industrialist, lawyers. But they don't like.

So this kind, this kind of so-called happiness will never satisfy us. The real happiness which is within, our love, loving propensity for Kṛṣṇa, that has to be revived. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. It is not by artificial means one becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Nobody can become a lover or devotee of anyone else by artificial means unless there is some natural tendency. So that natural tendency for, to love Kṛṣṇa is there in everyone's heart. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to invoke that natural tendency to love Kṛṣṇa. That is our business. And how it is possible? The śāstra, śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte. Śravaṇādi means this process. Just like you have come here; you are hearing about Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. You may be illiterate, you may be rich, or you may be poor. Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. Please come, sit down and hear. But in the hearing process, there is so many impediments, māyā. Just like people are coming here to hear, but there has been impediment: "Oh, sir, our lift if being to much used. The electric supply will cut off." Māyā is always there. They will, I mean to say, spend electric energy in so many ways, that is not loss. But people were coming for half an hour and one hour, gentlemen, "No. Electricity will be spoiled." This is māyā. Māyā is always after this checking process. So we have to fight against the māyā, then we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That fighting determination must be there. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. One must be determined. So māyā may check my progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but I must fight māyā. This determination wanted. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. That is wanted. "All right let me do. All right, not. That's all right. Let me do my business." No. One must be very serious. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ and firmly convinced. These things are required to revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it is very easy.

Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when there was discussion about śraddhā and sādhana, what is the aim of life and what is the process of achieving that aim of life, this discussion was made between Rāmānanda Rāya and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was questioning and Rāmānanda Rāya was replying. So the first reply was given by Rāmānanda Rāya, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "What is the goal of life?" and "What is the process to reach that goal of life?" Very nice question. So Rāmānanda Rāya replied:

varṇāśramācāravatā

puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān

viṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsāṁ

nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam

[Cc. Madhya 8.58]

He immediately replied that a human being must, first of all, come to the standard of varṇāśrama-dharma. Four varṇas and four āśramas: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and brahmacārī, gṛhastha… Unless they come systematically, life on these principles, they're animals. They're not human beings. They're… That was our Indian, Vedic civilization. Now they have manufactured their religion: yata mat tata path. You can manufacture your own way and you be satisfied. This is being… So many. You can see in Bombay, so many rascals are preaching. They, there is no standard thing. So it is very difficult for us to give us the right thing, but we are certain. Because we are not cheating people, so it may take some time, but people are gradually coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because this is right thing.

So varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān [Cc. Madhya 8.58]. This is the beginning of actual human life. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately replied, ihā bāhya āge kaha āra. Ihā bāhya. Bāhya means this is external. This will not very much help at the present moment. And actually that is being done. Just like we are preaching in the Western countries. If we wanted to establish varṇāśrama-dharma in the beginning, that "You become brāhmaṇa, you become gṛhastha, you become sannyāsī…" No. Then everyone would have rejected: "Sir, we are prepared for this purpose." But the process introduced by Caitanya Mahāprabhu… It is not introduced by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is the sanction in the śāstras: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. This is standard method. Because we gave them the chance of hearing, gradually they're coming. Not that immediately you become brāhmaṇa. Now they are becoming more than brāhmaṇas. Here, in India, the brāhmaṇas, they are doing everything. Still they are going in the name of brāhmaṇa. But here, these European brāhmaṇas, American brāhmaṇas, they're real brāhmaṇas, because they have given up all sinful activities. The brāhmaṇa's life is first of all truthful. Truthful. Satya śama dama titikṣa. Controlling the senses, controlling the mind, forbearance and simplicity, full knowledge, application of knowledge, belief in the Vedas-these are the symptoms of brāhmaṇa. Satya śama dama titikṣa ārjavam āstikyaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. So if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these brahminical qualifications automatically come. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ [SB 5.18.12]. This is the test. A devotee shall be qualified with all the godly qualities. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said if you induce people… Because His mission is to propagate this Vedic culture all over the world. He's not confined within some limited area. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. As many villages and towns are there in the world, His mission is to be preached there. So, so if we, in the beginning we say, "You have to become a brāhmaṇa first of all," Who's going to become a brāhmaṇa? Our people are not becoming brāhmaṇa. They'll say, "It is all nonsense. Let us become śūdra." So that is not possible. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ihā bāhya āge kaha āra.

Then Rāmānanda Rāya suggested karma-miśra-bhakti, then jñāna-miśra-bhakti-bhakti with jñāna, mixed with jñāna, process of jñāna, speculative philosophy; and bhakti mixed with karma, karma-kāṇḍīya. Karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra. But real bhakti is jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. It must be untouched by the process of jñāna and karma. It should be spontaneous. Spontaneous. That is bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇa [Brs. 1.1.11]. Spontaneous means when we shall rise to the platform that "Here is a service for Kṛṣṇa. Let me do it." Immediately. "Let me do it." Just like Yudhiṣṭhira was advised by Kṛṣṇa that "You just go to Dronācārya and speak him lie that his son is dead." Yudhiṣṭhira hesitated: "Oh, how can I speak lie? I never done it in my life." This is karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra. This is karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra. He is, he is looking after his own benefit. Karma-kāṇḍa vicāra means I do something and I profit and I enjoy it. I do some sacrifices, I become elevated to the heavenly planet, and I enjoy life. This is karma-kāṇḍa. And jñāna-kāṇḍa means that this world is false: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā; therefore let me merge into the Brahman effulgence. Nirbheda brahmānusandhana. This is jñāna-kāṇḍa. Nirbheda brahmānusandhana. But bhakti means jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. One must be free from this karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra and jñāna-kāṇḍa vicāra. Must be pure devotee. What is that? Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. Simply to carry out.

So it was the duty of Yudhiṣṭhira to immediately, what Kṛṣṇa said, immediately to execute it. But because he was on the karma-kāṇḍīya… Of course, they were all devotees, but just to show us… The karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra, they hesitated. Just like the brāhmaṇas who were, yajnic brāhmaṇa, who was performing sacrifices and Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's friends became hungry. So they asked Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa we are hungry. Give me… Please arrange for some food." Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, you go immediately there. The brāhmaṇas are performing yajñas, and ask them for some food." They went, but the brāhmaṇas refused. "Oh, the yajña is not yet performed. How we can give you? No, no. Don't talk." So they came back. Then Kṛṣṇa said, "Go to their wives, the yajñic brāhmaṇa patnī. Go to their wives." And as soon as they went to the wives, they heard Kṛṣṇa's name, they were very much beloved to Kṛṣṇa. Immediately, whatever was there for the yajña, immediately they brought to Kṛṣṇa. This is bhakti. And the yajñic brāhmaṇas were in the karma-kāṇḍīya platform, but they were devotees. But when actually it was performed… What is that verse? Dik janma…?

Indian man: Dik janma tri veda vidvān. Dik janma aha. Tri vid vidvān means Vedas…

Prabhupāda: (interjecting) Yes, yes, yes.

Indian man: What all these Vedas…? Because useless. Dig janma… got worldly…, family, is also useless. Tri vid vidvān…, bahut jñānam…

Prabhupāda: Bahut jñānam.

Indian man: …dik kulam

Prabhupāda: Brāhmaṇa, born in brāhmaṇa family. Yes.

Indian man: …dik kriyā.

Prabhupāda: So this is bhakti. And bhakti means spontaneously responding to Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. There is no… Therefore it is transcendental platform. It is not on this material… Material platform, karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa. But bhakti is above.

māṁ ca avyabhicāriṇi

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

[Bg. 14.26]

Transcendental platform.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that this karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra, that is also nice, those who are in the too much bodily concept of life. But it is very difficult to raise the people to the karma-kāṇḍīya, jñāna-kāṇḍīya vicāra. In this age especially, they have become so fallen that it is not possible for them to raise them, either karma-kāṇḍīya, jñāna-kāṇḍīya or yogic process. This is not possible. Therefore in the śāstra it is said, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. If you follow karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra, jñāna-kāṇḍīya vicāra or yogic process, it is very difficult. Therefore the only process is,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

And Narottama, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, sakali visera bandha amrta baliya yeba khaya. So suppose karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra, you, you get elevated to the heavenly planet. That's all right, by karma-kāṇḍīya vicāra. But what Kṛṣṇa says about this elevation? Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām [Bg. 7.23]. These results derived out of karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, they are temporary. Of course, we do…, we do not know what kind of temporary. But temporary means even if you live for many millions of years, that is also temporary, because you are eternal. So somebody's living for one year, somebody's living for one minute, and somebody's living for one million or more than that. Just like Brahma's life: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ [Bg. 8.17]. That is also temporary. Our problem is to get our eternal life again. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāmaṁ pa. [Bg. 15.6].. This is the process. One should go to such a place that he'll not have to come back again to this temporary world. So karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa means you can be elevated to the heavenly planet by karma-kāṇḍīya process, or even to the Brahmā planet, Brahmaloka, Satyaloka, but what Kṛṣṇa says? Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16].

So that will not give us the ultimate benefit. The ultimate benefit is,

mām upetya (tu) kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gataḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

That is wanted. One has to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the perfection of life. This human life should be utilized for going back to home, back to… But they have no idea. They do not know what is God, where is back to home, back to Godhead-nothing, no education, although the knowledge is there in the Bhagavad-gītā and other śāstras. Everything is there, but we have become so fools that we take Bhagavad-gītā and comment in a different way so that people may not understand. He does not understand himself, and how he'll explain? Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. Because without becoming a devotee, nobody can understand Bhagavad-gītā. That's a fact. So they, one may be very good scholar, ABCD, but the ABCD knowledge is not sufficient to understand. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam [Bg. 4.3]. Simply by erudite scholarship you cannot understand. Then Kṛṣṇa would have selected somebody else who is scholarly advanced. But He was selecting Arjuna, although he was a soldier. He was not a Vedantist, he was not a brāhmaṇa, but he was ordinary soldier. Maybe royal family. Gṛhastha. But He selected him. Why? Bhakto 'si: because he was devotee. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is to be understood by devotee from the very beginning.

So one has to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Then we can understand the teachings of the Vedas. Vedas means vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. Any way you go, either… Bhagavad-gītā is also Vedic literature. Bhāgavata is also Vedic literature. So either you take directly Vedas, Īśopaniṣad, or Upaniṣad, the ultimate goal is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to give Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung that vaiṣṇava ṭhākura, tomāra kukura baliyā jānaha more. He's presenting himself, "My dear sir, Vaiṣṇava, kindly accept me as your dog." Davita… What is that song? You have forgotten?

Śyāmasundara: I don't know.

Indian man: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: No. Vai…

Indian man: Kṛṣṇa se tomāra…

Prabhupāda: Ah. Kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra, tomāra śakati āche. This is a fact. If you want Kṛṣṇa, then you have to approach a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He can give you, deliver you. Vedeṣu durlabha adurlabha ātma-bhaktau. If one is Kṛṣṇa devotee, he can deliver Kṛṣṇa: "Take Him. Here is Kṛṣṇa." That is the special prerogative of devotee. Kaunteya pratijānīhi. Vaiṣṇava… Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna, because he's devotee, that "You declare, na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati." So He could declare Himself. No. He wants to declare everything through His devotee. Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin. He want to see that Arjuna becomes victorious, although He was conducting, actually He was doing this victory also, war. So in this way, kṛṣṇa-bhakti, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti, if we simply invoke our kṛṣṇa-bhakti, that is success of life. Some way or other. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says that yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. Somehow or other, just be absorbed within your mind about Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor [SB 9.4.18]. Some way or other. It doesn't matter which way. And another place Rūpa Gosvāmī says, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. Purchase this kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if it is available somewhere. Tatra laulyam eka mūlyam, na janma koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhiḥ labhyate.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very rare thing, but, by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, it is being distributed all over the world freely. It is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grace. Mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. If we adopt the method of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then we can distribute what Kṛṣṇa…, Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa. Knowledge of Kṛṣṇa may be distributed. The scholars and the paṇḍitas, they can understand, but love of Kṛṣṇa is different thing. That is a different thing. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is distributing love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te.

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

So if we follow through the path chalked out by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then Kṛṣṇa also, although He…, it is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa… Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahareṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām [Bg. 7.3]. But through the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu… And to follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu means to follow the six Gosvāmīs, because these six Gosvāmīs were directly instructed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu to spread this movement. He instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī continually for ten days in Prayāga, Daśāśvamedha ghāṭa. He instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī for two months in Benares. And they have given us this invaluable literature. There are so many other literatures, of which the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, we have translated into English: Nectar of Devotion. So try to follow this book. Rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti… Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing,

rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti

kabe hāma bujhaba śrī yugala-pīriti

The sahajiyās, they immediately try to understand the love affairs of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. That is sahajiyism. Here we have to take instruction from Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. First of all we have to take the mercy of Rūpa-Raghunātha, Gosvāmīs. Then if there is, our luck is good, then we can understand what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa prema. You, it is not a thing to be understood by the common man in the bazaar, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, in spite of hearing Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā for many, many years, they remain in the same position, not a single step forward, what to…, to understand Kṛṣṇa? Because they do not try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa through the channel chalked out by Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Gosvāmīs. We must know. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śakti. This is the manifestation of the ahlādinī śakti of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not enjoy any material thing. The gopīs and Rādhārāṇī, they are not these ordinary girls. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37].

So this is the process. We don't, therefore, advise people that immediately come to understand rasa-līlā. No. We never do so. First of all, understand Kṛṣṇa by the channel, by the proper method. Then gradually, when you are actually purified, they you'll understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

rūpa-raghunātha-padehaibe ākuti

kabe hāma bujhaba śrī-yugala-pīriti

They don't become sahajiyā, to understand Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa just like ordinary… They're understanding Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and they're inclined to so many nonsense things. If one understands Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, his impulse for sex life, vīta rāga kāma, immediately will be finished. He'll never think of… As Yamunā, Yamunācārya says, yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor. You know the verse?

Indian man: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Cite it. Yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor. Yamunācārya.

Indian man: Oh, ahh…

Prabhupāda: No. This verse:

yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor

nava-nava-(rasa-)dhāmany (udyataṁ) rantum āsīt

tad-avadhi mama bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne

bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

So this is the test. If actually one understands Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā, then they'll forget forever this sex life of the material world. This is the test. So our request is that don't try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Just worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa according to the arcana-vidhi. Then gradually Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa will be pleased, Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be pleased, and svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234]. When They are pleased by your sevā, then They will reveal. Don't try to jump over to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That will not help us.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

730106ND.BOM

The Nectar of Devotion

Bombay, January 6, 1973

Prabhupāda: Hm. Read it.

Pradyumna: "As far as material necessities are concerned, the human civilization at the present moment is very much advanced in living comfortably, but still we are not happy because we are missing the point. The material comforts of life alone are not sufficient to make us happy. The vivid example is America: the richest nation of the world, having all facilities for material comfort, is producing a class of men completely confused and frustrated in life. I am appealing herewith to such confused men to learn the art of devotional service as directed in The Nectar of Devotion, and I am sure that the fire of material existence burning within their hearts will be immediately extinguished. The root cause of our dissatisfaction is that our dormant loving propensity has not been fulfilled despite our great advancement in the materialistic way of life. The Nectar of Devotion will give us practical hints how we can live in this material world perfectly engaged in devotional service and thus fulfill all our desires in this life and in the next."

Prabhupāda: So, people are misled. They are thinking that by material comfort they will be happy. And practically we are seeing, this competition of material comfort… The capitalist and the labor class, worker class, they are fighting-strike. Actually, the propensity is that… That is explained in Marshall's theory of economics. We were student of economics. So in that book Mr. Marshall explained that the family affection is the origin of economic impetus. That's a fact. These hippies, they have no family affection. They are not married, and therefore there is no economic impetus. They can live in any way, any wretched condition of life. And one who is married, responsible man, he has got some responsibility to see that…, provided he has got affection for the family. Otherwise, practically, so-called family life, there is no affection.

So this is a fact. The family affection… Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etat. There is a propensity of men, association with woman, mithunī-bhāvam etat. Everyone is trying to find out a man or woman. And when they unite, that attraction becomes tightly knot. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ [SB 5.5.8]. Hṛdaya-granthim. And then the economic impetus starts. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ. Gṛha, home; kṣetra, land, or the office for earning money; gṛha-kṣetra-suta, children; friends, āpta; and vitta, money-in this way one becomes entangled in the so-called economic development. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90]. People take to religion mostly for economic development. People go to temple, church, for economic development. "O God, give us our daily bread," in the church they pray. This is economic development. So materially they want… Anyway, they want to be happy materially. That is bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Materially means this body. This body is matter, and I, the person who is living within the body, I am spirit. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe. Asmin dehe, dehinaḥ [Bg. 2.13]. There is the proprietor. We have several times explained, but people do not know this. As soon as one understands that "I am not this body. I am different from this body," then his interest becomes different. Because he is under ignorance that "I am this body," therefore he's acting, working for this body. And as soon as he comes to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ, he is no more interested in bodily comforts. That is the Vedic civilization, that one is educated to become introspective. He is educated to become introspective. The brāhmaṇas, just like they are happy in any condition of life. That is our Vedic civilization. They accept poverty… Not accept poverty. They are not very much interested. Either lie down on the ground or lie down on the sofa-they don't find any difference, because they are not interested with these bodily comforts. People may say, "Oh, this is very uncivilized way, the primitive way of life, that he is lying down on the ground just like animal." But he does not know that he is not interested either lying down…, because when we sleep he forgets whether he lying down on the ground or lying on… (laughter) So that is not very important thing. But at the present moment they have taken that lying down on a very nice bedstead, cot, and silken bed, that is advancement of civilization. But that is not advancement of civilization-yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]-because he is under the bodily concept of life. So what is this body? It is made of tri-dhātu: kapha, pitta, vāyu. So I am kapha-pitta-vāyu? No. I am different. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This knowledge is lacking.

So the actually our desire is that "There must be easygoing life. I shall not work very much. I shall live in a comfortable house in a secluded place and live peacefully." That is his desire. But because he does not know how to get that desire fulfilled, he is trying to get that desire fulfilled on the bodily comforts of life. This is the mistake. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know. That is the svārtha. Because, as it is said in the Vedas, God… Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has nothing to work. God has nothing to work for His economic development. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tasya sama adhikaś ca dṛśyate. And because He is God, nobody is equal to Him and nobody greater than Him. Sama adhikaś ca na dṛśyate, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. His energies are multi-energies, varieties of energies, and the energies are so perfect that svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca: everything is happening automatically. So that is actually life. Why one should…? Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is dancing with the gopīs, that's all. Why should He work? Why God should work? Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. So because we are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, we are also trying to achieve that life, that "There will be no, no more to work. Let me accumulate some bank balance, the interest will come, and I shall sit down in a nice apartment, and everything will come automatically and I will enjoy life." That is actually life, because we are part and parcel of God. So God has nothing to do. Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do. So we also have nothing to do. Why we are working? They are taking, "This is pleasure." This material life means… Because mostly they are infected with two qualities of material modes of nature, namely ignorance and passion. So impeded by this ignorance and passion they are working very hard, just like an ass, and still they are thinking that "I am happy." He comes back to home, working very, very hard in the office, and he thinks, "Now I… My successful… I have earned so much money." This is the nature of material life, that he will work very hard and he will think, "That is my life." This is material life. But actually, if you are actually happy, then why you have to work so hard? But that is nonsense. He is nonsense. He does not know. Therefore the karmīs are called mūḍhas, asses. The ass works hard for the washerman, and the washerman gives him a morsel of grass and he thinks, "I am happy." This is ass mentality. He has worked very hard, but getting that little bunch of grass. He can get it anywhere, but he thinks that "This washerman gives it. Therefore I have to work…" Or he does not know that "I'm working for it." This is ass mentality.

So actual life is that there should be no work. Why? Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Just like Kṛṣṇa is displaying how He's happy with His cowherds boys, with the gopīs, with His father, with His mother. And those who are dependent on Kṛṣṇa, they are so confident. Just like the cowherds boys. Kṛṣṇa goes every day to the forest, and there is some demon comes, and simply the cowherds boys, "No, there is Kṛṣṇa. We don't care for this demon." You see? And the demon is killed, and they come home and they narrate the story to their mother: "O my dear mother, Kṛṣṇa did this wonderful thing." The mother is also very appreciative: "Oh, our Kṛṣṇa is so nice. He can do wonderful. He must be some demigod," like that, gossiping. So actually this is life. This Vṛndāvana life is actual life. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37]. What is this life, working so hard day and night, no, and discovering so many things, and as soon as the water supply is stopped, everything stops? The electricity will stopped, the electric train will stop, the lift will stop, the light will stop, and everything, there will be havoc. You see? So this artificial life is not actual life. We are perceiving. Suppose there have been no rain for one or two years. There is a time when for hundreds of years there will be no rain. You have to wait for that time. That time is coming at the end of Kali-yuga. For hundreds of years there will be no rain, and everything on the earth will be burned into ashes. Not only there will be rain, but the sunshine will be twelve times hot, twelve times hotter than the present. The temperature will increase. These are stated in the Bhāgavata. Then everything will be turned into ashes. And then there will be torrents of rain. So these descriptions are there.

So it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. This place, we are trying to live very comfortably in a place. That is not very good intelligence. Because Kṛṣṇa, the creator, He said, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Mām upetya kaunteya…

Indian: Punar janma na vidyate.

Prabhupāda: Punar jan…

Indian: Punar janma na vidyate.

Prabhupāda: No, no, another is. Duḥkhālayaṁ nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramām… So our aim should be how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the real mission of human life. Because after… Asatiṁś cāturaṁś caiva lakṣaṁs tān jīva-jātiṣu. There are 8,400,000 species of life. After evolving, we have come to this human form of life. Tad apy viphalā jātaḥ. So if we do not understand Govinda, govinda-caraṇa-dvayam, then it is viphalā. It is simply misused. The modern civilization, they do not know this. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for educating people that "You are simply wasting your time." "No. I am doing my duty." The people say, "This is my…" The doctor says, "I am doing my duty." The engineer says, "I am doing my duty." The father says, "I am doing my duty." The mother says, "I am doing my duty." That's all right. But Bhāgavata says, "Thank you very much, that you are doing your duty."

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed ratiṁ yadi

śrama eva hi kevalam

[SB 1.2.8]

"You are doing your duty very nice. That's all right. But by doing your duty, if you do not develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are simply wasting your time."

So these people, they do not know. They are thinking that "We are doing our duty." What is this nonsense duty? Real duty is to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you are missing that point, the so-called duty is simply wasting…

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed ratiṁ yadi

śrama eva hi kevalam

[SB 1.2.8]

So they do not know this. They are doing their… Everyone is engaged in his duty. They are not interested to hear about Kṛṣṇa-kathā-that is the real business of life-because they are engaged in duty, duty. So why they do that? Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know the real duty is to approach Viṣṇu, svartha-gatim, interest. They are thinking, "This is my interest." Real duty is svārtha-gatim. Everyone should be interested in his business, but the real business is, human life, that approach Viṣṇu. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanty surayaḥ. Those who are actually advanced Aryans, their business is how to approach Viṣṇu. That is the Ṛg-mantra. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā [SB 7.5.31]. They are thinking by these bodily comforts they will be happy. No. That is not possible. The real happiness is different. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Andhā yathāndhaiḥ. And anyone who will give him false hope that "If you get independence, then overnight you will become like this, like this, like that," that leader is very nice. If there is some political meeting giving only bluff, lots of bluffs only, and people gather there by thousands and millions to hear the bluff… Because… My Guru Mahārāja therefore used to say that this present human society is a society of the cheaters and the cheated. Somebody is being cheated and somebody is cheater, a combination of two things, cheater and the cheated, because they do not know the real interest of life. And anyone who will speak all nonsense and bluff, he will be very much adored. This is going on.

But actual interest is… Human life should be sober. He should… Therefore the first beginning of real life is to understand that "I am not this body." This is the first lesson. But where is that education? Throughout the whole world, go anywhere. Where is that education that students are being taught that "You are not this body"? There is no education. Then what is the value of this education? To keep them andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31], to keep them in the darkness. That is going on. This is the only institution which is giving people real life.

ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

So our request is, therefore, that try to understand this Kṛṣṇa philosophy and take to it seriously. Then your life will be successful. Otherwise you are simply wasting your time. This is our message. And if you want to talk, if you want to argue, then also we are prepared. We have prepared so many books for this purpose. Now this is the fact. If you accept it, it is good. Then the next question may be that "Why the people do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? If it is so important, why they do not take to it?" That is also explained by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. Gṛha-vratānām. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30]. So matir na kṛṣṇe. If one sticks to this principle, that "I shall be happy with this material body, I shall be happy within this material world, within my country, within my society," in this way, if one thinks, they are called gṛha-vrata. So for such persons, gṛha-vratānām, those who want to become happy within this bodily envelopment, they are… [break] Therefore from the beginning of life one has to be educated the value of life or approach a devotee.

What is that next verse, Prahlāda Mahārāja?

matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā

mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām

adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram…

[SB 7.5.30]

Adānta-gobhiḥ. Because they cannot control their senses… The yoga system means to control the senses. Now yoga system has become a means of making the senses strong to enjoy. At the present moment, the so-called yoga system is a exercise for making the body strong and senses strong. There is another verse I forget. Na vṛṇīta tāvad. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim.

naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ

spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ

mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo 'bhiṣekaṁ

niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat

[SB 7.5.32]

Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā. Kṛṣṇe matiḥ, by personal endeavor, svataḥ, or by taking lessons from others… Just like we are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, attending meeting also, conference also. But still, matir na kṛṣṇe. But that can be achieved only, naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim, unless one surrenders to the mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo 'bhiṣekam. Unless one surrenders to the dust of the lotus feet of pure devotee, Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be developed. It is not possible. That is the secret. Otherwise you go on attending thousands of meetings and bhāgavata-saptāha and so-called, I mean to say, sat-saṅga. Unless you surrender to a person… Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. Unless you surrender… This is a process of surrender. As soon as there is a lack of surrendering process, it is very difficult. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Surrender." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Surrender." So Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's representative, one should surrender. Then kṛṣṇe matir bhavatu anyathā naiva. So matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta. This was instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Then next, read. What is that?

Pradyumna: "The material comforts of life are not sufficient to make us happy. The vivid example is America."

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is vivid example. In America there is no scarcity of food, there is no scarcity of anything. Here we cannot imagine that how there cannot be any scarcity of food because here everything is scarcity, controlled. So similarly, I have seen Russia. Russia is advertising, "So much comfortable," but the poorest country, in my opinion. They stand in line as here, controlled everything. If you have to purchase your necessities, you have to waste two hours at least. Where is Śyāmasundara? Śyāmasundara has gone, huh? So Śyāmasundara was going to purchase our things. So rice practically not available, nice quality. Dahl also not. The butter is available, milk is available, and meat, as much as you like. And no fruits, no vegetables. It was very difficult for the vegetarians. And still, that is everything. He had to spend two hours for bringing milk and butter and little rice. So everything is controlled. What I was speaking?

Pradyumna: "The material comforts of life alone are not sufficient to make us happy. The vivid example is America."

Prabhupāda: Yes. And America, just the contrary. You can purchase any amount of milk, any amount of wheat, any amount of rice-whatever you want. Everything, everything is complete. So many stores, so many stock. And still, their production is so great that government restricts, "Don't produce crops. Don't produce crops." They bribe the farmer that "Don't produce." And I think the land, America, not even one fourth of the land is utilized. If they utilized the whole land, I do not know how much they can produce. I think they can feed the whole world if they utilize. Similarly, I have seen in Australia. Similarly, I have seen in Africa-enough land is lying without cultivation. So God has given us the capacity to cultivate, to produce food. We can produce food, enough quantity. There is no question of scarcity. The scarcity is due to our godlessness. Otherwise, by God's arrangement, pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate [Īśopaniṣad, Invocation]. It is pūrṇam. Everything is complete. Just like nature, nature's produces. Sometimes in some season we see there is ample productions of mangoes, and sometimes there is no mango. So after all, it is in the hand of nature, prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni [Bg. 3.27]. Prakṛti is producing, producing; prakṛti is reducing; and behind the prakṛti there is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. So just become devotee of Kṛṣṇa and do your duty. Svanuṣṭhitaḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṇ-manobhiḥ. Then everything will be complete. There will be no scarcity. This philosophy, they do not know. They want to… Like Kaṁsa, they want to make minus Kṛṣṇa. Like Rāvaṇa, they want to make minus Rāma, and the result is that with their all family, all their wealth and everything, material advance-vanquished, finished. That is prakṛti. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. They are trying to avoid God. They are trying to become independent of God. Then what is the benefit? In every step we are seeing that we are dependent on God. Because God has not supplied rain for one year, there is so much catastrophe going on. But still, they will not take it. Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā. Parato svato vā. If we advise that "You take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act accordingly. You will be all happy," "No." Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato vā. Because they have designed their own plan. So this is going on. Then?

Pradyumna: "The vivid example is America: the richest nation of the world, having all facilities for material comfort, is producing a class of men completely confused and frustrated in life. I am appealing herewith to such confused men…" Oh. "The root cause of our dissatisfaction is that our dormant loving propensity has not been fulfilled despite our great advancement in the materialistic way of life. The Nectar of Devotion will give us practical hints how we can live in this material world perfectly engaged in devotional service and thus fulfill all our desires in this life and the next. The Nectar of Devotion is not presented to condemn…"

Prabhupāda: If you become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, all your desires will be fulfilled. That is also fact.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhiḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta paramaṁ puruṣa

[SB 2.3.10]

It is not that… Sometimes we think like that, that "If we become devotee of God, then I'll become poor." Because Vaiṣṇavas are generally appear to be poor, so those who are after material happiness, they do not like to become Vaiṣṇavas. They become devotee of Lord Śiva, because by the grace of Lord Śiva they get all material facilities. Therefore generally people are very much fond of becoming devotee of Lord Śiva. This question was discussed between Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja…, not, Parīkṣit Mahārāja and Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired this, that "Lord Viṣṇu is the master of goddess of fortune, but generally we find the Vaiṣṇavas are poor. And Lord Śiva, he hasn't got even a house, so still, his devotees are very prosperous." So the explanation was given that Lord Śiva is the master of these material opulences, Durgā-devī. Durgā-devī is his wife, the material nature. So devotees of Lord Śiva can get all material facilities. And Lord Viṣṇu…, because he is going to be transferred to the spiritual world, therefore gradually his material affection is curtailed. Of course, when he is advanced in devotion then his material comforts are not curtailed. But when he is not advanced, if he thinks that "By becoming Vaiṣṇava I shall be materially very opulent and I shall enjoy this material enjoyment," then it is curtailed. That is explained in Bhāgavata and Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanam. Because Viṣṇu knows that "He wants Me, at the same time he wants some material opulence, so this is his ignorance. This is his ignorance. If he wants material opulence, then he has to remain here within this material world. But he wants Me." So to have Kṛṣṇa, that is in the spiritual world. So if you have got attachment for this material world, then you cannot go. A slight attachment for this material world will oblige him to take another birth. If the mind is absorbed in karma or material comfort, then Kṛṣṇa will give you, "All right. You take this work again." Even great yogis, because they think of material comforts, they are called bhraṣṭa. Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatām. Although the facility is given to take birth in the family of high brāhmaṇa or high, rich man, but it is material. It is material life. And one who becomes perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious, he hasn't got to. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9]. He is immediately transferred to Kṛṣṇa.

But people are enamored by this material life to have high parentage, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī [SB 1.8.26]. They are enamored by these things. "I must have birth in high family, in brāhmaṇa family, in king's family, in heavenly planet, in demigod's family." They think this is life. But a devotee knows, "No, this is not life." For devotee… Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. What to speak of this rich family or that family or brāhmaṇa family? Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. Even vidhi… Vidhi means Lord Brahma, and mahendra means Lord Indra. They are also considered, "What? They are insects, a pāpa living entity, just like ordinary insects." That is the position. The devotee is richest. Just like somebody… We were discussing. Somebody was speaking about me that "You are richest." Yes, I am richest. Why not richest? Because a devotee does not care liberation. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. The jñānīs are after merging into the Brahman effulgence. A devotee thinks, "What is this Brahman effulgence?" Narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. And the heavenly planet, that is phantasmagoria. What is this? Durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. And the yogis, they are trying to subjugate the indriyas. But for devotees, although the indriyas are just like serpent, the poison teeth have been taken away. Because the devotees' indriyas-hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]-that is now differently engaged. A devotees' indriyas are not engaged for sense gratification. His indriyas are engaged for satisfying Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the poison teeth of indriya is broken. This is the process. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatām. This verse was written by one of your South Indian devotee of Lord Caitanya, Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. So he, I mean to say, realized, yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ taṁ gauram eva stumaḥ: "By the mercy of Lord Caitanya I have achieved this success." Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5).

So actually devotee is the richest because they don't care even for yoga-siddhi or heavenly planet or merging into the Brahman effulgence or become very rich and a brāhmaṇa, or… No. They don't want. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No."

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

[Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]

This is devotee. This is pure devotion. They don't want anything. Therefore they are śāntaḥ. If you want śāntaḥ, then you stop demanding, "I want this, I want this, I want this, I want this." So long you'll want, you are in need, how there can be santaḥ? There is no possibility. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Everyone… Bhukti means karmī, and mukti means jñānī, and siddhi means yogi. They are wanting something. So they cannot be śāntaḥ. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śāntaḥ [Cc. Madhya 19.149]. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta doesn't want anything. Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa-bhakta even does not want Kṛṣṇa even. He wants only Kṛṣṇa's service. That's all. "Why I shall bother Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is busy in His own business. Let Him dance with the gopīs. I shall simply serve Him. That's all. Why shall I want Kṛṣṇa? Why shall I disturb Him?" This is devotion.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. (end)

721026ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, October 26, 1972

Pradyumna: "The Nectar of Devotion is specifically presented for persons who are now engaged in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. I beg to offer my sincere thanks to all my friends and disciples who are helping me…"

Prabhupāda: That's all. So, next page.

Pradyumna: "Invoking auspiciousness: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the reservoir of all rasas, or relationships, which are called neutrality, or passive adoration, servitorship, friendship, parenthood, conjugal love, comedy, compassion, fear, chivalry, ghastliness, wonder and devastation. He is the supreme attractive form, and by His universal and transcendental attractive features, He has captivated all the gopīs, headed by Tārakā, Pālikā, Śyāmā, Lalitā, and ultimately, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Let His Lordship's grace be on us so that there may not be any hindrance in the execution of this duty of writing The Nectar of Devotion, impelled by His Divine Grace Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda."

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is described as akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. So there are different rasas, five primary rasas. Rasa means the mellow or the taste which we enjoy in every activity. That is called rasa. Everything is done with some taste. Whatever you do, you must enjoy some taste out of it. So there are twelve rasas, out of which five rasas are primary and seven rasas are secondary. They are described here.

When Kṛṣṇa was fighting with Bhīṣma… You know the story, that Bhīṣma was criticized by Duryodhana: "My dear Grandfather, you are not fighting in full strength with Arjuna because the, on the other side, they are your grandsons, and you have got, you have got very natural affection for them. So I think you are not fighting according to your strength. Otherwise, they would have been finished by this time." So Bhīṣma also could understand that, his criticism. Then he promised immediately that: "Tomorrow I shall finish all these five brothers. Will that be happy for you? So I am keeping five arrows to be used tomorrow for killing these five brothers." So Duryodhana became doubtful. So he request grandfather, "My dear grandfather, may I keep these five arrows with me so that you can take it from me tomorrow and use it?" "All right, you keep it."

So Kṛṣṇa could understand that "Now Bhīṣma has promised to kill the Pāṇḍavas tomorrow, and he has selected five arrows for them." So He has to protect His devotees. Now, He asked Arjuna that "Duryodhana sometimes promised to give you some benediction. Now it is the opportunity. You go there to Duryodhana. And he has kept five arrows very carefully; you take it, them." So Arjuna went to Duryodhana… Because after fighting, in the evening, they were friends. There was no enmity. One man can go to the other camp as friend, brothers. So when Arjuna arrived to Duryodhana, Duryodhana received him. That is Vedic etiquette. "Arjuna, why you have come? You ask something from me. I am ready to give you. If you want the kingdom without fighting, if you have come for this purpose, I'll give you." So Arjuna said: "No, my dear brother, I've not come for that purpose. But you remember that you wanted to give me some benediction. So I have come for that." "Yes, I am prepared." "So you give me those five arrows." He immediately delivered.

So next morning, when Bhīṣmadeva asked that "Where are those five arrows? Give me," So Duryodhana said, "Sir, this is the story. It has been taken away by Arjuna." So he could understand it is the trick of Kṛṣṇa. So immediately he, out of devotion, became angry. Yes. So devotion, devotional service can be executed in anger also. Not by simply flowers. If he, there is a devotee, he can serve Kṛṣṇa by becoming angry. So he promised immediately that "Today Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise." Because Kṛṣṇa promised that "Although I shall be in the battlefield, I shall simply drive your chariot, but I shall not fight." That was His promise. Now Bhīṣma said that "Kṛṣṇa has broken my promise. So I shall fight in this way today that either Kṛṣṇa has to break His own promise or His friend Arjuna will be killed." Two alternatives.

So when Bhīṣma was fighting very fiercely, severely, Arjuna's chariot became broken and he fell down; at that time Kṛṣṇa took one of the wheels of the chariot and immediately approached Bhīṣma, and when He was approaching Bhīṣma, Bhīṣma was also piercing His body with arrows. And Kṛṣṇa was accepting the arrows move lovable than the flowers. This is the dealing. Therefore that is a rasa, ghastly rasa. Apparently it appears to be very severe, that Kṛṣṇa is being pierced by the arrows. But Kṛṣṇa was feeling pleasure. So Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has explained this portion very nicely, that he has given the example of kissing. Sometimes there is hard pressure of the teeth, but still it is pleasurable. He has given this example, that although Kṛṣṇa was being pierced by the arrows Bhīṣmadeva, still Kṛṣṇa felt very pleasing. And Bhīṣmadeva also, when he was on his death bed, he wanted to see that form of Kṛṣṇa when He was very angry and approaching before him to kill him in the battlefield. He explained that feature.

So we can enjoy Kṛṣṇa's loving service in so many ways. Not only by the embrace of the gopīs, but in the fight of Bhīṣma with Kṛṣṇa and piercing His body with arrows. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is akhila-rasāmṛta. Any one rasa… There are twelve rasas, either primary rasa or secondary rasa. Any rasa, Kṛṣṇa is ready to respond to any rasa you want to deal with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's position. Kāmāt krodhād bhayāt dveṣāt. So what to speak of those who are loving. Just like Pūtanā. Pūtanā wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa. That was his, that was her purpose. But when Pūtanā was killed by sucking her breast and life both, then Pūtanā was given the position of Kṛṣṇa's mother. Because Kṛṣṇa took it the bright side. Kṛṣṇa thought that "Whatever her intention may be, she came to Me just like a mother, and I sucked her breast. Therefore she is My mother." She came as enemy, but Kṛṣṇa did not take the inimical side. The motherly side. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya [SB 10.33.29]. Similarly, the gopīs, they came to Kṛṣṇa out of lust, but out of lust, they became purified. Just like the sun. The sun soaks the water from urinal, but sun is not polluted, but the urinal becomes sterilized. This is the process. So you try to approach Kṛṣṇa, some way or other. Then your life is successful. It doesn't matter. Kāmāt krodhād bhayād dveṣāt.

And what to speak of those who are constantly engaged in love with Kṛṣṇa. Everything is love. As soon as you divert your attention to Kṛṣṇa, that is love. It may be perverted. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa… He was also Kṛṣṇa conscious. But he was thinking in terms of killing Kṛṣṇa, as enemy. So this is not bhakti. This is not anukūla. Pratikūla. But still, Kṛṣṇa is so kind that Kaṁsa was also given liberation. This is the special kindness of Kṛṣṇa. So any rasa. There are twelve rasas. Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. That is the direction given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī." Some way or other, fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa." Then your life is successful. Some way or other. Yena tena. So if your mind is fixed up always in Kṛṣṇa, then your senses will be also engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Because mind is the center of all activities of the senses.

So as Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he first of all engaged his mind in Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18]. By fixing up his mind in Kṛṣṇa, then he could use all other senses, namely the tongue… Actually bhakti begins with the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. Beginning from tongue, Kṛṣṇa-bhakti begins. It may be very awkward to hear, that "By tongue, how bhakti begins?" But that is the statement in the śāstras. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Our present senses, blunt, materially covered, it cannot taste what is Kṛṣṇa's name, what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's quality, what is Kṛṣṇa's pastime, what is Kṛṣṇa's paraphernalia. Senses, they taste. But… Just like in, when one is suffering from liver disease, or jaundice, he cannot taste the sugar candy. The sugar candy is sweet, but a jaundiced patient, if he's given sugar candy, he'll taste it is bitter. Similarly, our senses being covered with material consciousness, we cannot at the present moment taste what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's name, what is Kṛṣṇa's quality, what is Kṛṣṇa's pastime, what is Kṛṣṇa's paraphernalia, so many things. It is not possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Our senses are materially contaminated. Therefore we cannot directly perceive by using our present senses what is Kṛṣṇa. So it has to be purified.

Just like eyes. When it is suffering from the disease, cataract, you cannot see properly. But the, if the, by surgical operation, the cataract is moved, the eyes become purified, you can see. That is also stated in Brahma-saṁhitā:

premāñjana-cchurita bhakti-vilocanena

santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti

yam śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.38]

Premāñjana-cchurita. You have to collect the ointment of love for Kṛṣṇa. And if you apply that ointment on your eyes, then… Just like we use surma (?) for clear vision, similarly, when the love of Kṛṣṇa surma is applied on the eyes, these eyes, you'll see Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. You have to get yourself freed from the upādhis, designations. The designation, the sun and substance of designation: this material body. "I am this body." "I am Hindu." "I am Mussulman." "I am American." "I am Hin…, Indian." All designation of this body. So one has to become freed from the contamination of this bodily concept of life. That is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. When our spiritual body becomes revealed, the material body, contamination, is washed off, nirmalam. At that time, the senses remain. Senses are there. It is simply covered by the material energies. The senses are there. The living entity is not nirākāra. Living entity has got hands, legs, everything, spiritual. Just like my, I have got my body, and this body's covered by this shirt, and because I have got this hand, the shirt has got hand. Otherwise wherefrom this hand comes? Unless the spirit soul has got hands and legs, how we have got these material hands and legs?

Therefore it is, the conclusion is that spirit soul has form. As Kṛṣṇa has got form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], similarly spirit soul, jīvātmā, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, it has got form. That form is also described in the śāstra. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca, jīva bhāgo sa vijñeyaḥ [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. A rough idea of the form of the living entity has been given in the Padma Purāṇa that one ten thousandth part of the tip of the hair… Now, perhaps we have no instrument how to measure one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. But this is given there. So anyway, because we get information from the Bhagavad-gītā, that this body, material body is, is like a dress. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāny yathā vihāya. As we give up old dress, garment, similarly, when this body becomes useless, we give up this body and accept another new body. Navāni ghṛṇāti.

This is the transmigration of the soul. The soul is transmigrating form one body to another. That is a fact. But the gross, gross materialists, they cannot see the subtle body. They simply see the gross body. Therefore they say, "When this body is finished, this gross body's finished, everything is finished." No, that is not. Within the gross body, there is subtle body, made of mind, intelligence and ego. So that is… Just like in every day we have got experience. The gross body is lying on the bed, but the subtle body goes out of the bed, out of the room, goes on the top of a hill or somewhere. It works. That is our practical experience. Similarly, when this gross body is finished, no more usable, the subtle body carries the soul to another womb of the mother. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. Through the semina of the father, the living entity is injected within the womb of the mother, and the two secretions becomes emulsified, and it becomes just like a small pea, and within that pea the soul is there, and it develops. This is the process of transmigration of the soul from one body to another.

So soul has got form. It is not formless. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa has got also form. But that form is different from this form. When in the śāstras it is said, nirākāra, nirākāra means nirākṛta ākāra, "This ākāra, this form, is being nullified." Nirākāra does not mean there is no ākāra. This body. When it is said, nirākāra, that means the soul, the Supersoul or the soul, has no this ākāra, as we see. Just like we are seeing some dog or some cat or some hog, some tree, some plants, so many, eight million four hundred thousands of forms, but this is not the form. Nirākāreti. Not this form. The soul has got a different form. That is described. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. We cannot see, at the present moment. So as we cannot see you. I am not seeing you, you are not seeing me… Just like a man's son dies, or father dies. He cries, "Oh, my father is gone, my father is gone." Where is your father gone? Your father is lying on the floor. Why do you say the father is gone? "No, he's gone. He's no more." That means this thing which has gone, he has never seen. He has seen simply this outward body, dress. This is called ignorance. I am not seeing you; still, I am speaking that I see you. So if I cannot see you, the part and parcel of God, how can I see God with these eyes? Therefore śāstra says,

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi

na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau

svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 17.136]

You cannot see God, you cannot see Kṛṣṇa by your, these blunt senses, but if you purify your senses, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. That purification begins from tongue. That purification, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. So by the tongue we can do two things. We can taste foodstuff and we can vibrate sound. So if you engage your tongue for vibrating this transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare/Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, and do not take anything except prasādam of Kṛṣṇa, then your spiritual life immediately begins. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, svayam eva… Then gradually, as you advance in spiritual life, Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself to you, "Here I am." You cannot see Kṛṣṇa, but by being satisfied with your service, Kṛṣṇa sees you. Just like you cannot see sun at night. But when the sun sees you, you can see the sun and yourself, both. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa sees you, being satisfied with your service, then you can see Kṛṣṇa, you can see yourself and you can see the whole world.

Now, whatever you are seeing, this is all illusion. You are not seeing, or we are not seeing. Because our senses are blunt to see things as they are. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

One who has got the eyes to see, he does not see that "Here is a learned brāhmaṇa, and here is a dog." He sees both the learned brāhmaṇa and the dog in equal vision. Because he does not see the dress. He sees the spirit soul within the brāhmaṇa and within the dog. That is called brahma-darśana. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54]. When one has got that vision, transcendental vision, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhakti, then the devotional service begins. Not that with blunt eyes and senses one can serve God, devotional service.

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi

na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau

svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 17.136]

This is the process. So when our senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], when our senses become purified, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate, at that time, the hṛṣīka, the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord. Because Kṛṣṇa is spirit, the Supersoul, He cannot be served by matter. He has to be served with spirit.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. This bhakti is spiritual activity. Because Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā prayacchati. If you offer something Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, I have brought a very palatable dish. You take it." Oh, Kṛṣṇa will not take it. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. He's not exposed to everyone. It is not possible. You cannot serve Kṛṣṇa if you are not a devotee. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. That is the real thing, bhaktyā. Not that "I have brought a nice plate and Kṛṣṇa will accept." Not like that. Kṛṣṇa can accept when you offer something, it doesn't matter what it is, it may be a simple flower, a fruit, a, a small piece of leaf or little water… This is universal. For worshiping Kṛṣṇa, there is no impediment. If you want to worship other demigods, there are so many things required. But for worshiping Kṛṣṇa the poorest man in the world, any part of the world, he can offer his love, his offering to Kṛṣṇa. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26].

So… So real purpose of this Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu by Rūpa Gosvāmī which we have translated by the name, Nectar of Devotion, the Complete Science, the Complete Science of Bhakti-yoga, this is very important book of understanding how to become purified in devotional service, how to approach Kṛṣṇa, how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. These things are described very nicely. And Kṛṣṇa, being Supreme, He's Supersoul, we cannot approach with our material consciousness. Therefore the consciousness has to be changed. Then we can approach Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Unless we change our consciousness… Just like, without being fire, you cannot enter into fire. In the śāstra says, without being Brahman, you cannot approach Brahman. Similarly, without being purified of all material contamination, you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa. How, what kind of hṛṣīka, senses? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. The senses are to be purified. Tat-paratvena. Tat-paratvena means being always attached with Kṛṣṇa. If you simply see Kṛṣṇa with your eyes, then your eyes will be purified and spiritualized. Because you are touching… Just like if you keep yourself always in touch with fire, you become warm. Warm, warm, warmer. If you put one iron rod in the fire, it becomes warm, warmer, warmer, and at last, it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is fire. It is not more iron rod. You touch that red hot iron anywhere, it will burn. Similarly, if you keep always in touch with Kṛṣṇa, you become Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇized, and you can appreciate what is Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much. (end)

730107ND.BOM

The Nectar of Devotion

Bombay, January 7, 1973

Pradyumna: (reading:) "Invoking auspiciousness: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the reservoir of all rasas, or relationships, which are called neutrality, or passive adoration; servitorship; friendship; parenthood; conjugal love; comedy; compassion; fear; chivalry; ghastliness; wonder; and devastation. He is the supreme attractive form, and by His universal and transcendental attractive features, He has captivated all the gopīs, headed by Tārakā, Pālikā, Śyāmā, Lalitā and, ultimately, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Let His Lordship's grace be on us…"

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all rasas. Rasa is a very peculiar word. Rasa, it may be translated into English as "taste," as "mellow," or as "humor." So our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, there is some taste. Without taste, we cannot continue our relationship with anyone. There must be some taste. So these rasas, or tastes, are twelve kinds. Primary rasa is the relationship between inert things and our… Just like I am sitting on this chair. So the comfort I am feeling, that is the rasa, taste. We want very nice cushion, sitting position. So that tasting, that "I am now comfortably seated," this is called śānta-rasa. Then above the śānta-rasa, there is dāsya-rasa. Dāsya-rasa… Just like my students, my disciples, they want to serve me, and I want to take service from them. This is also an exchange of rasa, a taste. Śānta, dāsya. Similarly, next advanced stage is sakhya-rasa. Sakhya means friendship. Just like one is serving somebody, but if that service is very intimate, then there is the rasa of friendship, dāsa, sakhya-rasa. And when that is advanced… (feedback) (aside:) What is this sound? When that is advanced, it becomes vātsalya-rasa. Vātsalya-rasa means the taste of relationship between parents and the children. These are advanced. Śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, and then vātsalya-rasa, parenthood, filial love. And above this, there is mādhurya-rasa. Mādhurya-rasa means the taste between husband and wife, lover and the beloved. That is called mādhurya-rasa. Similarly… These are the primary rasas. (aside:) The draft is coming this side, or…? It is open.

Śyāmasundara: I'm just closing it because the noise from outside is coming in.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Śyāmasundara: Just closing the doors because the wind was blowing through them.

Prabhupāda: No, wind is coming from this side.

Others: No. No, from this side.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Indian man: The door is half-closed.

Indian man (2): Yes, yes. Close it. One of you close it. That's better.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. So our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God, there are different rasas. These are the primary rasas. And there are secondary, indirect rasas. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa wants to kill Kṛṣṇa. That is also another rasa. So what are the rasas, indirect rasas? Just read.

Pradyumna: "…which are called neutrality, servitorship…" Oh, indirect. "Comedy, compassion, fear, chivalry…"

Prabhupāda: Eh? What is that?

Pradyumna: Uh, comedy.

Prabhupāda: Comedy, hāsya-rasa, creating a situation that everyone will laugh. That is also rasa. Hāsya-rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Compassion.

Prabhupāda: Compassion. Suppose you find some poor man lying on the street. You feel compassionate. That is also another rasa, compassion rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Fear.

Prabhupāda: Fear. Suppose if you find a tiger or a something ghostly, you become afraid. That is also rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Chivalry.

Prabhupāda: Chivalry. Suppose you are fighting with an enemy. You are defeating him, you are killing him. That is also another rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Ghastliness.

Prabhupāda: Ghastliness. That means after killing somebody… Just like a butcher. The butcher is enjoying by killing. Ghastly. Just like the hunter was killing every animal. He was also enjoying some rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Wonder.

Prabhupāda: Wonder. You see something which is very wonderful, astonishing, that is also rasa. In this way, according to śāstra, there are twelve rasas-five primary and seven secondary. But all these rasas are there in Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is called Akhila rasāmṛta-sindhu. Akhila rasāmṛta. You can enjoy, you can have contact with Kṛṣṇa with any of these rasas; therefore He's called Akhila… We have written a small book, Kṛṣṇa, the Reservoir of All Pleasure. Ghastly or wondrous rasas or chivalrous rasas, although they are not exactly like the five primary rasas, conjugal love, paternal affection, friendly love… Just like Bhīṣma. Bhīṣmadeva was enjoying the chivalry rasas when he decided that "This day, I must kill Arjuna. Either Kṛṣṇa will have to break His promise…" Kṛṣṇa promised that He'd not take any weapon in the battle; He should remain neutral. Because both sides, they were relatives. So it is not good to take part partially in one party and neglect other. Of course, it was divided… Kṛṣṇa divided Himself, His soldiers, one side, and Kṛṣṇa, one side. He said, Duryodhana and Arjuna, that "I shall remain neutral, but I am dividing My strength in this way. One side, I am, and one side, My soldiers." So Duryodhana thought that "What shall I do with Kṛṣṇa? Better take His soldiers." So he took the soldiers in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. And Arjuna said that "I want You." Just like the same thing happened in general politics also. When Gandhi started the movement, noncooperation movement, so he selected some very big men of India, big, big lawyers like C. R. Das, Motilal Nehru. So C. R. Das, at that time, about fifty years ago, he was earning about fifty thousand rupees per month by his legal practice. He said that "Gandhiji, you take all my money, but let me practice. Don't ask me to boycott the British court." But that was on the, one of the programs. So Gandhiji said, "No, I don't want your money. I want you." And actually that was very effective. So similarly Arjuna also decided that "I don't want Your soldiers. I want You." So these are different rasas.

So the fact is, the idea is that you can make your relationship with Kṛṣṇa with any kinds of rasas. Because beyond these twelve rasas, there is no other rasa. There are… These twelve rasas is complete: five primary and seven secondary. Direct and indirect. Therefore our Gosvāmīs' instruction is that you establish your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. Somehow or other, you establish, you fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kaṁsa. He fixed up his mind on Kṛṣṇa how to kill Him. He was always thinking… He was also Kṛṣṇa conscious, that… But he was thinking, "As soon as Kṛṣṇa will take birth, I shall immediately kill Him." And he was anxious, "Whether He is born, whether He's born, whether He's born?" So when his sister, Devakī, was pregnant, he was thinking of the pregnant…, Kṛṣṇa, within the womb, "When He will take birth, when He will take birth, when He will take birth?" That was… That was also Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but that kind of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not bhakti. The indirect Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is not bhakti. That is attachment for Kṛṣṇa. That will also give benefit. Just like Kaṁsa and other enemies of Kṛṣṇa, who were killed by Kṛṣṇa, they got immediately salvation, immediately got salvation.

So the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Rūpa Gosvāmī teaches that even if you be attached to Kṛṣṇa in adverse condition, in opposite condition, that is also good, because Kṛṣṇa is there. The example can be given in a different way: just like sandalwood. Sandalwood, you rub it, in any way, standing or horizontal, in this way, the pulp will come out and it will give you comfort, it will give you relief. Similarly, you make your contact with Kṛṣṇa ānukūlyena… Especially it is recommended: ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167], favorably. That is surrender. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyaṁ vivarjanam. Surrender means to accept Kṛṣṇa favorably in five rasas. You serve Him in śānta-rasa. You serve Him in dāsya-rasa, in sakhya-rasa. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna served Kṛṣṇa in sakhya-rasa, as friend. Sakhyam ātma-nivedanam. There are nine different processes of devotional service:

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

There are nine different processes. So you can adopt either all the nine processes, as Ambarīṣa Mahārāja accepted all the nine processes: Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane [SB 9.4.18]. So we can do that. Or eight. Or seven. Or six. Or five. Or four. At least one. At least one. Some way or other, become connected with Kṛṣṇa. Just like śrī-viṣṇoḥ śravaṇe parīkṣit. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he simply listened about Kṛṣṇa. That's all. At the last stage of his life, he was given seven days' life, that "After seven days, you'll die." So he took the full opportunity of seven days, and he simply listened to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. That's all. Uh, to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Śrī-viṣṇoḥ śravaṇe parīkṣid abhavad vaiyāsakiḥ kīrtane. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply narrated about Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is, yāre dekha, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa. This is the mission.

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa

yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

So the Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind that He wants to send gurus all over the world.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

That is His mission. He wants that "All over the world, as many villages and towns are there, everywhere this, My mission must be spread." And who will do it? That is also, He gave instruction:

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

This is India's mission. India's mission is that janma sārthaka kari': "Just make your life successful, and spread this knowledge all over the world." This is India's mission. India's mission is not to imitate technology and work like ass day and night. This is not India's business. Indians are not meant for this purpose. Those who have taken birth in Bhāratavarṣa, they are not ordinary human beings. Naturally, they are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Unnaturally they are being forced to be otherwise. Therefore it is misadjustment. It is not taking place. If you, even in this age, in this city, big city, oh, as soon as there is some religious meeting, thousands and lakhs of people gather. Why? They are meant for this purpose. Artificially, they are being withdrawn. "Don't think of Kṛṣṇa. Don't think of religion." Most artificial. Therefore there is fight. There is always fight. Now Andhra is fighting Teliṅga(?). Teliṅga is fighting this way. No peace. India, such a peaceful land. Here, we are killing cows. They are killing animals. You are fighting. You are doing so many sinful activities artificially. This is not our business. Our business is different. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra, janma sārthaka kari [Cc. Ādi 9.41]'. Here you have got the advantages to fulfill the mission of life. Janma-sārthaka kari'. Here is Bhagavad-gītā. Here is Vedas. Here is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Here is Lord Rāmacandra. Here is Vyāsadeva. And we are going to learn technology? How much degraded we have become, just consider. The, our mission should be, first of all, we must assimilate all the knowledge given by all the great saintly persons-Kṛṣṇa and others-and distribute this knowledge all over the world. And the whole world is also expecting like that. Therefore as soon as the so-called rascal swami goes there, and they immediately gather: "Here is one swami from India. We may get something." But they are cheating. They are cheating and taking money and having illicit sex, and enjoying and coming back. Therefore they could not do anything. But the whole world is waiting for India's culture, India's bhakti, India's spiritual knowledge. Just see the example. Why they have left their fathers' property, their opulence of country, and they are after me? I am a poor man. Only this reason, that they're hankering. And we have got the commodity to deliver to them. This business should be done from India's part. If we want to imitate them, then we create another havoc. That we are doing so. Now we have made secular state, killing state. One cow was attempted to be killed. Mahārāja Parīkṣit immediately took his sword: "Who are you? You are killing cow in my kingdom?" And they are ten thousand or forty thousand cows are being killed, and you want to become happy by plan-making? Simply rascaldom. India, you cannot do it. India's business is different. That you have forgotten. We are simply trying. That there is Bengali, nice song: apana dhana vilaye viye viksa mage pare tache (?). We have thrown away our own culture, and we are begging from others, "Give me, sir, this. Give me, sir, this. Give me, sir, this." Most abominable condition. Just try to understand. India… This is the order of Kṛṣṇa, Gaura Kṛṣṇa-Kṛṣṇa's also order that anyone who is preaching this Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmāt manuṣyeṣu kaścit me priya-kṛttamaḥ. "Nobody's dearer than him to Me."

So this Bhagavad-gītā should be taken as it is. One should assimilate. The Indian people, those who are… As Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]. Those who are actually human beings, not cats and dogs, for them, this is the duty. The duty is to assimilate. What is our asset? Our asset is spiritual asset. Now we are giving up. Bhagavad-gītā's not allowed to be instructed in the schools and colleges. How much degraded we are! And we are becoming very proud of our advancement of civilization, material assets. This is simply… Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. These are described as māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. There is school, college, not only in India, everywhere, all over the world, they… Actually there is no jñāna, knowledge. They're all fools and rascals. We can clearly declare-it may not be very palatable-the whole world is full of rascals and rogues. That's all. How we can say? Now we can say it from the text of the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that?

na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ

duṣkṛtina narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ

[Bg. 7.15]

Na māṁ prapadyante. As soon as we see a person who is not a surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa or God, then what he is? He is duṣkṛtinaḥ, full of sinful activities. Anyone who does not surrender to God, or Kṛṣṇa, he is, what he is? He must be either of these groups: duṣkṛtinaḥ, always sinful; mūḍha, rascal, asses; na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15], lowest of the mankind; and māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. If you say, "There are so many educated persons. They're not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, or God. They're godless. So they have no value?" No, no value, actually, because their actual knowledge has been taken away. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Why? Āsurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because they're following the philosophy of atheism. That's all. This is the root cause.

So Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, this Nectar of Devotion, is giving us the hint that after all, you want to enjoy life. That is your purpose. Actually, everyone's mission is that. But you cannot enjoy. As soon as there is question of enjoyment, there must be other party. You cannot enjoy alone. That is not possible. There must be other party. So you enjoy your life with Kṛṣṇa-either in sakhya-rasa or dāsya-rasa or vātsalya-rasa or ghastly rasa. Just like Bhīṣmadeva: he enjoyed Kṛṣṇa's association by ghastly rasa. As I was going to explain, that he decided to kill Arjuna with two propositions that "Either this day I shall kill Arjuna, or Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise and, to save His friend." That was his promise. So when Bhīṣmadeva was trying to kill Arjuna, his ratha, his chariot became shattered and Arjuna fell down. So when Kṛṣṇa saw, "Now Kṛṣṇa…, Arjuna is going to die," so immediately He took one wheel of the chariot and immediately appeared before Bhīṣmadeva: "Stop fighting; otherwise, I am going to kill you." So immediately Bhīṣmadeva gave up his weapons. So this is not breaking His promise, but this is another rasa, that Kṛṣṇa wanted to show Bhīṣma that "You wanted to break My promise. Now see, I am…, I have broken My promise. Are you all right?" (laughter) He wanted to please His devotee. That's all. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa could kill many millions of Bhīṣma, standing there only. But He came before him that "You wanted to break My promise. Now you see, I have broken My promise. But I have not taken My disc. Then this wheel I have taken. Please stop." So immediately he gave up his weapons. But when Bhīṣma was piercing the body of Kṛṣṇa with arrows, he was coming…, he did not spare even Kṛṣṇa, his charioteer. He pierced the body of Arjuna as well as Kṛṣṇa. And there was bleeding. So Bhīṣma, at the last stage of his life, in sarasvajya (?), he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how He was coming forward before Bhīṣma in bleeding condition. This is ghastly rasa. This is ghastly rasa. We want to see Kṛṣṇa dancing, or we want to offer Kṛṣṇa flower-this is also one rasa. But Bhīṣma was also seeing Kṛṣṇa in another rasa. You'll find the Bhīṣma's prayers to Kṛṣṇa in his sarasvajya state while he was lying on the bed of arrows; in Bhāgavata, you'll find. So this is also another rasa. These things have been explained by great commentators, how this is also very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. Bhīṣma was piercing His body; the blood was coming out. Still how it is pleasing? So that has been explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī that when a lover is kissing and biting, that is also pleasure. The biting also pleas… Although blood is coming out, that biting is also plea…, very pleasing. This has been explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī. These things are possible.

So try to establish your relationship with Kṛṣṇa in any way, and that is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī. So any way you es… Because you cannot enjoy life beyond these twelve rasas. The, all the twelve rasas you can find. Raso vai saḥ. This is the Vedic instruction. Raso vai saḥ labdhānandi bhagavān. So you just contact the Supreme Personality of Godhead in exchange of any kind of rasa; you'll feel pleasure. That is only… You want pleasure. You want pleasure. The whole life, everyone is working so hard. Why? He wants some pleasure of life. But that pleasure you cannot have like dacoit, damn dogs and hogs. Don't try to take pleasure in the material world. Just as the hog is also enjoying pleasure by eating stool, that kind of pleasure will not make happy. It may be happy for the particular body, but actually it is not happiness. If you want happiness, then you have to establish your relationship with Kṛṣṇa in, by any of these rasas. Then you'll be, feel happy. Therefore Bhāgavata instructs,

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke

kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye

tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed

sattva yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam

[SB 5.5.1]

This is the instruction, that "Don't try to get happiness like the dogs and hogs." That is not actual happiness. That will simply entangle you. Just like I am now human being. Due to my material rasas, because I want to enjoy material rasas… Because enjoyment means sense gratification.

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur

indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir…

[Bg. 3.42]

So we are trying to enjoy life first of all gross enjoyment with these material senses, and subtle enjoyment with mind, intelligence. But you have to go, transcend. Raso vai saḥ. If you are want real happiness, then, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sukham ātyantikam yat tad atīndriya grāhyam [Bg. 6.21]. Atīndriya. We have to purify these indriyas, the senses and… That is called tapasya. Tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. By tapasya, by taking little austerity, by tapasya… Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed. At present, our sattva, this existence, this is not śuddha. This is not pure. Therefore we have to undergo the tribulation of material nature. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. But we don't want this. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. We don't want. Although we are trying to be happy, but we do not know how to become, I mean to say, free from the material contamination. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. They are trying to open hospitals. Just like one Sindhi gentleman, he has contributed about five of seven crores of rupees to start a hospital here. That gentleman, not, some, his relative, came to see me. So I said that "However magnificent hospital you may start, you cannot stop death. That is not possible. That is not possible." You may try in your own way. The whole struggle is now to mitigate our suffering condition. But the suffering condition is continuing. You… You may open nice hospital, but you cannot stop death. That is not possible. You may invent nice medicine, up-to-date, scientific medicine, but you cannot stop the disease. They do not see this. You can invent so many contraceptive methods-still you cannot stop, I mean to say, life. Janma, birth, birth control, there are so many medicines. But where is the stoppage of birth? The population is increasing. Neither you can stop death, neither you can stop birth, neither you can stop old age. There are so many rascal Gods-they are becoming old. Why they becoming old? God never becomes old. It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca [Bs. 5.33]. God is always just like young boy. Why these rascal Gods becoming older? So janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9]. Jarā means old age, and vyādhi means disease. Birth, death. You cannot stop.

So if you want real happiness, then you have to take the real method. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a bluff. It is most scientific. You are… Your aim of life is how to become happy, but you do not know how to become happy. You are under the illusion. You are thinking that "This thing will give me happiness. That thing will give me happiness." No. And what is that happiness? Happiness, that is explained here: in twelve rasas. So you accept these twelve rasas in exchange of your affairs with Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be happy. You may take… You become even enemy of Kṛṣṇa, just like Kaṁsa. If you do not like to become friend of Kṛṣṇa, then you become enemy of Kṛṣṇa. If you like… Because you cannot go beyond these twelve rasas. Still. Kāmād bhayād dveśyād lobhāt, it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The gopīs approached Kṛṣṇa actually by lusty desires, the kāmāt. Bhayāt: and Kaṁsa was thinking of Kṛṣṇa out of fearfulness. Dveśyāt: the Śiśupāla, he was always envious of Kṛṣṇa. He was also thinking of… Kāmād bhayād dveśyād lobhāt. Some way or other, be in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and you'll be happy. You'll be happy, this life and next life.

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

[Bg. 4.9]

This is the simplest point. You simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty. If you do not foolishly misinterpret Bhagavad-gītā, it is very easy to understand Kṛṣṇa, very easy. There is no difficulty. But we are rascals. We misinterpret: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa means this. Kṛṣṇa does not mean this." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Kṛṣṇa means… Somebody, "black spot." What is that?

Śyāmasundara: "The dark unknown."

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Śyāmasundara: "The dark unknown within us."

Prabhupāda: Now somebody, some big sannyāsī, very famous in your country, he's explaining Kṛṣṇa, "Something dark within us which we do not know, that is Kṛṣṇa." That is explanation of Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa is not dvi-bhuja-muralīdhara-śyāmasundara; He's something dark which you do not know." This is the explanation of big scholar, big swami. So in this way, we are being misled. Take it, Kṛṣṇa, as He is. Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the Supreme." Accept it, supreme. Actually He's supreme. Who can be bet…, more supreme than Kṛṣṇa? Prove it by śāstra, by history, by incidences, by action-everything. By votes also. If there are so many rascal Gods, but if you take vote, still in this age, the vote for Kṛṣṇa will be greater. Still. Although we are so fallen. So how we can escape Kṛṣṇa? And śāstra says, confirm, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. If you want the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Īśvara means controller. So everyone is controller, but nobody's supreme controller. That is not possible. Even the so-called Gods, they also, when there is some toothache, they go to the doctor. They cannot control even toothache. So these kind of Gods will not help you. Take to Kṛṣṇa. Take to Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says, the method: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. You take it, practice it, and see how your life becomes successful and how you become happy. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. [break] …There are five kinds of mukti: sāyujya-mukti, sārūpya-mukti, sālokya-mukti, sāmīpya-mukti. So sāyujya-mukti, the jñānīs, the nirbheda brahmaṇusandhana, they want to become one with the Supreme. You know this. Monism. That is called sāyujya-mukti. So the enemies of Kṛṣṇa, they get sāyujya-mukti. Or, in other words, the sāyujya-mukti is given to the enemies, not to the friends. But the, there are other muktis. Just like this, take example: darkness. Mukti means you come out from darkness to the light. That is real mukti. Now we are in the material world. This is darkness, tama. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. This is the Vedic interest. "Don't remain in the darkness." That means in the material world. "Come to the world of light," jyoti, brahmajyoti. So take this example. Suppose you are in a dark room and I take you to the sunlight, come out. So this is also light. And the sun globe, that is also light. And the sun-god, that is also light. But this light, sunshine light, or sunshine temperature, is not as good as the temperature in the sun globe. Similarly, if you make progress…

So sāyujya-mukti is also liberation. Sāyujya-mukti, to become one, Brahman, brahmajyoti. Brahmajyoti means assembly of small spiritual sparks. Just like the sun, sunshine, a combination of shining molecular parts; similarly, brahmajyoti, sāyujya-mukti means you become… Because you are spiritual spark. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7]. So you are also spark, part and parcel of God; therefore you assemble with the other sparks, brahmajyoti. Those who have no information of the other spiritual planets, Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana, they think to become one with the spiritual sparks, that is ultimate. For them, this is the place, sāyujya-mukti. But this sāyujya-mukti, you cannot stay here. Either by further progress you have to go to the spiritual planets, otherwise you'll fall down. Just like the same example. Suppose you have got some aeroplane and you go very high in the sunshine. So what is the benefit? If you do not get shelter in the moon planet or in another planet, then you have to come back again. Similarly, sāyujya-mukti means you become one of the spiritual sparks, but, because you're part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, you are sat-cid-ānanda, sat, cit… There are…, you have got three things within you. This mukti, sāyujya-mukti, is the sat only, eternity. You can eternally remain, but you have got other two things to fulfill: that cit and ānanda.

So, so if you want to fulfill all the pleasures of life, sat-cit-ānanda, then you have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. The śāstra says, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛtaḥ-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. One who has no information of Kṛṣṇa, one who does not take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he may take the sāyujya-mukti after severe penances and austerities, but again he'll fall down, because he wants ānanda. Simply impersonal, without any varieties, he cannot have ānanda. That spiritual variety is available in the Kṛṣṇaloka, in the Vaikuṇṭha. So for want of spiritual variety, you'll again like to come into the material variety. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Ye 'nye ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas [SB 10.2.32]. So this kind of mukti is not first-class mukti. Therefore Vaiṣṇavas, they do not want it. Vaiṣṇava does not want any kind of mukti. This Vaiṣṇava wants simply to remain in the service of the Lord. They don't aspire for any kind of mukti. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]. So this mukti the sāyujya-mukti, means to become one with the Supreme, it not very safe, because there is, there is want of ānanda and knowledge. Simply to become one, that will not help. Therefore he is actually, constitutionally, a small particle of sac-cid-ānanda. So for want of ānanda, he comes again. Thus we have seen many sannyāsīs, they give up this world as brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but they do not get any benefit out of it. Therefore they come down again to open hospitals and schools and philanthropic work. They fall down. Now, if it is brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, if jagat is mithyā, then why you are coming again to open hospitals? It is mithyā. But brahma satya. If you have realized Brahman, you are truth. Then why truth is coming to untruth? Because they could not get any pleasure. They want pleasure. Simply sitting down, that "I am now Brahman, Brahman," that will not help. You must act as Brahman. You must get pleasure acting as Brahman. Then there will be ānanda. Otherwise, it is not possible. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. These are the śāstric injunctions.

Indian man: Swamijī, you write… [break]

Prabhupāda: …but our proposition is that you cannot sacrifice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply you become attached with modern things. That is our proposition. We don't… Our, our proposition is that you do modern things. That is the instruction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

[SB 1.2.13]

Modern things, you do, but you try to see whether you have become perfect by doing these modern things. Now you are engaged in modern things, and instead of being perfect, next life you get a body of hog and dog, then what is the benefit of these modern things? (end)

721027ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, October 27, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading) "Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda and of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda by whose inspiration I have been engaged in the matter of compiling this summary study of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. This is the sublime science of devotional service as propounded by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who appeared 500 years ago in West Bengal, India, to propagate the movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī begins his great book by offering his respectful obeisances unto Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī who is his elder brother and spiritual master, and he prays that Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu may be very pleasing to him."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Pradyumna: "He further prays…"

Prabhupāda: Our… Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī wanted to please Sanātana Gosvāmī. Our duty is to please the superior, not the public. We are giving service to the public according to the direction of the superior authority. We do not manufacture any program of service. That is not our business. Whatever is ordered by the… Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's Kṛṣṇa Himself. Still, He was following the authorities. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality, He was also referring to the Brahma-sūtra: brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva viniścitam. So this is the way, that any bona fide spiritual propaganda must be following the footsteps of previous authority.

At the present moment, it has become a fashion to manufacture some idea. But that is not the Vedic way. Vedic way is to receive the message through paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. Not to deviate the paramparā. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was taught by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continually for two months personally in Benares, Vārāṇasī. Therefore he's our authority. The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, they follow the principles of Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. In that Hari-bhakti-vilāsa Sanātana Gosvāmī recommends, tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. Dīkṣā-vidhāna, by the process of dīkṣā, a, any human being can be elevated to the position of a bona fide brāhmaṇa. Vidhānena. Vidhāna. The very word is used, vidhāna. Vidhāna means bona fide process. Tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena. There is another good suggestion: yathā kañcanatāṁ yāti kaṁsa-rasa-vidhānena. Rasa. Rasa means … Another meaning of rasa means… What is that? What is called? I forget. The metal…?

Devotee: Bell metal.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Pradyumna: Bell metal?

Prabhupāda: No, not bell… That liquid metal.

Devotees: Mercury.

Prabhupāda: Mercury. Mercury. Hydrox… What is called? Hydroid?

Devotee: Quicksilver?

Prabhupāda: No. Another name is hydrogeroid. That is the chemical name of mercury. You know it. Hydrogeroid? Yes. Unguentum hydrogeroid. Yes. That is another name of the mercury. Hydrogeroid. So in Sanskrit it is called rasa. Rasāyana. From mercury, rasa, the chemistry is called rasāyana-śāstra. Actually, rasāyana-śāstra, chemical composition, begins from mercury and sulphur. That is the beginning of chemical composition. So rasa-vidhānena, by chemical interaction of sulphur and mercury, if you can add tin and copper, then it becomes gold. You can manufacture gold, provided you know the process, how to mix up copper, tin and mercury. With via media of sulphuric acid. Sulphuric acid is the mother of chemicals. Without sulphur, you cannot make any chemical composition. Therefore all chemical composition are called sulphate, sulphite, like that. So Sanātana Gosvāmī gives this idea of chemical composition. It appears that he knew how to work with chemicals.

yathā kañcanatāṁ yāti

kaṁsa-rasa-vidhānataḥ

tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena

dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām

So we are trying to follow Sanātana Gosvāmī. By dīkṣā-vidhānena, by initiating persons any, from anywhere. It does not matter. Because in this age, Kali-yuga, the dīkṣā-vidhāna is performed according, according to Pāñcarātrika-vidhi. Not Vaidika-vidhi. Vaidika-vidhi is very strict. Unless one is bona fide son of a dvija, the initiation was not given. To the śūdras, there was no initiation. A brāhmaṇa kṣatriya, vaiśya. So these are the Vedic process. So in the Kali-yuga, because it is to be understood that everyone is a śūdra, therefore Vaidika-vidhāna cannot be applied. Vaidika-vidhāna requires that one must be born by a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Then he's eligible for being initiated. But in the Kali-yuga, that is not possible. Therefore the Pāñcarātriki-vidhi is accepted. Nārada-Pañcarātra. Tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena. This dīkṣā-vidhāna, recommended by Sanātana Gosvāmī, means Pāñcarātriki-vidhi. Now Rūpa Gosvāmī says in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu,

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-

pañcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā

aikantiki harer bhaktir

utpatayaiva kalpate

[Brs. 1.2.101]

Without undergoing the process of śruti-means Vedas-smṛti, the Purāṇas, and other corollary literatures, Bhagavad-gītā, Mahābhārata, Smṛti, Manu-smṛti, the laws given by Manu, Parāśara… So Hari-bhakti, devotional service to the Lord, must be approved by Vedas, Purāṇas. Pāñcarātriki-vidhi. Otherwise, any show of devotional service is simply disturbance. Anyone can manufacture. And it is being supported by some very big missionary activities: yata mata tata pata. You can manufacture your way of religious principles. But that is not Vedic way. Vedic way is evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. Although we are initiating people from low-grade society, still, following the principles of Pāñcarātriki-vidhi, injunction of the Gosvāmīs. Therefore it is bona fide. Bhāgavata-vidhi, Pāñcarātriki-vidhi, they are bona fide vidhi. So Sanātana Gosvāmī… Rūpa Gosvāmī, first offers his respectful obeisances to his elder brother, Sanātana Gosvāmī, because Rūpa Gosvāmī accepted him as spiritual master. And he was initiated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī also. So he offers his respectful obeisances to Sanātana Gosvāmī. Go on.

Pradyumna: "He further prays that by residing in that ocean of nectar he may always feel transcendental pleasure in the service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Yes. "Ocean of nectar." The Māyāvādī philosophers, generally they give this example that the, all the rivers, they flow down to the ocean. This example is generally given that when the river mixes with the ocean, it doesn't matter which course it is following. After all, it is coming to the ocean, merging into the ocean. So that is ultimate liberation. But this analogy… Analogy, if you give some analogy, you must consider all the similar points. That is the way of analogy. The more you have got similar points, then the analogy is perfect. So the rivers merging into the ocean. Then you must take further consideration that the superficial water mixing with the ocean is again evaporated. The water is evaporated by scorching heat of the sun. Just like now we see cloud in the sky. This is nothing but evaporated water from the sea. So the water which merged into the water and into the ocean of the, water of the ocean, now it is evaporated in the sky. And again it will fall down. And then again glide to the ocean. So this is called avagamana, coming and going, coming and going. But our Vaiṣṇava philosophy is not to merge into the water, but keep your identity and go deep into the water. So that you may not be evaporated. The fish and the aquatic animals within the water, they are not evaporated. They are not going to become cloud and again fall down. Therefore Sanātana, Rūpa Gosvāmī says, "He further prays that by residing in the ocean of nectar he may always feel transcendental pleasure…"

Our philosophy is go back to home, back to Godhead. Not in the spiritual sky. Paravyoma. Spiritual sky, there is chance of falling down. Why chance? It is sure. Those who are merging into the Brahman effulgence, the śāstra says that they again fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. They, jñānīs, they undergo severe austerities, penances to merge into the existence of impersonal Brahman. But they fall down again. They fall down again because they have no shelter. Anādhṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. As, as in this sky, there are many planets. You can go with high speed to the Moon planet or Venus planet. But if you have no shelter to stay there, you come back again on this earthly planet, that is practically experienced, similarly you may merge into the Brahman effulgence. Just like our plane goes very high and, at a certain point, we see it is invisible, merged. Actually, it is not merged. Our eyes cannot see any more. They take it as merge.

Therefore Jīva Gosvāmī, this merging principle, he has explained: just like a green bird enters into a green tree, it, it appears that the bird is no more existing. To the imperfect eyes. But the bird is existing. We cannot see. Both the tree and the bird being green, we see it has merged. Because the spiritual sky and the spiritual living being, a small, it merges it does not merge. It is there. The individuality is there. And because this individuality, fragment of the Supreme Brahman, is eternal, is eternal, sanātana… It is not that spirit can be cut into pieces. That is not possible. So we are fragmental parts. That means eternally we are so, individual. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). We are one of the nityas. There are innumerable nityas and cetanaś, the living entities, part and parcel of the supreme living entity, Kṛṣṇa. They're all individual.

Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "My dear Arjuna, do not think that I, you, or all these soldiers and kings who have assembled in this battlefield, they were not existing in the past. They were. And they are existing at present. And similarly they will exist in the future." That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So where is the question of merging? And loss of individuality? The individuality remains. It remained in the past. It is, at the present moment, it is continuing. And in the future also, they will remain, the same way. This is clearly explained in the second chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. So merging does not mean, always, that losing one's individuality. The individuality's there. Therefore the theory of merging into the existence of impersonal Brahman is to stay there for some time, again fall down. Just like the same example that the water of the rivers, they merge into the ocean, but again it is evaporated, in the sky, and it falls. Again goes through the river, merges. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. This is going on. One mani…, once manifested, and again merging. This is going on.

So our philosophy is that once going into the ocean, no more coming back. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. That is our philosophy. If we once go in the spiritual world, we do not like to come back. We stay with Kṛṣṇa and dance with Him, or play with Him, or serve with, serve Him as tree, as plant, as water, as cows, as land, as cowherd boys, as father, mother, or as gopīs. This is our philosophy. Once we go to Kṛṣṇa, we live forever with Him in either of these capacities. Let me live at Vṛndāvana in any capacity. It doesn't matter. But live there. Therefore he says that "He further prays that by residing in that ocean of nectar he may always feel eternally continually, without any cessation…" Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). To remain ānadamaya. That is the principle of Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Let us offer our respectful obeisances to all the great devotees and ācāryas or holy teachers, who are compared with sharks in the great ocean of nectar and who do not care for the various rivers of liberation. Impersonalists are very fond of merging into the supreme, like rivers that come down and merge into the ocean. The ocean can be compared with liberation and the rivers with all the different paths of liberation. The impersonalists are dwelling in the river water, which eventually comes to mix with the ocean. They have no information, however, that within the ocean, as within the rivers, there are innumerable aquatic living entities. The sharks who dwell in the ocean do not care for the rivers which are gliding down into it."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The shark, big fish, shark, big body, they have no place to come into the river, come back. There is no place. Big crocodile, big sharks, they do not come to the river. They constantly remain in the ocean. Go on. Yes.

Pradyumna: "The devotees eternally live in the ocean of devotional service, and they do not care for the rivers. In other words, those who are pure devotees always remain in the ocean of transcendental loving service to the Lord and have no business with the other processes which are compared to the rivers that only gradually come to the ocean. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī prays to his spiritual master Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī for the protection of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, the ocean of the pure nectar of devotional service, from the argumentative logicians who unnecessarily meddle in the science of service to the Lord. He compares their arguments and logic to volcanic eruptions in the midst of the ocean."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Simply by arguments, logic, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vedic injunction. Tarko apratiṣṭho. You cannot establish the truth by simple logic and arguments. You may be very great logician, but somebody may come who is greater logician than you, and he defeats you. That is going on. Tarko apratiṣṭha śrutayo vibhinnām. Now, if you read the Vedas, you'll find some contradiction. Not contradiction. But to the neophyte, it appears to be contradiction. Just like we have cited the example that animal stool is impure, but cow dung is pure. So by logic you can say that "Cow dung is also the stool of an animal. How it becomes pure?" But in Vedas you'll find such things. Therefore by simple studying, without surrendering yourself to the spiritual master, you'll find all these contradictions and you'll be bewildered. Śrutayo vibhinnā. They are not vibhinnā. But to our limited knowledge, sometimes they appear as vibhinnam, different. Śrutayo vibhinnaṁ nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And you won't find a philosopher who does not agree, who does not disagree with our philosophers.

Therefore dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. We have to follow the footsteps of great ācāryas. That is the way. These mahājanas are described in the śāstra like Lord Brahma, Lord Śiva, svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ [SB 6.3.20]. They are all mentioned. So you follow any one of these great personalities, Brahmā… Brahmā is the greatest personality within this universe, and he has got his sampradāya which is known as Brahma-sampradāya. Similarly Lord Śiva has also a sampradāya which is called Rudra-sampradāya. Similarly, Nārada-Pañcarātra, Kumāra-sampradāya. So follow the sampradāya. Sampradāya vihīnā te mantrās te viphalaṁ matāḥ. If you do not follow any bona fide sampradāya, then your path of spiritual advancement will be baffled. You will simply waste your time. Viphalaṁ matāḥ. So we should follow the footsteps of great ācāryas. Then our progress is positive. There is no fear.

So to take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead… Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī's described, describing herewith that he wants to take shelter of the ocean, deep into the ocean, and he doesn't care for the rivers. And the, what is called? Bharavagni (?)? There is some whirling pool in the water. That is compared with the arguments. Sometimes these logicians, they create argumental calamity in the process of devotional service. But Rūpa Gosvāmī recommends that we should not be deviated by the arguments, karmīs, jñānīs and yogis. Let them do their own business. We do not care for them. We give them respect as far as possible, but we don't, don't accept the path of karma-jñāna-yoga. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. We should not be deviated by the process of karma-jñāna-yoga. That is pure devotional service, śuddha-bhakti. Śuddha-bhakti. We should stay. We should fix up in śuddha-bhakti path. That is the recommendation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Go on.

Pradyumna: "In the midst of the ocean such volcanic eruptions can do very little harm. Similarly, those who are against devotional service to the Lord and who put forward many philosophical theses about the ultimate transcendental realization cannot disturb this great ocean of devotional service."

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Pradyumna: "The author of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, very humbly submits that he is just trying to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, although he humbly thinks himself unfit for this work. That should be the attitude of all preachers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. We should never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should always consider that we are simply instrumental to the previous ācāryas, and simply by following in their footsteps, we may be able to do something for the benefit of suffering humanity."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi. Our main business is…, (uproar in background, sounds like monkey attacked audience) (pause) Hut! Hut! (laughter, applause) So our main business is to serve the ācāryas. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means why…, we are trying to serve the ācāryas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His direct disciples, the Ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs, and their disciples. Rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti. That is required.

tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa

janame janame mora ei abhilāsa

So this society is attempting to create a society of devotees all over the world, without any discrimination of caste, creed, color. One must be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. One must know the science of Kṛṣṇa. Then he can preach to others. Sei guru haya. That is our purpose.

People may not misunderstand our propagation that we are proselytizing some persons to Hinduism. Yesterday one so-called jñānī came to me, and he challenged me that "Swamijī, formerly the Christians used to convert the Hindus and the Muhammadans used to convert the Hindus into Muhammadanism or Christianism. Now you are converting the Christians into Hinduism. Then where is the difference between their activities and your activities?" So this fool does not know this is not making a person from Christian to Hindu. This is not the process. We are not interested. I never said in any meeting in the Western countries that "Hindu religion is better than your Christian religion. You give up your Christian religion and come to Hindu religion." No, that was not my propaganda. There are many old students here present. They may remember. I never made propaganda. Rather when they inquired one can attain perfection by following Christian principles, I said yes. So our propaganda is not to proselytize people from Christian to Hinduism. Our propaganda is to make everyone know this fact, that everyone is eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. That is our propaganda. We are trying to convince people that "Your original position is servant of Kṛṣṇa. You have now forgotten that. You revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you'll become happy." That is our propaganda.

Do not misunderstand that we are trying to spread Hinduism. Hinduism is a fictitious term. Because there is no fixed-up conclusion. Somebody's accepting this, somebody… Even the Jains and the Sikhs and many other sub-religions, they are also ruled by the Hindu rules, Hindu law. So actually this word Hindu is given by the Muhammadans. We don't find this word in the Vedic literature, Hindu. It is later, I mean to say, prakṛta. Or in Bhagavad-gītā you won't find the word Hindu. Or in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Or any other Vedic literature. This is the convention of latest age. Actually, we, the followers or Vedic principles, our system is varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas. This is, this can be applicable. But varṇāśrama-dharma is applicable in any, in anywhere. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. The creation of God… Just like sun. Sun is creation of God. Sun is visible everywhere. Not that something American sun and something Indian sun. No. The sun is the same. Similarly, cātur-varṇyaṁ, the four principles of division, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra, they are everywhere. It is not the monopoly of India.

Anywhere there are intelligent class of men, God conscious men, they are called brāhmaṇas. Anywhere who are prepared for the right cause, administrator, kṣatriyas. Anywhere who are interested in business, trade, agriculture, they are called vaiśyas. And anywhere who are simply satisfied by serving others, he's called śūdra. So our principle is not to proselytize from Christian to Hindu or Muhammadan to Hindu. We are teaching simply how to revive his own constitutional position to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So it is applicable anywhere and everywhere. It is not that it is monopoly of India or for the Hindus. No. And actually it is being accepted, practically. In all countries. Even from all religious sect. In our Society there are boys and girls, they are coming from Christian group, Jews group, Muhammadan group, but when they come here, all of them become the servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. (end)

730108ND.BOM

The Nectar of Devotion

Bombay, January 8, 1973

Pradyumna: …and of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, by whose inspiration I have been engaged in the matter of compiling this summary study of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. This is the sublime science of devotional service as propounded by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who appeared five hundred years ago in West Bengal, India to propagate the movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī begins his great book by offering his respectful obeisances unto Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī who is his elder brother and spiritual master, and he prays that Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu may be very pleasing to him. He further prays that by residing in that ocean of nectar, he may always feel transcendental pleasure in the service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: So, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī is first offering his respect, obeisances to Sanātana Gosvāmī who is his elder brother, at the same time, guru. So we offer our respect in that way, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. That is the way. We cannot jump over the highest authority directly. That is not possible. That is not the etiquette or rules, regulations we have to go. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. So He presents Himself as the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. So in order to become Kṛṣṇa's servant, we have to become the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. So, my Guru Mahārāja is servant of Kṛṣṇa, his guru, his guru is servant of Kṛṣṇa, his guru is servant of Kṛṣṇa. I am also servant of Kṛṣṇa, but I have to approach through the other servants, not directly. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa will not accept that service.

If one disrespect the paramparā system, then he'll not be accepted by Kṛṣṇa. Just like… Śrīdhara Swami, Śrīdhara Swami wrote commentary on Bhagavad-gītā…, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and other ācāryas also, they wrote. So we must follow the principle. The Subodhinī-ṭīkā was made by Vallabhācārya, but because he presented himself more than Śrīdhara Swami to Caitanya Mahāprabhu… He requested Caitanya Mahāprabhu to read his comment on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam when He was at Purī. But he was little proud of his nice commentary, that he said "It is better than Śrīdhara Swami." So that was not tolerated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and He did not hear that Subodhinī-ṭīkā. He remarked, svami jīva nahi mane (indistinct). So this is not the way. We cannot approach Kṛṣṇa directly. We must go through the paramparā system, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva gopālakau.

So Narottama das Ṭhākura also says that

rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti

kabe hāma bujhabo se yugala-pīriti

In order to understand the transcendental loving affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, one has to go through the teachings of the Gosvāmīs, rūpa raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti. This is the way. So Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī and all the six Gosvāmīs, they developed this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by sitting together in Vṛndāvana. And not only in Vṛndāvana, in that very particular place, Rādhā-Dāmodara temple, where we have got a little space. That you have seen, Rūpa Gosvāmī's tomb, that space. All the six Gosvāmīs, they used to sit down and discuss Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī was reading, and all the other Gosvāmīs, Rūpa, Sanātana, they were hearing, and Jīva Gosvāmī was writing comment. That is the comment of Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha. So that place in Vṛndāvana, Rādhā Dāmodara Temple, is very sacred place. So they were practicing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness,

kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī

dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

They were practicing to teach us, āpani ācari' prabhu jīvere śikhāya. Simply teaching will not do unless we practice. That is very important thing, practice, practical life. Simply quoting verses, like parrot, will not be very much beneficial. One must apply, jñānam vijñāna-sahitam. Jñāna means to know the thing, and vijñāna means to apply the things in practical life. Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. So we must know the vijñāna, how practically. That is taught by the Gosvāmīs, kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana, always chanting the glories of Kṛṣṇa. Kīrtana, gāna, nartana, nartana means dancing. Dancing is very good. The more you dance, the more you become light; means the burden of material contamination becomes reduced. Dancing is so nice. Even if you don't feel ecstasy, if you dance by force, that will also help us. Kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartanau-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. By dancing dancing, we shall develop our dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love for Kṛṣṇa. This is a nice process. Kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. Then you will merge into the ocean of love for Kṛṣṇa. So this is the highest stage of ecstasy for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always chanting Kṛṣṇa's name, dancing in ecstasy, and to be merged in the ocean of love for Kṛṣṇa. These are the perfection.

Dhīrādhīra jana-priyau, in this way we shall become friendly to every people, dhīrādhīra. There are two classes of men. Dhīra, sober, and other class, rogue. So both of them will be pleased by kṛṣṇot-kīrtana. You have practical experience. When there is kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, people, all classes of people, become very much pleased, and they join. As soon as your kīrtana will be pure saṅkīrtana, not artificial, not professional… There are many professional dancer. That will not attract. But, even if you do not know the art of dancing, if you simply dance in ecstasy for Kṛṣṇa's love, that will be appreciated by everyone. That will be appreciated by everyone. Kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. These are the art. One does not require to become a Vedāntist. Simply if one chants Kṛṣṇa's name, holy name, and in ecstasy dances, he's more than a Vedāntist. Actually vedānti means one who knows the ultimate knowledge, veda. Veda means knowledge. And anta means ultimate, vedānta. Then what is that ultimate knowledge? Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. That is ultimate knowledge. So one who has understood Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's love, he's dancing, then what more vedānta can do? That is the first class realization of vedānta. Kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. So we should always offer our respect to the Gosvāmīs, ei chay gosāi yāra tāra mui dāsa, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says. Tāṅ-sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grās. We should be so humble, respectful to the Gosvāmīs. Not only these Gosvāmīs, anyone who is serving the Gosvāmīs. The Gosvāmīs has also the mission.

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ

sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale

svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ

dadāti sva-padāntikam

[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]

That is our prayer. Śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭam, Lord Caitanya's desire. What was His desire? His desire was,

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

That is His desire. Not to sit down in a secluded place, and to get cheap popularity as a petty meditator. Even if he's meditator, but that is for himself, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that, "Go, everyone, in every village, in every town, and preach this gospel,

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grama

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

This is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mano-'bhīṣṭam, that is His desire. So śrī-caitanya mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale. Rūpa Gosvāmī, they established śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭam. Rūpa Gosvāmī was instructed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally, ten days in Allahabad. Similarly, it was instructed regularly for two months to Sanātana Gosvāmī in Benares, because He wanted Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī to preach His mission, mano-'bhīṣṭam. Therefore our prayer is, we offer this prayer,

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ

sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale

svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ

dadāti sva-padāntikam

[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]

If you want to preach the gospel of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then the personalities who established, by writing these books, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, Vidagdha-mādhava, so many books they have written. So we must go through them, must try to understand. Then we can understand what is the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Caitanya-bhāgavata, Caitanya-maṅgala, there are so many. Caitanya-candradoya by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. So many devotees, they have given us so many high literatures, we should consult. Therefore the prayer is, śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale.

[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]

Persons who established the desire of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Padāntikam, when they will give shelter on their lotus feet. That means Gosvāmīs.

tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa

janame janame ei mor abhilāsa

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, tādera caraṇa-sevi, let us serve the lotus feet of the Gosvāmīs, and live within the association of devotees. Otherwise we may fall down. Bhakta-sane-vāsa, one must live with the devotees.

satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido

bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ

taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani

śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati

[SB 3.25.25]

Satāṁ prasaṅgān. We should have discourses of Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or any literature about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mama vīrya-saṁvido those words are vīrya-saṁvido. Vīrya means potency. Just like, if a man is potent, as soon as there is sex, he gives birth, potency. Similarly, we should associate with devotees who have got potency, mama vīrya-saṁvido, bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. Otherwise we may go on hearing for three millions of years, we are in the same position. But the words must be from the potent person. Potent person. Then it will act very quickly. Therefore Kṛṣṇa Himself advises, satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido [SB 3.25.25]. Satām, devotees. That same thing Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says. Tādera caraṇa, the desire should be, how to serve the Gosvāmīs, how to serve Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, how to serve Kṛṣṇa. That should be the desire, that this desire can be fulfilled when we are living with the devotees. Therefore we have got this society, Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. Anyone who will live in this society, naturally he will develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, very quickly, very easily. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ [SB 3.25.25]. Kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ is very potential. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī advises,

avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ

pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam

śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam…

Avaiṣṇava-mukhod, this professional, who is not actually Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means whose life is dedicated for service of the Lord Viṣṇu. He is Vaiṣṇava, viṣṇu asya devatā iti vaiṣṇavaḥ. So one who has taken Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu and Rāma-the same thing, there is no difference. Kṛṣṇa includes everything,

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu

kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo…

[Bs. 5.39]

Kṛṣṇa is the paramaḥ pumān, although there is no difference between Rāma and Viṣṇu and Nārāyaṇa and Kṛṣṇa. They are the same, same potency. Just like the candle, first candle. And lit up another candle, it is second candle, but the second candle is not less in power of lighting, the same. But still this is first, this is second. Similarly, kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo [Bs. 5.39]. Kṛṣṇa is the original, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. All others, they're incarnation or kalāḥ, but Kṛṣṇa is the avatārī, the source of all incarnations. So, bhakta-sane vāsa, satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido [SB 3.25.25]. The kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ, or the discussion about the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes very pleasing, satām, when they're discussed among the devotees. nondevotee, he may go on speaking, but it is dry. It does not give any relish. Therefore it is advised, satāṁ prasaṅgān, one should discuss Kṛṣṇa consciousness amongst the devotees. So just contrary to this, Sanātana Gosvāmī says that,

avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ

pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam

śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam…

Avaiṣṇava, who is not a Vaiṣṇava, Māyāvādī… Māyāvādī philosophy is very dangerous. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has personally said, māyāvādī haya kṛṣṇe aparādhī. They're offenders to Kṛṣṇa. Just like the literatures, what is that literature, Kṛṣṇa is black something?

Devotee: Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee: Some commentary by this Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is unknown, a black thing. A Māyāvādī, great philosopher of this city, he has explained like that. The Māyāvādī philosopher, Dr. Radhakrishnan, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." So the Māyāvādīs' only business is-because they're avaiṣṇava not Vaiṣṇava-only business is to kill Kṛṣṇa. Sanātana Gosvāmī has, in his Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, has very strongly recommended that, "Don't hear anything from, about Kṛṣṇa, from the Māyāvādīs or the avaiṣṇavas." Those who are follower, those who are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they can protest. They can immediately chastise the rascal, "What you are nonsense speaking?" But a kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, he cannot challenge, therefore it is forbidden for them. Not to hear, kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. For an advanced devotee, this Māyāvādī cannot do anything, but those who are neophyte, they become sometimes victim. Therefore, it is better to forbid them, not to hear. So Sanātana Gosvāmī has said, as Kṛṣṇa has said, satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ [SB 3.25.25]. In the association of pure devotees, kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ becomes very relishable. Hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ. It is relishable, it is very pleasing to the ear, and to the heart. Hṛt means heart, and karṇa means this aural reception. Both ways pleasing, bhavanti hṛt-karṇa. Taj-joṣaṇād, if one little tries whatever he has heard, then śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati. Śraddhā, the real beginning is śraddhā.

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-

saṅga tato bhajana-kriyā

tato anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt

tato niṣṭhā tato ruci

athāsaktis tato bhāvas

(tataḥ premābhyudañcati)

sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ

prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]

These are the different states. So śraddhā. So, by hearing from pure devotees satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ [SB 3.25.25]. It will begins very pleasing to the heart, to the ear, taj-joṣaṇād āśu apavarga-vartmani. Śraddhā, beginning is śraddhā, śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the association is opening different branches to give people the chance of hearing about Kṛṣṇa in the association of pure devotees. That is required. Read, hear about Bhagavad-gītā from the pure devotees, not from the rascals. Then you'll never get any benefit. Sanātana Gosvāmī forbids… nasam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam, never hear from these rascals. "Why? Kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ is very good. Never mind he's a rascal, what is the fault of kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ?" He's giving this example: śravaṇaṁ na kartavyaṁ sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payaḥ yathā, milk is very good, everyone knows, but when it is touched by the lip of a serpent, immediately it becomes poison. If you take that milk, then you'll die. So kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ is very good, but when it is touched by the lip of the Māyāvādī, nondevotee, it becomes poisonous. It becomes poisonous. Poisonous in this sense. It will push you far away from kṛṣṇa-bhakti. That is the loss, greatest loss of life.

This life is meant for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavad-gītā is left by Kṛṣṇa to make all people after Him, to become devotees. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. The instruction is there, but these rascals will spoil. They will never allow you to become a devotee. These rascals are so dangerous. They are going against the will of Kṛṣṇa. So one must be very careful to save himself from the poisonous effect of these rascals. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa, live with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness devotees. And then by the association of the saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. As you make association, so you develop your desires, your qualities. Tādera caraṇa-sevi. Ei chay gosāi yāra tāra mui dāsa, Caitanya here, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, "I want to become servant of that person who has accepted these six Gosvāmīs as masters. Because I have to become servant of servant." So the Gosvāmīs, "One who has accepted these Gosvāmīs as master, I want to become his servant." Narottama dāsa does not say "I want to become servant of the Gosvāmīs." He says that "I want to become servant of that person who has accepted these six Gosvāmīs as master." That is the test. No, "I can speak, I can act, I mean to say, greater than the Gosvāmīs." "I don't want to become servant of such false proudly." No, anyone who submits,

tādera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa

janame janame hoy ei abhilāsa

I may not be liberated birth after birth, it doesn't matter. But I wish that, I wish to live with the devotees, bhakta-sane vāsa. Janame janame hoy ei abhilāsa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also says the same thing. Janmaobi yadi mane icchā tohārā. He prays to Kṛṣṇa, "If you want that I shall take again my birth, then give me the chance of taking my birth in a place where is Your devotee. That is my only request. Because if I am placed in a society where there is no devotee, then my life will be spoiled. Then my life will be spoiled. Therefore I pray only this much. I don't want anything from you."

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare…

[Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]

It doesn't matter I don't become liberated, what is liberation? If I am in the service of Kṛṣṇa, what is, liberation is already there. In Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta you'll find,

bhaktis tvayi sthiratarā yadi bhagavān syād

daivena (naḥ) phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ

muktiḥ (svayam) mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate 'smān…

Mukti, she'll stand with folded hands, "My dear sir, what can I do for you?" This is the position of bhakta. One, if one becomes bhakta, then mukti becomes her maidservant. Why shall I ask for mukti? Mukti is nothing. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. What is the mukti? It is as good as hell. Mukti means to merge into the Brahman effulgence, but there is no service of Kṛṣṇa. It is simply merging, to become one. Just like sunshine, and if you are put into the sunshine, what benefit do you get? Simply to have scorching heat on, that's all. What benefit would you get? And mukti is like that. That is light. Sunshine is light. Similarly from darkness, if I go to the light and don't get any shelter, anywhere, simply I remain in that sunshine, what benefit do I get?

So, for a devotee, the mukti is bothersome. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī Prabhupāda says that kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Mukti means kaivalya. Simply ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that's all. Kaivalya. This perception, Brahman perception, brāhmaṇanda. But for a devotee, he says kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5). So for devotee, these things are not very much alluring, mukti, bhukti, siddhi. It is so sublime, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so sublime, that other things very insignificant in the front of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate 'smān dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa samaya-pratīkṣāḥ. People are after dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90], but this bhakti is above these four kinds of principles. Dharma. Actually, human life begins when he is religious, dharma. And artha, when he is economically developed, and when he can satisfy the senses very nicely. And then becomes mukta, liberated. But for a devotee, these four things are not very important. Bhukti, mukti, siddhi. Now siddhi means mukti. Siddhi means yogic siddhi.

So in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, Vyāsadeva says, in the beginning, dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. This dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa, these are kaitava. Kaitava means phala visandi (?). I am approaching, I am trying to become a religious person, but my inner desire is how to make my economic position developed. This is my inner position, therefore it is called kaitava, cheating. So phala visandi. As Śrīdhara Swami says, that in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, phala visandi paryantaṁ nirasta. Phala is mukti. Mukti is also phala visandi. So up to mukti, then above mukti, there is bhakti. It is a mistaken idea that one has to attain mukti by bhakti. Sometimes they say that, these pañcopāsanā Māyāvādī, they say that "Ultimately, the absolute truth is nirākāra. There is no form. But because you cannot worship or meditate upon the nirākāra, so just imagine some form. Either of Viṣṇu, or Lord Śiva or Sūrya or Devī." Pañcopāsanā, it is called pañcopāsanā. Sādhakānāṁ hitārthāya brahmaṇo rūpa-kalpanaḥ. This is kalpana, he imagines. "Ultimately the Brahman has no form, but because you are accustomed to meditate on the forms, and it is very difficult for you to meditate upon the formless, so you imagine some form. This is imagine, not fact." That is their theory. And Bhagavān says in the Bhagavad-gītā, kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām [Bg. 12.5]. So that is simply troublesome. After much trouble in that way, when they come to the form of Vāsudeva, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. That mahātmā is greater. Kṛṣṇa is not imagination. This is another offense to think of Kṛṣṇa as imagination. Just see, that it is imagination, kalpana, "Just make it kalpana, imagination of Kṛṣṇa." No, Kṛṣṇa is fact. Kṛṣṇa, the Kṛṣṇa devotees, they are not after imagination. They are after the fact. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. Bhagavān, the personal. Kṛṣṇa says, brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā manuṣīṁ tanum āś…, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ [Bg. 9.11]. So these thing will be realized by, through the process as it is recommended by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura.

tādera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa

janame janame mora ei abhilāsa

If we take the chance of living with the devotees, and try to serve the Gosvāmīs, who wanted to establish the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then our life will be successful. This is Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Study Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu very minutely, and this result you will achieve very easily. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has left The Nectar of Devotion. Read the next.

Pradyumna: "Let us offer our respectful obeisances to all the great devotees and ācāryas, or holy teachers, who are compared with sharks in the great ocean of nectar, and who do not care for the various rivers of liberation."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they give this example that "As all the rivers come down to the ocean, and then business is finished." But our philosophy is not so scanty. We do not wish to mix with the ocean, we want to go deep into the ocean. They give this example, nirākāra. Because ocean is, it is not nirākāra but it is, still they say nirākāra. Ocean is ākāra, we see around place (indistinct). But anyway, their philosophy is that you come to the ocean by different paths, then it becomes mixed. But they do not know, even though you come to the ocean, immediately you'll be evaporated. The ocean water is evaporated. The sun is always evaporating. Now you will be perhaps surprised, the modern science, they believe that the ocean water is, turns into cloud, but actually that is not the fact. The fact is that the ocean water is taken by the sun. Now, now there is heat, ocean water is evaporated always, where is the cloud? Where is the cloud? For three years the ocean water is being taken away by the sunshine, but why there is no cloud and no rain? Why? What is the answer of the scientist? Actually the cloud, when the sun, sun god that he ejects the water again, that becomes cloud. The rain comes from the sun, and the sun is taking the water, reserving, and when you deserve, it gives it. There is some control.

So, we are suffering for want of rain, but you do not know how to get rain. We are, of course, making arrangements to feed the poor on account of scarcity of rain. That's all right, you are doing, but if there is no rain, how long you will go on with this philanthropy work? That is our question. How long? What stock you have got in your store, so that you can continually, you can go on? What you, what is the answer? You must have rain, and produce grain. Now you have got some stock of grain, you are distributing. That's all right, you have got money, that's all right. But when there will be all stock finished, and still there is no rain, what you will do? Because rain is not in your hand. Rain is not in your hand. It is in higher authorities. So what you will do? But the process is given there in the Bhagavad-gītā, yajñād bhavati parjanyo parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. Yajña, but they will not take the yajña. They have made a vow, (indistinct). No, we are not going to make any yajña. We are requesting, that you are distributing, at the same time perform yajña. Yajña, not that you have to expend so much money. Simply this saṅkīrtana-yajña. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]. Simply chanting. You are distributing food, that's all right. Why not allow them to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra? What is the loss? But they'll not accept it. They'll not accept it. This is the dog's obstinacy, against Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But they cannot answer. Just suppose, if your stock of grain is finished, then what you will do, if there's no rain. You cannot produce rain in your factory, rain or grain or anything, in your factory or mill. That is not possible.

So people have become so fallen, they cannot understand the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, although they are very much proud that reading Bhagavad-gītā daily. What you have understood? Then they cannot say anything. We have understood Kṛṣṇa means this black spot. This rascal hasn't understood Bhagavad-gītā and he's preaching Bhagavad-gītā. Just see the fault. So this is going on. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a war declared against all these rascals. We have got many enemies, but we don't care for them. Still we shall go on. Johnny Walker is still going strong. (loud laughter)

Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

730109ND.BOM

The Nectar of Devotion

Bombay, January 9, 1973

Pradyumna: (reading) "Impersonalists are very fond of merging into the Supreme, like rivers that come down and merge into the ocean. The ocean can be compared with liberation, and the rivers with all the different paths of liberation. The impersonalists are dwelling in the river water, which eventually comes to mix with the ocean. They have no information, however, that within the ocean, as within the river, there are innumerable aquatic living entities. The sharks who dwell in the ocean do not care for the rivers which are gliding down into it. The devotees eternally live in the ocean of devotional service, and they do not care for the rivers."

Prabhupāda: This comparison that the rivers, it does matter from which way it is coming down to the sea, when they mix together, they become one. But if this comparison is taken, that the rivers merging into the sea, and when it mixes there is no separate existence of the river, but they do not see analogy. Analogy, according to law of analogy, the points of similarities must be one. Analogy is perfect when the points of similarities are there. Just like we say, "Your face is as beautiful as moon." That means the face, beauty of the face is as attractive as the moon is attractive. The points of similarity is there. We cannot say an ugly face, your face is like moon. That cannot be. That is not analogy because there is no points of similarity. That is the law of analogy. So similarly, if you make analogy that as the different rivers are, the water is coming down and mixing with the sea, then it becomes one, but there are other points. This is superficial vision. There is other points. The same water again becomes evaporated, and again thrown on the ground, and they again glide down as rivers. That is, this is a fact. But if you go deep into the water, just like the shark fish-the comparison is given there-the shark fish is never evaporated. The shark fish is within the water of the sea, and there is no question of evaporation. The water may be evaporated. So our point is, from śāstra we can understand,

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas

tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ

patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ

[SB 10.2.32]

The point is that simply mixing with the sea water is not final salvation. Because the same example. The water is evaporated, again turns into cloud, then again falls, the same water again falls on the ground, then again glides down. So that is not very safe position. But if you take shelter of the ocean as a fish, then there is no question of evaporation. Just try to understand this analogy.

Similarly, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. The Absolute Truth is realized in three different features. Brahman, impersonal Brahman, brahmeti. Localized Paramātmā, the Lord is situated in everyone's heart, localized Paramātmā. And Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Māyāvādī philosophy is that because God is everything, therefore there is no separate existence of God. This is Māyāvādī philosophy. God is everything, that's all right, but that's not, that does not mean God loses His existence. This is material conception. The material conception is that you take anything, suppose you take a piece of paper and you make it into small pieces and throw it, then the original paper has no existence. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they are thinking like that. If God is everything-that's a fact, God is everything-but that does not mean that God is lost of His own existence. That is material.

Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. This is the Vedic information. You take… Here we have got experience, one minus one equal to zero. But we get the Vedic information that one minus one equal to one, one plus one equal to one. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate. You take whole thing, but still, advaita acyuta. Acyuta. Advaita. God may expand Himself and so, eko bahu śyām, He has expanded Himself as svāṁśa and vibhinnāṁśa. Svāṁśa means viṣṇu-tattva, just like Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, so many. Ananta, advaita acyuta ananta-rūpa. So ananta-rūpam, that does not mean the original, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28], He is lost. No. He is not lost. He is there, although He has expanded Himself. We are also expansion of Kṛṣṇa. We are vibhinnāṁśa. We are small particles, not with the full power. The Viṣṇu expansion, They're with full power. We, living entities, we are also expansion, eko bahu śyām. That one God has become many. As viṣṇu-tattva, as Viṣṇu energy, as Viṣṇu svāṁśa, as Viṣṇu vibhinnāṁśa, so many He has expanded.

Just like the Sun, you can understand. What is this material world? It is the expansion of sun's heat and light, that's all. Any scientist knows. But there are so many varieties of expansion. It is due to the sunshine that the trees are growing in different foliage, different color. There are so many fruits and flowers, they're growing, and as soon as there is no sunshine, everything becomes desert. There are seven colors in the sunshine. From material point of view, you can understand how much potency is God, Kṛṣṇa. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis. Our philosophy is that God, everything is God. That is śakti pariṇāmavāda. He is everything by His potency. Not that He is finished. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvam idaṁ tataṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. In my impersonal feature I am spread all over the universe, all over the world.

ahaṁ sarvam idaṁ tataṁ

jagad avyakta-mūrtina

mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni

nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ

[Bg. 9.4]

Everything is resting on me, but it is not that I am there. So this philosophy, so devotional service is not only mixing, but to remain steady, engaged. The same example. The rivers, that is superficial, you…, we are seeing the ocean superficially. There is no varieties, simply water, simply water, simply water. But if you go deep into the water, there are so many varieties, so many varieties. Similarly, simply entering, merging to the Brahman effulgence, brahmajyoti, that is not secure position. The secure position is within the brahmajyoti. That is explained in the Īśopaniṣad. Within the brahmajyoti there are planets, Vaikuṇṭha planets. So you have to take shelter in one of the planets. Just like the fish, the comparison of the fish, the shark fish. He has taken shelter of the ocean. Therefore the, for him there is no evaporation. The water, although it is also sea water, that, that is subjected to be evaporated. So simply by entering into the Brahman effulgence is not safe. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho [SB 10.2.32].

So our Bhakti-rasāmṛta teaches, just, just become a shark fish or even small fish. Actually there are many types of fishes, even a small fish, that also not become evaporated. That remains in this water, because it has taken shelter completely of the ocean. Similarly, if you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, there is no chance of falling down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Those who are not taking shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is chance of falling down. Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā, they take shelter of Brahman, and reject this world, material world as mithyā, but unless they take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot stay there. He has to again come back. That is the position.

Therefore bhakti-yoga is secure. Secure mukti. Mukti means to engage in the service of the Lord. We are serving in this material world. Everyone is serving, but this is not mukti. This is our anyathā rūpa. We are serving, just like I am serving my country. I am Indian, I am very much feeling compassion for my Indian brothers. Similarly, Americans are feeling, Chinese are feeling, identifying, that we have made compartment. No, if you feel as Kṛṣṇa conscious, that feeling is perfect. Otherwise, these feeling, temporary āruhya, patanty adhaḥ. This is a fact. Now I have got Indian body, suppose, but next life there is no guarantee in human body. Next life, even if I get Indian body, if I become a cow or goat, then I'll be sent to the slaughterhouse. So, this, these are not guarantees. This is anyathā rūpa. Our, this change of body, that is our anyathā rūpa. We must be fixed up in our own rūpa, svarūpa. Svarūpa-siddhi. It is called svarūpa-siddhi. Svarūpa-siddhi means to be engaged in the service of Lord. That is real mukti, mukti hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. Purification. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. One has to become free from all designations. We are designated now. I am working as American, I am working as family man, I am working as this, that. These are all designations. When I shall work as eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is real mukti. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The devotees eternally live in the ocean of devotional service, and they do not care for the rivers."

Prabhupāda: Just like the shark fish, they do not come into the river. That means those who are nitya-mukta, eternally liberated, they do not come into this material world. They do not come. There are two kinds of living entities, nitya-mukta, nitya baddha. Nitya-baddha, we are. Those who are in this material world, we are eternally conditioned. Eternally conditioned in this way, because I am changing my body, one after another. As I am desiring, I am getting my next body. This body I am creating, my next body, again when I shall get next body, I shall create another body. So this is going on. And because it is going on, when it has begun and when it is going to end, that you do not know. Therefore it is called nitya, eternal. Actually it is not eternal, but we do not know when I have begun my material existence. At least we can think that since this material, this term of material creation was there, I began my life. But no, that is not actual fact. The actual fact is, when there was no creation, I was submerged into the body of Nārāyaṇa, Mahā-Viṣṇu. And when there is again creation, I come out. So when I was submerged into the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu, before that my activities began in this material world. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19].

So we are given chance when there is creation, another cosmic manifestation. We are given chance. Now, you take another chance. Come back home, back, go back to home, back to Godhead. But we misuse this chance. On account of our ignorance, we misuse this chance, especially this human form of body. Here is a chance. We can go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore the śāstras are there. The Vedas are there. The Upaniṣads are there. Why? To give us information. To awaken us. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibhodata. The Vedas say, "Now you wake up, take advantage." Prāpya varān. "You have got this book. You fulfill your mission. Don't rot in this material world." Kṛṣṇa Himself comes, He…, to recall us. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. But still we cannot understand Him. We say Kṛṣṇa is dark, Kṛṣṇa is unknown. Why Kṛṣṇa is unknown? Kṛṣṇa, He is giving His own identification, and I am authority of explaining Bhagavad-gītā, I say Kṛṣṇa is unknown. Just see the fuss. I am writing comments on Bhagavad-gītā for misleading others, and personally when I'm asked, "What you know?" "That Kṛṣṇa is unknown to me." This is going on. Kṛṣṇa is declaring Himself,

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

[Bg. 10.8]

I am the origin of all creation, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, everything emanates from me. Aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2], Kṛṣṇa says. Devānām, from Brahmā, devānām means beginning with Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, then other devas, Indra, Candra. So Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām. I am the ṛṣīnām, all the ṛṣis, then prakṛti. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10], under my superintendence this material world is working. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakta mad-yājī māṁ nama… Everything Kṛṣṇa is declaring, and the rascals say Kṛṣṇa is unknown. Just see the fault. And he's explaining Bhagavad-gītā. He should have explained that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, instead of his posing that Kṛṣṇa is unknown, He is black, dark. Our philosophy is, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra

yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

Kṛṣṇa is just like sun, sūrya-sama. Māyā is andhakāra, not Kṛṣṇa is andhakāra. Because Kṛṣṇa, this Kṛṣṇa word sometimes means darkness, so Kṛṣṇa has become dark. He becomes unknown. Actually wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, there is no more darkness, there is no more ignorance.

kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra

yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

So actually such persons they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa, but they have the audacity out of their so-called, puffed-up education, they try to explain Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa can be explained (by one) who knows about Kṛṣṇa. And who knows Kṛṣṇa? Only the devotee knows (Kṛṣṇa). Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Not that because one has got very advanced knowledge, he can understand Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ. I am not supposed to be exposed to all this nonsense. He says. Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. Actually what I am, tattvataḥ, in truth, that can be understood through devotion. Through love of Kṛṣṇa, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me [Bg. 4.3]. Everything is there, clear. If you are not bhakta, if you are philosopher, that's all right, remain philosopher, why you try to touch Kṛṣṇa? That is not your subject matter. Don't poke your nose in that subject matter. Don't mislead others, nonsense. You go to hell. That is another thing. But why you are pushing others to the hell? That is our protest. That is our protest. You go to hell. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram eva yoniṣu [Bg. 16.19], Kṛṣṇa says. Because they are krūrān, they are envious of Kṛṣṇa. They know, Kṛṣṇa is describing Himself like this, still he says Kṛṣṇa is unknown. This is cruel, hiṁsā. So in this way, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. We must understand Kṛṣṇa by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. The, Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood by these blunt senses. It is not possible. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When one becomes purified after being freed from all kinds of designations, that is the beginning.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

There begins bhakti.

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ

mukta-saṅgasya-jāyate

[SB 1.2.20]

Only the muktas. Those who are conditioned, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. They will say, "Kṛṣṇa (is) dark," "Kṛṣṇa is unknown." "Kṛṣṇa is black." That's all. Because he is seeing with his eyes. Kṛṣṇa is not unknown. Kṛṣṇa (is) known only to the devotees. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvam [SB 10.14.29]. Athāpi te deva. "My dear Lord, by your mercy one who has got a little, fragmental portion of your mercy," prasāda leśa. Prasāda means mercy, and leśa means very small portion. "Anyone who has got a little portion of your mercy, he can know you." Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvam, he can understand. Na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan. Others, they can go on speculating on their philosophy for millions of years, still they will not be able to understand. They will not be able to understand, simply futile, simply futile, they cannot. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "Surrender unto Me. If you don't surrender unto Me, you do not become my devotee, I'll not be exposed to you, I am not so cheap." Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap, but He's cheap to the devotees. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. Vedeṣu durlabham. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa by the strength of your Vedic study, so-called Vedic study, because that is foolish study. He does not know. That is the test. If he, one does not understand Kṛṣṇa, his Vedic study is simply waste of time. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. The test will be whether he has understood Kṛṣṇa. If one has studies Vedas, the test will be whether he understands Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. If he is missing Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is unknown, then all his study is useless waste of time. Useless waste of time. This is the verdict of the śāstra. So those, one who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he, his knowledge is not at all advanced, what to speak of perfection. There is no question of perfection. Perfection of knowledge is surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

[Bg. 7.19]

So this is the position. So one who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, if they speak to the public about Kṛṣṇa, about Bhagavad-gītā, they are nonsense, simply misleading people. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhaḥ [SB 7.5.31]. They are themselves blind, and there are other blind men there also, therefore they do not get any profit out of it. So many Gītār jñāna, Gītār version is going on, but still they are in the same darkness. Same darkness. Not a single staid(?) is follower. Why? Well, that is not the way of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12].

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 4.34]

Such, you have to approach a jñānī who has seen the truth. And how the truth can be seen? Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. The tattva-darśinaḥ and tattva. It is through the devotional service. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa, there are so many versions about this thing,

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi

na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau

svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 17.136]

Kṛṣṇa reveals. You cannot order Kṛṣṇa, "Please come here, I'll see You." No, that is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is not your order-supplier. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. You have to surrender. Then Kṛṣṇa will reveal unto you. Being pleased by your service, He will reveal. Not that because you are very nice scholar, you know much a-b-c-d, Kṛṣṇa will come to you. No. Kṛṣṇa is not subjected to such order-supplying agency. Yes, go on.

Pradyumna: "Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī prays to his spiritual master, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, for the protection of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, 'The Ocean of the Pure Nectar of Devotional Service,' from the argumentative logicians who unnecessarily meddle in the science of service to the Lord."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Logicians, nyāya, what is called?

Devotee: Mīmāṁsā.

Prabhupāda: Mīmāṁsā. Mīmāṁsā. Mīmāṁsā jara (?). So Kṛṣṇa is not subjected to this logic, mīmāṁsā, grammar. No. Kṛṣṇa is transcendental. Therefore, Śaṅkarācārya says,

bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ

bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha-mate

prāpte sannihite maraṇe

na hi na hi rakṣati ḍukṛñ-karaṇe

Ḍukṛn, du-prata, kṛñ-prata, these are grammatical jugglery. So these Māyāvādīs, they coin words by grammatical jugglery. This word may be meant, may be meaning like this. They're all grammatical jugglery. Then nyāya jugglery. So they take advantage of this jugglery. Kṛṣṇa is not subjected to this jugglery of words. Kṛṣṇa keeps always His independence, and if you fulfill the condition, if you surrender unto Him, then He will be revealed unto you. Not by your jugglery of words. That is not possible.

Pradyumna: "He compares their arguments and logic to volcanic eruptions in the midst of the ocean."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sometimes they create havoc. Because these Māyāvādīs, Kṛṣṇa gives them intelligence. Because he wants to, he puts forward his logic to kill Kṛṣṇa, or to forget Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also gives his intelligence, "Yes, you talk like this so that you will forget forever." Yes. (laughter). "You talk like this." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca, Kṛṣṇa says. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]. Kṛṣṇa can give you. If you actually want Kṛṣṇa, He'll give you intelligence. Dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te. Kṛṣṇa is very cunning also. This man is trying to forget Me, to mislead others. He is misleading himself, others cannot be mislead, for the time being, but he is misled for good. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram eva yoniṣu [Bg. 16.19]. These asuras, on account of their enviousness upon Kṛṣṇa, to prove that there is no Kṛṣṇa, there is no God, so these people are put into andhā yoni. Andhā yoni means in such, just like animals. They cannot understand about Kṛṣṇa. Kṣipāmy andhā yoniṣu. So that is Kṛṣṇa's punishment, that "He wants to forget Me, he wants to kill Me. All right, he, let him be put into such birth that he may not know what is Kṛṣṇa for many, many births." Yes, go on.

Pradyumna: "In the midst of the ocean, such volcanic eruptions can do very little harm, and similarly, those who are against devotional service to the Lord and who put forward many philosophical theses about the ultimate transcendental realization cannot disturb this great ocean of devotional service."

Prabhupāda: That sometimes, everyone knows, there is volcanic eruption in the ocean. What does it harm to the ocean? It throws out some lava, some little island may come out, but what is the harm to the ocean? Similarly, these rascal may go on with their philosophy for killing Kṛṣṇa. That does not hurt Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It will go on. This ocean will never be disturbed by these so-called philosophies. This will never be disturbed. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The author of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, very humbly submits that he is just trying to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, although he humbly thinks himself unfit for this work."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Every Vaiṣṇava, that is Vaiṣṇava's sadācāra (?), humble. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Although Vaiṣṇava knows everything, still he presents himself very humble, lower that the straw, humbler than the tree. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā, they don't…, the devotee does not claim any so-called popular respect, false respect. They go on with their Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā, if anyone wants some honor, he gives everyone honor. For him, he does not want any honor. What honor he'll take? This material honor. Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was offered benediction by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, "You take any kind of benediction." So Prahlāda Mahārāja replied, "My dear Lord, I am born of a father, passionate, and I am always greedy about material opulence, naturally, because my father was like that. So You are offering benediction. I can ask from you any kind of material opulence. I know that. But, what I shall do all these material opulences. I've seen my father was so strong materially, that when he was angry even the demigods trembled. He was so powerful. Now everything is finished within a second by You. So what is the value of this material opulence? Why shall I ask you all these nonsense. Kindly engage me, kindly engage me in the service of Your servant, that I want." This is devotion. They don't want anything. Kindly engage me nijunkaman ātmā dāse (?). That is the prayer. So the devotees, they do not want anything material. They are not captivated by so-called followers. No. Na dhanaṁ na janam, janam means followers, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]. What is this false power? Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara sahasrasaḥ. If one disciple is enlivened with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can work as the moon. Otherwise so many foolish followers, what they'll do? Just like stars. Thousands and millions of stars, they cannot do anything. One moon is sufficient. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara sahasrasaḥ. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is not required that everyone will be follower. That is not possible, because it is very difficult. But still, if one follower, sincere follower is there, it will go on. It will go on. Nobody can stop it. Go on.

Pradyumna: "That should be the attitude of all preachers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. We should never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should always consider that we are simply instrumental to the previous ācāryas."

Prabhupāda: Yes, we should not be very much proud that "I have created wonderful." Why? What wonderful? What? I am not a magician that I can create wonderful. Sometimes people, they give me so much honor. "Swamijī, you have created wonderful." I do not feel that I have created wonderful. What I have done? I say that I, I do, I'm not a magician. I do not know how to create wonderful. I have simply Bhagavad-gītā, presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that's all. If there is any credit, this is only credit. Anyone can do it. The Bhagavad-gītā is there, and anyone can present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. So it will act wonderful. I am not a magician. I do not know the tricks of magics and the yoga-siddhi, I am creating (visual expression) like this. (laughter) I have no such power. Neither I do it. So I, my only credit is, I do not want to mix with this pure Bhagavad-gītā teaching, any rascaldom, that's all. That is my credit. And whatever little miracle has been done, only on this principle. That's all. Go on.

Pradyumna: "…and simply by following in their footsteps we may be able to do something for the benefit…"

Prabhupāda: Yes, the same thing. Our purpose should be to satisfy our predecessors.

tādera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa

janame janame more ei abhilāsa

We cannot deviate from the path of the previous ācāryas. We must strictly follow. That is the qualification. We must follow their instruction. Therefore I repeatedly say to my students that "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra sixteen rounds, and follow the regulative principles. Your strength is there." If we…, just like Himalayan mountain, nobody can push it. Very simple thing. It is so powerful. Yaha hoite sarva-siddhi haya. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's request. Don't deviate from the instruction. Then you will stand as strong as the Himalayan mountain. Very simple thing. Anyone can do. We are asking, following the footsteps of predecessor, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction to Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpānuga. Therefore we are called rūpānuga. Anuga. Anuga means following. Going, following the footsteps of Rūpa Gosvāmī. So as the, Rūpa Gosvāmī is following his predecessor, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, so we have to follow our predecessor. Then we will be successful. There is no doubt about it. Nobody can do any harm. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]. If you stick to the principle of following the footsteps of previous predecessor, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2], don't add anything, don't subtract anything, present as it is and keep your spiritual strength intact, then the preaching will go on. Nobody can disturb you.

That's all. Thank you very much. (end)

721028ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, October 28, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading) "…divided into four parts, just as the ocean is sometimes divided into four parts, and there are different sections within each of these four divisions. Originally in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, the ocean is divided like the watery ocean into east, west, north, and south, while the sub-sections within these different divisions are called waves. As in the ocean, there are always different waves, either on the eastern side, the western side, the northern side, or the southern side, so similarly Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu has different waves. In the first part there are four waves, the first being a general description of devotional service. The second concerns the regulative principles for executing devotional service and the third wave is devotional service in ecstasy. In the fourth is the ultimate goal, love of God. These will be explicitly described, along with their different symptoms. The authorized description of bhakti, or devotional service…"

Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu compared bhakti as the, a great ocean. So when He was speaking before Rūpa Gosvāmī, He said that "It is just like a ocean. So I'll take a drop of it, and you taste it, and you'll understand what is this ocean." Just like by tasting one drop of sea water we can understand the taste of the whole ocean, similarly Caitanya Mahāprabhu described a small portion of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Bhakti rasa amṛta. Bhakti, devotional service, there is a rasa, taste, and the taste is amṛta, eternal.

Here also, we have got taste for any relationship. Just like we have got our relationship with master and servant. So this relationship is a perverted reflection of the real master and servant. Here it is perverted because the master also does not love the servant, and the servant also does not love the master. The servant serves the master so long there is payment. If the payment is stopped, then no more the servant will be available. But in the eternal world, the Kṛṣṇa's servant… So that is eternal, without any payment. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]. Ahaitukī. The servants of God, or Kṛṣṇa, they serve Kṛṣṇa not for any material gain. Ahaitukī. Therefore this word is used, ahaitukī, without any cause of motive. This is real bhakti. Therefore this bhakti word is applicable only in relationship with God, or Kṛṣṇa. In the material world, there cannot be any use of the word bhakti. Because here the so-called devotional service is motivated. So this bhakti word is monopolized by Kṛṣṇa, and nobody else. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The authorized description of bhakti, or devotional service, following in the footsteps of previous ācāryas can be summarized in the following statement of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: 'First-class devotional service is known by one's tendency to be fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, serving the Lord favorably.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

[Brs. 1.1.11]

This is the first statement of bhakti given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. The… "First class devotional service is known by one's tendency to be fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, serving the Lord favorably." Not unfavorably. Ānukūla, prātikūla. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpa prātikūlyam vivarjanam. Bhakti means we should simply accept what is favorable to Kṛṣṇa. What is not favorable to Kṛṣṇa, that we shall not accept.

Just like Arjuna. In the beginning he declined to fight. He was thinking favorably to his own senses, that "If I kill my brother, grandfather, nephews, those who are on the other side,… They have come to fight with me. So I can kill them. I can own victory over them. But what is the profit? If my relatives, friends, and all others die, then what is the use of my become victorious?" That was his… That means he was thinking in his favor. Kṛṣṇa wanted that "You must fight. You are a kṣatriya. It is your duty to fight. You are My friend. If you go away, fly away from this battlefield, what people will say? That 'Kṛṣṇa's friend has gone away.' So this is not good." So when he could not be convinced, then Kṛṣṇa had to speak the whole Bhagavad-gītā. Then after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa inquired from Arjuna "What is your decision now? Are you going to fight or not?" Arjuna said, "Yes, my illusion is over." Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā tvat-prasādān madhusūdana. So kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73]. "Yes, I shall fight." So this is favorable to Kṛṣṇa.

So we have to see what is favorable to Kṛṣṇa, not sense gratification, not favorable to me. Or to my country, or to my society. No self-interest. Only Kṛṣṇa's interest. That is bhakti. So by fighting, Arjuna became a great devotee. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me [Bg. 4.3]. Kṛṣṇa certified that "You are My greatest devotee. You are My very confidential friend." But what did he do? He did not read Vedānta philosophy. He was a gṛhastha, a king, engaged in fighting. He knew how to fight only. He did not know what is Vedānta philosophy. But still, he became a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Bhakto 'si. So what is the criterion? The criterion is that he fought favorably. He did favorably to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

That is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. What is the difference between kāma and… Kāma means lust; and love. Kāma and prema. Prema is love, and kāma is lust. It appears similar. In the material world, lust is going on in the name of love. A boy loves a girl, a girl loves a boy, but actually the boy also wants sense gratification and the girls also want sense gratification. That is not love. As soon as there is any difficulty in sense gratification, immediately there is divorce. So there is no love. There is only lust. In the material world there is no love. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kaja, the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he has distinguished between love and lust. He says, ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāre nāma kāma [Cc. Ādi 4.165]. When you want to satisfy your senses, that is called lust. Kṛṣṇendriya-prīti vāñchā dhare prema nāma. When you want to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is love.

Just like Arjuna. In the beginning he wanted to satisfy his own senses. "I shall not fight because if the other party, my brothers and grandfathers, they live, I shall be happy." So that is kāma. That is not prema. But when he agreed to fight because Kṛṣṇa wanted it… Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin. So that is prema. So Kṛṣṇa-prema can be executed in so many ways. Simply Kṛṣṇa should be satisfied. That is prema. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So at the present moment, Kṛṣṇa, in the Bhagavad-gītā wanted: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Kṛṣṇa wanted Arjuna-Arjuna means everyone-that they should surrender to Kṛṣṇa and be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. So people… Kṛṣṇa, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, means God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is propagating that to serve Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was present He demanded that "You surrender unto Me," and we are preaching, "You surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." What is the difference? There is no difference. So the same thing, what was spoken five thousand years ago by Kṛṣṇa personally, we, Kṛṣṇa cons…, we, Kṛṣṇa conscious men… Because we are known in the world as Hare Krishna People. They write in the newspaper, "The Hare Krishna People." So our preaching is the same. We don't change. We present, therefore, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Kṛṣṇa says that everyone should surrender unto Him. We are preaching the same philosophy, that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. We say the same thing. We ask everyone that "You become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You think of Kṛṣṇa constantly. You worship Kṛṣṇa. You offer you obeisances unto Kṛṣṇa." So this is favorable. If we preach what Kṛṣṇa said five thousand years ago, that is favorable. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To act in favor Kṛṣṇa means Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The purport is that one may also be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness unfavorably, but that cannot be counted as pure devotional service. Pure devotional service should be free from the desire for any material benefit or for sense gratification as these two desires are cultivated through fruitive activities and philosophical speculation."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sense gratification… I, as I was explaining, a few minutes (I finished?) before. Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kaja says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Bhukti. Bhukti means karmīs. They want sense enjoyment. So long they live here in this body, they enjoy their senses to the topmost, and they make provision for the next life, to be elevated in the heavenly planet to enjoy in the Nandana-kānana with the demigods. More standard of living, enjoyment more opulent. That is the desire of the karmīs. Jñānīs, they say, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "This world is false. There is no enjoyment. Actual enjoyment, to merge into the existence of Brahman." So that is also a subtle sense enjoyment. Leave this world, and enter into Brahman. Then you feel happy. So that is also sense enjoyment. Similarly, yogis, they also want power, material power. Aṇimā laghimā siddhi. Aṣṭa-siddhi. So if you have some power, you can fly in the air, you can walk over the water, you can get anything you desire immediately. These are yoga-siddhi. So that is also satisfying own sense gratification. So except bhakti, everything is for sense gratification. That is unfavorable. Kṛṣṇa does not want to satisfy anyone's senses. That is not Kṛṣṇa's business. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. He wants everyone should serve Him. He's not going to serve anyone. That is Kṛṣṇa's position. Therefore anyone who serves Kṛṣṇa and preaches this philosophy, to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is favorable. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Generally, people are engaged in different activities to get some material profit, while most philosophers are engaged in proposing transcendental realization through volumes of word jugglery and speculation. Pure devotional service must always be free from such fruitive activities and philosophical speculations. One has to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or pure devotional service…"

Prabhupāda: Yes. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Pure devotional service should be uncovered by the motive of nirbheda-brahmānusandhana, the motive of karma and motive of jñāna. That is pure devotional service. No motive.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanam…

[Brs. 1.1.11]

Simply to do things which Kṛṣṇa wants to do, that is bhakti. That is pure bhakti. Go on.

Pradyumna: "One has to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness or pure devotional service from the authorities by spontaneous loving service."

Prabhupāda: Spontaneous. This service should be spontaneous, not forced. Just like a father loves his son spontaneously. A young man likes to love a young girl spontaneously. So bhakti should be like that. As soon as one hears the name of Kṛṣṇa, immediately, spontaneously, he should be ready to serve Him. That is pure devotion. Not that forced. In the beginning, we have to force, that "You rise early in the morning. There is maṅgala ārātrika. You have to perform it." But when this function will be done spontaneously, "Oh, this is the time to offer maṅgala ārātrika to my Lord…" That is wanted. That is wanted. Not that "Oh, it is a heavy burden to rise early in the morning and to offer maṅgala ārātrika." That is not spontaneous. But one has to act under the direction of spiritual master and śāstra, which is called vidhi-bhakti, regulative devotional service, he comes to the platform of spontaneous service.

We have got an example in this connection. Formerly there was child-marriage. Boys and girls were married at the age of ten years, twelve years. So at that time, there was no practically love. But the guardians, they induced the girl to go and offer her husband some eatables, to give her some service. In this way… That was just like regulative. But when they actually come in the platform of attraction, there is no need of direction. So the spontaneous love, when spontaneously we shall serve Kṛṣṇa, without any obligation, without any force, that is required. Spontaneous love, rāga-mārga. Go on.

Pradyumna: "This devotional service is a sort of civilization. It is not simply inaction for people who like to be inactive or devote their time to silent meditation. There are many different methods for people who want this, but civilization of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is different. The particular word used by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is this connection is anuśīlana, or cultivation by following the predecessor teachers, or ācāryas. As soon as we say 'cultivation,' we must refer to activity. Without activity, consciousness alone cannot help us.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. People say that inactivity, silence, that is perfection. But no. In bhakti cultivation, there is no such thing silence. Always active. The same example can be given that Arjuna… Arjuna became devotee not by silence, but by being active. Activity, spontaneous activity. "I have to do this. My Lord will be pleased. So I have to do this." Activity. But if I have no idea what is Lord, what does He want, how He's pleased, if we do not know all these things, naturally there will be no activity. But one who knows what is this Lord, what does He want, what is my relationship with Him, then there is activity. So actually, that bhakti, bhakti is not silence. Bhakti is activity.

Just like personally, up to seventy years, I was practically doing nothing. But at the age of seventy years, by the grace of God, Kṛṣṇa, there was inspiration. I went to western countries. Not to sit down there silently. So bhakti, the path is not inactivity. Actual activity begins when one is situated on devotional service. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. When one is brahma-bhūtaḥ, self-realized, he's prasannātmā, joyful, ānandamaya. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. He has no desire to fulfill, neither he has lamentation. Here, in the material world, we hanker after things which we do not possess. "I want this. I want that." And we cry when the thing is lost. Na śocati. But a brahma-bhūtaḥ, when one is self-realized, when one knows that he's not this body, he's spirit soul, he's part and parcel of Brahman, at that time, he becomes joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. And he sees everyone on the equal footing. Because Brahman-realized. He knows everyone is not this body. He's spirit soul, part and parcel of Supreme Brahman. This position, when one comes to this platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. That is the stage to be promoted to the Brahman activity.

The nirviśeṣa, impersonalists, they want to stop activity, but actually Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says that real activity begins when one is self-realized, one is situated in Brahman realization. Brahman realization does not mean to stop. Brahman realization means to act for Kṛṣṇa, not for sense gratification. That is Brahman realization. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54]. And in that bhakti stage, bhaktyā māṁ abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. Actually, simply by executing devotional service, being freed from all material contamination, when one is engaged in devotional service, bhakti, that process, bhakti process can help one to understand what is God. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. It is not said that by karma, "karmaṇā mām abhijānāti." No. "Jñānena mām abhijānāti." Abhijānāti, tattvataḥ, if one wants to know God in truth, then he must take to devotional service. And this devotional service, actual devotional service begins when one is Brahman realized.

So one may argue, "Does it mean that all the bhaktas… We see they are not even educated… How he has realized Brahman?" That answer is given in the Bhagavad-gītā that

māṁ ca avyabhicāriṇi

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

[Bg. 14.26]

This very platform of serving Kṛṣṇa, avyabhicāriṇi, without any adulteration, means without any motive… When one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service without any motive… Not that "I establish a Deity in the temple with a motive that people will come, will give money, and I shall make it a path of earning my livelihood." That is not devotion. Devotion is without any motive. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. So without any motive, when one is engaged in devotional service, that is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. That is liberated stage. According to Bhāgavata, liberation, mukti, means to be situated in one's constitutional position. That is called mukti. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. Hitvā anyathā rūpa.

Now because we are designated, we have got this body, designation, therefore we are situated in different positions. Somebody's working for his family. Somebody's working for his community. Somebody's working for his nation. But this is anyathā rūpam. This is depending on the bodily designation. "I am American. I am Indian. Therefore I must sacrifice everything for my country, for my nation." This is anyathā rūpam. And when we engage ourself that "I am Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. Kṛṣṇa is my master. I am His eternal servant. I must work for Kṛṣṇa." That is mukti. That is liberation. So anyone who is working for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has no other motive than to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. He has no other motive than to satisfy the representative of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are hitvā anyathā rūpam.

These European, American boys, they are working for Kṛṣṇa. It is practical. They are not working for their community, country or nation. Neither Kṛṣṇa is their God. According to common understanding, in the Dictionary it is said Kṛṣṇa is Hindu God. But they are not working for Hindu God. They are working for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that

sarva-yoniṣu kauteya

sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ

tāsāṁ mahad-yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

They have understood this philosophy that Kṛṣṇa is neither Indian nor Hindu or this or that. Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's father of everyone. They've understood in this spirit. Therefore they're working for Kṛṣṇa. Without any motive. This is practical. Not only Europe and… Everywhere. Everywhere, all over the world. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everybody.

Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. This devotional service of Kṛṣṇa is dormant in everyone. It is, it has to be awakened. That's all. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. Simply by hearing, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanam [SB 1.2.17]. If you simply hear Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the representative of Kṛṣṇa… As Caitanya Mahāprabhu directed, bhāgavata paro diya bhāgavata sthane. One should hear about Bhāgavata from the devotee. There are two kinds of Bhāgavata, the book Bhāgavata and the person Bhāgavata. So we have to relish the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the contents of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, from a devotee who is self-realized. Then it will be very nice. Satāṁ prasaṅgād mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. When you hear about Kṛṣṇa from a Kṛṣṇa devotee, it becomes very pleasing to the ear and the heart. Hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. Therefore to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa… Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Tad vidhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. This is the process. So this Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu is the science of devotional service. If one wants to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead…

When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means all Viṣṇu forms, all Viṣṇu forms. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu, kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavad paramaḥ pumān yo [Bs. 5.39]. All incarnations, they are also Kṛṣṇa, expansion of Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa, this Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, He's the Supreme Person. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. So these things are explained in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, as they are in the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The summary, the juice of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, devotional service is given in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. We have translated this book as Nectar of Devotion. And you'll be pleased to hear that in some of the universities in U.S.A. this book has been recommended as study book in the religious class. They're now reading regularly.

So we shall stop now. It is dark. There is no light. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much. (end)

730110ND.BOM

The Nectar of Devotion

Bombay, January 10, 1973

Pradyumna: Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu is divided into four parts, just as the ocean is sometimes divided into four parts, and there are different sections within each of these four divisions. Originally, in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, the ocean is divided like the watery ocean to east, west, north and south, while the subsections within these different divisions are called waves. As in the ocean there are always different waves, either on the eastern side, the western side, the northern side, or the southern side, so similarly, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu…

Prabhupāda: That Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, the Sanskrit word… We have short cut the translation, Nectar of Devotion, but the, Rūpa Gosvāmī's purpose is to present the ocean of bhakti-rasa. Rasa means mellow. The juice. It is just like ocean. This ocean has limitation, but that is unlimited. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said this ocean is increasing. Now, this material ocean, it has got limit. It cannot increase unlimitedly. That is not possible. Otherwise, how you could build these houses on the beach? No, it is ordered not to come forward beyond this line. But the spiritual bliss type ocean is increasing. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. That is the difference between spiritual bliss and material enjoyment. Material enjoyment is limited. You cannot enjoy unlimitedly. That is not possible. Just for few seconds, for few minutes, or for few hours, then it becomes disgusting. That is the material enjoyment. But the spiritual enjoyment, spiritual bliss is different. That is simply increasing. So, therefore in the śāstra it is said, ramante yoginaḥ anante [Cc. Madhya 9.29]. Those who are yogis, bhakta-yogi, they enjoy unlimitedly. Rāmante yoginaḥ anante, and that is satyānande. That ānanda bliss is real bliss. This is artificial. This is perverted reflection.

I have several times explained that the love affairs between Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī, that is fact. There is no end. Eternally They are enjoying. Rādhārāṇī is enjoying the company of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is enjoying. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya vikṛtir ahlādinī śakti. That is Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. As Kṛṣṇa is eternal, Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency is also eternal. So real love, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs, or Kṛṣṇa and the cowherd boys, Kṛṣṇa and Yaśodā Ma, Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's servants, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's trees, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's water, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's flower, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's cows, everything eternal. That is eternal. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā-kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Kṛṣṇa's enjoyment means Kṛṣṇa's expansion. Just like in Bhāgavata, you know, when Kṛṣṇa's cowherd boys, calves and cows were stolen by Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa again expanded Himself in the similar forms so that the mother of the cowherd boys, the mother of the calves, they may not feel separation. Kṛṣṇa immediately replaced. That is Kṛṣṇa.

So the blissful enjoyment with Kṛṣṇa, it is unlimited. That is called Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Rasa and amṛta. Amṛta, that is not dying, that is not possible. Want (?) some material enjoyment. It is not possible. But, because we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they still persisted. Yes, this is the difference. You will feel more and more enthusiasm. In this material world, the more you'll work, you'll feel tired. And the spiritual world, the more you work, you'll feel enthused. That is called anandāmbudhi-vardhanam. That is the test. If our workers are feeling tired, then that means he's working materially. And if he's feeling enthused, more and more, that is his, he's working spiritually. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. That is the spiritual test. Rāmante yoginaḥ anante satyānande cid-ātmani [Cc. Madhya 9.29]. That is cid-ātmani, that is spiritual, not material. So here, we are trying to enjoy material. So how we can be happy? That is not possible. Materially we cannot be happy, therefore Bhagavad-gītā gives us indication, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya grāhyam [Bg. 6.21]. If you want happiness, happiness is our prerogative. Every individual soul, happiness. Because Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, eternal, blissful, ānanda. Ānanda, blissful. Cit, knowledge and sat, eternal. That is Kṛṣṇa. Sat-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ.

Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Vigraha means form, but not this form. Those who have no knowledge about Kṛṣṇa, they are thinking Kṛṣṇa is māyā. These bhaktas, they are worshiping the māyā form. Their philosophy is when Kṛṣṇa comes, when God comes, He takes a material form. No, that's not right. Kṛṣṇa says, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā, the ātma-māyayā means cit potency. These Māyāvādī philosophers they have no information that cit potency. That is ahlādinī śakti, that is Rādhārāṇī. They have got experience of this material potency. External energy. Durgā. But they have no information of the cit potency. Therefore, they think that Kṛṣṇa appears in the form of māyā. Just like we have got this body, material body, this is gift by the māyā.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

[Bg. 3.27]

kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya

sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu

[Bg. 13.22]

Kāraṇam. We are getting this body according to our association with the different modes of material nature. But Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do with this material nature. Material nature is controlled by Him, and we are controlled by the material nature. That is the difference. He is controller, and you are controlled. They do not understand. They think that if I make null and void these conditions of controlling, then I become uncontrolled.

Just like the philosophy voidism, or suicidism. I am feeling some pain in my body. So if I think that let me commit suicide, then the pain will go away automatically. That is void philosophy. The killing one-self, ātma hā. But because they have no understanding that killing this body does not mean killing yourself. That is their ignorance. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. So these rascal think if I suicide, if I commit suicide, and just have a knife on my throat, then all my pains and pleasures are finished. No, that is not… He will be put into more pains and pleasure. Sometimes we'll have to accept, why accept, it is certain, the ghostly body. Because Kṛṣṇa has given you, or māyā has given, māyā has given under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, a certain type of body for enjoying for a certain span of life, you cannot finish it. If you disregard it, then, if you commit suicide, the result will be that you will not be allowed to accept another material body. You will have to remain in that subtle body. That is ghost. Ghostly life means one who has misused this life, this body, and by his whims he has killed this body. He becomes ghost. That means he will have to suffer for so many day, then he'll get another material body.

Therefore there is śraddhā ceremony. The śraddhā ceremony means, supposing my father or my relative has not got, yet, again gross body, this śraddhā ceremony will help him to get another gross (body). Because without this gross body, the ghostly body is very troublesome, because he wants to enjoy something, but he has no instrument to enjoy. Therefore he creates, the ghost creates trouble. Sometimes captures some body to fulfill his desires, and the man becomes ghostly haunted. There are so many subtle sciences. What do they know, these so-called scientists? They're simply falsely proud, taking account of this small duration of life, for ten to twenty years, fifty years, or at most hundred years, that's all. They do not know. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31]. And still they're becoming guide, they're becoming swamis, they're becoming gurus, they're becoming fathers, they're becoming government. How people can be happy? Everyone is andhā, blind. They have no jñāna, no knowledge, and misleading only. So the, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. You can have unlimited ānanda, but because you are falsely trying to enjoy through this material body, therefore you are becoming confused and frustrated. That they do not know. They think, "I have got this material body, I have got some senses, let me enjoy the senses to the best possibility." But you cannot do it, because it is false, it is not real. Real senses, unless you feel sensation, that sensation, consciousness is there because the spirit soul is there. Otherwise there is no sensation, and unless you feel sensation, there is no enjoyment.

So this bodily enjoyment is false, real enjoyment (is) of the spirit. Therefore it is said, ramante yoginaḥ anante. They want to enjoy life with Ananta, Kṛṣṇa. They want to become friend of Kṛṣṇa. They want to become lover of Kṛṣṇa. They want to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. They want to become father of Kṛṣṇa. They want to become māyā of Kṛṣṇa. The same thing, as we are pervertedly enjoying in this material, the same thing is there (in) spiritual life. That is Kṛṣṇa exhibiting. When He appears on this earth, He practically shows how you can enjoy also with Him. That is Vṛndāvana līlā. Practical manifestation. But we are not taking to that. We are taking this Vṛndāvana līlā of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is māyā, Vṛndāvana is laya. Now simply place your nose and thinks of something impersonal, that is perfection. No? That is not. This is fact, ramante, unless you are many varieties, there cannot be enjoyment. Ramante yoginaḥ anante. Ramante, this very word, one who is engaged, he is called iti rāma-padenāsau paraṁ brahmābhidhīyate [Cc. Madhya 9.29]. This is the meaning of Rāma. Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Rāmaṇa, Rādhā-Mādhava.

So this science has to be understood. We are, everyone is after happiness, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). We are spiritual soul, spiritual spark. Our life is ānanda. Sac-cid-ānanda. Eternal life, blissful life, life of knowledge. But we are put into this material condition which is ignorance, miserable and temporary. Just opposite. Instead of having eternal, blissful, knowledgeable life, we have got this body which is non-eternal, non-permanent, and always miserable in condition, and not blissful. Always miserable and always in ignorance. Just the opposite. So Kṛṣṇa is not like that. If we think of Kṛṣṇa like that, then it is a mistake. That Māyāvādī philosopher, they are thinking of Kṛṣṇa like that, that Kṛṣṇa is like me. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā. They are rascals, mūḍha. They are thinking there is something above Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are mūḍhas. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because they have no knowledge, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. They do not know the paraṁ bhāva, the bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, they have no idea, they have no knowledge. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is, therefore, giving them the real knowledge. Kṛṣṇa, how He's enjoying. His, how He's joyful. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37].

aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti

paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti

ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya…

[Bs. 5.32]

Ānanda sad-ujjvala-vigraha. It is not ordinary vigraha like this. They have got bitter experience of this vigraha, of this form, therefore they want to make God impersonal. Must be opposite. They have got this bitter knowledge that getting this body, we are suffering so much. Therefore, the God must be without body. Just opposite. This is also material thinking. Thinking in a negative way. But they have no knowledge, that if God has body, but that is completely spiritual. It has nothing to do with the material body. They cannot think of spiritual body. So the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu is teaching people how you can enjoy in the ocean of blissfulness. That is bhaktir avatāra. So Rūpa Gosvāmī is dividing. Just like the sea has got east, west, north, south, similarly, he is dividing the ocean of nectarine in four divisions, and as there are waves in the ocean, so there are different chapters. That means he's dividing the Bhakti-rasāmṛta book in four parts, and in each part there are different chapters. That is the conclusion. Go on.

Pradyumna: "In the first part there are four waves, the first being a general description of devotional service."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The first part of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, the first wave is, "What is the meaning of bhakti?" "What do you mean by bhakti?" It is very scientific book. First of all, he will explain, "What do you mean by bhakti?" Then?

Pradyumna: "The second concerns the regulative principles for executing devotional service."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because as soon as you know the business, then you can chalk out your activities. If you do not know what is the business, then how you can work? That is second wave. Then?

Pradyumna: "And the third wave, devotional service in ecstasy."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then, when you become expert in devotional service, then you come to the spiritual platform. You will feel ecstasy. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Otherwise how you get enthusiasm? That is the test. That is the test, that the material platform, you are working, you will feel tired, and you will try to retire from it. But the spiritual platform is, as you are engaged in spiritual activities, or devotional service, you become cleansed. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ [SB 1.2.20]. Prasanna-mana. As you prolong, execute devotional service, bhagavad-bhakti-yoga, prasanna-manaso, you become jolly, because that is your nature. At the present moment, although I am spirit soul, my nature is to become jolly, ānanda, but because I am covered by this material nature, my joyfulness has practically disappeared, or I am trying to enjoy life through this material body. That is my position.

So, if you engage yourself in devotional service, the first engagement is this śravaṇam, hearing. It is not difficult. You don't have to go anywhere. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Kṛṣṇa is within you. If you kindly hear about Kṛṣṇa, that is the first business, śravaṇam. If you kindly hear about Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately, even we do not get time to hear about Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is within you. Kṛṣṇa is within you and as soon as Kṛṣṇa sees that now you are very much eager to hear about Him. The first business. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. And the hearing about Kṛṣṇa is puṇya, even if you do not understand, because hearing about Kṛṣṇa means you are hearing the sound Kṛṣṇa. That sound Kṛṣṇa will purify you, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. My Guru Mahārāja, if somebody would write some article, he would hear, he would simply see how many times there is Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya. Then he'll pass, "Yes, it is all right." (laughter) Because, because there are so many times Kṛṣṇa uttered, it is already nice. That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo

yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api

nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat

śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

[SB 1.5.11]

Tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo. That type of literature which is describing Kṛṣṇa, nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat. Yatra, in which, in that literature where simply there is glorification of the ananta, the Supreme Lord. Not dry philosophy, simply jugglery of words. That is garbage. So that cannot, that kind of literature. Any literature, simply, simply trying to describe the glories of the ananta. Yaśo aṅki, yaśaḥ aṅkitāni yat śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ. Those who are sādhu, those who are devotees, they hear that literature. They hear that literature. Otherwise, another, the next verse, I forget now. Tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham, it has been described, tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham uśanti mānasā [SB 1.5.10]. So this kind of literature, even it is not properly, grammatically correct, tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo yasmin prati-ślokam, abaddha [SB 1.5.11]. That, writing Sanskrit śloka, it requires very high education. It is not that whatever I write, three miles, one line, two lines, no. There is some metric system, canda, so saita (?). So the, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, even it is not properly composed, but because there is anantasya, anantasya guṇani, the glorification ananta, the Supreme, śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ. Those who are sādhus, actually, they accept it. It doesn't matter if there is little grammatical mistake or some poetical discrepancies. There are literary rules and regulation. So śāstra says, it doesn't matter, even there is not perfectly, Śaṅkarācārya also says, na hi na hi rakṣati ḍukṛṅ-kāraṇe. You cannot be saved by simply grammatical efficiency. No. The grammatical efficiency is secondary. Real thing is how much you are feeling for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat śṛṇvanti gṛṇanti gāyanti sādhavaḥ.

So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. If we are sincerely hearing about Kṛṣṇa, this very first qualification, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. This society, we are holding classes, just to give opportunity to the people. We are not professional, that you come here and pay, then we continue, otherwise we stop. No. Our business is to distribute the glories of the Lord. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. Therefore it is recommended, satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido [SB 3.25.25]. In sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga means association of the devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ. Just contrary to this, avaiṣṇava mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Those who are not vaiṣṇava, those who are not devotees, one should not hear from them. It is useless. It is useless, waste of time. Śravaṇaṁ na kartavyaṁ sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Just like milk touched by the lips of a serpent is poison. You cannot say it is milk, very nice. No. Because it is touched by the lips of the serpent it is useless. Similarly, as soon as a professional reciter or a avaiṣṇava reciter, without any realization, without being a devotee of the Lord cites, recites, that should not be heard. That is restricted by Sanātana Gosvāmī. Avaiṣṇava mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Because you'll not derive any benefit. You go on hearing for thousand of years. Thousands of years, still you'll remain where you were in the beginning. But satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ [SB 3.25.25]. So this kathāḥ, hari-kathāḥ, kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ should be heard from devotees, in the association of devotees. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ, then Kṛṣṇa will help. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is very intelligent, more intelligent than you. So He knows our heart, what for I am hearing, then He will help us.

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogam…

[Bg. 10.10]

Kṛṣṇa is there. You haven't got to search out Kṛṣṇa. He is already within you. Simply He wants to see whether you are sincere. That's all. You cannot deceive, you cannot deceive Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa. He is always present. Anumantā, upadraṣṭā. In the Bhagavad-gītā, He is upadraṣṭā. So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. If you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa from the lips of pure devotees, then it is puṇya. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. It will cleanse your heart. It will cleanse your heart.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi…

[SB 1.2.17]

We have got many dirty things within our heart. Kṛṣṇa will cleanse. Kṛṣṇa is within there. Then Kṛṣṇa will personally cleanse. Then everything will be clear. Everything will be clear. You will understand. So it requires little willingness. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhir ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām. This statement was given by Brahmā, and when it was quoted by Rāmānanda Rāya before Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He accepted. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir. You can remain your position. Don't, you don't require to change your position. Not that you have to give up your household life, you have to accept sannyāsa, or you have to do this, the other. No. Remain in your position. But, but try to hear from the proper source, and try to understand. That will make you so strong that, Kṛṣṇa is ajita, unconquerable, but you will conquer Him. You will conquer Him. Ajito 'pi, jito 'py asi, He becomes conquered. Because…

Kṛṣṇa cannot be conquered by anyone, by the demons, but he can be conquered by a devotee. Just like Yaśodāmāyī, he has conquered Kṛṣṇa. The whole world is trembled by Kṛṣṇa's prowess, but Kṛṣṇa is trembling before Yaśodāmāyī, or the stick. So He wants to be controlled, because everyone is praying, "My dear Lord, oh, you're so great." Everyone prays like that, but no one shows his stick. (laughter) But He wants, because that is also enjoyment. So sometimes He is disappointed that nobody wants Me to show his stick. Therefore He finds out such a devotee who can show Him stick. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. So you can become mother of Kṛṣṇa, or you can become father of Kṛṣṇa. What is to become one with Kṛṣṇa? You become father of Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādīs they want to merge into the Supreme, but we want to become father of Kṛṣṇa. Why merge? More than Kṛṣṇa. The devotee can beget Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa accepts that. Yes, I shall become your child. I shall be controlled by your stick.

So they are not ordinary. We should not think like that. The ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāva. That is Kṛṣṇa's expansion of pleasure potency. Kṛṣṇa wants to be controlled by Yaśodāmāyī. Kṛṣṇa wants to be defeated by His friends. Kṛṣṇa wants to be refused Rādhārāṇī's darśana. Yes. Rādhārāṇī is angry, she has refused, she has ordered the sakhis, "Don't allow Kṛṣṇa to come here!" Yes. Kṛṣṇa is flattering. (laughter) "Kindly let Me go." "No sir, you cannot go." This is Kṛṣṇa. You see. But at the same time, gopī-jana-vallabha. Jaya śrī-rādhā-mādhava gopī-jana-vallabha. Kṛṣṇa is, that is Kṛṣṇa's actual life. He is gopī-jana-vallabha, He is rādha-mādhava, He is giri-vara-dhārī. As soon as the gopīs and the cowherd boys in distress, He will uplift this hill, Govardhana, giri-vara-dhārī. That is Kṛṣṇa's life. As the gopīs, and the cowherds boy, and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they have sacrificed everything, they do not know anything but Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Kṛṣṇa also does not know anything beyond Vṛndāvana. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, ocean of blissful life.

Thank you very much. (end)

730111ND.BOM

The Nectar of Devotion

Bombay, January 11, 1973

Pradyumna: (reading:) "…bhakti, or devotional service, following in the footsteps of previous ācāryas, can be summarized in the following statement by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: 'First-class devotional service is known by one's tendency to be fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, serving the Lord favorably.' "

Prabhupāda: Hmmm. Serving the Lord favorably. Not whimsically. Favorably. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. This is the exact word, ānukūla. Ānukūla means favorably, "What I want, you shall do." That is favorable. I want something and you do something else, that is not favorable. Favorable means what Kṛṣṇa wants, you do that. So to come to this understanding, preliminarily… Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, or God, at the present stage, in our material condition of life. Material condition means forgetting our relationship with God. That is material condition. The, this is… Therefore it is called māyā. Māyā means illusion, which has no existence, hallucination. The same thing as we see tiger when dreaming and crying: "Oh, here is tiger! Save me! Save me!" So this is called… This is the example of hallucination. There are many others. Just like water in the desert. Sometimes there is, due to reflection of the sun, it appears there is vast mass of water, and the animals, they go after it, the water. These are the, some of the examples of hallucination, illusion. So this hal… To be in the stage of hallucination, illusion, that is called māyā. This is called māyā. Mā-yā. Mā means "not"; yā means "this."

So we are in this condition now, in māyā. We can practically experience. I have several times explained. Just like while we are asleep we forget everything of our day's life, and during daytime, we forget everything, what we saw in dream. So these two stages… So this is also dream, this is also dream, and I am observer of the dream. Therefore I am the fact, and this is illusion. Both the conditions. So therefore the question arises: "Then what I am?" That is called brahma-jijñāsā. Sanātana Gosvāmī went to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to ask this question, "What I am?" And in, any intelligent man can understand that "I am simply dreaming. At night, I am dreaming something, forgetting night's dream, uh, day's dream. And in day, daytime, I am dreaming something. I am forget the night's dream. So actually both of them are dreams, and I am the observer. Then what I am?" This is the question. Athāto brahma jijñāsā This is the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra. One should be inquisitive. Unless one comes to this point of inquiring about himself, then what I am? Why I am dreaming this daytime and nighttime? What is my actual position? This is human life. When one comes to this point of inquiring, "What I am?" that is the beginning of human life. Otherwise animal life. The animals, they do not know what I am, neither this question comes to them, "What I am?" He's thinking, "I am dog," "I am cat," "I am ass," "I am tiger," "I am this and that." Similarly, if we simply think like that, that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this," "I am that," that is animal life. That is animal life. When you come to this point, understanding, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā… Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā naś ceha yat karmabhiḥ. Kāmasya na, na indriya-prītiḥ, jīveta yāvatā. This is the Bhāgavata philosophy. People are working very hard. Animal also working very hard, but in the human society there are four principles: dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa: [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90] religious life, then economic development, then sense gratification, and then mokṣa, liberation. This is human life. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. The religious life you cannot find in animal society. In the human society, either he may be Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddha, Jews, anything, there is a kind of religious principles.

So that is the beginning of human life-religion, dharma. Then generally, because we are in the bodily concept of life, therefore economic development: "I want money. I want comfortable position, comfortable situation, so that I can eat, drink, sleep nicely." This is called economic development. So dharma, artha… Then why I don't, why I want economic development? Now kāma. Because I have got my senses, I have to gratify it. I'll gratify my senses. When my children grow up, I also give them chance to gratify their senses. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. So we think by sense gratification we shall be happy. That is called kāma. And when we are dissatisfied or frustrated by this process of sense gratification, economic development, then we give up. Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This is all false. Now I shall merge into Brahman." This mokṣa. But Bhāgavata says this is not life. This is not life. What is that verse? Dharmasya… Dharmaikāntasya. You have got the First…? Yes. Nārthāya upakalpate. Na artha… Dharma does not mean… People take to religious life for economic development. That… They think that by… That is also fact. So… But Bhāgavata says that the religious life does not mean economic development. Economic development does not mean to satisfy your senses. Then what shall I do? My… I've got my senses. There is demand of satisfaction for the senses. What shall I do? Therefore Bhāgavata says, kāmasya nendriya-prītir jīveta yāvatā [SB 1.2.10]. Kāmasya… Just like you have to eat. That is the demand of your body. But don't manufacture varieties of menus. Eat only to live, not to live to eat. They have made it a point not to eat for living, but they're living for eating. Therefore Bhāgavata says, kāmasya nendriya-prītir [SB 1.2.10]. Our indriya-prītir, our sense gratification, is eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. That is our indriya-prītir. So Bhāgavata says, "Yes, you're allowed to satisfy your senses so that you can keep fit yourself so, to execute higher procedure of life." And what is that higher procedure of life? That higher procedure of life is jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That tattva-jijñāsā, "What I am?" For this purpose, you shall eat, you shall sleep, you shall satisfy your senses. You should defend yourself. To fulfill this mission of life, to understand what I am. Otherwise the animals are also doing that. Indriya-prītir.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was approached by Sanātana Gosvāmī. They were ministers in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah, in Bengal. In those times there was a Pathan government, and they were responsible ministers. One was chief minister, one was finance minister. Very responsible post, Rūpa Gosvāmī. And they almost became Muhammadans. Because formerly the brahminical society was very strict. If any brāhmaṇa accepts service of another person… Generally kṣatriyas. And he, they were Muslims. So they were, I mean to say, rejected from brāhmaṇa society, and they changed their name also. Almost they became Muhammadans. Sākara Mallika and Dabira Khāsa-both the brothers, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī. And they met Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then they decided to resign from the government post and join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not new. It, it, it is continuing, it is going on since Kṛṣṇa appeared. And later on, five hundred years ago, Caitanya Mahāprabhu revived it, this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. So when they met Caitanya Mahāprabhu, both the brothers decided that "Now we shall join Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. It is very nice movement." So, after resigning their posts, Rūpa Gosvāmī stealthily left the country and Sanātana Gosvāmī was situated. He formally wanted to resign the post, but the Nawab would not allow him to resign; therefore he was arrested. And somehow or other, he managed to come out of the prison and then join Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Benares.

So when he met, there was discussion of life's…, value of life between Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Sanātana Gosvāmī. So Sanātana Gosvāmī first of all questioned this, that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita satya kari māni. "Now the ordinary few friends, my countrymen, they consider me, I am very learned scholar." He was very learned scholar actually. He was great scholar in Sanskrit and in Arabi, Arabic language and Persian language. Because in those days there were Muhammadan kingdom. So actually they were very learned scholars, from… Because we understand from their writings, later on, after becoming disciples of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. So actually they were paṇḍita, learned scholars, brāhmaṇa, and learned scholar. But he was asking that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita satya kari māni: "These people, my neighboring friends, they call me as learned scholar. And actually I accept that I am scholar, I am learned paṇḍita. But I do not know what I am. This is my position. I am paṇḍita. They call me paṇḍita, learned scholar, and I accept it. But actually I do not know what I am. I am such a paṇḍita." So this is the position. You call any person, any scientist, any philosopher, any politician, any minister, at the present moment, and ask him: "What you are?" he'll fail to answer. He'll say, "Yes, I am Mr. such and such," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am minister." He'll say like that. This question was discussed with a great professor in Moscow. He said, "Swamijī, after finishing this body, everything's finished, what I am. That's all." This is the position. But actually that is not. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī first of all inquired this question, grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita. "Ordinary behavior, my neighbors, they call me very learned scholar, but I am such a scholar that I do not know what I am." Ke āmi kene more jare tāpa… Why I am put into this miserable condition of life-birth, death and disease and old age? And threefold miseries-ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika? And the whole struggle is to minimize our miserable condition of life. The struggle is going on, whole day: work, day and night. What is the purpose? Ātyantika duḥkha nivṛtti. To minimize our miserable condition of life. So why I am put into this miserable condition of life although I do not know, I do not want it? So what I am? What is my position? That is Bhāgavata decision. The, you don't forget yourself by simply satisfying your senses. Kāmasya nendriya-prītir [SB 1.2.10]. Don't be satisfied simply when you see that your senses are satisfied. No. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. One should be forward to understand what he actually is. The same, same story, that I am simply seeing dreams, day and night. I am seeing, that's a fact. Law of identity, I am. Then what I am? I'm simply seeing these dreams? What is my actual life? That is tattva-jijñāsā. What is that? Read it. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇanu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167].

So when we go deep into the matter, to inquire about ourself, what is my position, then we come to this understanding, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed to Sanātana Gosvāmī: jīvera svarūpa haya nityera kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. That we have forgotten. Our constitutional position is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. So as soon as we come to this position… The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu begins from this point. When a living entity, when a person comes to the understanding, without any doubt, that he's eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, then his real life begins. Unless he understands this point, he's still in the hallucination of animal life. Jīvera svarūpa haya nityera kṛṣṇa dāsa. Actually we are engaged as servant always. Here, everyone who are sitting here, every one of us, servant: servant of the society, servant of the family, servant of the community, servant of the country, servant of the nation. In this way, we are servant. That's a fact. And we are serving. Everyone is serving. Nobody is actually enjoying; everyone is servant. That is the constitutional position of living entity. But they are serving hallucination. They are not serving the real fact. The constitutional portion is going on. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Therefore one brāhmaṇa, he approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead that "I have served the whole of my life…" Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. Serving means we are serving the society, country, family, the… The essence is I am ser…, not serving; I am satisfying my sense gratification. But I am pushing on this sense gratification in the name of service. A man is working whole, whole day and night to maintain his family, considering himself that he is the master of the family. But he's the, actually he's the servant of the family. That is his real position. And servant of the family means he's servant of his senses. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor du… [SB 7.9.45]. They are, their happiness is that sex life. For enjoy that sex life, they are working so hard, day and night. Therefore he's neither serving the society, community, family, but he's serving his sense gratification. That's all. This is their service.

Therefore the Avantīpura brāhmaṇa says that kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ: "My dear Lord, I have served my senses so abominably. I should not have served in that way. Still I have done." Just like sometimes we commit so many criminal activities to satisfy our senses, because we want money. So pālitā durnideśāḥ. My conscience says, "You don't do it." But, because I want to enjoy my senses, I must do it. I must do it. A thief knows that "If I steal, I, then I'll be punished." He has heard from śāstra, or he has known the state laws, that, if one commits theft, he's punished. He knows it. And he has seen it, that one man has stolen, or committed theft, he's arrested, taken by the police. He has seen it. But still he commits theft. Why? Why? Therefore it is a… That is my… I become habituated to serve the process of sense gratification in such low grade that what is not to be done, I still do it. Therefore he says, kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ, teṣāṁ mayi na karuṇā jātā. But anyone who serves for somebody, ask him: "Whether you are satisfied? I have served you so much." They'll never say. Just like… Take the example-I've given this example many times-that who can serve his country than Mahatma Gandhi better? Nobody. But still he was shot dead. Still he was shot dead. His service was not acknowledged, recognized. Otherwise how he shot dead? There are so many cases. So many cases.

So this world, however faithfully you give service, it will be never recognized-because it is hallucination, illusion. You are serving your senses. You are not serving any person. You are serving your senses. So when one comes to this position, he understands that "I am actually servant, but I am posing myself falsely as master." That is real sense. Then whose servant I am? I am Kṛṣṇa's servant. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes and demands: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. We have forgotten that. We have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's service. That is māyā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes again and again as Himself, as a devotee, or he sends His servitors, His Vaiṣṇava, to preach this cult, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "Educate people to serve Kṛṣṇa, to serve Me." Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. We are also preaching this cult, that "You serve Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. We are preaching this cult. So we are not manufacture anything. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nothing concocted. It is fact. Everyone is servant, but at the present moment he's serving māyā. So, instead of serving māyā, let him serve Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

So that service, when one agrees to serve Kṛṣṇa… Because nobody's agreeable to serve Kṛṣṇa. They will… Kṛṣṇa personally came, canvassed. How many people are serving Kṛṣṇa? Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā [Bg. 9.11]. "Oh, it is too much. Kṛṣṇa is asking that 'Give up everything and serve un…, unto Him.' It is too much." People are taking, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā, because they are mūḍhas. They are thinking, "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? I shall serve dog. I shall keep a dog and take him in the street. As soon as he stands, I shall stand. As soon as he passes urine…" (laughter) That is the position. If you don't serve God, then you have to serve god, dog, māyā. You cannot be, become without service. That is not possible. That is not possi… You must have to serve somebody. But you'll not be satisfied. By such service, you'll ne… The, the master whom you are serving, he will never be satisfied, neither you'll be satisfied. But if you serve actually the Supreme Master, Kṛṣṇa, He will be satisfied and you will be satisfied.

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ

yo me bhaktyā prayacchati

tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam

aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

[Bg. 9.26]

Kṛṣṇa says that "You simply try to serve Me. Offer Me little water, little flower, little leaf." Anyone. Universal. Anyone can collect little water, little flower or little leaf and offer to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to accept your service in that way. What ms the difficulty to serve Kṛṣṇa? But they will not do. This is māyā.

So one has to make his determination. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. This bhakti… Ānukūlyena means Kṛṣṇa wants. You serve. You supply. This is ānukūla. Now He says, Kṛṣṇa: man-manā bhava mad-bhakta. Now you become always engaged in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare… That is man-manā, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Because thinking of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. As soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, as soon as you remember Kṛṣṇa, that means Kṛṣṇa is on your tongue, dancing. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa… Abhinnatvād nāma-nāminoḥ. Therefore by constant company with Kṛṣṇa, puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. If you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa, then you become pious. Puṇya-śravaṇa. Simply by hearing, you become pious. You haven't got to arrange for great, great sacrifices, tons of ghees. No. Simply by hearing Kṛṣṇa-kathāḥ, you'll be purified. These are the statements of great personalities, Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ

śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ

paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

[Cc. Antya 20.12]

Śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana is so nice that Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Why don't you become, always think of Kṛṣṇa? Where is the loss? If you are walking on the street or going on bus or on your car, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, what is your heavy loss? Is there any loss? Why don't you do it? Try it. There is no loss. And if there is any gain, why don't you try it? For nothing, without any loss. These Europeans and American boys, they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are more enlightened, so far material civilization is concerned. But in their country, almost all young men, as a hobby, they have taken a bead and chanting. Our, the George Harrison, the famous Beatle, he is supplying beads and bags to his friends: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." And he has written in his record that "Anyone who is friend of Kṛṣṇa, I am his friend." What he has written?

Gurukṛpā: "Any friend of Kṛṣṇa is friend of mine."

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Gurukṛpā: "Any friend of Kṛṣṇa is friend of mine."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Anyway… So we Indians, why you are over gentlemen? They're also gentlemen, they're also Europeans. But why you are afraid, why you are ashamed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra even on walking, even going on…? What is the harm? This is the purpose of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra movement, that anyone can chant. A child can chant. A old man can chant. A rich man can chant. A poor man can chant. There is no tax. But see the result. See the result. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. Ādi 17.31]

This is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order, that "Always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." The śāstra says,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

In this age, especially, we cannot execute any other process of religious method. This is… We can, but at the present moment, it is very difficult. The best things is, as it is recommended in the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa-many other purāṇas also, in Upaniṣad,

hare nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

And in the Bhagavad-gītā also you'll find,

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ

yatatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ

namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā

tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca

[Bg. 9.14]

Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām. Anyone who is chanting, he's mahātmā. He's mahātmā. Chanting. So these, these boys, although they're very young, but because they're chanting, always, they're mahātmās. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso [Bg. 9.13]. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. So this is the process in this age. You can chant. There is no loss, but there is much gain. Why don't you try it?

So that is called bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Favorably. Kṛṣṇa says that "You become always thinking of Me." Man-manā. So you think of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. That is ānukūla. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. Kṛṣṇa says, and we carry out the order, just like Arjuna did. Kṛṣṇa said that "You kill. I want. The other party must be killed." He, first of all, he hesitated: "How can I kill my grandfather and nephews, my brothers, the other side? No, I cannot," when he was bodily conscious. But when he understood Kṛṣṇa's Bhagavad-gītā, he said, kariṣye vacanam: "Yes, I shall do it." That is ānukūla. That is ānukūla. In the beginning, he was becoming very good gentlemen, nonviolent, but Kṛṣṇa chastised him:

kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ

viṣame samupasthitam

anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam

akīrti-karam (arjuna)

[Bg. 2.2]

"Oh, you are proposing something which is the action of the anārya, not of the Aryans. So give up this klaibhyam, this deficiency, defect or…" What is called?

Devotee: Weakness.

Prabhupāda: "…weakness, weakness of your heart. Give it up." So then when he became His śiṣya, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7], at that time, as his śiṣya, He immediately chastised him: aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase. "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like a very learned man, but you do not know what is learning. You do not know."

aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ

prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase

gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca

nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

[Bg. 2.11]

"This is not talk of the paṇḍita. Just learn what is paṇḍitaḥ, how…" Then, then when He began to teach him how to become paṇḍita, the first instruction was,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntaraṁ-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

Asmin dehe, within this body, there is the soul. This is the beginning of spiritual understanding. How many people know? They do not know it. They think that "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am…"

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific movement, authorized movement, and there is a vast philosophy. We have published them, twenty big, big books, we have published. So our only request is that you all consciousness people, advanced, educated persons, they should try to understand this movement as it is and join, make his life successful and teach others also. People are suffering for want of this knowledge, and they are being misled by so many rascals. Dehātma-buddhiḥ. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. In the Bhāgavata it is said, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninas [SB 7.5.31]. These people, they do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. The ultimate goal of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That, they do, actually do not know. They do not know even what is God, and what the question of going back to Him, back to home, back to Godhead? They do not know everything, anything. There is God, there is home of God. As we say, generally, we give you the name of God, His address, His father's name-everything-but they will not accept it. "There is no God. God is dead. I am God. You are God. God is loitering in the street." This is their theory. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. The blind men are led by blind leaders. So we should not follow like that way. If we actually want success of life, then we must be Kṛṣṇa conscious. We must follow the greatest authority, Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. We must follow. If you want success of life, everything is there, whatever you want.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta paramaṁ puruṣa

[SB 2.3.10]

Whatever you want, you'll get. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11].

So Kṛṣṇa… Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ [Bg. 18.66]. Kṛṣṇa is giving assurance. There are so many things that, by understanding Kṛṣṇa, simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, you, your life is successful. The life, success of life is to stop this repetition of birth and death. That we also do not know. There is repetition of birth and death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Kṛṣṇa says in the beginning, asmin dehe dehi. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. Those who are actually educated, sober, they can understand that, that "Here is a man who's supposed to be dead, but he's not dead. He has transferred this body. That's all." Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. As I am transferring my body from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, youthhood to old body, similarly, as I have changed so many bodies, where is the difficulty to understand that after giving up this body, I'll get another body? And Kṛṣṇa is confirming. All the Vedic literature confirming: tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Another body. But we must know what kind of body I'm going to get. That is intelligence. Body, you must have to accept. As you have changed, as you accepted so many bodies, even in this life, then you have to accept another body. Now there are 8,400,000's of bodies. That you see. There are aquatic bodies, there are tree's bodies, plant's bodies, insect body, bird's body, beast's body-so many bodies. Eight million, four hun … So Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir. He does not say what kind of body you'll get; He says dehāntaram. You'll get another body. So how that body, you'll have to make? That is in your hand in this life. You can prepare your next body in this body, just like you can prepare your future life in your youthhood by education, by culture. Then you can get a very nice post, very nice position, honored in the society. But if you spoil your life in childhood and youthhood, then you have no position in future life. Similarly, if you want to get next body, very nice, valuable body, so you prepare for that. You prepare for that. And how the preparation goes? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni

mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām

[Bg. 9.25]

So you can prepare. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can worship demigods. The Candra, the Moon planet, you are trying to go there. In this way you cannot go. But if you prepare in this life how to be promoted in the Moon planet or sun planet or heavenly planet, then you prepare yourself. Yānti… Not by force. You cannot go by your teeny sputnik and enter into the sun planet. That is not possible. You have to prepare yourself in this life. Yānti deva-vratā devān [Bg. 9.25]. This is the injunction. But Kṛṣṇa also says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, the highest planet of this universe, still you have to come back again. Mad dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. Therefore a, a sane person should try in this life how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the highest perfection of life. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Take advantage of this movement and be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

721029ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, October 29, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading) "…may be divided into two classes: one class may be for achieving a certain goal, and the other may be for avoiding some unfavorable circumstances. In Sanskrit these activities are called pravṛtti and nirvṛtti, positive and negative action. There are many examples of negative action. For example, a diseased person has to be cautious and take medicine in order to avoid some unfavorable illness. Those who are cultivating spiritual life and executing devotional service are always engaged in activity. Such activity can be performed with the mind or with the, with the body or with the mind. Thinking, feeling and willing are all activities of the mind, and when we will do something, the activity comes to be manifest by the gross bodily senses. Thus, in our mental activities, we should always try to think of Kṛṣṇa and try to plan how to please Him, following in the footsteps of the great ācāryas and the personal spiritual master. There are activities of the body, activities of the different senses, and activities of speech. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person engages his words in preaching the glories of the Lord. This is called kīrtana. And by his mind a Kṛṣṇa conscious person always thinks of the activities of the Lord as He is speaking on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra or engaging in His various pastimes at Vṛndāvana with His devotees. In this way, one can always think of the activities and pastimes of the Lord. This is the mental culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not inactivity. This we have discussed yesterday. Actually the activity is being influenced by the soul. But it is being expressed through intelligence, mind and body. The activities are coming from the spiritual platform, but because it is now contaminated by the material coverings, the activities are not very adjusted. Diseased activities. The thinking, feeling, and willing… This thinking, feeling, and willing now polluted on account of material coverings. Therefore we have to revert to the thinking, feeling, and willing by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As it is explained here, that we shall always think of Kṛṣṇa's activities, we shall always feel for satisfying Kṛṣṇa, and we shall always will to enact as He desires.

The same feeling… Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given us two formulas how to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or how to remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So one formula is that anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. You should not be attached to the viṣayas. Just like we have got a tendency to construct a skyscraper building. As in your country, you do. So you should not attached to the skyscraper building, but you can utilize the tendency by constructing a big temple like skyscraper for Kṛṣṇa. In this way, you have to purify your material activities.

Actually in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is nothing material. I have several times explained. Material activities means activities without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is material activity. Just like we are speaking through this microphone. We do not reject it as material. We take it as spiritual. Because it is being used in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Yathā arhati, as it deserves. Because this microphone is made of material elements, earth, water, fire, air… But this, if we remember that these material energies, earth, water, air, fire, sky, even mind, intelligence, ego… Prakṛti me, prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. They're also energies of Kṛṣṇa. They're not separate from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore if Kṛṣṇa is spirit, then these so-called material elements, they are also spirit. But it is used as material because we do not remember the relationship of these material elements with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the conclusion is when we are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa, then it is material. Otherwise, there is nothing as material. Everything is spiritual. Because brāhmaṇaḥ śakti.

It is described in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Eka-deśa sthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā, sarvedaṁ brahmaṇaḥ śakti… I just don't remember the whole verse. So everything, this is śakti-pariṇāma-vāda. Śakti-pariṇāma-vāda. Everything… Sarvaṁ khalu idaṁ brahma. Everything that we experience, that is manifestation of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Brahmaṇaḥ śakti. Śakti and śaktimān, they are not different. So if we accept everything as expansion of brahmaṇaḥ śakti, energy of Kṛṣṇa, and utilize it for Kṛṣṇa, then there is nothing, such thing as material. Everything becomes spiritual. So if we think in that way, thinking, feeling, and willing, if we utilize our psychological activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we keep steady in attached with Kṛṣṇa. Yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. Vairāgya means renunciation. We do not require to renounce anything, provided we see everything dovetailed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is required. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Similarly, we can offer many services with our bodily activities, but all such activities must be in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. This relationship is established by connecting oneself with the bona fide spiritual master who is the direct representative of Kṛṣṇa in disciplic succession. Therefore the execution of Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities with the body should be directed by the spiritual master and then performed with faith."

Prabhupāda: Yes. We should not manufacture in our own way that: "This is Kṛṣṇa's activity." It must be confirmed by the spiritual master. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has explained in his comment on Bhagavad-gītā in connection with the verse vyavasāyātmikā-buddhiḥ ekeha kuru-nandana… Vyavasāyātmikā-buddhiḥ, niścayātmikā-buddhiḥ. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that "Whatever order I get from my spiritual master, that is my life and soul. I must execute it thoroughly, without caring for my personal convenience or inconvenience. That is called vyavasāyātmikā-buddhi." Eka. We cannot manufacture anything as Kṛṣṇa conscious activities, but we must be ready always to carry out the order of spiritual master who is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair *. The spiritual master is recognized as the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād dharitvena. Therefore he should be offered respect as good as to Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo *. And if we can please our spiritual master, then we please Kṛṣṇa.

Just… Somebody says that "Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago. He's no longer present. Then how we shall execute Kṛṣṇa's order?" Kṛṣṇa's order can be executed by executing the order of the spiritual master. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. We cannot disobey. Yasyaprasādād na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. This is the process. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta it has been very extensively explained what is the position of the spiritual master. But at the same time, the spiritual master does not accept himself as he's God or Kṛṣṇa like the Māyāvādīs. No. the bona fide spiritual master always thinks of himself as the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Not that "Because my disciples accept me as good as Kṛṣṇa, and because my disciples offer me respect exactly he offers respect to Kṛṣṇa…" That does not mean I am Kṛṣṇa. I am servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is the position. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The connection with the spiritual master is called initiation. From the date of initiation by the spiritual master, the connection between Kṛṣṇa and a person cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness is established. Without initiation by a bona fide spiritual master, the actual connection with Kṛṣṇa consciousness is never performed."

Prabhupāda: Yes. We must connect with the current. Just like you have heated your room with electrical wires, but if you do not touch it with the current going on, then simply electrical heating with not help you. Similarly, initiation is essential. Ādau gurvāśrayam. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī recommends in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu for executing proper spiritual life, one must take shelter of the bona fide spiritual master. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. Person who is actually interested in uttamam. Uttamam means transcendental. Udgata-tamam. After darkness. This material world is darkness. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. The spiritual world is full of light. Therefore anything spiritual, that is called uttamam. There…

Kṛṣṇa's another name is Uttama-śloka. Bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭikī. Kṛṣṇa does not belong to this material world. Only the fools and rascals, they think of Kṛṣṇa having material body. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. Kṛṣṇa is always in His spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Similarly, if we establish our bona fide relationship with the spiritual master, representative of Kṛṣṇa, immediately our connection with Kṛṣṇa becomes established. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not material. The Lord has generally three energies, namely, the external energy, the internal energy, and the marginal energy. The living entities are called marginal energy and the material cosmic manifestation is the action of the external or material energy. Then…"

Prabhupāda: So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. The Supreme Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, has got innumerable, multi-energies. Out of that, learned scholars, devotees, they have divided the whole energy into three, external, internal, and marginal. So the living entities, they are production of the marginal energy. The living entity is energy, prakṛti. Not the puruṣa. Puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. We are all prakṛtis, all living entities. Prakṛti means predominated, and puruṣa means predominator. Just like we see, ordinarily, husband and wife, the husband is predominator and the wife is predominated. Although there is no difference between husband and wife. They are one, divided into two. Similarly, prakṛti and puruṣa, they are one. They are not two.

It is explained by Svarūpa Dāmodara: rādhā-kṛṣṇa-prakr…, praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api purā deha-bhedo gatau tau. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, They are one. But, although They are one, They bifurcated Themselves as Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So there is no difference between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā is the superior energy, or spiritual energy. And Kṛṣṇa is the energetic. Similarly, this material world is external energy. Similarly, the living entities, they're marginal energy, between the external and internal energy. The living entities are called marginal energy because the living energy has to act under another energy, that either material energy or spiritual energy. So when the living entity is under spiritual energy, that is his normal condition, and when he's under the material energy, that is his abnormal condition. We should always remember. Material energy means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Just like in this material world, everything is there, but it is lacking in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You travel all over the world, you'll see there is profuse arrangement of sense gratification, but there is no arrangement for understanding Kṛṣṇa. This is called material energy. But if you bring in Kṛṣṇa in the so-called material energy, it becomes spiritual energy.

Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is awakening that spiritual energy of the living entity. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]. The mahātmā and durātmā. What is the difference? The difference is the durātmā is under the influence of external energy. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31]. When we are too much engrossed with the concept of bodily life, "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," when we are influenced by the bodily concept of life, that is called material energy. And when we are influenced by the spiritual energy, we always think that "I am servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir. "I am neither brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya and śūdra or sannyāsī or brahmacārī." This, this is a verse given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He denies any material designation, and He informs us also that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. When we feel actually that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is our liberation. Hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. This is svarūpa. When you are existing as servant of Kṛṣṇa, then you are mukta, liberated. You haven't got to endeavor separately for becoming free or liberated. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Then there is the spiritual world, which is a manifestation of the internal energy. The living entities who are called marginal energies, energy, perform material activities when acting under the inferior, external energy. And when they engage in activities under the internal, spiritual energy, their activities are called Kṛṣṇa conscious. This means that those who are great souls, or great devotees, do not act under the spell of material energy, but act instead under the protection of the spiritual energy."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]. They do not act under the influence… Ordinary persons, they see that "Devotees are acting like us." No. Their activities are under the influence of spiritual energy. It, it, it looks similar like the karmīs, jñānīs, but bhaktas are different from karmīs and jñānīs. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. They are not influenced by the tenets of jñāna and karma. They are influenced by activities which can satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Anuśīlanam activities, culture. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. So they are simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa activities. Although it looks similar to the ordinary activities. Therefore they misunderstand. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is fighting and another soldier is fighting the other side. But Arjuna's activities as soldier is devotional service. Because he's trying to please Kṛṣṇa. Other side, they're fighting for their own interest, how to become victorious and take up the kingdom. That was their idea. Here, Arjuna, he did not like to fight, but when he understood that "Kṛṣṇa desires this fighting," he engaged in it. Therefore his fighting was to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, not to satisfy his senses. As it is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, to satisfy one's own senses, that is called kāma, and to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa, that is called prema. That is the difference. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Any activities done in devotional service or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness are directly under the control of spiritual energy. In other words, energy is a sort of strength and this strength can be…"

Prabhupāda: This is spiritual energy. Just like Arjuna is fighting. That energy is inspired by Kṛṣṇa. So Arjuna took it, "I must fight. Kṛṣṇa wants it. I must satisfy Kṛṣṇa." This is spiritual energy. Just see. The other party, they are also fighting in the same energy, but they have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is nothing wonderful. Simply you have to divert the energy for Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everyone has got energy, but when it is enacted for one's sense gratification, that is material. And when it is enacted for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, that is spiritual. Try to understand the difference between material and spiritual. Go on.

Pradyumna: "In other words, energy is a sort of strength, and this strength can be spiritualized by the mercy of both the bona fide spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. We have to acquire this energy through the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is within as caitya-guru, and when we are serious He comes out as the spiritual master. Śikṣā-guru, dīkṣā-guru. So there is no difference between śikṣā-guru and dīkṣā-guru and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself externally as śikṣā-guru and dīkṣā-guru. Go on.

Pradyumna: "In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī…"

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Pradyumna: "…Lord Caitanya states that it is a fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. One who is serious about spiritual life is given by Kṛṣṇa the intelligence to come in contact with a bona fide spiritual master, and then, by the grace of the spiritual master, one becomes advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

We are wandering in different species of life in different planets. Brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva. Not all, fortunate. One must be very much fortunate to come in contact with Kṛṣṇa and guru. So how that fortunate becomes possible? It is called ajñāta-sukṛti. Sukṛti and duṣkṛti, these two words are used in Bhagavad-gītā. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. There is the word, duṣkṛti. And sukṛti. Catur-vidhā bhajanti māṁ sukṛti 'rjuna. So this sukṛti, this fortune, there is a chance which is called ajñāta-sukṛti. Ajñāta-sukṛti means just like Kṛṣṇa's representative is preaching all over the world, and if somebody comes in contact with that representative of Kṛṣṇa, and satisfies him, he acquires some ajñāta-sukṛti. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. He does not know what spiritual benefit he's achieving by serving the representative of Kṛṣṇa. He does not know. But he acquires it imperceptibly. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. So when ajñāta-sukṛti is accumulated, then he becomes fortunate. That is called kono bhāgyavān jīva.

Just like Śukadeva Gosvāmī is describing about the cowherd boys who were playing with Kṛṣṇa.

itthaṁ (satāṁ) brahma-sukhānubhūtyā

dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena

māyāśritānāṁ nāra-dārakeṇa

sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ

[SB 10.12.11]

Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. These boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boys, they are not ordinary boys. Śukadeva Gosvāmī says. They are kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. For many, many lives, they accumulated their pious activities and thus now they have got the association of Kṛṣṇa to play with Him. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Similarly, these ajñāta-sukṛti, when they are accumulated… Just like you deposit in the bank, four annas, two annas. In this way, one day it becomes one hundred rupees. Similarly, these ajñāta-sukṛti, when they're accumulated, that makes the fortune of a person to associate with guru and Kṛṣṇa.

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

mālī hañā sei bīja kara āropana

śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye…

So bīja means seed. Bhakti-latā seed. Bhakti's compared just like a creeper. The creeper does not stand alone. It embraces another tree and then it grows. Similarly, bhakti-latā, bhakti always embraces the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and then grows. Therefore it is called bhakti-latā. So bhakti-latā-bīja. If one is fortunate, by accumulating this imperceptible good activities, by association with devotees, then he gets this bhakti-latā-bīja, the seed of bhakti-latā. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, mālī hañā bīja kare āropana. Just like you get some nice seed of rose flower. So if you sow it on the ground, just becoming a nice gardener, and pour water, then it gradually grows. So we have to take the bhakti-latā-bīja from the bona fide spiritual master, and sow it within the heart. Taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani śraddhā bhaktir anukramiṣyati. And pour water. Just like simply sowing the seed is not your business is finished. You have to sow, you have to pour water. So what is that pouring water?

mālī hañā sei bīja kare āropana

śravaṇa-kīrtana-jāle karaye secana

[Cc. Madhya 19.152]

This is the watering, hearing about Kṛṣṇa, chanting about Kṛṣṇa. So you take the bhakti-latā-bīja from the spiritual master. That is called initiation. And develop it by pouring water of hearing and chanting. Then it will grow. One day it will grow so big that it will penetrate the walls of this universe. It will go to the spiritual world, and gradually go to the Goloka Vṛndāvana and catch up the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and then produce its fruits, and you will enjoy by eating the fruits. Go on. What is the time?

Devotee: Six o'clock Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: All right. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

721030ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, October 30, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading:) "…Kṛṣṇa we refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His many expansions. He is expanded by His plenary part and parcels, His differentiated parts and parcels, and His different energies. Kṛṣṇa, in other words, means everything and includes everything. Generally, however, we should understand Kṛṣṇa to mean Kṛṣṇa and His personal expansions. Kṛṣṇa expands Himself as Baladeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, and Varāha, as well as many other incarnations and innumerable Viṣṇu expansions. These are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to be as numerous as the uncountable waves. So Kṛṣṇa includes all such expansions, as well as His pure devotees. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that Kṛṣṇa's expansions are all complete in eternity, blissfulness, and cognizance. Devotional service means to prosecute Kṛṣṇa conscious activities which are favorable to the transcendental pleasure of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, and any activities which are not favorable to the transcendental favor of the Lord cannot be accepted as devotional service."

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa does not mean alone. Kṛṣṇa is not imperson. He's person, and He expands in so many persons. Eko bahu śyām. He is one, but He expands Himself to innumerable forms. The Viṣṇu forms, They are known as svāṁśa. And the servitor forms, the living entities, they are also expansion of Viṣṇu, part and parcel, differentiated, vibhinnāṁśa. So everything-expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Whatever we see, experience within this world, within this universe, they're simply expansion of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Just like fire has got two energies, heat and light, similarly Kṛṣṇa is expanding by His two energies, the material energy and the spiritual energy. So this material world is expansion of His material energy, and we are marginal We are also energy. We are not energetic. We are not puruṣa. We are prakṛti.

In the Bhagavad-gītā the living entities have been described as prakṛti. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtim parā. After describing the material energies-earth, water, air, fire sky, mind, intelligence, ego-Kṛṣṇa says apareyam, all these energies, separated energies, material energies, they are aparā, inferior. But that is also Kṛṣṇa's energies. Inferior means not actually inferior, because they, there cannot be anything inferior which is emanating from Kṛṣṇa. The inferior in this sense: by our absence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because we have come here, in this material world, to enjoy to satisfy, sense satisfaction, sense gratification, we have made it inferior. Otherwise it is not inferior. One who knows how to utilize this energy, for him, it is not inferior. Nirbandha-kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. One who does not know how to utilize this material energy for the purpose of Kṛṣṇa, for them, it is inferior. Otherwise, advaya-jñāna, absolute… Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ. Nārada Muni has described before Vyāsadeva: idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ. It appears like different, but actually Kṛṣṇa… A mahā-bhāgavata… This is the vision of mahā-bhāgavata, not ordinary man. Mahā-bhāgavata… Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhi tāra mūrti [Cc. Madhya 8.274]. A mahā-bhāgavata sees a tree or an animal or a… He does not see the form but he sees his iṣṭa deva mūrti; he sees there Kṛṣṇa. Actually, Kṛṣṇa is there as Paramātmā. So he sees Paramātmā. He does not see the external body. So Kṛṣṇa's two energies… Inferior means where Kṛṣṇa consciousness is almost absent. That is inferior. When there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is no more inferior; that is superior. So Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. After all, any energy, prakṛti… So the Māyāvādī philosophers mistakes to elevate the living entities to the standard of puruṣa, the Supreme. But actually it is not so. It is prakṛti. Prakṛti means predominated and puruṣa means predominator. And actually, that is our position. We are not predominator. Artificially I am thinking that I am predominator. That is my illusion. I am not predominator. Nobody's predominator. Predominator is Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataro nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya. He's predominator. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8].

So prakṛti and puruṣa… Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Arjuna has described, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam [Bg. 10.12]. "You are the original puruṣa, enjoyer." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If we know that Kṛṣṇa is the original person, enjoyer, and we are simply enjoyed… We are meant for being enjoyed, not to take the post of enjoyer. Here, in this material world, everyone is artificially trying to become enjoyer, both men and women. But that is illusion. Nobody's enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. The supreme enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. So just like prakṛti-puruṣa, we can get one idea, husband and wife. Husband is puruṣa, wife is prakṛti. So if the wife is faithful, always trying to serve the husband, always to make her husband pleased, and husband takes care of the wife for all her necessities of life, as that home life becomes very beautiful and happy, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Puruṣa, enjoyer. We living entities, if we simply try to serve Him and make Him happy, as the gopīs did, then it is very congenial atmosphere as it was in Vṛndāvana. Everyone is serving Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is trying to please Kṛṣṇa. The birds, the beasts, the trees, the land, the water, the cowherd boys, the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa's father, mother, elderly people-everyone-the central point is Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. So we can have Vṛndāvana anywhere and everywhere. Vṛndāvana is not that limited. It is not material. As Kṛṣṇa is not limited… Kṛṣṇa says in the Brahma-saṁhitā, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Just like Kṛṣṇa says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad aham aśnāmi [Bg. 9.26]. Now, one can say that "Kṛṣṇa is far, far away in the Goloka Vṛndāvana. How He will eat?" That is material conception. Kṛṣṇa can eat even He is in Goloka Vṛndāvana, provided the foodstuff is offered by a devotee. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. It is a question of bhakti. Then Kṛṣṇa eats. Kṛṣṇa is present in His Goloka Vṛndāvana, in His dhāma. He does not go out, but His expansion goes out and takes, accepts the service of the devotee. This is the bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. One should understand the bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. It is a science, how He takes… We have got our limited sense that "I am sitting here." If you offer my foodstuff some yards off from me, I cannot reach, because I am limited. But Kṛṣṇa can expand His hand. He Himself comes. Svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ. Kṛṣṇa becomes manifest to the devotee. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. When one becomes devotee, beginning from the tongue, jihvādau, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ, He becomes revealed. Yei nāma sei kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of chanting without any offenses. Then you'll find the name is not different from Kṛṣṇa. When you are chanting, you'll find Kṛṣṇa is dancing on your tongue. This is the conclusion.

So we have to learn how to chant. Therefore in the śāstras, in the Purāṇas, the ten kinds of offenses are described. And Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has given very much stress to avoid these offenses. Śuddha-nāma. In the beginning we cannot chant pure form of the name, because we are accustomed… But still, by chanting process, then it becomes nāmābhāsa, almost pure. Ābhāsa means just like before sunrise, you find the darkness is off, but it is not sunlight. It is different from sunlight, but still, there is the dawn, you can see everything distinctly. Similarly, first there is offensive name and, if you avoid, avoid the ten kinds of offenses, then gradually it becomes nāmābhāsa. And Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura has said, Namācārya, that by nāmābhāsa, one becomes liberated. There was some argument with Haridāsa Ṭhākura and one brāhmaṇa in the office of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī's father, uncle. So there were some high level talks on this nāmābhāsa. So by nāmābhāsa one becomes liberated. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra offensive, one becomes materially happy or distressed, but when one comes to the stage of nāmābhāsa, he becomes liberated. And when he chants pure name, there is Kṛṣṇa-prema. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī: he was chanting. We are also chanting. But we are not in the stage of Rūpa Gosvāmī or Sanātana Gosvāmī and Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Actually, if we come to that stage then there will be Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī said that "What shall I chant with one tongue and two ears? If there were millions of tongues and trillions of ears, I could chant something." And we cannot finish even sixteen rounds, because we have not created our taste for chanting. Still we are in the nāmāparādha stage. But don't be disappointed. Go on chanting. You'll come to the right position, nāmābhāsa, then śuddha-nāma. Everything requires gradual development.

So this nāma is also another incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Nāma-rūpe kali-kāle kṛṣṇa-avatāra. Name is… Because name and Kṛṣṇa is not different. Abhinnatvād nāma-nāminoḥ. There is no difference. Here, in the material world, there is difference between the name and the substance, but advaya-jñāna, in the Absolute world there is no such distinction. The name and the person, the same, identical. So actually, when we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we directly associate with Kṛṣṇa, because name is the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra. Therefore, if we are sensible, then we should take very much respectful attitude to the name, because name and Kṛṣṇa, the same. Suppose Kṛṣṇa comes here. How much respectful we shall be, immediately. So similarly, when we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we should know Kṛṣṇa is there. Therefore we should be very much cautious and respectful, not neglectful. That is offense. That is offense. If you become inattentive, that is offense. You should know this. Try to avoid. Kṛṣṇa is giving us chance to meet Him in so many ways: nāma, rūpa, līlā, parikara, vasiṣṭha. He is giving us chance in the form of name, in the form of Deity, in the form of His pastimes, in the form of His paraphernalia. Just like this Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana is as good as Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said. It is not my manufacture. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvana. As Kṛṣṇa, the Brajendra-nandana Hari, Kṛṣṇa, as He is worshipable, similarly His dhāma is worshipable. We should be very much respectful to Vṛndāvana-dhāma; otherwise we'll be offender. Dhāmāparādha. Dhāmāparādha. If we remain in Vṛndāvana we should know that we are living with Kṛṣṇa. And how much we should be cautious, how much we should be careful if we are actually understand what is dhāma. Dhāma is also Kṛṣṇa. If in the dhāma we commit sinful activities, then we are, what is called, suiciding, committing suicide. It is a fact.

You know the story of Yamala-arjuna. So they were given the place in the dhāma, Vṛndāvana-dhāma, as a tree, but they had to waste time for so many hundreds years. Although there is guarantee, anyone who is in dhāma, he'll get the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, but not… Why should we waste your time to become a tree or a monkey or a hog or a dog? Don't waste. You should be very careful. Don't commit any offense in the dhāma. Then one life is sufficient to go back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaun… [Bg. 4.9]. If you actually live in Vṛndāvana carefully, without committing any offense and sinful life, then in this life you are going to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. To live in Vṛndāvana means to know Kṛṣṇa-how He appeared there, how He played here, how He executed His pastimes here. Janma karma divyam. These are all celestial, all transcendental. Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī.

So this is Vṛndāvana life of Kṛṣṇa. So if we know Kṛṣṇa, tattvataḥ… This tattvataḥ we discussed this morning.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścit vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

So those who are living in Vṛndāvana, they should try to understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ. That is their business. Not that take advantage of Vṛndāvana and make some anyābhilāṣa, jñāna-karma. No. That means we are wasting time. You'll get the chance because you have come to Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana's so powerful. But if we commit offense and sinful activities, it will be delayed. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "Don't waste time. Don't wait for another life. In this life, finish this business, to understand Kṛṣṇa, and go back home, back to Godhead." That is required. If one is businessman… Just like in business they want to execute business free, finish the business very quickly, similarly, because we see that such a devotee like Bhārata Mahārāja, because he was little attached to a calf, a deer calf… What is called?

Devotee: Fawn.

Prabhupāda: Fawn. Yes. So he had to take the life of a deer next life. Just see. Such a great devotee, but because he was a little attached… Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. So we should be very careful that even in Vṛndāvana, if we miss the point, if we are attached to something, then we have to accept another life, either as beast or tree. Of course, the chance will be given to become a tree and beast in Vṛndāvana. That is also profitable, because next life, he's going back to home, back to Godhead. But why should we waste another life in this way? So Kṛṣṇa-nāma rūpe-avatāra. So we should respect chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra with very care, carefulness, cautious so that we may not commit any offense. Then your business is successful. Nāmnad balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. If somebody thinks that "I am living in Vṛndāvana. I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So if I do something sinful, what it will do…?" Eka nāma, kṛṣṇa-nāme yata pāpa kare, pāpi haya tata pāpa karite nāraya (?). "So what sinful I am doing? A little sinful…" Yes, little sinful will be excused. But if it is done not willingly, but if you commit sinful activities willingly, daily, then you'll be punished. That is laws of nature. Even if you are bhakta. You'll be given chance, but you'll have to be punished. So therefore we must be very careful. We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means dealing with Kṛṣṇa directly. Therefore we must be very careful, cautious, respectful. Then it is nice, it is success. Read. Next.

Pradyumna: "For example, great demons like Rāvaṇa, Kaṁsa and Hiraṇyakaśipu were always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, but they were thinking of Him as their enemy. This sort of thinking cannot be accepted as bhakti, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Yes. As Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa was thinking of Kṛṣṇa as enemy, similarly, if we think of Kṛṣṇa that "He'll wash my sinful activities," that means you are thinking like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa. Kṛṣṇa should be thought favorably. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Na prātikūlyena. No. You cannot think of Kṛṣṇa and commit sinful life at the same time. That is prātikūla. Kṛṣṇa does not want that you shall remain sinful, because you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa without being free from sinful activities. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. Kṛṣṇa is pavitra, paramam. Apāpa-viddham. These are the description. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Pure. You cannot approach the Supreme Pure being sinful and make Kṛṣṇa your order-supplier, that you go on committing sinful life and Kṛṣṇa will wash it. Kṛṣṇa washes it-once, twice, thrice. But if you consciously go on, continue the sinful life, then you'll have to be punished. So we should not think pervertedly, like Rāvaṇa and Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was always absorbed in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Also he got salvation. But not as associate, but he merged into the Brahman effulgence.

So these are the points. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. We should execute cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness very favorably, not unfavorably. Favorable means by which Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased, by which your spiritual master becomes pleased. Because when your spiritual master is pleased, Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ *. So spiritual master is representative of Kṛṣṇa. Just like in office, you do not see the proprietor, but your immediate officer, if you can please, then you get promotion, increment, so many things. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa sends His representative. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27]. So, so pleasing the ācārya means pleasing Kṛṣṇa. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādad bhagavat-prasādaḥ *. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam means when you have accepted the bona fide spiritual master, you should work in such a way that your spiritual master is pleased with you. Then you, your path is very clear. Don't do anything which is against the will of the spiritual master. Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa eye to eye at the present moment. The direction is coming through disciplic succession. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. So we should follow favorably to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then our life is successful. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The impersonalists sometimes misunderstand devotional service in such a way that they divide Kṛṣṇa from His paraphernalia and pastimes. For example, the Bhagavad-gītā is spoken on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and the impersonalists say that although Kṛṣṇa is of interest, the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra isn't. The devotees, however, also know that the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra by itself has nothing to do with their business, but in addition they know that 'Kṛṣṇa' does not mean just Kṛṣṇa alone. He is always with His associates and paraphernalia."

Prabhupāda: There are so-called pseudo devotees. They say, "What we have to do with Bhagavad-gītā?" They think that they are so advanced that they will jump over immediately to the Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā. That means Kṛṣṇa's līlā in the Kurukṣetra is not very much important for them. But no. Kṛṣṇa's līlā, either in the Kurukṣetra or in Vṛndāvana, the same thing. We should know. Abhinnatvād nāma-nāminoḥ. So better, first of all, read Bhagavad-gītā, the preliminary study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Try to read, or try to learn. Of course, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is everything. But for ordinary persons, because Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD of spiritual knowledge… People even commit mistakes in studying the ABCD of spiritual knowledge. People have become so much degraded that they cannot understand even ABCD of spiritual knowledge. They'll make their own interpretation. Such is the horrible condition. They'll try to make minus Kṛṣṇa Bhagavad-gītā, go on reading Bhagavad-gītā for millions of years, setting aside Kṛṣṇa. That is scholarly. This is going on. Scholar means they say, openly… I have seen Dr. Radhakrishnan. When he's explaining man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], he's saying openly, "It is not to the person Kṛṣṇa." He's saying. Just see the attempt. He's writing comments on Bhagavad-gītā and he's trying to make Kṛṣṇa away, minus Kṛṣṇa. Simply mental speculation. This is going on. We should be very careful. What is that? Go on. The impersonalists… The impersonalists, they do not know that Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's body, not different. They take it for acceptance that when God, Brahman comes, He accepts a material body. That is Māyāvādī philosophy. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.11]. He comes… Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]. He comes as He is. Otherwise how He can act so wonderfully? When He was on the lap of His mother, three months old, how He could kill the gigantic demon, Pūtanā? He's not different from His body. He simply appears according to the necessity. Kṛṣṇa has no such difference, body and soul. He's full, complete, spiritual. We have got, in this conditional state, soul and body difference. Dehi and deha. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā [Bg. 2.13]. So dehāntaraṁ prāptiḥ. Kṛṣṇa hasn't got to accept another body. So this, these things we should know. Kṛṣṇa is complete, pūrṇa-brahman. There is nothing like material and spiritual in Kṛṣṇa's body. Go on.

Pradyumna: "For instance, if someone says, 'Give something to eat to the man with the weapons,' the eating process is done by the man and not by the weapons. Similarly, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a devotee may be interested in the paraphernalia and locations-such as the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra-which are associated with Kṛṣṇa, but he is not concerned with simply any battlefield. He is concerned with Kṛṣṇa-His speech, His instructions, etc. It is because Kṛṣṇa is there that the battlefield is so important."

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Pradyumna: "This is the summary understanding of what Kṛṣṇa consciousness is. Without this understanding one is sure to misunderstand why the devotees are interested in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sometimes we are asked that "Why Kṛṣṇa induced Arjuna to become violent?" So then so many so-called scholars, they criticize Kṛṣṇa, but they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. In whichever way He acts, it is the same thing. God is good. It does not mean when He fights in the Battlefield of Kurkṣetra He becomes bad. No. He's still good. That is the conception of God: absolute. He can do anything and anything. Still, He continues to be the Absolute Truth. That is Absolute Truth. There is no relative understanding, "This is good for God, this is bad for God," as (if) God has come before me to be judged by me. You cannot judge God, Kṛṣṇa. What He does… Just like Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa: sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava [Bg. 10.14]. "I accept whatever You say in toto, without any distinction." That is acceptance of Bhagavad-gītā and Kṛṣṇa. That is the way of understanding Vedas. You cannot judge the conclusion of the Vedas. You have to accept as it is. Because we are conditioned. We have got so many defects-we are illusioned, we commit mistake, our senses are imperfect… So many defects. Bhrama-pramāda-vipralipsā-kara-ṇāpāṭava, we want to cheat others. So therefore we cannot give perfect knowledge. We have to receive knowledge from the perfect. And who is better perfect than Kṛṣṇa? Therefore whatever Kṛṣṇa says, whatever Kṛṣṇa does, that is all good. There is nothing criticizing. You cannot criticize Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. You cannot say, "Why Kṛṣṇa took part in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra?" Yes, He had business to do it. Because He appeared, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]. He had to kill all the demons. That was His another business. Not only to dance with the gopīs in Vṛndāvana, but He had other business to kill the demons. In Vṛndāvana also, so many demons were appearing daily, and Kṛṣṇa was killing them. So that is another side of Kṛṣṇa's business. But if you study Kṛṣṇa from your materialistic angle of vision, you'll misunderstand. You should know Kṛṣṇa's dancing with the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa's fighting in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra is the one and the same. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

721031ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, October 31, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading) Page xxi. "In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Lord Caitanya states that it is a fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. One who is serious about spiritual life is given by Kṛṣṇa the intelligence to come in contact with a bona fide spiritual master."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Here it is stated, "It is…, it is a fortunate person." Not the unfortunate. "It is the fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master." This question, we were just discussing before coming to the class, how to select a bona fide spiritual master. So that is not very difficult. Just like in our ordinary business life, we accept somebody as representative of the firm who is actually come, canvassing for the benefit of the firm. He's representative. Suppose he's representing some book seller, publisher, so he should canvass for selling the books published by his firm, not for anything else. Suppose he has taken the advantage of becoming representative of a business firm, but he's doing his own business. He's not bona fide. He's not bona fide. So real guru is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa… Aham eva āsam agre. Kṛṣṇa existed before the creation. Then He made His representative, Brahmā. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He instructed the original guru, Brahmā. Because there was no other living creature, except Brahmā, in the beginning of creation, and He instructed Brahmā. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. There are other versions in the Vedas, that He instructed Brahmā. So therefore, the original guru is Kṛṣṇa. The same guru, Kṛṣṇa, is instructing Arjuna also. Kṛṣṇa became guru of Arjuna. Arjuna accepted Him guru: śiṣyas te 'ham [Bg. 2.7]. Arjuna said, "Now I am not talking with You as friend, but I accept You as my guru." Therefore, by sastric conclusion, Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. Who can deny it? Kṛṣṇa is jagat-guru. He's guru of everyone, because everyone (is) accepting this authority of Kṛṣṇa. Anyone is accepting the authority of Bhagavad-gītā, he's accepting, imperceptibly, Kṛṣṇa as guru. Therefore, bona fide spiritual master means who is representing Kṛṣṇa. Who can deny it?

So to find out a bona fide spiritual master is not a very difficult job, because if one is representing guru, Kṛṣṇa, then he must speak of Kṛṣṇa, canvass for Kṛṣṇa. What do you think, Visanji?

Indian man: Jaya, Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: So that is bona fide guru. Where is the difficulty to find out a bona fide guru? Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You preach the words of Kṛṣṇa." Therefore He's bona fide. Similarly, anyone who is representing Kṛṣṇa and canvassing for Kṛṣṇa, he's bona fide guru. Where is the difficulty? Is there any difficulty? Anyone can understand that if Kṛṣṇa is the original guru, and if somebody's canvassing for Kṛṣṇa, he's bona fide guru. If somebody canvassing for himself, he's not bona fide guru. So there is no difficulty to find out a bona fide guru, provided I am serious to find out a bona fide guru. But if I want something else… Because hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi. If in my heart there is something else, then I must be cheated by some…, somebody else who is not a bona fide guru. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11].

So to find out a bona fide guru, spiritual master, is not very difficult. It is very easy. Kṛṣṇa says explicitly, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. This knowledge, Vedic knowledge, is received by paramparā system. Just like Kṛṣṇa said to sun-god,

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ

proktavān aham avyayam

vivasvān manave prāha

manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt

[Bg. 4.1]

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

[Bg. 4.2]

Kṛṣṇa said that "This yoga system, first of all I explained to the sun-god, and he explained to his son, Manu, and Manu explained to his son, Iṣkvāku. In this way, by the paramparā system, by the disciplic succession, the knowledge is coming." Sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. But as soon as it began to be explained to others, without being in the disciplic succession, in the chain of disciplic succession, speaking the same truth, it becomes broken. Sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ. Yoga naṣṭaḥ. It is spoiled. If one does not come in the disciplic succession, he'll spoil the teaching. That is being done. So-called commentator, teacher of Bhagavad-gītā, he does not come in the disciplic succession. He is self-made guru. Therefore he's not guru. Self-made guru cannot be guru. He must be authorized by the bona fide guru. Then he's guru. This is the fact. Here… Nobody can be self-made anything. A medical practitioner, he cannot become self-made, that "I have studied all the medical books in my home." No. "Have you ever gone to the medical college and taken instruction from the bona fide teachers?" Then, if you have got the certificate, then you are medical practitioner. Similarly, bona fide guru means he must be authorized by the superior guru. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He must receive the order from the superior. And the superior must be bona fide. Then he's bona fide, not self-made. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. The direction is that one must go to a guru. But who is guru? Śābde ca pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. These are the descriptions.

So to find out a bona fide guru is not difficult, provided one is bona fide to search out a guru. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. By the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa… Because by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa one gets a bona fide guru, and by the mercy of bona fide guru, one gets Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. When I am actually serious to have connection with Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. So Kṛṣṇa can understand. We cannot hide anything from Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Because Kṛṣṇa is sitting side by side, just like two birds, sitting side by side. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree. Another bird is the witness. That is the Vedic version. So as soon as I become serious to know about Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa can understand, "Now My friend is very serious." So He will find out a bona fide guru for him. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. By the, by the double mercy… Kṛṣṇa's mercy, and guru's mercy. If one is serious, Kṛṣṇa is satisfied: "Now he's serious about finding out, about knowing Me." Then Kṛṣṇa gives him direction that "Here is guru, My representative. You take shelter of him and you will get Me." This is the way.

That is explained in this…, that by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, that it is a fortunate person. Fortunate person means he must be sincere, serious to know about Kṛṣṇa. That is fortunate. Because our misfortune has begun by forgetting Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. When we desire to enjoy this material world, forgetting service of Kṛṣṇa, that is the beginning of our misfortune. That is the beginning. Because as soon as I forget Kṛṣṇa, that is the beginning of my misfortune. So in order to be, in order to become again fortunate, I have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the way. The same… By some way or other… Anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela ataeva kṛṣṇa māyā…, ataeva māyā tāre galila baddhiya (?). Some way or other, we forgot Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunate because we are, even we have got this opportunity of remembering Kṛṣṇa, we are trying to avoid Him. We are bringing so many nonsense things: "Why not this? Why not that? Why not…?" This is misfortune. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityaja mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. But we are presenting, "Why not this? Why not that? Why not this? Why not that?" this is our misfortune. Why? Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekam. Why shall I try to put another alternative? Why? What is the reason? That is our misfortune. Kṛṣṇa is offering the fortune. Sarva-dharmān parityaja mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is fortune. But I'll not take that. Kṛṣṇa says, "Get up. Give up all other engagements. Simply take shelter of Me. I shall give you all protection." But I don't believe Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is my misfortune. This fortune, to become fortunate and misfortunate… Just like in English word, "Man is the architect of his own fortune." Is it not? "Man is the architect of his own fortune." But if you, as you are architect of your own fortune, you are architect of your own misfortune also. So if you don't accept Kṛṣṇa's advice, then you must consider yourself unfortunate. We should be cautious: "Why shall I become unfortunate? I must become fortunate." So that, to become fortunate, is not very difficult thing. All these Kṛṣṇa consciousness people, they are fortunate. They have taken Kṛṣṇa's advice as it is, without any change. They're fortunate. And that is being manifested, that they are fortunate.

So this is the process. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, if we are sincere and serious, then Kṛṣṇa becomes kind upon us and gives direction: buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. "I give them buddhi-yogam." Buddhi means intelligence. So here, everyone has got intelligence. At least, he thinks that he is very intelligent. Everyone thinks. Although he's fool number one, he thinks himself as very intelligent. Because intelligence is there. But when the intelligence is used for material fortune, that is unfortunate. When intelligence used for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is fortune. So we can set up our own fortune or misfortune. The fortune means that we must be serious after hearing about Kṛṣṇa. One must be serious. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So if we are intelligent, we should seriously think over this proposal. Why Kṛṣṇa said, "Give up everything and surrender unto Me"? There is sufficient reason. If one has seriously studied Bhagavad-gītā, there is sufficient reason to surrender unto God, unto Kṛṣṇa. Everywhere. That… Those who are karmīs, Kṛṣṇa says unto them, yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam [Bg. 9.27]. Karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana. This is for the karmīs. And for the jñānīs, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births, the so-called jñānīs, when he surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa, that is success. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. By culture of knowledge, by philosophical speculation, if one comes to this point, conclusion, that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything, then he's jñānavān, real jñānavān. That is real… Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. He must be submissive. That submissive means, "Yes, after cultivating knowledge, my Lord, Kṛṣṇa, I have come to this conclusion, that You are the Supreme Absolute Truth. I bow down my head upon Your lotus…" That is real jñāna. That is jñāna. Otherwise, ajñāna.

But they are accepting ajñāna as jñāna. To accept ajñāna as jñāna is the most unfortunate position. That is not jñāna. Real jñāna is how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So this is jñāna. For yogi, this instruction also is there. Karmī, jñānī, yogi, and bhakta. There are four classes of men, transcendentalists. They're all transcendentalists, culturing spiritual… That's, that's all right. But even in the spiritual cultivation, there is superior, inferior. Not exactly superior or inferior, because that is the material. But still there are classification. This classification is ended when one comes to know Kṛṣṇa. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evam vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If one understands Kṛṣṇa, then Paramātmā and Brahman becomes automatically known. Sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. Just like if you have got 100,000 dollars, ten dollar is within it, fifty dollar is within it, five hundred dollars is within it. So in the Bhagavad-gītā everything is discussed there, jñāna-yoga, karma-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, buddhi-yoga, so many yogas. But Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], ultimately. That means, "If you surrender unto Me, all these yogas are included." All these yogas, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, all yogas are included. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ [Bg. 6.47]. That we have to understand. We have to become fortunate to understand this philosophy. Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. This, this philosophy… If, if one surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, if one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then his karma-yogi, jñāna-yogi, dhyāna-yogi, haṭha-yogi, everything…, everything is included there. He hasn't got to practice separately karma-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, jñāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga. Everything is there. The haṭha-yogis, they can display many wonderful things, but Kṛṣṇa-bhakta, without endeavoring for all these things, Kṛṣṇa can show many magic on his behalf. Why should he take trouble himself, to play the magic himself? Kṛṣṇa will show how magical things are performed by the devotees. Kṛṣṇa will show. Just like small child, he doesn't require to earn money for spending. If he's rich man's son, his father will take care of him. Similarly, a devotee does not endeavor to become expert in jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga, this yoga. He depends on Kṛṣṇa. And when some yogic, mystic power has to be shown, Kṛṣṇa will show that. That is the process, bhakti-yoga. You take to Kṛṣṇa, and everything will be done. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ: [Bg. 18.66] "Don't worry. I shall take care of you." So therefore the conclusion is that one who is fortunate, he can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness cent percent, without any deviation. That is wanted. Go on.

Pradyumna: "…then by the grace of the spiritual master, one becomes advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this way the whole jurisdiction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is directly under the spiritual energy-Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. This has nothing to do with the material world. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, we refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead along with His many expansions."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa is not alone. Just like when we speak of "the king," although it is singular number, "king" means there are so many others. There is the queen, there is the minister, there is the secretary, there is the commander-in-chief, there is bodyguards, there are so many other things. Similarly, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means His expansions. He has got different types of expansion-svāṁśa and vibhinnāṁśa. Svāṁśa expansion is Viṣṇu-tattva. Kṛṣṇa is the original person. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. All others… Just like Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, or demigods, all others, they are all expansions of Kṛṣṇa. We are also expansions of Kṛṣṇa; we living entities, we are vibhinnāṁśa. Mamaivāṁśa. Kṛṣṇa says mamaivāṁśa. Jīva-loka, jīva-loke, "The all these living entities, they are My part and parcel." We are also expansion of Kṛṣṇa, or the demigods, they're also expansions of Kṛṣṇa. The Viṣṇu-tattva, They're also expansions of Kṛṣṇa-everyone. So Kṛṣṇa means including His expansion, including His energies, including His personal paraphernalia, including His dhāma-everything. That is Kṛṣṇa. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. Tiṣṭhan means continuing to exist. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena. With His expansions, svāṁśa expansions, vibhinnāṁśa expansions.

So Kṛṣṇa is not alone. Kṛṣṇa is not nirākāra. Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal, because He has got so many personal associates. Nityo nityānām. All these personal associates, they're individual persons. We are all person. You are person, I am person. We are all individual. I have got my individual opinion; you have got your individual opinion. Oneness means when these individual opinions are coincided in the matter of surrendering to Kṛṣṇa; that is oneness. Oneness does not mean that all these individuals become one, homogeneous. No. They keep their individuality, but they become one in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is oneness. Now everyone is working for his sense gratification, personal. When everyone becomes agreed that "We shall satisfy Kṛṣṇa," that is oneness. That is oneness. One nation. We can understand: one family. One family means they're individual persons, but they're working for the interest of the family-all of them combinedly, conjointly, working. Similarly, they're working conjointly for the society, or they're working conjointly for the community, or conjointly working for the nation. That is oneness. When we speak, "We are Indian nation, oneness," that oneness does not mean that every individual Indian has become homogeneous with other Indians. No. Every Indian is an individual person, but he has sacrificed his individuality and engaged himself for the service of the country. That is national consciousness. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As there is national consciousness, community consciousness, family consciousness, so many other consciousness, similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means all persons agree to work for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is oneness. Oneness does not mean we lose our individuality. Sometimes, individually we fight. Just like in the legislative assembly, our representative, M.P.'s, they go and fight. There is a deliberation. But that purpose is to serve the country. Therefore, instead of the difference of opinions, they agree to work in this way. That is legislative assembly. Similarly, individuality there must be always, but when we find out a one means to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, that is oneness. Ekatvam anupaśyataḥ [Īśo 7]. Eka. That is ekatvam. Why a… In other words, ekatvam… This is the version of the Īśopaniṣad, ekatvam anupaśyataḥ. Ekatvam anupaśyataḥ. Ekatvam, at the same time, anupaśyataḥ. That means we are all spirit soul. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. That is anupaśyataḥ. And on this basis, when we find ekatvam, oneness, that is the platform of peace, that "We are all servants of Kṛṣṇa." Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised this, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. When we feel that "Eternally I am servant of Kṛṣṇa, you are servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is ekatvam. Not that we become a lump of thing. No. Impersonality cannot be… Personality cannot be changed. Jīva-loke. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ [Bg. 15.7]. This individuality is sanātana, eternal. But when we disagree to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is asanātana, not sanātana. That is artificial.

So here in this material world, we have disagreed to serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the whole proposal is again agree to serve Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is real philosophy. We disagreed; therefore we came into this material world, and we are fighting with one another. Now again the proposal is, agree to this oneness, ekam. Then there will be peace. Jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchanti. These things are there.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

[Bg. 5.29]

We are becoming leaders, the friend of the people. But we are not friend of the people. Kṛṣṇa is the friend of… Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. If I simply say that "I am your friend in this sense that I deliver the message to you that 'Kṛṣṇa is your best friend.' I do not… I am friend so far I am giving you this information. But actual friend is Kṛṣṇa," suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām, so this is friendship. If one preaches Kṛṣṇa consciousness and teaches everyone that Kṛṣṇa is your best friend… He does not say, "I am your best friend." "I am your best friend in this sense that I am giving you this information." Actually, Kṛṣṇa is your best friend. What can I do? I am a teeny living entity. What can I do for you? I be…, may become your friend, but when you are in danger, I cannot give you any protection. Kṛṣṇa can give you protection. This is real friendship. He does not take himself. He always carries the message only. Ya imaṁ mad-bhakteṣu abhidāsyati. Simply our business is to carry the message of Kṛṣṇa. Then we are friend. Otherwise we are not friend. We may pose to become friend, but we are not friend because we do not know how to benefit the friend. Sometimes we mislead him.

Therefore our business is to point that "Kṛṣṇa is your friend." Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 5.29]. "He's the proprietor. Don't claim your proprietorship. You are not proprietor. You are falsely claiming; because what you are claiming as your property, it will be taken away by Kṛṣṇa at the time of your death. Everything will be finished." Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham, Kṛṣṇa says. Mṛtyu… Kṛṣṇa says, "I am death when I take away everything from the person-his life, property, body and everything." Actually, we claim, "This is my property." This is moha. Ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Lokasya janasya moho 'yam. This is friendship, to educate people that "You are not proprietor. Kṛṣṇa is proprietor. You are not enjoyer. Kṛṣṇa is enjoyer. You are seeking out friends to give you protection. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme friend who will give you protection." If we spread this message all over the world, then I am friend of Kṛṣṇa, I am friend of the persons. Otherwise, I am not friend, because I cannot become friend. I can simply carry… Just like post peon give you five thousand rupees, delivers. He does not deliver. Somebody else is delivering. He's simply carrying. That's all. Similarly, if we simply carry the message of Kṛṣṇa as it is, we become perfect. It is not very difficult. If I simply carry the message of Kṛṣṇa, where is the difficulty? Everything is there. Kṛṣṇa has said everything. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. We carry this message. Just always think of Kṛṣṇa, always offer obeisances to Kṛṣṇa, become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā, think of Kṛṣṇa always. We have to carry this message. Where is the difficulty?

So to become a bona fide spiritual master, there is no difficulty, if you, simply, if we carry the message of Kṛṣṇa as it is, without any adulteration. So we must find out a person who is actually bona fide spiritual master by this test, that he's not, I mean to say, adulterating Kṛṣṇa's message. He's not playing havoc with the message of Kṛṣṇa in order to introduce himself, his person. He's simply presenting the message of Kṛṣṇa as it is. Then he's spiritual master. Nobody else.

Thank you very much. (end)

721101ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 1, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading:) "…as given by Rūpa Gosvāmī in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, can be summarized thus: his service is favorable and is always in relation to Kṛṣṇa. In order to keep the purity of such Kṛṣṇa conscious activities, one must be freed from all material desires and philosophical speculation. Any desire except for the service of the Lord is called material desire. And philosophical speculation refers to the sort of speculation which ultimately arrives at a conclusion of voidism or impersonalism. This conclusion is useless for a Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Only rarely by philosophical speculation can one reach the conclusion of worshiping Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā itself. The ultimate end of philosophical speculation, then, must be Kṛṣṇa, with the understanding that Kṛṣṇa is everything, the cause of all causes, and that one should therefore surrender unto Him. If this ultimate goal is reached, then philosophical advancement is favorable, but if the conclusion of philosophical speculation is voidism or impersonalism, that is not bhakti."

Prabhupāda: There is a verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: vāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-paraṁ jñānaṁ vāsudeva-paraṁ gatim. So unless one is led to the conclusion vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], jñāna-vairāgya-karma, anything that you are trying to achieve, if it is not targeted to the realization of Vāsudeva, then it… Śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. That is the conclusion of Bhāgavata. Whatever you do, the ultimate goal should be realization of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. All Vedic conclusions should be ultimately to realize Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. This realization is achieved after many, many births of philosophical speculation, mystic yogic exercise or fruitive activities. Koṭi-karmī-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha. To become karmī is the third-class stage of life. One has to make progress further, so that one may become self-realized, brahma-bhūtaḥ. So out of many, many karmīs, one jñānī, or one who has realized his identification, he's better. And out of many millions of jñānīs who are trying to realize his self by philosophical speculation, brahma-jñāna, so one mukta, or liberated soul, is better. And out of many thousands of liberated souls, it is said by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, it is very rare to find out a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

The conclusion is, a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa is picked up out of many, many liberated persons. Mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. Kṛṣṇa realization, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam, mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. Bhagavat-tattva, the truth, the Absolute Truth, which is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. Tattva means truth, and that is Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti [SB 1.2.11]. Brahman realization is not all. One has to go further. Paramātmā realization-one has to go further. When one comes to realization of Bhagavān, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa-bhagavān-Bhagavān means full will six kinds of opulences, person, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1]-that is ultimate goal of life. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. Such kind of mahātmā is very rare. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature, and confirmed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: koti-mukta-madhye durlabha kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Kṛṣṇa bhakta, a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, is very rarely to be found out amongst the muktas, amongst the liberated souls. Others are trying to become liberated, but a Kṛṣṇa-bhakta is above liberation. Pañcama-puruṣārtha. People are busy for dharma artha kāma mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90]. Some of them are busy to become religious. Of course, without religious life, there…, there is no human society. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Unless a society takes to religiosity, it is not human society. Therefore we see any civilized human society, there is a kind of religious system. It doesn't matter whether it is Hinduism, Christianism, or Buddhism, or Muhammadanism, but there must be a religious system. Without this system, that human society is not considered as human society. That is animal society. In the… Even I understand that in America the Red Indians, who are supposed to be not civilized, they had also a religious system. So maybe a perverted form of religious system. Similarly, in India also there are primitive races in the jungles, they have also… Religious system means approving the authority of some Supreme Being. That is religious system. So in the animal society there is no such conception that "There is God. We have got some relationship with God," what is that relationship. This type of discussion cannot be present in the animal society. So dharma artha kāma mokṣa. Generally religious system is taken for improving social and economic condition. Artha. Artha means economy. Artha is required for sense gratification. We require economic development for our sense gratification. And when one is completely satisfied, then he can cultivate about spiritual realization, mokṣa, āpavarga.

So dharmasya āpavargyasya arthaḥ na arthāya upakalpate. So dharma is not meant for developing economic condition. That is secondary. But dharma is meant for ultimate goal of liberation. People do not know that. People are not educated that what is the ultimate goal of life. Still, they take to religious life as a compromise between the contending elements, that "We must live peacefully under religious system." The aim is how to live in this material world peacefully. Sometimes religion and God is conceived in that way, that is, "If we have some conception of God, then we shall be moral, we shall be peaceful. Otherwise, there is no need of presenting God in the society." There are so many different opinions, different philosophers, different religious system, according to the modes of nature. But actually every system must be targeted towards realization of Kṛṣṇa, or God. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. That is Bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma means realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended culture of this Bhāgavata-dharma from the very beginning of life: kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha [SB 7.6.1]. That is the success of human form of life, to execute Bhāgavata-dharma. The, the process… And dharma, as we have several times explained, dharma means the codes of Bhagavān. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19].

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directly touching the point. Not step by step. There is no time. In the Kali-yuga there is very little time to go step by step. Otherwise, there are twenty different types of religious scriptures, viṁśati-prakāśa, dharma-śāstra. So who will read, and who will try to understand? There is no time. Prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ kalāu asmin yuge janāḥ. People who are very short-living and they are not very enthusiastic for self-realization. Manda. Even they, somebody becomes interested in self-realization, they accept some wrong path. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10]. They have got different mataḥ, opinion or path. And the so-called swamis, they also support that "Whatever opinion you have got about religious system, that is all right." Yata mata tata patha. But actually, the fact is different. The fact is that one should take simply to the devotional path, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. If you are actually serious to know God, or Kṛṣṇa, then you must take to this process of devotional service. Without this you cannot understand. Not through karma, not through mystic yogic exercises, but through devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti, yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad… But people do not know it. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. Bhakti-yogam, execution of bhakti-yoga, is the means of anartha upaśama, subduing the anarthas. Material life means we have accumulated some unwanted things. Just like this material body-this is also not wanted. But somehow or other, we have developed this, and as we have got this material body, we have got so many material necessities of life. So it is not that abruptly we have to give it up. But by yukta-vairāgya, everything, the material activities, dovetailing with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it becomes gradually purified, and we come to the final stage of understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is our success of life. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Karma, or fruitive activities, are sometimes understood to be ritualistic activities. There are many persons who are very much attracted by the ritualistic activities described in the Vedas. But if one becomes attracted simply to ritualistic activities without understanding Kṛṣṇa, his activities are unfavorable to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be based simply on hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. Described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are nine different processes, besides which, everything done is unfavorable to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thus one should always be guarding against falldowns."

Prabhupāda: So we should directly take to the nine different processes of devotional service, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. That we are stressing specifically every time, that hearing about Kṛṣṇa is very important. Śravaṇam. As it is described in the Bhāgavatam, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Śṛṇvatām. Simply hearing, śṛṇvatām, those who are hearing… Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also recommended, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. One may stay in his position as a brāhmaṇa, as a kṣatriya, as a vaiśya, or as a śūdra. Everyone can hear about Kṛṣṇa. This assembly which we are holding, there is no such thing that only the brāhmaṇas will come here, or the kṣatriyas will come here. Anyone can come and hear about Kṛṣṇa. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We try to invite everyone, from every corner of the world, to hear about Kṛṣṇa. And that is becoming successful also. Simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare-and reading Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, simply talking about Kṛṣṇa, they are becoming successful. So we should take… In the Kali-yuga it is very difficult to go step by step. It is not possible. Therefore by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the easiest path has been recommended:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

Actually, we cannot accept various paths for self-realization. That is not impossible. Sometimes, because we give stress directly to accept this devotional service, people are not very happy that we do not give any importance to the process of jñāna and karma and yoga. We do not condemn, but they're very difficult. The yogic process… Especially in Western countries, they are very much fond of the word yoga. We are therefore publishing this book, Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Is the Topmost Yoga. Actually it is so. So the yoga system or the jñāna system or the karma-kāṇḍa system, we do not make them null and void, but it will be very much slow form of progress. It will take long, long time. Neither it is possible to execute yoga system or karma system very properly in this age. Therefore the best contribution to the people of this age is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Immediately take to… Directly take to Kṛṣṇa and your life will be successful. Kṛṣṇa also says, sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. The yoga system, karma system, jñāna system, they may be taken as different types of religious path, but Kṛṣṇa recommends-not only at the present moment, but eternally He recommends-five thousand years ago, He said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "I'll give you protection," ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has also mentioned in this definition of bhakti the word jñāna-karmādi. This karmādi, or fruitive work, consists of activities which are unable to help one attain to pure devotional service. Many forms of so-called renunciation are also not favorable to Kṛṣṇa conscious devotional service."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Karma… Rūpa Gosvāmī has directly recommended, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Actually, we find so many yogis, jñānīs, karmīs, they cannot understand even what is the benefit of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Because we say directly, "You take to devotional service," sometimes they are not satisfied. But what can be done? This is the process recommended. And we are preaching through the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that this process of Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana…, paraṁ vijayate kṛṣṇa-saṅkir…, saṅkīrtanam.

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ

śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prapti-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ

sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

[Cc. Antya 20.12]

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessings, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. So go anywhere and everywhere, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and you'll become victorious. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessings. It is not our invention. And practically we are getting result. All over the world, our only means is to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Recently we have become victorious, very recently in Melbourne. You know, our men were being arrested and prosecuted. But one, the chief clergyman, archbishop, he has recommended that "These people are very nice people, God conscious. Don't give them trouble." Yes. And the government has stopped harassing. Now we are free to move on the street and go anywhere. This recent news we have got from Melbourne. Madhudviṣa Mahārāja has sent this news. Similarly, we were harassed in London also, and other places. In USA also. San Francisco. I do not know whether we were harassed in New York, but more or less… And in Japan also, they are talking that "You become bona fide religious organization. Otherwise you cannot come on the street." So although there is harassment by the governing agents, still we are coming out successful. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. All glories to the Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Saṅkīrtana! Practically. So you stick to this principle, go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra anywhere it is possible, and you'll be victorious. That is the blessings of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Believe in it and you'll be successful. Yes. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has also quoted a definition from the Nārada-pañcarātra as follows: 'One should be free from all material designations and must be cleansed of all material contamination by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He should be restored to his pure identity, where he engages his senses in the service of the proprietor of the senses.' So when our senses are engaged for the actual proprietor of the senses, that is called devotional service."

Prabhupāda: Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, devotional service, does not mean inertness. Not simply sitting down or meditate. It is activity, engaging all the senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam. Hṛṣīka means these senses-not these senses, but purified senses. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Just like pranair arthair dhiyaḥ vaca. Prana, life; artha, riches, money; dhiya, intelligence; and vaca, speeches. So everyone using… Just like for national cause people are engaging life, they are sacrificing life. So many, for attainment of independence in India, so many Indians gave up their life. Pranaiḥ. So many people gave up their everything. We know during national movement, Mr. C. R. Das, a great leader of the Congress group, he sacrificed everything. He was a big, very big lawyer, barrister. He sacrificed his profession, he sacrificed his life-everything. So as we are sacrificing everything for attainment of some so-called national independence, the same thing, if we sacrifice for Kṛṣṇa, then our life becomes successful. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā.

So it is not inactivity. Caitanya Mahāprabhu or his followers, they were not inactive. They were acting. This Rūpa Gosvāmī, he was so active that he could not sleep at night even for more than one and one half hour. They retired from the material activities. He was minister. He gave up his job and joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu in old age. He came to Vṛndāvana not to live a retired life, but a very active life.

nana-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau

lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau

radha-kṛṣṇa-padaravinda-bhajananandena-mattalikau

vande rupa-sanātana raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

Here is, sitting, Śrī Gosvāmījī. He's coming from Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. So all these six Gosvāmīs, they were not inactive. They were always active. As we are active in the karma, karmī life, so bhakti life is also activity. It is not sitting down idly or gossiping. One must find out some job to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti life. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Sevanam means activity. Sevanam does not mean sit down idle, inert. No. As soon as seva… Sevā means activity. One has to preach, one has to write, one has to do this, do that, cook, offer the prasādam, everything. Sevā, activity.

So that activity and karmīs' activity, there is difference. The karmī's activity is on upādhi. "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." With this upādhi, we are acting. But bhakti means without upādhi. Sarvopādhi-virnirmuktam. Activity without upādhi. Working not as American. Working not as Indian. Working not as Hindu. Working not as Muslim. That is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. If we think that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am American," that is with upādhi. When we purely think that "We are…," or "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa. My only business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa," that activity is called bhakti. If I become interested in some party, that is not… Sometimes people criticize these American and European devotees, that they think that "They are American devotee; we are Hindu devotee. There is difference." This is not bhakti-mārga. This is upādhi. Why you should think yourself as Hindu? Why you should think of others who have come from America as American? That is less intelligent. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta… Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. If one thinks of Vaiṣṇava as belonging to this class, this nation, he has no vision. Nārakī. That is called nārakī-buddhiḥ. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ arcye śilādhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. If we think the Deity as made of stone and made of wood, arcye śilā-dhīr; guruṣu, nara-matiḥ, if we accept spiritual master as ordinary human being; vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, and if we take a Vaiṣṇava as belonging to America or Europe or India… No. They are transcendental. Neither the Deity in the temple is stone, neither the spiritual master is ordinary human being, nor the Vaiṣṇava belongs to any caste. This vision is perfect vision. When you come to this vision, that is bhakti. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. A bhakta has to become purified. Tat-paratvena, being dovetailed with the service of tat, om tat sat. Tat-param. This is the process of devotional service. One should not be designated "I am this," "I am that," "I am that." No. The world should unite. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that one should forget that he's Indian or Hindu or Christian or American or Indian. Everything should unite as servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti-mārga. Unfortunately, they distinguish between American Vaiṣṇava and Indian Vaiṣṇava: brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava, śūdra Vaiṣṇava. No. A Vaiṣṇava is Vaiṣṇava. Viṣṇur asya devataḥ iti vaiṣṇava. One who has accepted Viṣṇu as "my Lord," he has no designation. A Vaiṣṇava has no such distinction. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].

So this is the sūtra given by Nārada. Tat tenaiva vinirdiśet [SB 7.11.35]. So we must follow the path of mahājana, the instruction of the ācārya. Then we can become purified. And unless we are purified, there is no question of pure devotional service. Sa bhaktaḥ prakṛtaḥ smṛta. If one does not want to become advanced, if one does not want to become purified, then he remains a prakṛta-bhakta. Prakṛta-bhakta means executing devotional service under the instruction of spiritual master and the regulative principles of śāstra, but he's still on the platform of material understanding. That is called prakṛta-bhakta. A prakṛta-bhakta cannot understand how another bhakta is transcendental. A prakṛta-bhakta cannot understand that Vṛndāvana is always transcendental. Therefore Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has discussed this point in his Tattva-sandarbha, that we cannot accept any manufactured ideas. Because everyone is defective by the four defects of material life, we have to accept the version of Vedas, Purāṇas. He has tried to establish Purāṇas as Vedic supplementary. Others, they reject Purāṇas out of the Vedas. But Jīva Gosvāmī established. All the Gosvāmīs. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī has given, śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pāñcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā, aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate [Brs. 1.2.101]. It is utpātā, disturbance. If you do not follow the principles of śruti, smṛti, purāṇa, pāñcarātriki-vidhi… Just like we were discussing this point, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. This is pāñcarātriki-vidhi. So if we do not follow these principles… Without following these principles, the so-called devotional service, Hari-bhakti, utpātā, simply disturbance, simply a disturbance. Therefore we have to follow the principles laid down by the Gosvāmīs, Ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. And then our attempt will be successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

721102ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 2, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading:) "So when our senses are engaged for the actual proprietor of the senses, that is called devotional service. In our conditional state, our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Kṛṣṇa, it is called bhakti."

Prabhupāda: Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, it is very simple thing. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is natural. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśa jīva-bhūtaḥ. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore our only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is natural. There is no question about it. Part and parcel means helping the whole. As we have several times explained that this finger is the part and parcel of my body, so it is the duty of the finger always serve the body, whole body. It has no other occupation. As soon as I desire, "Finger, you come to this place," immediately it comes. "Finger, you come to this place," it immediately comes. So we can study. What is the meaning of part and parcel? Part and parcel means to serve the whole. Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth. We are relative truth. Therefore it is our duty to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is our natural position.

But at the present moment, we are engaging our senses, ourself, in designation. I am thinking, "I am American," I am thinking, "I am Hindu," I am thinking, "I am brāhmaṇa" or "I am sannyāsī." So many designations. Caitanya Mahāprabhu presented Himself, how to become designationless, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. He said, "I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a śūdra. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a brahmacārī." He denied. At last He said, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. This is our position. We are not Indian; we are not American; we are not Hindu; we are not Muslim. These are all designations. Therefore (the) Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to make people free from designation. Just like, actually, you see. Here are American, European boys and girls. They have forgotten that they are American or European or they come from Christian group or Jewish group. Similarly, we should also forget that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," or "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," "I am kṣatriya." No. This is the only platform, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, where we can unite on spiritual platform. We cannot be united by resolutions. Just like the United Nations: they are trying for the last thirty years to become united-simply resolution. On that platform we cannot be united. On political platform or social platform, that is not possible, because the designations are there. When we are free from designation, sarvopādhi-virnirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam, when we are purified, then we can unite in the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa. That is real unity. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam… [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is Vaikuṇṭha platform. Just like in Vaikuṇṭha, the Vaikuṇṭheśvara, Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa, He's the central point of service. Just like in Vṛndāvana… The Vṛndāvana… The animals, the birds, the beasts, the water, the trees, the flowers, the cowherds boy-everyone-center is Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. They did not know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they loved Kṛṣṇa with their heart and soul. That is Vṛndāvana. So if we come to this point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and simply learn how to love Kṛṣṇa, then we can create the whole world as Vṛndāvana. Unfortunately, even in the Vṛndāvana, at the present moment, because our desires have been something else other than serving Kṛṣṇa, there are so many factions. The center is missing.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to purify our senses from the designation and engage the senses in the service of the Lord. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That is described here. That is wanted. It is called bhakti. "In our conditional state our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Kṛṣṇa, it is called bhakti." This is bhakti. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna served Kṛṣṇa by his talent. He was a soldier; he knew how to fight. So by, for his personal consideration, he was thinking not to fight, not to kill the other side, because the other side happened to be his kinsmen, his grandfather, his brother, his nephews. So he was thinking in terms of his own sense gratification, because "The other side, if they are killed, I'll be unhappy." That was his consideration. Therefore he was not willing to fight. And to induce him to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the whole Bhagavad-gītā was explained. And at the end Kṛṣṇa asked Arjuna, "What is your decision?" Yathecchasi tathā kuru [Bg. 18.63]. "You can do whatever you like. I have given you instruction, full instruction. Now whatever you like, you can do." This means every living entity has got a little independence. Kṛṣṇa, or God, does not interfere with that independence. Yathecchasi tathā kuru. At the last, also, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "You do it." Kṛṣṇa can instruct us, "You do it." If I don't do it, that is my option. That option is always there. Kṛṣṇa does not oblige me. Otherwise, what is the difference between me and the stone? The stone has no independence. But I am a living entity; I have got my independence. So do you… Kṛṣṇa does not interfere with my independence. Voluntarily, if we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, voluntarily if we serve Him, then our life is successful. Voluntarily. Hitvā anyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. We can become immediately liberated if we give up our designated post. If we simply come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then immediately we become liberated. So many sages and saintly persons are trying to become liberated, mukta, to merge into the existence of impersonal Brahman. But because they have no information of Kṛṣṇa, or they do not like to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, they fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32].

So we must stick to Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any designative ideas. We must stand on the transcendental platform. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Transcendental platform means above the three modes of material nature, which is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. So this position, brahma-bhūtaḥ's position… Without being in brahma-bhūtaḥ position, liberated stage, nobody can be engaged in devotional service.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

Bhakti begins when is…, one is actually liberated from the influence of the modes of material nature. That is real bhakti. Otherwise, when you are, we are in training, that is called prakṛta-bhakta. Actually, we are in the material state, but we are being trained up, the Deity worship. This is, following the rules and regulations under the instruction of spiritual master. Or Vedic injunction, this is training period. But even in the training period, if one is sincere and serious, he's liberated. He's liberated. It is so nice. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that even in the training period, although he's not mature, and even one falls immature stage, there is no loss. That is also confirmed by Nārada Muni: tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer patet tato yadi apakva… [SB 1.5.17]. There is a verse like this-I don't exactly remember-that if one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and, and without being mature, somehow or other, if he falls down, there is no loss, whereas other persons, who are sticking to their sva-dharma, but has no idea of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he does not gain anything. These are the statements of Nārada. Therefore our position should be, our real active life begins when we begin to serve Kṛṣṇa with our senses without being designated, without being situated in designation. This is transcendental stage.

Therefore a bhakta, Vaiṣṇava, Vaiṣṇava should not be considered that he's coming from European group or this group or that group. No. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. Vaiṣṇava should not be considered belonging to any jāti. Vaiṣṇave, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-mati. Just like we worship Deity. Everyone knows that Deity is made of stone, but do we worship the stone? Do we construct so big, big temples for worshiping a piece of stone? No. Unless one has got this connection, that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sākṣād brajendra-nandana…" Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw Jagannātha Temple and immediately fainted. He saw sākṣād brajendra-nandana Hari, Kṛṣṇa, immediately. So we have to learn how to see Vaiṣṇava and Viṣṇu. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That means we have to purify our senses. Then we can see Kṛṣṇa always.

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti

yam śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.38]

One has to smear the eyes with the ointment of love, how to love Kṛṣṇa. Then one can see Kṛṣṇa always within his heart. And one who has learned this art, how to see Kṛṣṇa within himself, within his heart always… Kṛṣṇa certifies, "He's the topmost yogi."

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gata antarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

[Bg. 6.47]

These are clear things. There is no hazy idea. Everything is clear. We have to become designationless, free from designation. We shall forget. Not that "Here are some foreigners. Pick up some quarrel with them and try to drive them away. Why they have come?" So many nonsense things are going on, for want of actual spiritual education. This is not good, at least, for Vṛndāvana. This is not good. People have not been educated properly with the Vṛndāvana spirit. Therefore things are happening like that. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam: [Cc. Madhya 19.170] how to engage the senses, being freed from designation, in the service of the Lord. That is Vṛndāvana life. That is Vṛndāvana atmosphere. If there is any other purpose than this, then it is very difficult to utilize the opportunity, the fortune of living in Vṛndāvana. One has to be designationless. Go on.

Pradyumna: "As long as one identifies himself as belonging to a certain family, a certain society, or a certain person, he is said to covered with designations. When one is fully aware that he does not belong to any family, society, or country, but is eternally related to Kṛṣṇa, he then realizes that his energy should be employed not in the interests of so-called family, society or country, but in the interests of Kṛṣṇa. This, this is purity of purpose and the platform of pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: So our purpose… The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started with this summary idea, that nobody should think himself as belonging to certain family or sect or religion or country or nation. All these designations have created havoc in the world, these false designations. When I think that "This country is mine," it is a false designation. Country is not mine. I am a guest here. If I stay in a country, in a place, for, say, twenty years, fifty years, hundred years, does it, does it mean that it belongs to me? Because they have no Kṛṣṇa conscious idea, they are misled in thinking in that way. Some group of men are thinking that "This is our country. We are American," "We are Indian," "We are German." This is the false… Illusion. Actually, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He's the proprietor. But because people are not educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are thinking, "I am the proprietor." Ahaṁ mameti janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8]. This ahaṁ mama, increasing the ahaṁ mama, is illusion. It is māyā. And that is going on. Therefore there is great need of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the human society. Those who are actually welfare workers, they should come forward and join this movement to spread it. Actually, it is being accepted very nicely. Although not nicely, they have begun to accept it all over the world. This is our experience. And if we present the philosophy in correct viewpoint, people will accept it. And people will accept it, and people from all parts of the world will come to Vṛndāvana. Because they are hearing about Vṛndāvana, about Kṛṣṇa, naturally they are very much anxious to visit. But if we do not receive them nicely, if we remain sectarian, oh, it will be an unfortunate thing. That is my request. Those who are inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they should be prepared to receive these foreigners, who are being educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They should come here to visit; so they should be received, they should be welcomed. That is my request. Yes. Next.

Pradyumna: " 'The Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service.' In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, Twenty-ninth Chapter, 10th verse, Śrīla Kapiladeva, while instructing His mother, has given the following characteristics of pure devotional service: 'My dear mother, those who are My pure devotees, and who have no desire for material benefit or philosophical speculation, have their minds so much engaged in My service that they are never interested in asking Me for anything-except to be engaged in that service. They do not even beg to live in My abode with Me.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is pure devotional purpose. Natural. "Here is a Kṛṣṇa devotee." How much one should be glad to see a Kṛṣṇa devotee. Naturally, his love for a Kṛṣṇa devotee should enhance. That is pure devotion. Just like in foreign country, when one Indian meets another Indian, naturally, he has got some tendency: "Oh, wherefrom you are coming? How long you are here?" This conversation goes on. Similarly, natural flow of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is that as soon as one sees a person in Vaiṣṇava symptoms, he should be eager to welcome him. He should be very much anxious to talk with him about Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Bodhayantaḥ parasparam tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. Kṛṣṇa conscious people should be so nice that as soon as they meet together, they talk about Kṛṣṇa, they try to understand about Kṛṣṇa, and they feel pleasure in that way. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. We are trying to make a Kṛṣṇa consciousness society to give this opportunity to these people, how one should be engladdened by seeing one devotee and talk with them, one another, about Kṛṣṇa, forgetting their designations. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Go on.

Pradyumna: "There are five kinds of liberation, namely, to become one with the Lord, to live with the Supreme Lord on the same planet, to have the same features as the Lord, to enjoy the same opulences as the Lord, and to live as a companion of the Lord. A devotee, not to speak of rejecting material sense gratification, does not even want any of the five kinds of liberation. He is satisfied simply by discharging loving service to the Lord. That is the characteristic of pure devotion."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is instructed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He rejects: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]. The karmīs, they want all these things. Na dhanam. Great riches, and beautiful wife, great followers. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is rejecting these, and He's rejecting also liberation. Dhiyamanaṁ na ghṛnanti (?). A pure devotee is not interested even in liberation. That is pure devotee. That… Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he says, kīṭa janma ha-u yathā tuyā dāsa, bahir mukha brahma janme nāhi mora āśā. A devotee does not pray that "Give me this, give me that, give me that." No. He prays that "Whatever you like, if you like me to take birth as an insect, that's all right. But my only request is that I may become an insect in the house of a devotee so that I may get the chance of prosecuting my devotional service. I may eat the remnants of foodstuff eaten by the devotee." Just like Bhārata Mahārāja, he became a deer, but he was associating with saintly persons. He understood that "I was formerly King Bhārata. My chance, my mind being absorbed in the thinking of a deer, I have become a deer. All right. Doesn't matter." So he was associating with devotees. Similarly, a devotee is not interested to become liberated, go back to home, back to Godhead. Of course, even if he's not interested, Kṛṣṇa takes him. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9]. That is natural. But that is not our… We don't pray to Kṛṣṇa for anything of sense gratification. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said, mama janmani janmani īśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. Ahaitukī apratihatā. Our simply, simple desire is how to be engaged in the service of the Lord. Janmani janmani. When, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu speaks janmani janmani, that means He rejects liberation also. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na kavitāṁ vā yāce. This is the karmī's, jñānī's… And even liberation. He rejects liberation. Mama janmani. If one is liberated, then where is the question of janmani janmani? So liberation is also not aspired by a devotee. These are the characteristics of pure devotion. This chapter is "Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service." Pure devotional service should be without any desire, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. The others, they are trying to make Kṛṣṇa-śūnyam, śūnyavādi; our attempt should be to make our desires śūnyam. Simply we be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is pure devotion. Go on, one paragraph more. What is the time now?

Pradyumna: "In the above statement by Kapiladeva from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the actual position of a pure devotee is described, and the primary characteristics of devotional service are also defined. Further characteristics of devotional service are described by Rūpa Gosvāmī with evidences from different scriptures. He states that there are six characteristics of pure devotional service, which are as follows: (1) Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress. (2) Pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness."

Prabhupāda: Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has described,

viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate

yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ gauram eva stumaḥ

(Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5)

When actually one comes in the platform of devotional service, for him, there is no problem. The whole world is disturbed, agitated with so many problems, but for a devotee, there is no problem. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. And they are trying, the whole world is trying to become very big man. Somebody's trying to be very big merchant or big industrialist, or minister, or this or that, and others, they are trying to occupy the post of Indra, Candra, devata. That is competition, going on. As soon as there is some competition, even persons, demigods, like Indra, Candra, they become disturbed, and they try to stop it. But a devotee has no such concern. He's not disturbed. Because he's engaged in the service of the Lord, he feels so much happy that he has no disturbance. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. Neither he is anxious to occupy any very big post. Because for a devotee, vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. He knows that "What is this position? Say, for some years, ten years, twenty years, fifty years, hundred years, millions years." It is limited. As soon as the limited span of life is finished, either in this world, either in this planet, or in other planets… Suppose I go to the heavenly planet, I occupy the post of Indra. What is that? It is also limited. Kṣīne puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti [Bg. 9.21]. So long you have got assets of pious activities, you can occupy such post; then again come down. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. So in this way we are wandering from up, down, down, up. In this way. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said,

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍe kono bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

We are wandering, life after life, in different species of life, different forms of life, in different planetary system. And that is going on. This is not progress. Where is progress? You are conditioned within this universe. Where is your progress? Suppose you… Just like if I jump with a limited space, where is my progress? Real progress is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If we actually want to make progress, then we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that after leaving this body there is no more coming down to accept a material body. That is real progress. Otherwise, there is no progress. It is simply wandering with a limited space. That is not progress at all. But because we are in illusion, we are thinking it is progress. It is not progress.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

721103ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 3, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading) "4) Pure devotional service is rarely achieved. 5) Those in pure devotional service…"

Prabhupāda: Page number? Page number?

Pradyumna: Page 2. "Those in pure devotional service deride even the conception of liberation. 6) Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is all attractive, but pure devotional service attracts even Him. This means that pure devotional service is even transcendentally stronger than Kṛṣṇa Himself, because it is Kṛṣṇa's internal potency."

Prabhupāda: So six advantages. These are the immediate result of taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress. There is a song of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: mānasa deha geha yo kichu mora, arpilūn tuyā pade nanda-kiśora. The purport of this song is when we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā, then we get relief from all kinds of anxieties. This is very simple to understand. Everyone is, in the material world, here, everyone is full of anxieties. That is the nature of material existence. One after another, problems. So if somebody says, assures, that "You just depend on me. I take charge of all your problems," how much relief you will feel. Just imagine. So an ordinary man, if some ordinary human being says (to) a friend that "Don't worry. I shall take charge of your all affairs. Don't worry," so we may doubt an ordinary man, because we know the capacity of an ordinary man. But when Kṛṣṇa says that "I take charge of you," then how much relief you should feel. Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary man. Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, the Supreme Personalty of Godhead. He's Yogeśvara. He's the Absolute Truth. So when He assures that "I take charge of you…," ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg. 18.66], gives assurance that "I shall get you liberated, delivered, from the reaction of all sinful activities…"

We suffer due to our sinful activities. That is the general meaning of suffering. For pious activities we enjoy. But in this material world, either we enjoy or suffer, the common factor is suffering. Suppose if for my pious activities I get good birth, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī [SB 1.8.26]. By pious activities, we get birth in good family, janma; aiśvarya, we get sufficient riches, wealthy family, wealthy parents; janmaiśvarya-śruta, good education; and śrī, beauty. These are the result of pious activities. But to take birth in the family of a king or very rich man, the sufferings of taking birth is the same. As the poor man suffers within the womb of his mother, similarly the rich man also suffers within the womb of his mother. The sufferings of taking birth is equal to the poor man and rich man. There is no difference. When there is disease, fever, it is not it is less painful to the rich man and very painful to the poor man. The pain is the same. So actually, so long there is material existence, the so-called suffering and enjoying, they're on the same level. There is no difference. But if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as Kṛṣṇa assures, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg. 18.66], "I shall get you relieved, released from all kinds of sinful activities." That is real auspiciousness. Means when Kṛṣṇa takes charge, He gradually educates the devotee buddhi-yogam, in devotion service, so that he may go back home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That is real auspicity. In the material world, so-called auspicity, to become very rich, to become very educated, to become very beautiful, high parentage, they are also, in material consideration, they are auspicity, undoubtedly. But they are also adulterated with so many sufferings, threefold miseries: ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. So actually such position is not auspicity. Real auspicity is go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore it is said, pure devotional service… Pure devotional service means without any material motive. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Brs. 1.1.11].

So pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness. All-auspiciousness means go back to home, back to Godhead. So if we stick to pure devotional service, follow the rules and regulations, chant sixteen rounds, be engaged always in the service of the Lord, then ultimate gain is that tyaktvā dehaṁ punar naiti mām eti kaunteya. (reads:) "Pure devotional service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure." Transcendental pleasure and material pleasure, there is difference. Material pleasure means sense gratification, and transcendental pleasure means satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. A devotee is satisfied seeing Kṛṣṇa is pleased. That is their satisfaction-through Kṛṣṇa. Material pleasure means direct sense perception, and spiritual pleasure means by, through Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, then the devotee is satisfied. Just like a tree, the leaves and twigs become satisfied through the root of the tree. So Kṛṣṇa is the root. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. So transcendental pleasure mean feeling of pleasure through Kṛṣṇa. Just like the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa. Gopīs, when they saw Kṛṣṇa is pleased, they became happy, and Kṛṣṇa, when He saw that the gopīs are happy, He become happier. Again the gopīs sees that Kṛṣṇa is happier, they, again they become more happy. In this way, there is competition of happiness. The gopīs sees Kṛṣṇa happier; they feel happiness, and Kṛṣṇa sees gopīs happier; Kṛṣṇa feels happiness. This word is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: dui lagi hura huri (?). This is spiritual competition.

So: "Pure devotional service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure." In the material pleasure, if I see you happy, I am unhappy; If I see you unhappy, I become happy. This is nature. I may say otherwise, but material nature is, if one is put into difficulty, then I become very happy, and if I am happy, others become envious. This is material pleasure. Whereas spiritual pleasure means that when one sees Kṛṣṇa is happy, a devotee's happy, the other devotee becomes happier. That is spiritual pleasure. In the spiritual world there is competition, but when one is advanced, the competitor become happy: "Oh, he's so advanced. I could not do so." There is no enviousness. In the material world, if one is advanced, other, who is not advanced, he's envious. This is the difference between spiritual pleasure and material pleasure. It is not difficult to understand. Material pleasure means if you are happy, I become unhappy; if you are unhappy, then I become happy. This is material pleasure. And spiritual pleasure means by seeing your happiness, I become happy. By seeing… But there is no distress in the spiritual world. Simply by seeing the happiness of other devotee, another devotee becomes happier.

"Pure devotional service is rarely achieved." That is the criterion. Pure devotional has got so many advantages, but it is very difficult. It is very difficult. Na janma-koṭi-sukṛtibhiḥ na labhyate. Pure devotional service, even after endeavoring, endeavoring for millions and millions of births, it is very difficult to achieve. Pure devotional service can be achieved only through the mercy of a pure devotee. Otherwise, it is not possible.

mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo 'bhiṣekaṁ

niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat

naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ

spṛśata, spṛśata…

[SB 7.5.32]

What is that? The purpose is that unless one takes the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee, it is not possible to become a pure devotee. Mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajaḥ, mahīyasām, great personality, great devotee. Pāda-rajaḥ means the dust of the lotus feet; abhiṣekam, taking to the, on the head. Mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo 'bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānām. Mahīyasām, great personality means niṣkiñcana. Bhagavad-bhakta is niṣkiñcana. He has no more material obligation. That is Bhagavad-bhakta. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, niskin…, niskin…, bhagavad, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad bhajanon mukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajanomukha means niṣkiñcana, no material obligation, no material duty. Nāyam ṛṇī na kiṅkara rājan sarvātmanā ye śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ gato mukundam. Anyone who has completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam, giving up all other duties, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer [SB 1.5.17], if one takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, giving up all other duties… There are so many duties. You have got duty towards your family, towards your kinsmen, towards your country, towards the animals, other living entities, your obligation to the demigods, great saintly persons, ṛṣis. We are reading Vedas, but it is given by Vyāsadeva, so we are indebted to him. Similarly, many other śāstras we read. So we are indebted. Devarṣi, ṛṣi, devatā, the demigods. We are taking sunshine. We are obliged to sun-god. We are taking moonshine. We are obliged to moonshine, uh, moon-god, the air-god, Varuṇa. Everyone, they are helping us. We cannot do without this. You cannot live without water. You cannot live without light. You cannot live without heat. So who is supplying? Of course, Kṛṣṇa is supplying, but we cannot see Kṛṣṇa directly. They are being supplied by different demigods. Therefore deva-yajña is recommended. Deva-yajña means, ultimately, to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. So these are the processes. But if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has no more obligation to all these devatās. Devaṛsi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝṇām [SB 11.5.41]. We have got so many obligations, but if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone will be pleased, and you haven't got to oblige them by your service to them. Otherwise, you are bound to give them obeisances for their beneficial contribution.

So devotional service is rarely achieved. Rarely achieved means if you achieve, then you become free from all obligation. Na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhiḥ. Tatra laulyam eka-mūlyaṁ na labhyate yad janmabhiḥ sukṛtibhiḥ. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved simply by your intense desire that "This life I shall try to achieve favor of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa will help you. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam [Bg. 10.10]. If you are actually seriously engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa gives us intelligence how to approach Him. So pure devotional service is rarely achieved. But by chance, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151], if we somehow or other come in contact with bona fide guru and Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa is already there. We are already in touch. And if we are serious, then by grace of Kṛṣṇa, we get niṣkiñcana, a devotee, and by his grace we achieve to the platform of devotional service. Otherwise it is very difficult. Not by executing karma, jñāna, yoga. No. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Simply you have to take pure devotional service. Therefore it is very difficult. People do not wish to come to the pure devotional service. They want hodgepodge: something this, something that, something that. No. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam… [Bg. 18.66]. That is the beginning of pure devotional service. No other engagement. Simply Kṛṣṇa. That is pure devotional service. But that is very difficult to achieve. People will not accept the simple thing. You give them big, big formulas, yoga system, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, they'll like it: "It is something." Just like in homeopathic medicine, because it has no taste, there is no trouble to drink, people do not believe in it. But if you give them some very bitter, pungent medicine, "Oh, it is something." Similarly, if you give the simple process, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā [Cc. Ādi 17.21], they'll not take it very seriously. "Oh, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one will be liberated, and he'll go back…? Oh, this is exaggeration." They will say. But if you give them some difficult job, that "You press your nose in this way, you make your head downwards, and you exercise in this way, do…," they'll think, "Yes, it is something." So things are very easy, and one can achieve very easily, but they are reluctant to take the easiest process given by Kṛṣṇa, given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa is giving the easiest process, that "You surrender unto Me. I give you all possible help." We are not prepared to do that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You'll achieve the highest perfection." Not we are prepared. Therefore it is said, "Pure devotional service is rarely achieved." People will not accept the simple thing. They want to make something very difficult, then it is all right.

"Those in pure devotional service deride even the conception of liberation." Yes. Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. A devotee does not care for mukti. Mukti… Why they will care for mukti? As soon as he's a pure devotee, Mukti is on his leg. Why he should try for mukti? Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura says, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. There is no need of separate endeavor for getting liberation. It is already there. Muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa samaya-pratīkṣāḥ [SB 4.8.41].

Devotee: It's broken.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Eh? So don't try it. It is working?

Śyāmasundara: The fixture is broken. (conversation about light or something in background)

Prabhupāda: Yes. So "Pure devotional service is the only means to attract…" "Those in pure devotional service deride even the conception of liberation." Mukti. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī… Kaivalyam. Mukti's another name is kaivalya. "Everything is one. One, knowledge." That's all. So Prabodhananda Sarasvatī says, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. This conception of liberation, that "I have become one with the Supreme," it is, to a devotee, just like hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. They do not give very much value to such conception, to become one with the Supreme. Or liberation, mukti. And the, this is mokṣa-kāmi, those who are aspiring after… Nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana, without any difference with the Supreme Brahman. That is called mukti, liberation. And tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. And the karmīs, they're aspiring after heavenly planets, tri-daśa-pūr. Tri-daśa means thirty. So there are more than thirty millions of demigods in different planetary systems. They are called heavenly planets. So they are ākāśa-puṣpa. Ākāśa-puṣpa means a flower does not grow in the sky; it is something imaginary, phantasmagoria. Tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. So karmīs are interested in the ākāśa-puṣpa, heavenly planet. And the jñānīs are interested in mukti. Karmī, jñānī… And yogis are interested how to control the senses.

So tri… Prabodhananda Sarasvatī Mahārāja says that durdānta indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī-protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. The senses are our enemies. That's all right. We also admit. The yogis try to control the senses and mind because they think of the senses just like serpent. Serpent, little touch by the lip, I mean, the tongue, immediately it causes death. So it is very dangerous. But Prabodhananda Sarasvatī says that "We are not afraid of these serpents because protkhāta daṁṣṭrāyate, the serpent is so long dangerous as long as it has got the poison teeth." Poison teeth. Protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. So if you take away the poison teeth, then, however big serpent it may be, nobody will be afraid. In the Bengali it is said, visnai kulapana cakra (?). If a serpent is known that his poison teeth has been taken away, so his big hood, hans phamsa (?), nobody will be afraid, one who knows that he has no poison teeth. A child may be afraid, but anyone knows… So for a devotee, the senses are there, but it is not like serpent. The dangerous point of sense, for sense gratification, that is taken away. That poison teeth is taken away. So therefore a devotee's not afraid of the senses. They can easily handle the senses because the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, which means the poison teeth of the serpent of sense is taken away. Durdānta indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate.

So pure devotional service rare… In this way, the point is that pure devotee does not give very much value to so-called liberation. Because so-called liberation, so-called… It is in this sense that we have seen many so-called liberated persons, muk…, vimukta-māninaḥ. They considered that… Vimukta-māninaḥ. Now, you'll be pleased to hear that one of the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs in India, very well known, his disciples came to me to invite me because they are now seeing that their Māyāvāda philosophy has not been so much effective as devotional service. Practically. So they are now taking gradually to devotional service. They are trying to read Bhāgavata, although they are habituated to malinterpret. But they have no other. They have finished their job. Now they are gradually coming to bhakti-mārga. That is natural. If one is actually sincere, after suffering the distress of impersonalism, gradually they'll come to surrender to the person. Bahūnāṁ janmanāṁ ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. So when one becomes devotee, jñānīs, they give too much value to liberation, mokṣa, nirbheda-brahmānusandhana. But yogis, they give too much value for controlling the senses. Karmīs, they give too much value to, to the acts of promotion to the heavenly planets. But for a devotee these things are very teeny. They don't care for these things. Neither for the karmīs, or for the jñānīs, or for the yogis. They are… Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. A bhakta who has come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, pure devotional service, he has no more any desire for the resultant action of karmīs, jñānīs, and yogis. He's so fixed up. There are many examples. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, when he was offered "Anything you want," he wanted… Actually he wanted the kingdom of his father. But when he actually became fixed up in devotional service, he said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: [Cc. Madhya 22.42] "I have no more to ask anything material benediction, varam. No, I don't want." So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that automatically one feels fulfillment of all desires. Therefore what they'll desire for liberation, for mukti? It is most insignificant thing.

The next is: "Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Kṛṣṇa." You cannot attract Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with full opulences. So you cannot attract Kṛṣṇa by your richness, by your reputation, by your education, by your beauty or by your strength or renunciation. No. You cannot attract Kṛṣṇa by all these things, because He's already full. You cannot attract by anything, any opulence, Kṛṣṇa, because He's ātmārāma. But if you offer something to Kṛṣṇa, it is for your benefit. The example is given: just like the original person is decorated, in the mirror the reflection of the person is also decorated. Similarly, if you decorate the Deity gorgeously, you will feel happy. Kṛṣṇa has many devotees, or many things for being decorated. But if you, in the temple, if you offer Kṛṣṇa all nice things, all nice flowers, all nice dress, all nice food, everything, everything, all nice, then you will feel happy. That is your interest. Therefore pure devotional service is the only means to attract Kṛṣṇa. Attract Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa will be happy in this way, that you are doing so much for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has everything, but your devotional service, that sincerity of purpose, will attract. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "Do not try to see Kṛṣṇa. Render your service in such a nice way that let Kṛṣṇa see you." When Kṛṣṇa sees you, then your mission is perfect. We cannot see… Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]]. We cannot perceive Kṛṣṇa by our senses, but when our senses are engaged in satisfying Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa sees us. Svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ. And when Kṛṣṇa sees us, then our life is successful. And how Kṛṣṇa can see us? Simply by our devotional service. Otherwise, you cannot satisfy Kṛṣṇa by opulence, by education, by scholarship, by beauty, riches. No. These things Kṛṣṇa has all perfectly. He's full with all these opulences. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. If you want to attract Kṛṣṇa, then be engaged in pure devotional service.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

721104ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 4, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading): …from page number two. " 'Relief from Material Distress.' In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that one should surrender unto Him, giving up all other engagements. The Lord also gives His word there that He will protect such surrendered souls from the reaction of all sinful activities. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the distresses from sinful activities are due both to the sins themselves and to sins committed in our past lives."

Prabhupāda: Now, "Relief from Material Distress." There are two kinds of activities, pious activities and impious activities. Generally we understand by performing impious activities, we suffer, and by performing pious activities, we enjoy. But actually, in the material world there is no enjoyment. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī explains that dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali samāna. In the material world, in the world of dualities, either we think "This is pious" or either we think "This is impious," they are practically on the same platform. We take it as pleasure. Just like several times I have explained, people here in this material world, they are working very hard all day and night. And, when they gain some material profit, after working so hard, they think that "This is profit. This is happiness." Actually, where is the happiness? If one is working very hard, where is the happiness? So this is called illusion. In the śāstra it is said, "Generally, people in this material world, they are in…, in the rajo-guṇa." Therefore hard-working activities, they take it as pleasure. If some saintly persons do not work, he is engaged in devotional service or meditation or chanting. Sometimes devotional service or meditation or chanting, sometimes it is misunderstood that these people are escaping, because they take it very nice to work very hard. Unless you work very hard, they take it as a process of escaping: "They, they're escaping the social obligation and other obligations by taking to mendicant life and living at the cost of others." So many things. So they like it, to work very hard.

But our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is transferring that hard working to the business of Kṛṣṇa. That tendency for hard working may be utilized. Just like the Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that lust and anger, these are our enemies. Kāma-krodha-lobha-moha-mātsarya. But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that the kāma also can be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service. Kāmaṁ kṛṣṇa-karmārpane. If one is very much attached to work for Kṛṣṇa, that tendency for the karmīs to work very hard for sense gratification, it can be utilized. It can be… Similarly, krodhaṁ bhakta-dveṣi jane. Krodha, anger, is not good, but anger also can be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's service. Just like Hanumān, he became angry upon Rāvaṇa for the sake of Lord Rāmacandra, and he set fire in the golden city of Rāvaṇa, Lanka. So that anger was utilized for Lord Rāmacandra's service. He never utilized anger for his personal sense gratification. In this way, everything can be dovetailed in the service of the Lord, and as I was explaining to other, there are six items, how devotional service, pure devotional service, is the only means to attract Kṛṣṇa. To attract Kṛṣṇa you cannot utilize your spirit or jñānīs or yogis. You can attract Kṛṣṇa simply by devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Kṛṣṇa says plainly that "Simply by devotional service, one can understand Me." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. So the activities of the karmīs, when dovetailed in the service of Kṛṣṇa, even by working so hard, our tendency, we can…

Actually, devotional service depends on the main principles, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam [SB 7.5.23]. But within the category of dāsyam,… Just like Hanumān, Hanumānjī: he was engaged in the platform of dāsyam. Arjuna was engaged in the platform of sakhyam. So they were also working very hard. The Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, it was not a place of sitting down very easily and silently. When he was fighting, he was fighting just like a soldier. He took all the duties of a soldier. But it was being fought for Kṛṣṇa. That is the attraction. That is pure devotional service. Kṛṣṇa also gave him certificate: bhakto 'si priyo 'si [Bg. 4.3]. "My dear Arjuna, you are My dear friend and devotee." So by any action, if it is dovetailed for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, that is devotional service, and one can attract Kṛṣṇa, attention of Kṛṣṇa. Attention of Kṛṣṇa can be attracted by pure devotional service, without any personal motive. If it is… And that motive, that order, is received through the disciplic succession of the spiritual master, how Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. In the present condition, we do not know how Kṛṣṇa will be pleased, but we know from the śāstras… We can know also from the direction of the spiritual master how Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ *. So Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says you have to follow the direction of the spiritual master. He's guiding as a leader. And if he's pleased, that means Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ *.

So devotional service is the only way. Karmī, karmī means they are working very hard for their personal benefit. Not for Kṛṣṇa's benefit. Similarly, jñānīs, they are also trying for personal benefit, mukti. He wants mukti, liberation, nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana. And similarly, yogis also, they want personal benefit, some material power, aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, aṇimā-laghimā-siddhi. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kaja says except pure devotee, who only wants to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, everyone is working for his personal benefit, karmī, jñānī, yogi. But Kṛṣṇa says, "Pure devotional service…" Not… Rūpa Gosvāmī says, "Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Kṛṣṇa." Now… But ignorance is no excuse. Go on reading. Next. "Generally, one commits sinful activities…"

Pradyumna: "…due to ignorance. But ignorance is no excuse for evading the reaction-sinful activities."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Generally we commit sinful activities knowingly; if not knowingly, unknowingly. Just like we are walking on the street, we are killing so many ants, unknowingly. So that is also sinful activities. You do not know, you do not want to kill the ants, but still, unknowingly, you are killing. When you take water from the jug, there are so many animals encircling the water jug, and when you take water some of them die. When we make paste on the pestle and mortar, spices, so many small insects die. That is going on. So knowingly or unknowingly, we are committing sinful activities. So how to save? That is replied in the Bhagavad-gītā: yajñarthe karma anyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg. 3.9]. If you do not act, or if you do not engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, then you are becoming implicated with so many sinful activities. That is sure. Therefore one has to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness without fail. Otherwise he'll be entangled, karma-bandhanaḥ. Even if he's doing pious activities, he's becoming entangled in karma-bandhanaḥ, in bondage. He has to take birth. Pious activities means he has to take birth in nice family, rich family. That is also bandhana. He has to enter into the womb of the mother and live there for ten months, in compact, air-tight, compact bag. That is not very good living condition. But we forget all these things, neither we do not care for all these things. But actually fact is, knowingly or unknowingly, we are becoming implicated. But if we simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and if we engage ourself in His unalloyed devotional service, if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa, His activities, His form, His name, His quality, His paraphernalia, then the result will be, as Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9]. There is no question of reaction. Because Kṛṣṇa says… Even we are doing… That we are bound to do, as I have already explained, that, knowingly or unknowingly, we are committing sinful activities. But Kṛṣṇa gives His assurance: ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg. 18.66]. So if he … Of course, a devotee never does anything knowingly sinful, but unknowingly, he's doing. But Kṛṣṇa is taking charge of him. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. So there, there is no question of grief.

Therefore the subject matter is relief from material distress. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any motive, sincerely, then your position is secured. Kṛṣṇa takes charge of you. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]. His devotee will never be vanquished. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was considering how he could kill his kinsmen, his familymen, his nephew, his brother, his grandfather, on the other side. Actually, this killing business is not very good. It is sinful. But the same thing he committed after understanding Bhagavad-gītā. He agreed: kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73]. "Yes, I shall fight." So does it mean…? In the beginning he was considering about the sinful effects of his activities. Why did he engage himself in the same business although he knew this is sinful? No. If you… Even it is acted so-called sinful activities, for Kṛṣṇa, under the order of Kṛṣṇa, for pleasing Kṛṣṇa, then that is also devotion. It is very difficult. We should not manufacture such concoction. But the fact is that, if actually one is acting for Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of sinful reaction. That's a fact. "Relief from material distress." And material distress means it is due to sinful activities. In another place, also, in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs. 5.54]? Karmāṇi. Everyone is being caught up by the action and reaction of karma, but a devotee is protected from the action and reaction of karma. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs. 5.54]. So a devotee, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, remains free always, provided he's fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa conscious activities for pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Sinful activities are of two kinds: those which are mature and those which are not mature. The sinful activities for which we are suffering at the present moment are called mature. The many sinful activities stored within us for which we have not yet suffered are considered immature."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is also another position. The, the reactions of our sinful activities we are suffering. As soon as we get a material body-it doesn't matter whether a rich man's body or a poor man's, poor man's body-the material body is itself subjected to threefold miseries of this material condition. Therefore Arjuna was advised by Kṛṣṇa: āgama apāyino anityāḥ tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. You cannot avoid the miserable condition of this body. That is not possible. So we have to tolerate. There is no other excuse. But do not create another body. That is devotional service. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs. 5.54]. Due to our past karma, we have got a certain type of body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa [SB 3.31.1]. By the supervision of superior order, superior vigilance, we get a certain type of body. This may be a king's body or a poor man's body, an animal body, or anything, we get. That is by superior order. So we should not create another body. That is the aim of human life. We should not create another body.

Then, another place in the Bhāgavata it is said, nūnaṁ vikarma kurute, nūnam, prammattaḥ kurute vikarma. Prammattaḥ. Prammattaḥ. Pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa. Mattaḥ, mad. We are living entities. We have come here in this material world for sense enjoyment, and we are therefore mad after it, prammattaḥ. So nūnaṁ prammattaḥ kurute vikarma. Vikarma means which is against the laws. Just like karma, akarma, vikarma. These are explained. So vikarma means against the law. The Vedic version, they give us that "You should work in this way." But if we do not act according to the Vedic injunctions, that is called vikarma. And we become subjected to sufferings, impious activities. But we do it because we are mad after sense gratification. We do not care. Just like a thief, he knows that by stealing he'll be punished, but still, because he's mad after stealing, he'll do it, taking the risk of being arrested and being harassed. Nūnaṁ prammattaḥ vikarma, nūnaṁ prammattaḥ kurute, yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. And they are mad after doing all this nonsense only for sense gratification. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, na sādhu manye, "This is not good." Yata ātmano 'yam. "As we have got this body, material body miserable…" Because as soon as you get a material body, you are put into the miserable condition of material nature. So we should not create another body so that we shall be put into, under tribulation again. That is intelligence.

So if we put ourself in the activities of devotional service, we save that risk. Not to create another body. If we do for indriya-prīti, yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti, then we create another body. But if you act in devotional service, then, even there are something, sinful activities, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs. 5.54]. So for a devotee, he's saved. He's saved from creating another new material body. In this way, the stress is given that sinful or not sinful, we should not create another body. Karma-kāṇḍa. In the… Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says:

karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa, sakali viṣera bhāṇḍa

amṛta baliyā yeba khāya

nānā yoni brahman kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare

tāra janma adhah-pāte yāya

We should not take either to karma, karma-kāṇḍa, fruitive activities for elevating to the heavenly planets; jñāna-kāṇḍa, for stopping birth and death and merge into the impersonal Brahman… That is jñāna-kāṇḍa. So karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says everything is viṣa bhāṇḍa, the poison pot. Why poison pot? Karma-kāṇḍa amṛta yeba baliyā khāya. If we drink poison pot, thinking it as nectar, then the result will be that we have to accept another body and we have to be under the tribulation of material nature. And sometimes we get the body of the King of Heaven, and sometimes we get the body of a hog for eating stool. This is going on. Nānā yoni brahman kare. We have to wander in different species of life and we have to eat all abominable things. Tāra janma adhah-pāte yāya.

So we should not spoil our life in that way, for creating another body. We should be very careful that we may not create another material body. And what is that safety position? Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa takes His birth, how He becomes the son of Devakī, son of Nanda Mahārāja, how He becomes the son of Yaśodā, these things, if we study, if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa, if we don't accept Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man-avajānati māṁ mūḍhā-then, in this way, if we understand the science of Kṛṣṇa, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128], if one understands the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is spiritual master. Kibā vipra kibā śūdra nyāsī kene naya. It doesn't matter whether one is brāhmaṇa or one is a śūdra or one is a sannyāsī or one is a gṛhastha. It doesn't matter. If he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128], if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa… Yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. How that tattvataḥ, the truth can be understood, that is also explained by the Lord Himself: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. You cannot understand in truth, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa in truth by other process, karma, jñāna, yoga. No. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55].

So we have to take to devotional service. Then we shall understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will reveal. If you are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service constantly, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajataṁ prīti-pūrvakam [Bg. 10.10]. If you have devoted, heart and soul, for service of Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa is within your self. He'll give you intelligence. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. He'll give you intelligence. He'll purify your heart. He'll purify your position. As you have read in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt-satām

[SB 1.2.17]

If you simply hear about Kṛṣṇa. The process… To… Kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā means to hear about Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Try to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Satāṁ prasaṅgād mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. That is very, what is called, potential. Simply if you hear from the right source of Kṛṣṇa-not from the professional, or from jñānīs, karmīs, or politicians. No. Pure devotee. Satāṁ prasaṅgād: in pure devotional service, in pure devotional mood. Then the potency will act and you will, we shall become more devotees. Khanera gītā diya mora me pasile mora me pasile (?). It will act. And as soon as it will act, you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your life becomes successful, above all sinful or pious activities. What is that? Samatītyaitān. Māṁ ca avyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate, sa guṇān samatītyaitān [Bg. 14.26]. Samatītya. Samyag atītya. You can perfectly overcome the influence of the guṇas, the three modes of material nature.

Because our suffering is due to association of the three guṇas. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu [Bg. 13.22]. We are getting different types of body, either as a king or as a dog. Sat, asat. We think, "The king's body is very nice. Dog's body is not good." But whatever body we get, material body, that is not very good. Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ [SB 5.5.4]. Any body, any type of body you get, you must suffer. It doesn't matter, European body, American body or Indian body or this body or that body. If we think, "Now we are Americans. We are very happy. You are Indians. You are poor…" No. Either poor or happy, it is all unhappiness. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya sad-asad. That is, means association with the modes of material nature. But if you engage yourself twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, in devotional service, then sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26], immediately you are on the brahma-bhūtaḥ position, liberated position. So just like one man is suffering from disease. Some way or other, if he comes in the, what is called, convalescent stage? Means freed from the diseased condition. But if he keeps that convalescent stage rightly, he do not, what is called, again…?

Devotee: Relapse.

Prabhupāda: Relapse. If you do not relapse the disease, then you are nice. Similarly, to keep in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means you are not diseased condition, but do not allow the disease to relapse. That means do not deviate from the devotional service. Māṁ ca avyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. Avyabhicāriṇi. Don't misuse the devotional service. Then you are all right. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Then you keep yourself always in transcendental position, brahma-bhūtaḥ position. And then from brahma-bhūtaḥ position, you can elevate yourself to the parā bhakti, spontaneous. Parā bhakti means spontaneously, spontaneous devotional service. Automatically, you will be loving Kṛṣṇa.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

The under, after being in the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, that devotional service is very sound. Parā bhakti. Otherwise, if we stick to the devotional service of temple worship… Just like one is performing temple worship, regulative principles… That is also… We should go forward. This is kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. Sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ.

So we must elevate ourself to the second class devotee position. To become first-class devotee, that is very difficult job. We can expect after executing devotional service as a madhyama-adhikārī. Then we can be promoted. But if we keep ourself simply on the lower stage of devotional service, then there is chance of falling down. Sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. Simply… Just like, generally, they keep in the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī stage. Of course, there is no loss. In any adhikāra, in any position, you are benefited because you have taken to devotional service. But our attempt should be from kaniṣṭha-adhikāra to madhyama-adhikāra. Madhyama-adhikāra means preacher. Unless one comes to the madhyama-adhikāra, he cannot preach. Because in the uttama-adhikāra there is no need of preaching, because uttama-adhikāra, he sees everything good. He does not think anyone is lacking Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He says everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious, "Simply I am not Kṛṣṇa conscious." Just like Kavirāja Gosvāmī says, purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi sei lagiṣṭha [Cc. Ādi 5.205]. He sees himself lower than the worm in the stool… But he's not so, but he thinks like that. So uttama-adhikārī, it is not to be imitated. One must keep himself in the madhyama-adhikārī stage. Madhyama-adhikārī stage means that one knows what is Kṛṣṇa, īśvara, one knows who is Kṛṣṇa's devotee. Īśvare tad-adhīneṣu. And one knows who is innocent, neither devotee nor nondevotee, and he knows who is nondevotee. This is preaching. In kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, he knows simply how to worship the Deity. Arcāyām eva haraye śraddhayā pūjāṁ śraddhayehate.

So it is the duty of the spiritual master to promote the devotees from the kaniṣṭha-adhikāra to the madhyama-adhikāra. Not to keep them. My Guru Mahārāja, sometimes he used to lament because so many disciples he had, but nobody was coming out very nice preacher. He was lamenting, "So only kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs, we are keeping simply people in the kaniṣṭha-adhikāra and engaging them in the arcana-mārga." So that is not required. They should not… A kaniṣṭha-adhikārī does not know who is a devotee, na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, what is the duty to others. He is very busy in temple worship for his personal interest. That is also good. But one has to promote further to become a madhyama-adhikārī and then analyze who is God, who is devotee, who is innocent, who is nondevotee, and behave in that way. So their business is to make friendship with devotee, to love Kṛṣṇa, and to the innocent, preach, to enlighten them in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And those who are atheists, to avoid them. These four principles. So in this way, we should execute our devotional service. Then our life will be viśvaṁ pūrṇaṁ sukhāyate. It will be very happy life. That is the heading, subject matter, "Relief from Material Distress." Immediately. If we actually keep ourself in devotional service according to the description given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, then we keep ourself fit in devotional service and there is no question of material distress.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Acyutānanda: …says first-class, second-class and third-class devotees, they are pure devotees.

Prabhupāda: Yes, pure devotee is anyone who has no other motive except to serve Kṛṣṇa. It doesn't matter he's first class, second class or third… Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. If he has got some motive, then he's not pure devotee. He may be not advanced, but if he has not motive, then he's pure devotee. If he wants to utilize Kṛṣṇa for his personal benefit, then he's not pure devotee. He's impure. So first of all he has to become pure devotee. (end)

721105ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 5, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading:) "…committed criminal acts but is not yet arrested for them. Now, as soon as he is detected, arrest is awaiting for him. Is awaiting him. Similarly, for some of our sinful activities we are awaiting distresses in the future, and for others, which are mature, we are suffering at the present moment. In this way…"

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the chain of accepting different types of bodies, one after another. According to the sinful activities. On the total, without being sinful, nobody accepts this material body. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand: yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam, "One who has finished the reaction of his sinful activities," te dvandva-moha-nirmukta… [Bg. 7.28]. Yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām… Puṇya-karma. Puṇya-karma means the sublime puṇya-karma is devotional service. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. This is the topmost puṇya-karma. Because, as it is stated in the Bhāgavata, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Simply if we hear about Kṛṣṇa, that is puṇya. Even you do not understand, do not take it very seriously, if we simply give aural reception to the words of Kṛṣṇa, that activity itself is puṇya. Puṇya-śravaṇa kīrtanaḥ. So one who has got, I mean, advanced in hearing about Kṛṣṇa, that is the result of multiforms of multivarieties of pious activities. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ [SB 1.2.16]. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ is the resultant action… Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11]. These words are used. Just like when the cowherds boys were playing with Kṛṣṇa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that "These boys are kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Heaps of pious activities they have performed; therefore they have got this chance of playing personally with the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

So, so long we are tinged with sinful activities, we have to accept different varieties of body, either the body of Lord Brahmā or the body of an ant, indragopa, a small microbic insect, yas tv indragopam athavendram aho sva-karma [Bs. 5.54]. From this indragopa, the microscopic insect which is called indragopa insect, from this indragopa insect, to the real Indra, the King of Heaven, everyone is suffering or enjoying-actually it is suffering-the resultant action of his karma. It doesn't matter what kind of body a living entity has got, but the body itself is the symptom, is the sign that one is sinful. This is the conclusion of the śāstra. Because as soon as one is free from sinful activities, at that time, he goes back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9]. So our, this material body is achieved due to sinful activities. And sinful activities are performed due to ignorance. Therefore knowledge is essential. Jñāna-vairāgya. These two things are essential in human life: knowledge and renunciation. Renunciation means sinful activities. Go on.

Pradyumna: "In this way there is a chain of sinful activities and their concomitant distresses, and the conditioned soul is suffering life after life due to these sins. He is suffering in the present life the results of sinful activities from his past life, and he is meanwhile creating further suffering for his future life. Mature sinful activities are exhibited if one is suffering from some chronic disease, if one is suffering from some legal implication, or if one is born in a low and degraded family, or if one is uneducated or very ugly."

Prabhupāda: Hmmm. So the soul is within this body, encaged. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Due to ignorance, he is committing… Say, for, in our eating process, we are eating so many things out of ignorance which we should not eat, and creating the sinful reaction. Nānā yoni bhraman kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says things which are not eatables, we eat, and we circumambulate various types of body. Nānā yoni bhraman kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare. Just like the hog is eating stool, kadarya, a very abominable thing, but it is eating. Similarly, many other forms of body. You are eating very abominable things on account of your particular type of body, and this is due to ignorance. And this ignorance is our greatest enemy. The human form of life is meant for acquiring knowledge, not to keep one in ignorance. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. That is the Vedic injunction. "Don't keep yourself in darkness," darkness of ignorance. But jyotir gamaḥ: "Go to the light." That is the Vedic injunction.

So the best knowledge, He's giving, Kṛṣṇa Himself: Bhagavad-gītā. He's coming personally to give knowledge. But we are so unfortunate, we are not accepting the knowledge given by Kṛṣṇa. We are hankering after some other knowledge given by some defective human being. A human being cannot give us any perfect knowledge. Therefore all the scientists' statements, all the philosophers' statements, they are simply theories; they are not fact. Because the knowledge is not perfect. Perfect knowledge can be had from one who is not defective. Defective means generally a conditioned soul has four defects: he commits mistake, he is illusioned, he has got a cheating propensity, and his senses are imperfect. The senses, we are acquiring knowledge through our senses, and if our senses are imperfect, how we can acquire perfect knowledge? Just like we are trying to see the planetary system through microscope or binocular, telescope, but the telescope machine is manufactured by a person who is, whose senses are defective. So through the telescope, how you can have perfect knowledge? Therefore one astronomer is placing some theory. After some years, that is made null and void; another theory is presented. Because everyone's knowledge is imperfect. So we cannot expect perfect knowledge from the imperfect person. So our process of knowledge is different. Our pro…, Vedic process of knowledge is,

tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet

samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham

[MU 1.2.12]

One has to accept a guru, a spiritual master, who has received knowledge from another perfect spiritual master. Just like Kṛṣṇa is the origin, perfect spiritual master, guru. So Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa said, was realized by Arjuna, directly. Therefore if we receive knowledge from Arjuna or his disciplic succession, then our knowledge is perfect. Kṛṣṇa…, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Brahman: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. So if we accept the version of Arjuna, that Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman, He's the Supreme Person, He's the origin of everything, then our knowledge is perfect. I may be imperfect, but because I receive knowledge from a perfect person, my knowledge is perfect. This is called paramparā system.

So in order to dissipate our ignorance, we should receive perfect knowledge. Then we can stop our sinful activities. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavān says, Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam. Kṛṣṇa appears, Kṛṣṇa lives here, He teaches, He acts. If we simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa from the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then we become perfect, so much so that after giving up this body… Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti… [Bg. 4.9]. Without being perfect, without being free from all sinful reactions, we have to undergo the tribulation of accepting different types of body. But as soon as we become perfect through the perfect knowledge, then automatically we become uncontaminated from this material world and we become liberated. Liberated means, as I have several times explained, to be situated in his original position. Just like a, a person gets fever. When his fever is subsided, he's liberated, he's called liberated from the fever. Similarly, when we have perfect knowledge… What is that perfect knowledge? The perfect knowledge: to understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is perfect knowledge. This is perfect knowledge. Jīvera svarūpa haya nityera kṛṣṇera dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. One has to understand this fact, that "I am not Kṛṣṇa. I am not like Kṛṣṇa. I am not equal to Kṛṣṇa. I cannot become Kṛṣṇa. I am Kṛṣṇa's eternal servant." This is taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayoḥ dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. He, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, says, "I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a śūdra. I am not a brahmacārī. I am not a sannyāsī." In this way… Because we identify with the varṇāśrama-dharma: "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am sannyāsī," "I am brahmacārī," "I am gṛhastha," "I am kṣatriya." These are our designations. But when we become designation-free, then "I am not brāhmaṇa, I am not brahmacārī, I am not this, I am not that. I am simply pure servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is knowledge. Our otherwise, anything we identify, that is ignorance. This is knowledge.

So… And when we come to this knowledge, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then I am liberated. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. Hitvā anyathā rūpam. I am accepting a different type of body and different type of position, and I am identifying myself with that particular position. That is my ignorance. Although I am acting just like a perfect brāhmaṇa or perfect kṣatriya or perfect vaiśya, still, I am imperfect, because my perfection is not to act as a vaiśya, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, American, Indian, but to act as servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is liberation. That is liberation. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Nirmalam means liberation. That nirmalam means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. The Vaiṣṇava process is to become nirmalam. Tat-paratvena. A real, pure Vaiṣṇava simply identifies himself as a servant of Kṛṣṇa; therefore he's nirmalam, he's liberated. He does not identify himself as a kṣatriya, brāhmaṇa, American, Indian. No. That is not his position. But so long I stick to this designation, I am not nirmala, I am samala, "with dirty things." So we have to be relieved from these dirty things and come to the original position of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then our sinful activities and its reaction will be counteracted. Go on.

Pradyumna: "There are many results of past sinful activities for which we are suffering at the present moment, and we may be suffering in the future due to our present sinful activities, but all of these reactions to sinful deeds can immediately be stopped if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Pradyumna: "As evidence for this…"

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, automatically we become immune from sinful activities. The devotional service… The mind, being engaged on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, as Ambarīṣa Mahārāja did: sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane… [SB 9.4.18]. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was very responsible emperor of the world, but he fixed up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and he engaged his words simply: vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane, simply describing the qualities, the transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa. He used his eyes to see the Deity, he used his legs to go to the temple, he used his hands for cleansing the temple, he used his nose for smelling the flower and tulasī offered to Kṛṣṇa, he used his tongue for tasting Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. In this way, he engaged all his senses in the service of the Lord. So there was no chance of committing sinful activities by his body. It is, it can be done by everyone. Everyone can install Deity at his home and regularly worship the Deity according to the injunction of the śāstras and spiritual master and eat prasādam and hear Vaik…, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, chant and speak Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is simple life. And one can become immune from all sinful reactions. The simple thing. Go on.

Pradyumna: "As evidence for this, Rūpa Gosvāmī quotes from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, Fourteenth Chapter, 18th verse. This verse is in connection with Lord Kṛṣṇa's instruction to Uddhava, where He says, 'My dear Uddhava, devotional service unto Me is just like a blazing fire, which can burn into ashes unlimited fuel supplied to it.' The purport is that as the blazing fire can burn any amount of fuel to ashes, so devotional service to the Lord in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can burn up all the fuel of sinful activities. For example, in the Gītā, Arjuna thought that fighting was a sinful activity, but Kṛṣṇa engaged him on the battlefield under His order, and so the fighting became devotional service. Therefore, Arjuna was not subjected to any sinful reaction."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So the example is that the, in the fire, you go on giving fuel perpetually, it will burn into ashes. Similarly, it doesn't matter. To become sinful… Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is sinful. So to become sinful is not disqualification, because everyone is sinful. But if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is just like the fire, and the sinful activities are just like wood. But when the wood is in touch with the fire, so the fire would burn all the woods, fuel, into ashes. But we should not… Once we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should stop the pillars of sinful activities. Whatever we did in our past life, that is excused, but if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if we go on with our sinful activities, that will not help us. Just like the same fire: you take the fuel and add to the fire, it will burn into ashes. But, at the same time, if you pour some water also, then it will be useless. Similarly, our past sinful activities, that can be burned into ashes provided we don't add any more. Don't take it: "Now it will burn into ashes. So go on, this business and that business." No. That business means pouring water into the fire. It will not burn. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī quotes another verse from the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Thirty-third Chapter, 6th verse, in which Devahūti addresses her son, Kapiladeva, and says, 'My dear Lord, there are nine different kinds of devotional service, beginning from hearing and chanting. Anyone who hears about Your pastimes, who chants about Your glories, who offers You obeisances, who thinks of You, and in this way executes any of the nine kinds of devotional service-even if he is born in a family of dog-eaters (the lowest grade of mankind)-becomes immediately qualified to perform sacrifices.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. Śvādo 'pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate. This is the verse. Actually we have seen it. Last time, when I was coming via Philippines, so we have got a center there, and it is very nicely organized within six months by one of our devotees, Siddha-svarūpa, Siddha-svarūpānanda Mahārāja, and his colleague. So it is very nicely organized. And they are actually dog-eaters. These Philippines, they're dog-eaters. In these parts of the world, the Koreans, the Philippines, even the Chinese, some of the Japanese, they're dog-eaters. But even though they are dog-eaters, they attended the meeting and chanted with us so nicely, better than a so-called Vaiṣṇava in India. Yes. They were so nice. It is practically seen. So that is also stated in the, confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Śvādo 'pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate. If one dog-eater, a person born in the family of dog-eaters… Because the dog-eaters are considered lowest of the human kind, caṇḍāla, śva-paca. In many places it is said. Aho bata śvapaco 'pi garīyān yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam. Śva-paca. Śvapaca means dog-eaters. They also become glorious provided they chant offenselessly the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Aho bato śvapaco 'to garīyān yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyāṁ.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us… It is in the śāstra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has pointed out… The ācārya's business… Everything is there in the śāstra. Ācārya does not invent anything. That is not ācārya. Ācārya simply points out, "Here is the thing." Just like in the darkness of night we cannot see anything perfectly or cannot see anything, but the, when there is sunrise, the sunrise, effect of sunrise is that we can see things as they are. The things are not manufactured. There is already… The things are al… The houses, the town and the everything is there, but when there is sunrise we can see everything nicely. Similarly, ācārya, or incarnation, they do not create anything. They simply give the light to see things as they are. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu pointed out this verse from Bṛhad-nāradīya Purāṇa. The, the verse was already in the Bṛhad-nāradīya Purāṇa.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

This verse was already there in the Bṛhad-nāradīya Purāṇa, the indication of our activities in the age of Kali. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He pointed out. Although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself-He could manufacture so many things-but He did not do so. That is ācārya. Ācārya will not manufacture any new type of religion, a new type of phrase of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is not potent. The… Just like Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is in the śāstra. So that is potential. Now if we add and subtract something from these sixteen words, that is my manufacture. That will have not the potency. They do not understand it. They are thinking if they can manufacture some new line, adding with Hare Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes particularly noted. But he spoils the whole thing. That is the… He does not make any new thing. The new thing he does, he spoils the whole thing. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu never did so, although He's Kṛṣṇa Himself. He stuck to the point of śāstra. Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also indicates: yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti [Bg. 16.23]. He indicates that nobody can give up the injunction of the śāstra. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ [Bg. 13.5]. Kṛṣṇa says. He can give. Whatever He says, that is śāstra, that is Veda. But still, He gives reference to the śāstra.

So ācārya's duty is to point out the śāstric injunction. They're already there in the Vedas. His duty is… Just like there are so many medicines. If you go to a drug shop, all of them are medicines, but the experienced physician, he gives you a medicine which is particularly suitable for you. You cannot say, "Sir, why you are selecting medicine? You can give any one bottle." That is nonsense. Not any one. The particular body, a particular bottle, and a particular medicine which is suitable for you, the experienced physician gives you. He's ācārya. So you cannot say that "Everything is medicine; whichever bottle I take, that's all right." No. That's not. This is going on. Yata mata tata patha. Why yata mata tata patha? The particular mata which is suitable for you at a particular time, that should be accepted, not any other mata. So similarly, in this age, in this Kali-yuga, where people are very short-living, duration of life is very short, they are unfortunate, they're very slow, and they take to unauthorized means of religious principles, they're prone to so many disturbances of life… Therefore this particular medicine for this age, as given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

Prabhu kahe, ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra.

So we should take the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who has especially incarnated Himself in this age, Kali-yuga. Kalau saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. This is the śāstric injunction.

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

[SB 11.5.32]

This is the injunction in the śāstra, that this form of the Lord, who is accompanied by His associate… Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is always associated with Śrī Advaita Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Gadādhara Prabhu, Śrī Śrīvāsa Prabhu. Therefore the process of worship is śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. That is perfect process. Not to cut short. No. As it is indicated. This is indication in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tvisakṛṣṇaṁ sangopangastra… [SB 11.5.32]. So when we have to worship Lord Caitanya, we worship with His associates. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. No cut-short method. So that is sastric injunction. So in order to get rid of the sinful activities of this age, it is already prescribed in the śāstras and confirmed by the greatest authority, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. So we should all take to this maha-mantra, chant

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

721106ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 6, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading:) "…for anyone who is actually engaged in devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how is it possible that he has not become purified? It is not possible. One who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service has without doubt become freed from all contaminations of material sinful activities. Devotional service therefore has the power to actually nullify all kinds of reactions to sinful deeds. A devotee is nevertheless always alert not to commit any sinful activities; this is his specific qualification as a devotee. Thus the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam states that by performing devotional service a person who was born even in a family of dog-eaters may become eligible to take part in the performance of the ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the Vedas. It is implicit in this statement that a person born into a family of dog-eaters is generally not fit for performing yajña, or sacrifice. The priestly caste in charge of performing these ritualistic sacrifices, ritualistic ceremonies recommended in the Vedas, is called the brāhmaṇa order. Unless one is a brāhmaṇa, he cannot perform these ceremonies. A person is born in a brāhmaṇa family or in a family of dog-eaters due to his past activities. If a person is born in a family of dog-eaters, it means that his past activities are all sinful. But even…, if even such a person takes to the path of devotional service and begins to chant the holy names of the Lord-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare-he is at once fit to perform the ritualistic ceremonies. This means that his sinful reactions have immediately become neutralized."

Prabhupāda: Śvādo 'pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate. It is commented by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī that a, a person born in the brāhmaṇa family waits for being initiated as twice-born. To take birth in the family of a brāhmaṇa is not sufficient qualification. He has to study the Vedas; he has to be initiated with thread ceremony; so many ritualistic performances. Daśa-vidhā-saṁskāra. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. So the distinction is being made by Jīva Gosvāmī that a brāhmaṇa, son of a brāhmaṇa, awaits so many ritualistic ceremonies before he is competent to perform yajña. Not that because he's born of a brāhmaṇa father, therefore he becomes eligible to perform yajña. He requires primarily so much purificatory methods. But a Vaiṣṇava, one who has taken to devotional service, for him, it is said, sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate. As soon as he becomes a devotee, he becomes eligible to perform yajña. Savanāya kalpate. That means preference is given to the devotee (more) than to the son of a brāhmaṇa. A devotee, although born in the family of dog-eaters, the lowest of the mankind, but if he's Vaiṣṇava, initiated, dīkṣā-vidhānena, then he becomes eligible to perform sacrifice. That is officially accepted, that a Vaiṣṇava, even born of dog-eaters' family… Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye'nye ca pāpā [SB 2.4.18]. These are the list of low-grade human society, kirāta-hūṇāndhra. And there may be others also. (Hindi) There may be others. Ye 'nye ca pāpā. Anye-any kinds of sinful man, śudhyanti yad-upāśrayāśrayāḥ, if such men take shelter of a pure devotee, then he purifies him. Śudhyanti.

One may question how he becomes purified. He's born in a family of dog-eaters. How he becomes purified? It requires… According to Smārta consideration, he requires next birth. There are two processes of Vedic understanding, Smārta-vicāra and Gosvāmī-vicāra. According to Smārta-vicāra, unless a person born in a low-grade family takes another birth, he cannot be eligible to become a brāhmaṇa. But according to Gosvāmī-vicāra, if he's properly initiated by a bona fide Vaiṣṇava, then he becomes more than a brāhmaṇa. Śvādyo 'pi sadyaḥ. Immediately he becomes eligible to perform sacrifices. so the problem is that at the present moment we are not taking care… I mean that our Indian brāhmaṇas, those who are spiritual leaders, they are not actually taking care of the fallen souls. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is sanctioned, it is said clearly: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. Any person born of low-grade family, pāpa-yoni, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim… So it is the duty of the elevated person, brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, to take charge of this business. Kṛṣṇa says, ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Never mind one is born in low-grade family, but he can go back to home, back to Godhead. Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. So who will take the initiative to elevate these persons? Unless one who is expert does take interest for elevating these fallen souls, then how they will be elevated? This is problem. But we are not careful about these affairs. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore indicated that,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

This is paropakāra. Those who are born in low-grade family… The most regrettable fact is that in India the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, they did not take care of the fallen souls. Once one becomes, somehow or other, a Muhammadan, he has no more chance to come back to the Hindu society. This policy was being followed. And therefore the result is that these fallen souls, whom we call fallen souls, the Muhammadans, they partitioned. Now we are crying. Not only that. I think, from historical point of view, this whole planet was India, Bhārata-varṣa. This planet was called Bhārata-varṣa-not this portion of land. But because gradually the Vedic culture became diminished, they separated from this Vedic culture, as we have got actual experience, and within twenty years the Pakistan is taken away from India.

So if follow that policy that one who is born in India as brāhmaṇa, except him, nobody can become brāhmaṇa, then this Vedic civilization will be, in due course of time, lost. We should be very careful. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading Vedic culture outside India. And they are welcoming it, those who are intelligent, they are welcoming it. They are accepting it. We should encourage them. Instead of discouraging this movement, we should encourage, so that the whole world can be united on the platform of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If we simply hate low-grade families, low-grade men, that will not solve the problem. Just like when there was political movement in India, the Britishers, they presented so many problems. Just like the untouchables, the Muhammadans, and so many things. The Britishers they put forward these problems (because) they were not willing to separate the British rule. Only some high class, higher section of the Hindus, they are trying to separate the British rule. At that time, Gandhi stamped the camaras (?) and the bhaṅgis as harijana. But means as soon as there was the word "harijana," immediately a person would be considered coming from the camaras and the bhaṅgis. But such exalted title, harijana, is offered to personalities like Nārada, Brahma, those who are actually associates with Hari. But according to śāstra, there is no objection to accept these camaras and the bhaṅgis or any low-grade family to make him harijana, provided he accepts the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in a regular way, by the Vaiṣṇava vidhāna. Just (as) recommended by the Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī: tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. Dīkṣā-vidhānena, by the proper initiative process, one can become dvija, twice-born. Nṛṇām. Tathā, yathā kāñ…,

yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti

kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānena

tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena

dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām

This is the injunction of Sanātana Gosvāmī. Just like by chemical manipulation, by mercury, with kāṁsya, bell metal… This is the suggestion given by Sanātana Gosvāmī, that, as bell metal can be transformed into gold by mixing with mercury, similarly-it is a question of manipulating-similarly, by expert manipulation, even a, any man, not low or high, it doesn't matter, any man can be transformed into a brāhmaṇa, dvija, twice-born.

So this is recommended not only by Sanātana Gosvāmī… By Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śukadeva Gosvāmī in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śudhyanti prabha viṣṇave namaḥ. He recommends that one, when one becomes a Vaiṣṇava by the supreme power of Viṣṇu, prabha viṣṇave namaḥ… He has got so much power that He can turn a low-grade man into a great Vaiṣṇava. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was born in Muhammadan family, and he was made Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Nāmācārya, "the ācārya." Caitanya Mahāprabhu actually appeared for glorifying the holy name of the Lord. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam [SB 11.5.32], always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu especially incarnated, advented Himself for spreading this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who was born in a Muhammadan family, he, he was made the Namācārya, the authority of spreading this holy name. Similarly, Sanātana Gosvāmī, they become Muhammadans. At least, formerly. His name was also changed: Sākara Mallika, Dabira Khāsa. And they were made the prime ministers of spreading this saṅkīrtana movement, the Caitanya cult, Sanātana. We are sitting here (in) Rūpa Gosvāmī's place. So officially, they become Muhammadan, but by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they became Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī. Ei chay gosāñi tāhra mui dāsa. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that "These six Gosvāmīs, anyone who accepts these six Gosvāmīs as authority, spiritual masters, I am his servant." Therefore we Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, we are known as Rūpānuga Vaiṣṇava, following the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

So this is the process. So by following the footsteps of Rūpa Gosvāmī, the whole world become, can become purified. Śvādo 'pi sadyaḥ sayanāya kalpate. Not only purified, but they are purified so much so that they can be allowed to perform yajñas. Because performing yajña was entrusted to high-class brāhmaṇa, who is very expert in mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, not ordinary brāhmaṇa. So a Vaiṣṇava is recommended to take charge of performing sacrifices. Śvādo'pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate. So this is the exalted position. Haridāsa Ṭhākura… Actually, this was exemplified by Gadādhara, yes, Advaita Prabhu. Advaita Prabhu happened to be at that time the president of the brāhmaṇa society, very learned scholar and Vaiṣṇava; and He was entrusted to be the president of brāhmaṇa society in Śāntipūra. So when He performed the ritualistic ceremony after the death of His father, funeral ceremony, He offered the first prasādam to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So Haridāsa Ṭhākura was little shy, accepting, that "Advaita Prabhu, You have exalted me in so many ways, but You…" Because according to the smārta-vidhāna, when one is performing the funeral ceremony of his father, the first portion would be offered to the best of the brāhmaṇas. So it was offered to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So Haridāsa Ṭhākura felt little shyness, that "Advaita Prabhu, You love me. That is all right. But You are doing all these things. You may be socially ostracized." So Advaita Prabhu said, "No. By feeding you, I am feeding one crores of best brāhmaṇas. And let any brāhmaṇa come to Me. I shall convince him." That was His statement.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that we can accept anyone-it doesn't matter wherefrom he's coming-and make him a pure Vaiṣṇava. And following the footsteps of Advaita Prabhu, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, these Vaiṣṇavas from foreign countries, those who are actually purified by the process of initiation, they should be accepted. They should not be neglected. Unfortunately, there is some silent protest that I am ruining the Hindu religion because I am initiating the Europeans and Americans. Therefore I am ruining Hindu religion. There is a grudge against me. But you can just consider these points that I am going strictly according to the regulation given by the Gosvāmīs and the śāstras. Śāstra allows. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. Pāpa-yoni, it doesn't matter, if he takes regularly the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa… And Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered that

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

He predicted. Practically we are trying to carry out the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered that anyone who has taken birth as human being in Bhārata-varṣa, he should engage his life for paropakāra. And he said also, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma: "All over the town, all over the world, as many towns and villages are there, My name will be established there." So we are trying to do that. So His name should be established does not mean that they should remain as yavanas or mlecchas, and simply they should simply know Lord Caitanya. No. Actually the fact is that everyone should be elevated to the position of Vaiṣṇava, purified Vaiṣṇava, as it is recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. They, they should be made into brāhmaṇas by qualifying them as brāhmaṇa.

So the first condition is that anyone who comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness as a bona fide initiated member, he gives up all these abominable habits: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. They have given up even smoking cigarette, even drinking tea, coffee. So they are all, after being qualified, they are accepted as Vaiṣṇava and properly initiated. So they cannot be neglected as other than brāhmaṇas. That is not very good proposition. They are, according to śāstra, they are qualified. It may be due to some past habits, they may commit some mistake, unconsciously. Consciously, no Vaiṣṇava commits any mistake, but maybe due to habit. That is also protected by Kṛṣṇa. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg. 9.30]. Even there are some discrepancies, but if the only one qualification is there, that he's sticking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness rigidly, he's sādhu. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg. 9.30]. He's not to be neglected. So these Europeans, Americans devotees, according to the enunciation given by Rūpa Gosvāmī, as it is supported by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, as it is supported by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, as it is supported by Sanātana Gosvāmī, as it is ordered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they are regularly initiated Vaiṣṇavas. They should not be neglected. That will be vaiṣṇava-aparādha, offenses unto the Vaiṣṇava. Out of all kinds of aparādhas, offenses, vaiṣṇava-aparādha is the most dangerous. Most dangerous. So vaiṣṇava-aparādha is not excused by Viṣṇu. The instance is… What is called? Su… I forget his name. Ambarīṣa and…?

Devotee: Durvāsā?

Prabhupāda: Durvāsā. Yes, Durvāsā Muni. Durvāsā Muni, because he offended to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he was not excused even by Viṣṇu. He had to fall down on the feet of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. Yes. Ambarīṣa upākhyāna. So vaiṣṇava-aparādha is the greatest offense. Even a great sage like Durvāsā was not excused. He was so great, Durvāsā, that he could go personally to all the lokas, Brahma-loka, Śiva-loka, Viṣṇuloka. Personally he could go, by his yogic power. Just imagine how much he was powerful. He saw face to face Lord Viṣṇu and requested Him to give him protection from the sudarśana-cakra, and Viṣṇu refused: "So I cannot give you protection because you are offender to a Vaiṣṇava. Only Ambarīṣa Mahārāja can give you protection." Just see. He was so exalted yogi that he could see personally Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Viṣṇu, but still, he was not excused on account of his offense to a Vaiṣṇava. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned very severely: tāra madhye vaiṣṇava aparādha hātī matta. Vaiṣṇava-aparādha is the greatest offense. We should be very careful. In… According to our Vedic civilization, a Vaiṣṇava, a saintly person, was never under the government laws. They, they were not under the govern… Why government laws? Even Yamarāja's law. That is also stated. Yamarāja also warned his servants not to approach Vaiṣṇava. So Vaiṣṇava's position is so great.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for turning everyone to become a pure Vaiṣṇava. Pure Vaiṣṇava. That is the actual aim of human life. As we are discussing this morning, mumukṣavaḥ. The aim of human life is to get out of the clutches of māyā, repetition of birth and death and transmigration from body to another. That is the real aim of life. That is real freedom. So if we neglect this opportunity, then we are called ātma-hā. Ātma-hā means committing suicide. Just like a person, knowingly, knowingly committing suicide, cutting his throat, similarly, a human being, getting so much opportunity, especially in India… We have got so many books of knowledge, especially the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra means Śrīmad-Bhāgavata. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is explicit narration of the Vedānta-sūtra. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrānām **. So Indians especially should take advantage of this human form of life and spread this knowledge all over the world. Then the whole world will be peaceful and happy. That is our proposition. It is not a… I repeatedly say that this is not a religious cult, that we want to supersede another type of religion. That is not our business. Our aim is to make all people happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is the Vedic mission. Everyone should be happy. But they are trying to be happy, but they do not know how to, how to become… Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. They are misguided. They cannot be happy without becoming Vaiṣṇava. This is open declaration in the śāstra. They cannot become happy. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā [SB 7.5.31]. If they are trying to become happy otherwise, that is durāśayā, hopeless thing. It will never be fructified. It will never be successful. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. Therefore our business is to make them know that "This is the way of perfection. Take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Make your life perfect. Be happy, and go back to home, back to Godhead." This is our mission. They do not know.

So we are trying to convince them in so many ways. There is no need of so many ways. The one, simple method, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, will be sufficient to make them perfect. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. The problems, bhava-mahā-dāvāgni. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, mahā-dāvāgni, "great forest fire." Forest fire, we have no experience immediately, but in America, there is occasionally forest fire. They have got very good experience. There are many forests also. So the forest fire takes place automatically. Nobody goes to set fire. Similarly, in this material world the blazing fire is always there-problems, different problems. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. This will be extinguished immediately. It is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's saying. How? Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Simply by spreading this saṅkīrtana movement, all the problems of the world will be immediately mitigated. So to make people Vaiṣṇava, pure Vaiṣṇava, and to spread the saṅkīrtana movement, this is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and we are trying our best. Actually, it was the duty of the Indians, but fortunately, the Americans have taken up instead of Indians. Therefore I have brought them. The Indians… You are forgetting your duty. The foreigners are doing your duty. So you should welcome them, instead of driving them away by so many pleas. This is not very good. Yes. Go on.

Pradyumna: "It is stated in the Padma-Purāṇa that there are four kinds of effects to sinful activities, which are listed as follows: (1) the effect which is not yet fructified, (2) the effect which is lying as seed, (3) the effect which is already mature, and (4) the effect which is almost mature. It is also stated that all these four effects…"

Prabhupāda: Kūṭa-stha-bīja, prārabdha… Like that. This is, these are the… Our effects. Just like we can understand in the modern… Just like if you infect some disease, it becomes immediately kūṭa-stha. Kūṭa-stha means stocked. In due course of time, it will come out, manifest. Similarly, we are acting so many sinful activities. Sometimes they complain that "This man is committing so many sinful activities, but he's happy." But actually he's enjoying the effects of his past something pious. Now he's happy, but that effect of the impious activities, that is in stock. It will come out in due course of time. That is called kūṭa-stha. Kūṭa-stha phalonmukha, prārabdha. These are the Sanskrit language. That is being explained here. Go on.

Pradyumna: "It is also stated that all these four effects become immediately vanquished for those who surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, and become engaged in His devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This, these four kinds of stages of sinful activities, in stock, almost fructified, manifest, all the stages of sinful activities can be immediately nullified. Because it is assured by Kṛṣṇa, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. It is not imagination. If we believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, then there is no question of denying this fact. Kṛṣṇa personally says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣa… Sarva-pāpebhyo [Bg. 18.66]. The kūṭa-stha, phalonmukha, prārabdha, everything, it become immediately nullified, simply by this process, by surrendering: "Kṛṣṇa, I, I was mistaken. I got…, forgot your mastership; You are my eternal Lord. So I was bewildered. I was wandering. Now I have come to my senses. I surrender unto You sincerely. You accept me." This very thing will give you immediately protection from all sinful activities. Kṛṣṇa says,

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi…

[Bg. 18.66]

So where is the difficulty? Let us surrender to Kṛṣṇa and execute His will, whatever He… Surrender means I must be prepared to execute the will of Kṛṣṇa; not my whims, but Kṛṣṇa's will. The Kṛṣṇa's will is that you become Kṛṣṇa's devotee. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Where is the difficulty? You surrender unto Him, and He assures, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Immediately he becomes relieved from the effects of illusory energy. So there is no difficulty, not at all difficulty. Let us immediately become surrendered to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. Think of Him always. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, to become His devotee, always think of Him. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. "Always worship Me. Always offer obeisances." These are the four principles. Anyone can do it. There is no restriction for any caste, creed, nation. Everyone. It is open to the human being. So if we actually want to be happy, we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no alternative. That is our point. Yes? Go on.

Pradyumna: "Those effects described as 'almost mature' refer to the distress from which one is suffering at present, and the effects 'lying as seed' means that in the core of the heart there is a certain stock of sinful desires which are like seeds. The Sanskrit word kūṭam means that they are almost ready to produce the seed, or the effect of the seed. And 'immature effect' refers to the case where the seedling has not begun. From this statement of Padma-Purāṇa it is understood that material contamination is very subtle. Its beginning, its fruition and results, and how one suffers such results in the form of distress, are part of a great chain. When one catches some disease, it is very…, it is often very difficult to ascertain the cause of the disease, where it originated and how it is maturing. The suffering of a disease, however, does not appear all of a sudden. It actually takes time. And, as in the medical field, for precaution's sake, the doctor injects a vaccination to prevent the growing of contamination, similarly, the practical injection to stop all the fructifications of the seeds of our sinful activities is simply engagement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the best injection. Take this injection and become free from all sinful reactions. Go on.

Pradyumna: "In this connection, Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks in the Sixth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Chapter, 17th verse, about the story of Ajāmila, who began life as a fine and dutiful brāhmaṇa but in his young manhood became wholly corrupted by a prostitute. At the end of his wicked life, just by calling the name of Nārāyaṇa (or Kṛṣṇa), he was saved, despite so much sin. Śukadeva points out that austerity…"

Prabhupāda: Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. That is stated the Bhagavad-gītā. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya. A little Kṛṣṇa consciousness can save you from the greatest danger. The example is this Ajāmila. Ajāmila, he was the greatest sinful man. Similarly, Jagāi-Mādhāi. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that from the life of Ajāmila we understand, simply by uttering the name of Nārāyaṇa at the time of his death, he became eligible to be promoted to the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Śukadeva points out that austerity, charity and the performance of ritualistic ceremonies for counteracting sinful activities are recommended processes, but that by performing them one cannot remove the sin desire-seed from the heart, as was the case with Ajāmila in his youth. This sinful desire-seed can be accomplished very easily by chanting the mahā-mantra, or Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, as recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In other words, unless one adopts the path of devotional service, he cannot be one hundred percent clean from all the reactions of sinful activities."

Prabhupāda: So we shall discuss more tomorrow. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

721107ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 7, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading:) "By performing Vedic ritualistic activities, by giving money in charity and by undergoing austerity, one can temporarily become free from the reactions of sinful activities, but at the next moment he must again become engaged in sinful activities. For example, a person suffering from venereal disease on account of excessive indulgence of sex life has to undergo some severe pain in medical treatment, and he is then cured for the time being. But because he has not been able to remove the sex desire from his heart, he must again indulge in the same thing and become a victim of the same disease. So medical treatment may give temporary relief from the distress of such venereal disease, but unless one is trained to understand that sex life is abominable, it is impossible to be saved from such repeated distress. Similarly, the ritualistic performances, charity, and austerity which are recommended in the Vedas may temporarily stop one from acting in sinful ways, but as long as the heart is not clear, one will have to repeat sinful activities again and again."

Prabhupāda: So, according to Vedic ritualistic ceremony, there is recommendation of prāyaścitta, condon… What is called?

Pradyumna: Atonement?

Prabhupāda: Atonement. Yes. Atonement. So the example is given, just like a thief, he knows that stealing is not good. He has got experience that in the past he committed stealing, committed criminal offense by stealing, and he was arrested. Then he was punished. Still, he's stealing again. A man knows that stealing is not good. By ordinary law, stealing is punished, and in the scriptures also, stealing is prohibited because it is sinful. And one has seen that a person who is a thief was arrested and was punished. Everything he knows, but still, he commits stealing. Why? Therefore Bhāgavata says through Śukadeva Gosvāmī that prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. Simply official prāyaścitta will not help a man ceasing from sinful activities. Official. In Christian religion also, they accept, confess their sinful activities, and again they commit the same sinful activities. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. Unless one understands his constitutional position, unless he's convinced that why should he commit sinful activities simply for this body, which does not belong to him… It is a foreign. Actually, he has no connection with the body. Vimarśanam means cultivation of knowledge. So one has to cultivate knowledge. Then he can be stopped from sinful activities.

People, generally, they identify this body as self, and for bodily interest, he commits so many sinful activities, simply for satisfaction of the senses. But if he's cultured, if he's given proper knowledge that "Bodily concept of life is not your interest. You are spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, in this way, if he cultivates knowledge… That is very easily possible simply by engaging oneself in the service of the Lord. Kevalayā bhaktyā. Simply by devotional service, one can raise himself to the position of perfect knowledge, and thus he can renounce all sinful activities.

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

[SB 1.2.7]

In ignorance-means in bodily concept of life-we commit sinful activities, but if we actually come to the platform of knowledge, jñāna, then naturally there is vairāgya, renunciation. Renunciation means renunciation of sinful activities. Renunciation does not mean renunciation of devotional service. Renunciation means that unwanted things, anartha-nivṛttiḥ. That is renunciation. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga atho bhajana-kriyā, tato anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. If one is actually advanced in spiritual life, execution of regular spiritual life, then automatically anartha-nivṛttiḥ, things which are not required, that becomes automatically stopped. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. So that anartha-nivṛttiḥ is possible by śraddhā, sādhu-saṅgaḥ, bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ, then niṣṭhā, ruci, asakti, bhāva. In this way, we develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love of Godhead. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Another example is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam of the elephant who enters into a lake and takes a bath very seriously, cleansing his body thoroughly. Then, as soon as he comes out onto shore, he again takes some dust from the earth and throws it over his body. Similarly, a person who is not trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot become completely free from the desire for sinful activities. Neither the yoga process, nor philosophical speculations, nor fruitive activities can save one from the seeds of sinful desires. Only by being engaged in devotional service can this be done."

Prabhupāda: The elephant… Hasti-snāna, hasti-snāna. This is very practical example. The elephant takes bath in the lake, very profusely throws water on his body, and becomes cleansed, and as soon as he comes on the shore, he takes again dust and spreads over his body. So these are natural examples. Similarly, there are different processes for getting out of the reaction of sinful activities, but you…, we take it. But if we again commit those sinful activities, then what is the use of such penance or prāyaścitta? Hasti-snāna. The example is given as hasti-snāna. Take, for example, it is said by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one is released from all sinful activities immediately. Eka hari nāma yata pāpa kare, pāpī haya tato pāpa kari bare nare. It is a fact. Just like Ajāmila. His whole life was full of sinful activities, but at the time of death, because he uttered the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, he became immediately released. That's a fact. But if we commit again sinful activities, then what is the use of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra? Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. This is one of the ten offenses. If anyone thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is reacting all the effects of my sinful life. Then again I can commit and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very good business…" No. That is great offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. One should not indulge in such a way. Jagāi-Mādhāi was accepted by Lord Caitanya only on the promise that they would not commit any more any sinful activities. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy is there for everyone. He can accept everyone. One who is sinful, that is not disqualification. Because in this age, Kali-yuga, more or less, everyone is sinful. Then nobody can be claimed to be liberated by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will give you, give you relief from all sinful activities, provided you don't commit it again. Otherwise, it will be like hasti-snāna, the example of the elephant, and it will be a great offense. If on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra we continue to commit sinful activities, that is great offense. We should not do that. The idea is by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we become free from the reaction of sinful life, but that does not mean we shall again indulge in sinful life and counteract it by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. No. Not like that. Once you take to Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you should make rapid progress, without committing any sinful activity, and retard the progress. Don't do that. Go on.

Pradyumna: "There is another evidence in the Fourth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twenty-second Chapter, 37th verse, wherein Sanat-kumāra says: 'My dear King, the false ego of a human being is so strong that it keeps him in material existence as if tied up by a strong rope. Only the devotees can cut off the knot of this strong rope very easily, by engaging themselves in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Others, who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness but are trying to become great mystics or great ritual performers, cannot advance like the devotees. Therefore it is the duty of everyone to engage himself in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in order to be freed from the tight knot of false ego and engagement in material activities.' "

Prabhupāda: Bhaja vāsudeva. There is a verse like that, that as by taking shelter at the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can get released from all kinds of material tribulations, such kind of immunization is not possible by practicing yoga, tapasya, jñāna. This is the statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In all ways, it is recommended that we have to, we should take shelter…

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ

mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ

bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ

padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

[SB 10.14.58]

If one takes shelter of mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ… Murāri is Kṛṣṇa's another name. So puṇya-yaśo, His name is famous as piety. Puṇya-yaśo murāri. If anyone takes shelter of His lotus feet, then the great ocean of nescience becomes a small pit, and one can jump over it very easily. Go on.

Pradyumna: "This tight knot of false ego is due to ignorance. As long as one is ignorant about his identification, he is sure to act wrongly and thereby become entangled in material contamination. This ignorance of factual knowledge can also be dissipated by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as it is confirmed in the Padma Purāṇa as follows: 'Pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness…' "

Prabhupāda: Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is giving evidences from different Vedic literatures to support his statement. Here is a statement from Padma Purāṇa. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, in his Tattva-sandarbha, has proved it, without any doubt, that the Purāṇas are supplementary to Vedas. They are… Just like Upaniṣads is part and parcel of the Vedas, similarly, Purāṇas are also part and parcel of the Vedic literature. There are philosophers, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not accept Purāṇas as Vedic literature, but Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has proved in his Tattva-sandarbha, in the beginning, that Purāṇas, Mahābhārata, itihāsa-purāṇa, they are part and parcel of the Vedic literature. Supplementary. Purāṇa means that which supplements. So evidences from Purāṇa is as good as the evidence from the Vedic quotation. That is the verdict of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī is not prepared to accept any statement which does not refer to the Vedic literatures: Vedas, Purāṇas, Upaniṣads, Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, like that. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also says in another place, śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pāñcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā [Brs. 1.2.101]. So he has taken purāṇas also as evidences, Vedic evidences. So śruti, the Vedas, smṛti, the Purāṇas and other literatures, dharma-śāstra, smṛti-śāstra and Purāṇa, pañcarāti-vidhi-without reference to all these authentic literature, any kind of devotional activities are not accepted by the Gosvāmīs. They say, "Without any reference to these all Vedic literatures, any kind of devotional service is simply disturbance." Pañcarātri-vidhiṁ vinā aikāntikī harer bhaktir upātāyaiva kalpate. Utpāt, disturbance. Go on.

Pradyumna: " 'Pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest enlightenment, and when such enlightenment is there, it is just like a blazing forest fire, killing all the inauspicious snakes of desire.' The example is being given in this connection that when there is a forest fire, the extensive blazing automatically kills all the snakes in the forest. There are many, many snakes on the ground of the forest, and when a fire takes place, it burns the dried foliage, and the snakes are immediately attacked. Animals who have four legs can flee from the fire or can at least try to flee, but the snakes are immediately killed. Similarly, the blazing fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so strong that the snakes of ignorance are immediately killed."

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Pradyumna: " 'Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is All-Auspicious.' Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given a definition of auspiciousness."

Prabhupāda: The snakes, kāla-sarpa, indriya. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī has explained about these kāla-sarpas, snake… Our senses are compared with the snakes. Just like a snake, as soon as it touches somebody, it kills. It is very dangerous, touching by the lip of the snake. Similarly, a, a slight sense gratification is so dangerous, kāla-sarpa indriya-paṭalī, especially in the sex matter. So one… Yogis, they are training the senses how to restrain them from sense gratification, but a devotee, on account of their senses being engaged in the service of the Lord, there is no poisonous effect of the senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Rathaṁ sthāpaya acyuta. Hṛṣīkeśa. In the Bhagavad-gītā, this word is used, Hṛṣīkeśa. So Hṛṣīkeśa means "the master of the senses." Actually, our senses are given by Kṛṣṇa. We wanted a type of instrument to enjoy certain type of material enjoyment, and Kṛṣṇa has given us senses. Actually, the proprietor of the senses is Kṛṣṇa; therefore His name is Hṛṣīkeśa, "master of the senses." So if we actually use the senses for the service of the proprietor of the senses, that is bhakti. Do not…, we do not want to stop the activities of the senses, but it is, they are used for the purpose of the sense proprietor, Hṛṣīkeśa. That is called bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti means don't use the senses for sense gratification. Apply the senses for the satisfaction of the proprietor of the senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given a definition of auspiciousness. He says that actual auspiciousness means welfare activities for all the people of the world."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement: it is welfare activities for all the people of the world. It is not a sectarian movement, not only for the human being, but also for the animals, birds, beasts, trees, everyone. This discussion was made by Haridāsa Ṭhākura with Lord Caitanya. In that statement, Haridāsa Ṭhākura affirmed it that by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra loudly, the trees, the birds, the beasts-everyone-will be benefited. This is the statement of Namācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So when we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra loudly, it is beneficial for everyone. This statement was put forward in Melbourne in the court. The, the court inquired that "Why do you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra loudly in the street?" The reply we gave that "Just to benefit all the people." Actually, it is the fact. Of course, now there is no prosecution by the state. We are chanting very freely on the streets. That is the benefit. If we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, it benefits everyone, not only human beings. My Guru Mahārāja used to say if somebody complained that "We go and chant, but nobody attends our meeting," so Guru Mahārāja would reply that "Why? The four walls will hear you. That is sufficient. Don't be disappointed. Go on chanting. If there are four walls, they will hear. That's all." So chanting is so effective that it benefits even the animals, beasts, birds, insects, everyone. Go on. This is the best welfare activity. In the human society there are welfare activities for some society or nation or community or human being. But this welfare activity is beneficial not only to the human society but to the birds, beasts, tree, animal, everyone. This is the best, supermost welfare activity in the world, spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Go on.

Pradyumna: "At the present moment groups of people are engaged in welfare activities in terms of society, community or nation. There is even an attempt in the form of the United Nations for world-help activity. But due to the shortcomings of limited national activities, such a general mass welfare program for the whole world is not practically possible. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, however, is so nice that it can render the highest benefit to the entire human race. Everyone can be attracted by this movement, and everyone can feel the result. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī and other learned scholars agree that a broad propaganda program for the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement of devotional service all over the world is the highest humanitarian welfare activity."

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Pradyumna: "How the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can attract the attention of the whole world and how each and every man can feel pleasure in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is stated in the Padma Purāṇa as follows: 'A person who is engaged in devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to be understood to be doing the best service to the whole world and to be pleasing everyone in the world. In addition to human society, he is pleasing even the trees and animals because they also become attracted by such a movement.' A practical example of this was shown by Lord Caitanya when He was traveling through the forest of Jhārikhaṇḍa in central India for spreading His saṅkīrtana movement. The tigers, the elephants, the deer and all other wild animals joined Him and were participating in their own ways, by dancing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Yes. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was passing through the forest of Jhārikhaṇḍa, in central India, the, all the animals joined with Him. Of course, He's Kṛṣṇa Himself. But if one becomes purified, there is no question that… All animals, living entities, would join in saṅkīrtana movement. There is evidence. But one must be very sincere and powerful preacher. If we cannot preach in the, in the society of the animals, we can preach at least in the human societies, who are supposed to be uncivilized or very lower status of life. Actually, it is so happening. In Africa also, our men are going interior in the village. They are almost naked, these Africans-we have got pictures-with big, big earring. So they are also, their children, and they also dance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting. This is the wonderful movement, that anyone can take part. We see the children take part, the dogs take part, the so-called uncivilized men, they also take part. This is the universality of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.

pṛthivīte ācheyata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe more nāma

So it is (the) Lord's prediction, and that is fact. Simply we have to serve the Lord and execute His mission. That will make our life successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

721108ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 8, 1972

Prabhupāda: …stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya

śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a fact in everyone's heart. It is already there. Otherwise how these Europeans and Americans, they're taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously? So it is to be understood that Kṛṣṇa consciousness was there already. By the process of hearing, śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte, process of hearing… As Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam is so auspicious that the chanting of this mantra awakens the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. The more you hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the more your heart becomes cleansed. These are the statements given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There cannot be any defect. My statement may be defective, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu's statement cannot be defective, because He is in the transcendental platform. He is transcendence Himself. Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne. Kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmine. He's Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He has appeared in the form of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. Therefore, whatever He says, that is fact. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. The more we hear the vibration, the transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, without any offense… Even with, mixed with offense… There are three stages of chanting this vibration: offensive chanting, and almost offenseless chanting, and offenseless chanting. Offensive chanting may give you material pains and pleasures, and almost offenseless will give you liberation, will place you in the transcendental platform. And when it is offenseless, then immediately you'll invoke love of God, Kṛṣṇa-prema. So even in offensive stage, if you go on chanting and try to be, try to become safe from offensive condition… Daśa-vidhā-nāma, ten kinds of offenses, if we avoid, that is the process of auspicity. But even we are not in the platform of offenseless chanting, still, we must go on chanting. It will gradually make our heart cleansed and we'll be offenseless. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, awakening of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is required. That is called ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam.

So here, Rūpa Gosvāmī says auspicity means that which spreads for everyone, in all parts of the world. That is auspicity. Not partial. In politics or sociology or humanitarian activities, there is partiality for a certain section of human being, or certain section of living beings. But this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, awakening Kṛṣṇa consc…, dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is meant for all living entities. Even birds, beasts, insects, they can also awaken. This is the recommendation of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, that if we chant loudly, the trees will hear, the birds will hear, the insect will hear, and they will be liberated. That is the statement of Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Therefore chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and awakening of dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the auspicious activities, welfare activities, for every living entity all over the world. Read.

Acyutānanda: "At the present moment, groups of people are engaged in welfare activities in terms of society, community or nation. There is even an attempt in the form of the United Nations for world-help activity. But due to the shortcomings of limited national activities, such a general mass welfare program for the whole world is not practically possible. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, however, is so nice that it can render the highest benefit to the entire human race. Everyone can be attracted by this movement, and everyone can feel the result."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now the human welfare activities are now developed in the form of United Nations. They are tackling various subject matter, but still, it is not possible. They are trying for the last twenty years, but still, even the nations have not become united, what to speak of other welfare activities. It is just a comparison, a little comparison, but this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started, practically, from 1967. I went there in 1965, and for one year I could not do anything. In 1966 this movement was registered in New York, and from 1966 it is spreading. So within four or five years it has spread all over the world. We have got branches in every part of the globe. And at least, these people know there is a movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and we are welcome everywhere as Kṛṣṇa conscious people, "Hare Kṛṣṇa People." Our name is "Hare Kṛṣṇa People." So people may take note of it that within a short period, it has spread so widely. In comparison to United Nations, what we are? We have no money. We have no means. We have no influence. We have no government support. Nothing of the sort. But still, it is spreading.

So yad yad ācarati śreṣṭha lokas tad anuvartate, tat tat eva itaraḥ janaḥ [Bg. 3.21]. According to this formula, if the leaders of the society takes this movement little seriously… They should take, because this is the only movement which can bring in peace and prosperity and happiness to the whole human society. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

[Bg. 5.29]

People are after śānti. This is the formula of śānti. We have to accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme enjoyer. Not we are enjoyer. At the present moment, all our activities are going on, self-centered: "I am enjoyer. I am leader. I am bhokta." No. This is wrong. Kṛṣṇa is bhokta. Kṛṣṇa is leader. Kṛṣṇa is the friend. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This news, this idea, should be spread all over the world. Then automatically, very easily, all the nations will be united. Because Kṛṣṇa consciousness acceptance means ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. The difficulty is the members in the United Nations, they assemble together, but their heart is not clean. They meet together with unclean heart; therefore there is no solution. Whereas Kṛṣṇa consciousness means those who are meeting on the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are meeting in cleansed heart. That is the difference. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Therefore that unity is very solid and sound. And with unclean heart, if we meet, officially, there is no possibility of unity. United Nations, it may be, in the name, but in fact, in fact it cannot be established. Go on.

Acyutānanda: "Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī and other learned scholars agree that a broad propaganda program for the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement of devotional service all over the world is the highest humanitarian welfare activity."

Prabhupāda: Rūpa Gosvāmī has recommended:

yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet

sarve vidhi-niṣedhā syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ

His mission is, somehow or other, try to people…, try to engage people in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they may think of Kṛṣṇa, some way or other. Then regulate them, after that. Actually our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, has attained little success on this principle. When we began this movement we never asked people that "You have to do this; you have to do that." No. "Please come and hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." This was our policy. Never mind what you are. You may be Christian. You may be Jews. You may be Muhammadan or Hindu, Muslim. Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. Please come and join with us, the Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting. Actually, that has become successful. In Tompkins Square, I was sitting underneath a tree and chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra alone. And these young men, they used to assemble and dance also in the tune, for three hours-from two to five. In this way, we got our followers, associates. And gradually it developed into organization. So in the beginning we did not impose so many rules and regulations. There is no rules and regulations. First thing required: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Unless one's heart is cleansed, he cannot accept rules and regulations. That is not possible. Cora nasane dharme khaiḥ (?). If, if a man is thief, and if you give him moral instruction, that "Stealing is very sinful; do not do it," he will not care for it. A butcher, if you advise him that "Animal killing is very bad. It is sinful," he'll not accept it. That is not possible. His heart should be cleansed. Prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the, the process of prāyaścitta, atonement, is discussed, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī has recommended that this process of prāyaścitta, ritualistic ceremony… After committing some sinful activities to counteract it, there are, in every śāstra there is some counteracting formulas. The people generally follow that. In Christian religion also, there is confession, atonement. A sinful man goes to the church and confesses. Similarly, in every religion, there is such atonement process, but Parīkṣit Mahārāja refused to accept this atonement process. He protested that a man commits sinful activities and executes some atonement process-again he commits the same thing. Then what is the use of this atonement? So Śukadeva Gosvāmī understood it because he was a serious student. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī was also a serious teacher. So he then said, "No. Atonement process cannot rectify one. Only prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. One must be thoughtful. One must be in knowledge. Then he can give up sinful activities." So he recommended the process of knowledge. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa tyāgena yamena niyamena [SB 6.1.13]. These are the processes.

So in this age, especially Kali-yuga, even we cannot perform this tapasya, brahmacarya, tyāga, yama, śama, dama… It is not possible. It is possible not for everyone. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given a short-cut formula, this

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

And that is being effective practically. We see, all over the world, because it is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessings:

ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra

kali-kāle nāma vinu gati nāhi āra

So that is recommended by Śukadeva Gosvāmī also:

kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann

asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ

kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya

mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet

[SB 12.3.51]

"Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one becomes liberated from the resultant action of sinful life, and at length he is promoted, paraṁ vrajet…" Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9]. This is the process. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, should be spread. And that is actually auspicity for all people, all over the world. Go on.

Acyutānanda: "How the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can attract the attention of the whole world and how each and every man can feel the pleasure of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is stated in the Padma Purāṇa as follows: 'A person who is engaged in devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to be understood to be doing the best service to the whole world and to be pleasing everyone in the world.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is statement in the Padma Purāṇa. And many other Purāṇas, Vedic literatures, the same thing is confirmed. But simply by taking shelter of Mukunda, one can be free from all types of obligation. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝnām [SB 11.5.41]. There are so many obligations. We have obligation to perform to satisfy the demigods; the great sages; general human society; pitṝnām, the pitṛs, forefathers. So many obligation. But one who takes shelter of Mukunda, he has no other, no more obligation. Nāyam ṛṇī na kiṅkara rājan. Simply by… Just like watering the root of the tree, you can satisfy the trunks, the branches, the twigs, the leaves, the flowers, everything. Similarly, sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā. Simply by executing devotional service, you can execute all other obligations without any deviation. Go on.

Acyutānanda: "In addition to human society, he is pleasing even the trees and animals, because they also become attracted by such a movement.' A practical example of this was shown by Lord Caitanya when He was traveling through the forests of Jhārikhaṇḍa in central India for spreading His saṅkīrtana movement. The tigers, the elephants, the deer and all other wild animals joined Him and were participating, in their own ways, by dancing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Caitanya Mahāprabhu practically exhibited that hari-nāma saṅkīrtana, kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, can attract even animals, tigers, elephants. They also join with Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Of course, His power, our power is not the same. But there is potency. The potency… The potency, as we become powerful, gradually, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has shown that one can come to the stage of enchanting the forest animals also. Go on.

Acyutānanda: "Furthermore, a person engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, acting in devotional service, can develop all the good qualities that are generally found in the demigods. It is said by Śukadeva Gosvāmī in the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eighteenth Chapter, 12th verse, 'My dear King, persons who have unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and are without any duplicity can develop all the good qualities of the demigods.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. A devotee can develop all the good qualities of the demigods-immediately. Because ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. As soon as the heart is cleansed… Because the soul, as he is, he's pure. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ. The spirit soul is not contaminated or does not associate with the material modes of nature. It is simply an illusion, misidentification. Just like water and oil does not mix, but it appears that oil is fallen in the water, similarly, although we are in this material world, in the material consciousness, our identity is not actually in material consciousness. It is simply… Just like dreaming. The example is dreaming. Just like in dream I see so many hallucinations. Actually, dream is false. I am separate from the dream. But while dreaming, I think I am actually enjoying or suffering. Similarly, by the association of the modes of material nature, we are thinking like that. Otherwise, we are free from the contamination of the material nature. Simply by changing the consciousness, immediately we can transfer ourself to the spiritual platform. So the more we become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our original characteristics, which are very pure, they become manifest. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ. The factual example is here, these European and American boys. They were addicted to so many nonsense habits, but since they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness they have given up all these nonsense habits immediately, without any very great endeavor. So this is the fact. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra. Pure character, pure qualities will be manifest. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12]. Similarly, just the opposite: if one is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot have any good qualities, however he may be educated academically. That is not possible. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12]. Therefore, at the present moment, although the leaders are all very educated academically, but still, they cannot bring in peace in the society, because they're godless. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12]. Great, great leaders, on account of their godlessness, they cannot lead the people nicely. Therefore there is no peace and prosperity in the society. Go on.

Acyutānanda: "Furthermore, a person engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, acting in devotional service…" Oh. "It is said by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, 'On account of a devotee's high grade of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even the demigods like to live with him, and therefore it can be understood that the qualities of the demigods have developed within his body.' On the other hand, a person who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has no good qualities. He may be highly educated from the academic point of view, but in the actual field of his activities he can be seen to be baser than the animals."

Prabhupāda: Yes. We see sometimes one man who is very educated, highly, university educated, but practical life-baser than animal. Because he, he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He's not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. A devotee of Kṛṣṇa cannot be like that. Go on.

Acyutānanda: "Even though a person is highly educated academically, if he cannot go beyond the sphere of mental activities, then he is sure to perform only material activities and thus remain impure."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Our so-called advancement of education means to live on the mental platform. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathena [SB 5.18.12]. They have no information of the spiritual platform. They… After bodily concept of life, the next platform is mental and intellectual concept of life. But spiritual life is beyond mental and intellectual concept of life. So unless one comes to the spiritual platform, even on mental and intellectual platform, he cannot do anything good to the society. Hm.

Acyutānanda: "There are so many persons in the modern world who have been highly educated in the materialistic universities, but it is seen that they cannot take up the movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and develop the high qualities of the demigods."

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Acyutānanda: "For example, a Kṛṣṇa conscious boy, even if he is not very well educated by the university standard, can immediately give up all illicit sex life, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication, whereas those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, although very highly educated, are often drunkards, meat-eaters, sex-mongers and gamblers."

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is… There is a practical example in this connection. Lord Zetland. He was a great philosopher, and he was governor of Bengal, and many good posts he held. But sometimes one of our Godbrothers went in London to preach, and this Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland, he asked the Gosvāmī that whether he could make him a brāhmaṇa. So he said yes, he could be made a brāhmaṇa, provided he can give up these habits: illicit-sex, gambling, meat-eating and intoxication. The honorable Lord replied: "It is impossible. It is impossible." So actually, unless one is trained into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is not a very easy thing to give up all these bad habits. But practically we see, because these boys, these European, American boys, they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously, without any external endeavour, they have been able to give up all these bad habits. Go on.

Acyutānanda: "These are practical proofs of how a Kṛṣṇa conscious person becomes highly developed in good qualities, whereas a person who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot do so. We experience that even a young boy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is unattached to cinemas, night clubs, naked dance shows, restaurants, liquor shops, etc. He becomes completely freed. He saves his valuable time from being extravagantly spent in the way of smoking, drinking, and attending the theater and dancing. One who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness usually cannot sit silently for even half an hour."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is also another symptom, restlessness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person can sit down in one place. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, sitting one place, day and night. There is not a single example in the world that one can sit down, I mean to say, ordinary persons. They cannot. They must be restless. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that one can sit down in one place. Of course, it is not to be imitated. It is to be attained. Anywhere. Just like Gosvāmīs. They used to live underneath a tree one night. So these things are possible when one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Go on.

Acyutānanda: "The yoga system teaches that if you become silent, you will realize that you are God. This system may be all right for materialistic persons, but how long will they be able to keep themselves silent? Artificially, they may sit down for so-called meditation, but immediately after their yogic performance, they will engage themselves again in such activities as illicit sex life, gambling, meat-eating and many other nonsensical things. But a Kṛṣṇa conscious person gradually elevates himself without endeavoring for this so-called silent meditation."

Prabhupāda: Actually, yoga practice means yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. The whole yogic process, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, is meant for controlling the senses. Durdanta indriya-kāla-paṭalī. Indriya, the senses, are just like snakes. As it is very difficult to enchant the snakes, similarly, it is very difficult to control the senses. And the yoga system (is) especially meant for controlling the senses, controlling the mind, and then concentrate on the form of Viṣṇu. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1]. This is yoga process. But practically we see the so-called yogis, or student of yoga class, I have seen in Western countries, they are habituated to all these nonsense habits-illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating. Still, they're passing on as yogis. So that kind of yoga will not help. Go on.

Acyutānanda: "Simply because he is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he automatically gives up all this nonsense and develops a high character. One develops the highest character by becoming a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The conclusion is that no one can truly have any good qualities if he is lacking Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12]. This is the conclusion, that if one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, we do not accept him as highly qualified. That is the statement of Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā:

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ

[Bg. 7.15]

So we take this formula. If… We test whether he has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. If not, then he comes to the four groups: duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. We take it, immediately. He must be one of them, either duṣkṛtina or mūḍha or all, narādhama, māyayā apahṛta. He may be… Māyayā apahṛta-jñāna means he might be highly educated academically, but māyā has taken away his knowledge. Āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because he has taken to the principle of atheism, all these educational qualifications, or sharp brain… Kṛtinaḥ… Duṣkṛtina means… Kṛtina means one who has got very sharp brain, sharp memory; he's called kṛti. But on account of association with māyā, his brain is utilized for doing something harmful to the human society. They, they cannot do anything good to the human society. That is not possible. Then?

Acyutānanda: " 'Happiness In Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.' Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed the different sources of happiness. He has divided happiness into three categories, which are (1) happiness derived from material enjoyment, (2) happiness derived by identifying oneself with the Supreme Brahman, and (3) happiness derived from Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the Tantra-śāstra, Lord Śiva speaks to his wife, Satī, in this way: 'My dear wife, a person who has surrendered himself at the lotus feet of Govinda and who has thus developed pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be very easily awarded all the perfections desired by the impersonalists; and beyond this, he can enjoy the happiness achieved by the pure devotees.' "

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Acyutānanda: "Happiness derived from pure devotional service is the highest because it is eternal, but the happiness derived from material perfection or understanding oneself to be Brahman is inferior because it is only temporary. There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is even every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived from identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Happiness, it is our experience that happiness derived from material enjoyment, that is not permanent. That we can understand. But happiness of identifying oneself with Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, nirbheda-brahmānusandhana, that happiness is also not permanent. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Āruhya kṛcchreṇ… By great austerity, auspici…, and penance, one may rise up to the platform of Brahman realization, paraṁ padam. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Again he falls down. We have seen many big, big sannyāsī. they give up this world as brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, false. But after some time, when they cannot actually realize Brahman, they again come to this jagat for humanitarian work, for welfare activities. If jagat is mithyā, then why do they come again to this welfare activity? So jagat is not mithyā, but it is temporary. We do not say mithyā. Vaiṣṇava philosophers, they do not accept the jagat as mithyā. Why? If it is emanation from the Absolute Truth, it must be true. It is not mithyā, but we accept it as temporary. We do not accept as permanent. The permanent jagat is the spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ [Bg. 8.20]. There is another spiritual world; that is sanātana, that is permanent. This world is not permanent. So even though it is not permanent, it can be utilized for the service of the Lord. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. That is our philosophy. We don't take the jagat as mithyā; we take it as fact, because it is emanation from the supreme fact. So just like gold earring is also gold-that is not iron-similarly, the, this material world is made of the external energy of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we do not find anything here wrong. We try to dovetail everything in the service of Kṛṣṇa, because it is Kṛṣṇa's. Just like one's property must be enjoyed by the proprietor. Kṛṣṇa says that bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He's the proprietor of this world. Therefore everything dovetailed in His service for His satisfaction, that is devotional service. That is the professional (perfectional?) stage of serving Kṛṣṇa. So we don't take the world as mithyā.

Therefore those who are impersonalists, they think that they have become liberated. Actually, they are not liberated. The Bhāgavata says, vimukta-māninaḥ. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking like that. Actually, their intelligence is not yet completely purified. Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32]. So even Brahma-sukha, the happiness derived from realization of Brahman, is not perfect. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

That brahma-bhūtaḥ state is a preliminary qualification to enter into devotional service. But if one does not enter into devotional service, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ, neglects the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then patanty adhaḥ. These are the statements, authoritative statements.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

721109ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 9, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading:) "Furthermore, a person engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, acting in devotional service, can develop all the good qualities that are generally found in the demigods." Oh.

Prabhupāda: Read, "in Kṛṣṇa consciousness…"

Pradyumna: " 'Happiness In Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.' Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed the different sources of happiness. He has divided happiness into three categories, which are (1) happiness derived from material enjoyment, (2) happiness derived by identifying oneself with the Supreme Brahman, and (3) happiness derived (through) from Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the tantra-śāstra, Lord Śiva speaks to his wife, Satī, in this way: 'My dear wife, a person who has surrendered himself to the lotus feet of Govinda and who has thus developed pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be very easily awarded all the perfections desired by the impersonalists; and beyond this, he can enjoy the happiness achieved by the pure devotees.' Happiness derived from pure devotional service is the highest because it is eternal. But the happiness derived from material perfection or understanding oneself to be Brahman is inferior because it is temporary. There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is even every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived out of identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman."

Prabhupāda: This we have explained last night, how the, a person enjoying happiness as Brahman realization… There are many examples, both in the East and the West, that… In our Eastern countries, the Māyāvādī philosophy is very prominent, and their basic principle is: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "The world is false, and Brahman, that is truth." But we have practically seen many sannyāsīs, they renounce this world as mithyā and take to Brahman realization path, but after some days, they come down to politics, sociology, philanthropy. Why? If Brahman is satya, jagat is mithyā, false, then why they, from the platform of satya, they fall down again in the mithyā? This is our question. To open hospital or to open a school or similar philanthropic activities are generally being done by persons who are embarrassed with this mithyā world. Why the sannyāsīs, who left this world as mithyā and went to the platform of Brahman realization, and why they come to this platform again for opening school, hospitals? What is the answer? Is there any answer?

Devotee: They can't remain there.

Prabhupāda: Uh? That means they could not realize the happiness of Brahman. What is your opinion, Gosāi? If they would have derived any happiness from that Brahman platform, then why would (they) come down to this platform which was rejected as mithyā? So accepting that Brahman realization is real happiness, but they could not realize that happiness. Under the circumstances, they must come down to realize happiness in these varieties of material world. Because they found it better happiness by taking in politics and on political movements or opening school, hospitals. They found better happiness in these activities. Then why the, they say that this jagat mithyā? These are activities of the material world.

So the answer is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that their such kind of Brahman realization is not fact. That Brahman realization is answered in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as vimukta-māninaḥ. They simply think that they have become liberated. Actually, they are not liberated. Otherwise, how they come down again to the platform of bondage? This is the answer. Ye 'nye ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Vimukta-māninaḥ. These impersonalists, they are thinking falsely that they have become Nārāyaṇa, or liberated. Actually, it is not so? Why? Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, their intelligence is not yet purified. Because there is material attachment, that means the intelligence is still materially affected. Otherwise, how they should be materially inclined and come to the material platform? The answer is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. The intelligence is not yet purified. Why it is not purified? That is also explained: āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam [SB 10.2.32]. By severe austerities, penances, they follow very strictly the rules and regulation of renouncement. That is called kṛccha sādhana, difficult procedure for self-realization. But despite all these endeavors, because their intelligence is not purified, they fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam [SB 10.2.32]. They realize, actually, the impersonal Brahman, nirbheda-brahmānusandhana. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ patanty adhaḥ. Again they fall down from that platform. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Because they could not adore the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. On account of their impersonal impression, they could not appreciate the transcendental, sac-cid-ananda vigraha [Bs. 5.1] of Kṛṣṇa, and could not surrender there. Kṛṣṇa therefore says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births of such struggle, when actually one becomes wise, jñānavān, he surrenders unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of knowledge.

So impersonal Brahman realization, nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana, is good attempt, but, above that, if one cannot make progress… Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. The Absolute Truth is realized as impersonal Brahman, then Paramātmā, then the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So unless a wise jñānavān, jñānī, does not reach to the platform of understanding the personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his intelligence is still not very much purified.

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ

tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ

patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ

[SB 10.2.32]

Because unless we get some shelter, we cannot stay in the impersonal feature. Just like yesterday I spoke that you may go very high on your sputnik or airplane, but if you don't get any shelter in some planet, then you have to come back again on this planet. That is actually, we are experiencing. They are trying to go to the moon planet, but because they are not able to stay there, they come back again. First of all, whether they are actually going in the moon planet, that is also a questionable thing. Anyway, even they go there, why they are coming back again? They cannot stay there.

So unless and until we have got a stay in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, which are situated in the Brahman effulgence, then simply in the impersonal Brahman effulgence we cannot stay, because there is no variety. Therefore to enjoy variety, one has to come down again to this material variety. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Because we are living entities, part and parcel of the supreme living entity, Param Brahman, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, so, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa is by nature joyful, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), similarly we are also joyful. We are also seeking after that joyful life. That joyful life is eternally possible when we dance with Kṛṣṇa, not dance alone or dance with anyone else. So unless we get that position, there is no actually happiness. Because variety is the mother of enjoyment. That is an English proverb. Just like when we eat, we eat the same thing, grain, and milk product, but when it is made in varieties, ruci, halavā and other things, the same milk preparation and grain, but it is made into varieties, it becomes enjoyable. Variety is the mother of enjoy… If I give you a lump of milk, or lump of grain, that is not enjoyable. When it is made into varieties, it is enjoyable. Similarly Brahman, manifested in varieties, that is enjoyable. That you cannot have in the impersonal Brahman. When we approach the personal Brahman, Param Brahman, that variety is available, and there we can enjoy. From there we do not return. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. So simply impersonal Brahman realization, that happiness is not perfect, neither this material varieties are perfect. So brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. When we are fed up with these material varieties, we try to enter in the impersonal Brahman. But even in the impersonal Brahman, when there is want of varieties, then again we come back to these material varieties. Therefore we see so many learned scholars, sannyāsīs, they give up these material varieties as mithyā and enter into the impersonal Brahman, but without variety there, they come again to the material variety for opening schools and hospitals. This is the fact.

So āruhya kṛcchrena paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Because they have no information of the spiritual varieties in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, in the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, they come down, because there is no bhakti. In the Vaikuṇṭha planets or Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, nobody can enter unless he's a pure devotee.

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti

yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ

tato māṁ tattvataḥ jñātvā

viśate tad-anantaram

[Bg. 18.55]

When one understands Kṛṣṇa in truth, then he's allowed to enter; otherwise, he cannot enter. He remains outside. Just like if we have got capacity to enter into the sun planet then we can enter. Otherwise we remain in the sunshine. To remain in the sunshine and to enter into the sun planet is not the same thing. Although the sun and the sunshine are light, illumination, still there is difference between the sun and the sunshine. Similarly, impersonal Brahman effulgence and Vaikuṇṭha planets, both of them, absolute, but still Brahman effulgence and entering into the Vaikuṇṭha planets or Goloka Vṛndāvana planets are not the same. Or, in other words, those are not, those who are not devotees, but impersonalists, they can stay outside the Vaikuṇṭha planets in the Brahman effulgence, but they cannot enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Because they have not adored or glorified the lotus feet of the Lord, they are not allowed into the Goloka Vṛndāvana or Vaikuṇṭha planet. And they cannot remain perpetually in the impersonal Brahman effulgence. They come down again to these material varieties. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. They cannot go upwards. They come, come down. That we have practically seen. All big, big swamis, all Vedantists, but they could not find. Even big, big swamis, they are now taking to Bhāgavata and other Vaiṣṇava literature at the present moment. Because their own literature is finished. How long they'll simply call for Brahman? Unless they come to Kṛṣṇa, there is no varieties of enjoyment. Therefore here it is said that "There is no…" Go on. What is it?

Pradyumna: "There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived out of identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman."

Prabhupāda: Every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness. That spiritual happiness, nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana. Nirbheda, without any distinction. That is not real Brahman happiness. Brahman happiness means that there must be a distinction. The distinction means Kṛṣṇa is predominator and everyone is predominated. Just like the gopīs. Kṛṣṇa is the predominator, and the gopīs and all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana-Nanda Mahārāja, Yaśodā and the cowherd boys, servant, trees, plants, flowers, water, animals, cows-everyone is predominated. Kṛṣṇa is only predominator. That is real happiness. Whenever there is any trouble in Vṛndāvana, they approach the predominator and immediately the predominator takes care and they're happy. This is Vṛndāvana life. As soon as there was torrents of rain, the, all the inhabitants, inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they approached Kṛṣṇa to give them protection. And Kṛṣṇa immediately gave them protection by lifting Govardhana Hill. So they were confident that Kṛṣṇa's there. They did not know Kṛṣṇa as God. They simply loved Kṛṣṇa, and they were confident that "So long Kṛṣṇa is there, we are happy, we are out of danger." That is the conviction of the Vṛndāvana-vāsī. They simply concentrate on Kṛṣṇa.

So from that standard of happiness nobody falls down. But other spiritual happiness derived from impersonal Brahman effulgence or localized Paramātmā connection… Because that is not complete connection, complete relationship with the Supreme Brahman. Partial. Sac-cid-ānanda. Because unless we approach the Personality of Godhead there is no question of ānanda. You can achieve partially sat portion, you can achieve partially cit portion, sac-cit, but unless you come to the platform ānanda-the real ānanda is with Kṛṣṇa in the Goloka Vṛndāvana-so there is chance of falling down. One who does not endeavor to approach this platform of ānandamaya, ānandamaya 'bhyāsāt, where everything is simply ānanda… Even the birds and beasts and the flowers and the water, they are also enjoying that blissfulness. So that is required. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Śukadeva Gosvāmī says about the cowherd boys, kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ.

itthaṁ (satāṁ) brahma-sukhānubhūtyā

dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena

māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa

sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ

[SB 10.12.11]

Unless one has accumulated volumes of acti…, activities of pious activities, one cannot enter into the Goloka Vṛndāvana platform and enjoy with Kṛṣṇa in so many capacities. Śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya, mādhurya rasa. That is required. Go on.

Pradyumna: "It has been seen that great Māyāvādī or impersonalist sannyāsīs-very highly educated and almost realized souls-may sometimes take to political activities or to social welfare activities. The reason is that they actually do not derive any ultimate transcendental happiness in the impersonal understanding and therefore must come down to the material platform and take to such mundane affairs."

Prabhupāda: The material variety is the perverted reflection of the spiritual variety. As it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fifteenth Chapter: ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākha. This tree, this material world (is) compared with a aśvattha vṛkṣa. The root is up, upstairs, upwards, and the branches and leaves are down, downwards. Why? Because it is reflection, chaya, or māyā. The real tree is in the Vaikuṇṭha planet or in the spiritual world. It is only simply reflection. Just like a tree standing on the bank of reservoir of water, on the bank of a lake or a river, you'll see the tree is reflected downwards. So this description in the Fifteenth Chapter of this material world, downwards… Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākha means this is only a perverted reflection of the spiritual world. The real tree is in the spiritual world. The other day, who was asking about this question? Some of our…? Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākha? Who was asking me? Eh? Oh. Gopāla. He's not here. All right.

So adhah-śākha ūrdhva-mūlam. This means this material, all the varieties, here is also representation of śānta rasa, dāsya rasa, sākhya rasa, mādhurya rasa, vātsalya rasa. Here is also the reflection. We see, just like we are sitting on this ground underneath the tree. This is the, the earth is serving us in śānta rasa. Similarly, we have got our servants. That is dāsya rasa. We have got our friends. That is sākhya rasa. We have got our parents. That is Vātsalya rasa. And we have got our lovers also. That is mādhurya rasa. But it is only reflection. It is compared with the mirage. Just like the desert, there is reflection of water. Actually there is no water. Similarly, all this perverted reflection of śānta rasa, dāsya rasa, sākhya rasa, this is just like mirage. It is simply a reflection. It has no actual fact. Here nobody's friend, nobody's servant, nobody's parent, nobody's lover. It is simply a bondage of some self-interest. The servant is not actually serving the master; it is serving the money which the master gives him. As soon as the payment will be stopped, there will be no more service. Therefore it is a perverted reflection of that service attitude in the Vaikuṇṭha planet. And similarly we have seen there is…, there was high-court cases between mother and the sons, and they spent lots of money. Still they could not come into conclusion. The motherly affection, the paternal affection, just simply a shadow. It appears to be true because the truth is elsewhere. Just like in the desert it appears there is a great, vast mass of water, but actually there is no water. But that does not mean there is no water. The impression of water is there because there is actually water somewhere. Similarly, we are trying to taste the five rasas in this material world. Because actually these rasas are there in the spiritual world. This is only reflection. Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākha. And because in the spiritual world it is a fact, we are taking these false things as fact, these temporary things as fact. Actually it is not fact. Go on.

Pradyumna: "There are many instances, especially in India, where these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs descend to the material platform again. But a person who is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will never return to any sort of material platform. However alluring and attracting they may be, he always knows that no material welfare activities can be compared with the spiritual activity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The mystic perfections achieved by actually successful yogis are eight in number. Aṇimā-siddhi refers to the power by which one can become so small that he can enter into a stone. Modern scientific improvements also enable us to enter into stone because they provide for excavating so many subways, penetrating the hills, etc. So aṇimā-siddhi, the mystic perfection of trying to enter into stone, has also been achieved by material science. Similarly, all of the yoga siddhis, or perfections, are material arts."

Prabhupāda: Yoga siddhis, they are simply material arts. Just like one example is given, that aṇimā siddhi, aṇimā siddhi means to enter into the stone. So we see in the Western countries they are boring big, big hills and entering in the stone. So that aṇimā siddhi is being possible, is made possible by modern scientific research. So all the siddhis, aṣṭa siddhi, aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, prākāmya, īśitā, vaśitā, these all siddhis are material. They are not spiritual. But people do not know what is spiritual perfection. They become amazed by seeing some magic by these yogic arts. They're simply material arts. Go on.

Pradyumna: "For example, in one yoga siddhi there is development of the power to become so light that one can float in the air or on water. That is also being performed by modern scientists. They are flying in air, they are floating on the surface of the water, and they are traveling under the water. After comparing all these mystic siddhis to materialistic perfections it is found that the materialistic scientists try for the same perfections. So actually there is no difference between mystic perfection and materialistic perfection. A German scholar once said that the so-called yoga perfections have already been achieved by the modern scientists and so he was not concerned with them. He intelligently went to India to learn how he could understand his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord by means of bhakti-yoga, devotional service."

Prabhupāda: Therefore, bhakti-yoga is the greatest science. Other things, the yogic perfections, can be achieved by the materialist scientists. So that is not very great art. The greatest art to learn is how to learn bhakti-yoga and understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55].

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ

mukta-saṅgasya jāyate

[SB 1.2.20]

When one is freed from material contamination, then one can understand the science of bhakti-yoga. So, some way or other, if we try to understand bhakti-yoga, that is the great science. That is the… To learn. If you actually want to learn something greatest in the scientific world, that is bhakti-yoga. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Of course, in the categories of mystic perfection there are certain processes which the material scientists have not yet been able to develop. For instance, a mystic yogi can enter into the sun planet simply by using the rays of the sunshine. This perfection is called laghimā. Similarly, a yogi can touch the moon with his finger. Though the modern astronauts go to the moon with the help of spaceships, they undergo many difficulties, whereas a person with mystic perfection can extend his hand and touch the moon with his finger. This siddhi is called prāpti, or acquisition. With this prāpti-siddhi, the perfect mystic yogi can not only touch the moon planet, but he can extend his hand everywhere and take whatever he likes. He may be sitting thousands of miles away from a certain place, and if he likes he can take fruit from a garden there. This is called prāpti-siddhi. The modern scientists have manufactured nuclear weapons with which they can destroy an insignificant part of this planet, but by the yoga siddhi known as īśitā one can create and destroy an entire planet simply at will. Another perfection is called vaśitā, and by this perfection one can bring anyone under his control. This is a kind of hypnotism which is almost irresistible. Sometimes it is found that a yogi who may have attained a little perfection in this vaśitā mystic power comes out among the people and speaks all sorts of nonsense, controls their minds, exploits them, takes their money and then goes away. There is another mystic perfection which is known as prākāmya or magic. By this prākāmya power one can achieve anything he likes. For example, one can make water enter into his eye and then again come out from within the eye. Simply by his will he can perform such wonderful activities. The highest perfection of mystic power is called kāmāvasāyitā. This is also magic, but whereas the prākāmya power acts to create wonderful effects within the scope of nature, kāmāvasāyitā permits one to contradict nature-in other words, to do the impossible. Of course, one can achieve great amounts of temporary happiness by achieving such yogic materialistic perfections."

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is called Yogeśvara. He's also the master of all yogic mystic power. Therefore a bhakta, a true devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he does not endeavor personally to achieve all these yogic mystic power. He depends on Kṛṣṇa, and if there is necessity of exhibiting some yogic power, Kṛṣṇa will show. Kṛṣṇa will exhibit. Yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ. So although Arjuna did not manifest any yogic power, but, by Kṛṣṇa's grace everything was so wonderfully performed in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Otherwise Arjuna was a, an insignificant warrior in front of Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Dronācārya. This is admitted by Mahārāja Parīkṣit, that it is simply by the grace of Kṛṣṇa that his grandfather came out victorious in front of Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Dronācārya and similar great heroes. So if any heroic action has to be shown, the devotee does not endeavor separately for showing such heroic manifestation. Because he depends on Kṛṣṇa, if there is need, then Kṛṣṇa will show. Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin. Actually, the battlefield was conducted by Kṛṣṇa, and He owned the victory, but officially, historically, it is said that Arjuna owned the victory. So a devotee does not require to acquire all the talents, how to own victory. Kṛṣṇa will do that business. A devotee has only to surrender sincerely unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Then everything will be done wonderfully.

Thank you very much. (end)

721110ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 10, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading:) "Foolishly, people who are enamored of the glimmer of modern materialistic advancement are thinking that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for less intelligent men. 'I am better off being busy with my material comforts-maintaining a nice apartment, family and sex life.' These people do not know that at any moment they can be kicked out of their material situation. Due to ignorance, they do not know that real life is eternal. The temporary comforts of the body are not the goal of life, and it is due only to darkest ignorance that people become enamored of the glimmering advancement of material comforts. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has therefore said that the advancement of material knowledge renders a person more foolish because it causes one to forget his real identification by its glimmer. This is doom for…"

Prabhupāda: Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he sings, jaḍa-vidyā saba māyāra vaibhava. This advancement of material education means advancement of the snares of the illusory energy of Kṛṣṇa. Māyāra vaibhava. Because we are already enamored by the glimmer of this material world. Just like the insects are attracted by the fire. They, with great force, enter into the fire without knowing that he's going to die. His forceful entrance into the fire means his sure death. Actually, we are seeing, especially in the Western countries, this motorcar civilization, when we run on on the motorcar, especially with high speed, it is always we think that any moment danger can take place. (aside:) You remember, you were driving your father's car, eighty miles. So I asked you, "Don't go so fast." So the materialistic way of life is that. We create some so-called comforts of life for temporary enjoyment, but at the same time, we take the risk of so many dangerous condition. In the śāstra it is said that this place is padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām [SB 10.14.58]. In every step there is danger. Although we are trying to mitigate all kinds of discomforts, it is simply changing the burden from head to the shoulder. Just like a coolie carrying some burden, when he feels uncomfortable, he changes the burden from head to the shoulder, but actually, that is not mitigating the pains of burden. Similarly, we are trying to get material comforts by manufacturing or adventing so many scientific discoveries, but that is not actually getting happiness. It is simply changing the position. Exactly, we just consider that in your country, especially, you have got many motorcars, but riding on motorcars, how much dangerous conditions you accept. Everyone accept.

So this kind of changing the course of discomfort… Actually, it is a place for discomfort. You cannot expect real comfort within this material world. It is a place… Because Kṛṣṇa Himself certifies this place duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. It is a place for miserable condition of life. Now, how you can make it a happy place? That is not possible. So our attempt to make us happy, the example is given, just like to take the heavy burden from head to the shoulder. That's all. Changing the place. Now we are creating so many problems, you know. You have got many cars, many roads, but still, you have to construct highways or flyways, one road after another, one road after another. Still, there is congestion. Still, there is accident. So in this way we cannot be comfortable. This is a vain endeavor. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are unnecessarily, hopelessly trying to become happy within this material world. And people, the so-called scientists, so-called advancement of material education means… Now, the scientist says that they have finished their business; they have no more to discover. But the discomforts of life still is there. As it was two hundred years ago, still, I think it is more acute now than two hundred years ago. So in this way, we cannot… The another example is that just like we dream. We dream something dangerous, a tiger is coming, a snake is coming; sometimes we want to change to another sort of dream. Those who have got practical experience… Dreaming another dream in dream. Similarly, our attempt, so-called attempt to become comfortable in this material world, and manufacturing some ways of comforts, it is simply useless endeavor, because such kind of artificial endeavoring will not make us happy. Real happiness is, as we are trying to manufacture so many things, as Kṛṣṇa says, real happiness is there, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ: [Bg. 18.66] to take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. That is required. We have to take shelter of Mukunda, Murāri, Kṛṣṇa. Then we'll be happy. Go on.

Pradyumna: "This is doom for him because this human form of life is meant for getting out of the material contamination. By the advancement of material knowledge, people are becoming more and more entangled in material existence. They have no hope of being liberated from this catastrophe. In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya it is stated that Prahlāda Mahārāja, a great devotee of the Lord, prayed to Nṛsiṁhadeva (the half-lion, half-man incarnation), as follows: 'My dear Lord, I repeatedly pray unto Your lotus feet that I may simply be stronger in devotional service. I simply pray that my Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be more strong and steady, because happiness derived out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service is so powerful that with it one can have all the other perfections of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and even the attainment of liberation from material existence.' Actually, a pure devotee does not aspire after any of these perfections because the happiness derived from devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so transcendental and so unlimited that no other happiness can be compared with it. It is said that even one drop of happiness in Kṛṣṇa consciousness stands beyond comparison with an ocean of happiness derived from any other activity. Thus, any person who has developed even a little quantity of pure devotional service can very easily kick out all the other kinds of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and liberation."

Prabhupāda: Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa [SB 4.8.41]. There are, people are generally after four principles of happiness: being religious, being economically developed, being very good candidate for satisfying senses, and when one is frustrated to derive any happiness from these three principles, he wants liberation, nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana. That is also not actual happiness, because, as I was explaining this morning, that even one merges into the Brahman effulgence after severe penances and austerity, there is chance of falling down. There is chance. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanti [SB 10.2.32]. Paraṁ pada is to merge into the Brahman effulgence existence. But from there also, one falls down, as I was giving the example of many big sannyāsīs in the modern age. They are very learned scholar. They took to sannyāsa, giving up this world as false, but again, after some time, they come to politics, sociology. That means that is their falldown. Because they could not actually taste the Brahman, brahmānanda, for which they sacrificed everything… So brahmānanda is not such a thing that one will come again to this false platform which they rejected as brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. If jagat is mithyā, then why such exalted persons, who gave up everything for brahmānanda… That means they could not taste brahmānanda. Therefore they fell down. Go on.

Pradyumna: "There was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya known as Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, who was a very poor man. He was doing a small business selling cups made from the leaves of plantain trees, and his income was almost nothing. Still, he was spending fifty percent of his small income on the worship of the Ganges, and with the other fifty percent he was somehow living. Lord Caitanya once revealed Himself to this confidential devotee, Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, and offered any opulence that he liked…"

Prabhupāda: Yes, Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered this Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, wanted to benedict him with any kinds of benediction he wanted. But he said, "I am quite happy." Go on reading.

Pradyumna: "Śrīdhara informed the Lord that he did not want any material opulence. He was quite happy in his present position and wanted only to gain unflinching faith and devotion unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. That is the position of the pure devotees. If they can be engaged twenty-four hours each day in devotional service, they do not want anything else, not even the happiness of liberation or of becoming one with the Supreme. In the Nārada-pañcarātra it is also said that any person who has developed even a small amount of devotional service doesn't care a fig for any kind of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification, or the five kinds of liberation."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Dharmārtha-kāma, kāma-mokṣaḥ samaya-pratīkṣāḥ muktiḥ mukulitañjali sevate asmān. For a devotee, mukti is not a thing aspirable, because, as it is stated by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, mukti is trying to serve the devotee with folded hands. Because a devotee is already liberated. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. A pure devotee, who is constantly engaged in devotional service, māyā cannot touch him. He's already liberated. So what he has got to ask from the liberty? He hasn't got to ask. Anywhere a devotee lives, he's liberated. That is the statement of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā-manasā vācā: "Anyone who is simply engaged in the devotional service of the Lord by his activities, karmaṇā, by his mind, and by his words, such person is always liberated in any condition of life." Īhā yasya harer dāsye. Simply we have to engage ourself in the devotional service of the Lord, then māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. One who has surpassed the boundaries of māyā, he's liberated. He's liberated. He's already liberated. Why he should aspire after liberation? He's already liberated. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Any kind of happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, liberation or sense gratification cannot even dare to enter into the heart of a pure devotee. It is stated that as the personal attendants and maidservants of a queen follow the queen with all respect and obeisances, similarly, the joys of religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and liberation follow the devotional service of the Lord. In other words, a pure devotee does not lack any kind of happiness derived from any source. He does not want anything but service to Kṛṣṇa, but even if he should have another desire, the Lord fulfills this without the devotee's asking."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Generally, a devotee is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. He's simply engaged to serve the Lord as He desires, just like Arjuna did. Other things follow. Just like a child who takes shelter of the father without any demand, the father sees to his necessities of life. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham [Bg. 9.22]. Kṛṣṇa, one who is fully surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa, and he's engaged in His devotional service, He would see what is the necessity of his life, what does he require. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham. This is the process. Go on.

Pradyumna: " 'Rareness of Pure Devotional Service.' In the preliminary phase of spiritual life there are different kinds of austerities, penances and similar processes for attaining self-realization. However, even if an executor of these processes is without any material desire, he still cannot achieve devotional service. And aspiring by oneself alone to achieve devotional service is also not very hopeful because Kṛṣṇa does not award devotional service to merely anyone. Kṛṣṇa can easily offer a person material happiness or even liberation, but He does not agree very easily to award a person engagement in His devotional service."

Prabhupāda: This is very confidential. To attain Kṛṣṇa's service, that is not so easy. You can get liberation-if you want from Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa can give very easily-or any material opulence. But to give engagement in devotional service, that requires very sincerity. As it is stated by Rūpa Gosvāmī, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ [Brs. 1.1.11]. People, generally, go to temple and churches for mitigating some material wants. Ārto arthārthī. Jijñāsī jñānī ārto arthārthī. Generally, people go to Kṛṣṇa to mitigate some material distresses, ārto, or one who is in need of money. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He went to Kṛṣṇa, he went to worship Kṛṣṇa under the instruction of his mother in the forest with a desire to achieve the kingdom of his father or better, better kingdom than his father. That was his aspiration. But later on, when he actually met the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he said, "My dear Lord, I have no other aspiration. I am completely satisfied." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. So this is the advantage of worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Even one has got some material desire, that material desires will be fulfilled. At the same time, he shall become a pure devotee, just like Dhruva Mahārāja became. He went to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, fulfillment, for fulfilling his material desires, but because he engaged himself in severe austerity and penances for having darśana, or seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when he saw Him actually he forgot all his material desires. That is the advantage. We need not go to any other demigod for fulfilling our material desires.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta paramam puruṣa

[SB 2.3.10]

Even if you have material desires, still, you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will fulfill your material desires and at the end will give shelter at His lotus feet. This is the advantage of devotional service. Whereas if you worship other demigods, you may get some temporary benefit, but at the end, the benefit will be finished, you'll be finished, and the demigod who has given you the benediction, he will be also finished. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām [Bg. 7.23]. Therefore the conclusion is, even if we have got material desires… Generally, a devotee has no material desires, a pure devotee. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. But even one has got some material desires to be fulfilled, if he worships Kṛṣṇa, that desires will be fulfilled. At the same time, he'll get shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord. This is the advantage. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Devotional service can in fact be attained only through the mercy of a pure devotee. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, 'By the mercy of the spiritual master who is a pure devotee and by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, one can achieve the platform of devotional service. There is no other way.' The rarity of devotional service is also confirmed in the tantra-śāstra, where Lord Śiva says to Satī, 'My dear Satī, if one is a very fine philosopher, analyzing the different processes of knowledge, he can achieve liberation from the material entanglement. By performance of the ritualistic sacrifices recommended in the Vedas, one can be elevated to the platform of pious activities and thereby enjoy the material comforts of life to the fullest extent. But all such endeavors can hardly offer anyone devotional service to the Lord, not even if one tries for it by such processes for many, many thousands of births.' "

Prabhupāda: You cannot achieve the platform of devotional service by karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa processes. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings,

karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa sakali viṣera bhāṇḍa

amṛta baliyā yeba khāya

nānā yoni brahman kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare

tāra janma adho pāte yāya

So jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam: [Cc. Madhya 19.167] "Devotional service should not be contaminated by jñāna-kāṇḍa, karma-kāṇḍa, by fruitive activities or mental speculation." Devotional service should be taken exactly in the line of the great authorities. Just like our sampradāya, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, they are following… Rūpānuga.

śrī-rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa-raghunātha

śrī-jīva gopāla-bhaṭṭa dāsa-raghunātha

Ei chaya gosāi yāra tāra mui dāsa. We have to follow the principles of these six Gosvāmīs. That will make us happy. Otherwise, if we adopt the ritualistic ceremonies, śubha-karma… Sama-śubha-kriyā matir pramādaḥ. If we take devotional service as one of the pious activities, śubha-kriyā, that is offense. We should not take devotional service, or chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, equal to some Vedic pious activities, ritualistic ceremonies. It is offense. We should simply follow the path… That is also Vedic. But because we cannot select… Vedeṣu adurlabha. If we study Vedas independently, without going through the lines chalked out by the six Gosvāmīs, then we'll be misled. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. These Gosvāmīs, they were personal devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. They are eternal associates of the Lord. Therefore if we follow their principle, our success if guaranteed. But if we take to the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies without any reference to the path chalked out by the Gosvāmīs, it will not be possible to be successful.

Devotional service is not dependent on śubhāśubha-karma. It is simply dependent on the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. Kṛṣṇa de… Sādhu. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ [SB 7.5.32], mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yā… Unless we surrender to the lotus feet of a pure devotee, it is not possible to come to the platform of devotional service. That is the way. We cannot taste the honey within the bottle. The bottle must be opened by the expert. If you simply lick up the bottle, if we think, "Now we are tasting honey," that is not the proper way. We should get the bottle opened by the expert, and when we taste within the bottle, then actually… Similarly, devotional service, without being opened by the…, open, without the door being opened by the devotee, we cannot enter into the region. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Therefore the process is, as recommended by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, ādau gurvāśrayam. You must select, you must accept the guru who's coming in paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. Sampradāya. That is recommended. We have got Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, four sampradāya: Rāmānuja-sampradāya, Madhva-sampradāya, Nimbārka-sampradāya. So intelligent persons should select guru from these sampradāyas and follow his instruction. Then the path of devotional service will be very easily opened. This is the way. Yes? Go on.

Pradyumna: "In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is also confirmed by Prahlāda Mahārāja that merely by personal efforts or by the instructions of higher authorities one cannot attain to the stage of devotional service. One must become blessed by the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who is completely freed from the contamination of material desires."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Niṣkiñcanam, the devotee, the… You have to select a guru who is niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcana means who has no more anything materially desires. He has finished. The, another verse:

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta

jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam

śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ

brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

[SB 11.3.21]

One who has accept…, accepted the lotus feet of the Lord, brahmaṇy upaśama, he has finished the material desires-no more material desires. Niṣkiñ… That is called niṣkiñcana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajanonmukha, those who are actually desiring to be entered into the path of devotional service, must be niṣkiñcana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya pāraṁ paraṁ jigamisor bhava-sāgarasya. Bhagavad-bhajana means to go on the other side of the ocean of nescience, not in this material world. Anyone who is desiring to be promoted to the heavenly planet, Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Brahmaloka… There are so many higher planetary systems. But a bhagavad-bhakta, devotee, knows that they are unnecessary. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. Again we have to come back. Kṣīṇe kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti [Bg. 9.21]. So this botheration is not very much liked by the pure devotee. Pure devotee does not… Even if he's offered such… Of course, a pure devotee (is) never offered such material benefits. Because Kṛṣṇa says, "The pure devotee, after giving up this body…" Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Punar janma means to take birth in one of the planets, or in one of the species of, out of eight million four hundred thousand species of life. That is called punar janma. But the devotees who are following Caitanya Mahaprābhu's instruction, they do not mind, even there is birth again. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, janmani janmani bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. So even there is birth… Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, kīṭa janma hao yathā tuyā dāsa. "My dear Lord, if You like that I shall take birth again, so kindly give my birth in a place where there is Your devotee." That is wanted. Bahir-mukha-brahma-janma nāhi mora āśa. "And if I become nondevotee and take my birth as Lord Brahmā, I don't want it. Let me become an insect in the house of a devotee." This is the aspiration… The same thing is explained here. Because without the benediction of a pure devotee, it is not possible to enter into the path of devotional service.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

721111ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 11, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading:) "In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam…" Uh. "In the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Sixth Chapter, 18th verse, Nārada also says to Yudhiṣṭhira, 'My dear King, it is Lord Kṛṣṇa, known as Mukunda, who is the eternal protector of the Pāṇḍavas and the Yadus. He is also your spiritual master and instructor in every respect. He is the only worshipable God for you. He is very dear and affectionate, and He is the director of all your activities, both individual and familial. And what's more, He sometimes carries out your orders as if He were your messenger! My dear King, how very fortunate you are because for others all these favors given to you by the Supreme Lord would not even be dreamt of.' The purport of this verse is that the Lord easily offers liberation, but He rarely agrees to offer a soul devotional service, because by devotional service the Lord Himself becomes purchased by the devotee."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Go on.

Pradyumna: " 'The Happiness of Becoming One with the Supreme.' Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that if brahmānanda, or the happiness of becoming one with the Supreme, is multiplied by one trillionfold, still, it cannot be compared with an atomic fraction of the happiness derived from the ocean of devotional service. In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya… Prahlāda Mahārāja, while satisfying Lord Nṛsiṁha by his prayers, says, 'My dear Lord of the universe, I am feeling transcendental pleasure in Your presence and have become merged in the ocean of happiness. I now consider the happiness of brahmānanda to be no more than the water in the impression left by a cow's hoof in the earth, compared to this ocean of bliss.' Similarly, it is confirmed in the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā, Śrīdhara Swami's commentary on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: 'My dear Lord, some of the fortunate persons who are swimming in the ocean of Your nectar of devotion, and who are relishing the nectar of the narration of Your pastimes, certainly know ecstasies which immediately minimize the value of the happiness derived from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification and liberation. Such a transcendental devotee regards any kind of happiness other than devotional service as no better than straw in the street.' "

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Pradyumna: " 'Attracting Kṛṣṇa.' Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated that devotional service at…"

Prabhupāda: Any, any question arises, you can ask.

Pradyumna: "Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has stated that devotional service attracts even Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone, but devotional service attracts Kṛṣṇa. The symbol of devotional service in the highest degree is Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa is called Madana-mohana, which means that He is so attractive that He can defeat the attraction of thousands of Cupids. But Rādhārāṇī is still more attractive, for She can even attract Kṛṣṇa. Therefore devotees call Her Madana-mohana-mohinī, the attractor of the attractor of Cupid. To perform devotional service means to follow in the footsteps of Rādhārāṇī…"

Prabhupāda: Madana-mohana, Madana-mohana. Madana means sex attraction. Madana, sex attraction, Cupid, and Kṛṣṇa is called Madana-mohana. One can, I mean, neglect even sex attraction if one is attracted to Kṛṣṇa. That is the test. Madana (is) attracting in this material world. Everyone is attracted by sex life. The whole material world is existing on sex life. This is the fact. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-suhkhaṁ hi tuccham. Here, the happiness, the so-called happiness is maithuna, maithunādi. Maithunādi means here happiness begins from maithuna, sex intercourse. Generally, people…, a man marries. The purpose is to satisfy sex desire. Then he begets children. Then again, when the children are grown up, they, the daughter is married with another boy and the boy is married with another daughter, another girl. That is also the same purpose: sex. Then again, grandchildren. In this way, this material happiness-śriyaiśvarya-prajepsavaḥ. The other day we discussed. Śrī means beauty, aiśvarya means wealth, and prajā means generation. So generally, people, they like it-good family, good bank balance and good wife, good daughter, daughter-in-law. If one family is consisting of beautiful women and riches and grea…, many children, he is supposed to be successful. He's supposed to be most successful man. So śāstra says, "What is this success? This success is beginning with sex intercourse. That's all. And maintaining them." So yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. Here the happiness begins from sex life, maithunādi. We may polish it in a different way, but this maithuna, sex life happiness, is there in the hogs. The hogs also, they are eating whole day, here and there: "Where is stool? Where is stool?" and having sex life without any discrimination. The hogs do not discriminate whether mother, sister or daughter. So therefore śāstra says, "Here, this material world, we are entangled, we are encaged in this material world only for this sex life." That is Cupid. Cupid is the god of sex life, Madana. Unless one is, what is called, induced by Madana, the Cupid, he cannot be, I mean to say, engladdened in sex life. And Kṛṣṇa's name is Mādana-mohana. Mādana-mohana means that one who is attracted to Kṛṣṇa, he'll forget the pleasure derived from sex life. This is the test. Therefore His name is Mādana-mohana. Here is Mādana-mohana. Sanātana Gosvāmī worshiped Mādana-mohana. Mādana or Mādana. Mādana means to become mad. And Madana, the Cupid.

So everyone is infuriated by the force of sex life. There are many places… In Bhāgavatam it is said, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etat tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhur. The whole material world is going on: the man is attracted by woman, the woman is attracted by man. And, seeking this attraction, when they are united, their attachment for this material world becomes more and more. And in this way, after being united, or after being married, one woman and man, they seek nice home, gṛha; kṣetra, activities, business, factory, or agricultural field. Because one has to earn money. So get food. Gṛha-kṣetra; suta, children; and āpta, friends; vitta, wealth… Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8]. The attraction for this material world becomes more and more tight. This is called madana, attraction by madana. But our business is not to be attracted by the glimmer of this material world, but to be attracted by Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Unless you become attracted by the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, we must have to be satisfied by beauty of this false beauty of this material world. Therefore Śrī Yamunācārya said that yadāvadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor nava-nava-dhāma rantum āsīt: "So long I have been attracted by the beauty of Kṛṣṇa and I have begun to serve at His lotus feet, and I am getting newer, newer energy, since then, as soon as I think of sex intercourse, I want to spite on it." That is vitṛṣṇā, no more attraction… The central point of attraction of this material world is sex life, and one, when one gets detached from sex life… Tadāvadhi mama cetaḥ…,

yadāvadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor

nava-nava-(rasa-)dhām(anudyata) rantum āsīt

tadāvadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne

bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

"As soon as I think of sex intercourse, immediately my mouth becomes turned aside and I want to spite on it." So therefore Kṛṣṇa is Madana-mohana. Madana is attracting everyone, sex life, and Kṛṣṇa, when one is attracted by Kṛṣṇa, then madana also becomes defeated. So as soon as madana becomes defeated, we conquer over this material world. Otherwise it is very difficult. The… Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. Duratyayā means very, very difficult. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. But if anyone surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa, catches His lotus feet very strongly, "Kṛṣṇa, save me," Kṛṣṇa promises, "Yes, I'll save you." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ [Bg. 18.66]. "Don't worry. I shall save you." Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]. "My dear Arjuna, you can declare to the world, My devotee, pure devotee, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ [Brs. 1.1.11], who has no other desire, he'll be protected by Me."

So people do not know that our only business is to take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is the only business. We have no other business. Any other business means we are becoming entangled in this material world. And the aim of human life is to get out of these clutches of material world. People do not know it. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. So it is very difficult; still, Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered to distribute this knowledge all over the world. So let us try. Even the people do not take our instruction, that is not our disqualification. Our qualification is let us try our best. The māyā is very strong. To take the living entities out of the clutches of māyā is not very easy thing. My Guru Mahārāja used to say… He had so many temples all over India, and he used to say sometimes that "If by selling all these properties, temples, if I could turn one man to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then my mission will be successful." He used to say that. So our purpose is not to construct big, big buildings. That is required for propaganda work, for giving shelter to people. But our main business is how to turn the face of the bewildered conditioned souls towards Kṛṣṇa. That is our method. That is our main purpose. Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and other Vaiṣṇavas, they did not advise to give much attention for constructing big, big temples and maṭhas. Because if our attention is diverted towards these material things… Material things means, as I have repeatedly explained, forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise there is no, nothing material. It is illusion. Illusion means actually there is nothing material. How it can be material? If the Supreme Lord is Supreme Spirit, everything is coming from Him, so what we call the material energy, that is also coming from the Supreme.

But the difficulty is that in this inferior energy… Inferior energy means where there is possibility of forgetting Kṛṣṇa. Actually, that is the fact. People are engaged in so many activities. We can see it very nicely in the Western countries. They are inventing so many modern facilities. But the result is they're forgetting Kṛṣṇa. That is material. Material means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, there is nothing except Kṛṣṇa. Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ. Prahlāda Mahārāja, yes, Nārada Mahārāja said that "This world is Kṛṣṇa." Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ. "But it appears like that it is different from Bhagavān." Actually, there is… For a mahā-bhāgavata, he has no such conception, material conception, because he sees everywhere Kṛṣṇa. Sthāvara-jaṅgama dekhe nā dekhe tāra mūrti [Cc. Madhya 8.274]. He's seeing one tree, but he is, he's forgetful of the tree. He's seeing energy of Kṛṣṇa. As soon as he sees the energy of Kṛṣṇa, he sees Kṛṣṇa. Therefore instead of seeing the tree, he sees Kṛṣṇa. Because one after, after, coming, reference to the context. As soon as he sees anything we call material, he sees this is the conversion of the energy. Pariṇāma-vāda. Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Parasya bra… Just like as soon as you see the sunshine, you see immediately sun. Is it not? In the morning, as soon as you see within your window the sunshine, immediately you remember sun and you are confident sun is there. Without sun, how there can be sunshine? Similarly, whatever we see, if we immediately see Kṛṣṇa, with reference to that particular thing… Because that particular thing is the manifestation of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. So those who have understood Kṛṣṇa along with His energies, he sees the energy, because energy is not different from the energetic, he sees immediately Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, he does not see anything except Kṛṣṇa. So therefore, for him, there is no material world. There is no material world. To a perfect devotee, there is no material world. Everything is spiritual. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. He sees everything Brahman.

So we have to make our eyes to see Kṛṣṇa. Tat-paratvena nirmalam.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-

sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

Tat-paratvena. As soon as we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our seeing, touching, smelling-everything become nirmala, purified. Then we can immediately see Kṛṣṇa. These eyes, so long it is not purified, we cannot see Kṛṣṇa. As soon as it is purified, you see Kṛṣṇa. As soon as it is purified, you see Kṛṣṇa, nothing but Kṛṣṇa. So this is the process. So devotional service means purification.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-

sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

[Brs. 1.1.11]

So Cupid, Cupid is one of the agents of this material, illusory energy, but if we are perfectly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this Cupid cannot pierce with our arrows, with his arrows. That is not possible. As Yamunācārya says, that tadāvadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-pa…, yadāvadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindo… So to a devotee… Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. You know the story of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was young man, and the Māyā, and a prostitute, they came, young prostitute, nicely dressed, and proposed her desire. Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, "Yes, please sit down. I shall fulfill your desire. Let me finish my chanting." Just see. At dead of night, a young man, Haridāsa Ṭhākura; in front, there is a beautiful young girl; there is nobody else; and she's proposing. But still, he's steady, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. So Cupid cannot pierce. This is the example. There may be thousands of beautiful women before a devotee, but that does not disturb his mind. He sees they're all energies of Kṛṣṇa. "They are gopīs of Kṛṣṇa. They are enjoyable by Kṛṣṇa. I have to serve them. They're gopīs. Because I am servant of the servant." Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayoḥ dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. So a devotee should try to engage all beautiful women in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is his duty. Not to enjoy them. That is sense gratification. This is the position of a devotee. He's not pierced by the arrows of Cupid, but he sees everything, nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. He sees everything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. That is vairāgyam. He does not accept anything for his sense gratification, but he engages everyone in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Then we can get out of the influence of the arrow of Cupid. This is the process. Go on.

Pradyumna: "To perform devotional service means to follow in the footsteps of Rādhārāṇī, and devotees in Vṛndāvana put themselves under the care of Rādhārāṇī in order to achieve perfection in their devotional service. In other words, devotional service is not an activity of the material world; it is directly under the control of Rādhārāṇī. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed that the mahātmās, or great souls, are under the protection of daivī prakṛti, the internal energy-Rādhārāṇī. So, being directly under the control of the internal potency of Kṛṣṇa, devotional service attracts even Kṛṣṇa Himself."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manaso [Bg. 9.13]. Here we are under the influence of this material energy, but those who are devotee of Kṛṣṇa, they are under the influence of internal energy. The internal energy of Kṛṣṇa, it has got three different functions. One of the function is hlādinī śakti. That is Rādhārāṇī. That is Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa.

rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād

ekātmānāv api (bhuvi purā) deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau

śrī-caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam…

[Cc. Ādi 1.5]

Rādhā-kṛṣṇa…, that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is… That is the version of Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara, that "Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, They are one, Kṛṣṇa." When Kṛṣṇa wants to enjoy, He manifests His energy. That is Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa cannot enjoy the material energy; He enjoys the internal energy. Kṛṣṇa has got many energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, svābhāvakī-jñāna-bala-kriyā ca [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. That is the Vedic version, that the Supreme Absolute Truth has got multi-energies, and by utilizing, manipulating that energy, He is manifesting Himself in so many ways. The same example: just like the sun, by expanding its energy, heat and light, is perceived. The sun is ninety-three million miles away from us. So how we can understand the sun? By his heat and energy. By his heat, we can calculate what is the actual temperature. The scientists are calculating the actual temperature of the sun. So similarly, although Kṛṣṇa is far, far away from us… Goloka eva nivasati. He's residing in His abode, Goloka, Vṛndāvana. This is the replica of that Vṛndāvana. So akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. How He's akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]? How He's all-pervading? By His energy. By His energy. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā [Bg. 9.4]. That energy is avyakta, impersonal. But Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal. Kṛṣṇa is person. Just like the sun-god, he's a person, but his energy, sunshine and heat, that is impersonal. To reach impersonal feature of the sun or the sunshine is not approaching the sun. It is approaching and not approaching. It is approaching in the sense that directly in touch with his energy, but still, the sun globe and the sun-god is far away. Similarly, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. To approach the impersonal feature of Brahman is not sufficient. We have to approach Kṛṣṇa. So the Rādhārāṇī, the personal,… His energy's also personal. So mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]. If we take shelter of His external energy, where forgetfulness, Kṛṣṇa, is very prominent, then we become far and far away from Kṛṣṇa. But if we take shelter of the internal energy of Kṛṣṇa, Rādhārāṇī, because She's directly serving Kṛṣṇa… Just like in Vṛndāvana, they always speak of Rādhārāṇī because they have taken shelter of Rādhārāṇī to approach Kṛṣṇa very easily. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. The facility of Vṛndāvana is that you take shelter of Rādhārāṇī directly and She will help you to approach Kṛṣṇa very soon. This is the idea of coming to Vṛndāvana. Go on.

Pradyumna: "This fact is corroborated by Kṛṣṇa in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twelfth Chapter, 1st verse, where He says, 'My dear Uddhava, you may know it from Me that the attraction I feel for devotional service rendered by My devotees is not to be attained even by the performance of mystic yoga, philosophical speculation, ritualistic sacrifices, the study of Vedānta, the practice of severe austerities or the giving of everything in charity. These are, of course, very nice activities, but they are not as attractive to Me as the transcendental loving service rendered to My devotees.' How Kṛṣṇa becomes attracted by the devotional service of His devotees is described by Nārada in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, Tenth Chapter, 37th verse. There Nārada addresses King Yudhiṣṭhira while the King is appreciating the glories of the character of Prahlāda Mahārāja. A devotee always appreciates the qualities of other devotees."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the sign of devotee: appreciation (of) the activities of devotee. This appreciation means a devotee who is actually freed from all contamination, he does not find any fault with other devotee. That is the sign. He does not think himself that he is bigger devotee or greater devotee than others. He thinks himself as the lowest of all. As Caitanya, as Caitanya-caritāmṛta author, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says, purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se lagiṣṭha: [Cc. Ādi 5.205] "I am lower than the insect within the stool." Jagāi-mādhāi haite se muñi pāpiṣṭha: "I am greater sinner than Jagāi and Mādhāi." Mora nāma yei laya tāra puṇya kṣaya: "Anyone who takes my name, immediately, all the result of his pious activities becomes vanquished." He's placing like that. Because it is not imitation or any bluff. He's… Any devotee who's actually advanced, he feels like that. Just like great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, he used to say that "I have simply collected a few grains of sand in the ocean of knowledge." Yes. He used to say. And actually, that is the fact. Everything is unlimited. So nobody should be proud falsely that he has become a great devotee. Everyone should be very humble.

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. Ādi 17.31]

If one thinks that he has become very advanced in devotion, then that is very dangerous. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana: [Cc. Ādi 7.71] "My spiritual master saw Me a great fool. Therefore he has chastised Me, that 'Don't try to read the Vedānta. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " He presented Himself like that. Is Caitanya Mahāprabhu mūrkha? But that is the conception, advanced devotee. They never think that they are very highly advanced devotees. What is advanced devotee? What devotion we can offer to Kṛṣṇa? He's unlimited. He's kindly accepting our little service. That's all. Don't be proud of becoming a great devotee. That is the cause of falldown.

Thank you very much. (end)

721112ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 12, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading:) "How Kṛṣṇa becomes attracted by the devotional service of His devotees is described by Nārada in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, Tenth Chapter, 37th verse. There Nārada addresses King Yudhiṣṭhira while the King is appreciating the glories of the character of Prahlāda Mahārāja. A devotee always appreciates the activities of other devotees. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was appreciating the qualities of Prahlāda, and that is one symptom of a pure devotee. A pure devotee never thinks himself as great; he always thinks that other devotees are greater than himself. The King was thinking, 'Prahlāda Mahārāja is actually a devotee of the Lord, while I am nothing,' and while thinking this, he was addressed by Nārada as follows: 'My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, in this world you, the Pāṇḍava brothers, are the only fortunate people. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has appeared on this planet and is presenting Himself to you as an ordinary human being. He is always with you in all circumstances. He is living with you and covering Himself from the eyes of others. Others cannot understand that He is the Supreme Lord, but He is still living with you as your cousin, as your friend and even as your messenger. Therefore you must know that nobody in this world is more fortunate than you.'

In the Bhagavad-gītā when Kṛṣṇa appeared in His universal form, Arjuna prayed, 'My dear Kṛṣṇa, I thought of You as my cousin-brother, and so I have shown disrespect to You in so many ways, calling You Kṛṣṇa, or friend, but You are so great that I could not understand.' So that was the position of the Pāṇḍavas; although Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the greatest among all greats, still He remained with those royal brothers, being attracted by their devotion, by their friendship and by their love. That is the proof of how great this process of devotional service is. It can attract even the Supreme Personality of Godhead. God is great, but devotional service is greater than God because it attracts Him. People who are not in devotional service can never understand what great value there is in rendering service to the Lord.

'The First Stages of Devotion.' The three categories of devotional service which Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes in Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu are listed as devotional service in practice, devotional service in ecstasy and devotional service in pure love of Godhead. There are many subheadings in each of these categories. Generally, it is understood that in the category of devotional service in practice there are two different qualities; devotional service in ecstasy has four qualities; and devotional service in pure love of Godhead has six qualities. These qualities will be explained by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī later on. In this connection, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī suggest that the person…, that the person eligible for Kṛṣṇa consciousness or devotional service can be classified by his particular taste. He says that devotional service is a continual process from one's previous life. No one can take to devotional service unless he has had some previous connection with it. For example, suppose in this life I practice some devotional service to some extent. Even though it is not one hundred percent perfectly performed, still, whatever I have done will not be lost. In my next life, from the very point where I stopped in this life, I shall begin again. In this way there is always a continuity. But even if there is no continuity, if only by chance a person takes interest in a pure devotee's instruction, he can be accepted and advance in devotional service. Anyway, for persons who have a natural taste for understanding books like the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, devotional service is easier than for those who are simply accustomed to mental speculation and argumentative processes."

Prabhupāda: So Nārada Muni instructed to Vyāsadeva under the verse, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer: [SB 1.5.17] "Even one takes to devotional service, takes shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, some way or other…" Kāmād lobhād bhayāt, as it is stated in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Just like the gopīs, they took shelter of Kṛṣṇa superficially by lusty desire. But it was not lusty desire. It was pure love. But in the material world same thing will be considered as lusty desire. So where is the difference between love of God and lusty desire? Because ordinary men will consider that gopīs were attracted by Kṛṣṇa in lusty desire. So Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kaja, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he says that there is difference between material lusty desire and love of God. He has compared that love of God is just like gold, and lusty desire is just like iron. So the difference between lusty desire and love of God is: in the material world, which is going on as love, that is lusty desire. Because the party, both the parties are interested in individual sense gratification. But here, the gopīs, or any devotees, they want to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between material lusty desire and love of Godhead. Ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāra nāma kāma [Cc. Ādi 4.165]. When one desires one's own sense gratification… In the material world, suppose a boy loves a girl and a girl loves a boy. That is personal sense gratification. As soon as the personal sense gratification is not satisfied, immediately the so-called love is divorced. No more love. In the Kali-yuga, it is stated in the śāstras, dāmpatye ratim eva hi. In… Love between husband and wife will be disturbed as soon as there is no satisfaction of sex desires. Dāmpatye ratim eva hi. And in the Western countries, we find… In our country also, it has already begun; there are so many divorce cases. Mostly the divorce cases take place when there is disturbance in sex, sex satisfaction. So that is lust. But here, in the case of Kṛṣṇa and gopīs, that is different thing. The gopīs used to dress themselves so that Kṛṣṇa will feel satisfied, satisfaction. For Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. They used to dress for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. That is, of course, very difficult to understand. But we should learn from the śāstras. The gopīs had no sense gratification desire. They wanted to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-vāñchā tāra nāma prema

ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā dhare, tāre nāma kāma

[Cc. Ādi 4.165]

So that is the difference. Love of Kṛṣṇa means to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, not satisfy sense gratification. We… The practical example is from Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna, Arjuna, in the beginning, he wanted to satisfy his senses. He declined to fight with his grandfather, with his teacher, with his nephew and brother on the other side. He thought that upon their death, he'll not be satisfied. That means sense, his sense gratification. But at the end, when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, the essence of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66],… Our duty is to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. So then he, to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, he killed his kinsmen, his grandfather, his teacher. So that is required-satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, not satisfaction of personal interest. Go on reading.

Pradyumna: "To support this statement there are many authoritative assertions by the learned scholars of bygone ages. According to their general opinion, a person may become governed by certain convictions derived by his own arguments and decisions. Then another person, who may be a greater logician, will nullify these conclusions and establish another thesis. In this way, the path of argument will never be safe or conclusive. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam recommends therefore that one follow in the footsteps of the authorities. Here is the general…"

Prabhupāda: Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. You cannot come to the conclusion what is śraddhā and sādhana by simply argument. Tarko apratistha. By argument, we cannot establish. Śrutayo vibhinnā. The scriptures are many varieties. Śrutayor vibhinnā nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And every philosopher must differ with another philosopher. Therefore, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ: We have to follow the footprints of great authorities. They are also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, great authorities:

svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ

kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ

prahlādo janako bhīṣmo

balir vaiyāsakir vayam

[SB 6.3.20]

Yamarāja said that "These are the eight authorities." Therefore we have got sampradāya: Brahma-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya, then Lakṣmī-sampradāya, Śrī-sampradāya, and Kumāra-sampradāya. The present ācāryas, they are Rāmānuja-sampradāya, Śrī-sampradāya, Madhva-sampradāya, Brahma-sampradāya. In this way… So we have to follow the footprints of the sampradāya. Just like we are Gauḍīya, Mādhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya. We are following the footprints of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as enunciated by the six Gosvāmīs,

śrī-rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa-raghunātha

śrī-jīva gopāla-bhaṭṭa dāsa-raghunātha

So we have to follow the authorities. We cannot manufacture. There is no need of research work. Simply if we follow the chalked-out path given by the great authorities, that will help us. Yes, go on.

Pradyumna: "Here is a general description of devotional service given by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Previously it has been stated that devotional service can be divided into three categories-namely, devotional service in practice, devotional service in ecstasy, and devotional service in pure love of God. Now Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī proposes to describe devotional service in practice. Practice means employing our senses in some particular type of work. Therefore devotional service is practice means utilizing our different sensory organs in service to Kṛṣṇa. Some of the senses are meant for acquiring knowledge, and some are meant for executing the conclusions of our thinking, feeling and willing. So practice means employing both the mind and the senses in practical devotional service. This practice is not for developing something artificial. For example, a child learns or practices to walk. This walking is not unnatural. The walking capacity is there originally in the child, and simply by a little practice he walks very nicely. Similarly…"

Prabhupāda: Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. Not that by practicing something external, not natural, we become accustomed. That is also sometimes there. But this devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is not that type of practice. It is there already. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabu naya. Not actually by artificial prac… It is there. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. It is to be awakened. Exactly just like the, the child, by nature, he can walk, but still, if some help is offered to the child, he walks very nicely. So this practice, vidhi-mārga, devotional service, is simply to awaken the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness within the human being. Just like it is happening in our preaching work in the Western countries. These European, American boys, they never heard the name of Kṛṣṇa four years ago, but they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously because it was already dormant in them. It has been simply awakened. By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, this pure vibration of transcendental sound has enlivened them, and they are awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not that artificially they have taken. It is sure. Anyone can test how much they have advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how they are firmly convinced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because it has been awakened. The nature, which was dormant, that has been awakened by…

That is the propaganda work of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He wanted that in every town and every village of the world, on the surface of the globe, His name, the preaching of saṅkīrtana movement, inaugurated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, should be preached. The purpose was the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there everywhere. That we are experiencing. Now in Africa also, who are supposed to be not very advanced in civilization, they're also very nicely taking part in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. European, Americans, they are advanced, civilized people, but even in Africa we are having very good success. They are becoming Vaiṣṇavas. So… And it is, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ [SB 2.4.18]. So these kirātas are the Africans. So they are also becoming interested, hūṇa, āndhra and others who are considered to be low-born according to Vedic civilization. But still, the Vedic civilization does not prohibit anyone to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By our karma, we may be high born or low born. That does not matter. Ahaituky apratihatā. Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be checked by any material impediment. That is not possible. Ahaituky apratihatā. It is natural. And Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. He says that even though some people are considered to be pāpa-yoni, low-born, it doesn't matter, but he can accept the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanaḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā. Still more low-born than these people, śudhyanti, they can be purified if they actually take shelter of a pure devotee. They can be purified. That is the injunction of the śāstras, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Śudhyanti. People may argue how such low-born people can be purified. That reply is: prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. It is the supreme power of Lord Viṣṇu. It is possible.

Kṛṣṇa says… Now, Kṛṣṇa says that everyone can be delivered simply by the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So whose duty is to enlighten them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I was just talking with Gosvāmījī, Harijana Gosvāmījī. Whose duty it is to enliven people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? It is the duty of guru. We came to this conclusion. And who is guru? Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12]. That means perfectly learned in Vedic literature and firmly convinced in Brahman realization. That means first-class brāhmaṇa. So if the first-class brāhmaṇas do not take care of these pāpa-yoni, then who will deliver them? We are the… Some agitation is going on that this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is killing Hindu religion. You see. Just see the poor fund of knowledge. It is the duty of the first-class brāhmaṇa to enlighten these pāpa-yoni. Otherwise who will enlighten them? Guru will enlighten. And who is guru? Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12]. Brahma-niṣṭham means he must be brāhmaṇa. So if the so-called brāhmaṇas, they do not take care of them, and if they remain brāhmaṇas, limited, within some limited areas, do not go outside, then who will deliver them? So these are not very sound arguments. It is very, what is called, crippled ideas. The brāhmaṇa means udāra. The opposite word of brāhmaṇa is kṛpaṇa, who is very miserly. A brāhmaṇa cannot be miser. Even a hundred years ago the brāhmaṇa would give chance to anyone to become brāhmaṇa. I have got so many instances. That is the duty of brāhmaṇa. Paṭhana pāṭhana. The brāhmaṇa should be learned, and a brāhmaṇa should make others learned, other brāhmaṇa, not that be simply satisfied that he's brāhmaṇa and nobody should become brāhmaṇa. No. He should make others brāhmaṇa. Just like a big lawyer, he makes his assistants lawyer. A professor, learned professor, he makes others professor. Otherwise, it is called jñāna-khala, miser. The knowledge should be distributed. Any scientist discovering, they distribute it. Similarly, brāhmaṇa should be udāra. Not only he should personally know what is Brahman, but he should distribute the knowledge. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

It is the duty of the brāhmaṇa. Paropakāra. And without being human being, how he can become a brāhmaṇa? Cats and dogs cannot become brāhmaṇa. The perfect human being means brāhmaṇa, the first-class, perfect being. That is brāhmaṇa. And brāhmaṇa's duty is for paropakāra. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, avaiṣṇava-gurur na sa syāt. A… One who is Vaiṣṇava… Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He becomes guru because He's udāra. Vaiṣṇava means para-duḥkha-duḥkhī.

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo…

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.]

Vaiṣṇava is patitānām pāvana. He can deliver all the fallen souls.

So we have become crippled. Therefore we are talking this, that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is killing our Hindu principles." No. It is really, actually Vedic principle that one should be learned, and he should distribute the knowledge for paropakāra. That is brahminism. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. These are the statements in the śāstra. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. These Gosvāmīs, they compiled this… Rūpa Gosvāmī compiled this Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu not for the study, a few selected persons. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau: for the benefit of the whole human society. And actually that is happening. We have translated this Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu in English, and we have got the greatest sale of this book. Everyone is picking up. It is a study book in the Temple University of United States. They like it. So it is required. We have got so much treasure-house of knowledge. They should be, each and every book should be…, at least, Vaiṣṇava literature, Bhāgavata literature, should be translated into English and distributed all over the world. That is lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau, to benefit the whole human society. Not to remain crippled within a boundary. That is not brahminism, that is not Vaiṣṇavism.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

730125ND.CAL

The Nectar of Devotion

Calcutta, January 25, 1973

Devotee: (reading) "…of bygone ages. According to the general opinion, a person may become governed by certain convictions derived by his own arguments and decisions. Then another person, who may be a greater logician, will nullify these conclusions and establish another thesis. In this way the path of argument will never be safe or conclusive. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam recommends, therefore, that one follow in the footsteps of the authorities."

Prabhupāda: Yes. To make progress in devotional service, one cannot manufacture anything. The authoritative statements of ācā ryas, that we'll have to follow. Mahājana yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. We should not manufacture, invent anything. As they are stated in the śāstras, confirmed by spiritual master and ācāryas, that will be accepted. Nobody can say, "I think devotional service should be like this." No. Therefore spiritual master is the guidance. He is the representative of the ācāryas. In this way, we should make progress, not by concoction. Go on.

Devotee: "Here is a general description of devotional service given by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Previously, it has been stated that devotional service can be divided into three categories-namely devotional service in practice, devotional service in ecstasy, and devotional service in pure love of God. Now Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī proposes to describe devotional service in practice. Practice means employing our senses in some particular type of work. Therefore devotional service in practice means utilizing our different sensory organs in service to Kṛṣṇa. Some of the senses are meant for acquiring knowledge and are…, and some are meant for executing the conclusions of our thinking, feeling and willing. So practice means employing both the mind and the senses in practical devotional service. This practice is not for developing something artificial. For example, a child learns or practices to walk. This walking is not unnatural. The walking capacity is there originally in the child, and simply by a little practice he walks very nicely. Similarly, devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the natural instinct of every living entity. Even uncivilized men like the aborigines offer their respectful obeisances to something wonderful exhibited by nature's law, and they appreciate that behind some wonderful exhibition or action there is something supreme. So this consciousness, though lying dormant in those who are materially contaminated, is found in every living entity. And, when purified, this is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: This obedience, the sense of obedience to higher authorities, to love somebody, these propensities are there in everyone. Even a child, we have seen, when there is saṅkīrtana, they also clap their hands. They also try to dance. This is natural. So this has to be little organized. That is called practice. Otherwise the things are there, dormant. Sometimes by bad association that dormant propensities are cut down. They forget. The present situation is like that. The so-called material advancement has curbed down the dormant propensities for loving God, or Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that jaḍa-vidyā saba māyāra vaibhava. Jaḍa-vidyā saba māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. The more artificially we make advancement of material civilization, the more we become away from devotional service. Practically we can see. People are engaged in developing their material resources. Everyone is busy. And we, if our men approach, then they think it is simply waste of time. "All right. They're asking something. Give them some money. Let them go away, and let my business be done nicely." So this is the propensities observed (by) Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: jaḍa-vidyā saba māyāra vaibhava. The more we advance in material civilization, we become backward in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our principle is, therefore, to minimize the artificial necessities of life, as much as possible. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. Anāsaktasya viṣayān. We should eat, sleep, not for material comfort. But eating is required. Without eating, we cannot live. Sleeping is required, to give rest for some time. For that purpose, we shall eat, sleep… Nirbandha kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. Anāsaktasya viṣayān. We should not be attached. That will make our spiritual progress firm. Yes. Go on. Go on.

Devotee: "There are certain prescribed methods for employing our senses and mind in such a way that our dormant consciousness for loving Kṛṣṇa will be invoked as much as the child, with a little practice, can begin to walk. One who has no basic walking capacity cannot walk by practice. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be aroused simply by practice. Actually there is no such practice. When we wish to develop our innate capacity for devotional service, there are certain processes which by our accepting and executing them will cause that dormant capacity to be invoked. Such practice is called sādhana-bhakti."

Prabhupāda: Sādhana-bhakti, rāga-bhakti, prema-bhakti-these three divisions. So first of all we have to accept sādhana-bhakti. Means practicing. Go on.

Devotee: "Every living entity under the spell of material energy is known to be in an abnormal condition of madness. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, 'Generally the conditioned soul is mad because he is always engaged in activities which are the causes of bondage and suffering.' Spirit soul in its original condition is joyful, blissful, eternal and full of knowledge. Only by his implication in material activities has he become miserable, temporary and full of ignorance. This is due to vikarma. Vikarma means actions which should not be done. Therefore we must practice sādhana-bhakti-which means to offer maṅgala-ārātrika (Deity worship) in the morning, to refrain from certain material activities, to offer obeisances to the spiritual master and to follow many other rules and regulations which will be discussed here one after another. These practices will help one to become cured of madness. As a man's mental disease is cured by the direction of a psychiatrist, so this sādhana-bhakti cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of māyā, material illusion."

Prabhupāda: Anyone who is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to be taken as crazy, or mad.

piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya

māyā-grasta jīvera se dāsa upajaya

Just like when a man becomes ghostly haunted, he does something abnormal. He cannot recognize his own men. He calls his father by ill names. So many disturbances. So nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. They are so mad that they are engaged only in sinful activities. There are three karmas: karma, akarma, vikarma. Karma does not mean whatever you like you can do. No. Karma means prescribed duties. Janma karma, uh, guṇa karma. As you are under the spell of certain material modes of nature… Someone is under the modes of goodness, his karma will be different from the person who is under the spell of the modes of ignorance. That will be decided by the teacher, or by the ācāryas. They are described in the Bhagavad-gītā that one who is under the spell of goodness, his qualities, his symptoms are like this: satya śama dama titikṣa [Bg. 18.42]. Similarly, one who is under the spell of passion, his symptoms are like this. Just like a diseased man… If you go to a physician, by your symptoms he can understand that you have got a certain type of disease and he gives you the right medicine. Similarly Bhagavad-gītā you'll find who is under the spell of the modes of ma…, uh, yes, goodness. If he's very sober, intelligent, can understand things as they are, they are to be understood in the modes of goodness. Those who are very much passionate, simply wants to enjoy sense enjoyment, they are in the modes of passion. And those who are lazy, very fond of sleeping, nidrālasya, he's to be understood in the modes of ignorance. These are the symptoms. And according to the modes, they act. Therefore bhakti is not prohibited to either of them. Either in goodness or passion or ignorance-it doesn't matter. Anyone can take to devotional service, sādhana-bhakti, provided he agrees to be guided by the direction of the spiritual master. Bhakti is transcendental. It doesn't matter whether one is in goodness, passion or ignorance. Anyone can take.

That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. Pāpa-yonayaḥ means the lowest part of ignorance. So Kṛṣṇa recommends that anyone, even in pāpa-yoni striya, vaiśyās tathā śūdrās… Stri, women, and vaiśya and śūdra, they're also considered not very in higher position. But Kṛṣṇa says all of them, if they take to real path of devotional service under the direction of spiritual master, then that is sādhana-bhakti. To act under the direction of spiritual master… Spiritual master directs means he knows śāstra. According to the direction of śāstra or ācāryas, he gives direction. And if we follow, that is called sādhana-bhakti. That is called practice. In the beginning, sādhana-bhakti must be there. Then when you get attachment for Kṛṣṇa, that is called rāga-bhakti. And the more you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then it will come to the stage of prema-bhakti. You don't become kṛṣṇa-premī all of a sudden. "Now I have become kṛṣṇa-premī. Let me cry." And then, after crying, "Oh, my throat is now dried up. Give me cigarette." This kind of bhakti has no value. You'll see so many sahajiyās, professionals: they can cry, but they have no love for Kṛṣṇa. I have seen one professional reciter. He can cry, and he gathers many people around him. But by his writing, by his speech, we can understand that he has no faith in Kṛṣṇa. In Bombay I have seen. When he writes… Tāvac śobhate mūrkha yāvān kiñcin na bhāṣate (?). A mūrkha, a rascal, can be beautiful as long as he does not speak or write. But as soon as one speaks and writes, we can understand what is the locus standus of that person. Simply crying will not help. One who will cry for Kṛṣṇa, he will never come down to the material platform. That crying is not so easy. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to cry, He also said, "I am crying for make-show." So crying automatically comes when actually if we are in prema-bhakti. But we have to go that stage gradually, not by imitating. Sādhana-bhakti, rāga-bhakti. Then prema-bhakti. Go on.

Devotee: "Nārada Muni mentions this sādhana-bhakti in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, First Chapter, 30th verse. He says there to King Yudhiṣṭhira, 'My dear King, one has to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa by any means.' This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is the duty of the ācārya, the spiritual master, to find the ways and means for his disciple to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of sādhana-bhakti."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is very important thing. Some way or other, one has to fix up his mind in Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is not stereotyped. It is general. If you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, there are so many ways. Just like in our society: somebody is painting, somebody is writing on typewriter, sometime somebody is engaged in propagating or selling the magazine or editing the magazine. So many different duties. So it is, it is the spiritual master's business to see the disciple, in which way he has got the tendency. And he tries to utilize his natural tendency in the matter of serving Kṛṣṇa. One has got tendency for a certain thing. That tendency can be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service also. It is not difficult. Simply it requires training and guidance. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya, saṁsiddhi labhate naraḥ [Bg. 18.46]. One has got a particular tendency to work. By that work, if it is nicely done, you can satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Our only business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. Whatever business you may have, it doesn't matter. Whatever talent you have got, it doesn't matter. If you can utilize that talent for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, then your life is successful. Go on.

Devotee: "Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us an authorized program for this purpose, centered around the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra."

Prabhupāda: The general practice by everyone, whatever tendency he may have, differently. But the general platform is to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. That will pave the way for everyone. Go on.

Devotee: "This chanting has so much power that it immediately attaches one to Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of sādhana-bhakti. Somehow or other, one has to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa. The great saint Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, although a responsible king, fixed his mind on Kṛṣṇa, and similarly anyone who tries to fix his mind in this way will very rapidly make progress in successfully reviving his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now this sādhana-bhakti, or practice of devotional service, can also be divided into two parts. The first part is called regulative principles. One has to follow these different regulative principles by the order of the spiritual master, or on the strength of authoritative scriptures, and there can be no question of refusal. That is called vaidhi, or regulated. One has to do it without any argument. Another part of sādhana-bhakti is called rāgānugā. Rāgānugā refers to the point at which, by following the regulative principles, one becomes a little more attached to Kṛṣṇa and executes devotional service out of natural love. For example, a person engaged in devotional service may be ordered to rise early in the morning and offer ārātrika, which is a form of Deity worship. In the beginning, by the order of his spiritual master, one rises early in the morning and offers ārātrika, but then he develops real attachment. When he gets this attachment he automatically tries to decorate the Deity and prepare different kinds of dresses and thinks of different plans to execute his devotional service nicely. Although it is within the category of practice, this offering of loving service is spontaneous.

So the practice of devotional service, sādhana-bhakti, can be divided into two parts-namely, regulative and spontaneous. Rūpa Gosvāmī defines the first part of devotional practice, or vaidhi-bhakti, as follows: 'When there is no attachment or no spontaneous loving service to the Lord, and one is engaged in the service of the Lord simply out of obedience to the order of the spiritual master or in pursuance of the scriptures, such obligatory service is called vaidhi-bhakti.' These principles of vaidhi-bhakti are also described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, First Chapter, verse 35, where Śukadeva Gosvāmī instructs the dying Mahārāja Parīkṣit as to his course of action. Mahārāja Parīkṣit met Śukadeva Gosvāmī just a week before his death, and the King was perplexed as to what should be done before he was to pass on. Many other sages also arrived there, but no one could give him the proper direction. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, however, gave this direction to him as follows: 'My dear King, if you want to be fearless in meeting your death next week (for actually everyone is afraid at the point of death), then you must immediately begin the process of hearing and chanting and remembering God.' If one can chant and hear Hare Kṛṣṇa and always remember Lord Kṛṣṇa, then he is sure to become fearless at death, which may come at any moment."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is our prescription, that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any stop." And even death comes… Death may come at any moment, but if at the time of death, somehow or other, you can utter "Kṛṣṇa" or remember Kṛṣṇa, as soon as you utter the name of Kṛṣṇa, you remember Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, everything. So let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra twenty-four hours. There is no, I mean to say, impediment. Anyone… Ahaituky apratihatā. Nobody can check it. If you are determined that "I shall always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra," nobody can check. But we do not feel so much attached to the chanting. Therefore it is checked. So therefore we have fixed up a certain rounds. Just like we have given to you sixteen rounds. At least, as a regulative principle, you must chant. Then gradually we may increase and automatically chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That will be very good approach. Go on.

Devotee: "In the statements of Śukadeva Gosvāmī it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Śukadeva recommends that one should always hear about Kṛṣṇa. He does not recommend that one hear and chant about the demigods. The Māyāvādīs (impersonalists) say that you can chant any name, either that of Kṛṣṇa or those of the demigods, and the result will be the same. But actually this is not a fact. According to the authorized version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one has to hear and chant about Lord Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) only."

Prabhupāda: Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, it is specially mentioned. Not that as the Māyāvādīs say, that you can chant any name. No. Śāstra says, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

So, as it is recommended by the śāstras, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, we should chant this. Why other demigods' names? The Māyāvādī philosophers, they misguide us. Śāstra says, harer nāma, harer nāma, harer nāma. Three times. Only the name of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Hari.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

There are many places. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. This is said by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one becomes liberated and transferred to the spiritual world. Kalau doṣa-nidhe rājann hy asti eka mahān guṇaḥ. In this age, there are so many faults, but there is one sublime benefit, that is this, that simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one becomes freed from this material world and is transferred to the spiritual world. Go on.

Devotee: "So Śukadeva Gosvāmī has recommended to Parīkṣit Mahārāja that in order to be fearless of death one has to hear and chant and remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, by all means. He also mentions that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Sarvātmā. Sarvātmā means the 'Supersoul of everyone.' Kṛṣṇa is also mentioned as Īśvara, the Supreme Controller, who is situated in everyone's heart. Therefore if some way or other we become attached to Kṛṣṇa, He will make us free from all danger. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that anyone who becomes a devotee of the Lord is never vanquished. Others, however, are always vanquished. Vanquished means that after getting this human form of life a person does not come out of the entanglement of birth and death and thus misses his golden opportunity. Such a person does not know where he is being thrown by the laws of nature.

Suppose one does not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this human form of life. He will be thrown into the cycle of birth and death involving 8,400,000 species of life, and his spiritual identity will remain lost. One does not know whether he is going to be a plant or a beast or a bird or something like that, because there are so many species of life. The recommendation of Rūpa Gosvāmī for reviving our original Kṛṣṇa consciousness is that somehow or other we should apply our minds to Kṛṣṇa very seriously and thus become fearless of death. After death we do not know our destination because we are completely under the control of the laws of nature. Only Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is controller over the laws of nature. Therefore if we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa seriously, there will be no fear of being thrown back into the cycle of so many species of life. A sincere devotee will surely be transferred to the abode of Kṛṣṇa, as affirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā."

Prabhupāda: We are under the control of the material nature. Everyone can realize it. Nobody can be free. But the process of freedom is also stated there: Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā, mām eva ye prapadyante [Bg. 7.14]. If anyone takes to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, surrenders there, and be engaged in His service, then these laws of nature will be slackened, or almost nil. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs. 5.54]. These are the statements of the śāstras. Laws of material nature means karma. You act in a certain way and you get the result, good or bad; that is called karma. Sat-karma or asat-karma. Actually everything is asat-karma. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām [Bg. 7.23]. So even taking, accepting that good work is nice, but it is also bondage. Suppose you give in charity. So the laws of nature is that if you give one by charity, you get four. So now to accept that four, you have to take birth again. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa sakali viṣera bandha. Karma-kāṇḍa means if you act very piously, next life you get good birth, good opulence, money, janma iśvarya-śruta, good education, beautiful body. These are the resultant actions of sat-karma. And asat-karma means you become poor, ugly, without any education, no riches, always hungry. These are the results of asat-karma. So this is called karma-kāṇḍa. And jñāna-kāṇḍa means to try to merge into the existence of the Lord, which, even if we do, but because you are under the impression of impersonalism, you again fall down. So both by the action of karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa one is not secure. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sakali viṣera bandha. Poison, either in a golden pot or in iron pot, it is the…, the effect is the same. So bhakti is neither for karma-kāṇḍa nor for jñāna-kāṇḍa. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. That is real bhakti.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

[Brs. 1.1.11]

Bhakti should not be contaminated by karma and jñāna. Bhakti should remain pure. Then the result will be very quick and nice. Go on.

Devotee: "In the Padma Purāṇa also the same process is advised. There it is said that one should always remember Lord Viṣṇu. This is called dhyāna, or meditation-always remembering Kṛṣṇa. It is said that one has to meditate with his mind fixed upon Viṣṇu. Padma Purāṇa recommends that one always fix his mind on the form of Viṣṇu by meditation and not forget Him at any moment. And this state of consciousness is called samādhi, or trance."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Satatam, satataṁ smartavyaḥ viṣṇuḥ. This is the injunction. One should always remember Viṣṇu, the form of Viṣṇu. That is possible only when we have enhanced a little in the path of loving Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. So everything is possible provided we are serious. Then everything is possible. Go on. Otherwise why Rūpa Gosvāmī has taken so much trouble in the matter of giving us Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, quoting from so many, innumerable śāstras? Sad-dharma-pravarta. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-pravartakau. The Gosvāmīs were so compassionate with the fallen human society that he, especially Rūpa Gosvāmī… All the Gosvāmīs, they first of all searched out all the datas of spiritual life and quoted them, in each and every line. Sufficiently he quoted from śāstras. This is the business of sādhu. Sādhu-śāstra-guru. They'll act in the same way. There is no difference of opinion. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya tinete kariyā aikya. One has to see a sādhu by corroborating his statements according to the śāstras or another sādhu.

Devotee: "We should always try to mold the activities of our lives in such a way that we will constantly remember Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Just like in the temple. Here, every business is in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise what is the difference between this house and the next door? There, Kṛṣṇa is not there. And this, just in this door, everything is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between ordinary house and temple. Ordinary house, they're also busy in purchasing things from the market, cooking them and eating very nicely, sufficiently. But according to śāstras, they're eating all sins. Ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt [Bg. 3.13]. Bhuñjate te aghaṁ pāpam. The… In a temple, same business is going on-same marketing, same cooking, same eating, everything is going on-but in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Where this relationship is there, always, Kṛṣṇa, then every house becomes a temple. That is required. We are simply setting example that how we can execute our daily affairs in connection with Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda. So every gṛhastha, every house, where is the difficulty? Everyone can install the Deity. All the family members can gather together, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and read śāstras, as we are doing in this temple. But the present tendency is that we have…, they have got sufficient time to smoke, they have got sufficient time for playing cards, they have sufficient time for drinking, going to the cinema, going to the sports. But they have no time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the difficulty. As soon as you talk of them, talk to them about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they'll immediately say, "Sir, we have no time." And for other things, the paraphernalia of Kali-yuga, they have got enough time. They'll read newspapers, all full of rascal news. "One man has stolen, one man has kidnapped, one man has stabbed." These news, he'll very, with great interest he'll read. And as soon as we present Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, "Oh, this is not good." This is the position.

Therefore there is a great necessity for pushing on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is the best welfare activity to the human society. All of them, they are rascals. Abodha-jāta. In the śāstra it is said, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāta. They are being defeated by the onslaught of material nature. These rascals, they do not know. They are thinking they have become great leaders, philanthropists, nationalists, politicians, scientists, philosopher-but they're killing themselves and others. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. They do not know how to make progress. Therefore a person who has understood little value of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he should take this movement very seriously and distribute to the fallen souls. That is the best work. That is the best work. Go on.

Devotee: "Whether one concentrates his mind on the four-handed form of Viṣṇu or on the form of two-handed Kṛṣṇa, it is the same. The Padma Purāṇa recommends: somehow or other, always think of Viṣṇu without forgetting Him under any circumstances. Actually, this is the most basic of all regulative principles. For, when there is an order from a superior about doing something, there is simultaneously a prohibition. When the order is that one should always remember Kṛṣṇa, the prohibition is that one should never forget Him. Within this simple order and prohibition, all regulative principles are found complete. This regulative principle is applicable to all varṇas and āśramas, the castes and occu…"

Prabhupāda: Yes. Regulative principles are meant for everyone, all varṇas and āśramas. Not that "I am now sannyāsī. I have got the highest platform. Therefore regulative principles is not meant for me. It is for the kaniṣṭha…" This is rascaldom. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā na tyājyam. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ. Tapasya. Following the regulative principles means tapasya. So "I have renounced the world. Renounced. I have become a sannyāsī, renounced the world…" That doesn't mean I have renounced all these things, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā. No. These things are not to be renounced. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā na tyajyam. They are not to be renounced. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā pāvanāni manīṣiṇām. Even if you are, have become a great saintly person, still you should consider, continue yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā. This is the injunction of the śāstra. It should not be given up at any stage. Pāvanāni manīṣiṇām.

All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

721113ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 13, 1972

Pradyumna: "Practice means employing our senses in some particular type of work. Therefore devotional service in practice means utilizing our different sensory organs in service to Kṛṣṇa. Some of the senses are meant for acquiring knowledge, and some are meant for executing the conclusions of our thinking, feeling and willing. So practice means employing both the mind and the senses in practical devotional service. This practice is not for developing something artificial. For example, a child learns or practices to walk. This walking is not unnatural. The walking capacity is there originally in the child, and simply by a little practice, he walks very nicely. Similarly, devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the natural instinct of every living entity. Even the uncivilized men like the aborigines offer their respectful obeisances to something wonderful exhibited by nature's law, and they appreciate that behind some wonderful exhibition or action there is something supreme. So this consciousness, though lying dormant in those who are materially contaminated, is found in every living entity. And, when purified, this is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: So even in the minds of the jungle people, there is obedience to the Supreme. As soon as there is some thunderbolt strike, so they offer obeisances. As soon as they see a big sea, ocean, they offer obeisances. Offering obeisances to the great, that is natural. That is the gradual appreciation of the potency or energy of the Supreme Lord. Because whatever we see, whatever there is, they're nothing but different manifestations of the energy of the Supreme Lord. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. We can appreciate the potencies, the energies of the Supreme Lord, anywhere. As I explained yesterday, the potency is there in the seed. As Kṛṣṇa says, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 7.10]. A big banyan tree is concentrated within a small seed, smaller than the mustard seed. There is the potency of a very big tree.

There is a story, it is very instructive story, that Nārada Muni was passing to go to Vaikuṇṭha, and on the way one very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa, met him, and he inquired from Narada Muni where he was going. Nārada Muni said that "I am going to see Nārāyaṇa, my Lord." So the brāhmaṇa asked him, "Oh, you are going to meet Nārāyaṇa. Will you kindly inquire for me when my…, when I shall be liberated." Nārada Muni said, "Yes, I shall inquire." Similarly, on the way, he met one cobbler. He also inquired Nārada Muni where he was going, and he said, will you kindly inquire from Lord Nārāyaṇa when he would be liberated? So when Nārada Muni met Nārāyaṇa, so he inquired-because he's saintly person; he promised-that "Such and such brāhmaṇa inquired like this, and the, and a cobbler also inquired like this." So Nārāyaṇa said, "The, this cobbler will be liberated in this life, and that brāhmaṇa will take some time, some many births."

So Nārada Muni became astonished that he, he was a learned scholar and brāhmaṇa, and he would take so much time, and the cobbler would be liberated in this life. "Oh, what is the reason, Sir?" So Nārāyaṇa gave him one needle, and He requested him that "When they inquire what Nārāyaṇa was doing, you can say that Nārāyaṇa was pulling one elephant through the hole of the needle, this side and that side," in this way. So when he came back, the brāhmaṇa said, "Sir, you are… I offer my respectful obeisances unto you and Nārāyaṇa. We cannot believe this, that through the needle or through the hole of a needle, a elephant is being passed, this side and that side." And when it was informed to the cobbler, he began to cry. He said, "Oh, my Nārāyaṇa is so powerful that He can do everything." He believed immediately that "Yes, for Nārāyaṇa it is possible to pull the elephant through the hole of the needle, this side and that." So Nārada Muni inquired, "How do you believe this? The other person, the brāhmaṇa, he's learned person. He did not believe. How do you believe it? What is your conviction?" He said, "Sir, I believe in this way, because I am sitting under this tree. This is a banyan tree. And so many," what is called, "figs are falling down. And each fig there are thousands of small seeds, and in each seed there is a banyan tree. So if Nārāyaṇa can keep thousands of banyan trees within this fig fruit, how it is not possible for Him to pull an elephant through the hole of a needle?"

So this is called faith. The faith is not blind. There is proof. He, the cobbler was not blindly believing that Nārāyaṇa was pulling an elephant through the hole of an needle, but he sees practically the potency, the power of the Lord, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 7.10], how He keeps all the potencies of the banyan tree within the seed. So otherwise there is no meaning, "all-powerful." He can do whatever He likes. Inconceivable. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī therefore explains that unless we believe (in the) inconceivable potency of the Lord, then we cannot understand that activities… Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, svābhāvikī-jñāna-bala-kriyā ca [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. We cannot judge how things are happening, but we have to believe. Therefore Vedic knowledge is so important. We cannot make research. We cannot judge. Simply if we take the Vedic truths… Just like we have several times explained, the Vedas accept the cow dung pure, whereas the stool of other animal is impure. So we have to accept like that. So Veda-vāṇī. Veda-vāṇī means you cannot deny it. You cannot argue on it. You have to accept as it is. Therefore learned scholar, when he speaks something, he gives evidence from the Vedas, śruti, śruti-pramāṇa. That is the best evidence. Go on.

Pradyumna: "There are certain prescribed methods for employing our senses and mind in such a way that our dormant consciousness for loving Kṛṣṇa will be invoked, as much as the child, with a little practice, can begin to walk."

Prabhupāda: The Gosvāmīs, or in the Pañcarātra system, in the śāstras, the regulative principles are so made that, if we practice it, gradually our dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be awakened. Therefore these prescribed rules and regulations, as it is given in the śāstras and confirmed by the ācāryas… Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi. We have to follow the footprints of the ācāryas. Ācārya means paramparā. One ācārya is following the previous ācārya. An ācārya does not manufacture anything, something novel. He follows the previous ācārya. And therefore he, he's ācārya. And one who follows… Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Ācārya upāsanam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. So we have to accept the principles laid down by the ācāryas. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa.

rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti

kabe hāma bujhaba śrī-yugala-pīriti

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. These are, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's versions are accepted as Vedic versions, śruti-pramāṇa. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that the statements of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura are as good as Vedic evidences. Therefore we quote from Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura often. Not, not only Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura-Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī and the six Gosvāmīs, they are authorities. So we have no difficulty. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa. That's all. Let us follow the footprints of the ācāryas, Gosvāmīs, and live together as sincere, serious devotees. Then our life is successful. It is not very difficult. Bhakta-sane vāsa. Tāṅdera caraṇe. We should live together as devotee and follow the footprints of the ācāryas. Don't manufacture concoction. Then it will be spoiled. Simply try to follow. They'll protect. They'll give protection. Because Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg. 18.66]. So if we take shelter of the ācāryas, that means we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ *. If the ācārya, guru, is satisfied, then we must know certainly that Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ *. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt [SB 11.17.27]. So this is the principle, and the ācāryas give us direction. It is not very difficult. Simply we have to be, become very serious and sincere. Then everything is all right. Go on.

Pradyumna: "One who has no basic walking capacity cannot walk by practice. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be aroused simply by practice."

Prabhupāda: Artificially practiced, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not possible. There is Kṛṣṇa consciousness: nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti 'sadhya' kabhu naya. It is not by the practice, but following certain methods… Just like sex impulse is there already in everyone's heart. When there is opportunity, it becomes awakened. It is not that artificially a dull stone can be awakened in sex impulse. No. In a human being, or animal, a living being, there is sex impulse, but it becomes awakened in favorable circumstances. Similarly, if we keep ourself in favorable circumstances, that means bhakta-sane vāsa, living with pure devotees, without any material desires, then the Vṛndāvana… Living in Vṛndāvana-what is the meaning of living…? Because bhakta-sane vāsa. Here, whatever comes, he comes for the purpose of developing devotional attitude. Not for any… Here nobody comes for making business or making money. If anyone comes, he makes offense, dhāma-aparādha. Dhāma-aparādha. It is called… There are many kinds of dhāma-aparādha, nāma-aparādhas, sevā-aparādha. There are aparādhas, offenses. That will be described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. So here, in Vṛndāvana-dhāma, nobody should make any business. Nobody should try to satisfy his senses in Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Then his living in Vṛndāvana-dhāma will be profitable. Of course, anyone living in Vṛndāvana-dhāma, he is fortunate because the dhāma itself has its own power. But ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Similarly, if we live in the dhāma in ānukūla way, favorable way, then our achievement of ultimate success is very easy. If we commit offenses, it will be delayed. But still, anyone, some way or other, who is living in Vṛndāvana, sticking to the dust of Vṛndāvana, he is certainly benefited. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Actually, there is no such practice. When we wish to develop our innate capacity for devotional service there are certain processes which, by our accepting and executing them, will cause that dormant capacity to be invoked. Such practice is called sādhana-bhakti."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. The practice, following the rules and regulations of śāstra and ācārya, direction of the spiritual master, that is called sādhana-bhakti. That, every, anyone can do, provided he's serious. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga atha bhajana-kriyā [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. This bhajana-kriyā means sādhana-bhakti. So if our bhajana-kriyā is proper and in the line, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then all the anarthas, unwanted things, bad habits, that will be immediately vanquished. After anartha-nivṛttiḥ, tato niṣṭhā tato ruci athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ. If this way, we shall increase our attitude of devotional service, ultimately getting shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.

Pradyumna: "Every living entity under the spell of material energy is held to be in an abnormal condition of madness. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, 'Generally, the conditioned soul is mad because he is always engaged in activities which are the causes of bondage and suffering.' Spirit soul in its original condition is joyful, blissful, eternal and full of knowledge."

Prabhupāda: Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. These materialistic persons, they are mad. Mad.

piśācī pāile jana mati-cchanna haya

māyā-grasta jīvera se dāsa upajaya

We, those who are materialistic persons, we are mad after sense gratification. Exactly like a person who is ghostly haunted, he speaks all sorts of nonsense, similarly, in our material condition we speak simply all nonsense. Unless we engage our tongue in the talking of kṛṣṇa-kathā… Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇanuvarṇane. Unless we engage our tongue in describing about the glories of Vaikuṇṭha-Vaikuṇṭha means the Supreme Personality of Godhead-then we shall be talking politics and other nonsense, and waste our time. Just like the frog. The frog is crowing. That means jihvāsatī dārdurikeva. In the Bhāgavata it is said that we have got tongue, but if we don't use the tongue for Kṛṣṇa-sevā… Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234]. Our devotional service begins from the tongue. People will be… "How service begins from the tongue?" Yes. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayaṁ sphuraty adhaḥ. So the tongue is very good instrument for developing devotional service. If we don't use this tongue in devotional service, then it is compared with the tongue of the frog. Jihvā dārdurikeva. Why? Why? "My tongue is so nice. Why it is compared with the tongue of a frog?" Now, because the frog, crowing, (imitates frog sound:) "caw a kronh, caw ka kronh," that means inviting the snake. The snake cannot see where is the frog, but by hearing the sound, crowing sound, the snake can understand, "Here is my food." So his crowing sound will be stopped as soon it is swallowed up by the snake. Similarly, we have got this tongue, human body. It is not the cat's tongue or dog's tongue or tiger's tongue or hog's tongue. It is the human being tongue. So this should be engaged for Kṛṣṇa's service by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare… This is… The tongue is being used. And tasting Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. If we simply, if you do not read any śāstra, if you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the tongue is… And simply we do not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. If we take this vow, that "My tongue should be used only for Kṛṣṇa…, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra… And chanting, chanting, when I become hungry, I take some little prasādam…"

Actually, that was the original process of paramahaṁsas, Gosvāmīs. They used to… Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. Their tongue was always used for Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana.

kṛṣṇa-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī

dhīrādhīra-jana-priya-priyakarau nirmatsarau pūjitau

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

So the Gosvāmīs used to spend their time by using… Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa… Nāmācārya Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was using his tongue: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. That's all. Very simple thing. But it is difficult also. So gradually… We should not imitate, but follow the footprints of great saintly persons, ācāryas. Then gradually, we shall be practiced. Tādera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa. This society, Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, is made just to create some devotees so that people, by the association of the devotees and following the footprints of the Gosvāmīs, they'll be automatically elevated to the transcendental platform. This is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. It is not a joint mess, that "You bring something, I bring something, and let us cook together, and eat and sleep." It is not that society. We should always be engaged. Always we shall use our tongue.

So tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta… It is very important passage given by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi… Our business should be how to execute the orders of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Gosvāmīs, the Ṣaḍ-Gosvāmī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe more nāma

He wanted that human beings, those who have taken birth as a human being in India, they should take the cause, the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and spread all over the world. Janma sārthaka kari' karo paropakāra. The India is made for doing good to others. India is not meant for exploiting others. That is not India's mission. From the very beginning, from long, long distant place, people used to come here to learn spiritual advancement of life. It is said that Lord Jesus Christ also came here, and he lived here for twelve years. Similarly, many Chinese scholars and transcendentalists used to come. So India is a land of knowledge and culture, especially spiritual knowledge, since very, very long time. So especially those who are born in India, they should take advantage of the privilege. Unfortunately, they are criticizing the foreigners, those who have taken it. They're suspecting. It is very, very regrettable fact. But anyway, that is the way, that is the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that those who are intelligent persons, intelligent Indians, they should take advantage of the gifts of the great sages and saintly persons, make their life successful and preach the cult all over the world. That is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for that purpose. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Only by his implication in material activities has he become miserable, temporary and full of ignorance. This is due to vikarma. Vikarma means actions which should not be done. Therefore we must practice sādhana-bhakti, which means to offer maṅgala-ārātrika (Deity worship) in the morning, to refrain from certain material activities, to offer obeisances to the spiritual master and to follow many other rules and regulations which will be discussed here one after another. These practices will help one to become cured of madness. As a man's mental disease is cured by the directions of a psychiatrist, so this sādhana-bhakti cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of māyā, material illusion."

Prabhupāda: So, as they are mentioned, the first principle is that every devotee must try to rise early in the morning. That is first business. This practice should be done first. No one should sleep more than six hours. Or, if you want to, sleep more… But you must rise in early in the morning. At four o'clock, attend the ārātrika, maṅgala-ārātrika. Maṅgala-ārātrika means auspicious beginning of your day. If you stand before maṅgala-ārātrika… In Vṛndāvana you see now, every temple, as soon as there is four o'clock, the ding-dong bell immediately begins. People can rise early in the morning, take bath in the Yamunā and visit the Deities in the temple. There is no necessity of passing M.A. examination, taking B.A. degree for devotional service. Simply you have to follow the regulative principles. Then automatically you'll become spiritualized. Very simple method. Vṛndāvana is specially meant for that purpose. Why people come to Vṛndāvana? To take the advantage. Here the atmosphere is surcharged with devotional service. We should take advantage of it. This is called sādhana-bhakti. Sādhana. Sādhana-bhakti means we have to practice it. And it does not require much education. It does not depend on your riches, that you have to become a very rich man to follow the regulative principles, rise early in the morning. Anyone can rise ea… It is simply a practice. You can take bath in the Yamunā. It is simply practice. You can visit the temples early in the morning. It is simply practice. So this is called sādhana-bhakti, practicing. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Nārada Muni mentions this sādhana-bhakti in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, First Chapter, 30th verse. He says there to King Yudhiṣṭhira: 'My dear King, one has to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa by any means.' That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet. The practice means somehow or other, you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, as Mahārāja Ambarīṣa did. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor [SB 9.4.18]. Practice in such a way that you'll be able to think of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, without any stop. That is the first-class yoga. Immediately you become a first-class yogi. You don't have to practice the meditation, samādhi, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, āsana, praṇāyāma, this aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Without practicing aṣṭāṅga-yoga, you simply practice the one simple thing, simply thinking of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa always; then you become a first-class yogi. It is not our statement. Kṛṣṇa's statement.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gata āntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

[Bg. 6.47]

He's first-class yogi. Who? "Who is always thinking of Me within his heart." Śraddhāvān. "With faith and love, he's always thinking of Kṛṣṇa." He's first-class yogi. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that, if we take it seriously, then immediately, on the first stage, we become a first-class yogi. Immediately, without any bodily endeavor, mystic exercise. No need. In the Kali-yuga it is not possible. The yoga practice, in your Western countries, it is very popular; but that is a farce. Yoga practice is very difficult, especially in this age. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum [SB 12.3.52]. Yoga practice was being done in the Satya-yuga. People were very strong; they used to live for many, many years. They could practice yoga. Here we do not know when we shall die. There is no, I mean to say, fixed-up time. At any moment, we can die. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām [SB 10.14.58]. We are simply in the midst of dangerous condition. At any moment. Just like when you were coming from that Mr. Choudhuri's house, immediately there would have been a motor accident in this Vṛndāvana. Immediately. So padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Here, especially in this Kali-yuga, the time is very bad. At any moment there can be any turmoil and we can die at any moment. Therefore, the recommendation is:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If you…, I die chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is a great opportunity. So this practice, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31], this is the only sādhana. Sādhana-bhakti. Chant always Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and it will be very easily possible to make your life perfect. Go on.

Pradyumna: "It is the duty of the ācārya, the spiritual master, to find the ways and means for his disciple to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of sādhana-bhakti."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The ācārya or the spiritual master's duty is to give direction to the disciples how he can fix up his mind always on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. He should… He knows how to engage a particular devotee in a particular type of service. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. The… We are, everyone has got some particular talent. So it is the duty of the spiritual master to engage his disciple's talent in the service of the Lord so that constantly he can think of the Lord. This is spiritual master's duty. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us an authorized program for this purpose, centered around the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This chanting has so much power that it immediately attaches one to Kṛṣṇa. That is the beginning of sādhana-bhakti. Somehow or other, one has to fix his mind on Kṛṣṇa. The great saint Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, although a responsible king, fixed his mind on Kṛṣṇa, and similarly, anyone who tries to fix his mind in this way will very rapidly make progress in successfully reviving his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Because fix up mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa is yoga. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1]. Who is yogi? Dhyānāvasthita, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā… Tad-gatena manasā, absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa. This is yoga system. Some way or other, if you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection of yoga. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ [Bg. 6.47]. That is the verdict of all śāstras. So by fixing up your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, immediately you become first-class yogi. There is no doubt about it. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Now this sādhana-bhakti, or practice of devotional service, can also be divided into two parts. The first part is called regulative principles. One has to follow these different regulative principles by the order of the spiritual master or on the strength of authoritative scriptures."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The regulative principles means that you don't manufacture anything. Regulative principle means authorized-as they are mentioned in the authorized scriptures and as it is confirmed by the spiritual master. Because we do not know. When it is confirmed by the spiritual master, yes, it is right. Sādhu guru, sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete kariyā aikya. The same statement of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. Sādhu, principles which are followed, sādhu-mārga-anugamanam. We cannot follow asādhu-mārga. We must follow sādhu-mārga. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. We cannot follow an upstart, manufacturing some song, manufacturing some ideas. We cannot follow that. What is authorized song, we shall sing. What is authorized method, we shall follow. Sādhu-guru-śāstra-vākya. Sādhu and guru means on the basis of śāstra. And śāstra means the statements of sādhu and guru. Therefore sādhu and guru and śāstra, they are identical. So they must be corroborated. If somebody's sādhu is speaking against śāstra, then he's not sādhu. If somebody's guru, if he's going against śāstra, then he's not guru. And śāstra means the original guru and sādhu. What do you mean by śāstra? Just like in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam means we are studying the character of original sādhu and guru. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, Prahlāda-caritra, Dhruva-caritra, Ambarīṣa-caritra, the Pāṇḍavas, Bhīṣma. So Bhāgavata means the glories of Bhagavān and bhaga, devotees. That's all. This is Bhāgavatam. So sādhu-guru-śāstra-vākya, tinete kariyā aikya.

So this is sādhana-bhakti. We must take instruction from the spiritual master. Ādau gurvāśrayam, sad-dharma-pṛcchāt. Who requires a spiritual master? One who is inquisitive of sad-dharma, not asad-dharma. Sad-dharma-pṛcchāt. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. A man requires a spiritual master when he's inquisitive to know about the transcendental subject matter. A spiritual, a spiritual master… To accept a spiritual master is not a fashion. Just like we keep a dog, pet, similarly, if we keep a spiritual master, pet spiritual master, to get sanction of all my sinful activities, that is not accepting spiritual master. Spiritual master means tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. You should accept a spiritual master where you think that you can surrender yourself fully, and offer his, your service. That is spiritual master. Sādhu-mārga-anugamanam. Sad-dharma-pṛcchāt. So spiritual master is required for a person who is interested in the transcendental subject matter. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Tad-vijñāna, that vijñāna, the science of spiritual life. One who is interested in the science of spiritual life, not that to keep a spiritual master as a fashion. No. One must be serious. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. First of all, one must know in which subject matter he's inquisitive, in material things, or in spiritual matters. If he's actually interested in spiritual matter, then he should search out a proper, bona fide spiritual master. Gurum eva abhigacchet. Must find out. It is not option. It must. Must, you cannot avoid it. Without bona fide spiritual master, you cannot go a step forward. Go on.

Pradyumna: "…and there can be no question of refusal. That is called vaidhi, or regulated. One has to do it without any argument. Another…"

Prabhupāda: Yes. You cannot argue with the spiritual master. First of all, you have to select a spiritual master where you can completely surrender. And as soon… Just like Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. When he saw that "The questions which have arisen in my mind, it cannot be solved by ordinary person," therefore he selected. He told Him that "I can understand, without Your Lordship, nobody can mitigate all the doubts in my mind." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi mām [Bg. 2.7]. Therefore original spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is original spiritual master. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Kṛṣṇa first instructed Brahma, Ādi-kavi. From Brahma, we have got these Vedas, Vedic knowledge. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master. Aham evāsam agre. Before creation, Kṛṣṇa was there. Aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2]. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all the devas. Devas means Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, then all other demigods. So, in this way, Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master. Just like He's the spiritual master of Arjuna. So study of Bhagavad-gītā means if you follow the footprints of Arjuna, then you are also as good as Arjuna. Not as good; I mean to say, that your knowledge is perfect. Perfect in this sense: that Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as Paraṁ Brahma; you accept Kṛṣṇa as Paraṁ Brahma; then your study of Bhagavad-gītā is perfect. And if you make your so-called erudite scholarship, commentary, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa," then you are spoiled. Your life is spoiled, your study is spoiled. Sādhu-mārga-anugamanam.

So if you want to study Bhagavad-gītā, you follow what Arjuna says. Where is the difficulty? What Arjuna has said about Kṛṣṇa, that is already there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, śāṣvataṁ puruṣam ādi [Bg. 10.12]. You accept Kṛṣṇa. Why do you try to make minus Kṛṣṇa Bhagavad-gītā? This is rascaldom. That is not study of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Study Bhagavad-gītā as it is; then you'll be benefited. And actually we are seeing that. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is all over the world, and it is becoming successful. Not adulteration. That is spoiling. Adulteration means… The example is given…, it was given by my Guru Mahārāja that there is a cup of sweet rice, and you mix with some grains of sand. Then it is, whole thing is spoiled. You cannot comment on Bhagavad-gītā according to your whims. Kṛṣṇa did not leave Bhagavad-gītā to be understood by your commentation. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. You'll be benefited. That is sādhu-mārga-anugamanam.

Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

721114ND.VRN

The Nectar of Devotion

Vṛndāvana, November 14, 1972

Pradyumna: (reading:) "Another part of sādhana-bhakti is called rāgānugā. Rāgānugā refers to the point at which, by following the regulative principles, one becomes a little more attached to Kṛṣṇa and executes devotional service out of natural love. For example, a person engaged in devotional service may be ordered to rise early in the morning and offer ārātrika, which is a form of Deity worship. In the beginning, by the order of the spiritual master, one rises early in the morning and offers ārātrika, but then he develops real attachment. When he gets this attachment, he automatically tries to decorate the Deity and prepare different kinds of dresses and thinks of different plans to execute his devotional service nicely. Although it is within the category of practice, this off…"

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Pradyumna: "Although it is within the category of practice, this offering of loving service is spontaneous. So the practice of devotion, the practice of devotional service, sādhana-bhakti, can be divided into two parts-namely, regulative and spontaneous."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Rūpa Gosvāmī defines the first part of devotional service, or vaidhi-bhakti, as follows: 'When there is no attachment or no spontaneous loving service to the Lord, and one is engaged in the service of the Lord simply out of obedience to the order of the spiritual master or in pursuance of the scriptures, such obligatory service is called vaidhi-bhakti.' These principles of vaidhi-bhakti…"

Prabhupāda: Neither attachment nor detachment. That is the primary stage. One has no very much attachment in the material affairs, but at the same time, he has no strong detach…, attachment for devotional service. This marginal state is called, what is that? Vaidhi-bhakti. Means he is offering devotional service under the instruction of the spiritual master as a professional. He has not developed the spontaneous love of God, Kṛṣṇa, but he is obliged to serve under the instruction of the spiritual master. And that is the first stage of vaidhi-bhakti. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The principles of vaidhi-bhakti are also described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, First Chapter, verse 35, where Śukadeva Gosvāmī instructs the dying Mahārāja Parīkṣit as to his course of action. Mahārāja Parīkṣit met Śukadeva Gosvāmī just a week before his death, and the King was perplexed as to what should be done before he was to pass on. Many other sages also arrived there, but no one could give him the proper direction. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, however, gave this direction to him as follows: 'My dear King, if you want to be fearless in meeting your death next week (for actually everyone is afraid at the point of death), then you must immediately begin the process of hearing and chanting and remembering God.' If one can chant and hear Hare Kṛṣṇa and always remember Lord Kṛṣṇa, then he is sure to become fearless of death, which may come at any moment."

Prabhupāda: Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ [SB 2.1.6]. That is the success of life. Somehow or other, if one can remember Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, that is success of life. The… In Bengal there is a proverb: bhajana kara, pūjāna kara, mate janle haya. Your devotional service will be tested at the time of death. Because yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaram loke tyajaty ante kalevaram. At the time of death, if we can remember Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ, that is all success. The practice of devotional service means so that we may be so accustomed to chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra that at the time of death we may remember it. Otherwise… Not like parrot. The parrot also imitates chanting. But when the cat catches, he does not say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." He says (imitates parrot sound), "kanh, kanh." So not that kind of… We should be accustomed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa that whenever the death point is there, he would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then that is success. So practice means to remember. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ [Bg. 8.6]. If we practice always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, naturally, at the time of danger, we shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Go on.

Pradyumna: "In the statements of Śukadeva Gosvāmī it is said that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Śukadeva recommends that one should always hear about Kṛṣṇa. He does not recommend that one hear and chant about the demigods. The Māyāvādīs, or impersonalists, say that you can chant any name, either that of Kṛṣṇa or those of the demigods, and the result will be the same."

Prabhupāda: Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommended,

tasmād bhārata sarvātmā

bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ

śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca

smārtavyaś ca nityaśaḥ

[SB 2.1.5]

He recommended this, that tasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ. Sarvātmā. The Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart; therefore He's known as sarvātmā. So sarvātmā is Bhagavān, the Personality, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, who takes away all our miserable conditions. Hari. And Īśvara, controller. Tasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ. So He's to be always remembered. Satato smārtavyo viṣṇuḥ. Always we have to remember Viṣṇu. Nityada, always. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31]. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. Ādi 17.31]

Kīrtanīyaḥ, to chant the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there are so many impediments. You are experiencing that our only business is to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but there are so many enemies also. There are many friends-we have got more friends than enemies; still, there are so many enemies also, criticizing. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted that this criticism would be there. Even when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was preaching this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra… He was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very loudly. Some brāhmaṇas from Navadvīpa, they lodged complaint to the magistrate, Kazi, that "This Nimāi Paṇḍita has discovered a new type of religion, chanting loudly Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the period of, sleeping period of Nārāyaṇa, and He's chanting so loudly. So Nārāyaṇa will be disturbed and there will be so much catastrophe. So kindly stop this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa loudly." And Kazi, he took steps. He first of all warned the disciples of Caitanya Mahāprabhu to stop chanting. But when Caitanya Mahāprabhu disregarded the order, then the, some constables came and broke the mṛdaṅgas. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu started the civil disobedience movement. About one lakh of people, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, reached the house of Kazi, and there was some compromise.

So there is always impediments in this process. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the atheist class of men, they cannot tolerate. In… Nowadays also, we are being harassed. In Australia, the Melbourne city authorities, they brought a civil suit against us not to chant on the street. And our men were being taken to the police custody. So this harassment was going on, and our men asked my permission, "What to do? The lawyers want two thousand dollars for defending." So I advised them that "Why you should defend? Better go to jail and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa there." That's all. So they followed this instruction. Later on, the Archbishop of Melbourne city, he advised the authorities, "Don't harass these men. They are actually devotees of God." So now there is no disturbance. So similar disturbance is to happen to everywhere. Therefore, Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave us instruction that you should be tolerant. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. Because there will be so much impediments. Amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31]. We must chant, we must always do our business, despite all objection, obstacles. That is our business. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The Māyāvādīs, or impersonalists, say that you can chant any name, either that of Kṛṣṇa or those of the demigods, and the result will be the same. But actually this is not a fact. According to the authorized version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one has to hear and chant about Lord Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa…"

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Pradyumna: "…only."

Prabhupāda: Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. There are other demigods. It is not recommended śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam of the name of other demigods. And to compare or to equalize the Supreme Personality of Godhead with other demigods, that is pāṣaṇḍī-matam, means atheistic opinion.

yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ

brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ

samatvenaiva vīkṣeta

sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam

[Cc. Madhya 18.116]

This is a quotation from Caitanya-caritāmṛta, from Śāśvata Purāṇa. So we should not compare the Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa equal to any other demigod. That is offense. That is also nāma-aparādha. But the Māyāvādīs, they do that. Therefore, they do not derive any benefit. The Māyāvādīs also chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but-just to attract people-but actually they think that the name of any other demigod and the name of Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, all the same. That is nāma-aparādha. Go on.

Pradyumna: "So Śukadeva Gosvāmī has recommended to Parīkṣit Mahārāja that in order to be fearless of death, one has to hear and chant and remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, by all means. He also mentions that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is sarvātmā. Sarvātmā means the Supersoul of everyone. Kṛṣṇa is also mentioned as Īśvara, the supreme controller who is situated in everyone's heart. Therefore, if some way or other we become attached to Kṛṣṇa, he will make us free from all danger. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that anyone who becomes a devotee of the Lord is never vanquished. Others, however, are always vanquished. Vanquished means that after getting this human form of life, a person does not come out of the entanglement of birth and death and thus misses his golden opportunity. Such a person does not know where he is being thrown by the laws of nature."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's a great problem. People do not know. People in general, they do not know what is after death. There are so many things after death, but there is no education. Therefore they are in darkness. So this human form of life is misused in darkness. If anyone does not know the value of life, then it is misused. In the śāstra it is called ātma-hā, committing suicide. The same quotation from Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura:

hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu

manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā

jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu

Committing suicide. If we do not come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even getting this valuable human form of life, then certainly we are committing suicide. We are drinking poison knowingly. Go on.

Pradyumna: "Suppose one does not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this human form of life. He will be thrown into the cycle of birth and death involving 8,400,000 species of life, and his spiritual identity will remain lost. One does not know whether he is going to be a plant or a beast or a bird or something like that, because there are so many species of life. The recommendation of Rūpa Gosvāmī for reviving our original Kṛṣṇa consciousness is that somehow or other we should apply our minds to Kṛṣṇa very seriously, and thus also become fearless of death. After death, we do not know our destination, because we are completely under the control of the laws of nature. Only Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is controller over the laws of nature. Therefore, if we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa seriously, there will be no fear of being thrown back into the cycle of so many species of life. A sincere devotee will surely be transferred to the abode of Kṛṣṇa, as affirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā."

Prabhupāda: Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. These statements are there. If we actually take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then māyā, the laws of nature, will not act. And… Otherwise, we shall be put into the cycle of birth and death. So the best utilization of this human life is to elevate oneself to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa, in truth, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], then we'll not have to accept any more this material body, which is full of miserable conditions. Then we go back to home, back to Godhead. Go on.

Pradyumna: "In the Padma Purāṇa also the same process is advised. There it is said that one should always remember Lord Viṣṇu. This is called dhyāna, or meditation-always remembering Kṛṣṇa. It is said that one has to meditate with his mind fixed upon Viṣṇu. Padma Purāṇa recommends that one always fix his mind on the form of Viṣṇu by meditation and not forget Him at any moment. And this stage of consciousness is called samādhi, or trance."

Prabhupāda: Yogic mystic meditation means to concentrate the mind upon Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Dhyānāvasthita tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1]. Yogi, those who are real yogis, they always observe the Viṣṇu form within the heart. That is the process of meditation and samādhi. Go on.

Pradyumna: "We should always try to mold the activities of our lives in such a way that we will constantly remember Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Whether one concentrates his mind on the four-handed form of Viṣṇu or on the form of two-handed Kṛṣṇa, it is the same. The Padma Purāṇa recommends somehow or other always thinking of Viṣṇu, without forgetting Him, under any circumstances. Actually, this is the most basic of all regulative principles. For, when there is an order from a superior about doing something, there is simultaneously a prohibition. When the order is that one should always remember Kṛṣṇa, the prohibition is that one should never forget Him. Within this simple order and prohibition all regulative principles are found complete."

Prabhupāda: Smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇuḥ vismartavyaṁ na jātucit. This is, this is the principle of Kṛṣṇa conscious life. We should always remember Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, and we shall never forget Him. We shall mold our life in such a way… This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, International Society, on this process, they are acting. They're publishing, they're going to saṅkīrtana party on the street-even they are arrested, they cannot forget Kṛṣṇa. Even they are put into the jail, there also, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa or remembering Kṛṣṇa, that "For pushing on Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we have come to jail." And they are chanting; they're free to chant. So ahaituky apratihatā: Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be checked in any condition of life, provided we are serious. It is so nice. Any condition, any circumstances, without any check, we can remember Kṛṣṇa. Satato smartavyaḥ, smartavyo viṣṇuḥ. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31]. These are the instructions. Go on.

Pradyumna: "This regulative principle is applicable to all varṇas and āśramas…"

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is not that Viṣṇu has to be remembered only by the brāhmaṇas. No. Anyone-brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or lower than the śūdras, any pāpa-yoni. Kṛṣṇa recommends, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā [Bg. 9.33]. Even pāpa-yoni, it doesn't matter. Any material condition cannot check Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anyone can take bath in the Yamunā. It is open for everyone. There is no prohibition that those who are low-born, they cannot take bath in the Yamunā or Ganges. Similarly, for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra there is no barrier. Everyone can chant. Everyone can take advantage and thus become purified of the material contamination. Go on.

Pradyumna: "There are four varṇas, namely, the brāhmaṇas, the priest and intellectuals; the kṣatriyas, warrior and statesmen; the vaiśyas, businessmen and farmers; and the śūdras, laborers and servants. There are also four standard āśramas, namely, brahmacarya, or student life; gṛhastha, householder; vānaprastha, retired; and sannyāsa, renounced. The regulative principles are not only for the brahmacārīs, or celibate students, to follow, but are applicable for all. It doesn't matter whether one is a beginner, a brahmacārī, or if one is very advanced, a sannyāsī. The principle of remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead constantly and not forgetting Him at any moment is meant to be followed by everyone without fail. If this injunction if followed, then all other rules and regulations will automatically fall into line. All other rules and regulations should be treated as assistants or servants to this one basic principle."

Prabhupāda: This has been practically proved in the Western countries. These boys and girls, European and Americans, they were not informed about the regulative principles in the beginning. We enforce the regulative principle when a student is serious to become initiated. Otherwise, ordinarily, in all our centers, everyone is welcome and join the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Gradually, by mixing with the devotees, by being purified on the transcendental vibration of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, they voluntarily offer to become serious student, initiated. In this way, we have expanded. Practically the basic principle is chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and giving them some chance to hear about Kṛṣṇa from the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. This is our principle. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The injunctions of rules and regulations and the resultant reactions are mentioned in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Chapter, first and second verses. Camasa Muni, one of the nine sages who came to instruct King Nimi, addressed the King and said, 'The four social orders, namely, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas and the śūdras, have come out of the different parts of the universal form of the Supreme Lord as follows: the brāhmaṇas have come out from the head; the kṣatriyas have come out from the arms; the vaiśyas have come out from the waist; and the śūdras have come out from the legs. Similarly, the sannyāsīs have come out from the head; the vānaprasthas from the arms; the gṛhasthas from the waist; and the brahmacārīs from the legs.' These different orders of society and grades of spiritual advancement are conceived in terms of qualification. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that the four social orders and the four spiritual orders are created by the Lord Himself, in terms of different individual qualities. As the different parts of the body have different types of activities, so the social and spiritual orders also have different types of activities in terms of qualification and position. The target of these activities, however, is always the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, 'He is the supreme enjoyer.' So whether one is a brāhmaṇa or a śūdra, he has to satisfy the Supreme Lord by his activities."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The brāhmaṇa is considered to be the mouth of the total body, and the śūdras are considered to be the legs. So by comparative position, the head is more important than the leg, but they are equally important in terms of the whole body. Because the head cannot walk. For walking, you require the cooperation of the legs. So, as to maintain this body we require the cooperation of the head, arms, waist and legs, similarly, for serving Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, the whole, it doesn't matter whether one is a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra; everyone can be engaged. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. One has to worship the Supreme by his own work. The leg has to work in his own way, the head has to work in its own way. But the aim should be to survive, to maintain this body. That is the process. If the aim is one-Kṛṣṇa-then it doesn't matter whether one is brāhmaṇa or one is śūdra. Equally they are serving and they are sharing the equal profit out of it. Go on.

Pradyumna: "This is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by a verse which reads, 'Everyone must be engaged in his particular duty, but the perfection of such work should be tested by how far the Lord is satisfied with such activities.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Varṇa and āśrama, four varṇas and four āśrama, that division is always there. But it does not matter, division. It… Of course, comparatively, the head is important than the leg. But if everyone is engaged in the service of the Lord, then everyone becomes perfect. It doesn't matter whether he's śūdra or brāhmaṇa. It doesn't matter. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. Or svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Go on.

Pradyumna: "The injunction herein is that one is to act according to his position, and by such activities one must either satisfy the Supreme Personality or else fall down from his position."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The position may be… That is also recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ means position. You keep your position as brāhmaṇa, you keep your position as kṣatriya, or you keep your position as śūdra or vaiśya or brahmacārī. It doesn't matter. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Simply hear about the glories. Just like we are sitting here. There are brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśya, or śūdra. It doesn't matter. Everyone has got the privilege to hear about the glories of the Lord. And if we take up this business, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ, prāyaśo 'jito 'pi jito asi tais tri-lokyām. Kṛṣṇa is known as Ajita, but… Ajita means who cannot be conquered. So He can be conquered by this process. When Rāmānanda Raya quoted this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva, so Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirmed it. Ya ihā haya: "It is very nice." So in this age, by the recommendation of śāstra, and confirmed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we should give chance to the people for hearing about the glories of the Lord. That is the program of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We go everywhere and we give people the chance of hearing about the glories of the Lord, and gradually they become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is, practically, we are feeling it. The recommendation given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: īhā haya, this process. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ.

So this process, giving chance. Of course, those who are preacher, they must be very sincere and serious. Āpani ācari prabhu jīveri śikṣāya. One must be perfectly in the Vaiṣṇava behavior, sadācāra. Because to hear from professional reciters, there will be no effect. He must be Vaiṣṇava. It is the indication by Sanātana Gosvāmī, avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. One who is professional, who is not Vaiṣṇava, from him, one should not hear about the holy names of God, Kṛṣṇa. That is prohibited. Because it will not be effective. Rather, it will be dangerous. So preaching work, this Kṛṣṇa conscious preaching work, we must be very cautious that those who are preachers, they must be pure Vaiṣṇava. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Not for money's sake, not for reputation sake, lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā. Only for serving Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. This is pure Vaiṣṇavism. One has to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Not for any other purpose. So this preaching work should be taken up by pure Vaiṣṇava, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ [Brs. 1.1.11]. And if the śāstric injunctions and the direction given by the authorities, if they are presented as they are, surely there will be effect. It has been proved. And it is being proved. So this process we should adopt, and our success of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is assured.

Thank you very much. (end)

730127ND.CAL

The Nectar of Devotion

Calcutta, January 27, 1973

Mādhavānanda: Thirty-two.

Prabhupāda: Not thirty-two. Twenty-three.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twenty-three.

Prabhupāda: Page twenty-three. Open.

Mādhavānanda: Here, twenty-five, page twenty-five.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Page twenty-five?

Mādhavānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: Page twenty-five. I ended…

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Read. Begin reading, Mādhavānanda.

Mādhavānanda: I ended on the second paragraph. Right here. "The vaiśyas are meant for pro…"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Read.

Mādhavānanda: "The vaiśyas are meant for producing agricultural products, trading them and distributing them. And the working class, or śūdras, are those who haven't the intelligence of the brāhmaṇas or the kṣatriyas or the vaiśyas, and therefore they are meant to help these higher classes by bodily labor. In this way, there is full cooperation and spiritual advancement amongst all the different orders of society. And when there is no such cooperation, the members of society will fall down. That is the present position…"

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is everywhere. Even in, in our society, Kṛṣṇa conscious society, if there is no mutual cooperation, then it will fall down immediately. So as Rūpa Gosvāmī advises, the first thing is enthusiasm, utsāhān. Utsāhān dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt… (aside:) Why Śyāmasundara is not here? Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅga ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati. If you want actually to make progress in our devotional life, the utsāhān, enthusiasm, is the first thing. If you are lacking enthusiasm, then you should rest, instead of making too much agitation within the mind. The… If you cannot find out… Some, something has dropped in the water, in the river, you cannot see the things dropped within the water by agitating the water. Just stand still for sometimes. As soon as the water is settled up, you'll see the things as they are. So as soon as our enthusiasm is agitated, it is better to sit down in any temple suitable and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of being disappointed. After all, we commit so many mistakes. That is human nature. To err is human. That is not fault. But try to rectify with cool head. That is required. So similarly, there are different classes of men in the society: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. They should cooperate for the common cause. They do not know the common cause. The common cause is Kṛṣṇa. For Kṛṣṇa's service, we should submit to the immediate officer or commander. Just like soldiers. Soldiers, there is no question of discrimination. Whatever is ordered by the commander, immediately done. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "That is the present position in the Kali-yuga, this age of quarrel. Nobody is doing his duty, and everyone is simply puffed up by calling himself a brāhmaṇa, intellectual, or a kṣatriya, soldier or statesman. But actually such people are without status."

Prabhupāda: This is the statement exactly. Everyone has to do his duty. Otherwise, simply by name, I have become a great devotee, but if I do not do what is enjoined in the śāstras or the spiritual master, then that is simply false, puffed-up position. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "They are out of touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead because they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is intended to set the whole of human society in proper condition so that everyone will be happy and take profit from developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa instructed Uddhava that by following the injunctions of the social and spiritual orders of human society, one can satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as a result of such satisfaction, the whole society gets all the necessities of life amply and without difficulty. This is because, after all, the Supreme Personality of Godhead maintains all other living entities. If the whole world performs its respective duties and remains in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no doubt that all of its members will live very peacefully and happily. Without wanting the necessities of life, the whole world will be turned into Vaikuṇṭha, a spiritual abode. Even without being transferred to the kingdom of God, by following the injunctions of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and prosecuting the duties of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. all human society will be happy in all respects."

Prabhupāda: Now what is the argument against this? (aside:) Why don't you open this? All, open all fans.

Mādhavānanda: Just the, just…

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe open the doors.

Prabhupāda: Open the doors. Open, fully open. Now we say simply by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness every member in the society, human society, will be happy. This is our proposal. Now discuss on this point, whether actually people will be happy or unhappy. What is the counterargument? It should be understood by threadbare discussion, how Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can make the whole society happy. This is the proposal. Now those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, what argument they will forward against this proposition? Yes.

Acyutānanda: Well, as you say, if everyone became Kṛṣṇa conscious, then how would the world go on?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Acyutānanda: If everybody started chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, then how, how would we eat?

Revatīnandana: Who would run the factories?

Prabhupāda: So that means the world as it is going on, it is a necessity. Do you think like that? This world, as it is going on, fighting one another, killing one another, stealing one's property and… Do you think that this order of things must go on? Just like the…, it is a proposal when everyone becomes honest, how the prison house will go on? It will be stopped. That's a great anxiety. Do you think the prison house, there is necessity that it will go on? That answer was given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu that… Vāsudeva Datta proposed, "My dear Lord, You have come. You take all the sinful persons from this world. Let them be delivered, as You have personally come. So if You think they're so sinful, they cannot be taken back to home, back to Godhead, then I take all their sins. You take them only." That was his offer. Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava thinks like that, that he may remain in the hell, but by Kṛṣṇa consciousness everyone may be delivered. That is real Vaiṣṇava. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Vaiṣṇava is unhappy by seeing others unhappy. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied that "Suppose I take all the living entities of this universe, and still there are so many other universes. This universe is just like one mustard seed in the bag of mustard seeds." So you do not think that everyone will become Kṛṣṇa conscious. You don't be, I mean to say, agitated with this thought: "The prison house will be closed." No. It will go on. The business will go on. It is not so easy that everyone should… But if some percentage of people take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, leading men, then it will be… You, you… They'll follow. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas lokas tad anuvartate [Bg. 3.21]. You, you do not think that the bad habits of people, non-Kṛṣṇa conscious, will stop altogether. No. That is not possible. One hasn't got to think over this. It will go on, side by side. Because this is material world. Māyā. Māyā is very strong. Daivī hi eṣā guṇamayī. But those who are taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, for them, there is no unhappiness. Viśvaṁ pūrṇaṁ sukhāyate. For them, the whole world becomes happy. There is no question of distress. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "There is a similar statement by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself to Uddhava in the Eleventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Twenty-seventh Chapter, verse 49. The Lord says there, 'My dear Uddhava, all persons are engaged in activities, whether those indicated in the revealed scriptures or ordinary worldly activities. If by the result of either of such activities they worship Me in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then automatically they become very happy within this world, as well as in the next. Of this there is no doubt.' We can conclude from this statement by Kṛṣṇa that activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will give everyone all perfection in their desires.

"Thus the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that there is no need of even designating oneself brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha or sannyāsī. Let everyone be engaged in whatever occupation he now has. Simply let him worship Lord Kṛṣṇa by the result of his activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will adjust the whole situation and everyone will be happy and peaceful within this world. In the Nārada-pañcarātra, the regulative princi…"

Prabhupāda: "Everyone" means one who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Everyone" does not mean that one who does not. But if one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by his influence, hundreds will be happy. Hundreds will be happy. So a few people, if they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then there will be tremendous benefit to the human society. Not that everyone will become Kṛṣṇa conscious. By the presence of really a pure Kṛṣṇa conscious person, many people will be benefited.

Mādhavānanda: "In the Nārada-pañcarātra, the regulative principles of devotional service are described as follows: 'Any activities sanctioned in the revealed scriptures and aiming at the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are accepted by saintly teachers as the regulative principles of devotional service."

Prabhupāda: This is the primary point. Whatever, laukikī and vaidikī. Vaidikī means according to the scriptures, and laukikī means ordinary, common activities. Both of them, when, they are executed for satisfying of Kṛṣṇa, it is immediately transcendental. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "If somebody regularly executes such service under the Supreme Personality of Godhead under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, then gradually he rises to the platform of serving in pure love of God." "Chapter Three: Eligibility of the Candidate for Accepting Devotional Service. On account of his association with mahātmās, or great souls one hundred percent in the devotional service of the Lord, one may attain a little bit of attraction for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, but, at the same time, one may remain very much attached to fruitive activities and material sense enjoyment and not be prepared to undergo the different types of renunciation. Such a person, if he has unflinching attraction to Kṛṣṇa, becomes an eligible candidate for discharging devotional service.

"This attraction for Kṛṣṇa consciousness in association with pure devotees is the sign of great fortune. It is confirmed by Lord Caitanya that the only…, only the fortunate persons, by mercy of both the bona fide spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, will get the seed of devotional service. In this connection, Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, Twentieth Chapter, verse 8: 'My dear Uddhava, only by exceptional fortune does someone become attached, attracted to Me, Kṛṣṇa. And even if one is not completely detached from fruitive activities or is not completely attached to devotional service, such service is quickly effective.'

"Devotees can be divided into three classes. The first, or uppermost class, is described as follows: One is very expert in the study of relevant scriptures and he is also expert in putting forward arguments in terms of those scriptures. He can very nicely present conclusions with perfect discretion and can consider the ways of devotional…"

Prabhupāda: These are the symptoms of the topmost devotee. He has got full knowledge in scripture. He can argue on the basis of scripture. He can convince the other party. These are the symptoms of uttama-adhikārī.

Mādhavānanda: "He understands perfectly that the ultimate goal of life is to attain to the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, and he knows that Kṛṣṇa is the only object of worship and love. This first-class devotee is one who has strictly followed the rules and regulations under the training of a bona fide spiritual master and is sincerely obeying him in accord with revealed scriptures. Thus being fully trained to preach and become a spiritual master himself, he is considered first class. A first-class devotee never deviates from the principles of higher authority, and he attains firm faith in the scriptures by understanding with all reasons and arguments. When we speak of arguments and reason, it means arguments and reason on the basis of revealed scripture. The first-class devotee is not interested in dry speculative methods for wasting time. In other words, one who has attained a mature determination in the matter of devotional service can be accepted as the first-class devotee.

"The second-class devotee has been defined by the following symptoms: he is not very expert in arguing on the strength of revealed scripture, but he has firm faith in the objective. The purport of this description is that the second-class devotee has firm faith in the procedure of devotional service unto Kṛṣṇa, but he may sometimes fail to offer arguments and decisions on the strength of revealed scripture to an opposing party. But at the same time, he is still undaunted within himself as to his decision that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme object of worship.

"The neophyte, or third-class devotee, is one whose faith is not strong and, at the same time, does not recognize the decision of the revealed scripture. The neophyte's faith can be changed by someone else with strong arguments or by an opposite decision. Unlike the second-class devotee, who also cannot put forward arguments and evidences from the scriptures, but who has still, has all faith in the objective, the neophyte has no firm faith in the objective. Thus he is called a neophyte devotee.

"Further classification of the neophyte devotee is made in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is stated there that four classes of men, namely those who are distressed, those who are in need of money, those who are inquisitive and those who are wise, begin devotional service and come to the Lord for relief in the matter of their respectful self-satisfaction. They go into some place of worship and pray to God for mitigation of material distress or for some economic development, or to satisfy their inquisitiveness. And a wise man who simply realizes the greatness of God is also counted amongst the neophytes. Such beginners can be elevated to the second-class platform if they associate with pure devotees.

"An example of the neophyte class is Mahārāja Dhruva. He was in need of his father's kingdom and therefore engaged himself in devotional service to the Lord. Then, in the end, when he was completely purified, he declined to accept any material benediction from the Lord. Similarly, Gajendra was also distressed and prayed to Kṛṣṇa for protection, after which he became a pure devotee. Similarly Sanaka, Sanātana, Sananda and Sanat-kumāra were all in the category of wise, saintly persons, and they were also attracted by devotional service. A similar thing happened to the assembly in the Naimiṣāraṇya Forest, headed by the sage Śaunaka. They were inquisitive and were always asking Sūta Gosvāmī about Kṛṣṇa. Thus they achieved the association of a pure devotee and became pure devotees themselves. So that is the way of elevating oneself. In whatever condition one may be, if he is fortunate enough to associate with pure devotees, then very quickly he is elevated to the second-class or first-class platform.

"These four types of devotees have been described in the Seventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, and they, they have all been accepted as pious. Without becoming pious, no one can come to devotional service. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that only one who has completely executed pious activities and whose sinful reactions of life have completely stopped can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Others cannot. The neophyte devotees are classified into four groups: the distressed, those who are in need of money, the inquisitive and the wise-according to their gradations of pious activities. Without pious activities, if a man is in a distressed condition, he becomes an agnostic, communist, or something like that. Because he does not firmly believe in God, he thinks that he can adjust his distressed condition by totally disbelieving in Him.

"Lord Kṛṣṇa, however, has explained in the Gītā that out of these four types of neophytes, the one who is very…, who is wise is very dear to Him because a wise man, if he is attached to Kṛṣṇa, is not seeking an exchange of material benefits. A wise man who becomes attached to Kṛṣṇa does not want any return from Him, neither in the form of relieving distress nor in gaining money. This means that from the very beginning the basic principle of attachment to Kṛṣṇa is, more or less, love. Furthermore, due to his wisdom and study of śāstra and scriptures, he can understand also that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead."[break]

Acyutānanda: When people are starving and they have no clothing, then how can they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? First give them food, then clothing and education, and then Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, are they starving? Then why they not become Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Acyutānanda: They said because first they had, had to give them food so that they could have time to…

Prabhupāda: No. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, practically, we are not starving.

Devotee: In India… [break]

Prabhupāda: …stomach. In India there are many persons whose stomach is already filled up, but he's not chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is not a condition, that because the stomach is filled up, therefore one will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Ahaituky apratihatā. Chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is not caused by anything. Ahaituky apratihatā. It cannot be checked by any condition. Your chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra cannot be checked because one is poor. No. That is not a fact. Any condition, one can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now a poor man is suffering without chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So what is the harm if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa? There are many poor men, they're not chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They're suffering. But, in that condition, if they're induced to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, what is the harm if there is some benefit?

Pañcadraviḍa: Well, these welfare workers say, "We have a positive solution. We believe the answer is by providing food and shelter, clothing. Or if you will offer…"

Prabhupāda: But you cannot, you have not done this. There are so many men without shelter, without food. What you have done for them? The Ramakrishna Mission began for daridra-nārāyaṇa sevā. They have got so much big, big buildings, institutions. And why the daridra-nārāyaṇa is lying on the street? What they are doing? Why do they not take the daridra-nārāyaṇas in the big, big building they have got? Their mission is daridra-nārāyaṇa sevā. Why they are not doing that?

Indian man: (Hindi conversation with Śrīla Prabhupāda) [break]

Prabhupāda: "…and naturally inclined to enjoy. And you have encouraged them in that way in the name of religion. This is very condemned and is quite unreasonable. Because they are guided under your instructions, they will accept such activities in the name of religion and will hardly care for prohibitions. They will hardly care for prohibitions." (Hindi-end)

730128ND.CAL

The Nectar of Devotion

Calcutta, January 28, 1973

Mādhavānanda: (reading:) "It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that after many, many births, when one becomes actually wise, he surrenders unto Vāsudeva, knowing perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) is the origin and cause of all causes. Therefore he sticks to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and gradually develops love for Him. Although such a wise man is very dear to Kṛṣṇa, the others are also accepted as very magnanimous because even though they are distressed or in need of money, they have come to Kṛṣṇa for satisfaction. Thus they are accepted as liberal, broad-minded mahātmās.

"Without being elevated to the position of jñānī, or wise man, no one can stick to the principle of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Others who are less intelli…"

Prabhupāda: This tulasī. big plant, while passing it should not touch your cloth. It is not ordinary plant. Very careful. Or it should not be kept there. Be careful. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "Others, who are less intelligent, or those whose intelligence has been taken away by the spell of māyā, are attached to different demigods on account of the influence of the modes of nature. The wise man is he who has clearly understood that he is not…, that he is spirit soul and not simply a body. Because he realizes that he is spirit and that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Spirit, he knows that his intimate relationships should be with Kṛṣṇa, not with this body. The distressed and the man who wants money are in the material concept of life because distress and need of money are both in relationship with this body. One who is inquisitive may be a little above the distressed and the man in need of money, but still he is on the material platform. But a wise man who seeks Kṛṣṇa knows perfectly well that he is spirit soul, or Brahman, and that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spirit soul, or Parabrahman. He knows that the spirit soul, being subordinate and finite…"

Prabhupāda: Where it is?

Mādhavānanda: At the bottom of thirty-one.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Thirty-one?

Mādhavānanda: At the bottom of the page.

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "He knows that the spirit soul, being subordinate and finite, should always dovetail himself with the infinite and supreme soul, Kṛṣṇa. That is the relationship of the wise man with Kṛṣṇa.

"It can be concluded that a person who is freed from the bodily concept of life is an eligible candidate for pure devotional service."

Prabhupāda: "It can be concluded that a person who is freed from the bodily concept of life is an eligible candidate for pure devotional service." People generally think that by, through devotional service, one rises to the platform of Brahman-jñāna, nirbheda brahmānu-sandhana. Even the so-called devotees-they are called sahajiyās-their ultimate goal is to merge into the existence of Brahman. That Rajani Sena, Bombay, he's also preaching in that way. And their process is very abominable. The, the sahajiyās, they also think like that, that by sex one can rise to that platform of merging into the effulgence of Brahman. Even Vivekananda was talking that "This Vaiṣṇava religion is a religion of sex." They have been so much misrepresented. By sexual indulgence, one can become one with the Supreme. This is their theory, very dangerous theory. Therefore these sahajiyās are amongst the thirteen rejected apa-sampradāyas. In the name of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there are so many apa-sampradāyas. Apa-sampradāya means they present themselves as belonging to the Caitanya cult. But they are not at all bona fide. They are rejected. [break] Even such sahajiyās, they would not read even Bhagavad-gītā. They think themselves that they are so, I mean to say, elevated, they have surpassed reading of Bhagavad-gītā. Similarly there are sahajiyās, they also say that kīrtana is not required for them. Kīrtana, one who has very much advanced, he doesn't require to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. I have heard it.

But the [break] …begins from kīrtana. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. Śāstra says, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31].

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

So in this age, especially in Kali-yuga, one who does not join in the kīrtana, he's not a devotee at all. He's outside, bahir aṅga, bahir-artha-māninaḥ. This śravaṇa kīrtana is the first business of devotee. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. Those who are actually devotees… Caitanya Mahāprabhu always engaged in kīrtana. He advised, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31]. It is not that one who is advanced, he hasn't, hasn't got to take part in kīrtana. That is nonsense. Sadā. Sadā means always, whether you are advanced or not advanced. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. Śravaṇaṁ, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Kīrtana, as, unless one hears, how he can… Kīrtana also… Speaking (is) also kīrtana. But unless one is hea…, hearing, how he can speak? Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanam… [SB 7.5.23]. These are nine different processes, and our Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, following the footsteps of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, their principal business is this kīrtana, hari-kīrtana: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa… Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya. It is in Bhāgavata, it is said: kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. Unless one is enthusiastic in śravaṇaṁ kīrtana, especially kīrtana…, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya… There are… Talking of Kṛṣṇa, that is also kīrtana. But especially for the general… For everyone. Why general? Everyone. Caitanya Mahāprabhu-who can be more advanced than Caitanya Mahāprabhu?-He was daily joining in kīrtana. Four hours daily at Jagannātha Purī temple. It was a regular program. Not only that: He organized four parties, four parties, sixteen men in each party. So the four parties in four directions, they'll perform kīrtana, and in every party Caitanya Mahāprabhu seemed to be, He's present in every party. That was another opulence of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So He has recommended,

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. Ādi 17.31]

One should be very tolerant and humble and giving respect to anyone, not expecting any respect for oneself. Such person can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra sadā, always. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā that after Brahman realization, when one is freed from material anxieties and can see every living entity on an equal level, he is eligible to enter into devotional service.

"As has been stated before, there…"

Prabhupāda: "When one is free from material anxiety." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. That is the stage of free from anxieties. If I've got some anxieties for maintaining or some way or other, any anxieties, he cannot perfectly chant kīrtana. But even though one is full of anxieties, if he takes to kīrtana, then ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], his unclean heart becomes cleansed, and the more the heart becomes cleansed, he becomes anxiety-less. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. Unless our dirty heart is cleansed by the chanting process… By the chanting process, the dirty heart or consciousness or mind will be cleansed. This is the formula given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. So long we are in dirty heart, dirty, polluted mind, there is no question of anxiety-less. That is required. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. One who is God-realized, one who is advanced in spiritual life, he will be anxiety-less, prasannātmā. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ [SB 1.2.20]. Bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. One who is practicing Bhagavad-yoga, then this is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is the verdict of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ

mukta-saṅgasya jāyate

[SB 1.2.20]

The process is one must be free from anxiety. And how one can become free from anxiety unless one is realized Brahman soul, realized soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ? There are one after another. So evaṁ prasanna-manaso. Without being anxiety-less, nobody can understand the science of God. This is the verdict of Bhagavad, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. One who has executed the process of bhagavad-bhakti according to the rules and regulations, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23], he'll be prasanna-manaso. The same thing, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. The Bhāgavata says, evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam [SB 1.2.20]. Bhagavat-tattva, the science of God, is a vijñāna. It is a science. It is not sentiment. Sentiment: I close my eyes and shed some tears, and then I go for smoking cigarette. That sentiment will not help us. It is a science. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā. One who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru. Pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt. He can make disciples all over the world. Pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirmed it:

kibā vipra kibā śūdra nyāsī kena naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva(-vettā) sei guru haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

It doesn't matter whether one is a gṛhastha or one is a sannyāsī or one is a brāhmaṇa or not brāhmaṇa. It doesn't matter. Because this is not the science of this physiological ana…, anatomical science, or cobbler's science. Cobbler's science means cobbler knows what kind of skin it is. It is not like that. Neither cobbler's science nor anatomical science or physiological science. Bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. It is another science. So anyone who is well-versed in bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam, he's, he can become guru. Not others. And in many places this is confirmed, that ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro. A brāhmaṇa, very well expert in his business… Brāhmaṇa's business means ṣaṭ-karma, six kinds of karma. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. A brāhmaṇa must be very learned scholar. Brāhmaṇa paṇḍita. He must be scholar. Scholar means not ordinary, but in transcendental science. Tad vijñānam. So paṭhana pāṭhana. And he must be expert teacher also. He should not… Actually in our India, formerly, the brāhmaṇas, they usually become teachers. In any village, a brāhmaṇa has no other business. He sits down. He's called catuṣpāṭhī, the higher scholars. But for ordinary also. A brāhmaṇa… Guru-maharṣayaḥ. We studied under guru maharṣayaḥ in our childhood. Pāṭha śālā. So anywhere a brāhmaṇa can sit down and the village boys, small boys, children would come there. He doesn't charge anything, but their father, mother sends everything-rice, dahl, cloth. So he has no much demand for bodily necessities. This was paṭhana. This is brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa should not accept any service. Formerly Sanātana Gosvāmī, because he accepted the service of Nawab Hussein Shah, he was rejected from the brāhmaṇa society. In the Bhāgavata also it is stated if a brāhmaṇa is in difficulty, he may accept the profession of a kṣatriya or a vaiśya, but never of a śūdra. Śūdra has been described there as dog. A dog, without having a master, he cannot live very nicely. Street dog is very wretched, but a dog under the care of a good master is very healthy and very happy. Similarly a śūdra cannot live without having a master. That has been described as the dog's business. So similarly a brāhmaṇa will never accept any service. He'll starve, but he'll never accept any service. That is against brāhmaṇa principles. Therefore ṣaṭ-karma-nipu… He can accept charity if somebody gives willfully. Dana pratigraha. But pratigraha dāna. He'll take, pratigraha, accept charity, but whatever he requires, he'll spend, and the balance he'll immediately distribute. Dāna. In Bengal it is said, lakteke baundiki (?). The… Why? A brāhmaṇa gets one lakh of rupees; next day, he's again beggar. Why? He'll not keep anything. Whatever he requires for the day's expenditure, he will take it and balance he will again distribute.

So ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro. Such strict brāhmaṇa, very expert in his business, paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ… And very well expert in his studies, mantra, Vedic mantra, tantra. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, avaiṣṇava guru na sa syād. If he is avaiṣṇava, then he cannot be guru. Cannot be guru. Sad-vaiṣṇava śva-paca guru. But a śvapacaḥ, a dog-eaters family, caṇḍāla… Just the brāhmaṇa is considered to be the highest in the society, similarly caṇḍāla is considered to be the lowest, dog-eaters. So the śāstra says the highest, the topmost man in the society, brāhmaṇa, if he's avaiṣṇava, he cannot be guru, but the, a person coming out from the lowest grade of human society, śvapacaḥ, caṇḍāla, if he's a Vaiṣṇava, he can become guru. This is the verdict of the śāstra.

ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro

mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ

avaiṣṇava guru na sa syād

sad vaiṣṇava śva-pacaḥ guru

Therefore one, one who, even coming from low-grade family, if he has become Vaiṣṇava, then he's no longer in the worldly society. He's transcendental. Brahmā-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. One who is engaged in pure devotional service, he's in the Brahman platform. He should not be neglected. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, arcye śilā-dhīr, guruṣu nara-mati, vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. These are warned. One should not consider the Deity as made of stone, arcye śilā-dhīr. Śālagrāma-śilā. If somebody says, "What is this, a stone chip, or stone ball?" No. These are warned in the śāstra. Vaiṣṇave… Ja… Similarly, to consider a Vaiṣṇava as belonging to certain caste is as abominable as to think that the Deity is made of stone. Everyone knows it is made of stone. But are we worshiping the stone? We are spending so much money for decorating stone? No. Because we have no eyes to see, we see stone. Kṛṣṇa is not stone. Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. He can appear in any way, any form, as He likes. That is His mercy. Because we cannot see except stone. Similarly, therefore He appears as stone. But He's not stone. If we think that it is stone, then we are gone to hell. You see. No. Arcye śilā-dhīr. Similarly Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava should not be considered that "Here is American Vaiṣṇava," or "brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava," and "śūdra Vaiṣṇava." No. Vaiṣṇava is Vaiṣṇava. There is no more distinction. Just like Ganges water. So many sewage ditches, water coming, mixing in Calcutta. Everyone knows. But nobody says, "Oh, it is Chhitergar Paper Mills sewage water." No. That is Ganges water. Everyone takes bath, without any objection. Everyone is taking water and giving, bringing to the Deity room. Nobody distinguishes that this, with this water, so many mill water has been mixed up. Therefore it is rejected. No. Similarly, when one becomes Vaiṣṇava, never mind from which family's he's came. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. One should not distinguish, "Oh, here is American Vaiṣṇava. Here is a European Vaiṣṇava. How can I eat with them?" This is not… Vaiṣṇava should be respected. Sad vaiṣṇavaḥ śvapaco guru.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms, kibā vipra… Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he came from Muhammadan family. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him the title Nāmācārya, Ācārya. He became, he became the teacher of the science of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Nāmācārya. We, every day, we glorify Haridāsa Ṭhākura: nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura ki jaya. Why? Because… If you can say, "Oh, he was born in Muhammadan family…" No. So all Caitanya Mahāprabhu's big assistants… Sanātana Gosvāmī, he, Sanātana, Rūpa Gosvāmī, they were practically Muhammadan, because the brāhmaṇa society rejected them. They changed their name. Dabira Khāsa. Sākara Mallika. But Caitanya, by association of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they became Gosvāmī. Sanātana Gosvāmī… Ei chaya gosāi yāra tāra mui dāsa, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says. That it is not to be considered, "Oh, these people…" This is the defect. So many people converted to Muslim, and we did not take care. Therefore the whole country is spoiled. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ.

So we should take care of everyone. That is the verdict of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, verdict of Kṛṣṇa. Now we are doing that in our Māyāpur. All the Muhammadans and Hindus, they are taking prasādam together. This has been a unique thing. People are very much appreciating. But some of them, some envious persons are there. They are taking it otherwise. Why? In Jagannātha Purī, still the regulation is that anyone can come and take together jagannātha-prasādam. It doesn't matter whether he's a baṅghi, camara or brāhmaṇa. They take actually. Prasāda. Prasāda is transcendental, nirguṇa. So prasāda should be taken together. If you have got really sense of prasāda… If we think it is dahl, capati, then it is another thing. Otherwise, if you have got the sense of prasāda, then there should be no distinction. It should, it can be… "Prasādam, I am taking prasādam, which is nirguṇa." So these are the conclusions. So unless we come to the conclusion of Vaiṣṇava cult, it is very difficult. The Vaiṣṇava cult conclusion should be taken. Otherwise we cannot preach. Without becoming Vaiṣṇava, one cannot become guru. Without becoming guru, how one can preach? These are the formulas. And anxiety-less, when one takes to the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he must be anxiety-less. Because Kṛṣṇa says, gives assurance, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg. 18.66]. Then where is anxiety? Kṛṣṇa says, "I take charge of giving you relief from all sinful reactions." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. So as soon as, mokṣayiṣya, as soon as you surrender to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa immediately takes charge of you and makes you immune from all sinful reaction. Then where is anxiety? That is also recommended by Prahlāda Mahārāja: vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta.

tad sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ

sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt

hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ

vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta

[SB 7.5.5]

If we become, if we want to become anxiety-less, then we have to take shelter of Hari and go to the forest. Prahlāda Mahārāja recommended, vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta. Hitvā ātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam. Gṛha is compared as andha-kūpa, blind well. And ātma-pātam. If one falls down within blind well… (noise in background) (aside:) What is this sound? Eh? Down?

Devotees: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Hmmm? Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛhaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta [SB 7.5.5]. Unless we take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, there cannot be any question of anxiety-lessness. No, it is not possible. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: "When one is freed from material anxieties…" This is the process. Therefore we have started this society. People may take advantage of it, and he becomes free from all anxieties. Simply Kṛṣṇa consciousness will make him anxiety-less. Otherwise there is no question. Because anxiety means asad-grahāt. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt [SB 7.5.5]. Those who are materially inclined, asat, sad gamaḥ, asato mā. That is the Vedic injunction. Don't keep yourself in the asad. Asad means material, "which will not exist." That is called material. Sad-gamaḥ. And sat means which is spiritual. So, so long one is in asat, asat grahāt, implicated, involved in material things, there is no question of… Therefore viṣaya… Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned us not to be involved in viṣaya. Viṣaya means material things, money, woman. They are called viṣaya. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us by His practical behavior that… Mahārāja Pratāparudra, he was a great devotee and serving Caitanya Mahāprabhu in every way. But when he wanted to see Him, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He denied: "No, no, no. I cannot see a king. I cannot see." So His personal devotees, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Rāmānanda Rāya, very confidential devotees, they requested, "Sir, he's a great devotee. He serves You in so many ways." "Yes, I know that, but because he's king, I cannot see him. Because he's king, I cannot see him." And in this connection, He's made a verse, Sanskrit verse:

niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya

pāraṁ padaṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya

viṣayiṇāṁ sandarśanam atha yoṣitāṁ ca

hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu

[Cc. Madhya 11.8]

He recited this, that if one is trying to make progress in spiritual life just to go on the other side of this bhava, bhava-sāgara, the ocean of material existence, then two things he should avoid: viṣayiṇāṁ sandarśanam atha yoṣitāṁ ca, a person who is attached to money and a person attached to too much sense enjoyment. One should not associate with such persons. Viṣa bhakṣaṇad api asādhavaḥ. Such action, for a devotee, is more abominable than drinking poison. It is warned. So those who are preaching, we have to meet with these viṣayīs, but one… Because when we have to preach, we have to see so many viṣayīs, but we should be very, very careful. We should be very careful. We have to meet also women, sometimes young women, beautiful women. But we must be very, very careful. Otherwise it is very dangerous. These things are… These things create anxieties. Viṣayināṁ sandarśanam. As soon as we become attached to viṣaya and women, then we become anxiety. That is material.

So this line of devotional service, there is direction in the śāstras. Therefore we have made prohibition that no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat, fish-eating, no intoxication. Even the smallest intoxication, that is also dangerous. Just like fire. Even a small particle of fire is dangerous. If you neglect it, "Oh, it is a small particle…" No. You must extinguish it. It may come out very great fire. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has advised that fire and disease and debt, don't neglect. You must clear. If you neglect a small fire, it may come out a great fire. If you, if you neglect, you have got debt, the money-lender, he's adding compound interest, one after another, one after another; it was three rupees, and after some years, it has become three hundred, by compound interest. So you should not neglect. Similarly disease. Disease also, you cannot neglect. If there is… If you think, "Oh, it is little, it doesn't matter…" No. You must finish it by treatment. That is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's advice.

So everything is there for our knowledge, provided we follow. So there is no difficulty. Therefore our process is mahājana yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. We cannot manufacture our ways. We must follow the footsteps of predecessors. That is our business. Mahājana yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. By argument, by scholarship, or by becoming philosopher, one cannot make any progress, unless he follows the great ācāryas, predecessors strictly. Otherwise it is not possible.

What is time now? All right. Have kīrtana. (end)

730129ND.CAL

The Nectar of Devotion

Calcutta, January 29, 1973

Bhavānanda: (reading:) "As has been stated before, there are three kinds of happiness: material, spiritual and devotional. Devotional service and the happiness due to its execution are not possible so long as one is materially affected. If someone has desire for material enjoyment or for becoming one with the Supreme, these are both considered material concepts."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Three kinds of happinesses, bhoga, tyāga, and bhakti, sevā. Bhoga tyāga sevā. The karmīs, they are after bhoga, sense enjoyment. And the jñānīs, they are after another side of negation of sense enjoyment. When one is fed up with sense enjoyment… Just like in your country, the young boys, they are practically fed up with the way of sense enjoyment as their fathers and grandfathers had done. So in the name of tyāga, renunciation, they have taken another kind of sense enjoyment-intoxication, unrestricted sex. So this is also another sense enjoyment. Bhoga and tyāga. Real enjoyment is devotion. There is a very practical example. Just like if you get all of a sudden a certain amount of money, say, one hundred rupees note lying on the street, if you get… Or lying here. So if you take it, your conscience will beat, because that does not belong to you. You have picked up. You'll always think, "Oh, I am taking somebody's money. Whose money it was? I'm doing some sinful." In this way, your mind will disturb. So that is the taking. And similarly, if you don't take, if you leave it there, then you'll also be disturbed. You'll think, "Somebody has left this money here. So I did not collect it. Somebody will collect it, and he'll take it away. This is not nice." The best thing is that you pick it up and, if you deliver to the person who has lost the money or who has left that money. Three things. The one thing is bhoga, if you take yourself. And if you don't take, that is tyāga. And if you pick it up and deliver to the right person, that is devotion.

So everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: [Bg. 5.29] "I am the supreme proprietor, Mahā-īśvara." Mahā īśaṁ parameśvaram. So everyone, īśvara, but nobody is Mahā-īśvara or Parameśvara. Mahā-īśvara is Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. Mahā-īśvara. Mahā means the great. So everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. This is unknown to the nondevotees. The karmīs also do not know. The karmīs think that the resources of the world, that is given by nature for our enjoyment. This is the modern theory of economic development. Everyone is thinking like that, that by nature we have got the gold mine, so we shall take it and use it and enjoy. This is karmī's view. And… But there are many karmīs. Everyone is… Just like what is that land where there is too much gold, in South America?

Devotee: Brazil.

Prabhupāda: Brazil. There is too much gold stocked there. And every nation is hankering, how to take it. That will be the effect. What is the struggle in this world? Struggle is the gold is there, the gold mine is there, and everyone is trying to exploit it, "How I can take or my nation can take." Nationality means expanded selfishness. They are very much fond of nationality, but that nationality is also selfishness-by combined effort. Our, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi is supposed to be the father of nationality. Not only in our country, in many other countries. But what is that nationality? Mahatma Gandhi wanted that "The Britishers must go away. My countrymen shall enjoy." So this is extended selfishness. In the beginning, I want to enjoy. Then if I, I extend my enjoyment, family-wise, community-wise or nation-wise, that does not change the quality of selfishness. People are going on in the name of nationality, big leaders, but from our point of view, that neither as nation or community or person you are the proprietor of things. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of… So if you expand your selfishness in the name of nationality-"I possess this land"-we do not approve. We say, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Why you are claiming yourself, as nation or individual or community? That's not proper. Just like pickpocket and a gang, gangsters, organized rogues, thieves. It does not change the quality. There was some talk, you know, between Alexander the Great and the robber. The robber proved that "You are a greater robber. That's all. Why you are trying to punish me?" Alexander the Great arrested one robber, and he was going to punish him. So the robber explained that "Why you are punishing me? You are also a robber. You are going under the name of conqueror, and because I am not as great as you are, therefore you are trying to punish me. So why you are…?" So Alexander the Great, he was very, mean, highly advanced in… He immediately released him. "Yes. I am also a robber. Why shall I punish you?"

So every… Stenayor sa ucyate. Everyone in this material world, one who has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's a thief, he's a rogue, he's a robber. Everyone. Just like the Americans. They occupied the land of America by killing the Red Indians, and now they are claiming proprietor, and there is immigration department: "Nobody can come here. It is our land." This is going on. The first thing is stolen property, everyone. There is another story. A group of thieves stolen some things, and when they were dividing, one of them: "Kindly, morally divide. Morally divide. Honestly divide." The thing is taken dishonestly, and they are dividing honestly. This is going on, whole world. Everything is taken dishonestly, and when there is question of division, the United Nations honestly divides it. The association of the honest men, United Nations. All plunderers, rogues, thieves, and they have made an association, United Nations. You see. Basically they're all rogues and thieves. As soon as there is opportunity, they'll commit all criminal activities. And they're doing. So this is not philosophy. So here happiness by material possession is the happiness of the rogues and the thieves. One who is happy by possessing some material things, he is no better than rogue and thief. And one who is renouncing, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, he is a fool. Because how, what you are renouncing? When did you possess it? If you possess something, then you can say, "I renounce it." But if you do not possess, then where is the question of renouncement? So both of them are wrong.

There, there are three kinds of so-called spiritual happiness, brahma-sukha, brahmānanda… Three kinds of ānanda, jaḍānanda, brahmānanda. Jaḍānanda means material. As karmīs are trying to possess more and more, more and more-"Let me possess, let me possess"-this is jaḍānanda. Today I have got, say, one lakh of rupees. Idam adya mayā labdham imaṁ prāpsye punar dhanam. This is stated, the asuric vicāra. "Today I have got so much money. And tomorrow I am going to increase it to so much." Ko 'sti āḍhyo 'yam. "I am the richest." This is karmī's conception. And jñānīs, because they're fed up, so they say, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This world is false." Grapes are sour. You know the story, jackal? He wanted to take the grapes, jumping, jumping, jumping. When he could not get it, he says, "Oh, grapes are sour. I have no necessity. I have no necessity." Similarly these rascals, they renounce the world. What renouncement? What you had? You are renouncing? This is also wrong. The real happiness is sevā. "This is Kṛṣṇa's, and it must be used for Kṛṣṇa's purpose." That is real happiness. Actual, that is the fact. The same example: If you pick up one hundred rupees' note, if you pocket it, then you are a thief. If you don't touch it, then it will be lost; somebody will take it. You pick up and give to the original proprietor, that will be satisfaction. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. We do not say anything bad. We do not say. That is Rūpa Gosvāmī's formula. That is Vaiṣṇava formula.

prāpañcikatayā (buddhyā)

hari-sambandhe-vastunaḥ

mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo

phalgu vairāgyaṁ kathyate

Phalgu vairāgya. Mumukṣubhiḥ, those who are after liberation, nirbheda brahmānusandhana, their giving up this world, becoming sannyāsī, Māyāvādī sannyāsī, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā… Rūpa Gosvāmī says, phalgu vairāgya. Why phalgu? Phalgu means insignificant, and phalgu means there is a river, Phalgu, in the Gayā. Those who have gone to Gayā… There is a river. The Gayā city is situated on the river Phalgu. This river is got Phalgu because on the bed you'll find only sand. But if you push your hand within the sand, you'll find water. Similarly phalgu vairāgya means the so-called sannyāsīs, they have taken the dress of renounced order, but within the heart they have got all desires to fulfill. Within the heart. If you push your hand within his heart, you'll find he has got all desires for material enjoyment. That is called phalgu vairāgya. On the surface there is no water; sand. But within, oh, there is flow of water, going on. So this phalgu vairāgya wallas, Māyāvādī sannyāsīs… Jagan mithyā. They give up this world, so many sannyāsīs. But at heart there is the desire: "I shall become God. I shall become God." Just see. We are trying… The karmīs are trying to become minister, and he's trying to become God. So how much great desire he has got. And outwardly he appears to be renounced.

So brahma, nirbheda brahmānusandhana. But a devotee, his happiness is different. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]. We do not want this. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. A Vaiṣṇava does not desire even liberation, what to speak of dhanam, janam, rūpavatī bhāryā. That is real Vaiṣṇava. He wants simply Kṛṣṇa, to serve Him. That's… Anyābhilāṣitā… So that happiness is perfect happiness. That is real śānti. Real śānti. Caitanya-caritāmṛta therefore says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Bhukti means karmīs, simply wanting, possess. That, that possessing labor is also another aśānti, to struggle to possess. So he's aśānta. Mukti, he wants to become God, one with God. And kṛccha sādhana, austerities, penance, so many things he has to do-meditation-just to become God. So that is also troublesome. Where is śānti? Yogis, they're also practicing praṇāyāma, so many āsanas, dhyāna dhāraṇā, āsana, praṇāyāma. So where is śānti? He has to keep his head down and, what is called? Śīrṣāsana. That is also another āsana. Then he has to show magic. Otherwise he'll not be recognized. He has to prepare a rasagullā by magic. These are all troublesome things. So bhukti-mukti-siddhi. Bhukti means karmī, mukti means jñānī and siddhi means yogi. Bhukti means siddhi kāmī sakali aśānta. Their process is aśānti. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śānta [Cc. Madhya 19.149]. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta does not require to possess anything or to renounce anything or to show some magic power. No. He has nothing to do all these things. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta does not want that "I shall show some magic and people will be attracted." If one is Kṛṣṇa-bhakta, he attracts thousands without any magic. The only magic is kṛṣṇa-bhakti. That's all. He doesn't require to show any yogic magic. It is so nice thing.

Therefore one should concentrate upon devotional service. Everything is there. Sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā. If you…, one is devotee of Acyuta, everything is complete there. And he's śānta. He does not require it. He does not endeavor for it. But because he's Kṛṣṇa-bhakta, everything follows him. Everything follows him. That ānanda is nice. There is no need of showing magic or renouncing this world or accepting this world. These things are not required by Kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Because if he accepts, it is for Kṛṣṇa. If he rejects, that is for Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpa prātikūlyaṁ vivarjanam. We advise, "Give up this habit. No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating." So this is tyāga. Why tyāga? For Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants this. Kṛṣṇa does not want to see us debauchees. Therefore we must give it up. And Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām… [Bg. 18.65]. We accept it. So our business is to accept by which Kṛṣṇa is pleased, and reject by which Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Our central point is how Kṛṣṇa is pleased. So we have nothing to do with acceptance and rejection. We have to see whether Kṛṣṇa or His representative is pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya prasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. That is our practical… And if we live in that way, then we shall be happy. That is called happiness by devotional service. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "Because the impersonalists cannot appreciate the spiritual happiness of association and the exchange of loving affairs with the Supreme Personality of Godhead…"

Prabhupāda: Because they have no conception of Godhead. Nirākāra. So nirākāra, where is the loving affairs with nirākāra? I cannot love the air. If I want to love, if somebody says, "You love this air, nirākāra," oh, where is my love? Love must be there. Just like here we have got Kṛṣṇa. We can love. We cannot love this sky. So they have no conception of God; therefore their love of God is all fictitious. Just like Rabindranath Tagore, he has written Gītāñjali, "Tumi." Who is that tumi, he does not know. All the poetry's "tumi, tomāra," and who is that rascal, tumi or tomāra? But that he does not know. This is going on. Now if I say, "My husband, tumi," I know, he's my husband. Or his form is like that. Then I can say. But he does not know who is that tumi. Everyone… The impersonalists will pray, tam eva mātā tam eva pitā. But who is that mātā, who is that pitā? That he does not know. We say, "Here is your mātā, pitā, Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa." That is tangible. Fact. Not fictitious. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "Their ultimate goal is to become one with the Lord. This concept is simply an extension of the material idea. In the material world…"

Prabhupāda: Our concept is also to become one with God, but not that I become one with God; I agree with God. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. I agree, "Yes, Sir. So long I was foolishly conducted. Now I surrender unto You."

mānasa deha geha yo kichu mora

arpilūn tuyā pade nanda-kiśora

This is surrender. That is oneness. "Now I have surrendered to You everything." Mārabi rākhobi yaiche taṅhārā. This is oneness. "Whatever You like, You can do, You kill me or protect me." Ya icchā taṅhārā nitya dāsa prati tuyā adhikārā: "Because I am Your eternal slave, You can do whatever you like." Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu māṁ marma-hatāṁ karotu vā, yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo [Cc. Antya 20.47]. "Whatever You like, You can do." Mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu… "Still You are my prāṇa-nātha." This is oneness. I keep my individuality, but I am so surrendered that I have nothing to disagree with Kṛṣṇa. This is oneness. Not that I mix up, I lose my individuality. I have got individuality. I must go on with individuality. And even individuality's never stopped. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that "All these kings, you and Me, all of us, we existed in the past, we are now existing, and in the future also we shall exist." There is no question of intermingling the individuality. The individuality's there, but individuality sacrificed, full agreement. Full agreement. That is oneness. Just like in our Society, I am the head. So everyone is in agreement with me. That is oneness. Not that my disciples, my students, have lost their individuality. They're using their individuality to improve the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement-but sanctioned by me. That is oneness. That is oneness. Similarly, our devotional service is like that. We, varieties of work we are doing, but we must see whether Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That's all. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. This is our philosophy. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Everyone has got individual capacity to do something, but we must see whether that is satisfactory to Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. Just (like) in the office, the clerks are working. The office master, superintendent, if he's pleased, then the proprietor is pleased. The clerk hasn't got to show a separate endeavor for pleasing the proprietor. If the man in charge is pleased, then proprietor is pleased. Similarly, we have to please our spiritual master. And if he's pleased, it is to be supposed Kṛṣṇa is pleased. And my only aim is, my only success is to see if Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. Others may be displeased or pleased-it doesn't matter. One has to be assured whether Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Then it is all right. That is oneness. Oneness does not mean I lose my individuality. That is not oneness. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "In the material world, everyone is trying to be the topmost head man amongst all his fellow men or neighbors. Either communally, socially or nationally, everyone is competing to be greater than all others in the material concept of life. This greatness can be extended to the unlimited, so that one actually wants to become one with the greatest of all, the Supreme Lord. This is also a material concept, although maybe a little more advanced."

Prabhupāda: This kind of conception, that "I shall become God," or "I shall declare myself God," this is also material conception. This is not spiritual conception. Spiritually, nobody can become God except God. But he has no knowledge of God. He's thinking that he's God. Vimukta-māninaḥ. Tvayy asta-bhāvād. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Māninaḥ means taking for granted that "I've become liberated. I have become God." And I advertise, and some foolish people, they adore me: "Oh, here is God. Here is Bala-yogi incarnation, God." So such cheap God, we don't accept. We want to see that Kṛṣṇa, at seven years old, He lifted Govardhana Hill. So if you are actually God, then show me that you can lift a hill, you can kill a Pūtanā. Then I can accept. What sort of God you are? We don't accept such cheap God. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "However, the perfect spiritual concept of life is complete knowledge of one's constitutional position, and thus one knows enough to dovetail himself in the transcendental loving…"

Prabhupāda: This is called ātma-jñāna. Ātma-jñāna. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāta yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. This is ātma-tattvam. "I am spirit soul," that is partial knowledge. And I am eternal spirit soul, but unless I know that I am part and parcel of the Supreme Ātmā, Kṛṣṇa, my knowledge is not perfect. Simply brahma-bhūtaḥ, to know that I am spirit soul, that is not perfect knowledge. You have to still go further. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra [SB 1.1.2]. Śrīdhara Swami says that kaitava. When one thinks artificially that he becomes, he has become liberated, one with the Supreme, that is also kaitava, cheating. He's not. How he can be one with the Supreme Lord? Then how he has become insignificant creature if he's Supreme Lord? Therefore this kind of conception, that "I have become God now," this is also cheating, another cheating. He's cheating, self-deception. He's cheating himself. And what to speak of others. So this kind of oneness, or to become God, they're imperfect knowledge. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "One must know that he is finite and that the Lord is infinite. Thus it is not possible to actually become one with the Lord even if one aspires for this."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Simply desiring… Tvayy aviśuddha-bhāva. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Māninaḥ. Maliya (Hindi) Ne. Not like that. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "Therefore anyone who has any desire or aspiration for satisfying his senses by becoming more and more important, either in the material sense or in the spiritual sense, cannot actually relish the really sweet taste of devotional service. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has therefore compared possessing these bhukti (material) and mukti (liberation) desires with being influenced by the black art of a witch. In both cases, one is in trouble. Bhukti means material enjoyment, and mukti means to become freed from material anxiety and to become one with the Lord. These desires are compared to being haunted by ghosts and witches, because while these aspirations for material enjoyment or spiritual oneness with the Supreme remain, no one can relish the actual transcendental taste of devotional service. A pure…"

Prabhupāda: There is said that so long, bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat piśācī hṛdi vartate. Rūpa Gosvāmī. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi piśācī. It is… They are compared with piśācī, What is called, piśācī? Witch? What is that? Witch, what does it mean by "witch"?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One who flies around bewitching people.

Prabhupāda: What is that witch?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Puts a spell on people.

Devotee (1): Black magic.

Devotee (2): Black…

Prabhupāda: Black, yes. Witch.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Black, yes. Ghosts. Flying around.

Prabhupāda: So bhukti-mukti, they are considered as witch. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi, bhukti-mukti piśācī yāvat hṛdi vartate, tāvad bhakti-sukhasya. So long this piśācī will be within heart… Just like if a man is ghostly haunted, he cannot have healthy condition. He's in a troubled condition, ghostly haunted. Bhūte pavana (?). So this is bhūte pavana, bhukti-mukti. That is the… Piśācī hṛdi vartate. Tāvad bhakti-sukhasya atra katham abhyudayo amale. So long these two piśācīs, witches, are there within the heart, how he can relish the transcendental bliss of devotional service? That is not possible. Bhukti-mukti… Bhukti-mukti piśācī yāvad hṛdi vartate tāvad bhakti-sukhasyātra katham abhyudayo 'male. There is no possibility. One must be freed from these desires. Anyābhilāṣita-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Then one can relish. So long one is overpowered by bhukti-mukti-siddhi, he cannot become a devotee. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "A pure devotee never cares for liberation. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu prayed to Kṛṣṇa, 'My dear son of Nanda, I do not want any material happiness in the shape of many followers, nor immense opulence in wealth, nor any beautiful wife, nor do I want cessation from material existence. I may take birth many times, one after another, but what I pray from You is that my devotion unto You may always remain unflinching.' "

Prabhupāda: This is, I've already explained. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prayer:

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

[Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]

This is pure prayer. So pure devotional service is another great science. One has to learn it. Then his life will be successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

730130ND.CAL

The Nectar of Devotion

Calcutta, January 30, 1973

Bhavānanda: (reading) "The attention of a pure devotee is so much attracted to glorification of the pastimes, name, qualities, forms, and so forth of the Lord that the devotee does not care for mukti. Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has said, 'If I am engaged in devotional service unto You, my dear Lord, then very easily can I perceive Your presence everywhere. And as far as liberation is concerned, I think liberation stands at my door with folded hands, waiting to serve me.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. By chanting the mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], gradually we become cleansed of all dirty things within our heart. Thus our mind becomes purified. And in the purified condition of the mind we can think of Kṛṣṇa rightly. In this way, Kṛṣṇa becomes practically dependent on the devotees. Kṛṣṇa is the master, controller of everything, but to the pure devotee He becomes dependent. So why the pure devotee will ask for anything else? Adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. For a devotee, Kṛṣṇa is within the palms of a devotee. Ajita, jito 'py asau. Although Kṛṣṇa is not conquerable, but He likes to be conquered by His devotee. That is the position. Just like He willingly placed Himself to be conquered by Mother Yaśodā, to be conquered by Rādhārāṇī, to be conquered by His friends. Kṛṣṇa became defeated and He has to take His friend on the shoulder. Practically sometimes we see that a king keeps a joker amongst his associates, and sometimes the joker insults the king, and the king enjoys. The joker sometimes… Just like there is a famous joker, Gopāla Bon, in Bengal. So one day the king asked him, "Gopāla, what is the difference between you and an ass?" So he immediately measured the distance from the king. He said, "It is three feet only, sir. The difference is only three feet." So everyone began to laugh. And the king enjoyed that insult. Because sometimes it is required.

So Kṛṣṇa also… Everyone praises Him in exalted position. Everyone. That is Kṛṣṇa's position-the Supreme Lord. In Vaikuṇṭha, there is only praising. There is no such thing. But in Vṛndāvana Kṛṣṇa is free to accept insult from His devotee. The people do not know that, what is Vṛndāvana life. So devotees are so exalted. Rādhārāṇī orders, "Don't allow Kṛṣṇa to come here." Kṛṣṇa cannot come in. He flatters the other gopīs: "Please allow Me to go there." "No, no. There is no order. You cannot go." So Kṛṣṇa likes that. But the Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand that the Supreme Absolute Truth can be controlled by the devotee. They want to become one. But here the Vaiṣṇava, pure Vaiṣṇava, they become so exalted that there is no question of becoming one. Daivena phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ, bhaktis tvayi sthiratarā yadi bhagavān syād, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura says. Daivena phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān. "Mukti, oh, she's standing with folded hands, 'What can I do for you, sir?' " Dharmārtha-kāma mokṣa samaya pratīkṣāḥ. They're just like attendants, servants. Dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90]. So for a devotee, the position is so exalted. They don't care for all this dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. They simply absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. Always thinking, satato, smārtavyaḥ satato viṣṇu. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31]. Always, twenty-four hours. Even in sleeping. That is perfection. Always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "To pure devotees, therefore, liberation and spiritual emancipation are not very important things."

Prabhupāda: That's not very important. They are, they think that mokṣa is very exalted position. Therefore Śrīdhara Swami says mokṣa, mokṣa-vāñchā paryantaṁ nirastam. Mokṣa-vāñchā paryantaṁ nirastam. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstava vastu vedyam atra [SB 1.1.2]. So in Bhāgavata says that "This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant by the, meant for the paramahaṁsas, not for ordinary man." Ordinary man, they are after dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. First of all, nowadays, even they do not care for dharma. They're animals. Really human life begins when they take to religious principles. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. So dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa, gradually improvement, and devotional service is above mokṣa. Therefore dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra [SB 1.1.2]. Kaitavo, cheating. As soon as there is some motive, that is cheating religion. But bhakti, there is no such thing, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. It is above, transcendental. Therefore it is meant for the paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām. Nirmatsara. Nirmatsara means envious…, not envious. Matsaratā. Parā utkarṣaṇam asahanam (?), Śrīdhara Swami says. If in, if somebody is advancing, somebody is making improvement, his neighbors, his friends, even most intimate friends, they also become envious: "Oh, this man is advancing so much. This man is becoming so rich, so popular." Envious. So Vaiṣṇava is not envious. If somebody advances more than him, he appreciates: "Oh, he's so nice that he has advanced more than me. I could not serve Kṛṣṇa in such a nice way." That is Vaiṣṇavism. And if one is envious-"Oh, this man is going so fast. Let him, let us put some impediments on this path"-he's not Vaiṣṇava; he's hīnasya jantuḥ. He's animal. Vaiṣṇava cannot be envious. Therefore Vaiṣṇava cult… This is paramo nirmatsarāṇām [SB 1.1.2]. No matsaratā, no enviousness. Satām, devotees. Devotees means he must be nirmatsara. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "In this connection, in the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Chapter Twenty-five, verse 23, Kapiladeva has advised His mother, Devahūti, as follows: 'My dear mother, My pure devotees are charmed by seeing My different forms, the beauty of My face, the structure of My body so enchanting. My laughing, My pastimes and My glance appear to them so beautiful that their minds are always absorbed in thoughts of Me, and their lives are dedicated fully unto Me. Although such people do not desire any kind of liberation or any kind of material happiness, still, I give them a place amongst My associates in the supreme abode.' "

Prabhupāda: Therefore this arcana-mārga, śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārj anādau yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi **. This is the first duty of the spiritual master, to engage the devotees in arcana-mārga. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya. Cleansing the temple, dressing the Deity, decorating with flowers, ornaments and… So that devotees, as soon as (they) see smiling Kṛṣṇa, pleasing Kṛṣṇa, they become pleased. They become pleased by seeing Kṛṣṇa pleased. They do not want to be pleased independently. That is not devotee. Devotee's pleasure is seeing Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Kṛṣṇa is also pleased when He sees the devotees are pleased. This is competition. This is competition. Kṛṣṇa wants to see that His devotees are pleased, and the devotees want to see that Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Dui lāge hura huri (?). This is the competition going on between Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. By Rādhārāṇī, seeing the Rādhārāṇī's beauty, Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased, and Rādhārāṇī, when She sees that Kṛṣṇa is very pleased, She becomes pleased. She becomes more beautiful. And Kṛṣṇa wants to see. In this way there is competition. This is rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau [Cc. Ādi 1.5]. This is the exchange of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the manifestation of pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa.

So people who do not know that Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā is not ordinary thing, just like human being or young girls or young boys… No. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis [Bs. 5.37]. They are display of ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. Cinmaya-rasa. Not jara-rasa (?). Here everything is jara-rasa. So when rascals, they take Kṛṣṇa is enjoying with girls, they think in comparison to this jara-rasa. But they do not know that this is not jara-rasa. This is ānanda-cinamaya-rasa. That they do not know. Therefore they characterize Kṛṣṇa differently. They question that "Why Kṛṣṇa danced with the gopīs?" The rascals, they do not know that gopīs are not these ordinary girls. They are cinmaya-rasa. Ahlādinī śakti, expansion of ahlādinī śakti. They should think that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. Supreme Brahman, for realizing brahma-sukham, one gives up all material happiness. Tyāgena. And the Supreme Brahman is enjoying material happiness? No. They do not know. Therefore it is prohibited that ordinary man should not try to understand radha kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir. Because they'll commit offense. They do not know. Therefore Narottama, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings,

rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti

kabe hāma bujhabo se yugala-pīriti

He's hankering. He's looking for days when he will be able to understand what is rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya vikṛtir. And these ordinary men, they're immediately…, as if, as if they have become more than Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā… No, you should be very much careful. This Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā can be understood by the paramahaṁsa, liberated soul. We should simply worship… Now we are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. It is not directly Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa; it is Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa sevā. It is not directly… It is not possible… For conditioned soul, there is no possibility of worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. But we worship through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore we keep Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu along with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. By the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we may be able to understand Rādhā Kṛṣṇa līlā some day in our life. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir ahlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau, śrī-caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad dvayaṁ caikyam āptam.

So through Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we can be, I mean to say, able, we may be able some day to understand what is Rādhā Kṛṣṇa. Anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇāyāvatīrṇaḥ kalau samarpayitum unnata ujjvala rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam, hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti… What is that verse? I forget now. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we should try to understand, we should try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa through Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Nectar of Devotion, through the Gosvāmīs. Don't try to… The sahajiyā… Then you'll be sahajiyā-smoking bidi and doing all nonsense and singing Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā on the street and here, there. Going through hell. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā is not so cheap. Therefore they are called sahajiyā. They have made it cheap. If they want to read Bhāgavatam-immediately rasa-līlā. If they want to hear something about Kṛṣṇa-immediately rasa-līlā. Because it appears similar, just like young boy, young girls. But it is not that. It is ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37], Rādhārāṇī's expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. And the gopīs are expansion of Rādhārāṇī's body. They are not ordinary things. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "This evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives assurance to the pure devotee of being elevated to association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī remarks in this connection that one who is actually attracted by the beauty of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa or His service and whose heart, by such attraction, is always full with transcendental bliss will naturally never aspire after the liberation which is so valuable to the impersonalists."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Liberation, a devotee never… Why liberation? Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says… Liberation means kaivalya. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. What is this liberation? It is as good as the hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Tri-daṣa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5). The persons, they are hankering after being elevated to the heavenly planet. So for a devotee, this is will o' the wisp, phantasmagoria, it has no value. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpayate indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. And the yogis… Karmīs, jñānīs, yogis. Karmīs are after heavenly planet; jñānīs are after kaivalya, liberation; yogis are after controlling the senses. So senses are very dangerous. Everyone knows. Our senses are very strong. Therefore the yoga system is recommended for them who are very much in bodily concept of life. Therefore they are advised to exercise the body to come to the point of spiritual platform. But those who are above bodily concept of life, those senses have been purified.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkeṇa-hṛṣīkeśa

sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

Those who are actually engaged in pure devotion, their senses are purified. Without purified senses, you cannot approach. With ordinary material senses, you cannot approach. Therefore we have to follow the regulative principles. Regulative principle and sinful activities. Otherwise, how we can approach Kṛṣṇa? Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. By the senses we commit so many sinful activities. Therefore sin, without being free from sinful activities, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. Kṛṣṇa is pavitraṁ paramam, the supreme purified. So how we can approach Kṛṣṇa without being purified? Therefore the four principle, regulative principles must be followed. Otherwise, there is no chance of advancing. There is no chance. They are relatively cooperatively helpful, chanting, but one must be willing that "I must be purified to approach Kṛṣṇa." Otherwise he becomes sahajiyā. So "I am approaching Kṛṣṇa. I can smoke bidi. I can take marijuana. I can…" No. Must be purified. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "A similar passage is also there in Third Canto, Fifteenth Chapter, of the same book, wherein Uddhava addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa and says, 'My dear Lord, for persons who are engaged in Your transcendental loving service there is nothing worth obtaining from religiousness, economic development, sense gratification or liberation, although happiness from these different sources can be very easily had by them.' "

Prabhupāda: Therefore devotee's another name is niṣkiñcana, akiñcana. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Niṣkiñcana. He doesn't possess anything, don't want to possess anything material. These are all material things. What are those? Sense gratification, economic development, liberation. They are all different stages of material existence. And Kṛṣṇa is not for the persons who are hankering after material possessions. Kṛṣṇa is far away. Therefore in the Kuntī-stotra in Śrīmad-Bhāgavata it is said, niṣkiñcanasya gocarāḥ: "You, Kṛṣṇa, You are understood by persons who have become niṣkiñcana." Niṣkiñcana. So niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. The qualification of devotion is to become a niṣkiñcana. Means one should not try to possess anything material. He should simply try to possess Kṛṣṇa. There must be some possession. The Māyāvādī philosophy, to dispossess material things, will not help him. He must possess something positive. Otherwise he'll fall down. That is our… Because we want something. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. So we simply, we try, that "Let me become sannyāsī, niṣkiñcana." That is not possible. You must take to the service of Kṛṣṇa. Then when you are fully satisfied that "I possess Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is within my heart," then you can give up all this nonsense, kick out: "I don't want." Otherwise not possible. So the two things: Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajano…, param paro jīveṣa (?). Those who have become ni…, what is this liberation for them? Nothing. The four things, dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa. So when one takes to this shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, that is the highest dharma, topmost. That is the topmost yoga. So why he should hanker after dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90]? It is so nice thing. That is the statement of Uddhava. One who has become pure devotee… One who has possessed… Svāntaḥ-sthita gadābhṛtā. He has become purified. But don't imitate. Actually see whether you are always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Then it is all right.

niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya

pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya

viṣayiṇāṁ sandarśanam atha yoṣitāṁ ca

hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu

[Cc. Madhya 11.8]

So we have to become niṣkiñcana. But niṣkiñcana we can become only when we possess Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, not possible. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "In spite of such facilities, my dear Lord, I do not aspire to achieve any such results. My only prayer is that I may have unflinching faith and devotion unto Your lotus feet."

Prabhupāda: This is the only thing. If we have got unflinching faith and devotion to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then we can automatically become niṣkiñcana, liberated, developed in economic condition. That is not important thing for a devotee. They come automatically. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham [Bg. 9.22]. Kṛṣṇa says. Why he should try for economic development? Kṛṣṇa personally comes. "You want this. Take it." That is devotee. Why he should hankering after economic development? No. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]. There is no need of hankering. Kṛṣṇa knows what he requires, "How My devotee will be satisfied." Kṛṣṇa knows… If Kṛṣṇa sees that this devotee has got little desire for some material enjoyment, Kṛṣṇa will give.

Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja, he went to the forest to worship the Lord, for getting the kingdom of his father or better than that. So although when Dhruva Mahārāja saw the Lord he said svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yā…, "I, I don't want anything. I am now fully satisfied", still Kṛṣṇa gave him Dhruvaloka. Because he desired: "No, you enjoy. Then you come back again." So there is no need of asking any… Kṛṣṇa knows, as the father knows, the mother knows what is the need of my child; Therefore pure devotee never asks from Kṛṣṇa anything except His service. Mama janmani janamanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī. "Without any cause let me be engaged in Your service." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, perfection. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "A similar passage appears in the Third Canto, 25th Chapter, 31st verse, wherein Kapiladeva instructs His mother and says: 'My Dear Mother, devotees whose hearts are always filled in the service of My lotus feet, and who are prepared to do anything for my satisfaction, especially those who assemble together to understand My qualities, pastimes and form, and thus glorify Me congregationally and derive transcendental pleasure therefrom, such fortunate devotees never desire to become one with Me.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on.

Bhavānanda: " 'And not to speak of becoming one with Me, if they are offered a post like Mine in My abode, or opulence like Mine, or even personal association with Me with similar bodily features, they refuse to accept because they are satisfied simply by being engaged in My devotional service.' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. All kinds of mukti, sarūpya-mukti, sa, sa… Sāyujya-mukti, no devotee desires, kicked out. There is no question of sāyujya-mukti. But other four kinds of muktis, sārūpya-mukti, sālokya-mukti, these muktis are desired by the inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭheśvara. Especially in South India, they worship the Vaiṣṇava, Veṅkateṣa. Veṅkateṣa means Vaikuṇṭheṣa, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. So the, the associates, the devotees of the Lord in Vaikuṇṭha, they desire sārūpya-mukti, to have similar feature of the body, four-handed. Viṣṇudūta. And sālokya, the same as Nārāyaṇa is living in Vaikuṇṭha, they also live in Vaikuṇṭha. This is also in the bhakti-mārga. But a, a higher advanced devotee, even he does not want all these things. Even… Wherever Kṛṣṇa puts him, that's all right. It doesn't matter. Yathā tathā vidadhātu lampato mat-prāṇa-nāthas tu sa eva nāparaḥ. You can, whatever You like, can do. It doesn't matter. I don't want any exchange. I don't want to do business with You. That is pure devotee. Go on.

Bhavānanda: "In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fourth Canto, 9th Chapter, 10th verse, King Dhruva says, My dear Lord, the transcendental pleasure derived by meditation upon Your lotus feet, which is enjoyed by the pure devotees, cannot be approached by the transcendental pleasure derived by the impersonalists through self-realization. So how can the fruitive workers who at most can desire to promotion to the higher, heavenly planets understand You, and how can they be described as enjoying a happiness similar to the devotees' happiness.' "

Prabhupāda: So there are three kinds of happinesses described, material happiness, spiritual happiness and devotional happiness. Three kinds of happinesses are very nicely described in this chapter.

Thank you very much. (pause) Hare Kṛṣṇa. (kīrtana begins) (end)

730131ND.CAL

The Nectar of Devotion

Calcutta, January 31, 1973

Mādhavānanda: (reading:) "Chapter Four. Devotional Service Surpasses All Liberation. How much a devotee is seriously attached to the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be understood from the statement of Mahārāja Pṛthu (Ādi-rāja), which is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fourth Canto, Twentieth Chapter, 21st verse. He prays to the Supreme Personality of Godhead thusly: 'My dear Lord, if, after taking liberation, I have no chance of hearing the glories of Your Lordship, glories chanted by pure devotees from the core of their hearts in praise of Your lotus feet, and if I have no chance for this honey of transcendental bliss, then I shall never ask for liberation of this so-called spiritual emancipation. I shall simply always pray unto Your Lordship that You may give me millions of tongues and millions of ears so that I can constantly chant and hear of Your transcendental glories.' "

Prabhupāda: Surpasses all kind of liberation. There are five kinds of liberation: sāyujya, sārūpya, sālokya, sāmīpya. But a pure devotee does not want any of such liberations. Dhiyamānāṁ na ghṛnanti (?). Even liberation is offered. Kṛṣṇa offers liberation very easily. But Kṛṣṇa's personal touch is so sublime that Kṛṣṇa is carrying order of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is sending letter, handed over to Kṛṣṇa, and He's carrying to Duryodhana. So Nārada was very much surprised that this stage of dependent on devotee is very, very difficult to achieve. To achieve liberation is not very difficult, but when Kṛṣṇa becomes dependent on the order of a devotee, that is very difficult to achieve. So therefore pure devotional service surpasses all kinds of liberation. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also teaches, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. Liberation means no more birth. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, mama janmani janmani. Birth after birth. But the, a devotee does not want anything of the material things. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]. So this pure devotional service is a different subject matter. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra [SB 1.1.2]. Therefore Vyāsadeva says that all kinds of motivated religious system is rejected from devotional service. Projjhita-kaitavaḥ. Kaitava means motivated. In devotional service, there is no motive-simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. That is pure devotional service. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "The impersonalists desire to merge into the existence of the Supreme, but without keeping their individuality, they have no chance of hearing and chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord. Because they have no idea of the transcendental form of the Supreme Lord, there is no chance of their chanting and hearing of His transcendental activities."

Prabhupāda: The impersonalists take it, this chanting, as means to attain liberation. They do not know that the chanting is the, real chanting begins after liberation. Not that by chanting one reaches liberation. No. That's not a fact. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.14]. Satatam. Satatam means after liberation also. This chanting will continue after liberation also. Not that after liberation chanting will finish. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, satatam. Satatam means after liberation also. Before liberation and after liberation. Therefore it is nitya. Nitya means it does not stop, never stops. Satataṁ kīrtayananto māṁ yatantaś ca, tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ. So the, when you actually go to Goloka Vṛndāvana, the same chanting will go on before Kṛṣṇa. Chanting will never stop. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "In other words, unless one is already beyond liberation, one cannot relish the transcendental glories of the Lord, nor can one understand the transcendental form of the Lord.

"A similar statement is found in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto, Fourteenth Chapter, 43rd verse. Śukadeva Gosvāmī addresses Parīkṣit Mahārāja there and says, 'The great soul of King Bhārata was so much attached to the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa that he very easily gave up his lordship over the earthly planet and his affection for his children, society, friends, royal opulence and beautiful wife. He was so very lucky that the goddess of fortune was pleased to offer him all kinds of material concessions, but he never accepted any of these material opulences.' Śukadeva Gosvāmī eulogizes this behavior of King Bhārata very highly. He says, 'Any person whose heart is attracted by the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Madhusūdana, not to speak of material opulences, does not care even for that liberation which is aspired to by many great sages.' "

Prabhupāda: This Mahārāja Bhārata was the son of Ṛṣabhadeva and under whose name, after whose name this planet is called Bhārata-varsa. This, the same Bhārata Mahārāja, he left this world at very young age, twenty-four years. Young wife, children, kingdom, everything he left. Then he developed some attachment for a young deer. So he had to take the birth in the shape of a deer. The next birth he remained silent, Jaḍa Bhārata. So (the) Jaḍa Bhārata story is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Very enlightening. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "In the Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, Eleventh Chapter, 23rd verse, there is a similar statement by Vṛtrāsura, who addresses the Lord as follows: 'My dear Lord, by leaving Your transcendental service I…' "

Prabhupāda: Just see. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Rūpa Gosvāmī, he's presenting this Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, quoting from so many scriptures. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau. They were very, very expert in studying śāstra very scrutinizingly. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Why they studied so much? Because they wanted to establish sad-dharma, real type of religion, bhakti. They are quoting, therefore, from so many, nānā-śāstra. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. That is welfare activity. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. These people are trying to give some service to the daridra-nārāyaṇa, but they do not know actually what is jīve dayā (?). This is jīve daya. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. They should know things with reference to the authorized scripture. Not that I manufacture some words, according to my whims. That is not service to the hu… That is misleading, disservice. Because, if they are kept in ignorance, what is the value of such service. Here is (service). He does not manufacture anything. He's giving immediately evidence, reference to the authorized scripture. That is the way of presenting things. Not that "I think," "In my opinion." What you are? But in, in Vaiṣṇava philosophy, even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was Kṛṣṇa Himself, whenever He spoke something, immediately He gave evidence from the śāstra. Even Kṛṣṇa. While He was speaking Bhagavad-gītā, He also gave reference to the Vedānta-sūtra: brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ [Bg. 13.5]. He was giving reference to the Brahmā-sūtra. That is the way of authorized presentation. Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He was also giving reference. He also said, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ [Bg. 16.23]. We cannot give up śāstras. If we give up śāstra, then Kṛṣṇa says, sa siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim. If we give up śāstra, if we manufacture our own words, own śāstras, these are all rascaldom. That should not be accepted. So here you see Rūpa Gosvāmī's writing. The śloka, number, Canto, everything is given. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: " 'My dear Lord, by leaving Your transcendental service I may be promoted to the planet called Dhruva-loka (the polestar), or I may gain lordship over all the planetary systems of the universe. But I do not aspire to this. Nor do I wish the mystic perfections of yoga practice, nor do I aspire for spiritual emancipation. All I wish for, my Lord, is Your association and transcendental service eternally.'

"This statement is confirmed by Lord Śiva in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, Seventeenth Chapter, 52nd verse, wherein Lord Śiva addresses Satī thusly: 'My dear Satī, persons who are devoted to Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, are not afraid of anything. If they are elevated to the higher planetary systems of if they get liberation from material contamination, or if they are pushed down in the hellish condition of life-or, in fact, in any situation whatever-they are not afraid of anything. Simply because they have taken shelter of the lotus feet of Nārāyaṇa, for them any position in the material world is as good as another.' "

Prabhupāda:

nārāyaṇa-paraḥ sarve

na kutaścana bibhyati

svargāpavarga narakeṣv

api tulyārtha darśinaḥ

[SB 6.17.28]

Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "There is a similar statement by Indra, the King of heaven, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixth Canto, Eighteenth Chapter, 52nd verse. There Indra addresses his mother in this manner: 'My dear Mother (Aditi), persons who have given up all kinds of desire and are simply engaged in devotional service to the Lord know what is actually their self-interest. Such persons are actually serving their self-interests and are considered first-class experts in the matter of advancing to the perfectional stage of life.' "

Prabhupāda: That is… Everyone is after his self-interest, but real self-interest is to approach Viṣṇu. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti surayaḥ. And in the Bhāgavata it is said: na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. Svārtha-gati. Our real self-interest is in Viṣṇu. They do not know. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Durāśayā. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. So one who has fixed up to render service to Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa… Viṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsāṁ nānyat tat-tosā-kāraṇam. So this is the ultimate goal of life, to approach Viṣṇu. And the origin of Viṣṇu is Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg. 10.8], Kṛṣṇa says. Therefore He's origin of Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva. Sarvasya. Aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2]. Devānām begins… The devas, demigods, begins from Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara, then other demigods. So Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānām. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "In the Seventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam, Sixth Chapter, 23rd verse, Mahārāja Prahlāda says, 'My dear friends who are born into atheistic families, if you can please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, then there is nothing more rare in this world. In other words, if the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa is pleased with you, then any desire that you may have within the core of your heart can be fulfilled without any doubt. As such, what is the use of elevating yourself by the results of fruitive activities, which are automatically achieved in all events by the modes of material nature?' "

Prabhupāda: Yes. In the śāstra it is said:

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta paramaṁ puruṣa

[SB 2.3.10]

Akāma. There are three classes of men. Akāma, without kāma, without any desire, that is devotees. And sarva-kāma means the karmīs; and mokṣa-kāma, the jñānīs. So whatever you may be, you can engage yourself in devotional service.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta paramaṁ puruṣa

[SB 2.3.10]

Your desires will be fulfilled. Even if you are thinking like karmī, still you can take to devotional service. Your desires will be fulfilled. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Whatever you desire, He'll fulfill. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: " 'And what is the use for you of spiritual emancipation or liberation from material bondage? If you are always engaged in chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord and always relishing the nectar of the lotus feet of the Lord, then there is no necessity for any of these.' By this statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja it is clearly understood that one who takes pleasure in chanting and hearing the transcendental glories of the Lord has already surpassed all kinds of material benediction, including the results of pious activities, pious fruitive activities, sacrifices and even liberation from material bondage.

"Similarly, in the same Seventh Canto, Eighth Chapter, 39th verse, when the demigods are offering prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁha, Indra, the King of heaven, says, 'O Supreme One, these demons talk of our share of participation in the performance of ritualistic sacrifices, but simply by Your appearance as Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva You have saved us from terrible fears. Actually our shares in the sacrificial performances are due to You only because You are the Supreme Enjoyer of all sacrifices. You are the Supersoul of every living entity, and therefore You are the actual owner of everything. Long were our hearts always filled with fear of this demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu. But You are so kind towards us that by killing him, You have removed that fear from within our hearts and have given us the chance to place Your Lordship within our hearts again. For persons who are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Your Lordship, all the opulences which were taken away from us by the demons are counted as nothing. Devotees do not even care for liberation, not to speak of these material opulences. Actually we are not enjoyers of the fruits of sacrifices. Our only duty is to always be engaged in Your service, for You are the enjoyer of everything.' "

Prabhupāda: Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "The purport of this statement by Indra is that, beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, no living entities are meant for enjoying the material opulences. They are simply meant for offering everything to the supreme proprietor, the Personality of Godhead. By doing so, they automatically enjoy the benefit. The example can be cited again of the different parts of the body collecting foodstuffs and cooking them so that ultimately a meal may be offered to the stomach. After it has gone to the stomach, all the parts of the bodies…, body equally enjoy the benefit of the meal. So similarly everyone's duty is to satisfy the Supreme Lord and then automatically everyone will become satisfied."

Prabhupāda: That is called yajña. Yajñārthe karma. Go on.

Mādhavānanda: "A similar verse is found in the Eighth Canto, Third Chapter, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, verse 20. Gajendra says there, 'My dear Lord, I have no experience in the transcendental bliss derived from Your devotional service, so therefore I have asked from You some favor. But I know that persons who are pure devotees and have, by serving the lotus feet of great souls, become freed from all material desires, are always merged in the ocean of transcendental bliss and, as such, are always satisfied simply by glorifying Your auspicious characteristics. For them there is nothing else to aspire to or pray for.'

"In the Ninth Canto of the Bhāgavatam, Fourth Chapter, 49th verse, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha replies to Durvāsā Muni thusly: 'My pure devotees are always satisfied being engaged in devotional service, and therefore they do not aspire even after the five liberated stages, which are (1) to be one with Me, (2) to achieve residence on My planet, (3) to have My opulences, (4) to possess bodily features similar to Mine, and (5) to gain personal association with Me. So, when they are not interested even in these liberated positions, you can know how little they care for material opulences or material liberation.'

"There is a similar prayer by the nāga-patnī (wives of the Kāliya serpent), in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sixteenth Chapter, verse 33. The nāga-patnī say there, 'My dear Lord, the dust of Your lotus feet is very wonderful. Any person who is fortunate enough to achieve this dust does not care for heavenly planets, lordship over all the planetary systems, the mystic perfections of yoga or even liberation from the material existence. In other words, anyone who adores the dust of Your lotus feet does not care a fig for all other perfectional stages.' "

Prabhupāda: This was spoken by the nāga-patnī when Kāliya was being punished by Lord Kṛṣṇa, kicking over his head. So this prayer was offered, that "For Your dust of Your lotus feet, so many great sages are hankering after, and they do not care for even liberation, simply to get Your, that dust of the lotus feet. We do not know how much this fortunate snake is, that he's automatically getting the dust. You are kicking on his head. We do not know what did he do in his previous life that he's so fortunate."

All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Śrī Caitanya-caritamṛta Lectures

750325CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.1

Māyāpur, March 25, 1975

Prabhupāda:

vande gurūn īśa-bhaktān

īśam īśāvatārakān

tat-prakāśāṁś ca tac-chaktīḥ

kṛṣṇa-caitanya-saṁjñakam

[Cc. Ādi 1.1]

Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa. That was observed by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. He composed one hundred verses praising the glories of Lord Caitanya, but because Caitanya Mahāprabhu was playing the part of a devotee, He threw away the ślokas, because "This is not for Me." That was Caitanya Mahāprabhu's humbleness. But the devotees know that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combination of Śrī Caitanya… Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu means Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa combined. In the beginning there is Kṛṣṇa, and then Kṛṣṇa divided into two, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And then again combined, that is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād

ekātmānāv api (bhuvi purā) deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau

caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam…

[Cc. Ādi 1.5]

So the Gosvāmī's siddhānta, that Kṛṣṇa is one. There is no rivalry with Kṛṣṇa. God is one. Eka-brahma dvitīya nāsti. There cannot be many Gods. So when God, Kṛṣṇa, wants to enjoy His pleasure potency, that is Rādhārāṇī. So He manifests Himself, manifests His energy… His energy and He, there is no difference. Śakti-śaktimator abhedaḥ. The śāstra says śakti and the śaktimat-means one who possesses the śakti (śakti means power, potency)-they are equal. There is no difference. Just like the sun. Sun is the powerful, and the sunshine is the power. So there is heat in the sun and there is heat also in the sunshine. There is light in the sun and there is light in the sunshine also. Therefore qualitatively they are one so far heat and light is concerned. But the temperature of the sun and the temperature of the sunshine may be different. May be not. Actually there is difference. This is the basic principle of all philosophies. Acintya-bhedābheda. Acintya means inconceivable, bheda means different, and abheda means nondifferent. The whole situation… The one is there, God, but He has expanded Himself in different way. Eko bahu syām.

So that is described here. Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-saṁjñakam. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has expanded Himself as gurūn. The guru, the spiritual master, he's also Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **. In all the śāstras, guru is accepted as Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād-dharitvena. Sākṣād means directly. Just like you offer your devotion, respects, to guru. So that respect is offered to Kṛṣṇa. Guru also does not think himself that he is Kṛṣṇa, but he collects the devotional services of the disciples to offer to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. We cannot approach Kṛṣṇa directly. We should approach through guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. That is the injunction of the śāstra, that one should approach the guru who can transfer the service from the disciple to the Supreme Person. So… Therefore the first offering is guru, vande gurūn. Then guru creates many devotees. Guru's business is to canvass on behalf of Supreme Lord. That is guru's business. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], so, "You give up all material, engage…" Sarva-dharmān means in the material world we have created so many so-called duties. This is our material disease. People are interested in material engagements and they have created different varieties of engagements. Sociology, communism, and this "ism," that "ism," philanthropism, altruism, internationalism, nationalism-many, many duties they have created. That is all material. Kṛṣṇa, out of His causeless mercy… (children crying) Stop that children. Out of His causeless mercy, He comes, He descends. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. Glānir, this is glānir. Human life is meant for one thing, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about the Supreme Absolute Truth. But instead of doing that, they have created so many "isms." That is their misfortune.

Real business is athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human life, nature, gives us the opportunity to inquire about the Absolute Truth. We have got the intelligence. The cats and dogs, they have no intelligence to inquire about the Absolute Truth. The trees, the plants, the aquatics, the animals, the beasts, the uncivilized man-so many, 8,400,000 forms and species of life. Out of that, the civilized men, the Aryans… Ārya. Ārya means the person who has got godly qualification. This is the meaning of Āryan. Āryan, advanced. Āryan does not mean godless society. They are non-Āryans. Real Āryan means… Because we are part and parcel of God, naturally we have got, in minute quantity, the qualities of God. That is natural. But on account of our material association, those qualifications are covered now by upādhi, by various designations. This is our material disease. Material disease means… Just like a gold is covered by dirty, dirty things. Similarly, we are actually gold, because part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are a small Kṛṣṇa, very small, but we are also the same quality. But it is covered. This is our disease. And these coverings are going on in different names-socialism, communism, and this "ism"-so many. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am white," "I am black"-these are all designations.

So it is the business of the guru to clear up these designations, dirty things. Therefore, vande gurūn īśam. Guru, first offering because he is the agent of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said that "You give up all these designative dharma; take to real dharma." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam [Bg. 18.66]. "That is your real business." But even Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa does not fail… But Kṛṣṇa does not force. So even upon the request of Kṛṣṇa we do not give up our designation. This is the difficulty. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, and nobody practically, except the Pāṇḍavas and few other devotees, nobody took it seriously. And what to speak of now. They are talking of Bhagavad-gītā, scholars of Bhagavad-gītā, but without Kṛṣṇa. That is their business. These demons, they are preaching Bhagavad-gītā without Kṛṣṇa. Nobody preaches about Kṛṣṇa. Nobody says what Kṛṣṇa wants. Sarva-dharmān parityajya. Kṛṣṇa wants this, but they are misinterpreting in different ways and diverting the attention of the people most foolishly, that… In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is the center. So this is going on. You know, you are coming all from foreign countries. Bhagavad-gītā is popular in your country, at least amongst the scholars and theosophists and theologists. Going on, for the last two hundred years at least. But nobody understood Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference. Now for the last, say, five or ten years, because we are presenting Kṛṣṇa as it is, it has become very easy for you to accept it. Unadulterated Kṛṣṇa. Before this, everything was presented adulterated. Therefore there was no effect.

So if you push on this movement, unadulterated Kṛṣṇa, it will go on. It will go on. And as soon as you adulterate Kṛṣṇa, it will not go on. It will not be effective. You may be very good scholar or very good politician or this or that, but you'll never understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. If you want to pollute Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will never be revealed to you. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234]. So by the grace of Kṛṣṇa you have taken the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. It is great fortune for you. So do not adulterate Kṛṣṇa. That is my request. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa. And to understand Kṛṣṇa, the Kṛṣṇa Himself taught… That was also difficult. Then Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya (is) teaching us how to approach Kṛṣṇa. That is Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Caitanya means spiritual, living, and carita means character. So Caitanya-caritāmṛta means that the supreme living force, Kṛṣṇa. The living force is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we contradict the so-called scientific theory that life has come from chemicals, matter. No. We are trying our best. We have engaged our scientist students. They have already…, one student has already written one small book, The Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, and we are going to publish another book. I have given instruction to the scientist students. What is the heading of that?

Devotees: Life Comes From Life.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Life Comes From Life. That is the fact. These modern so-called scientific theory that life comes from matter, that is not fact. Because our original person, Kṛṣṇa, said, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo [Bg. 10.8]. Aham, this aham word is applicable to a person, person. And person means living force. So Caitanya-caritāmṛta means that living force is a person, and His caritra, His characteristic, this is Caitanya. And that is amṛta. Amṛta means not dead matter. Mṛta means dead, and amṛta means not dead, living force. So he is living force; his characteristics are also living force; and they are, because living force, they are amṛta. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. We have got experience what is living force and what is dead matter. That we have got experience. And that is further explained by Kṛṣṇa, that living force means na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20], na jāyate na mriyate kadācit. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that living force is not finished even after the annihilation of this body. Very nice statement by Kṛṣṇa. We can understand living… In the life, when we are alive, the body is moving, we can understand what is living force. And we can understand further when the body does not move-that difference, why the body was moving and why the body is not now moving. If we simply study this difference of position we can understand what is living force. It is not very difficult. Simply we have to understand, "Now this living force is gone out of this body; therefore the body is no longer moving and it is a dead matter." This is this… So this Caitanya-caritāmṛta means we are talking of the living force, not of the dead matter. We should always remember. So the guru belongs to that living force. And Īśa, Īśa means controller. So everyone, that living force. Gurūn, īśa, īśa-bhaktān, īśa-bhaktān and īśam. So they are all living force. The Lord, His devotee, His representative, everyone, they belong to the spiritual platform, living force. Caitanya-saṁjñakam. Caitanya means living. That personification of all living forces is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. People mistake Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu because by misfortune they understand Kṛṣṇa Caitanya as a devotee or just like so-called sādhu or yogi, like that. That is mistake. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya means the original living force, Kṛṣṇa.

So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, he understood Him. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, he understood Him. Similarly, the followers of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, and all the Gosvāmīs, they will understand Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And one who understands or follows the path enunciated by Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for them Kṛṣṇa is very easily obtained. This is called Caitanya-caritāmṛta. If you follow Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is described by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī. Purāṇa-puruṣaḥ, I just now forget the verse. Yes:

vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-

śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī

kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye

[Cc. Madhya 6.254]

So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is the same Kṛṣṇa, Purāṇa-puruṣaḥ. Ādyaṁ Purāṇa-puruṣaḥ. Purāṇa-puruṣa means Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead, very old. Purāṇa means very old. So, vairāgya-vidyā-śikṣārtham. Because we are suffering here on account of so many designations, so Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to purify us from all these nonsense designations. That is called vairāgya-vidyā. Rāga means attachment. So… And virāga. This false attachment we have to give up. That is practically being manifested by practical life, how to love Kṛṣṇa, how to approach Him. That is the characteristic of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And therefore He is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam [SB 11.5.32]. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam: He belongs to the same category, Kṛṣṇa. Or He is describing Kṛṣṇa always. His only business is to describe Kṛṣṇa. But His complexion is not Kṛṣṇa, akṛṣṇa. Akṛṣṇa. Akṛṣṇa means white. Because Kṛṣṇa had many colors. One of the colors was pīta, golden, golden avatāra. So, tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. This sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam is described here, that gurūn, īśam, īśa-bhaktān, īśāvatārakān tat-prakāśāṁś ca tat-chaktiḥ. This is sāṅgopāṅga.

So study this Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Now we have got this English edition, very elaborately described, following the footsteps of our Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. So there is no such edition of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, very elaborately described. But it can be understood by the advanced student. It can be… And so… Advanced, you can, anyone, you can become advanced. Advanced means at least one should understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If you simply understand these two words, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you are advanced. It is not very difficult. Everything, all Vedic literature, they are meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. So if you simply understand… What is that understanding? That Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We have written in our Kṛṣṇa book, "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." If you become convinced, then your study of Vedas-finished. Tepus tapas te sasnur āryā [SB 3.33.7]. Anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa… What is that understanding? Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "My dear Arjuna, there is no more superior authority or person or truth than Myself." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. These few words, if you simply understand… Blindly or openly, it doesn't matter. Because if you touch fire, either blindly or openly, it will act. It will act. It is not that because I blindly accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Person, that will not act. No, it will act. Even if you have accepted Kṛṣṇa blindly, it will act. Because the thing is the same. Either you accept in open eyes or blind eyes. So similarly, if you accept this theory-it is not theory; this is fact, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead-these few words, then you are advanced student, immediately. Take it from me, that simply this conviction, that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead," then you are advanced student in spiritual life.

So all these persons associated with Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, and Gadādhara and Śrīvāsa, all of them, they are one. One in this sense, they are all interested how to push on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's trying personally, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Śrīvāsa, Gadādhara, they are trying to help. So…, and to approach all these five supreme persons, you require the help of guru. Therefore the guru is offered first the respectful prayers, vande gurūn. And gurūn, bahu-vacana, plural number, that many gurus. But they are not many; they are one, guru-tattva. Just like Kṛṣṇa has many forms, but that does not mean Kṛṣṇa is different. No. Kṛṣṇa is one. Similarly, guru, there may be many gurus, it doesn't matter, but their philosophy must be one: to teach everyone that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So there may be thousands of gurus, but the guru's business is to teach the disciple that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the test of guru. If guru is teaching something else, nonsense, then he is not guru. Gurur na sa syāt. Ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. A brāhmaṇa, he is very expert in his business, in Vedic culture, Vedic mantras, tantras. That is the test of the brāhmaṇa, that he is very learned. So ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. Viśārada, very expert. Avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt. But if he does not know what is Kṛṣṇa or if he's not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot become guru. Ṣaḍ-vaiṣṇavaḥ śvapaco guruḥ. But one person who is coming from the family of dog-eaters… The dog-eaters, they are considered to be the lowest of the human beings. So, śva-paca, śva means dog, and paca means eater or cooker. So śvapaca, even a person is coming from the śvapaca family, and if he's a Vaiṣṇava, if he's a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru. On the other side, even born in a brāhmaṇa family and very expert in Vedic ritualistic performances, mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, he cannot become guru if he does not understand Kṛṣṇa. So therefore guru is very important because he has accepted Kṛṣṇa… Tattva-darśibhiḥ, he has seen the truth. So therefore guru is first offered… This is the test of guru. Guru does not become Kṛṣṇa himself, but he canvasses door to door to induce that "You become devotee of Kṛṣṇa." This is sign of guru. Vande gurūn īśa-bhaktān. Īśa-bhaktān. Then we shall describe later on.

Thank you very much. (end)

750326CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.2

Māyāpur, March 26, 1975

Pradyumna: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all."

Prabhupāda:

vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nityāndandau sahoditau

gauḍodaye puṣpavantau

citrau śandau tamo-nudau

[Cc. Ādi 1.2]

So yesterday we discussed the first verse,

(vande) gurūn īśa-bhaktān

īśam īśāvatārakān

tat-prakāśāṁś ca tac-chaktiḥ

kṛṣṇa-caitanya-saṁjñakam

[Cc. Ādi 1.1]

Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, He has got manyfold expansion. The first expansion is prakāśa, svayaṁ-prakāśa, Balarāma. And Nityānanda is Balarāma. Vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-sūta hoilo sei, balarāma hoilo nitāi. We have to understand from the mahājana, Narottama das Ṭhākura. Sometimes some foolish people interpret Nityānanda as expansion of Rādhārāṇī, but that is not the fact. Nityānanda is Balarāma. We have to know from mahājana. We cannot manufacture our own idea. That is blasphemy, sahajiyā. Yata mat tata pat. These things are not accepted by mahājana. Mahājana means who follows the previous mahājana. This is the system. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu strictly followed this principle. Kṛṣṇa also recommended evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. We have to receive knowledge through the disciplic succession. Mahājana-gataḥ. You cannot manufacture. This concoction has killed the spiritual life of India. "You can think any way; I can think in my way"-that is not at all scientific. You cannot think "Two plus two equal to three" or "five." Two plus two equal to four. You cannot think otherwise. (people talking in background) (aside:) Ask them to stop.

So Nityānanda means prakāśa, svayaṁ-prakāśa, Balarāma. Balarāma is, I mean to say, presenting Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Balarāma is guru-tattva. Guru is representative of Balarāma, of Nityānanda, Guru Nityānanda, because He is exhibiting Kṛṣṇa. He is presenting Kṛṣṇa, prakāśa. Just like when there is sunshine you can see everything very correctly. That is called prakāśa. In the darkness everything is covered. At night we cannot see, but during daytime, when there is prakāśa, illumination, then we can see everything. So Nityānanda Prabhu is Balarāma. Balarāma is prakāśa-tattva. He's manifesting Kṛṣṇa. Balarāma hoila nitāi. So vande śrī… Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead, and next, Nityānanda, or, yes, Nityānanda, is exhibiting Him. When Nityānanda was preaching in Bengal, He first of all delivered the Jagāi and Mādhāi. That was his first business. He showed how to serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya means Kṛṣṇa Himself. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādha-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combined together is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. And Nityānanda is exhibiting Kṛṣṇa Caitanyadeva.

So how one can exhibit Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that is… By His personal example Nityānanda Prabhu has given us lesson. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was sending His devotees to preach and Nityānanda Prabhu was doing that, He used to go with Haridāsa Ṭhākura to preach on the street, home to home. So when they saw there was a big crowd on the street, so Nityānanda Prabhu inquired from the people, "Why there is so many people assembled?" He was informed that "There are two gundas, rogues. They are creating some trouble." The gundas, their business is to create trouble, that's all. Every one of us we know, especially at the present moment in Bengal. Yes. This is due to lack of preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nityānanda Prabhu is not given the chance. Nityānanda Prabhu is very eager to preach, but He's not given chance. Actually, those who are proud of becoming descendants of Nityānanda Prabhu… In Bengal there is a family, they say that they are descendants from Nityānanda Prabhu. So apart from controversy, even accepting that they are descendants from Nityānanda Prabhu, their business is also to act like Nityānanda Prabhu. So that business, what is that business? That is described by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, mahājana, pāpī tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo, ta'ra sākṣī jagāi-mādhāi. This is the business of Nityānanda Prabhu along with Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-sūta hoilo sei, balarāma hoilo nitāi.

So here Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Nityānanda, Their identification is Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Now, in the Kṛṣṇa incarnation, these two brothers were engaged as cowherd boys and friends of the gopīs, sons of mother Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja. That is actual life in Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, They are village cowherds boy. That is the early age history of Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. And Their another business, when They went to Mathurā They killed Kaṁsa and the wrestlers, and then again, when They went to Dvārakā, They had to fight with so many demons. But Their childhood life, up to sixteenth year, They were in Vṛndāvana, happy life, simply love. That is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām [Bg. 4.8]. Sādhus, devotees, they are always anxious to see Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Their associates. They are always very much aggrieved on account of separation. To give them rejuvenation of life, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma play Their childhood days in Vṛndāvana. And out of Vṛndāvana, beginning from Mathurā up to Dvārakā and other places, the business was vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: killing. So They have got two businesses, one for pacifying the devotees, and the other is to kill the demons. Of course, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, They are Absolute Truth. There is no difference between killing and loving. They… Absolute. Those who were killed, you know, they were also delivered from this material bondage.

Now these same two brothers have again descended as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya-Nityānanda. Sahoditau: simultaneously They have appeared. Not that one is appeared, another is not there. No. Both of Them, sahoditau. And They are compared with the sun and moon. The business of sun and moon is to dissipate darkness. The sun rises during daytime, and the moon rises at night. But this sun and moon, wonderful sun and moon, citrau, They have appeared together. But the business is the same, tamo-nudau. Business is to dissipate darkness, because we are in darkness. We, anyone who is in this material world, he's in darkness. Darkness means ignorant, no knowledge. They are mostly animals. "Why they are animals, so civilized men, so well-dressed and university education degrees? Why they are in darkness?" Yes, they are in darkness. "What is the proof?" The proof is that they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the proof. That is their darkness. Ask anybody, item by item, that… Ask, what do they know about Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is ignorant, dark. So that is the proof. How this is proof? Now, Kṛṣṇa says. We do not say; Kṛṣṇa says. How does He say? Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā [Bg. 7.15]. Apahṛta-jñānā means that although they have got university degrees, although they are called civilized, advanced in material civilization, but māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Their degrees, because they do not know Kṛṣṇa thoroughly and therefore do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, which Kṛṣṇa is canvassing personally, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja… [Bg. 18.66]. He's personally canvassing. Because these rascals and fools, they are in darkness-they do not know what is the goal of life-Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He is canvassing, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is the philosophy. So still, they are not doing so. Why? Narādhamāḥ. Because the lowest of the mankind, narādhama. How they have become narādhama? Now, duṣkṛtina, always committing sinful life. What is sinful life? Illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. Because they are addicted to these things they are duṣkṛtina and narādhama, lowest of the mankind. And whatever knowledge they are acquiring by so-called education, that is false knowledge. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. This is the position.

So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Nityānanda, They came, descended again, being merciful, same Kṛṣṇa. Vrajendra-nandana yei, Śacī-sūta hoilo sei. Same Kṛṣṇa. In a different way they canvassed the same principle. (aside:) You can sit down there. You are sleeping. Don't sleep. Don't show that sleeping. Go there. So this is the darkness. And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to drive away this darkness-same Kṛṣṇa, the same Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa's preaching and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching. There is no difference. The difference is that Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is demanding that "You rascal, you surrender unto Me. You are suffering so much. You are rascal. I am your father. I want to see you happy; therefore I have come. Surrender unto Me. I shall give you all protection." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo [Bg. 18.66]. "You are suffering on account of your duṣkṛti, all sinful activities. Whatever you are doing, all sinful activities." Except Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities, whatever you do, that is sinful activity. But they have been summarized into four principles. The whole sinful activities of the world, they have been summarized in four lines: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. This is the summary. But otherwise, of these activities there are many, many branches. But if you cut the root of sinful activities-this illicit sex and gambling and meat-eating-then generally, automatically other sinful activities will go. Therefore we who are propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are just requesting that you give up this sinful life. Otherwise you will be implicated again.

What is that implication? Implication is that your sinful life will get you next body which is also sinful. And again you suffer. Suffering there is. As soon as you get material body, there is suffering. It may be a king's body or it may be a cobbler's body, it doesn't matter, the suffering is there. But because these people are māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, they are accepting suffering as pleasure. This is called māyā. He's suffering, but he is thinking it is a good pleasure. Just like the pig. He's eating stool, and he's thinking he's enjoying life. This is called ignorant. He does not know that he's suffering. Māyā has given his body to suffer, but even in the pig's body, he's thinking that is enjoying life. This is called māyā. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam [Bg. 7.13]. This is called illusion. Illusion. Everyone in this material world, they are suffering in different grades. Just like in the prison house there are different grades of prisoner: first class, second class, third class. But if the first-class prisoner thinks they are enjoying life, that is ignorance. He should know that he's in the prison house. In the prison house where is there enjoyment? It is all suffering. Maybe first-class suffering, (laughter) but it is suffering. So they are all in the darkness, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu appeared to dissipate, tamo-nudau, to dissipate this darkness of the whole human society. That is Their kindness. They are…

So Nityānanda Prabhu, being prakāśā, He is manifesting Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He's canvassing the same thing. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is canvassing to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu and Their other assistants is easier, easier. Therefore we see practically, we have taught our disciples to chant first of all the Pañca-tattva, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya (devotees chant) prabhu-nityānanda, śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Thank you. So through the mercy of this Pañca-tattva, easily you can approach Kṛṣṇa, easily. Otherwise how it is possible? These Europeans, Americans, they did not know what was Kṛṣṇa. Four or five years ago they were unknown. How they have become so devotee of Kṛṣṇa that ten thousand miles, crossing over the sea, they have come here at Māyāpur, unless they have got developed love for this? Their coming is not so easy from neighboring villages, but it costs. They have spent lakhs of dollars-one dollar equal to eight rupees-and they have come here. Why? Through the mercy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (end)

750327CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.3

Māyāpur, March 27, 1975

Nitāi: "What the Upaniṣads describe as the impersonal Brahman is but the effulgence of His body, and the Lord known as the Supersoul is but His localized plenary portion. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa Himself, full with six opulences. He is the Absolute Truth, and no other truth is greater than or equal to Him."

Prabhupāda:

yad advaitaṁ brahmopaniṣadi tad apy asya tanu-bhā

ya ātmāntaryāmī puruṣa iti so asya aṁśa-vibhavaḥ

ṣaḍ-aiśvaryaiḥ pūrṇaḥ ya bhagavān iha sa svayam ayaṁ

na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāj jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha

[Cc. Ādi 1.3]

Now the author, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, is establishing with great stress that na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha: "There is no greater truth than Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." We are after truth, so here the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he is asserting that "Here is the Supreme Truth, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu." Na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt. Kṛṣṇāt, because Kṛṣṇa has appeared as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. We have explained this truth yesterday according to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's declaration, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogaṁ-śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ. Puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ is Kṛṣṇa. Puruṣaḥ, He is puruṣaḥ, and purāṇaḥ, ādyam, the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. In many Vedic literature Kṛṣṇa is described as the purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ, the oldest. Purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ nava-yauvanaṁ ca [Bs. 5.33]. Although He is the oldest of all, still, He is always like fresh youth, nava-yauvanaṁ ca. So how it is possible? They are trying to understand God. Sometimes they paint the picture of God as very old man. Because He is the original person, so by this time He must have become very old. This is imagination. This is not actually the form of the Lord. The form of the Lord is there in the Brahma-saṁhitā and other Vedic literatures. Even Śaṅkarācārya, who is a impersonalist, he has accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa as the supreme Nārāyaṇa. In his comment on Bhagavad-gītā he says, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa is beyond this material creation." And while describing Nārāyaṇa, he has affirmed, sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ: "That Nārāyaṇa is Kṛṣṇa." And he has clearly mentioned, "Now He has appeared as the son of Devakī and Vāsudeva," to confirm just like identification is confirmed when the father's name is there.

So Kṛṣṇa is para-tattva, accepted by all ācāryas. We are not talking of the fools and rascals who are theorizing without any knowledge. We are concerned with the authorities. So authorities… Especially in India, the whole Vedic system is being followed by the people under the authorities of the ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. One who is following the path of the ācāryas, he knows. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. We cannot accept anyone as authority if he does not follow the paramparā, disciplic succession of ācārya. That is the Vedic system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. So Kṛṣṇa is para-tattva. Na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt jagati para-tattvaṁ param iha. He is very emphatically asserting that "There is no more greater truth than Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." So according to the Vedic system, if you say something very emphatically, you must prove by Vedic evidences. Otherwise you can go on talking; nobody will hear. Sometimes people ask us about Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "What is the Vedic evidences?" So that Vedic evidences will be given, later chapters of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He is not falsely asserting. Kavirāja Gosvāmī is very, very advanced devotee and scholar. He is not ordinary human being. He was empowered by Madana-mohana.

So nobody should try to write any Vedic literature. Vedic literature means the śruti, smṛti, Purāṇa. They are Vedic literature. Therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has also confirmed,

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-

pañcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktiḥ

utpātāyaiva kalpate

[Brs. 1.2.101]

Utpātā, simply disturbance. Yata mat tata patha: "I can manufacture my own way." This rascaldom has been condemned by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. He says that harer bhaktiḥ… You will find many so-called bhaktas crying, falling down on the ground. But immediately after, he is smoking bidi. So why this is going on? Because they do not follow the injunction of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Chanting, dancing very loudly, and after the performance is finished-I have seen it-"Can you give me a bidi?" You see? "My throat is now dried up." So this is utpātā. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described this kind of so-called devotional attitude is simply disturbance. They imitate. Imitate. Therefore Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has condemned. There are so many apa-sampradāya going on in the name of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's devotee. Who are they? Āula, bāula, kartābhajā, neḍā, daraveśa, sāṅi, sahajiyā, sakhībhekī, smārta, jata-gosāñi. Then ativāḍī, cūḍādhārī, gaurāṅga-nāgarī, tota kahe ei tāra saṅga nāhi kori: Tota Bābājī, he says, "I do not associate with these classes of men." So after disappearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, so many apa-sampradāya sprang up. So we should be very much careful that… Sampradāya means who are carefully following the Vedic principle. Therefore Kavirāja Gosvāmī, although asserting the truth, he is prepared to give Vedic evidences. Now he has begun.

The Vedas, they begin with the Upaniṣad. Vedānta-sūtra, Upaniṣad, they are all Vedic literature. Purāṇas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, they are all Vedic literatures. Four Vedas-Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva-then the Upaniṣad, then the Vedānta-sūtra, then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Vedānta-sūtra is the same thing. It is explanation. Therefore at the end of each chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated by Vyāsadeva, brahma-sūtrasya bhāṣya. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam means comment on the Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra is the gist code of all Vedic literature. And then it is explained, athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā: "Jīvasya, for living being, the only business is to enquire about the Absolute Truth." That is the only business. People are in trouble because they have given up their real business. Human life is meant for this business, brahma-jijñāsā, to enquire about the Absolute Truth. We have been given so many facilities by nature. There are so many living entities, they are standing on the ground for many years. The trees, the plants and the aquatics, for many, many years they are in the water. The flies and insects, for many, many years they are in that condition. And gradually, by evolution, we come to this form of human life. Especially the Aryans, the advanced, civilized human being, he has got all the facilities. The uncivilized men live in the jungle, and they cannot utilize the resources. (people making noise) Ask them to stop. Somebody must remain there.

So therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, in very simple Bengali song, he says, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu. This is our life. We have got this human form of life, but we are simply spoiling it. This is the whole situation. In our this movement we are traveling all over the world, and according to our views, how they are spoiling their very valuable human life in false identification that "I am this body," everyone, in big, big names, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am German," "I am…," and they are spoiling their life under this bodily concept of life. According to śāstra, anyone who is identifying himself, this body… That is the first instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa brought Arjuna to fight with the Kurus, and he identified himself as this body, and therefore he thought, "Killing of my cousin-brothers, it will not be good because I have got bodily relation." So to dissipate this conception of life-that is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā-Kṛṣṇa chastised him, Arjuna, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase [Bg. 2.11]. We are talking very, very big, big talks and plans, but actually we are nothing better than cats and dogs. This is our position because we are identifying with this body. "My country, my community, my society, my family, my…" Ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Jīvasya moho ayam ahaṁ mameti. They do not know. This is the ignorance, basic ignorance. "I" and "my." "I am this body, and anything in relationship with the body is mine." This is ignorance. But this ignorance is going on all over the world. That's a fact, this ignorance.

Therefore in the beginning the author said,

vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nityānanda sahoditau

gauḍodaye puṣpavantau

citrau śandau tamo-nudau

[Cc. Ādi 1.2]

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu, both of Them have come to deliver these fallen souls of this material world who are in the darkness of conception. So They are fighting all over the world this darkness. Just now somebody told me that the king of the Arabia is killed. He is killed now by his nephew or somebody else. This is going on. Even in family affairs it is going on. Why? This darkness. Ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu along with His associates, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara Prabhu and Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, they are trying to dissipate the darkness of this false identification. Kṛṣṇa simply instructed Arjuna about his darkness of identity, and He punished him, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: [Bg. 2.11] "You are talking very big, big words, but you are lamenting on a subject matter on which no learned person laments." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. That means "You are fool number one." Paṇḍitāḥ. "No paṇḍita makes like that. Now try to understand what is the position."

Then He said,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

"First of all try to understand what you are." That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. It is no politics. It is knowledge, pure knowledge. Bhagavad-gītā is pure knowledge. The politicians take advantage of it. The sociologists, the so-called swamis, yogis, they take advantage of it and try to prove their all nonsensical theories. But it is not at all Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā as it is is pure knowledge, beginning with the first knowledge one has to understand, that he is not this body. Because this is the basic principle all ignorance: "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this," "I am that"-this is the basic principle. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says the same thing in a different way. He says, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya, I am not a śūdra, I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a gṛhastha, I am not a vānaprastha, I am not a sannyāsī." These are negation. Then what is the positive? He says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: [Cc. Madhya 13.80] "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the gopī-bhartuḥ, Kṛṣṇa, who maintains the gopīs."

So this is our identification. But we have forgotten our identification.

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare

pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

We have forgotten our real relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and we are trying to be happy by material adjustment. This is modern civilization. One is thinking, "If I get such nice house, nice motorcar, nice business, nice bank balance, nice wife, nice children…" This is material civilization. But they do not know. Despite all these nice things, he will never be happy. Now you Europeans and Americans, you have got a good qualification. I described many times that you are no more very much interested with all these "nice" things, so-called nice things. Real nice thing is spiritual understanding. That nice thing begins: ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am not this body." That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna that "You are not this body. You are spirit soul. Try to understand."

So we should learn from Kṛṣṇa. We should learn from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Therefore the author says that "You accept this authority." Na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt para-tattvaṁ param iha. If you want knowledge, then… You have missed already, because when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared five hundred years ago people already became fools and rascals. They did not care for the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore He again came as devotee of Kṛṣṇa to teach us how to serve Kṛṣṇa, how to love Kṛṣṇa. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult, the same thing. When Kṛṣṇa appeared He said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Give up everything, so-called rascaldom. Just surrender to Me." And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said the same thing as a devotee: yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He did not say anything new. That is the authenticity. "I have manufactured some way"-these are all rascaldom. The same thing you should… You can… Just like in your country it is said, "Old wine in a new bottle." Similarly, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching the same thing. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the same thing: yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. And we are saying the same thing, na kṛṣṇāt caitanyāt para-tattvam: "There is no more superior truth than Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." Why? Because He is talking the same truth as Kṛṣṇa said. This is called paramparā system. What Kṛṣṇa said, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said the same thing, and we are talking the same thing.

So there is no difficulty to understand the Absolute Truth. It may be presented in a different way… Not different way. It is directly. Kṛṣṇa says directly that "You surrender to Me," and Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You preach this cult," yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128], the same thing. We are not going to teach anything which is not spoken by Kṛṣṇa and which is not supported by Kṛṣṇa Caitanyadeva. This is our principle. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa preached Kṛṣṇa Himself, Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached the same principle, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28], and we are preaching the same thing. We do not preach anything else. We do not manufacture anything. That is not our business.

So by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you all European boys and girls joined this movement under my soliciting. I went to your country with this word only. I did not show you any magic, neither I have any knowledge how to play magic. That is not possible. I simply repeat the same thing, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here is Kṛṣṇa Caitanyadeva, the devotional form of Kṛṣṇa. You accept Them. Your life will be successful."

Thank you very much. (end)

750328CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.4

Māyāpur, March 28, 1975

Nitāi: "May that Lord, who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacīdevī, be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service."

Prabhupāda:

anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau

samarpayitum unnata ujjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam

hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ

sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandana

[Cc. Ādi 1.4]

This is the blessings of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī upon everyone.

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ

sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale

svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ

dadāti sva-padāntikam

[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]

We should pray to Rūpa Gosvāmī for his blessings so that we can understand what is the actual position of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the most merciful incarnation to bestow upon us Kṛṣṇa-prema. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī understood it, Śrīla Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya understood it, and we should take their viewpoint of view, what they have studied about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says… In the beginning Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was appreciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī as mahā-vadānyāvatāra. There are many incarnations of Kṛṣṇa, keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare, keśava dhṛta-nṛsiṁha-rūpa jaya jagadīśa…, many incarnations. But this incarnation, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is anarpita-carīṁ cirāt. The mercy of this incarnation is unlimited. It was never given before. That is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. He distributed the most confidential part of love of Godhead. Although we are living in this fallen age, Kali-yuga, but He is giving the topmost platform of loving Kṛṣṇa. Anarpita-carīṁ cirāt. Therefore He is supposed to be the most munificent incarnation. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. He is giving directly Kṛṣṇa-prema.

It is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa, and what to speak of His loving affairs. It is very difficult.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścit vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

Kṛṣṇa personally says that it is very difficult to understand Him. Actually it is so. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy is so unlimited that He is helping not only to understand Kṛṣṇa, but also He is giving directly love of Kṛṣṇa, and the supermost platform of love, as it was experienced by the gopīs.

The gopīs' dealing with Kṛṣṇa is considered to be the topmost. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He recommended, ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. Vrajavadhū, the gopīs, the damsels of Vṛndāvana, they worship Kṛṣṇa in the topmost loving affairs. They did not know anything but Kṛṣṇa. For Kṛṣṇa they could sacrifice anything-their honor, their prestige, everything, their husband, their sons, family. That is the gopīs' standard. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation is accepted by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in many verses. One of the verses in here, anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau.

So we should take shelter of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is the blessing of Rūpa Gosvāmī. He says,

hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ

sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandana

He is giving His blessing that "This form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, may always remain within your…, in the core of your heart." If we simply keep Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu within our heart, then it will be very easy to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, because if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Janma karma ca divyaṁ me yo jānāti tattvataḥ. That is only. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means just try to understand Kṛṣṇa; then your life is successful. Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who understands Me, why I come here, what is My activities," tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma [Bg. 4.9], "he becomes liberated. After giving up this body, he does not accept any material body. In his own spiritual body he goes back to home, back to Godhead." This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So if you don't go through Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, it will be very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is practical. Just like you young boys and girls from Western countries. You have taken up Kṛṣṇa so seriously. Why? Because we are trying to understand Kṛṣṇa through Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So we should follow this principle. There will be no difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, your life is successful. Of course, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa fully. As far as possible, at least if we understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this much is sufficient. This much is sufficient. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg. 10.8]. Aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2]. These things are there, already stated, but the so-called scholars and politicians, they misinterpret in a different way and mislead the people. That is going on. Therefore, in spite of Bhagavad-gītā being read all over the world for the last two hundred years, not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is the defect. So let us try to understand Kṛṣṇa through Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and as we have repeatedly said, that "Through Caitanya Mahāprabhu you understand Kṛṣṇa and spread this cult all over the world." People are suffering for want of knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. So this movement especially meant to establish the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is that you become, every one of you, you become a guru. How to become guru? Now, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Simply that qualification is sufficient. Don't adulterate the 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa. You simply present what Kṛṣṇa says as it is. Then every one of you will become a guru. Don't adulterate-"I think," "In my opinion." These nonsense things should be given up. We should always be aware that we are insignificant creature. Our opinion and thinking has no value. This should be the first principle. Why should you give opinion on the words of Kṛṣṇa? Are you more authoritative person than Kṛṣṇa? This is foolishness, to try to become more than Kṛṣṇa. There are so many rascals. They present that "Now we have advanced. We know more than Kṛṣṇa." So be saved from these rascals. Then you will understand Kṛṣṇa, and through Caitanya Mahāprabhu you will understand what is the position of Kṛṣṇa, what is your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, what is the ultimate goal of life. These things will be clearly exhibited.

And Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is written for this purpose so that a person who is serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness may understand Kṛṣṇa through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is wanted. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṇa consciousness without going through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And to go through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu means to go through the six Gosvāmīs. This is paramparā system. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says,

ei chay gosāi jār-tār mui dās

tā-sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grās

This is paramparā system. You cannot jump over. You must go through the paramparā system. You have to approach through your spiritual master to the Gosvāmīs, and through the Gosvāmīs you will have to approach Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu you have to approach Kṛṣṇa. This is the way. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said, ei chay gosāi jār-tār mui dās. We are servant of servant. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. The more you become servant of the servant, the more you are perfect. And if you all of a sudden want to become master, then you go to hell. That's all. Don't do that. This is the teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If you go through the servant, servant, servant, then you are advanced. And if you think that you have now become master, then you are going to hell. This is the process. Dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. So servant, servant, servant, a hundred times servant now, that means he is advanced. He is advanced. And one who is becoming directly master, then he is in the hell.

So anarpita-carīṁ cirāt. So we should always remember the instruction of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Therefore we pray, ṣrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale.

[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]

Our mission is to establish the desire of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is our business. Śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī did it. He has given us so many books, especially Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we have translated into English as Nectar of Devotion, to understand the science of devotional service. This is the greatest contribution of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, how to become a devotee. How to become a devotee. It is not sentiment; it is science. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a great science. Yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. It is not sentiment. If you take it as sentiment, then you will create disturbance. That is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī. He said,

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-

pañcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktir

utpātāyaiva kalpate

[Brs. 1.2.101]

(end)

750329CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.5

Māyāpur, March 29, 1975

Nitāi: "The loving affairs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are transcendental manifestations of the Lord's internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally. Now these two transcendental identities have again united in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself."

Prabhupāda:

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād

ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau

caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ

rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitaṁ naumi kṛṣṇa-svarūpam

[Cc. Ādi 1.5]

So another feature of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is described here by the author, Kavirāja Gosvāmī. In the beginning He has been described as the ultimate Absolute Truth, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇaḥ ya bhagavān. The Absolute Truth realized in three phases. The ultimate phase is Bhagavān. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇaḥ. Bhagavān means full of six opulences. Not as nowadays there are so many Bhagavāns, they have no aiśvarya. But Bhagavān means ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇaḥ, full opulences, six kinds of opulence. Then that Bhagavān, Supreme Personality of Godhead, has descended as incarnation, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just to bestow the topmost understanding of loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa. Samarpayitum unnata ujjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam.

In the bhakti platform there are different stages. Spiritually, there is no difference. One in dāsya-rasa and one in mādhurya-rasa, there is no difference. But a devotee likes to serve the Supreme Lord according to his inclination. Some wants to love Him in śānta-rasa, some wants to love Him in dāsya-rasa, someone in friendly, then paternal love, then conjugal love. So there is no difference between these different phases of loving affair, but great devotees and learned scholars, they have given their decision that the loving affairs of Kṛṣṇa in the conjugal platform between husband and wife, or above that, between lover and beloved… That is very much prominent in the Western countries, friend, boyfriend, girlfriend. In the spiritual world that platform of remaining as friend without marriage, that is considered as the highest. And whatever we see here-a perverted reflection of that loving affairs. Just like perverted reflection… It is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, ūrdhva-mūlam adho-śākha aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam. This material world has been described as having its root up, ūrdhva-mūlam adho-śākha, and the branches down. We have several times explained this ūrdhva-mūlam adho-śākha. In the material world this is a shadow. Unless it is shadow, how the mūlam, or the root, can be upwards? We have got experience: a tree on the bank of a river. The tree is reflected adho-śākha, on the root upward, shadow. So this is shadow. Real thing is in the spiritual world. Therefore it is called adho-śākha. Śākha. In the spiritual world the topmost part is this conjugal love, and here, the same thing, when pervertedly reflected, it is the lowest abominable thing. We should know this, that in the spiritual world, to remain as girlfriend and boyfriend, that is the topmost pleasure, and in the material world, the same thing is the most abominable thing. Therefore it is adho-śākha. We cannot imitate the loving affairs of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī unless we understand the real fact.

The real fact is described here, that rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktiḥ. Śaktiḥ means potency. So from Vedas we understand that the Lord, the Supreme Person, has got multi-energies.

parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate

svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca

na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate

na tat-samas abhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate

[Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]

So these energies… Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has got multi-energies. When Arjuna requested Kṛṣṇa, "Will You kindly explain some of the energies as You display?" so in the Bhagavad-gītā there is a list of His different energies. And at last, it is concluded,

atha vā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhya aham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

[Bg. 10.42]

Idaṁ kṛtsnaṁ jagat: "All the material manifestation…" Material manifestation means these material universes. They are many. This universe, what we see, one only, the sky, the covering, but there are many millions of universes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. Koṭi means millions. Jagad-aṇḍa. Jagad-aṇḍa means universes. So Kṛṣṇa says that "All these universes in the material world is display of My one-fourth energy." Just imagine what is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. And we are trying to imitate Kṛṣṇa. So many rascals, they declare they are Bhagavān. They do not know what is Bhagavān. Bhagavān… These universes are coming, innumerable universes are coming, from the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.48]

They have no idea what is Bhagavān. This is one of the description of Mahā-Viṣṇu, that from His breathing, innumerable universes are coming out. When He is exhaling, the universes are coming out, and when He is inhaling, all, everything, is going within Him. This is Bhagavān. So anyway, this is partial exhibition of the energy of the Lord. And this is one-fourth energy. This material world is manifestation of His one-fourth energy. The three-fourth energies are in the spiritual world. So in that spiritual world Kṛṣṇa exhibits His spiritual energy. That is only spiritual energy. This material world is made of material energy, and we are marginal energy.

So when Kṛṣṇa wants to enjoy-the enjoy means these loving affairs between man and woman-that is a fact. That is not an artificial thing. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has explained Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. He has said, ādi rasasya janma yatra. Ādi-rasa. There are twelve kinds of rasas, mellow. Of all of them, the ādi-rasa… Ādi-rasa means the loving affair between man and woman. This is called ādi-rasa. So, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explains, janmādy asya means the ādi-rasa, loving affairs between man and woman, that is from the Supreme Person. That's a fact. Unless the loving propensity is there in the Supreme, how it can be reflected? Because this is perverted reflection only, so there must be the origin. So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand this. Because they have got bitter experience of this material world, they try to make zero or without any varieties the ultimate goal. Śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. The nirviśeṣavāda, impersonalism and voidism, they are of the same nature. The Buddhist philosopher, they say, "Ultimately, everything is zero." And the Māyāvādī philosopher says not zero, but impersonal. But actually that is not fact. There is everything, variety and personal. But because the philosophers with poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand, they make it zero or varietyless, nirviśeṣavāda. That, to clean, that to clear the idea, our Kavirāja Gosvāmī says that this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa prema, loving affairs between Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, it is a fact. It is not imagination. It is a fact. But this fact is different from the fact we have got experience in this world. That is to be understood. Don't take… Just like sahajiyās. They take the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa prema just like ordinary lusty affairs in this material world. But that is not the fact. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a verse that the loving affairs of gopīs and Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, it is not ordinary thing. If one can hear from the proper source, and if he understands the real fact of rasa-līlā, then the result will be that his heart, which is full with lusty desire, that will vanish. There will be no more lusty desires. Praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ, this praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ hlādinī. So if anyone understands this praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ, the loving affairs, transformation of different feelings, if one can understand, then his material lusty desires will vanish. This is the result. Hṛd-roga-kāmān apasya apahinoti dhīraḥ. He becomes dhīra.

Here in this material world everyone is adhīra, agitated, agitated by lusty desires. But in the spiritual world they are dhīra. They are not agitated by lusty desires. This is spiritual world. So long we are agitated by the lusty desires, we must know that we are in the material world. That is the test. Just like Yamunācārya says,

yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor

nava-nava-(rasa)-dhāmany (udyataṁ) rantum āsīt

tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne

bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

"So long I have been engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa and I am rendering more and more service and getting spiritual pleasure, since then, as soon as I think of sex life, I immediately spite upon it and I hate to think of it." This is the result. So people should know what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa pra… If one becomes attached to rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ, then the test is that his lusty desires will vanish. This is the test. Therefore Kavirāja Gosvāmī explains that "This is not ordinary thing. This is the transformation of the ahlādinī śakti." Samvit, sandhinī, ahlādinī. The Supreme Lord has got three potencies, or energies, primarily. So this rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ is transformation of the pleasure potency. Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, paraṁ brahma. Paraṁ brahma. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. That is the explanation given by Arjuna. This is called paramparā system. If we follow Arjuna, Arjuna's decision should be taken. Arjuna decision is: "Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma." So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they are after brahma-sukha. Brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. Brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. The source of brahma-sukha is Kṛṣṇa, but they cannot reach up to that point.

itthaṁ (satāṁ) brahma-sukhānubhūtyā

dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena

māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa

sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ

[SB 10.12.11]

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "Here is the Paraṁ Brahman." When he is describing Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with the cowherd boys, so Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "These cowherd boys are playing with the Supreme Person who is the source of brahma-sukha." Itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. And for the devotees… There are two kinds of transcendentalist: one Brahmavādi and other, Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava takes this philosophy, that we are servant. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. And the Māyāvādī philosophers, they imperfectly think that they have become one with the Supreme, they have become Nārāyaṇa. That is a misleading philosophy. We should not accept that.

So this Kṛṣṇa, being Paraṁ Brahman, so what will be the platform of His loving affairs? This is to be considered. For brahma-sukha, we are… In this material world we see many saintly persons. They give up everything, sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means giving up everything for the Supreme. So for simply to relish a little bit of brahma-sukha, these saintly persons, great, great saintly persons, they are giving up everything. Tyaktvā sva-dharmam. Sva-dharma means the regulated division of the society: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So they give up everything, brahma-sukhānubhūtyā, to understand… Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva [SB 5.5.1]. For purifying the existence. Because we are after happiness, every one of us. But we are seeking happiness in the perverted reflection. That is not possible. Therefore one has to give up this perverted happiness and come to the real fact. So our point is that "Because Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman, so how He can take pleasure in this material world?" This is the argument. So those who are wrongly thinking, foolishly thinking, that "Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with the gopīs like we enjoy in the company of many girls," they are great fools. They have no knowledge. They are misled because it appears, perverted reflection, it appears like that. But the reflection is different from the reality. So we should not take in that way. We should follow the footsteps of Caitanya-caritāmṛta kar, that we should understand that this praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ, this transformation of loving affairs between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, this is not like this, the ordinary boy and girl. It is ahlādinī śakti. If we take that, then we are misled. How He can take? Because for understand brahma-sukha we are giving up everything-I mean from the Māyāvādī point of view-and again, Kṛṣṇa being Paraṁ Brahman, how He can indulge in material happiness? This is the argument. Brahma-sukha, to understand brahma-sukha, to release brahma-sukha, if one is giving up everything material… There are three kinds of sukha: material sukha, brahma-sukha, and spiritual sukha. Brahma-sukha is on the margin. Sukha means happiness. Therefore, from logical point of view, we should conclude it that "Kṛṣṇa, being Parabrahman, how He can indulge in material happiness?" This is very important point. If for understanding little bit of brahma-sukha we are giving up all material enjoyment, how Kṛṣṇa can enjoy materially? He is Paraṁ Brahman. Therefore those sahajiyās, those who are taking that Kṛṣṇa is enjoying with ordinary girls, they are very, very, much misled. That is not the fact. Therefore it is said, hlādinī śakti. This is different. This is in the spiritual world the topmost mellow, hlādinī śakti.

So eko brahma dvitīya nāsti: "Brahman, Parabrahman, is one." Kṛṣṇa is one. There is no competition with Kṛṣṇa. Na tasya samaḥ adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody can be equal with Him; nobody can be greater than Him." Na tasya samaḥ. Samaḥ means equal, and adhikaḥ means greater. That is Parabrahman. That is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa says also, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more superior entity than Me." So we have to very carefully study Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to understand Kṛṣṇa very scientifically. It is not sentiment. One must be very philosophically advanced with scientific knowledge. Jñānaṁ vijñānam. This is vijñāna. It is not sentiment. Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. Jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Without vijñāna, science, without philosophy to understand Kṛṣṇa, is not possible. You can say that "Do you think that all the devotees, they are all scientist and philosopher?" Yes. The answer is yes. "No, they have no degree of science or philosophy." And still… Because if you learn science and philosophy, you will have to approach some person who knows the science, knows the philosophy. But the greatest scientist, the greatest philosopher, is Kṛṣṇa. He is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. And He says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmy aham [Bg. 10.10]. Anyone who is sincere devotee and always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, Kṛṣṇa says, "I give him education, intelligence. I make him scientist, philosopher." That is the way. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi. What kind of science? What kind of philosophy? Yena mām upayānti te. "That science, that spiritual science, that spiritual philosophy, I teach him personally." Why this is so not to all? You may say that if Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is sitting in everyone's heart, why He is especially inclined, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām [Bg. 10.10], one who is engaged twenty-fours hours in His service? Why not others? So that is special mercy for the devotee, special mercy. Teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ, nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-sthaḥ [Bg. 10.11]. This is the process. You cannot understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, without being a faithful servant. This is the secret. And if we become faithful servant under the guidance of proper spiritual master, then we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Parabrahman, and what is loving affairs with Rādhārāṇī, what is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. These things are revealed. It is not acquired by so-called mundane knowledge. That is not possible. Svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ. Just like in the darkness, if you want the sunshine, it is not possible. But in the morning the sun comes out automatically and the darkness is dissipated. Svayam eva. So we should always remain faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is within everyone's heart, and He will be pleased by your service, and then He will reveal Himself, what He is. Otherwise it is not possible.

Thank you very much. (end)

750330CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.6

Māyāpur, March 30, 1975

Nitāi: "Desiring to understand the glory of Rādhārāṇī's love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appeared from the womb of Śrīmatī Śacīdevī, as the moon appears from the ocean."

Prabhupāda:

śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā kīdṛśo vā anayaivā-

svādyo yenādbhuta-madhurimā kīdṛśo vā madīyaḥ

saukhyaṁ cāsyā mad-anubhavataḥ kīdṛśaṁ veti lobhāt

tad-bhāvāḍhyaḥ samajani śacī-garbha-sindhau harīnduḥ

[Cc. Ādi 1.6]

So the love affairs between Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā… That we have already understood, that Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combined together is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam. Tad-dvayam. Dvayam means two, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. They are one. There is no difference, energy and the energetic. So Rādhārāṇī is the energy, pleasure energy, of Kṛṣṇa. So when Kṛṣṇa… We have explained this. When Kṛṣṇa wants pleasure, He cannot derive it from anything material. We should not misunderstand that Kṛṣṇa is ordinary human being and He is enjoying like us. Completely different. Rādhārāṇī is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. So when Kṛṣṇa, Paraṁbrahman… Kṛṣṇa is described by Arjuna, Paraṁbrahman. So when the Paraṁbrahman wants to enjoy… The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot conceive that Paraṁbrahman also enjoys; therefore they think of Paraṁbrahman as imperson. So that is not the fact. Brahman, Paramātmā, then Bhagavān. Therefore Bhagavān is Paraṁbrahman. That is accepted by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. So Brahman is spiritual, undoubtedly, but more than Brahman is Paramātmā, and more than Paramātmā is Paraṁbrahman, Kṛṣṇa. Yad advaitaṁ brahma upaniṣadi. If you study the Upaniṣads, then you can realize Brahman. And if you practice yoga, then you can realize Paramātmā. And if you practice bhakti-yoga, then you can realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the process. The more you advance… Just like the sunshine. Sunshine and the sun globe or the sun-god-they are of the same quality, heat and light. But the sunshine is not the sun globe, neither the sun globe is the sun-god. It is this; therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy, acintya-bhedābheda, inconceivable one and different simultaneously.

So when you go to the platform of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead… As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

You have to understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ, in truth, not superficially. Then you'll misunderstand. Without understanding Kṛṣṇa, if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with Rādhārāṇī, that is foolishness. But they do not know Kṛṣṇa. How can understand His pastimes with the gopīs? That is foolishness. Therefore we have to understand Kṛṣṇa first of all, and Kṛṣṇa Himself, explaining Himself. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa does not speak anything about His pastimes with Rādhārāṇī. That is strictly prohibited. You never find Kṛṣṇa is speaking about His pastimes with the gopīs or with Rādhārāṇī. No. He's officially speaking about Himself, "I am this, I am that." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. First of all try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Thoroughly study Bhagavad-gītā, and after studying Bhagavad-gītā, if you are fortunate enough to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then, Kṛṣṇa says, surrender. That is the beginning of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to understand the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs. Just like if you make a friend, ordinarily, if you become intimate friend, then you can understand about his household affairs. If you are newly a gentleman introduced with another gentleman, you cannot ask him, "What is the affair in your household or with your wife or with your beloved?" That you cannot ask, neither it is possible to understand.

So the foolishness is going on that without understanding Kṛṣṇa, there are so-called rascal foolish poets. They are describing Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with Rādhārāṇī. That is the cause of falldown of the so-called Vaiṣṇavism. Without understanding Kṛṣṇa they want to understand the pastimes of… You'll find in your country also. I have seen one book written by one Bhaṭṭācārya about the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and the covering page is Rādhārāṇī's picture naked. So these rascals have made so much havoc, and this book is published by the United Nations. I have seen one book in France. I think some of you might have seen. Bhagavān, you have seen? Hm?

Bhagavān: Vidyāpati.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, this kind of literature… Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to read Gītā-Govinda, Caṇḍīdāsa, amongst with His confidential devotees. The Gītā-Govinda, the loving affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, it is not for the neophyte student. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu… You'll find Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaching… Generally, He was talking with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, He was talking with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, He was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya-but the subject matter was not the same. When He was talking officially with the Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, there is no talk about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with Rādhārāṇī. Simply on the basis of Vedānta He was talking. But when He was talking with Rāmaṇanda Rāya, He talked about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with Rādhārāṇī. So we should be very careful that from the very beginning… Just like the professional Bhāgavata readers. The Bhāgavata reading means describing rasa-līlā. Whenever you find there is Bhāgavata reading, they are describing. I have seen one big Gosvāmī. He was professional Bhāgavata reader, and whenever… He would speak very nicely on rasa-līlā, and after describing rasa-līlā, Bhāgavata reading, he would come for recreation and smoke cigarette. I have seen it.

So this kind of Bhāgavata reading will not help you. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt: [SB 11.2.42] "If you are actually advancing in devotional service, then the symptom will be that you'll have no more material hankerings." That is real. So if you actually hear about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with Rādhārāṇī, then hṛd-roga-kāmān apahinoti, then our heart disease, lusty desires, will vanish. That is the result. I have repeatedly said. So if you become more lusty by seeing the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with Rādhārāṇī or hearing, that means you are not fit. Stop it. Stop it. Don't be foolish. So in the spiritual platform, the everything are there, but they are different in quality. Just like iron is also metal and gold is also metal, but the quality is different; similarly, don't take that Kṛṣṇa's loving affairs with Rādhārāṇī is exactly like our loving affair with our girlfriend. No. It is not like that. One is gold, and one is iron. Don't minimize the value. Therefore Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has described that it is ahlādinī-śaktiḥ. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktiḥ.

So this hlādinī-śakti is being described in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the postgraduate study of highly elevated devotees. Ordinary devotees, they cannot understand. I have seen one professional reader. He was reading Caitanya-caritāmṛta, but he did not believe in it. Because he cannot understand. He cannot understand it. He plainly said, "These are only imaginary descriptions. There is no fact in it." I have seen it. So how one can understand this is fact unless one has understood what is spirit? Just like in your country, big, big professors, they do not believe in the spirit. They simply think of this body. So how they can understand about Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and Their pastimes, all spiritual affairs? First of all we must understand what is spirit and what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Rādhārāṇī, and then we try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī's loving affairs.

So here it is said that Kṛṣṇa is feeling how Rādhārāṇī is so much attracted. So much attracted. That is feeling. Now, Kṛṣṇa is omniscient. He knows everything. Why He should feel like that? The feel, that He knows, but for our understanding, He is displaying, He's manifesting Himself, that "Rādhārāṇī's loving affairs is so great and unlimited, even though I am omniscient, I cannot understand it." Just like Lord Rāmacandra. Lord Rāmacandra, He is Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why He felt so much separation that to rescue Sītādevī He fought with Rāvaṇa? He's self-sufficient. Why He should feel separation from Sītā? This question may be raised. But actually there are different phases of loving affairs, and the separation is also one of them. The separation, feeling of separation, is one of them. We have got experience in our present life that intense love… Still there is feeling of separation. All these things are there in the spiritual world. Only perverted reflection of those spiritual feelings are manifested here in this material world. Therefore it is called perverted reflection. But everything is there, but they are not material. We should always understand that. Kṛṣṇa is perfect, Rādhārāṇī is perfect, and They are always constantly accompanied. Then why there is separation? And still, there is separation. So these are very high-grade understanding.

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu means Kṛṣṇa feeling separation, or Rādhārāṇī feeling… Rādhā-bhava-dhyuti-suvalitam. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taken the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī-how to feel separation from Kṛṣṇa. This is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore it is said, śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya rādhā kṛṣṇa nahe anya. If you simply worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then you will be able to worship both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. This is the meaning of these verses. So Caitanya-caritāmṛta author, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, is describing the cause of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's appearance. The cause is that Kṛṣṇa wanted to know, "What is there in Rādhārāṇī?" He is Madana-mohana. Kṛṣṇa's another name is… He's attractive. Kṛṣṇa is attractive to everyone, even He is attractive to Cupid, Madana. Madana is attractive in the material world, and He is Madana-mohana. And Rādhārāṇī is Madana-mohana-mohinī, means She attracts even the Madana-mohana. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is trying to understand, "What is there in Rādhārāṇī that She attracts? I attract the whole universe, and She attracts Me."

So with this feeling, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, tad-bhāvāḍhyaḥ lobhāt. These are all transcendental loving affairs. Lobhāt: there is greediness to understand. Tad-bhāvādhyaḥ samajani: "He appeared in the womb of mother Śacī." Samajani śacī-garbha-sindhau harīnduḥ. Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is like the moon. So we established this temple, Māyāpura-candrodaya. So this is the idea, that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is just like moon. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He appeared in this land of Māyāpura; therefore He is said here as "the moon." Therefore we say candra, Māyāpura-candra. Now, as Śrī Māyāpura-candra is rising… Rising. Rising means He is to distribute the moonshine all over the world. This is the idea, moonshine. Śreyaḥ-kairava candrikā-vitaraṇam. Śreyaḥ-kairava. Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally said. Don't keep Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu compact in your room and take some monetary profit. This is not required. This is not required. You must allow Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to rise more and more so that this sun, moonshine, may be distributed all over the world. That is wanted. Therefore this temple is situated. Of course we shall try to construct a very nice temple for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This morning we were thinking of this. So from this place, this moon, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, will distribute. Śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam. The Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's Hare Kṛṣṇa movement… Paraṁ vijāyate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. This is spoken by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam. This is real enlightenment. People all over the world, they are in darkness. The moonshine will enlighten them. They are all foolish, mūḍha.

That is described in Bhagavad-gītā also:

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuri-bhāvam āśritaḥ

[Bg. 7.15]

These foolish persons at the present moment… It is very, very much regrettable that they are passing on as very learned scholar, as philosopher, politician, economist. But according to Kṛṣṇa's statement in the Bhagavad-gītā, they are all fool and rascals. Why? Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ pra… They are not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa came, appeared, upon this planet in this universe to canvass that "You surrender." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam [Bg. 18.66]. But they did not. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as a devotee of Kṛṣṇa… He's Kṛṣṇa.

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne…

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

He's Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. First of all He came as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He demanded as God's order, "You surrender," but people did not do it. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has again come in the form of devotee, kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne, and now He is ready to give you not only Kṛṣṇa, but love of Kṛṣṇa, freely. Take it and distribute it all over the world. That is wanted.

Thank you very much. (end)

750331CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.7

Māyāpur, March 31, 1975

Nitāi: "May Śrī Nityānanda Rāma be the object of my constant remembrance. Saṅkarṣaṇa, Śeṣa Nāga and the Viṣṇus who lie on the Kāraṇa Ocean, Garbha Ocean and ocean of milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions."

Prabhupāda:

saṅkarṣaṇaḥ kāraṇa-toya-śāyī

garbhoda-śāyī ca payobdhi-śāyī,

śeṣaś ca yasyāṁśa-kalāḥ sa nityā-

nandākhya-rāmaḥ śaraṇaṁ mamāstu

[Cc. Ādi 1.7]

So Kavirāja Gosvāmī, after offering his respectful obeisances to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and describing the purpose of His incarnation, He is now trying to describe Nityānanda. Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya Prabhu-Nityānanda. Pañca-tattva, one after another… First of all Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then Nityānanda Prabhu, then Advaita Prabhu, then Gadādhara, and then Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. He is summarizing the obeisances to the Pañca-tattva. Now, what is the identification of Nityānandākhya-Rāma? Rāma, Balarāma, and Baladeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa-there are so many names of Śrī Baladeva. In the Upaniṣad it is said, nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyo: "Self-realization is not possible without being strengthened by the mercy of Balarāma." Sometimes they take it foolishly, that "Without being very strong bodily, nobody can realize self." But that is not the fact. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahudhā śrutena. This is the Vedic injunction. That bala-hīnena means without being favored by Nityānanda Prabhu, Balarāma.

Balarāma is Nityānanda. That we know by following the footprints of mahājanas. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta hoila sei, balarāma hoila nitāi: "Balarāma has appeared now as Nityānanda." So bala means strength, spiritual strength, and rāma means enjoyer. Iti rāma padenāsau param brahma ity abhidhīyate. Rāma means Parabrahman. Satyānande cid-ātmani. Ramante yoginaḥ anante [Cc. Madhya 9.29]. Yogi, they are also interested in enjoying life. There are different kinds of yogis. Of all the yogis, the bhakti-yogi, that is the best. That is said by Kṛṣṇa:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

[Bg. 6.47]

Yogis, there are many yogis, but the bhakti-yogi is the best because by bhakta-yoga only, you can approach the Supreme Personality of… There is no other way. Jñāna, karma, and haṭha-yoga, they can help little, but they are not competent to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānātievaṁ [Bg. 18.55]. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then karma, yoga, jñāna, these, although they can elevate you to some extent, but you cannot approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead by karma, jñāna, yoga. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa as He is, then you have to accept the path of bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṇa says personally, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥevaṁ prasanna-manaso. And in order to attain this perfection of bhakti-yoga, you require strength from Balarāma, Saṅkarṣaṇa.

ramante yoginaḥ anante

satyānande cid-ātmani

iti rāma-padenāsau

paraṁ brahmābhidhīyate

[Cc. Madhya 9.29]

Rāma means who enjoys. So this word rāma is explained in the śāstra that one who is expert in enjoying eternal happiness, he is perfect yogi. Not flickering happiness. Flickering happiness, the yogis are not interested in flickering happiness or material happiness. Material happiness is always flickering, temporary. That is not happiness, but we take it. Real happiness is when we enjoy life with Kṛṣṇa, rāma. That is real happiness. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande. That is ananta. Ananta means unlimited. So our… We are seeking after ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By our nature we want to be very blissful, always happy. That is our nature. And we can possess, revive our nature of eternal happiness, provided we try to get it in this human form of life. There is no difficulty if we follow the path enunciated by great authorities. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. So Nityānanda Prabhu, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Their disciples, they are all mahājanas, great personalities. If we follow their principles, then it is very easy. There is no difficulty. But difficulty is that we do not follow.

So here it is describing that for the material creation the… There are three puruṣa-avatāra. Puruṣa means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that puruṣa-avatāras. First avatāra, puruṣa avatāra, is Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahā-Viṣṇu is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā,

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.48]

This Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is creating innumerable universes by breathing… Just like sometimes we breathe and there are some germs, small, we cannot see; in the same way, the universes in a small minute form, they are coming out of the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu. That is Kāraṇa-toya-śāyī, kāraṇa-udaka, Causal Ocean. That is beginning of creation. Then all the universes, they gradually develop into gigantic form. In the originally, it is coming out. We cannot understand. Sometimes we become surprised that "How such innumerable universes are being created by a person?" So, the universe is not so big in the beginning. Just like our, this body is not so big in the beginning of our body within the womb of our mother. It is not so big. It is very small, minute, and then it becomes just like a pea, and gradually the body develops. The same process is applicable to the universes. In the beginning, they are coming out of the breathing of Kāraṇa-toya-śāyī Viṣṇu, and then gradually they are developed bṛhannatvāt, bṛhatvāt. It increases gradually. That Kāraṇa-toya-śāyī Viṣṇu is also Saṅkarṣaṇa. And then Garbhodakaśāyī. The universes are created. Then, when they develop, then same Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, enters into each universe, and He creates an ocean. That is called Garbhoda Ocean. And He lies down there on Śeṣa-Nāga, And then, from the navel, the lotus flower sprouts, and then Lord Brahmā is created. Then, after many years tapasya, tapo, he understands how to create. In this way the whole creation of universes takes place. Garbhodakaśāyī. And after creation of this universe, then same Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī, within this universe He creates His own Vaikuṇṭha where there is an ocean of milk. There are different kinds of oceans, we learn from śāstra. We have got experience of the salted ocean, but there are many other oceans, just like milk ocean and ghee ocean, oil ocean and yogurt ocean. There are. We get this information from the śāstra.

So the Mahā-Viṣṇu, first of all He enters in each universe as Garbhodakaśāyī. Then, within the universe, He creates His Vaikuṇṭha and lies down there-Kṣīrodakaśāyī. This Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is approached by the demigods when there is need of maintenance or for subsiding the disturbance by the demons. Then Brahmā, Lord Śiva and others, they go on the beach of this milk ocean and submit their appeal. Then the answer is given to Brahmā, and he informs to other demigods. This is the process. You'll find this later on. So payobdhi-śāyī and śeṣaś ca, Sesa, that is also incarnation of Viṣṇu. He is sustaining the body of Viṣṇu in different oceans, and He is serving the Lord Viṣṇu in so many ways. Śayyā, āsana, sitting place, bed, and upavīta, and clothes, garments-so many ways He is serving. Now, all these different incarnation of Viṣṇu is summarized here by Kavirāja Gosvāmī that "All of them are partial expansion of Nityānanda," to understand what is Nityānanda Prabhu. The prakāśa-vigraha… Kṛṣṇa first. Then His prakāśa-vigraha, manifested form, a little difference in bodily feature, but the same powerful, that is Balarāma. And then, from Balarāma, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, in this way, quadruple expansion… Then Nārāyaṇa, then another quadruple expansion, then from that quadruple, second manifestation of Saṅkarṣaṇa, all these different Viṣṇus, Kāraṇa-toyāśāyī, Garbhodakaśayī, Kṣīrodhi-śāyī-in this way, expanding. Dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya [Bs. 5.46]. Just like you take one candle, then you lit up another candle, another candle, another candle. All these candles are equally powerful, but still, the calculation is, Kṛṣṇa is the first candle, Balarāma is the second candle. In this way, viṣṇutayā vibhāti-the expansion of Viṣṇu, innumerable.

Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam. This Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the person who is situated in everyone's, every living being's, heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. That īśvara, antaryāmī, who is existing in everyone's heart, that is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Not only within the heart of all living entities, but He is within the atom also. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayā… Paramāṇu. Paramāṇu means atom. In this way Viṣṇu expansion are there. It is inconceivable for us, but by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, we can partially understand from the description of the śāstras. Otherwise we cannot imagine how these things can happen, but it happens. We have to accept. Śāstra-cakṣuṣaḥ. We have to see through the pages of śāstra. Otherwise it is not possible. So if we want to know Viṣṇu-tattva, if we want to know Kṛṣṇa, His exalted position, then here are the description of the śāstra, and if we take them as it is, without malinterpretation, without showing any extraordinary intelligence by us… It is not possible. We have to accept. Therefore the injunction is that you accept the statement of the śāstras. That is… Bhagavad-gītā also said, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate-kāma-kārataḥ: [Bg. 16.23] "If you do not follow the description of the śāstra and if you manufacture something," then na siddhiṁ sa avāpnoti, "then you'll never get perfection." We have to follow the śāstra; otherwise there is no other alternative to understand the exalted position of Kṛṣṇa, how He expands in different forms, as Viṣṇu, as Nārāyaṇa. Sometimes they argue that Kṛṣṇa is incarnation of Viṣṇu. That is also truth. You'll find in Caitanya… Truth in this way, that when any incarnation comes, He comes through the Kṣīrobdhi-śāyī Viṣṇu. But Kṣīrobdhi-śāyī is partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa. The subject matter is very intricate, but if we follow the śāstra and accept it, then some clear conception we can have.

So Nityānanda Rāma… So yasyāṁśa sa nityānanda-rāmaḥ. Nityānanda is Balarāma. Therefore He is said, nityānandākhya-rāmaḥ. Just like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Kṛṣṇāya-kṛṣṇa-caitanya nāmne: "I offer my respectful obeisances to Kṛṣṇa now appeared as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya." He's Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, Nityānanda is Balarāma. So balarāma hoilo nitāi. Therefore it is said here, nityānandākhya-rāmaḥ: "He's Rāma, Balarāma, but at the present moment He has appeared by the name Nityānanda."

Thank you very much. (end)

750401CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.8

Māyāpur, April 1, 1975

Nitāi: "I surrender unto the lotus feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, who is known as Saṅkarṣaṇa in the midst of the catur-vyūha consisting of Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. He possesses full opulences and resides in Vaikuṇṭhaloka, far beyond the material creation."

Prabhupāda:

māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke

pūrṇaiśvarye śrī-catur-vyūha-madhye

rūpaṁ yasya udbhāti saṅkarṣaṇākhyaṁ

taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye

[Cc. Ādi 1.8]

So identification of Nityānanda Prabhu. So He is the second Saṅkarṣaṇa also. The first Saṅkarṣaṇa… From Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, four, quadruple expansions of Balarāma… Then, from Saṅkarṣaṇa, first Saṅkarsana, the Nārāyaṇa, four-handed Nārāyaṇa, that is the next expansion, and again, from Nārāyaṇa, there is another quadruple expansion, second Saṅkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, Pradyumna. So the second Saṅkarṣaṇa also is expansion of Nityānanda Rāma, Balarāma. So where is this Vaikuṇṭhaloka? It is rather imprudent to inquire because we cannot calculate even this material world, what is the length and breadth of this universe. This is only one universe. This is called māyika brahmānanda. Māyika means shadow. Shadow… Shadow is existing on account of the real. So therefore it is called māyā. Just like the example is, in your country, in the window, there are many nice model, beautiful women standing or a man standing, nicely dressed, but that is not real man or woman. That is shadow. That is called māyā. This is the example of māyā. Māyā means it is not fact, but it appears like fact. That is called māyā. Another example is… Just like the mirage, water in the desert. Actually there is no water, but it appears that there is water. The foolish animals, they run after this water, but there is no water. Simply running after will o' the wisp, phantasmagoria. So every one of us in this material world-hankering after happiness. Everyone is trying to be happy. But it is like the same, that there is no water in the desert, and still, the foolish animal running after it.

So this whole material creation is like that. The creator of this universe, Kṛṣṇa, He says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: [Bg. 8.15] "This is the place for suffering." And you are seeking after happiness. Just like in the prison house: it is the place for suffering, and if you want to be comfortable, this is called māyā. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān [SB 7.9.43]. The whole world is running after happiness what is not possible. Therefore they have been described as vimūḍhān, rascal. We sometimes use this word very frequently, "rascals," and they become angry. But actually that is the description, "rascals." All these so-called civilized men, so-called civilized men, they are not men even. They're all animals. But in the śāstra, they have been described as dvi-pada-paśu. They are animals, but they have got two legs. That's all. That is the difference. Animals, generally, they have four legs, catus-pada, but these animals are two-legged. That is the difference. They're animals because… The same example: In the desert there is no water, and the animal is running after it. Why he's called animal? Because he does not understand that "In the desert, how there can be water?"

So Vidyāpati has sung a song, tātala saikate, vāri-bindu-sama, suta-mitra-ramaṇī-samāje. We are trying to be happy here in this material world-how? Suta-mitra-ramaṇī-samāje. Suta means children. Mitra means friends. Society, friendship and love, wife, children… Tāta… So one may say, "Unless there is no happiness, how they are struggling for this suta-mitra-ramaṇī-samāja?" So Vidyāpati says, "Yes, there is happiness." Certainly there is happiness. Otherwise why these vimūḍhān, foolish people, running after it? So he says that the value of their happiness is a proportion of a drop of water in the desert. Tātala saikate. Tātala means, very hot, and saikate means sand. Those who have seen desert, they have got experience how it is intolerable during sunshine, vast, I mean to say, tract of land with sand. So naturally they require water. So if somebody says, "Yes, I'll give you water," and a drop of water… What is called? Proportionate, token. It is called token. "Yes, you want water. Take this water, drop." "What this water will do? This is desert. I want ocean of water and you are giving me drop of water? What is the value?" So still, we are seeking water there. Therefore it is rightly said, tātala saikate, vari-bindu-sama. Vari-bindu. Suta-mitra-ramaṇī-samāje.

dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu

ātma-sainyeṣu asatsv api

pramattaḥ tasya nidhanaṁ

paśyann api na paśyati

[SB 2.1.4]

Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu. This body, deha, apatya, children; kalatra, wife; ādiṣu, with all these things… Then again extend. From children, you get… You get them married. Then again extension-daughter-in-law, son-in-law, grandson. In this way, we are increasing our so-called happiness. Ātma-sainyeṣu. And we are thinking that "These surrounding friends-society, friends and love, nation-will give me protection." In our country, we have seen. Gandhi struggled so, mean, hard for getting independence, thinking that "We'll be happy." But Gandhi himself was killed.

So this is called māyā. You try to understand māyā. Māyā means where there is no happiness, no fact, and still, we are struggling for it. This is called māyā. Try to understand what is māyā. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān [SB 7.9.43]. Prahlāda Mahārāja says. Actually there is no fact, and still, we are struggling for it. The whole universe is like that. Even you are situated as Brahmā or you are situated as an ordinary insignificant ant, this struggle for existence is going on. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "These rascals, they are struggling for existence for happiness which is not possible in this material world. And beyond this struggling atmosphere of material world, māyā atīte…" Atīte. Atīte means beyond. Māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke. There is another world. That is also informed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paraḥ tasmād tu bhāva anyaḥ 'vyaktāvyaktāt sanātanaḥ. There is another bhāva. Bhāva means nature. Just like this is nature. We have got experience, the māyā. Māyā nature means here our main aim is to find out happiness. That is… Because we are spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1] Kṛṣṇa, so we are also minute sac-cid-ānanda. Our existence is like that. But because we are very small, therefore that, I mean to say, quality, sat, becomes sometimes extinguished. The example is just like the spark of the fire. It is fire. A spark from the fire falls on your body. As soon as it falls it will burn that small pointlike place. So it has got the same quality. But as soon as it comes out of the fire, it becomes extinguished-no more fire. It is carbon. Again take it and put it in the fire, then again it is fire. So our position is like that. We are factually of the same quality, sac-cid-ānanda. So our falling down in this material world from Kṛṣṇa means we lose our identity of eternity. It becomes covered. Just like the same small spark. It is fire, but it is now extinguished, cinder, just like coal, cinder. So long it is with the original fire, it is also burning, but if you take it and keep it aside, then it becomes ashes. So this is our position. And we are struggling here. We have lost the fiery quality, and still, we are trying to be fire. This is called māyā existence.

So there is another world. That information is given here. Māyātīte vyāpi. Vyāpi means very extensive. This whole material world is one-fourth of Kṛṣṇa's expansion, one-fourth. And that Vaikuṇṭhaloka is three-fourths. So therefore it is called vyāpi. Vyāpi means very extensive. We cannot calculate even this material existence. It is only one-fourth. Now, how it will be possible for us to calculate the vyāpi vaikuṇṭha-loka? Vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loka. Vaikuṇṭha means… Vi means without, and kuṇṭha means anxiety. So Vaikuṇṭhaloka means there is no anxiety. There is no anxiety. Here we are full of anxieties in this material… Even big, big businessman, who has got enough money, you'll find he is in anxiety. He's always thinking, "How this business will go on? How this, maintain so many men?" So I have seen it that our printer, Dai Nippon, the president, when we, for the temporary, we stopped our business, he was full of anxiety. Yes. Now they have agreed to reduce ten percent more than any printer. Why? He was full of anxiety. (laughter) This is the fact. So don't think that very big, big businessman or one who has got enough money, he has no anxiety. Anxiety there should be. This is the place of anxiety, kuṇṭha. Prahlāda Mahārāja pointed it out that tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt [SB 7.5.5]. Here, in this material world, whoever is there… The Brahmā is also anxiety, in full of anxiety. Indra… You know. Pṛthu Mahārāja was sacrificing hundred times, and Indra became very much anxious that "If Pṛthu becomes so great, then he may occupy my seat." So he wanted to put hindrances so that he may not fulfill the so many yajñas.

So everyone is anxiety in this material world, māyā. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to take a person or all of them from this māyā to Vaikuṇṭha. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to save the living entity from anxiety and bring him to the platform of no anxiety. That is the difference, from anxiety to no anxiety. That is the greatest gift to the human society. Everyone is full of anxiety because he is in this material world. He must be full of anxiety. So here the information is given, māyātīte vyāpi-vaikuṇṭha-loke: "There is another atmosphere, another nature, where there is no anxiety, no anxiety." Kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayanatam. Here we are keeping cows, but no milk-anxiety. Thousands of rupees' spending, and no milk, powdered milk. You see? This is the position, full of anxiety, always. So you cannot be free from anxiety in this loka. Therefore in this life, in human form of life, you can understand by cultivating knowledge from the śāstra, from guru, from saintly persons, "What is the position? What I want? Why I am full of anxiety? How it can be mitigated?" So therefore this information is given vaikuṇṭha-loka, back to home. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāmaṁ paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6].

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only endeavor where, by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious you become transferred from this māyā to Vaikuṇṭha. This is the purport. Māyātīte, beyond this māyā, there is another kingdom where there is no kuṇṭha, vaikuṇṭha-loke. And there is management. As here there is management, the king or president, or ministers and so many things, there is also management. But that management is conducted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. Here the president or king manages whole thing. And therefore the ideal manager or the executive head is a person who is a saintly person and devotee. That is wanted. In politics also, there is need of devotees. The devotee… The politicians, they first require to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness if they actually want to do good to others. If they remain like animals, it is not possible. Then whole world, the people, will suffer. That is the position now. There is no standard ruler. A ruler must be representative of Kṛṣṇa. Then… Then everything will be… Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was representative of Kṛṣṇa. Or Lord Rāmacandra, He was God Himself. Such executive head needed, not these rascals. Then you'll never be happy. Simply by hook and crook you select some rascal president; you'll never be happy. He must be Kṛṣṇa Himself or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Then people will be happy. Imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ. They are thinking that "The Bhagavad-gītā is meant for some parasites. They are doing nothing, and they are indulging in reading Bhagavad-gītā and living at the cost of others." They are thinking like that. But actually the ruler should be the well-conversant student of Bhagavad-gītā. That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. Imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ. It is meant for the saintly kings. Because if the king or the president understands Bhagavad-gītā, he can make solution of all the problems. But he remains a rascal, and there is no solution. They're simply fighting with one another. This politician is fighting with another politician. This is going on. This will never make us happy. Therefore it is better to go away from this place and go back to home, back to Godhead.

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: Don't try to be happy under these rascals. It will never be possible. That is the instruction of all śāstras, and therefore…

Now, the question was who is to be elected in the…, or accepted as the ideal king. Our Pañcadraviḍa Mahārāja was asking this question. That is very simple thing. The kṣatriyas… There are two kṣatriya families, and still they claim, one from the sun-god, and one from the moon-god. Candra-vaṁśa, sūrya-vaṁśa. In this material world, there are two kṣatriya families. Kṣatriyas are meant for ruling over. So everything is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So you have to select ruler from these two dynasties. Actually. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. You have seen the picture drawn by our artists, that Kṛṣṇa is instructing the sun-god. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. So Vaikuṇṭha-loka is there. There is no problem. But you can make this māyā-loka also Vaikuṇṭha-loka by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the same quality. Just like iron is iron, but you can make it fire. How? Simply putting it into the fire. Gradually, warm, warmer, then it becomes red hot. At that time, the iron is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, if you can propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness constantly, then, by spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you can make the whole world Kṛṣṇa conscious, and then it will be Vaikuṇṭha. The same example. You put the iron rod with the fire, and it becomes hot, hotter and then red-hot. When it is red-hot then it is no more iron rod. It is fire. Anywhere you touch, it will burn.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose. Increase Kṛṣṇa consciousness and there will be no more kuṇṭha, no more anxiety. People are trying to be anxiety-less, and that is only possible by this movement. Put always in touch with Kṛṣṇa. And the method is very simple-Hare Kṛṣṇa. That all. If you keep yourself in touch with Hare Kṛṣṇa… We have already been known as Hare Krishna people all over the world, Hare Krishna people. So increase this population, Hare Krishna people, and it will be Vaikuṇṭha.

Thank you very much. (end)

750402CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.9

Māyāpur, April 2, 1975

Nitāi: "I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose partial representation called Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, lying on the Kāraṇa Ocean, is the original puruṣa, the master of the illusory energy, and the shelter of all the universes."

Prabhupāda:

māyā-bhartājāṇḍa-saṅghāśrayāṅgaḥ

śete sākṣāt kāraṇāmbhodhi-madhye

yasyaikāṁśaḥ śrī-pumān ādi-devas

taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye

[Cc. Ādi 1.9]

Yesterday we discussed about pūrṇāiśvarya, saṅkarṣaṇākhyam, nityānanda-rāmam, the Deity, the superintending Deity of the spiritual world. Here also, anywhere, the master is Kṛṣṇa in His different forms. So just like for management we expand some secretaries, or personal representatives, similarly there is good management also in Kṛṣṇa's affairs. The original person is Kṛṣṇa, and His expansions, they are also as good as Kṛṣṇa, but departmental.

So we have discussed yesterday that in the spiritual world, Saṅkarṣaṇa is the supreme manager. And so far the material world is concerned, the same person is the Supreme, but His name is different, Kāraṇābdhiśāyī. In the spiritual world, the name is Saṅkarṣaṇa, and the material world, the supreme superintendent is also the same person, but name is different-Kāraṇābdhiśāyī. This Kāraṇābdhiśāyī is māyā-bhartā. Bhartā means husband. Just like a husband begets children in the womb of the wife, similarly, all these universes are impregnated in the total material energy, māyā, by Kāraṇābdhiśāyī Viṣṇu. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā.

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ

tāsāṁ mahad-yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

The bīja-pradaḥ pitā, the father, is the seed-giving person, and the mother is receiving the seed, and then she is impregnated and they develops the body. As we have got experience, the creation, the creative energy, this is going on, the same process, everywhere. So this Kāraṇābdhiśāyī Viṣṇu-we have already discussed to some extent-is the origin of this material creation. That, the scientists says, that… I do not know exactly what is their theory, but so far I have heard, that… There are so many theories. One of them is "There was a chunk, and from that, this material world…" They have no idea what is material world or spiritual world. But in that way a creation take place. Can anyone say what is the theory or…, of creation? Can any one of you say? What do they say about the creation?

Trivikrama: Their one theory is that there's a big chunk, and them from that, everything else came.

Jagadīśa: It exploded.

Rūpānuga: An explosion, a big bang.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Rūpānuga: A big bang. An explosion.

Haṁsadūta: There were some chemicals.

Prabhupāda: So wherefrom the chunk came? That is not… That is their brain fag, that they are simply trying to get everything from matter. That is their material brain. But we see here that the origin is not matter. Origin is Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu. So Mahā-Viṣṇu is the supreme soul, mahā, Mahā-Viṣṇu. So we cannot accept such nonsense theory, that chunk exploded. Where is the evidence that a chunk explodes automatically? How nonsense theory it is. We haven't got experience. There is explosion of big, big mountains when there is dynamite, and the dynamite is given by some person. So how explosion can take place without the hand of somebody else, some living entity? This simple theory they cannot understand, that where is the evidence that matter acts automatically? Where is the evidence? How you can say that there was a chunk? Suppose there was a chunk. First of all, the question will be: "Who made this chunk?" And then again, next question will be: "How explosion took place unless there was some living being to explode, as we have got experience that sometimes we explode, explode the mountain with dynamite, and that is arranged by a living being?" So they have no common sense even, and they are passing as big, big philosopher, scientist. Then where is the evidence? Can anyone say? Is there any evidence that matter explodes without a living being's touch? Is there any? No.

Pañcadraviḍa: The sun. There are so many explosions are going on in the sun every day.

Prabhupāda: That is the same thing that, that vṛścika-taṇḍula-nyāya. Explosion is going on, but behind that all these explosions, all these transformations, is the Supreme Lord. That is here. And it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ

sūyate sa-carācaram

hetunānena kaunteya

jagad viparivartate

[Bg. 9.10]

They do not see who is behind this explosion. That is their ignorance or poor fund of knowledge. We have got practical experience that no explosion takes place without the touch of a human being. Similarly, even there was explosion going on, but there is a touch of the Supreme Being. That is the statement in the Bhagavad… Mayādhyakṣeṇa [Bg. 9.10]. We are seeing the explosion. Just like child sees the explosion. He does not know that there, behind the explosion, there is a management of a superior being. This is childish observation. Because in śāstra we see that behind everything the hand of the Supreme Being is there, and by our practical experience also, we see that matter does not act automatically without being touched by a living being, so how we can accept this argument, that the explosion is going on automatically? What is the evidence? There is no evidence.

So this is not… Besides that, we have to accept the Vedic injunction, śāstric injunction, not nonsensical theories. If we are guided by nonsensical theories, then we'll never be able to understand how things are going on.

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām

so 'py asti yat-prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.34]

You can go on observing, one after another, by many, many years, many, many years. Just like if you start your jet plane from here to see where is the original cause, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara, and go on for many, many millions of years with the speed of mind, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampra… Koṭi-śata-vatsara… Millions and millions of years. And panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi. These airplanes, vāyu-ratha… Vāyu-ratha means airplane. There is airplanes. There are different speeds. What is the speed? The speed is mental speed. Now their speed, say, eighteen thousand miles per hour. But if there is question of mental speed, it is more speedier than the vāyu speed. We have got experience. Many thousand miles, by your mind, you can reach within a second. So with the mental speed, airplane, if you start today and go for many millions of years, still it will be not possible to find out wherefrom the explosion is coming. That's it.

So that is not the way. Therefore śruti-pramāṇam. Śruti-pramāṇam means from the Vedic evidence we have to understand. Now, just like in the Vedas it is said, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. In the Vedas, all knowledge was there, all the living entities described fully and with minute, exact quantity. Now, within the water, we understand from the Vedic literature, there are 900,000 forms of aquatics. Now, the modern scientists, how many they have observed or studied? But it is said exactly, 900,000. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Of course, you cannot enter within the water. But on the land, now different, and that is two million. How many species of plants and trees, and that is two million. How many the botanists have studied? Two million. Sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Even in your country, in your village, you'll find daily some new vegetable. You see? So these are the Vedic calculation. And not only that, there are different species of life, and how they are working, what senses are predominant in each and every life and everything is described. Everything is very minutely described. Therefore, if we want to have knowledge, you cannot do it by mental speculation. We should know that our mind is very, very limited. Simply by theorizing, it is not possible. Therefore tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet sampit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12]. So we have to know from the supreme authority or the Vedas. Then the knowledge will be perfect. Otherwise…

So original creative energy is coming from this Kāraṇābdhiśāyī Viṣṇu. This is confirmed in Brahma-saṁhitā. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ [Bs. 5.48]. The jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ… Here it is also said, ajāṇḍa. Jagad-aṇḍa or ajāṇḍa, the same thing, or Brahmāṇḍa, the same meaning. Aja means Brahmā. So the Brahmā is the head of this aṇḍa. It is egglike. This whole universe is like an egg, aṇḍa. So as from the aṇḍa, from the egg, a bird is coming out; similarly, from this egglike substance, Aja has come. Aja means who does not take birth like others, human beings or animals, but from this aṇḍa. So the Kāraṇābdhiśāyī Viṣṇu another name is ajāṇḍa aṅghāśrayanda. His whole body is producing universes. Ajāṇḍa-saṅghāśraya. Saṅghāśraya means aggregate, congregation. Just like we have got holes on the body, pores in the body. So we do not know even how many pores are there in my body, but it is a fact. We cannot, even in a localized head, we cannot count how many pores are there from which the hairs are coming. Is it possible to count? And how many pores are there in our body? This is a little body. And just imagine Mahā-Viṣṇu. Therefore His name is Mahā-Viṣṇu. From His pores of the body, the universes are coming. From His nostril, with the breathing, universes are coming. So just imagine how many universes are there. The whole body is full of potency to produce universes. And it is continually being produced. Brahmā, brahmā bṛhatvād. bṛhannatvāt. This is the creation. And how you can accept this theory that there was a chunk and explosion and the universes became manifested? And these things are being accepted. Mūḍha nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. These rascals, mūḍhas, they do not know, and misleading… Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31]. These rascals are blind, and they are leading some other blind men, and they are satisfied that "We have got all scientific knowledge." That's all. That is not the way of scientific knowledge. If you want scientific knowledge, then you should know from Kṛṣṇa. That is scientific knowledge. Jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Vijñāna-samanvitam.

So we do not, I mean to say, become proud to have very, very scientific accurate knowledge by speculation. We are not such people. We are taught by the paramparā system that we are humble servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and what our master says, we accept it. That's all. We do not like to be foolishly proud to have full knowledge of this universe, of this creation. We have full knowledge, but we understand in this way. This is called paramparā system. Just like in the Vedas… Take for example the Brahma-saṁhitā. It is spoken by Lord Brahma. Brahmā has got the full knowledge. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Because the full knowledge was given…, full knowledge of creation was given to Brahmā. We do not accept this nonsense theory that there was no human being, and later on, they became gradually civilized, and for the last two hundred years only they have got the intelligence, scientific knowledge. We do not accept these nonsense theories. We… Our understanding is: the first creation is the most intelligent human being, Brahmā, not that there was no human being, or any living being. No. The first creation is the most perfect or intelligent living being. This is our theory. Not theory; it is the Vedic evidence. And he got full knowledge from the Supreme, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye, ādi-kavi, the original learned person, and then he compiled Vedas, giving full knowledge, what he experienced. And the Brahma-saṁhitā is there-it is written by Brahmā. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā, the Kāraṇābdhiśāyī Viṣṇu is mentioned, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā [Bs. 5.48]. It is not that we are accepting this verse of Caitanya-caritāmṛta author. No. It is confirmed by the Vedic knowledge. This is the origin of creation, not that this chunk, or… No. Matter cannot expand. Matter, when there is reaction… Just like explosion. We have got experience that there is sometimes explosion like if you mix together two chemicals, acid and alkaline, there is explosion for the time being. But this explosion takes place when a chemist in the laboratory mixes soda, soda bicarb, and citric acid. Otherwise, it is not possible.

So this is wrong theory that matter automatically takes the explosion or something like that. Matter is handled by some superior living being. Then it explodes or whatever you call. It reacts. Otherwise, it is not possible. And because the living being takes the superior position for explosion of matter or reaction of matter, therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is admitted that the matter is handled by the living being; it is inferior energy. Both of them are energies of the Supreme Lord, but one is superior energy, another is inferior energy. That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ [Bg. 7.4], this material things, earth, water, air, fire, they are inferior energy. And Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam: "They are inferior. There is another, superior energy." Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "There is another, superior energy." And what is that superior energy? Now, jīva-bhūtām, "These living entities." Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho. The superior energy is not produced by the inferior energy. That is nonsense. The inferior energy is produced by the superior energy. This is perfect. We have got experience that the superior controls the inferior, not that inferior controls the superior. Where you get all this idea? Therefore it has been described as aparā and parā prakṛti. And what is that parā prakṛti? Jīva-bhutāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. The whole world is being manipulated by this superior energy. Just like we have got experience that a human being, an engineer, he is creating a skyscraper building, not that a skyscraper building is creating an engineer. Where is this theory?

So these are all nonsense, simply nonsense, mūḍha. Of course, we use this word mūḍha, and people become very angry, but what can I, can we do? (laughter) The mūḍhas must be explained as mūḍhas. And because the mūḍhas are going as intelligent, therefore there is chaotic condition. (bird chirping) There it is confirmed. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to become intelligent, not to remain mūḍhas, and to expose these rascal mūḍhas. That's this, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So you must be prepared. While making propaganda, expose these mūḍhas. That is one of the service of Kṛṣṇa. Don't remain foolish. Wherever there is required, fight with these mūḍhas and tell them rightly, straightforward, that "You are mūḍhas."

Thank you very much. (end)

750403CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.10

Māyāpur, April 3, 1975

Nitāi: "I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, a partial part of whom is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu sprouts the lotus that is the birthplace of Brahmā, the engineer of the universe. The stem of that lotus is the resting place of the multitude of planets."

Prabhupāda:

yasyāṁśāṁśaḥ śrīla-garbhoda-śāyī

yan-nābhy-abjaṁ loka-saṅghāta-nālam

loka-sraṣṭuḥ sūtikā-dhāma dhātuḥ

taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye

[Cc. Ādi 1.10]

We have already discussed Kāraṇodakaśāyī, who is the plenary portion of Saṅkarṣaṇa. Now, from Kāraṇodakaśāyī is Garbhodakaśāyī. Garbhodakaśāyī means this, within the womb or bottom of this universe, there is a ocean, big ocean, and in that ocean the plenary portion of Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu enters. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, viṣṭabhya aham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. By one portion, the Garbho…, er, Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu enters each universe, and within that universe He creates a ocean by His perspiration. Now, there are so many questions: "How these oceans are created?" The scientist says that it is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen gas. So wherefrom this gas came? The answer is here. Of course, from the gas, water comes out. If you cover one boiling pot, the gas, the vapor coming… And you will find spots of water. So from the gas, the water comes, and from the water, gas comes. This is nature's way. But the original water came from the perspiration of this Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Just like you have got perspiration. You can produce, say, one gram or, say, one ounce of water through your bodily heat. That we have got practical experience. So if you can produce one ounce of water from your body, why God cannot produce volumes and millions of tons of water from His body? Where is the difficulty to understand? You are a tiny soul, and you have got a small body. You can produce one ounce of water by your perspiration. Why God, who has got the gigantic body, He cannot produce water, the Garbhodakaśāyī, the Garbhodaka water? There is no reason to disbelieve. This is called acintya-śakti, inconceivable power.

Unless we accept inconceivable power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning of God. If you think "a person" means like me or you… Yes, like me or you, God is also person. That is accepted in the Vedas: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). There are many cetanas, living entities, and they are all eternal. They are many, plural number. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. But there is another nitya, nityo nityānāṁ, two. One is singular number, and one is plural number. What is the distinction? The distinction is eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That singular number is particularly so powerful that He's supplying the necessities of all the plural number. The plural number, or the living entities, anantāya kalpate… They… You cannot count how many living entities are there. But they are to be maintained by the singular number. That is the distinction. God is person; you are also person; I am also person. We exist eternally, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna that "You, Me, all these soldiers and kings who have assembled there, it is not that they did not exist in the past. They are existing in the present, and they will continue to exist in that way in the future." That is called nityānāṁ cetanānām.

So this is the process of creation, that the Garbhodakaśāyī, here, Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, from His breathing, He created from the breathing, from the pores of the body, He created innumerable universes, and in each and every universe He entered again. And entering there, He produced a lotus flower. Within the stem of that lotus flower there are so many planets. Just see the gigantic lotus stem. These are to be known from the śāstra. You cannot imagine how the creation takes place, huge creation. That sort of explanation-"There was a chunk, and it exploded"-no, these are not explanation. Here is the explanation, in the śāstra. Śāstra cakṣuṣāt. You have to see by your śāstric eyes, not your limited, speculative eyes. That will not help us. Such gigantic business… You are a tiny soul. Your brain is very small. You cannot imagine the process of creation by your sporadic thoughts. That is not possible. So the creation means that first of all the universes are created through the breathing period of Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Then in each and every universe He enters as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and He creates… Half of the universe is filled up with water. The water came from His perspiration, and then He lies down there. Then He creates the lotus flower. And upon the lotus flower, a Brahmā is first-born. This is creation. That Brahmā means not an uncivilized human being; the most intelligent person, first creation. We cannot accept the rubbish theory of Darwin that there was no human being. That is his theory. That is not fact. He admits also that "I have made this by speculation." He has admitted. Our Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara has quoted from his letter to a friend that he admits that he simply speculated. He has no factual knowledge. So you cannot understand the method of creation by your tiny brain's speculation. You give up this idea. This is not possible at all. You take knowledge from the śāstra, from the person who is perfect in knowledge. We have got knowledge. We have got knowledge. Somebody has got more knowledge than me, than you. But Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. You cannot find out a person who has got more knowledge than Kṛṣṇa. And God means one who has got full knowledge.

aiśvaryasya samagrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīṅganā

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

So Kṛṣṇa has got full knowledge, and Kṛṣṇa's expansion has got full knowledge. So we have to receive knowledge. The same thing is supported in the Bhagavad-gītā:

atha vā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhya aham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

[Bg. 10.42]

This whole material creation is existing in one part of His energy. That is also confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā: eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. One part of His energy, just to create the whole universes, so…, the material world… Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa koṭi, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. He does not enter only within the universe, aṇḍāntara-stham, but He enters within the atom. Paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antam. Yac-chakti, whose energy is there within the universe… And ananta. That is… The universes are ananta, unlimited. That is creation. You cannot conceive of the creation by your, this tiny brain. That is not possible. That is Dr. Frog's philosophy. He's contemplating about the Atlantic Ocean, living in a three-feet well. That's all. That is not possible.

So this is the process of… Loka-sraṣṭuḥ sūtikā-dhāma dhātuḥ. Dhātu. Dhātu means one who creates. So Brahmā is the secondary creator. Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, He creates the situation. Then He gives him a seat, that lotus-flower like, and when he was puzzled… In the beginning, everything was dark. He could not understand "Wherefrom I am coming? What is my duty? Why I am sitting here?" When he was puzzled, then from within there was dictation that "You meditate, tapaḥ. You undergo austerities. Then you'll gradually understand." So even Brahmā, the first creature of this creation, he had to meditate-"Why I am here, and what is the purpose of my coming here?" So we are also this, in the same position. We are the, I mean to say, dynasty expansion of Brahmā. Brahmā's son is Manu, or this sun-god. Manuṣya. Manuṣya means coming from Manu; therefore we are called manuṣya. So the same process: we are born ignorant, born ignorant. Human life is the chance to dissipate this ignorance, and that requires tapasya, not to live like cats and dogs, frivolous life. That will not help us. Tapaḥ. Tapo divyaṁ yena putrakā śuddhyet sattva [SB 5.5.1]. That human life is meant for tapasya, austerities, not to live extravagant life, irresponsible life like cats and dogs. No. That is not human life. That is animal life. So therefore śāstra says that you undergo austerities. Then your existence will be purified, and then pure knowledge you will get, and you will understand what is your position, why you are in this material world, why you are suffering the threefold miseries, why you are obliged to die, why you are obliged to become old man. So many things you have to learn. But if we learn like cats and dogs, then we spoil our life.

As Brahmā, the first created being, had to undergo tapasya to get information from the Supreme… The Supreme Lord is within you. He's there. But He will advise. When you are fixed up by tapasya, determined with vow, then He will talk to you. He's ready to talk, but you require to acquire the qualification to hear Him. And what is that qualification? This Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam [Bg. 10.10]. Such persons… (aside:) Don't do it. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Satata means always, twenty-four hours, not that five minutes I meditate and rest of the time I live like cats and dogs. No. This kind of meditation will not help you. Kṛṣṇa says, satata. Satata means twenty-four hours. You have to mold your life in such a way that twenty-four hours you'll think of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you think, "Now I have chanted my sixteen rounds. Now I've finished my business. Now I can do whatever nonsense I like," no. Kṛṣṇa says no. Satata. Therefore we have to plan our life in such a way that we haven't got any other engagement than service of Kṛṣṇa. This is required. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Satata means twenty-four hours. Yukta means engaged. What for? What is that engagement? Bhajatām. Bhajatām, bhaja sevayam: to serve Kṛṣṇa. Bhajatām. How? Prīti-pūrvakam. Not that "Oh, Kṛṣṇa has said. All right, let me do." No. With love and affection. Then you'll get attachment. Unless you develop love for Kṛṣṇa, you cannot be engaged twenty-four hours. That is not possible. Therefore it is said, prīti-pūrvakam: not officially, but with love. If you acquire this qualification, then you will talk with Kṛṣṇa who is within your heart. Then you'll talk. He is ready to talk, but He does not talk with rascals and fools. One must acquire the qualification to talk with Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be able to talk with Deity. Within your heart Kṛṣṇa is situated there. Anywhere you go, Kṛṣṇa is within you, and He'll give you intelligence. Talking with Kṛṣṇa means buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam: [Bg. 10.10] "Those who are engaged, those who are qualified like this, then I give him intelligence."

The same thing happened to Brahmā. Because he had to create this whole universe-so many planets, so many demigods, so many human societies, so many, so many… There is no limit. He is the creator of everything. He's called, therefore, "great-grandfather," prapitāmaha [Bg. 11.39]. No, pitāmaha. Prapitāmaha is Kṛṣṇa, great-grandfather, because He instructed Brahmā. So the same thing: He can instruct you also. What is that instruction? Yena mām upayānti te. The instruction means how you can go back to home, back to Godhead, that instruction, not this instruction, that "You rot in this material world in this hellish condition of life." That, no. That instruction you'll get in the colleges and universities. But Kṛṣṇa's instruction is different. He'll give you instruction so that you can get rid of this hellish condition of life and go back to home and back to Godhead.

Thank you very much. (end)

750404CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.11

Māyāpur, April 4, 1975

Nitāi: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the feet of Śrī Nityānanda Rāma, whose secondary part is the Viṣṇu lying in the ocean of milk. That Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is the Supersoul of all living entities and the maintainer of all the universes. Śeṣa Nāga is His further subpart."

Prabhupāda:

yasyāṁśāṁśāṁśaḥ parātmākhilānāṁ

poṣṭā viṣṇur bhāti dugdhābdhi-śāyī

kṣauṇī-bhartā yat-kalā so 'py anantas

taṁ śrī-nityānanda-rāmaṁ prapadye

[Cc. Ādi 1.11]

So all these Viṣṇu descriptions beginning from Kāraṇodakaśāyī, Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is producing universes… Then next Viṣṇu is Garbhodakaśāyī, means the same Mahā-Viṣṇu entering in each and every universe. Then again, the same Viṣṇu, for maintenance of this material world, is lying on the kṣīrabdhi, ocean of milk. And the same Viṣṇu, Kṣīrabdhiśāyī Viṣṇu, is maintaining not only these universal affair, but also He is entering in each and every living being's heart, even within the atom. This is the expansion of Viṣṇu-tattva, Viṣṇu-tattva within this material world. So just imagine. For creating and maintaining, sustaining, the whole material world is a network of Viṣṇu's activities, and some rascal says, "There was chunk, and there was creation." This creation is so easy? And maintain them, hold the creation? If you create some center of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how much strain you have to exert to maintain the standard, status quo. Similarly, there are so many universes created, maintained. And there is another phase, annihilation. That is the process of material creation. We have got experience. Anything material is created is… The beginning, there is a date, and it is maintained for sometimes, then it is annihilated. Anything you take-this body, your body, my body-it is created a certain date, and it is maintained for a certain number of years, and again it is annihilated. This is material world. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate: [Bg. 8.19] "It manifests sometimes and again disappears." This is called material world, and because it is never eternally sustained, therefore it is called māyā. It is not false, as the Māyāvādī philosophers says, "It is false." It is not false. Lord Viṣṇu is taking so much care to create this material world. How you can say it is false? It is not false? It is fact, but it is temporary. This is the difference between the material world and the spiritual world. In the spiritual world there is no creation and no destruction. In the material world, there is creation and destruction.

Now we, being part and parcel of Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa says personally, mamaivāṁśaḥ. So if Kṛṣṇa is not affected by this creation and annihilation, then we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, why we should be affected by this creation and annihilation? We are very much afraid of being annihilated, and we are trying to discover many scientific, so-called scientific methods how we may not be destroyed. Why this inclination that we may not be destroyed? Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore eternity of life is our aspiration. That is the proof that we are…, Kṛṣṇa is eternal, similarly, we are also eternal. But circumstantially we are now put into this material world. Therefore our main business is how to revive our original position, not to be annihilated, never annihilated. It is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Actually we are not annihilated. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20], nityo śāśvato 'yam.

So that is our real business. This requires little intelligence, that "We are eternal. Why we are put into this process of taking birth and death?" Kṛṣṇa also says, "This is the real misery of life-janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]." They are trying, the so-called scientists, trying to increase… If the scientists sees that a man was to die immediately-now he has lived one hour more-he thinks that his science is successful. That is their foolishness. If you live one or two hour more or one year or two year more… In Allahabad we had a friend. He was very rich man. So he was on the dying stage. So many big, big doctors were attending, and he was begging to the doctors, "Doctor, can you not give me at least four years' time? I could finish what I have already attempted." So here we know the death is certain. Still, we make some scheme, big or small, according to idea. But we do not know that at any moment, death will come. "As sure as death." And this death is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Repeatedly we are taking birth and making big, big scheme, and we may be successful, but at any moment Kṛṣṇa says, "Now you get out and your all business finished. And whatever you have done, that is also finished, or I'll take it away," just to teach us that this place, material world, is not our place. That is our misconception, or māyā, that we want to make a permanent settlement in this material world, which is not possible at all.

This knowledge, they do not know. The scientists are thinking of making life eternal, immortal, like the Hiraṇyakaśipu's scheme, that he wanted to be immortal by tapasya. This is also tapasya, the so many scientific endeavor. This is also tapasya. But this tapasya is useless. It has no effect. They are trying foolishly to become immortal. That requires tapasya. Many, many demons… The demons do like that, tapasya for living ever. But they will not take the real method of tapasya, to purify. Their real aim is this material world, and here they want to become immortal. That is their foolishness. Here, nobody can become immortal. Even Brahmā, who is the creator of this universe, he's also not immortal. But they are trying to be immortal here. That is not possible. Tapasya should be… To become immortal, tapasya is recommended. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva [SB 5.5.1]. Tapasya should be made. Immortality is your right. Because you are part and parcel of God, you are immortal. Now you are diseased. You are accepting birth and death. This is diseased condition. So try to cure the disease. Don't try to become immortal in diseased condition. That is not possible. You must cure the disease. If you simply imagine to live eternally, that is not possible. (aside:) Stop these children doing that. Immortal is our goal of life, immortality. That is the goal of life. But they are not taking seriously how to become immortal. That is their ignorance.

So this how to become immortal, there is process recommended in the śāstras. That is in India. That is nowhere else. If you are actually serious about becoming immortal, then you should study the Vedic literatures from India. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, that in India there is the process, how to become immortal. So He recommended, therefore, He desired, that Indians, you Indians, you have got the facility. Don't spoil your life by imitating the so-called rascal scientists of the Western countries, but you take advantage of the science, spiritual science, which is in India, and distribute the knowledge because they are in ignorance. Therefore He says,

bhārata bhūmite manuṣya janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' karo paropakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

This should be the India's business. This whole world is in darkness, demonic civilization. And India, there is the remedy. So if the Indians take advantage and make his life perfect and then go to the Western countries and distribute this immortal knowledge, that is real business of India. Unfortunately, they are trying to imitate. There is no thing, nothing to imitate. And if you say they have discovered so many material comforts, that is all right. But with all your material comforts, you cannot become immortal. That is certain. That is certain. But you are desiring how to become immortal. That science is in India. That is tapasya. Tapasya means brahmacaryena. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa yamena niyamena vā tyāgena śrota-śaucābhyām… [SB 6.1.13]. This, this is the śāstra.

So if you want to learn that science, how to become immortal, then you have to undergo austerities. That austerities begins with brahmācārya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa [SB 6.1.13]. Brahmacarya means controlling sex life. That is required. If you can control sex impulse… Because that is the medium of bondage. Here in this material world everyone is working hard to enjoy sex life. That is the main aim. Main aim is… And that you will find, in your country especially, very, very prominent. In Paris very, very old men, they are going to the club at night simply for the same purpose. So this has to be controlled. Controlled means mind and the senses. And the prominent sense is sex. That is called control. So if you want to become immortal, then you must practice this. Of course, in Western countries, it is very difficult. They say, "It is impossible." Big, big men, they say, "It is impossible." Yes, it is impossible. Therefore śāstra has given concession that you require sex life, but enjoy it in married life, but no illicit sex. At least, stop this. If you want to be immortal, these things are to be followed: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. Then you can think of immortality, gradually. That is called tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa [SB 6.1.13]. Every śāstra, you'll find. At least at the end of life one should be completely free from these bad habits. That is called sannyāsa. Don't cheat, accept sannyāsa and indulge in these things. Don't be cheater. That is very bad. Sannyāsa means to take vow. In other station of life, there may be we fall down. But sannyāsa means no, no falldown. Therefore we have now taken very seriously. Unless one is found completely competent to accept sannyāsa, there is no more use of awarding sannyāsa. So this is the process. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa [SB 6.1.13]. Brahmacarya is very, very essential. And that is, when one becomes detestful to sex life, that is the beginning of spiritual life. That is the beginning of spiritual life.

So immortality is not very difficult thing. Simply one has to adopt the method, process, as recommended in the śāstra, and then you can become immortal. Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktā dehaṁ punar janma naiti… [Bg. 4.9]. Punar janma naiti-this is immortality. The Kṛṣṇa says, punar janma na. "No more punar janma." And if you have no punar janma, there is no punar death, punar vyadhaka, or punar disease. Punar means again. So if you can stop your punar janma-no more taking birth-that is perfection of life. Therefore it is recommended that the guardians, namely the guru, spiritual master, the father, the mother, the king, or the government. The whole system should be so centralized that people may be saved from this process of punar janma. That is real government, real parenthood, real guruism-how to save the disciples or the citizens or the son, subordinates. They come to your shelter. Just like these children have come to the shelter of father and mother, the disciples have come to the shelter of guru. The citizens are expecting good government. So they are subordinate, expecting protection from the superior. Therefore the whole scheme should be how to protect them from repetition of death. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. We are entangled by this process of birth, death, old age and disease, and it is the duty of the guru, duty of the father, duty of the mother, duty of the government, how to save them from this process of birth, death, old and di… That is civilization. Otherwise it is dog civilization. What is the meaning? This is civilization.

So whole Vedic system is designed in such a way that ultimately one is saved from this process of birth, death, old age and disease. Long, long ago, when Viśvāmitra Muni came to Mahārāja Daśaratha for begging Rāma-Lakṣmaṇa to take them to the forest because one demon was disturbing… They could kill, but the killing business is for the kṣatriyas. This is Vedic civilization. It is not the business of the brāhmaṇa. So the first reception Viśvāmitra Muni got from Mahārāja Daśaratha, that aihiṣṭhaṁ yat punar-janma-jayāya: "You are… You great sages, saintly persons, you have given up the society. You are living alone in the forest. What is the purpose? The purpose is punar-janma-jayāya, to conquer over repetition of birth." This is the purpose. Similarly, our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also meant for the same purpose, punar-janma-jayāya, for conquering over repetition of birth and death. You should always remember this. A little mistake will spoil the whole scheme, little mistake. Nature is very strong. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. Very, very strong. So you all, boys and girls, those who have come from America, I am very much thankful to you. But don't be less serious. Be very serious. And another thing I'll request especially to the Americans, that America has got good potentiality to save the world, so if you preach very nicely in your country… And not all of them will be interested, but if a section of men in your country, you can turn them to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, it will be great benefit to the whole world. But the aim is the same, punar-janma-jayāya: to gain victory over this process of birth, death and old age. This is not fiction; this is fact. People are not serious. But you can teach your people; otherwise, the whole human society is at risk. They are like animals, without any… Especially this communist movement is very, very dangerous-to make a big animals. They are already animals, and this movement is making big animals.

So I am speaking to America because America is a little serious against this communistic movement. And it can be counteracted because the process is current since a very, very long time. Deva asura, devāsura, the fight between the demigods and the demons. So the same fight is there in different name, "Communists and the capitalists." But the capitalists are also eighty percent, ninety percent demons. Yes. Because they do not know the science of God. That is demonic principle. So there is good chance in your country to make them, or they rectify their demonic principles. And then they will be very, (I) mean, strongly able to fight with the other demons. Because if we become deva… Deva means Vaiṣṇava. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved deva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, they are called devaḥ, or demigods. And those who are just the opposite number… The opposite number, also, they have got some god. Just like the demons, they worship especially Lord Śiva. Or Rāvaṇa, the example… We are not accusing unnecessarily. Rāvaṇa was a great demon, but he was devotee… Worshiping Lord Śiva means to gain some material profit. And in the worshiping Viṣṇu there is material profit. That is given by Viṣṇu. That is not karma. But Vaiṣṇava, they are not aspiring after any material profit. The material profit automatically comes. But they, they do not desire. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Material profit is not their aim of life. Their aim of life-how to satisfy Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. That is Vaiṣṇava. Viṣṇur asya devataḥ. Na te… And the demons, they do not know that to become Vaiṣṇava, that is the highest perfection of life. They do not know it.

So anyway, our request is that you all young men who have taken to this path of Vaiṣṇavism, and there is very good chance to preach this cult in your country, so even if you are not very much successful in other countries, in your country you'll be very successful. There is good potency. And try to make them stronger to fight with the demonic principles.

Thank you very much. (end)

750405CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.12

Māyāpur, April 5, 1975

Nitāi: "Lord Advaita Ācārya is the incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu, whose main function is to create the cosmic world through the actions of māyā."

Prabhupāda:

mahā-viṣṇur jagat-kartā

māyayā yaḥ sṛjaty adaḥ

tasyāvatāra evāyam

advaitācārya īśvaraḥ

[Cc. Ādi 1.12]

So there are three principles-the īśvara principle and the māyā principle and the jīva principle-these three principles. So Advaita Ācārya is īśvara principle. He belongs to the īśvara group. Even in communistic country, they call "classless society," but they are also creating a managerial class. They cannot do without that. They could not avoid it, managers. Why manager? Make classless society, all worker. That is not possible. There must be īśvara. Īśvara means controller. That is the beginning, from the creation, īśvara. So īśvara, there are innumerable īśvara forms, as it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Many, many, many millions and trillions of īśvara forms… It is stated in the Bhāgavatam that many… How many, how you can calculate? That is compared-just like in the river or in the ocean there are waves, but you cannot count how many waves are there. That is not possible. Can you count the waves of the ocean, going on, day and night, waves? Similarly, in big, big rivers… So God's incarnation, they are coming out, innumerable, just like the waves, but we can understand by the action that He is incarnation of God.

So the activities of Advaita Ācārya means that He's īśvara. He called Caitanya Mahāprabhu to come down. That is īśvara. You cannot call the Supreme Personality of Godhead to come down. That is not possible. But īśvara, or one who has attained the power of attorney from īśvara, he can do that. It is no otherwise possible. Otherwise, it is impossible. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe nāma pracāra. We have to receive the authority from Kṛṣṇa. Then it is possible to preach the cult of Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. That means Īśvara, and anyone who attains the power of attorney from Īśvara, he's also īśvara. That is called power of attorney. He can act on behalf of the proprietor. That is possible. So Advaita, Advaita Ācārya did it. He inaugurated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. When He saw that the people are so much misled that simply they are busy for the bodily necessities of life and completely have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, He became sympathetic. That is Vaiṣṇava behavior. Vaiṣṇavas, they are the best friend of the society, best friend, Vaiṣṇava. Patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ. The Vaiṣṇava is always thinking how to deliver these fallen souls who are so much captivated with this false philosophy of hedonism-"Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." This is called hedonism. So they are always thinking how to deliver them. Advaita Prabhu did it; therefore He is Īśvara. Prahlāda Mahārāja did it. Any Vaiṣṇava who is actually feeling for the poor, conditioned souls, he must make arrangement for delivering these rascals from the death knell of ignorance. They do not know that nature is working, as it is said here, māyayā. Māyayā. The material nature means māyā. That is an energy, or agent of Kṛṣṇa, to act something, instrumental. Māyā is instrumental. Māyā is not all in all. Material nature is not all in all. That is foolish observation. This materialistic theory of creation-"There was a chunk, and there was…" What is called?

Devotees: Explosion. Blowing. Big bang. Shock.

Prabhupāda: What is that word?

Acyutānanda: Big bang.

Prabhupāda: Big bang?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Explosion.

Prabhupāda: Explosion, yes. So they are seeing that explosion and the chunk, but they cannot explain how the chunk became exploded. Sometimes we see that some earth, by the sunshine heating, heating, heating, it breaks all of a sudden. So this explosion of the chunk does not take place automatically. It is due to the sunshine drying it, drying it, drying it, and at a point it breaks. Similarly, the chunk is also, we can accept, the total material energy. You can take it as chunk. But this material energy in the form of chunk is agitated by the glance of Mahā-Viṣṇu. That is stated, sa aikṣata sa asṛjata. Material energy itself cannot explode. the explosion theory is there… Not theory, fact. But the total material energy, mahat-tattva, when it is glanced over by Mahā-Viṣṇu, then it becomes agitated, and the modes of material nature begins to act. So then these activities are executed by Mahā-Viṣṇu, by His glancing, simply by His glancing. The power… Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. Viṣṇu is all-powerful. So simply by glancing, He can agitate the material energy, and the creation begins. Sa aikṣata sa asṛjata. Eko nārāyaṇa āsīt. These are the Vedic information. "In the beginning, there was only Nārāyaṇa." Na īśa na brahmā: "There was no Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā." We have studied that. Nārāyaṇa, the Mahā-Viṣṇu, er, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, He created, first of all, Brahmā. He is already there, from Mahā-Viṣṇu to Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Then He created Brahmā. Then, through the material energy and Brahmā's cooperation, the whole creation came into existence.

So actually the original person for material creation, Mahā-Viṣṇu, through the agency of māyā, He has created. Māyayā sṛjaty adaḥ. All this cosmic manifestation is created in that way. Those who are not devotee, they cannot see that over the chunk, total material energy, there is the vision of Mahā-Viṣṇu. That they cannot see. Just like you'll find on the ground, so many flowers and grasses are coming up. How? By the sunrise, the glance of the sun. Where there is no sunshine, there the vegetables do not grow. We have got practical experience. Similar… Therefore the field or the earth is not exploding with the vegetation. It is due to the sunshine. Therefore it is coming out. It is the real cause. Similarly, accepting that chunk, the total material energy, it is agitated by the glance of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Then it explodes and things are coming out. We can accept that in that way, but not that automatically there was explosion. That is not fact. Therefore to the foolish person, the power behind the explosion is not visible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "I am not visible to everyone, they being covered by the curtain of yoga-māyā." Mūḍhāḥ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. Tribhir guṇamayir bhavair mohitaḥ.

So this is our position. We do not know who is the actual architect behind all this nice material creation. That is Mahā-Viṣṇu, and His incarnation is Advaita Prabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is directly Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's incarnation. Nityānanda Prabhu is directly incarnation of Baladeva, and similarly, Śrī Advaita Prabhu is incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu. So all of Them are on the equal footing. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, śrī-advaita. They are on the same equal level. And then śakti-tattva, Śrī-Gadādhara and Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Gadādhara is the internal energy, and Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, they are marginal energy. So Īśvara-tattva and śakti-tattva. So within this group, there is no this material energy because in the spiritual world there is no action of material energy, only spiritual energy. In the material world there is action of material energy. In the spiritual world there is no material energy. Therefore, in this Pañca-tattva, there is no mention of material energy because in the spiritual world there is no material energy. Māyā-gandha-hīna.

So Advaita, Advaitācārya, is Īśvara, but there are many īśvaras. Even in this material world there are īśvaras, innumerable. But the śāstra has analyzed that the supreme īśvara is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]: "There is no more higher īśvara than Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more. This is the end." You go on finding out īśvaras that… In material world, every one of us, īśvara. Īśvara means controller. So anyone controls, he can be called īśvara. But there are īśvaras over īśvaras. You go on searching, īśvara over īśvara over īśvara. When you come to the point there is no more other īśvara, then He's God. That is definition. That is Kṛṣṇa. You go on searching out, searching out. Just like… Generally, you know, Brahmā is the cre… He's also īśvara. He has created this universe. But he's not the supreme īśvara. He's created by Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. He's also Īśvara, but He is expansion of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Then He is also Īśvara. Then He's also expansion of Sankarsana. Then Saṅkarṣaṇa is expansion of Nārāyaṇa. In this way, you go on, go on, go on, searching out. When you come to the point that no more īśvara-īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, anādi… [Bs. 5.1]. So He has no ādi. Anādir ādiḥ: "He is the beginning of everything, but He has no beginning." How it is, that? He has no…? So many īśvaras have beginning. And why? Now, svarāṭ. That is the dis… Svarāṭ, completely independent. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. This is the Vedānta-sūtra. And it is explained by the Vedānta-sūtra-bhāṣya, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ [SB 1.1.1]. Svarāṭ-that is īśvara; that is supreme īśvara. He has no īśvara. Everyone has got īśvara over, but Kṛṣṇa has no over-īśvara. He is the ultimate, Supreme. Therefore śāstra says, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: [SB 1.3.28] "All of them are Bhagavān, but the original Bhagavān, real Bhagavān, is Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. So everyone is under Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kar says, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya [Cc. Ādi 5.142]. Āra saba bhṛtya, servant. Even īśvara-tattva, viṣṇu-tattva, they are also working as servant of Kṛṣṇa. Advaita Ācāryas, just like He's Īśvara, but He's serving as servant of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore ekale īśvara… Na kṛṣṇāt caitanyāt para-tattvam param iha. They're… Above Kṛṣṇa, above Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there is no more para-tattva. Param iha. It is the Supreme.

So in this way we have to study īśvara-tattva, then śakti-tattva, jīva-tattva. That is knowledge; that is education. Not whimsically suggesting something and talking foolishly and… Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvam [SB 10.14.29]. If you want to know the truth, then you have to follow these principles, how to know īśvara-tattva. And how to know? Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Then you have to go, approach the bona fide guru. He will let you know. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. No challenge. That is foolishness. No challenge. Praṇipātena. First of all surrender. You don't surrender to a foolish man, but you have to surrender. Now it is your business to find out where to surrender. But you have to surrender. This is the process. Without surrender, you cannot understand the truth as it is. That is the instruction of Vedas everywhere. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] "One has to surrender to guru." Why? Jijñāsu: "If you are inquisitive to know the Absolute Truth." And if you want to know something which is flickering, relative truth, that is another thing. But if you want to know the Absolute Truth, śreyaḥ uttamam… Absolute Truth means ultimate benefit, śreya. Ultimate… Yes, exactly the word, benefit. If you want ultimate benefit, then guruṁ prapadyeta. Who is guru? Śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam: one who is expert in understanding the Vedic literature, śābde pare ca, especially transcendental.

So we have to go through like that. As Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kar is explaining, we have to follow this principle. Then if you are really inquisitive to learn the Absolute Truth, they will explain, as here it is explained that here Advaita Ācārya is īśvara, He's incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Sometimes Advaita Ācārya is called Sadāśiva avatāra. The Sadāśiva is also expansion of Mahā-Viṣṇu. So either way you say, incarnation of Sadāśiva or Mahā-Viṣṇu, it doesn't matter. But Advaita Ācārya is īśvara-tattva. He's not śakti-tattva. He's īśvara-tattva. And we are all śakti-tattva; therefore there is difference. Śakti-śaktimān. Although there is no difference abhinna, but still, śakti-tattva is superior, er, śaktimān tattva is superior than śakti-tattva. So in this way try to understand Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, and Gadādhara and Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. And… But they are so kind because they have come to deliver the fallen souls. If you sincerely chant their name, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda…

Devotees: …śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda.

Prabhupāda: …they'll be very, very kind to reveal themselves to you, and your path for liberation will be open.

Thank you very much. [break]

Acyutānanda: We can understand how Śrī Advaita Ācārya is the servant of Lord Caitanya, but how is Maha Viṣṇu and the Viṣṇu-catur-bhuja, how do They serve Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: They are serving already Kṛṣṇa. Why don't you see? Sṛṣṭi-tattva. Kṛṣṇa wanted the creation, and They were the agents to serve Kṛṣṇa. They are creating. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya [Cc. Ādi 5.142]. They're serving already. All right. (end)

750406CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.13

Māyāpur, April 6, 1975

Nitāi: "…because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Ācārya. He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord's devotee. Therefore I take shelter of Him."

Prabhupāda:

advaitaṁ hariṇādvaitād

ācāryaṁ bhakti-śaṁsanāt

bhaktāvatāram īśaṁ tam

advaitācāryam āśraye

[Cc. Ādi 1.13]

So gradually the author is offering respect, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita. He has already offered respect to Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda. Now it is the turn for Śrī Advaitācārya. So advaitam, nondifferent, expansion of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Therefore He is Viṣṇu-tattva; He is not jīva-tattva. Therefore He is advaita. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Kṛṣṇa has got unlimited number of expansions: expansion, expansion of the expansion, then expansion of the expansion, in this way. So Advaitācārya is expansion of Kṛṣṇa, it is already explained. Therefore He is called advaitam, and ācāryaṁ bhakti-śaṁsanāt.

This is the business of ācārya, to spread bhakti cult. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt nāvamanyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27]. It is said by the Lord that "You should accept the ācārya…" Ācārya means one who transmits bhakti cult. Bhakti-śaṁsanāt, spreading, goṣṭhyānandī. One who is not spreading-he is cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness for his personal benefit in a secluded place, sitting and chanting-that is also nice, but he's not ācārya. Ācārya means he must spread. Goṣṭhyānandī. Bhajanānandī, goṣṭhyānandī. So generally, goṣṭhyānandī means one who wants to increase the number of devotees. He's called goṣṭhyānandī. And one who is self-satisfied, that "Let me do my own duty," he is called bhajanānandī. So my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he was goṣṭhyānandī. He wanted to increase the number of devotees. And the more you increase the number of devotees, the more you become very much recognized by Kṛṣṇa. It is Kṛṣṇa's business. Kṛṣṇa personally comes as He is, Kṛṣṇa, to spread this bhakti cult. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. He's canvassing personally.

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ

vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām

dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya

sambhavāmi yuge yuge

[Bg. 4.8]

So same thing entrusted to another devotee, and who spreads, he's ācārya.

So Kṛṣṇa says, the ācārya… Here it is said that advaitaṁ hariṇā advaitād. So of course Advaita Ācārya is expansion of Viṣṇu-tattva, but any ācārya, he is to be considered identical with the Lord. The Lord says that, that ācāryam māṁ vijānīyāt [SB 11.17.27]: "One should understand the ācārya…" Ācārya bhakti-śaṁsanāt. Ācārya means who is spreading pure bhakti cult. "That ācārya," Kṛṣṇa says, "you should consider such ācārya as Myself." Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt nāvamanyeta karhicit, that… You cannot consider, "Yes, he's ācārya, but not as good as Kṛṣṇa." No. Na avamanyeta. Don't deride in that way. Then there will be falldown. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt nāvamanyeta karhicit. And in the Vedas also it is said, yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau: [ŚU 6.23] "Anyone who has got unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality and the similar faith in guru…" Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau, tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ: "All the Vedic literature," prakāśante, "becomes revealed simply by these two principle." Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. We should not jump over Kṛṣṇa without the help of guru. That is not possible. You must go through. Because Kṛṣṇa says, ācāryam māṁ vijānī… Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] "Actually one who is serious to understand higher transcendental subject matter, he must approach guru." Tasmād gurum, prapadyeta. These are Vedic injunctions. Cakṣudāna dilo yei, janme janme pitā sei. So anyone who opens… Guru means who opens the eyes of the ignorant person. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Opening the eyes by giving real knowledge… Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. So bhakti-latā, the devotional service, the seed of devotional service, can be received by the paramparā system through bona fide spiritual master. And if we abide by the orders of spiritual master faithfully, then Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased. That is stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Āra nā koriya mane āśā. Narottama dāsa… All the ācāryas, they say like that. Ācāryam māṁ vijānīyāt. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who has accepted ācārya, he knows things as they are." Others, they do not know. It is not possible.

So Advaita Ācārya is the typical example how to become ācārya. All are our ācāryas, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. All of them are ācāryas because they are following the ācārya, supreme ācārya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore they are ācārya. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. So we have to follow the ācārya. Then, when we are completely, cent per cent follower of ācārya, then you can also act as ācārya. This is the process. Don't become premature ācārya. First of all follow the orders of ācārya, and you become mature. Then it is better to become ācārya. Because we are interested in preparing ācārya, but the etiquette is, at least for the period the guru is present, one should not become ācārya. Even if he is complete he should not, because the etiquette is, if somebody comes for becoming initiated, it is the duty of such person to bring that prospective candidate to his ācārya. Not that "Now people are coming to me, so I can become ācārya." That is avamanya. Nāvamanyeta karhicit. Don't transgress this etiquette. Nāvamanyeta. That will be falldown. Just like during the lifetime of our Guru Mahārāja, all our Godbrothers now who are acting as ācārya, they did not do so. That is not etiquette. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt na avaman… That is insult. So if you insult your ācārya, then you are finished. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasya aprasādāt na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **-finished. If you displease your ācārya, then you are finished. Therefore it is said, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says to all the ācāryas… Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu and Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, they are all carriers of orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So try to follow the path of ācārya process. Then life will be successful.

And to become ācārya is not very difficult. First of all, to become very faithful servant of your ācārya, follow strictly what he says. Try to please him and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all. It is not at all difficult. Try to follow the instruction of your Guru Mahārāja and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the order of Lord Caitanya.

āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa

yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

"By following My order, you become guru." And if we strictly follow the ācārya system and try our best to spread the instruction of Kṛṣṇa… Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. There are two kinds of kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Upadeśa means instruction. Instruction given by Kṛṣṇa, that is also 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa, and instruction received about Kṛṣṇa, that is also 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa. Kṛṣṇasya upadeśa iti kṛṣṇa upadeśa. Samāsa, śāsti-tat-puruṣa-samāsa. And Kṛṣṇa viṣayā upadeśa, that is also Kṛṣṇa upadeśa. Bāhu-vrīhi-samāsa. This is the way of analyzing Sanskrit grammar. So Kṛṣṇa's upadeśa is Bhagavad-gītā. He's directly giving instruction. So one who is spreading kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, simply repeat what is said by Kṛṣṇa, then you become ācārya. Not difficult at all. Everything is stated there. We have to simply repeat like parrot. Not exactly parrot. Parrot does not understand the meaning; he simply vibrates. But you should understand the meaning also; otherwise how you can explain? So, so we want to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply prepare yourself how to repeat Kṛṣṇa's instructions very nicely, without any malinterpretation. Then, in future… Suppose you have got now ten thousand. We shall expand to hundred thousand. That is required. Then hundred thousand to million, and million to ten million.

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: So there will be no scarcity of ācārya, and people will understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness very easily. So make that organization. Don't be falsely puffed up. Follow the ācārya's instruction and try to make yourself perfect, mature. Then it will be very easy to fight out māyā. Yes. Ācāryas, they declare war against māyā's activities, that māyā instructing that "Here is wine. Here is cigarette. Here is that…" In your country these advertisements are very prominent, holding both ways, wine advertisement, cigarette advertisement, naked woman advertisements, and sometimes gambling also, advertisement. What is that? Congo?

Devotees: Bingo.

Prabhupāda: Bingo. (laughter) Yes. So this is māyā. And our declaration of war with māyā-no intoxication, no meat-eating, no bingo-(laughter) these are our declaration of war. So we have to fight in that way because nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa without being free from all sinful activities. These are sinful activities. Therefore it is ācārya's business to stop these nonsense activities. Otherwise they'll not be able to understand, especially the meat-eaters. They cannot understand.

nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād

bhavauṣadhi chrotra-mano 'bhirāmāt

ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt

pumān virajyeta vinā paśughnāt

[SB 10.1.4]

Unless one is very expert in killing animals, he's not bereft from Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That means one who is very expert in killing, he cannot understand. Therefore Christ also said, "Thou shall not kill," the first business. Nobody will be able if one is a killer of animal, small or big, ultimately killer of his own children, killer of his own self. The killing process is so nice that it goes up to the point of killing one's children. That is now happening. Killing business has so expanded that they are killing their own children. Just see the influence of Kali-yuga. The children, they take shelter of the father and mother, thinking very safe. Now, in this Kali-yuga, even there is no safety under the care of father and mother. Just see how this material civilization is progressing. Very, very dangerous. Kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām. Therefore that Bhāgavata verse is there,

kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate

dharma-jñānādibhiḥ (saha)

kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām (eṣa)

purāṇārko 'dhunoditaḥ

Very, very abominable condition in this age of Kali. Very, very. It is the beginning of Kali. Now we have to pass through 427,000's of years. Kali-yuga will make progress in that way. And people are now practicing eating their children, and at the end of Kali there will be no food available. They'll have to eat the children just like the snakes do. The snake eat their own children. There are many animals-they eat their own children.

So don't try to repeat your birth again and again in this Kali-yuga. It will be not very happy life. Better sacrifice everything in this life and be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead. Don't wait for the next life. This is very seriously repeated, that "This life I shall finish my Kṛṣṇa consciousness business," and, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that Kṛṣṇa consciousness business means to understand Kṛṣṇa rightly. And He's explaining Himself rightly. Where is the difficulty to finish the Kṛṣṇa consciousness business? If Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, what He is, then where is your difficulty? Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is sending His representative ācārya to teach you, and Kṛṣṇa is within yourself trying to teach you if you are actually serious. Then where is the difficulty? Inside, outside, always, books, knowledge-He is prepared. So where is the difficulty to make yourself perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? There is no difficulty at all. Provided you are serious, you can become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious in this very life. You are all young men. You are not old man like me. I have no opportunity. (pause) (end)

750407CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.14

Māyāpur, April 7, 1975

Pradyumna: "I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional incarnation, devotional manifestation, pure devotee, and devotional energy."

Prabhupāda:

pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ

bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam

bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ

namāmi bhakta-śaktikam

[Cc. Ādi 1.14]

So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, has five features. Kṛṣṇa has five features. Kṛṣṇa means these five features. What are those? Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's manifestation, Kṛṣṇa's incarnation, Kṛṣṇa's different potencies, in this way. And Kṛṣṇa, the source of devotional service, He is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, bhakta-śaktikam. To advance in devotional service requires spiritual strength. It is not so easy thing. That spiritual strength is also Kṛṣṇa, bhakta-śaktikam. There is nothing except Kṛṣṇa, ekaṁ brahmā dvitīya-nāsti. So we have to understand Him especially in these five features for advancing in devotional service. Therefore His name is pañca-tattvātmakam, with five features, kṛṣṇam, bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam. Kṛṣṇa is so kind upon us that… He is coming as He is. Kṛṣṇa is original, and trying to convince us about the necessity of our life, or the goal of our life. Prayojana, prayojana: it is necessary. It is not optional-compulsory. If you don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you will continue to suffer; therefore it is necessity. It is not that if you like, you can take it; if you don't like, you reject it. If you reject it, then you will suffer. And if you take it, then actually you will enjoy life.

So māyā is very strong. Although it is necessary, māyā is always dictating that it is not necessary. The real necessity is materialistic way of life, this is māyā's dictation. Māyā… We are now given a chance of māyā's jurisdiction. So māyā wants to punish us more and more, because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Great punishment.

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare

pāsate māyā tāre jāpaṭīyā dhare

Māyā means to give sufficient punishment to the living entities who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and wants to enjoy material life independently. They are called conditioned soul. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. This conditioned life means we accept one type of body, we suffer sufficiently. It is simply suffering. There is no enjoyment. Where is enjoyment? To remain in the womb of the mother for ten months, is that enjoyment? Packed up in airtight bag? Just imagine, if you were put in airtight bag at the present moment, within three seconds you will die. You cannot live without air, even for three seconds. This is our position. And by māyā's arrangement, we have to remain at least for ten months within the airtight bag, embryo, within the abdomen of our mother. So if we cannot live for even three seconds without air, how it was possible to remain in that airtight bag for ten months? That is also Kṛṣṇa's mercy, to allow us to develop the body, so that coming out of the mother's womb we can live independently. To make us strong in the body. But the māyā is so strong that even within that position, the mother is also killing the child. This is Kali-yuga.

So to get a material body is not at all pleasure. It is always miserable condition, from the very beginning and up to the point of death, simply miserable condition. This is intelligence, that the miserable condition means we accept this material body. Therefore, to be out of miserable condition means not to accept again this misery. That should be the aim and objective of life-not to accept. That we have repeatedly said. That can be achieved very easily, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. After giving up this body, we do not accept anymore material body, provided we become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. At the time of death, if we simply remember Kṛṣṇa, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. That is the highest perfection of life, simply to remember Kṛṣṇa. That is also the statement in the… If we can consciously remember Kṛṣṇa: "Whatever was possible for me, I have tried to execute. Now this is the last day; You do whatever You like. That's all." But Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He will at once take you back to home, back to Godhead. Ante nārāyaṇa smṛti. This is the highest perfection of life. Therefore we have to practice Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. By practicing sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ [Bg. 8.6], this is required. Always think, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Kṛṣṇa advises "Always think of Me." Where is the difficulty? We have to think of something. We cannot keep our mind vacant. That is not possible. So make it a point, that think of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Think of Kṛṣṇa, and if you chant, if you engage your tongue, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," and if you hear, then everything is compact in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So to achieve strength, Kṛṣṇa is prepared to help us in so many ways. That He is pañca-tattvātmakam, He is coming as Lord Kṛṣṇa, and ordering, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Still we are making mistake; we don't accept Kṛṣṇa's word. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is coming as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, along with His associates Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara Prabhu, just to teach us the same process: how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So our real business is that, how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. And if we take shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, along with His associates, then the task becomes very easy. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]. Very easy; not at all difficult. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's method for approaching Kṛṣṇa is very, very easy. Now we have got this center, Māyāpur center. We have got hundreds of centers, but this is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's birthplace. You have come from very, very distant places all over the world. So here, you simply take prasādam, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, then your life is successful. It is not at all difficult. But we are so stubborn that we do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our misfortune. But still, as we struggle against misfortune, to become fortunate in the material world, similarly, we have to struggle against misfortune. Māyā is very strong. But the way is also there, how to get out of the clutches of māyā. Pāsate māyā tāre jāpaṭīyā dhare. Māyā has captured by embracing, just like if you capture somebody very tightly, it is very difficult to go out. Hands and legs are all caught up. Similarly, we are under the clutches of māyā in that way. But māyā's business is just to punish, but as soon as we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, immediately māyā lets loose. Yes. Māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Very easy thing.

So our only request is that take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, chant always śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, and Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. (devotees chant also) Thank you. So it is not very difficult task. Anyone, just like the children, the boys, two years, three years old, they are also doing the same thing. Where is the difficulty? Young man can perform the same thing; old man can also perform; everyone can perform, it is so nice. So do not forget this principle,

pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ

bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam

bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ

namāmi bhakta-śaktikam

Bhakta-śakti, everything requires strength, so we can derive strength by chanting Caitanya Mahāprabhu's name, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You don't require very high education, neither you require to take your birth in very high family. Ahaitukī. Execution of devotional service is independent, completely. It has nothing to do with material condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. No material condition can check. Who can check it? If all the world over they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, who can check? No government can check, no communist party can check. Go on chanting; that is the principle. So ahaituky apratihatā yenātmā suprasīdati, and you will get individually and collectively Where is he? Haridāsa, he went to Moscow? He has gone (indistinct). He was chanting in Moscow. So people could not understand, they were asking, "What you are doing?" "I am singing some cinema song." (laughter) He was telling like that. Very clever. (laughter) "I am singing because the Muscovites, they are after Indian culture." So he said that "This is Hare Kṛṣṇa cinema song."

So somehow or other, you can chant even in Moscow.

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: Ahaituky apratihatā. That is the point. They are after… Anyone seeking after God, they are very much severely punished. This is their kingdom. But you can take this policy, that you are chanting cinema song, and they will not object. So ahaituky apratihatā. If some black-market means has to be taken for chanting, we have to accept that. What can be done? Our business is to chant, so if there is restriction, śaṭhe śāṭhyam ācaret, we should be also very clever. So, anyway, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and be happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. (end)

750304CC.DAL

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.15

Dallas, March 4, 1975

Nitāi: "Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me."

Prabhupāda:

jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor

mama manda-mater gatī

mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau

rādhā-madana-mohanau

[Cc. Ādi 1.15]

This is the surrendering process of the author, Kavirāja Gosvāmī. Before beginning to write Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he submitted himself to the lotus feet of Madana-mohana. (aside:) That child may be… So he is submitting that Rādhā-Madana-mohana… Those who have gone to Vṛndāvana, they have seen the temple of Rādhā-Madana-mohana. That was established by Sanātana Gosvāmī, the first disciple of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sanātana Gosvāmī established this Madana-mohana temple, and Rūpa Gosvāmī established that Govindajī's temple, and the Jīva Gosvāmī established Rādhā-Dāmodara temple. Gopal Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī established Rādhā-Rāmaṇa temple. In this way, in Vṛndāvana there are seven temples authorizedly established by the Gauḍīya-sampradāya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya. Later on, many big, big kings and zamindars, landlords, they also established many temples, big, big temples. And altogether, there are five thousand temples in a small city like Vṛndāvana, and thousands of men go to see the Deities in every temple almost every day, and especially during the four months Śravaṇa, Bhādra, Āśvina, Kārttika: July, in July, August, September, October. So Vṛndāvana is always crowded by many pilgrims, and anyone who goes there, immediately he feels spiritual consciousness, especially nowadays.

So the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava especially… Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava means the followers of… [break] …Mahāprabhu. There are four Vaiṣṇava sampradāya originally: from Lord Brahmā, Brahmā-sampradāya; and from Lord Śiva, Rudra-sampradāya; and from goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, Śrī-sampradāya; and from the catuḥ-sana, four kinds of sanas, Sanat Kumāra, Sananda, like that. So the four sampradāya is coming from time immemorial. So we belong to the Brahmā sampradāya, the Gauḍīya-sampradāya. Sampradāya means just like there are political parties, but their aim is to develop the country, nation's interest, although… Just like in your country there are political parties, Democratic parties. What other parties?

Devotees: Republican.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Republican. Although they are party, their aim is how to develop the country. Similarly, these Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, although they appear to be a separate party, but their aim is how to serve Kṛṣṇa. So don't think the party means some opposite party. No. Everyone has got for the advanced devotee to serve the Lord in a particular way so that the Lord may be more satisfied. That is their intention. Sometimes we also have some parties in the temple: someone wants to dress the Deity in a way, another wants to… Of course, they are not transgressing the rules and regulation, but still, everyone wants that "I shall serve the Lord in this particular way." We cannot change the original rules and regulation, but there is variety. We are not impersonalist. Every person has got to serve the Lord in a particular way, and that is allowed. The central point is Kṛṣṇa. So although there are parties, if the central point is Kṛṣṇa, so there is no dissension. It is a competition, that "My Godbrother, my Godsister, is serving such a way. She is so well versed in this art. Why not try myself to do something?" This is variety. That is not this ordinary party strife if we make Kṛṣṇa the center.

So on the whole, for the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, means the followers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Especially in Bengal, there are many thousands followers, Bengal and Orissa. They are mainly followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and you will find in Vṛndāvana, Navadvīpa, many Bengali Vaiṣṇavas, followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They are living there very, I mean to say, austerity, following austerity, no very much careful about the bodily maintenance. But they are living. They have practically no income, but still, they do not go away from Vṛndāvana. Similarly, Kavirāja Gosvāmī also took shelter of Vṛndāvana under the lotus feet of Madana-mohana. Therefore he says, mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau: "The lotus feet of Madana-mohana is my everything. I have taken shelter of Madana-mohanajī. That is my everything." That is Vaiṣṇava feeling. They think the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa as their only possession. But that is the greatest possession. What this material possession will do? One who has taken possession, at least one who is allowed to take possession of the lotus feet of Madana-mohana, is not very easy thing. If Kṛṣṇa gives him the facility… Kṛṣṇa is prepared. How? Simply by service, one can easily become in possession of the lotus feet of the Lord. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234]. We cannot bring in possession the lotus feet of the Supreme Being. That is not possible. But if we render service, He gives the allowance, "Yes, you can be under My shelter of feet."

Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore teaches us to pray to Kṛṣṇa just to become one grain of the dust of His lotus feet.

ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ

māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau

kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-

sthita-dhūlī-sadṛṣaṁ vicintaya

[Cc. Antya 20.32, Śikṣāṣṭaka 5]

This should be the prayer to the lotus feet of the Lord, not for any material benefit. That is not very good idea. We should not approach the Supreme Being some material benefit. Material benefit is already there. Everything is arranged by the Supreme Lord for everyone's necessities of life. There is no question about that. Just like if a person is in the prison house, that prisoner has no problem for his material necessities. The government has arranged already for his eating, sleeping and, if he is sick, medical help. That is not problem. The problem is that he has become criminal by transgressing the laws of the state. Now he should become a very good citizen and come out of the prison house. Then he is happy. Similarly, in this material world, so far our material necessities are concerned, it is already arranged. There is no question of becoming anxious for getting our material necessities. It is already arranged by God.

Therefore Nārada Muni says in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido

na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ

tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ

kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā

[SB 1.5.18]

Nārada Muni advises, through Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, says, that "You, you have got this human form of life. Now you have no necessity for finding out where is your food, where is your shelter, where is your sex satisfaction, where is your defense. This is not your problem. You should try for that thing, means the thing which will give you relief from these material necessities of life." That is the advice. We are mistaken. We are… In this morning walk we saw that such a big nation, but the problem is food problem. Early in the morning at six o'clock, they are going to work. They are going to work. Why? Now, for finding out the necessities of life. So what is this civilization? Early in the morning, six o'clock… According to Vedic civilization, one should rise early in the morning and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, perform maṅgala āratrika, worship the Deity. This is the morning business. But the richest nation of the world, they are going to work at 6:30 for earning their bread. Is it very good progress of life? And the whole day they will have to work. Not only here, everywhere, for earning their daily bread, they have to go fifty miles, hundred miles away from home, and every city, in India also, the same thing, in Bombay. They are coming hundred miles off and hanging in the daily passenger railway, very serious condition. And it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that a human being at the end of the Kali-yuga will have to work… They are already working like an ass, and actually they will have to work like an ass simply to get their bread. The progress will be this. And not only that, the foodstuff, especially the sattvika foodstuff like fruits and vegetables, milk, rice, wheat, sugar, these things will be not available-completely stopped. So gradually we shall make such advancement. I have seen practically. I went to Moscow, and at least for us, it was very difficult to live there. There is no rice supply. There is no wheat supply. Very rarely… No vegetables, no fruit, some rotten fruit like raspberry and… So at least for us it was very difficult. Of course, milk is available and flesh. Oh, that you can have, as much as you like.

So that is not human life. Human life is… Here it is described, just Kavirāja Gosvāmī's, mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau rādhā-madana-mohanau. Our only asset should be the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa along with Rādhārāṇī. Madana-mohana. Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful that He is more attractive than the Cupid. Madana-mohana. Madana means Cupid. Cupid is supposed to be the most beautiful person within the universe, but Kṛṣṇa is still more beautiful. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham [Bs. 5.30]. That is described in the śāstra. And when Kṛṣṇa was present, we know from the śāstra or from the evidences that Kṛṣṇa was attractive to so many gopīs. The gopīs were the most beautiful women, and Kṛṣṇa was attractive to them. So just imagine how much beautiful was Kṛṣṇa. Not only to the gopīs; there were 16,108 queens of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa. He is attractive to everyone. Jayatam suratau paṅgor mama. So why He should not be attractive to fallen souls like us? So that is the position of Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, being attracted to Madana-mohana, he is offering his prayer, jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor. Paṅgor, paṅgoḥ means lame man; one cannot walk. At least, one cannot walk very swiftly. So jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor mama manda-mater gatī. He is placing himself as manda-mati. Mama manda-mater gatī. Manda, this word, means bad or slow. So every one of us in this material world, we are all bad because… Why bad? Now, because we accepted this material body. Just like in the prison house, all the prisoners, they are bad. Why? Because they have accepted their home in the prison house. Therefore the conclusion is they are all bad. Maybe degrees of difference, but they are all bad. Similarly, anyone who is living in this material world, beginning from Lord Brahmā down to the small insect or ant, who are struggling in this material world… Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. Kṛṣṇa said that "These living entities within this material world, they are My part and parcel" or "They are My sons." In another place He says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā.

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ

tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

So Kṛṣṇa has got relationship with everyone because He is the supreme father, and we are all His part and parcel. Just like son, even in this material world, he is the part and parcel of the father or the mother, similarly, we are actually part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. He is the richest, He is the most famous, He is most strong, all-powerful, all-beautiful. Everything He has got. And we are sons of that Kṛṣṇa. So father's property is enjoyed by the sons. There is no… That is the law. It is not artificial. Then why we are poverty-stricken? Because we are condemned. Condemned. That we should understand. Therefore everyone, intelligent person, should understand that anyone who is in this material world, he is condemned. It doesn't matter what he is. Therefore our first business is how to get out of this conditional life in the material world. That is human consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So our business is to take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is our first business, not this "This is our business, where to find out my food, my bread, and get up early in the morning and running to the office or to the working place." This is not civilization. This is not civilization.

Therefore he says that "I am a lame man." Mama manda-gatī: "I am very slow, so I take shelter of the lotus feet of Madana-mohana." That is our business. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching all over the world this philosophy, that your first and foremost business is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. There is no question of so-called economic development, sense gratification. No. These are not important things. There are many missionaries, they open hospitals or similar philanthropic activities, but we never do that. So many friends advised me to open some hospitals, dispensaries. Oh, I flatly said that "We are not interested in the hospitals." There are so many hospitals. So people who are interested in hospitals, they can go there. Here is spiritual hospital. The disease is the other hospitals, they cannot stop death, but our hospital can stop death.

Devotees: Jaya! Hari! Hari!

Prabhupāda: This is our hospital. We are therefore not interested with this kind of hospital. Our this hospital is treating the materially affected patient to get out of his four kinds of miseries: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9]. One type of disease is to take birth; another, death; another, old age; another, disease. So we want to stop. This is not our normal condition of life. Because we living entities, soul, we are spiritual. Our identity is that we are eternal. It is not that because my body is annihilated, therefore I am finished. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. This is the instruction. The living entity, the soul, is not destroyed after the body being destroyed. The body is destroyed. It is being destroyed every moment. From scientific point of view we are changing our blood corpuscle and another body like the, what is called, film. One after another picture, one after, one after, one after, and when they are displayed, it appears one. But it is not one. There are so many pictures. They put into the machine, and when they work together, it appears that the man within the picture is moving. Actually, that movement is combination of many pictures. Similarly, we are growing. We are not growing, but we are changing body.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]. We are becoming… We are seeing that "My child is growing." It is not growing; it is changing body just like the film spool. But because it is displayed in a very scientific way, we are seeing that "My child is growing." It is not growing. The actual fact is the child is a soul, and the soul is changing every minute the body. That is real understanding. Kṛṣṇa says, authority says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prā… [Bg. 2.13]. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ means accepting another body. So the child is speaking in one way now; so when he will get another body, a young man's body, he will speak in a different way. The dog is barking because it has got a different body, and a scientist speaking in a different way because he has got a different body. Similarly, every one of us, because we have got different types of body according to my desire, we are acting differently. So if we come back again to the spiritual platform, then we will not work differently. We shall work concomitantly. Everyone will agree with everyone. That is spiritual platform. But unless we come to the spiritual platform-we remain on the bodily platform-we shall speak differently. And as soon as we come to the spiritual platform, then we shall speak in one item only, how to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

So those who are too much materially affected, their progress is very slow. Especially in this age. In this age the symptoms of the human beings is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ.

prāyeṇa alpa āyuṣaḥ

(kalav) asmin yuge janāḥ

mandāḥ sumanda-matayo

manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ

[SB 1.1.10]

This is the condition at the present moment. This is called Kali-yuga. The first symptom is: our span of life is very short, decreasing. With the advancement of Kali-yuga, our duration of life is decreasing. Everyone knows that. My father lived so many years, my grandfather lived so many years, but it is certain I am not going to live so many years. And then my son is not… Gradually, it is reduced. Reducing, reducing, reducing. By the end of Kali-yuga, the duration of life from twenty years to thirty years will be considered very, very old age, very, very old. If a man is living for twenty-five years, he will be considered a very grand old man. Yes. That is coming gradually. So therefore it is said, manda, manda. Manda means everything bad or everything slow. Duration of life is bad, then their activities also very bad, always sinful activities. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10]. And if somebody is little anxious to take shelter of somebody for spiritual advancement, then he will accept some bogus thing, sumanda-matayo, some bogus incarnation of God, some bogus yogi, some bogus… They will take sumanda-matayo, will not come to the real.

Real… Here it is said that mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau rādhā-madana-mohanau. One should take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Instead of taking shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he will take shelter of the lotus feet of some bogus. That's it. They are called manda-matayo, manufacturing something new: "This is our process of religion." They do not know that religion cannot be manufactured. Religion is eternal. Religion… Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Religion means the law given by God. The God is eternal; therefore His law is eternal. So how we can manufacture? You cannot manufacture religion. God is eternal, and His law is also eternal. Therefore God personally comes, and He says that "You have manufactured so many religions, but that is not religion. You give it up. You give them up." Sarva-dharmān parityajya: [Bg. 18.66] "Give up all this nonsense." Then what should be my religion? Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, that's all. This is eternal religion. Mām ekaṁ: "Only unto Me." The religion is very simplified, but still, people are… Because mandāḥ sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10], they have got some nasty ideas, they manufacture different types of religion. Religion is one. That is eternal. God is one. That is eternal. Take anything, like gold. Gold is gold, always gold. Millions of years ago the what was gold, the metal, the same metal is still there. You cannot say, "This is Hindu gold," "This is Muslim gold," "This is Christian gold." Gold is gold. Similarly, God is one. You cannot say, "This is Hindu God," "This is Muslim God," "This is Christian God." God is one, and eternal. Therefore religion is one, eternal. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. God is one. You are also one because you are part and parcel. But you have created your struggle for existence because you are thinking otherwise without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. Because you have created different types of mind, different types of desires, and you are trying to fulfill it, that is called struggle for existence. Otherwise you are existing eternally, and your consciousness is one: think of Kṛṣṇa. But because you are doing not, not doing that, therefore there is struggle. That is māyā. That is māyā. Otherwise there is no question of struggling. Everything is there, plain and simple.

So that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are preaching that God is one and to think of God is also one and to become obedient servant of God, that is also one. Not that you have to become a different servant, I have to become different ser… Everyone is servant originally. So we accept to serve God. Then our religion is there; our fulfillment of desires are there. Therefore the author said, mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau: "That is my everything. To take shelter of Rādhā-Madana-mohana, that is my everything. I have no other desire." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ

mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ

bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ

padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

[SB 10.14.58]

This is the solution. To take shelter of the padāmbhojau of Rādhā-Madana-mohana, that is the solution of all problem. And for a person who has taken shelter of the lotus feet, samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam… Pada-pallavam. His lotus feet is compared with the lotus flower. The lotus flower has got petals, and the petal is just like in the shape of a boat. Everyone has got this experience. If you take the shelter of this boat, then we can cross over the ocean of material world very easily. You require some boat to cross over some watery span. So here, if you take one boat and if you want to cross the Pacific Ocean or Atlantic Ocean, it is very difficult. It may not… The boat may not go up to the end. But if you… Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. If you take shelter of the lotus petal boatlike of… What is that lotus flower? Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. Murāri, Murāri means Kṛṣṇa. If you take shelter of the boat of the lotus feet of Murāri… What is that feet? Mahat-padam. Mahat-padam means the whole universal creation, the cosmic manifestation, is also resting there. It is not only a small thing. Mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ: "And who is famous very piously." Then what the result? Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padam. Bhavāmbudhiḥ means the great ocean of material existence. We are struggling here, trying to swim. That becomes vatsa-padam. Vatsa-padam. Vatsa means calf. So you have no experience. In our country, the, in the… The calf walks, and the hoof makes some hole, and there is some water also. So as it is not difficult to cross that water, similarly, the whole material ocean become like that hole of the calf's hoof. In this way you can cross over this material ocean and go back to home, back to Godhead. Why I shall go there? Because here, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām [SB 10.14.58]. Here, in every step there is danger. Why shall you live here? Take this boat and go, cross the material ocean, and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the philosophy. Therefore our Kavirāja Gosvāmī is saying, mat-sarvasva: "Everything. This is my everything. I take shelter of You."

Thank you very much.

Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lord Brahmā was praying to Kṛṣṇa to please protect him because he had to associate with so many vicious living entities.

Prabhupāda: That everything will be cured if you kindly hear. That's all.

Devotee (1): What if we're going on saṅkīrtana or something like that, how can we be sure that we won't fall down, we won't overendeavor? How can we be sure that we're not pushing ourselves too much?

Prabhupāda: You will feel sure as you make progress. Just like when you are eating, hungry, as you feel satisfaction and hunger satisfied, you can know yourself. [break]

Devotee (2): How can we repay you?

Prabhupāda: You don't require to repay. (chuckles) I am not giving you anything. It is Kṛṣṇa's property. You repay to Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and He will be repaid. [break] Nobody can repay. That is the… Therefore it is better to remain always obliged. That's all. That's all right? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

750408CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.15

Māyāpur, April 8, 1975

Devotee: "Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill-advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me."

Prabhupāda:

jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor

mama manda-mater gatī

mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau

rādhā-madana-mohanau

[Cc. Ādi 1.15]

That is sambandha. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. At the present moment, in our conditioned stage of life, we have forgotten our relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is our conditional life. Just like a son has forgotten his father, rich father, opulent father, and loitering in the street, that is our condition. We are all sons of Kṛṣṇa, part and parcel, and Kṛṣṇa is full of six opulences. Richness, strength, influence, beauty, knowledge, renunciation-Kṛṣṇa is complete. If my father is complete, and I am his son, beloved son, why shall I loiter in the street? This is māyā. We are thinking that we are made of something of these material elements: "I am this body. The body is made of this material element," bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca [Bg. 7.4]. So this is our manda-mati. Manda means bad. This conception, bodily conception of life, is the cause of our conditional life, subjected to the stringent laws of material nature. This is our position.

So Kṛṣṇa begins, therefore, His instructions that "Don't think you are this body. This is your covering. You are within this body." That is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa's instructions. And at last He, as a father, advises sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So when we do that, giving up everything, we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, at that time we revive our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. This is wanted. Therefore the author is instructing us, jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor mama manda-mater. Manda means one who cannot go very fast, or bad, manda means bad. Manda means slow. In this age especially, in Kali-yuga we become very, very slow in spiritual progress, although that is our main business. But on account of this Kali-yuga, we are all very, very slow. We think that "Spiritual cultivation is meant for old age. Now let us enjoy our life in this material world." That is our wrong conception of life. What do you mean by old age? Nearing death. So who can guarantee that he is not nearing death? Everyone is nearing death at every moment. Why should you wait for old age? That is manda-mater, bad intelligence. We should know that death may take place at any moment. Therefore every one of us are already old. (We) generally understand that old age means nearing death, but who can guarantee that there is no death immediately? At any moment. Therefore śāstra says tūrṇaṁ yateta anu-mṛtyu pateta yāvad, Before meeting your next death, you should endeavor so dexterously that you complete your Kṛṣṇa consciousness before your death comes. That is intelligence. Not that "I am now young man, let me enjoy. And in old age, after passing sixty years, when there will be no other engagement, at that time I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." No. Immediately, tūrṇaṁ yate.

Prahlāda Mahārāja advises,

kaumāram ācaret prājño

dharmān bhāgavatān iha

durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma

tad apy adhruvam arthadam

He advises from childhood. Just like we are trying to teach even the small child to chant and dance with us, and they are learning. There is not difficulty. The small children, they are also taking part. Now somebody may say that "These children do not understand English. What they are hearing? Simply they are wasting their time." No, they are not wasting their time. The vibration is surcharged with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So even they simply hear, even though (they) do not understand English language, by simply hearing the vibration uttered by a Vaiṣṇava to a Vaiṣṇava, that will be effective. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Simply hearing will do. Simply by hearing they will become pious. And the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, somehow or other, if one takes part in these discourses, he will be pious. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Paraṁ vijāyate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], simply by hearing it is effective. So from the very beginning of our life, we should try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Not try, but we must. It is not, what is called, optional. It is compulsory. If you want to make your life successful, then this is compulsory, from the very beginning to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

So especially in India, the atmosphere is very good. It is especially meant, within this universe, this plot of land known as Bhāratavarṣa, India, is the most sacred place within this universe. And of the whole land Bhāratavarṣa, in Bengal, it is very sacred. And the whole of Bengal, this Nadia is very sacred. And in the whole Nadia, this part is very sacred, Māyāpura Candradoya Temple. So by Kṛṣṇa's grace, you have got this opportunity to live here. Take advantage, full advantage of this opportunity, spiritually fortunate. This is the statement of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Not that I am manufacturing. We cannot manufacture anything, but we can repeat the words of our predecessors. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, in his Jaiva-Dharma, or in Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta, he has stated like that. In the Bhāratavarṣa, Bengal is the most important place, and in Bengal, the district Nadia is most important place, because Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared. Don't take it leniently. It is very serious thing that Bhāratavarṣa is meant for cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unfortunately, the present leaders, they are misleading them. Anyway, you are fortunate. You take advantage of this cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness which was spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself, in this land of Bhāratavarṣa, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ [Bg. 1.1].

That kurukṣetre is still existing. It is not a myth or mythology. The nonsense people, they may say like that, but Kṛṣṇa is the supermost person both in history… Purāṇa means history, itihāsa purāṇa. Saraṁ saraṁ samuddhṛtam. Vyāsadeva compiled the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by collecting the most important news from history. Purāṇa means old history. It is not mythology. The foolish people, they say like that, "Mythology means something created." No. Don't take it that way. It is the essence of important historical incidences, record. Mahābhārata is also history. Mahā means great, and bhārata means this land. Actually it is a history. But foolish people, without understanding through the guru-paramparā system, they manufacture their own way of understanding; therefore they are misled. They cannot take full advantage of this Vedic literature because they are misled. We should not be misled. We should know always that we are lame, paṅgoḥ. Just like a lame man cannot go very fast. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, even a lame man can go fast-not only go fast, but cross over the mountain.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ

paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande

śrī guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam

It is possible if we become obedient student of guru, then even though we may be dumb, deaf and dumb, still, we can become good lecturer. Mūkaṁ karoti vācālam, talk very much about Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa's grace, mūkaṁ karoti… Paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim, if one is lame man, he is made to cross over the hill, mountain. This is the mercy of guru.

So bhakti, or cultivation of spiritual knowledge, is never subjected by any material things. Ahaituky apratihatā. No material thing can check us in our progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not possible. Never think like that. Simply follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Follow the rules and regulations and everything will be clear, very crystal clear. There will be no impediment. Always chant, hear; don't waste time. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he is a moral instructor. He says about wasting time, he says, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhya svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ, "Even one moment of your life cannot be returned, even if you are prepared to pay millions of dollars." It is so valuable, time. One moment past. What is this month? April, now seven of April, 1975, past. If you ask one to return seven of April 1975, it is not possible even if you are prepared to pay millions of dollars. So just imagine what is the value of our time. So this time should not be wasted. We should always remain… You Western people, you know the value of time from material point of view. Material point of view. That is also good. Don't waste your time; engage always yourself in some good activities. But for spiritual advancement also, we should be more accurate and strict, avyartha-kālatvam [Cc. Madhya 23.18-19]. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has recommended that one who is always anxious to see that not a moment is spoiled, that is advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, avyartha-kālatvaṁ nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ, vivikta deva deśa sevitam, like that. Upadeśāmṛta, you will find: "A devotee should always think, 'Whether my time is passed uselessly?' " Then he will make advancement. Don't be slow. We should be always very expertly alert not a single moment is wasted. Jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor mama manda-mater gatī. We are very slow, especially in the spiritual matter. Practically there is no intention all over the world. They do not know that the real business is spiritual advancement of life. They are so in darkness. Very unfortunate time, this Kali-yuga. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10]. Now if they want to utilize, they manufacture some new ways of spiritual advancement. This is another difficulty. So many rascals, yogis, swamis, Transcendental Meditation, this, that, avatāras. Always ready to mislead you, always. If one is little inclined that "Let me do something, spiritually advance," this rascal will mislead. Very difficult position. Therefore, the best thing is to surrender to Madana-mohana, Kṛṣṇa. Sambandha-adhideva, Madana-mohana.

Our most difficult position is sex. Māyā has given such a-they call it nice-such propensity, sex, that it will create disturbances. Even though you are rigid, avowed, you are doing nicely, at sometimes, especially at night, it will disturb. It will disturb. Therefore suratau. Kṛṣṇa is the most expert in this conjugal love. Kṛṣṇa… Therefore we have to submit, surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Suratau paṅgoḥ. We are very much feeble and very slow. And so far our sex impulse is concerned, here is especially mentioned, Madana-mohana. Sex impulse is called Cupid, Madana. But if we become staunch devotee of Kṛṣṇa, this material sex impulse will vanish. Because Cupid becomes, I mean to say, attracted. Even Cupid becomes attracted by Kṛṣṇa. We are attracted by Cupid, but Cupid is attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore His name is Madana-mohana. That is the only remedy.

yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde

nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt

tad-avadhi bata nāri-saṅgame smaryamāne

bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

If you stick to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa save me," then this disturbing material thing, sex agitation, will not disturb you. This is the only way. Therefore it is said Madana-mohana. Our spiritual life is hampered very strongly by this sex impulse. But it is material, the sex impulse is material, so we should try to tolerate, (indistinct) kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkhaṁ kaṇḍūtivan manasijaṁ viṣaheta-dhīraḥ. Just (try) to tolerate little and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, pray to Kṛṣṇa, "Please save me from these disturbances." And we should materially also control. Control means atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ [NoI 2]. Atyāhāraḥ, too much eating, that is also agitating.

So everything can be controlled by Kṛṣṇa's grace. He is Madana-mohana. Therefore, our first business is to surrender to Madana-mohana and establish our relationship with Him. "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, I have so long forgotten…" That song is sung by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura,

mānasa, deho, geho, yo kicho mora

arpilūn tuyā pade, nanda-kiśora

This is full surrender. Then Kṛṣṇa assures, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ [Bg. 18.66], He will protect. So tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. There are so many disturbances. So Kṛṣṇa says tolerate, and do your business faithfully. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, follow the rules and regulations, and remain fully surrendered at the lotus feet of Madana-mohana. There will be no more disturbance.

Thank you very much. (end)

750409CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.16

Māyāpur, April 9, 1975

Santoṣa: "In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my humble obeisances unto Them."

Prabhupāda:

dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhah-

śrīmad-ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau

śrīmad-rādhā-śrīla-govinda-devau

preṣṭālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi

[Cc. Ādi 1.16]

So, description of Vṛndāvana, Vṛndāvana and Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa situated there. The Vṛndāvana… Vana means forest, and vṛnda means tulasī. Mostly there are tulasī plants and other trees also, but all the trees are living desire trees, spiritual. They can serve Kṛṣṇa in any way, desire. They have become trees by their voluntary desire. They're all spiritual beings-there is no force-but everyone has got a particular tendency to serve Kṛṣṇa in a different way. So these trees and plants, they are also living beings. They are not ordinary living beings, but they have decided to serve Kṛṣṇa by supplying fruits and flowers. They want that service. Everyone has got his particular propensity. So someone is serving as the land there, someone is serving as the throne, someone is serving as the supplying agent of fruits and flowers, someone is engaged in His service as the gopīs, confidential servitors. The cows, calves, everything-they are all different living entities. They are not made of these material things, material body. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37]. They are all also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. In one sense they are also Kṛṣṇa; they are not different from Kṛṣṇa. Śakti-śaktimatayor abheda: "The power and the powerful, they are not different, identical." Just like the sun and the sunshine. So in the sun globe there is heat and light, and the sunshine, there is heat and light. So, so far heat and light is concerned, they are one. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency, ānanda-cinmaya, ahlādinī… It is already described, rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmāt.

So whatever description is there of Vṛndāvana, that is expansion of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. They are not different. Therefore in the beginning it is said, dīvyad, "shining," or "divine," "transcendental." So we should not consider Vṛndāvana as ordinary forest. Here we have got Vṛndāvana on this planet. That is also not ordinary forest. The exactly the same Vṛndāvana as it is Goloka Vṛndāvana… There is no difference. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that

viṣaya chāḍiyā kabe śuddha ha 'be mana

kabe hāma herabo, śrī-vṛndāvana

Viṣaya chāḍiyā. Our present position is that we are materially diseased, so we have to become free from the material disease. Material disease means sense gratification, and the most formidable disease is sex. This is called material disease. So viṣaya chāḍiyā. We have to be, become free from the contamination of viṣaya, material enjoyment. This is the statement of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura.

viṣaya chāḍiyā kabe śuddha ha 'be mana

kabe hāma herabo śrī-vṛndāvana

"When my mind will be cleansed of all material desires, then I shall be able to see what is Vṛndāvana." It is very difficult to see Vṛndāvana with material desires. Bhakti means the first qualification is to become free from all material desires. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-

sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttama

[Brs. 1.1.11]

You know all these definition of bhakti given in our Nectar of Devotion. So spiritual life means free from material desires. And material desires mean just to hanker after sense gratification. This is material desire. When we have no more desire for sense gratification, then we should think that we are on the spiritual platform.

So this description of Vṛndāvana is spiritually described; therefore in the beginning the word is used, dīvyad. Dīvyad means divine. Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma ca me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. This is not ordinary material thing. So desire tree also described in the Brahma-saṁhitā: Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa [Bs. 5.29]-the same kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam. This lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sevyamānam is described here as preṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau. Preṣṭha-ālībhiḥ. Preṣṭha means very dear, and ālī means gopīs, associates of Rādhārāṇī, friends. So they are all Lakṣmīs, goddess of fortune. Lakṣmī… You have heard the name Lakṣmī, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, associates of Nārāyaṇa. Kṛṣṇa is Nārāyaṇa. So all these gopīs, they are expansion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the original Lakṣmī. This is spiritual world. It is not impersonal, neither nirākāra, formless. Everything form, but that form is different from this form. That form is sat-cid-ānanda form-eternal, full of bliss, full of knowledge. This is not this material form. When we speak of formless, that means without any material form. Formless does not mean Kṛṣṇa and His expansion, they are formless. They are not of material form. Aprakṛta, not material. Here everything is prakṛta. It is not, neither, eternal nor blissful nor full of knowledge. It is temporary, full of ignorance and always miserable, this form. We can understand it.

So that is just opposite. This form is temporary. Everyone knows this form will be finished. Antavanta ime dehā [Bg. 2.18], Kṛṣṇa says. This body is antavat. Antavat means it will be finished. It grew at a certain date, and it will increase, it will stay, then it will dwindle, then it will produce some by-products and then vanish. This is called ṣaḍ-vikāra, six kinds of changes of the material body. Of the spiritual body there is no such change. That is the difference between spiritual body and material body. Therefore it is called sat. Sat means eternal; there is no change. Just like Kṛṣṇa. His body is sac-cid-ānanda; therefore He never grows old. You'll never find a picture of Kṛṣṇa that He has grown old. No. There is no change. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam [Bs. 5.33]. Purāṇa-puruṣam means the oldest person. Because Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything… Sometimes they consider, "Because God is very old, therefore He must have big, big beard and…" That is imagination. Here you find the real description of God: advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyam [Bs. 5.33], "Original," Purāṇa-puruṣam, "the oldest of all," nava-yauvanaṁ ca, "but His bodily feature is just like a fresh young man." That is Kṛṣṇa. You'll never find Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa, when He was in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He was a great-grandfather, but you'll find a young boy. That is Kṛṣṇa. So that is eternal.

Now our body is not sat. Kṛṣṇa's body is sat, cid, ānanda. Our, this material body-asat. And because we have got… Asat means temporary, that will not exist. And because we have accepted this material body, therefore we are full of anxiety. Ultimately, what is our anxiety? We are always trying to… This is called struggle for existence, survival of the fittest. So we are trying to become the fittest, to exist. But that is not possible in this body. That is not possible, because it is asat; it is not sat. And because the struggle is that we want to exist in this body, therefore there is anxiety. Asad-grahāt sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt [SB 7.5.5]. The śāstra says that we are always full of anxieties. Why? Now, asad-grahāt: "We have accepted this body, which will not exist." Asad-grahāt. These are facts. Study śāstra in that way. Why we are full of anxiety? Because we have accepted this body. So our main business is how to get out of this entanglement of this temporary body. The people are not very seriously thinking, neither they have got sufficient knowledge how the temporary body is obtained, how it is changed, another temporary body, and there are 8,400,000 different forms of body, and we are changing one after another. Why this disease? "If I am, my position is, as I understand from Bhagavad-gītā, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]-I am not destroyed after the destruction of this body-why I am in this position that I have to change my body?" Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]. This is intelligence. When you come to this intelligence, then athāto brahma jijñāsā; then the inquiry about spiritual life begins. But unfortunately, we are in such a civilization that we have no time to think of this great dangerous position of changing body one after another, and we have accepted it that "There is no remedy; we have to change or die for good." These theories, this ignorance, is going on, and Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only movement which is trying to educate man to this standard of knowledge, that he may at least think that "I am not this body, as I understand from the śāstras. I am within the body. So how I can become free of this material body?" That is our real problem. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9].

So if we take it very seriously, then we become gradually advanced and eligible or fit candidate to go into the spiritual world-dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ. We can go there. That is wanted. Be serious. Don't be misled by the allurement of māyā. Remain strong. And then, in this life, you'll be able to become fit candidate to go back to home, back to Godhead. Dīvyad-vṛndāranya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ. You'll also be one of the associates of Kṛṣṇa, as you desire. Kṛṣṇa will give you the opportunity to serve Him as you desire. If you want to serve Him as a gopī, you'll get that position. If you want to serve Him as cowherds boyfriend, you'll get that opportunity. If you want to serve Kṛṣṇa following the footsteps of mother Yaśodā, accepting Kṛṣṇa as your son, you'll get it. Accepting Kṛṣṇa as your son, Nanda Mahārāja following… We have to follow their principles, not that "I shall become Nanda Mahārāja" or "I shall become Yaśodā," "I shall…" No, that is Māyāvāda. You have to follow how they are loving Kṛṣṇa. You have to learn that. Then you'll get the chance of Kṛṣṇa's association.

Dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ, preṣṭālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi. The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, generally, following the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they aspire to become one of the assistants of the gopīs. There are others also who like to be the assistants of the cowherd boys. So our Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, śrī rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa raghunātha, they were all the assistants of the gopīs. Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī-kallola-magnau muhur vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. These six Gosvāmīs, rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa raghunātha śrī jīva gopāla bhaṭṭa dāsa raghunātha, they were all very, very big men, not ordinary men-ministers, zamindars, learned scholars. They were not ordinary men. And they gave up everything. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was, they were ministers in the government of Hussain Shah. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was the only son of his father and uncle, very, very big zamindar, landholder. Twelve lakhs of rupees' income. Five hundred years twelve lakhs-twelve crores now. He was so rich man. Similarly, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, they were very, very learned. Jīva Gosvāmī was the nephew of Rūpa Gosvāmī, very learned scholar. So either scholar, rich men, big politician-all of them gave up their occupational, material occupational duty and joined Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His saṅkīrtana movement. So they were always absorbed in the gopīs' activities, always thinking. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was always thinking of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's activities, and the Gosvāmīs, they were also thinking of the gopīs' activities. Gopīs' activities means to assist Śrīmad-Rādhārāṇī how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Preṣṭālībhiḥ sevyamānau. They are always ready.

So in this way there is the description of the spiritual world. You just have a glimpse of the spiritual world, how they are perpetually enjoying blissful life with full knowledge. That is described here. Dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhah-śrīmad ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau. There the siṁhāsana, the throne, that is also spiritual. That is not material. Everything spiritual. Simply in different capacity they are serving. There the water is also spiritual. So this spiritual realization, if we get the opportunity fortunate enough, then naturally we shall aspire to enter into the spiritual world. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi' anācāra: "If you want to enter into this association of spiritual kingdom, then practice here the family of Kṛṣṇa." Just like here we are trying to be family members of Kṛṣṇa. Here Kṛṣṇa is sitting, Rādhā-Mādhava is sitting on the throne. He is the enjoyer, and we are trying to serve Him so that He may very nicely enjoy. This is called Kṛṣṇa family-center, Kṛṣṇa. Just like in ordinary family the head man is there, and he is the chief man, and all other-his wife, children, servants, and other friends, associates, even animals, cats, dogs, cows-everyone is serving the center point, master. Similarly, our Kṛṣṇa family means Kṛṣṇa is the master, and He is the supreme enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. And if we understand this point, that Kṛṣṇa is the center, He is the enjoyer, and we are meant for serving Him for His enjoyment, that is Kṛṣṇa family.

So we have to, according to the śāstric injunction, according to the spiritual master instruction, everywhere we have to organize this Kṛṣṇa family. So Kṛṣṇa family does not mean starvation. Kṛṣṇa family means to enjoy simply. Simply minus this material contamination. Chāḍi anācāra. Anācāra. Anācāra means not proper behavior. Proper behavior means to remain always pious, and improper behavior means to become impious, sinful. If you become sinful, then you cannot enter into the family of Kṛṣṇa; that is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā by Arjuna-paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. Pavitra. Pavitra means pure, completely pure, without any material contamination. So if you want to enter into Kṛṣṇa's family, then you have to become also completely pure. Otherwise, there is no chance. Completely pure of all material contamination. That can be done when we give up our designations. That can be done. If I think, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am vaiśya," "I am white," "I am black," these are upādhi, designations. And if we think like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "I am not this, I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya, I am not a śūdra, I am not a brahmacārī, I am not a…, not, not this, not this…" Then what you are? Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor' dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: [Cc. Madhya 13.80] "I am simply servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Then you'll remain pure. And as soon as you will think in the bodily concept of life, then you will remain impure. This is the process how to give up this bodily concept of life. That is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam.

So in this way, in one life we may practice how to become free from this material contamination and execute devotional service as it is prescribed in the śāstra and by the instruction of spiritual master. If we keep ourself pure without material contamination, then we become fit to enter into the family of Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.

Thank you very much. (end)

661227CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 3.87-88

New York, December 27, 1966

Prabhupāda:

tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ

sattvena sāttvikatayā prabalaiś ca śāstraiḥ

prakhyāta-daiva-paramārtha-vidāṁ mattaiś ca

naivāsura-prakṛtayaḥ prabhavanti boddhum

[Cc. Ādi 3.87]

Naiva… Na, "never," asura-prakṛtaya, "those who are atheistic mentality, atheistic consciousness…" They have decided not to believe in God, so it is very difficult. Those who have decided atheistic conclusion, they will never come to any argument. Otherwise to understand the science of God is not very difficult. If one is simple, he can understand. Everything is there. What are there? Tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭhaiḥ. When God comes in incarnation or He sends His representative to reclaim, they perform wonderful acts. They are not ordinary, common men. Either God or God's representative, they act in such a way that it is not possible for any common man. That is the particular symptom of God and God's representative.

So tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ. Parama means highest class superiority which is not possible for ordinary men. They take it as miracle or something, a story or allegory. But actually it is not. Just like when Lord Rāmacandra appeared, He made a bridge between India and Ceylon. There is no history in the world that one has made bridge over the ocean, Indian Ocean. And how the bridge was made? Not in the present, modern way, that making concrete on the ground and then pillars and then… No. The stones were floating. The Rāmacandra assistants, all the monkeys, what kind of engineers are they? They could bring, order, "Bring some stone." They had very good health. What is that? Gorilla. So they brought big, big stones, and they began to float. Now, one may inquire or may question, "How stone can float?" Why stone cannot float? If this big, big lump of matter, earthly planet and other planets, they are floating in the air, why the stone cannot float? If God likes, it will float. That is God desire. It is God's plan. Now, you can see that a ship on the ocean with 50,000 tons, it is floating. And take a grass and put it, or take a, I mean to say, a small needle. Put it on the ocean; it will go at once down. It is simply question of arrangement. A small needle will go down immediately to the depth of the sea, and a ship with 50,000 tons of loading, it is floating. So if a man can make such arrangement by some way or other that he can float a 50,000 tons of ship floating on this, I mean to say, ocean, is it not possible for God to float a stone on the ocean? Is there any reason to disbelieve it? There is no reason. And we can see. By God's energy these big, big lumps of planet, they are floating in the air. So as He likes… That is called omnipotency. If He likes, one thing will float. If He does not like, it will go down.

There is a very nice verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I cannot recite it, but the purport I can say that… Prahlāda Mahārāja was praying that "The parents care to the children is not sufficient to protect him. And medical help to a patient is not sufficient to cure a disease or cure a man. And the shipping arrangement on the sea is not sufficient to protect a man from going down." In this way he has given so many list that "The counteraction which we are trying to put in our impediments of progress, that is not sufficient if there is no will of God. If there is no will of God, then it is not sufficient protection." Perhaps you know, every one of you. It happened to your country-of course, long, long ago; I heard it from papers in India-that the Americans manufactured a ship, Titanic. (laughter) And it was considered the safest: it will never sink down. On the first voyage, with all important men, it sunk down. Is it a fact? So it is not that your arrangement is sufficient-unless there is God's desire.

Therefore the common saying is that "Man proposes; God disposes." Therefore a devotee, he never depends in himself. He never considers himself, "I am independent." He simply depends on the supreme will of the Lord. That is devotion. "If God desires… If Kṛṣṇa desires…" Whenever we used to ask our Guru Mahārāja something, "Is it going to be happened like that?" some work, he never said, "Yes, it is going to happen. Yes, we are going to do it." No. "Yes, if Kṛṣṇa desires, it may be." He never said like that, positively. "If Kṛṣṇa desires." Actually this is the fact. If Kṛṣṇa desires, God desires, anything wonderful can be done. If He does not desire, however you may try, it will never be done. So just like we are praying to Kṛṣṇa, if He desires, we'll have a nice house. If He does not desire, we may remain here. It doesn't matter. But we shall prosecute our business, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is nothing to stop, in whatever condition we may be. Ahaituky apratihatā. Devotional service is, I mean to say, without any impediment, apratihatā. Nothing can check it-that is devotional service-in any circumstances. No material circumstances can check your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When it is, you are firmly convinced and situated in that position, that is real bhakti-yoga. Nothing can disturb you. Nobody can say, "Oh, for this condition, now I am unable to prosecute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That means he was never in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nothing can check.

So tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ. So when incarnation of God comes, He performs wonderful acts. Like Kṛṣṇa-He performed wonderful acts. Leaving all things aside, simply if we take the Bhagavad-gītā, that wonderful philosophy… Nobody can deliver such… [break] There is no history in the world, no comparison, such full information of the science of God. And other acts we hear from…, just like in childhood He played so many wonderful things. So those who are surrendered, they believe and therefore they receive the desired result. Tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ. And the activities of God and His representative are described where? In scriptures, book of authority. Vyāsadeva had no business, or Śukadeva Gosvāmī had no business to describe some fiction, some allegory. Just like fools, they interpret śāstras, "This means this. This means that," according to their own…, as if God left for commentary of that fool, left everything for commentation for that fool. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā in the beginning it is stated, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ [Bg. 1.1]. Now, this dharma-kṣetra, kuru-kṣetra, is described by some eminent politician as this body. Now, there is no dictionary in the world where it is stated that kuru-kṣetra means this body, but still, he is interpreting in that way, as if Kṛṣṇa left for him that "In future kuru-kṣetra meaning will be disclosed by that fool."

So these things are going on. These things are going on. And people are captivated by nice explanation. Oh, the theory is that "Everyone can interpret in his own way, everyone is free, everyone is God," and everything, all nonsense. No. We should give up that nonsensical way of realizing God. We should learn from the authorized scripture. Sattvena sāttvikatayā prabalaiś ca śāstraiḥ. Śāstraiḥ, in the scriptures, they are described. Now, that scriptures are to be accepted without any argument. Without any argument… Just we have given the example of cow dung. The cow dung is stated as purest. In one place it is stated that "Stool of animal is impure. If anyone touches, he will have to take his bath and then purify himself." But for cow dung it is stated, "If there is any impure place, just smear over it cow dung and it will be all nice." Now, argument is, "How is that, that one place you say that stool of animal is impure, and again one place you say cow dung is pure?" That is not contradiction. That is actually the fact. And modern scientists have analyzed cow dung, and he has found it is full of antiseptic properties. It is God's wish. Now, take for example cow. What cow eating? Grass, dry grass. And what it is producing? It is producing the nicest thing, milk, full of vitamins. Now, if you think, "Oh, then a dry grass and straw contains all vitamins. Let me eat," you will die. You will die. It is God's arrangement. The cow can produce the most vitaminous foodstuff by eating the dry grass. It is God's desire. The cow will eat at least twenty pounds of grass, and how it can eat the grains? It is not possible. So just like elephant-it will eat hundred pounds of thing. He must eat all these branches and twigs. So everything is God's arrangement. We have to accept that. Sattvena sāttvikatayā prabalaiś ca śāstraiḥ.

So in the authoritative śāstra, the activities of God is mentioned there, and practically it is demonstrated when God is present. And prakhyāta-daiva-paramārtha-vidāṁ mataiś ca. Mata means opinion. Just like we try to take opinion from a person who is accepted. Just like you are selling your Back to Godhead by Ginsberg's name because he is popular. So similarly, there are popular representative, popular authors, just like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, Kumāra, Kapila, Manu. They have accepted. They have accepted. Even in the modern age, Śaṅkarācārya, he accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And what to speak of other ācāryas. They have… They are Vaiṣṇavas. They will naturally. So we have to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. So there are opinions of great scholars and stalwarts, and there is mention in the śāstra, in the scriptures. And the activities have shown practically. So these things are there. And still, those who are atheists, they will not do it. They will not do it.

Similarly, the other part is that,

ullaṅhita-trividha-sīma-samātīśāyi-

sambhāvanaṁ tava parivraḍhima-svabhāvam

māyā-balena bhavatāpi nighuḥyamānaṁ

paśyanti kecid aniśaṁ tvad-ananya-bhāvāḥ

[Cc. Ādi 3.89]

Similarly, God may hide Himself by His yogamāyā, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. Yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ. Just like the sun is covered by the glaring disk. You will find if you look into the sun disk you will find a one circle is moving like that. Similarly, in the Upaniṣad also, we find that the Supreme Lord is hidden within the brahmajyoti. The exact verse I forget just now. It is stated that "Please remove this cover so that I can see You actually." So within the brahmajyoti there is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So ordinarily people are amazed with simply brahmajyoti. They do not go deep into the matter. So ullaṅhita-trividha-sīma-samātīśāyi. God is beyond the limitation of our thinking and philosophical speculation. Sambhāvanaṁ tava parivraḍhima-svabhāvam: "Your very grave and confidential activities, it is very difficult to understand by ordinary men." Māyā-balena bhavatāpi niguhyamānam. Māyā-balena: "That yogamāyā, although it is covered in that way all Your activities," paśyanti, "somebody can see You." Paśyanty kecid aniśam: "Not sometimes or accidentally, but aniśam, continually, he can see You." Paśyanti kecid aniśam tvad-ananya-bhāvāḥ. Ananya-bhāvāḥ means "Those who have unflinching devotion unto You." They can see. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. Although God is covered in that way…

There is very good instance in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. While Kṛṣṇa was dancing with the vraja-gopīs, He all of a sudden disappeared and all the gopīs, they became mad after Him and began to search in the forest: "Where is Kṛṣṇa?" So Kṛṣṇa, at one place, He situated Himself as Viṣṇu, as Viṣṇu, with four hands. Then gopīs, in their search after Kṛṣṇa, they saw: "Here is Viṣṇu sitting." So they did not care. "Oh, He is Viṣṇu. We don't want." Now see. They are seeing Viṣṇu is sitting, but they do not care for Viṣṇu: "Oh, we don't want this." They do not care for even Viṣṇu. They are searching after Kṛṣṇa. And when Rādhārāṇī came, Kṛṣṇa could not hide Himself with four hands. He had to become two-handed. The Rādhārāṇī's love was so forceful that Kṛṣṇa could not retain His hiding, I mean to say, feature of Viṣṇu. So for other gopīs He could hide Himself, but they did not care. They simply offered their…, "Oh, Viṣṇu. All right." But they want Kṛṣṇa. But when Rādhārāṇī came, Kṛṣṇa could not hide Himself with His four hands. He became immediately two-handed as Kṛṣṇa.

So it is the force of love. It is the force of ecstasy that will help you in understanding the science of Kṛṣṇa, not other way. Not other. You cannot make a speculation; you cannot… Because what is your power of speculating power? Your senses are limited. In conditioned stage our power of, I mean to say, acquiring knowledge through the senses, that is limited. So by limited senses you cannot go. Therefore acintya. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Acintya. It is beyond our jurisdiction of thinking, understanding. So there is no other alternative than to follow this principle, follow this principle, to follow the opinion of ācārya. Ācāryopāsanam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, "If if you want to make progress in knowledge, then you have to follow." Ācāryopāsanam: "You have to worship ācārya." Ācāryopāsanam. In the Veda it is: ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Veda means knowledge, one who knows. Who knows? "Who has got ācārya to guide him." Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. So similarly, therefore, this Vedic system always gives us injunction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] "One must go to the authority." And how to become authority? There is no question of research, this research. Just like in the material world one becomes doctorate by research work, here there is no question of research. You simply have to accept what is stated in the Veda. That's all. That makes you all right. Research is already done. There is no question of taking trouble yourself. You simply accept. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You give up everything and surrender unto Me." And if we foolishly go on seeing, "Oh, why shall I surrender?" as some very learned commentator, "Not to Kṛṣṇa, but somebody else…" Not like that. Kṛṣṇa says, "Surrender." Surrender yourself and you will see how you are making progress. That is the thing. Kṛṣṇa says, "You surrender." You surrender. That will make you happy. There is no question, "All right. Let me research, make research whether by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa I shall be happy." Go on. You can. If you want, you can go on researching. But you will never be successful to… Even in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ [Bs. 5.34] If you make research in a speed, and the speed is stated, koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām… Just like if you want to cover a path which is very long, and how you measure its length? Now, by research. What is that research? Now, you go on by force. What is that force? The force of mind and force of velocity of the wind, velocity of the wind and velocity of the mind. And you push on in that way for ten millions or more than years in that way, still, you will find avicintya: you have not reached the goal. Research. If you make your research in such a speed and for many millions of years, still, avicintya-tattva, still it will be inconceivable.

So the best thing is that to believe it, and accept the opinion of authorities, and believe by the activities of God and His incarnation, and submit yourself to get the thing. That's all.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

740301CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.1

Māyāpur, March 1, 1974

Pradyumna: Translation: "Let me first offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the ultimate goal of life for one bereft of all possessions in this material world and is the only meaning for one advancing in spiritual life. Thus let me write about His magnanimous contribution of devotional service in love of God."

Prabhupāda:

agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā

hīnārthādhika-sādhakam

śrī-caitanyaṁ likhyate asya

prema-bhakti-vadānyatā

[Cc. Ādi 7.1]

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu… This is the place of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, appearance site of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīdhāma Māyāpur. So in this place this is the appropriate literature, Śrī-caitanya-caritāmṛta. We may try to discuss during these holy days. Last year some gentleman suggested, after seeing my all literatures, that "You kindly write a translation of Śrī-Caitanya-caritāmṛta." He thought that this business I can do very nicely. So I took the initiation from this gentleman and began to write. Now it is almost complete. I am now translating Madhya-līlā, Twentieth chapter, the discussion, 'sanātana-śikṣā.' So it is estimated that ten volumes like this… (aside:) You think like that? Ten volumes like this, that will complete Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the postgraduate study of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Bhagavad-gītā is the A-B-C-D to entrance, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the graduate study, and Śrī-Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the postgraduate study of spiritual life. My Guru Mahārāja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, whenever he got some time he used to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta. And he predicted that the whole world like to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and for this reason they'll learn Bengali. Therefore, following his footsteps, I have kept the Bengali character and tried to give the literary meaning of each word of the Bengali poem. This is, of course, Sanskrit. This book is full of Sanskrit verses. Some of them are composed by the author himself, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, and some of them are quoted from various literature, Vedic literature.

So the author is accepting Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, agaty-eka-gatim. Agati. Agati means… Gati means movement, and gati means also destination. So agati. At the present moment, especially in this age of Kali, people are not moving. Moving means… We are moving. This moving is not very good. Moving means material movement. Moving… We are not… Not that we are not moving, but we are moving, but agati-we do not know what is the destination of the movement in this age. The trees are not moving, but we are moving. But that movement has not very much improved our condition. Real movement means to go forward to reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim. Svārtha-gatim. This gatim again. As it is said gatim, the same word is used in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, svārtha-gatim. Why one should move? Unless one knows the destination, the goal of life, why one should move forward? So at the present moment they are moving, but they do not know which side they should move. That is the defect of this age, Kali-yuga. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ, sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ. Because they are moving, but not very rapidly… The real purpose of movement is svārtha-gatim, Viṣṇu. That they do not know. They do not know. The materialistic world, at the present moment, that they do not know that where the movement should terminate, where is the destination. That they do not know. Na te svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum, na te viduḥ. Na te. Not only in this age, that is the state of material life. Those who are passing in materialistic way of life, they are thinking that sense gratification is the ultimate goal of life, indriya-prītaye. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti [SB 5.5.4]. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ. They have become mad, pramattaḥ. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. Movement means we are doing something, not inactive, just like stone. [break] But we are doing something. That is called movement. But what kinds of activities we are doing? Because we are madness-we are mad after sense gratification… Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Vikarma means things which we should not do. Karma means prescribed duties, and vikarma means actions which are not prescribed, whimsical, simply for sense gratification. That is called vikarma. Karma, vikarma, akarma. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Why? Yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. Indriya-prītaye means for satisfaction of the senses. In the Kali-yuga, for satisfaction of the senses one can do anything, any horrible thing, abominable thing. That is called rascaldom. They do not know what to do. So Ṛṣabhadeva says this is not good. If simply for sense gratification you are acting so whimsically, as you like, as you please, this process of activities, or gati, is not good. Na sādhu manye, Ṛṣabhadeva says, "Oh, it is not good." Why it is not good? Now, yata… "Because, you just try to understand, you have got this body on account of your past misdeeds, this body, this material body." These rascals, they do not know. They think that "If I get a body of a king or a rich man, that is my success." But that is not success, because you may get a king's body or very exalted body this life, but you have to change this body. That is…, you will be forced. Suppose you are very in exalted position, you are minister or king or some…, but you'll not be allowed to stay. But these foolish persons, they do not know. They do not try to understand that "What is my next position?" Therefore they are called mad. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vi… Madman doing, he does not know what is the ultimate goal because they do not know that there is life after death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]. They do not know that. Therefore they are mad after this sense gratification.

Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says that na sādhu manye. He was instructing His sons, "My dear boys, this kind of life, irresponsible life, to do anything and everything for sense gratification, is not very good." Why? "Now, because you are creating another body." You have already got experience of this body. It is full of miseries, adhyātmikā, adhi (?), adhibhautika, three kinds of miserable condition of life. Beyond that, there is ultimate miseries. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. But they are so rascals, they do not know how death taking place, what is after death, what is mṛtyu, what is death, what is birth, what is disease, whether they can be cured, when one can be free from all these troubles. They do not bother. Therefore in this age it is said that,

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ (sabhya)

kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ

mandāḥ sumanda-matayo

manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ

[SB 1.1.10]

Especially in this age the people are manda-bhāgyā, unfortunate. We have got so much assets to know from the Vedic literature, but they are so unfortunate, they do not take advantage. They do not take advantage. Manda, manda. Manda, slow, and manda-bhāgyā. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. They'll read so many bogus literature to waste their time, but they'll not take to the Vedic literature, even the simple book, Bhagavad-gītā, wherein everything is very nicely described, how we should lead our life, how we should utilize the benefit of human life. Everything is described there, but they are manda. They will take interpretation of a rascal of Bhagavad-gītā. Sumanda-matayo. Even they read Bhagavad-gītā, they will read some rascaldom. Sumanda-matayo. The Māyāvādī philosophy, they will take it, not Kṛṣṇa's philosophy. They are reading Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa's book, but interpreting in the Māyāvādīc way. Therefore sumanda-matayo. Their intelligence is very bad. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā. And the unfortunate. In India there are so many Vedic literatures, full of treasure house of transcendental knowledge. But manda-bhāgyās they will read Lenin's literature. Just see how much unfortunate they have become. As if Lenin can speak more than Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. Manda… Not only here, everywhere, all the parts of the world, they are manda-bhāgyā. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ [SB 1.1.10]. At the same time, they are disturbed by so many conditions. Just like at the present moment there is no rice, no wheat, no food. The agitation is… Manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ. Upadrutāḥ. They must be disturbed because they have not taken the right path.

Therefore, it is concluded here by the author, agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā [Cc. Ādi 7.1]. If we take the path of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then-we are embarrassed in so many ways-we can get the light. We can get the light. We can reform our life. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching is so nice. Of course, the great author Kavirāja Gosvāmī has depicted the activities and teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and this Māyāpur is the birthsite of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Five hundred years, 488 years ago, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu traveled on this street. Now, still, that memory is going to be revived by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world because Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted this.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

So His prediction is coming to be true. (aside:) Who is talking? His prediction is coming to be true. Now you European and American, African and Australian, so many, all parts of the world, you have come. This is due to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's desire. He wanted it. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. He wanted to be famous, to become famous, and people should thank Him. He wanted that. He told that, that "When they will know My philosophy"-that is the desire of Śrī Caitanya-"they'll thank Me." And actually you are already thanking Him by getting the sublime instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. What is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction. It is the same instruction as Kṛṣṇa gave. Kṛṣṇa wanted sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is Kṛṣṇa's mission. Because it is the duty of the living entity because they are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, it is the duty of everyone to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa. That is the duty. Jīvera svarūpa haya nityera… [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. This is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa wanted that you should all surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that your real constitution position is eternal servitude of Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa's instruction and Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, because He is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī said, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te, kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. Here is also said, vadānyatā. Prema-bhakti-vadānyatā, vadānyatā.

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Vadānya means most magnanimous. People could not understand Kṛṣṇa. Although He advised personally in the Bhagavad-gītā that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam [Bg. 18.66], they are so rascal-avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.11]-they thought that "Kṛṣṇa is ordinary person, maybe little learned or little powerful." But they did not take up Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even big, big authors, scholars, they cannot understand. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu-He is Kṛṣṇa Himself-came again to teach us Kṛṣṇa consciousness for our benefit. Therefore He is mahā-vadānyāvatāra. So if we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, we must try to understand Kṛṣṇa through Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then it will be very easy to understand. Other people, they do not try to understand Kṛṣṇa through Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They try to understand Kṛṣṇa directly; therefore they fail to understand. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Yatatām api siddhānām. So Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood by ordinary way. Kṛṣṇa can be understood only through one way, not many ways. What is that one way? Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. Only bhakti. So that bhakti, here is it said, prema-bhakti-vadānyatā. This Caitanya-caritāmṛta is… [break]

…vṛndāvanam, and as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us personally, going to Vṛndāvana and asking His disciple, Rūpa-Sanātana, to exhibit it and manifest the glories of Vṛndāvana, so in Vṛndāvana the Gosvāmīs constructed temples. The present city is due to these Gosvāmīs, or Śrī Caitanya. Present city of Vṛndāvana or present importance of Vṛndāvana is due to Śrī Caitanya. Otherwise people forgot it. It was lying vacant, a big tract of land only. But these Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, enunciated by, initiated by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī… Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that,

rūpa raghunātha pade haibe ākuti

kabe hāma bhujaba sei yugala-pīriti

Vṛndāvana means Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa's activities, pastimes. So that is the destiny of life. That is the real goal. As Śrī Caitanya…, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, that manuṣya janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu. One who has got this human form of life, if he does not understand what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, his life is spoiled. Jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu: knowingly they're eating poison, because by coming in contact with Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa they can go back to home, back to Godhead, and there will be no more janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9]. Such opportunity is human life, simply to understand Rādhā Kṛṣṇa. And therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is mahā-vadānyāvatāra, because He is teaching about the love of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and teaching everyone kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāyate, real destination of life, how to achieve kṛṣṇa-prema, and He's personally teaching. Namo mahā-vadānyāya. Rūpa Gosvāmī understood it: "Here is namo mahā-vadānyāya, most magnanimous incarnation."

Similarly, Locana dāsa Ṭhākura has sung,

parama karuṇa, pahū dui-jana,

nitāi-gauracandra

saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi,

kevala ānanda-kanda

Kevala ānanda-kanda, parama-karuṇa: "There are many incarnation, but no better incarnation, no magnanimous incarnation, like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu." Nityānanda Prabhu is always… Vrajenda-nandana yei, śaci-suta haila sei, balarāma haila nitāi. Nitāi-Gaura means-Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who was formerly Kṛṣṇa… He's Kṛṣṇa still. Just for our understanding… As we think that "I had my former life"-actually I had-but that former life is finished; I am now a new life. But in case of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is not like that. It is simultaneously existing. Kṛṣṇa is also existing, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu also existing. The example is given in this connection, just like the sun. Now it is not visible in India, the sun. But other part, in America, it is visible. So sun is there, but it is not visible at the present moment in India. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is there, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is there. Their pastimes are there, it is going on, but it is now not visible in this part of the universe. There are innumerable universes, so by rotation Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes to a particular universe at a certain period. Just like the sun will rise again, tomorrow morning, at six p.m., at six a.m., similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Kṛṣṇa and all His incarnation, they are rotating regularly. That is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu-kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu

kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.39]

So Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, and innumerable incarnation… These incarnation have been compared just like the flow of waves. If you sit down on the riverside or on the oceanside, if you want to count how many waves are there, it is impossible. They are coming regularly, day and night. That is not possible. Similarly, how many incarnations are there, it is impossible for us. Our knowledge is not so unlimited. Therefore we cannot understand. So in this way incarnations are coming.

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the topmost incarnation.

parama karuṇa, pahū dui-jana,

nitāi-gauracandra

saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi,

kevala ānanda-kanda

Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi. There are many incarnations, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is the most magnanimous incarnation, because in other incarnation… Just like Lord Rāmacandra. The culprit, the criminal or the sinful demon, Rāvaṇa, he was killed. Kṛṣṇa also, when He appeared, He killed so many demons. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, demons like Jagāi and Mādhāi, did not kill them but delivered them to become the best type of Vaiṣṇava. This is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation magnanimity. What He will kill? These demons are petty demons. They can be killed only by slap. So it is not very difficult to kill them, to call for sudarśana-cakra or any deadly weapon. They are already killed. There is no food. How they will work? How they will fight? So it is not possible. So it is to kill the dead man. Now, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu incarnation, if they want to kill them, they are already dead. To give them life again is Kṛṣṇa's or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's special gift. Therefore it is said, śrī caitanya, prema-bhakti-vadānyatā, His magnanimity. He delivered by His personal example Jagāi Mādhāi. And Jagāi Mādhāi, they were born in nice brāhmaṇa family, rich family, but they were drunkard and meat-eaters and woman-hunters. That is their fault. And for this purpose they can do anything and everything. They were doing that. So the whole world is now all drunkard and woman hunter meat-eater. Especially in India, although it was unknown, now the government is teaching how to drink wine, how to eat beef and how to… This is going on.

So now the whole world is full of Jagāi-Mādhāis. That is a fact. Now, by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they can be delivered. How they can be delivered? That is being instructed by the author, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, by personally behaving. Agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā hīnārthādhika-sādhakam [Cc. Ādi 7.1]. Hīnārtha, those who are dispossessed of all good qualities. Hīnārtha. Artha. Artha means possession, money. Artha, anartha, and paramārtha. So paramārtha, there is no question of paramārtha. Even they have no artha, ordinary riches, all poor men. You see in the street, not only… Here, of course, we are poor country, but in your country also, they are also hippies. Unnecessarily they have become poor. Here, by circumstantially they have become poor like wretched person, loitering in the street. Now, while I was coming and I was thinking that formerly when we used to go through the street we could see so many nice confectioners shop. But at the time here there is a tea shop. Tea shop and dry leaf, that's all. You cannot get any good food-no more kacaurīs, śṛṅgāra rasagullā, no more. Finished, all finished. Therefore hīnārtha hīnārtha. They are very, very poor. They cannot pay. Even there is such shop… Still there are such shop like Dvārakā, what is, Dhari Ghosa and Bhinna, but they can be taken advantage of, a few people, a few richer section. But formerly even a poor man could eat nice food from purchasing from the confectioner. But daily, daily they are becoming poorer, poorer. Hīna artha. Hīna means devoid of artha, money. So that is another qualification. Another qualification means those who are poorer, they can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very easily. The richer section, they are very proud that "We have got money." But in India even richer section, they were devotees, and still they are devotees. But mostly people, they have become hīna artha, without any money. So for them this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very, very easy. Take advantage of it. Take advantage of it. Hīnārthādhika-sādhakam. Adhika means greater. Adhika-sādhakam. Śrī-caitanya likhyate asya prema-bhakti-vadānyatā.

Therefore Śrī Kavirāja Gosvāmī is attempting to describe about the magnanimity of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's birthsite is there, and the annual 488th birth anniversary is going to be held on the 8th March, so I am very glad. I welcome you from all countries. You have taken so much labor to come here. Take advantage of the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu described by the fittest author, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, and we have tried to translate it as far as possible. Let us discuss.

Thank you very much. (end)

750301CC.ATL

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.1

Atlanta, March 1, 1975

Nitāi: "Let me first offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the ultimate goal of life for one bereft of all possessions in this material world and is the only meaning for one advancing in spiritual life. Thus let me write about His magnanimous contribution of devotional service in love of God."

Prabhupāda:

agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā

hīnārthādhika-sādhakam

śrī-caitanyaṁ likhyate 'sya

prema-bhakti-vadānyatā

[Cc. Ādi 7.1]

So Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī is writing Caitanya-caritāmṛta. In each chapter he composes a new verse offering his obeisances to the Lord. So in this Seventh Chapter of Ādi-līlā he also offers his respect. He began his writing of Caitanya-caritāmṛta when he was as old as ninety years old in Vṛndāvana by the order of the Vaiṣṇavas and confirmed by Śrī Madana-mohana. So this is the process. One should not be writing in spiritual subject matter without being authorized by some superior authority. It is not ordinary writing. The writing on spiritual subject matter is authoritative. By the order of superior authority, one can write. It is not speculation. Therefore he said that śrī-caitanyaṁ likhyate asya: "By the order of superior authority, I am trying to describe Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu." And what is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Prema-bhakti-vadānyatā. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is preaching prema, means love of Godhead. That is the only necessity to understand in human form of life. Premā pumartho mahān.

There are other necessities for those who are not devotees. Those necessities are dharma artha kāma mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90]. Generally, in the material world everyone has necessity of gratifying his senses. So sometimes, under the cover of religiosity, they want to satisfy senses. The same thing… Just like one goes to church or temple to mitigate some material necessities. Just like the Christians go to the church for meeting the problems of bread; similarly, the Hindus or the Muslim, everyone goes to church, temple or mosque to pray something material: "God, I am very distressed. Kindly get me relief from this distressed condition." Or "God, I am in need of money, I am very poor. Kindly give me some money." Or any other, "I am now implicated in war." Just like Churchill, he introduced that everyone should go and pray for victory. So England was also praying for victory, and Germany was also praying for victory. So (chuckles) God is perplexed. (laughter) The thief is praying to God that "This night, I may steal without any hindrances." And the householder is praying, "My Lord, thief may not come here and steal my goods." And God has to adjust everything. So just imagine how much busy is God. There are millions and trillions of living entities. Each one of them, if they are at all interested in God-not all-so they are praying. Everyone is praying, "God, give me this benediction. Give me this benediction." So this is not pure devotional service. For some material profit, one should not become a religious person or devotee of God. Of course, it is better than the person who is not at all interested in God. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ arjuna. Unless one is pious, he cannot approach God.

So one should be pious and without any motive, not only pious. Pious is the first condition, who can approach God; otherwise he does not. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. These classes of men, duṣkṛtina, miscreants, always committing sinful activities, duṣkṛtina; and mūḍha, rascals, fools; and narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind; māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, whose knowledge has been taken away by māyā-such demonic person do not surrender to God. But pious man who has got background, pious activities, such person, when they are distressed, they approach God. They know that God is friend of all living entities. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 5.29]. Actually, He is the friend. As friend, He is living with the soul as Supersoul. That is stated in the Vedas, that two birds are sitting on the same tree. The tree, this is the tree. This body is tree, and one bird is the individual soul, and the other bird is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supersoul. So God is always accompanying the individual soul to turn him back to home, back to Godhead. He is so nice friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. So if we want peace, then we should understand that "Here is my friend, the supreme friend." Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. "He is guiding me. So why I am praying to Him for some benefit? He knows my necessities. He will supply if it is required. Why shall I bother Him with prayers granting something, 'Please give me this, give me this'?" There is no necessity. God is omniscient. He knows. And He says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I know the necessities of My devotee, and I supply them." Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham [Bg. 9.22]. Two things are there: one thing, to possess something which we do not have; and we want to protect what we have got. So Kṛṣṇa says, "Both the things… I give protection of My devotee, whatever he has got, and I supply him whatever he hasn't got." Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham [Bg. 9.22]. He is supplying everyone, but especially to the devotees. That is his special job.

Here Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very, very magnanimous. He is, without asking, He is offering the best benefit, Kṛṣṇa-prema. So best objective… Our objective, of life should be to understand God. If we, in this life, if we simply understand what is God and what is my relationship with, and begin to act like that, then also our life is successful. Even if we cannot finish the whole job or we fall down from the platform of devotional service, still, we are not loser. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer patet tato yadi bhajann apakvaḥ atha [SB 1.5.17]. This devotional service is the process. Requires some time to fulfill the whole job and become perfect. But even becoming…, before becoming perfect, one falls down, he is not loser. The service is so transcendental that whatever you have done, that is your asset. And if you stop, so that is not good, but even if you stop, whatever you have done already, that is your permanent asset. This is the benefit of devotional service. Material thing, if you cannot do it perfectly well, whatever you have done, that is all lost. But in spiritual, whatever you have done, one percent, two percent, three percent, as you have done, that is not lost. Therefore the śāstra says that those who are not devotees, what is their profit? Even they are doing their duties very nicely, what is the profit? Because he remains under the stringent laws of nature. Suppose this life I have done my duty as a politician very nicely, but the next life I become a dog. Then what is the benefit? What is the benefit? To become next life as a dog or god, that will not depend on you; that will depend on the nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. It is being automatically done. Two plus two equal to four. Similarly, whatever we are doing, we are preparing for the next life. Karmaṇa. Simply material nature has to give you a post: "Now you have done like this. Take this post." You cannot deny. You cannot say, "No, no, I don't like this post." No, you have to take it. So for the karmīs, even they have done their so-called duties very perfectly well, what is the profit? There is no profit, because we are under the control of material nature. But the devotees, whatever little service they have done, that is permanent asset. That is not controlled by nature. That is controlled by God.

And He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate [Bg. 6.41]. Bhraṣṭaḥ means one who is fallen from this devotional service. So for them also, it is guaranteed a human life. Not only human life, but in very good family. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. Śucīnām means by perfectly well behaved, cleansed family, brāhmaṇa family. Śucīnām. Śuci means very clean. So you are becoming all brāhmaṇas. You must remain always very clean. Śucīnām, that is called śuci. And muci means unclean, cobbler. Śuci and muci. So don't become muci. (laughter) Yes. Uncleanliness is muci, cobbler. They are dealing always with skin, and bad smell, and no bathing. So in our country, muci, the cobbler, is taken as the lowest of the mankind, narādhamāḥ, because their business is when the cow dies, so the mucis are prepared to take away the dead cow or bull. They eat the flesh, and they take out the skin and the bones for their business. Muci prepare shoes. He gets the skin for nothing, without any payment. He doesn't have to invest his capital, and he nicely cleanses it, tans, and then prepares shoes and sell in the market. So get the money. And the muci class, they eat this flesh, meat. But they are given the opportunity when the cow is dead, not by slaughterhouse. That is not in the Vedic scripture. The dead animal, you can eat. Those who are fond of eating fish and meat, they can eat when the animal is dead. Not killing. That is not very good thing. So the muci class, their business is to take the dead… After all, everyone will die. The animal will die also. Even if we keep the cows, don't kill, it will die. So some cow is dying here, some cow is dying there. Just like the vulture, they eat dead body. So dead body must be there. So they have no scarcity of dead bodies. They can find out dead body. They go three miles above to find out where is the dead body. So that is also sense gratification. So in this way there are classes, śuci and muci. Śuci is the first-class, cleansed internally and externally human being, and the muci means the low class, very unclean, eating the dead meat, cows and bulls. So Kṛṣṇa says, "Even one is fallen, he gets his birth in the family of śuci." Śucīnām. Just like in our society there are small children. You see their behavior. They are coming, offering flower, offering obeisances. That means they are not ordinary children. They have got the opportunity to take birth in the family of Vaiṣṇava, father Vaiṣṇava, mother Vaiṣṇava. And he is getting the opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning of life. This is called śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe [Bg. 6.41].

So if one is fallen from devotional service, he is offered again the opportunity to take birth in the human society. And not only ordinary human being, but devotee, very cleansed, or, next to that, very rich family. These are the two opportunities for the fallen devotees, and what to speak of those who are not fallen. Just imagine. Those who are not fallen, they go directly. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9]. Immediately they are transferred to the spiritual world after giving up this body. And those who are fallen, they are not immediately transferred, but they are given the chance again for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness and being transferred, transferred to the spiritual world, because one who takes birth in the family of Vaiṣṇava and pure brāhmaṇa, he gets the chance again. Just like these children are getting chance again-deity worship, offering to the Vaiṣṇava obeisances, offering some flower, dancing, chanting. He is again getting the opportunity. Although he was fallen in his last birth, that fallen is not so serious. He has got again human body, and he has got chance to be associate with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And rich man. Rich man means… Everyone is embarrassed with the maintenance of body. So if one is not embarrassed… To take birth in rich family means he has nothing to think of maintenance. Just like one of our devotee, Mr. Alfred Ford, he is the great-grandson of Mr. Henry Ford. He has given us one big house in Honolulu. The boy came to see me, very nice boy. So this is śrīmatāṁ gehe, born in rich family, and he has got the opportunity to give something for the service of the Lord. So either you are born in rich family or in poor Vaiṣṇava family, you are not loser. So we should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and try to introduce it very nicely, and even though we fall, there is no loss. The human life is guaranteed and in very good family. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So here it is said, hīnārthādhika-sādhakaṁ śrī-caitanyam. [break] Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very kind to the fallen souls. His special mission is to reclaim the fallen souls. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Reclaim the fallen souls means in this age of Kali, almost 99.9%, they are all fallen. Their qualification is mandāḥ. Mandāḥ means they do not know that the human life is meant for qualifying oneself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spiritual consciousness. They do not know. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10]. Even one is interested about spiritual consciousness, they accept some bogus theory. So many yogis, swamis, all bluffer, they will take care. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. Because Kali-yuga, they are already sophisticated, bewildered, and these people come to cheat, they fall the prey of these cheaters. Sumanda-matayo. Anyone who is preaching something else other than God consciousness, he is a cheater. He is a cheater. Sumanda-matayo. Because real progress of life is to become God conscious. That is the real progress. And without God consciousness, the so-called yogis, so-called meditation… What is this meditation? What is the profit? Simply some bogus propaganda. It has no value. Real progress of life is to know what is God and what is my relationship with Him and how to act in that relationship. That is real life. But they do not know it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know it. They think, "By this yoga practice, I shall be perfect, my material condition will be improved," and so on, so on. They have got their own theories and… But that is not progress of life. There are many rich men, many karmīs. Without practicing yoga, they are having material comforts. So spiritual life does not mean that one is improved in material, conditioned life. Spiritual life means spiritual advancement. But people take it that "Take to religion means to give impetus to our material life." Dharma artha kāma mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90]. And when they are disgusted, they want mokṣa. Mokṣa means to become one with the Lord. So these things are going on. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to save all these fallen souls. Hīnārtha. Hīnārthādhika-sādhakam. The more one is fallen, he is the better candidate for accepting the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, patita-pāvana-hetu, tava avatāra: "My Lord, You have incarnated to reclaim the fallen." Patita-pāvana-hetu tava avatāra, mo sama patita prabhu, nā pāibe āra: "If that is Your mission, then I am the most fallen. So my claim is first to receive Your favor because Your mission is to show favor to the fallen. So I am the most fallen. So kindly accept me." In this way he has sung. And that is stated here, hīnārthādhika-sādhakaṁ śrī-caitanyam.

So (reading:) "A person in the conditional stage of material existence is in an atmosphere of helplessness. But the conditioned soul, under the illusion of māyā or the external energy, thinks that he is completely protected by his country, society, friendship and love, not knowing that at the time of death none of these can save him." This is called māyā. But he does not believe. Under the illusion of māyā, he does not also believe that what is the meaning of saving. Saving. Saving means saving oneself from this repetition, cycle of birth and death. That is real saving. But they do not know. (reading:) "The laws of material nature are so strong that none of our material possessions can save us from the cruel hands of death." Everyone knows it. And that is our real problem. Who is not afraid of death? Everyone is afraid of death. Why? Because any living entity, he is not meant for dying. He is eternal; therefore birth, death, old age and disease, these things are botheration for him. Because he is eternal, he does not take birth, na jāyate, and one who does not take birth, he has no death also, na mriyate kadācit. This is our actual position. Therefore we are afraid of death. That is our natural inclination.

So to save us from death… That is the first business of humankind. We are teaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement for this purpose only. That should be the purpose of everyone. That is the sastric injunction. Those who are guardians… The government, the father, the teacher, they are guardians of the children. They should know it, how to give protection to the world's… Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta mṛtyum. So where is this philosophy all, over the world? There is no such philosophy. This is the only, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, which is putting forward this philosophy, not whimsically but from authorized śāstra, Vedic literature, authorities. So that is our request. We are opening different centers all over the world for the benefit of the human society that they do not know the aim of life, they do not know that there is next life after death. These things they do not know. So we are trying to educate them that "There is next life undoubtedly, and you can prepare your next life in this life. You can go to the higher planetary system for better comfort, material comfort. You can remain here in a secure position." Secure means this material life. Just like it is said,

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā

mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām

[Bg. 9.25]

So you can prepare yourself for better life in the heavenly planets or in a better society in this world or to go to the planets where ghost and other wretches are controlling. Or you can go to the planet where Kṛṣṇa is there. Everything is open to you. Yānti bhūtejyā bhūtāni mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. Simply you have to prepare yourself. Just like in youth life they are educated-somebody is going to be engineer, somebody is going to be medical man, somebody is going to be lawyer and many other professional man-and they are preparing by education, similarly, you can prepare for your next life. This is not difficult to understand.

But they do not believe in the next life, although it is very common sense. Actually there is next life because Kṛṣṇa says, and we can understand the philosophy by a little intelligence that there is next life. So our proposition is that "If you have got to prepare yourself for the next life, then why don't you take the trouble of preparing for going back to home, back to Godhead?" This is our proposition. You can prepare yourself to go to hell or heaven. That doesn't matter because that is also temporary. Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viṣanti. After you have finished… Just like you may go to jail or to somewhere else. When your visa or time is finished, then you are free from such life. Similarly, even if we go to the heavenly planet, when the resultant action of our pious activities are finished, then again we are turned down here. So in this way sometimes higher planetary, sometimes lower planetary, we are traveling. Therefore our best business is: "Why not go back to home, back to Godhead?" Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mam: [Bg. 9.25] "Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he comes to Me." So why not go to Kṛṣṇa? Then the question will be: "What is the benefit of going to Kṛṣṇaloka? What is the difference between going to heavenly planet or any other planet and going to Kṛṣṇa?" The difference is, any planet go, you are under the four material regulation, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: [Bg. 13.9] birth, death, old age and disease. But if you go to Kṛṣṇa… Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. If you go to Kṛṣṇa, then you don't get any more chance to come down and take a material body. You can live there eternally blissful life of knowledge. That is the difference.

So any intelligent man should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, cultivate the Kṛṣṇa conscious business and go back to home, back to Godhead, for eternal life. This mission we are preaching all over the world because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted it. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to deliver the fallen souls from the clutches of māyā and take them back to home, back to Godhead. As Kṛṣṇa came, He also… His mission was this. Bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam ādigacchati. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma [Bg. 15.6]. He is also giving information, "You come to Me. Live there eternally, with bliss and knowledge. Why you are rotting in this material world?" So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has come with the same mission. His mission is not different from Kṛṣṇa because He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. So His mission is to offer prema, bhakti. Prema-bhakti-vadānyatā. That is His magnanimity. Śrī Kṛṣṇa did not offer prema. That is also prema, the preliminary condition. He said surrender. Surrender means beginning of prema. Unless I have got love for you, why shall I surrender to you? So that is the beginning of love, surrender. So He demanded so much. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind and magnanimous that in course of His chanting and dancing, He embraced everyone and gave him Kṛṣṇa-prema. That is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's magnanimity. Therefore Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has offered his prayer to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: [Cc. Madhya 19.53] "People cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, and You are giving love of Kṛṣṇa." If you don't know anybody, how you can develop love for him? So just imagine how much magnanimous is Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is giving such a nice process, that chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, be purified-immediately you become free from this material bondage and begin your loving service to Kṛṣṇa. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift.

So therefore the author is writing that… (end)

740302CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.2

Māyāpur, March 2, 1974

Devotee: "Let me offer glorification to the Supreme Lord, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One who has taken shelter of His lotus feet is the most glorified person."

Prabhupāda:

jaya jaya mahāprabhu śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya

tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita sei baḍa dhanya

[Cc. Ādi 7.2]

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī dictated this verse:

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne…

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

He's Kṛṣṇa Himself. In this Kali-yuga, Kṛṣṇa's direct identification, incarnation, is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is also confirmed in all the Vedic literature-Mahābhārata, Purāṇa, Upaniṣad-and the essence of all Vedic literature is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There is also Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He's accepted as the Supreme Lord.

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñair saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

[SB 11.5.32]

This is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa is, by His bodily complexion, akṛṣṇa. Akṛṣṇa means "not kṛṣṇa." The "not kṛṣṇa" means there are many other colors. So in the śāstra it is said that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears in the four yugas in four different colors: śukla raktas tathā pītaḥ idānīṁ kṛṣṇataṁ gataḥ.

When Kṛṣṇa was born, Gargamuni, the family priest… It is the system among the Vedic culturalists that as soon as a child is born, immediately his horoscope is made and his past, future is calculated. Janma-grasthi (?). So that function, on account of poverty and many other causes, nobody practically practices. But this is also one of the saṁskāra. Before birth there is saṁskāra, garbhādhāna saṁskāra. While the child is within the womb, there is saṁskāra. In this way, a human body is purified by different kinds of saṁskāras, or purificatory methods. Daśabhidasaṁskāra. Saṁskārād bhaved dvija. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. If in… Anyone is born by father and mother, even cats and dogs they have got father and mother. Any life you get, there is father and mother. Therefore in the Prema-vivarta there is a śloka:

janame janame sabe pitā-mātā pāya

kṛṣṇa guru nahi mile bhaja hari ei

In any birth, you'll get father, mother. That is not a very difficult thing. Without father and mother there is no birth. So to get father and mother is usual. It is not very difficult. But, kṛṣṇa guru nahi mile bhaja hari ei: in every birth, you cannot get Kṛṣṇa or you cannot get bona fide spiritual master. Kṛṣṇa guru nahi mile bhaja hari ei. Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. These are the statements of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Those who have read Caitanya-caritāmṛta, they know it. So, perfection of human life is possible by the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. And that mercy can be achieved in the human form of life, not in the life of cats and dogs. Therefore it is said, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is acting both as guru and Kṛṣṇa-combination of guru and Kṛṣṇa.

So, Kavirāja Gosvāmī the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he first offered his obeisances to Lord Caitanya in the first verse, agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā [Cc. Ādi 7.1]. After offering obeisances to the Supreme Lord, who is the only hope for the hopeless, now he's again offering, jaya jaya mahāprabhu śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya. Prabhu and Mahāprabhu. Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu. Any Vaiṣṇava is addressed as prabhu, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Mahāprabhu, the topmost prabhu, the master prabhu. All others are servant prabhu. Just like, it is very easy to understand: if you are working in an office, your immediate boss, you consider him as your master, but he's not the master. The master of the office is the managing director, manager or the proprietor. But still those who are working under him, sub-prabhus, they are also called prabhu. So all Vaiṣṇava should be addressed as prabhu; that is the etiquette. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Mahāprabhu. As soon as you utter the name of Śrī Caitanya, the Mahāprabhu… Because He's the greatest master. That will be explained in the few next verse,

ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya

yāre yaiche nācāya, se taiche kare nṛtya

[Cc. Ādi 5.142]

We are simply dancing in this material world. We are trying to be master of the material world. Everyone is trying. Everyone wants to exploit the resources of the material nature. He wants to become master. That is the struggle for existence. I am trying to become master, you are trying to become master, so there is clash, there is collision. I am challenging you, "Why you should become master?" He's challenging why I should be master. This is going on. This is material world. But if we accept Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, if we accept this principle that none of us is a prabhu, everyone is a servant… Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. If we accept this principle, that we are eternal servant, we are not master-master is Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu-then our problems are solved. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he has sung a song, jīv kṛṣṇa dāsa ei viśvās korle to ār duḥkha nāi. This is the solution. Everyone is thinking to become the master, prabhu. Prabhu you can become. That is not, I mean to say, extraordinary. Someway or other we are prabhus. Suppose I am a family man. I am managing my family, my wife, my children, my servants, my subordinates, so I may be prabhu. In that sense I am a small prabhu. Similarly, everyone is prabhu, he has got some subordinates. But there is the supreme prabhu, the prabhu of all prabhus. So Mahāprabhu is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. He's Kṛṣṇa. As it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Īśvara means ruler or controller. So all of us more or less a little controller or ruler, but not the absolute ruler. The absolute ruler is Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, the absolute prabhu, master, is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So, tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita: The prabhu… Everyone is prabhu-that's all right-but if that prabhu takes shelter of the lotus feet of the Mahāprabhu, sei baḍa dhanya, he becomes glorified. Not to remain satisfied becoming a prabhu of your wife, children, family, country, or this or that, but you should try to become the servant of Mahāprabhu. Tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita [Cc. Ādi 7.2]. He's glorified because he receives… To become under the lotus feet of Śrī. If you take shelter of the Supreme Prabhu, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then your life is successful. Sei baḍa dhanya. He is glorified. To become servant of God or Mahāprabhu is very prestigious. It is not very easy thing to become servant of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu or servant of Kṛṣṇa. So if anyone agrees to become the servant of the Supreme Prabhu, master, then his life is successful. Sei baḍa dhanya. He is glorified.

The Vaiṣṇava, their principle is to become, to come to the platform of eternal servitude. That is the philosophy of Vaiṣṇava philosophy: not to become the master but to become servant of the master. This is perfect philosophy. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. So long in the material conception of life we…, the brāhmaṇa is thinking the master of the kṣatriya or the vaiśya or the śūdra; a sannyāsī is thinking the master of vānaprastha, gṛhastha, brahmacārī. Similarly, in gṛhastha also, the chief man in the household life, he is thinking master. So everyone, kṣatriya king, he's thinking he's master. So, you are master to some extent, but if you accept Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or Śrī Kṛṣṇa as your master, then your life is successful. This is the secret of success. That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

[SB 1.2.13]

Just like Arjuna was fighting, kṣatriya. His business was to fight. Why he was fighting the battle of Kurukṣetra? To become master of the kingdom. But he remained eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is success. Don't be satisfied simply I become master of your material position. At the same time, you try to become the servant of the supreme; then you are successful. Relative. Our mastership is relative. Under certain condition we become master, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is master without any condition. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa prema pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. Because He's master He can distribute kṛṣṇa prema very easily. Otherwise, kṛṣṇa prema… Not only kṛṣṇa prema; one cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yayati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

Out of many millions of persons, one may try to make his life successful, and out of many such person who has become successful, to understand the constitutional position of his life, one may understand-one may understand; there is no surety-Kṛṣṇa. So to understand Kṛṣṇa is very, very difficult job.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

To understand Kṛṣṇa and to understand the service of Kṛṣṇa is very exalted post. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. One has to become brahma-bhūtaḥ, completely liberated. Then he can understand how to render service to Kṛṣṇa, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām.

So, so difficult subject matter is given very easily by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī offered his first prayer to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

Such a difficult subject matter: Kṛṣṇa. "You are not only giving Kṛṣṇa, but You are giving Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa." You can meet somebody, some exalted person, you can see, but to become an intimate relationship with such exalted person in love, that is not very easy thing. I can meet the president or some exalted person, but to become in love with him in intimacy, that is not easy job. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu distributed this Kṛṣṇa love immediately, anyone. That is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu's contribution to the human society. If you simply become under the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then love of Kṛṣṇa is very easily achieved. Therefore it is said: tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita, sei baḍa dhanya [Cc. Ādi 7.2]. He's glorified because he receives… To become under the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu means you have got Kṛṣṇa. You have already got. That is the verdict of the śāstra and Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Because Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, does not give anything else. Simply directly gives you Kṛṣṇa and His love. And to award this greatest benediction to the human society, He took sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four years only in this land of Māyāpur, Navadvīpa. It is very glorified place. It is not ordinary place. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, gauḍa maṇḍala bhūmi, yeba jane cintāmaṇi tara hoy vrajabhūme vāsa. Anyone who understands gauḍa maṇḍala bhūmi in Bengal-this Navadvīpa, Navadvīpa-candra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu-if anyone understands the spiritual value of this land, he lives in Vrajabhūmi, in Vṛndāvana. There is no difference between Vṛndāvana and this Gaudamaṇḍala-bhūmi. That is the verdict of the śāstra. Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi yena jane cintāmaṇi tara hoy vrajabhūme vāsa.

So read Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's Prārthanā, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Prārthanā. They are very, very valuable for advancement of spiritual understanding, especially Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's Prārthanā. So, by reading them, by understanding them, we can understand Kṛṣṇa very easily. Otherwise, it is very, very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa. Big, big scholars, big, big sannyāsīs, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. They understand Kṛṣṇa that Kṛṣṇa is like us-a very great man, politician, historical person-or sometimes thinks of Kṛṣṇa as a debauch because He was in association with the gopīs or He married sixteen thousand wives. So, we shall be misled to understand Kṛṣṇa if we try to do so by our own knowledge. We have to accept Kṛṣṇa through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu advises everyone:

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa

yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum [Bg. 9.11]. Because He came as a human being, people have misunderstood Him, that He's a human being. He's not human being. He's the master of the human being. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg. 4.7]. Kṛṣṇa comes very kindly-because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa-when we are in distressed condition on account of violating the laws of religion. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavaty. Glāni means deviation from the path of religion. And what is religion? Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Religion means the laws of God. That is religion. Simple definition. Laws, the words, the rules and regulations given by the Lord, that is called religion. Just like I have several times explained, the laws, the rules and regulations given by the state is called law. You cannot manufacture law. Similarly, you cannot manufacture dharma. Nowadays, in this Kali-yuga, all the rascals, they are manufacturing religion. But who cares for that religion, or what will be the benefit of such religion? There'll be no benefit. It is simply… [break]

…that "I am Kṛṣṇa." Never said. Rather, when He was (in) Vṛndāvana, some of the devotees eulogized Him that "You are Kṛṣṇa," He immediately blocked His ear: "No, no. Don't say like that." That is the indication that to claim to become God or Kṛṣṇa is the highest type of rascaldom. That is rascaldom. Those who are these Māyāvādīs who are claiming that "Everyone is God. I am God, you are God," they are all rascals. Therefore I have said in connection, with reference to that boy-god…, you know, I do not wish to repeat. We do not accept such cheap God. No. We accept Kṛṣṇa. And we accept Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as God because śāstra says, the ācārya says; therefore we follow the footsteps of the ācāryas. Rūpa Gosvāmī says, kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne: "Sir, You have now come… You are Kṛṣṇa. You have come under the name of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. You are so magnanimous that You are distributing…" Be… Without becoming Kṛṣṇa, how one can distribute Kṛṣṇa? Without one becoming millionaires, how he can distribute millions of dollars?

So it is the business of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu… He's so magnanimous that He is distributing Kṛṣṇa. So take shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have come from distant place, you have spent much money, thousands of money to come here. Take advantage of this journey and chant śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Then you'll get Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll get, surely. This land, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's birthsite. So anyone who takes shelter of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he is dhanya, he is glorified.

Thank you very much. (end)

740303CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.3

Māyāpur, March 3, 1974

Prabhupāda:

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti

bhagavān iti śabdyate

[SB 1.2.11]

Knowledge means tattva-jñāna, to know the Absolute Truth. In the Bhagavad-gītā also… (aside:) They are making noise. Kṛṣṇa says,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

Everything should be understood in truth. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to understand the Absolute Truth. So in another place Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: [Bg. 4.9] anyone who understands the Absolute Truth factually as He is, not by mental speculation, but by the paramparā system… So therefore, the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta is beginning with guru, pūrve gurv-ādi. Beginning is the guru, the spiritual master, because he is the representative of the paramparā system, disciplic succession. Therefore, whatever we do, we must first of all try to understand from guru.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also says in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, ādau gurvāśrayam: the beginning of spiritual life is to accept the bona fide spiritual master. Sad-dharma pṛcchāt. Then inquiry from the spiritual master. The approach should be by full surrender. Tad viddhi praṇipātena, tattvam, etad viddhi [Bg. 4.34]. By praṇipātena. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipātam. Just like we have learned how to offer obeisances to the spiritual master, to the gurus, falling down flat, praṇipā, no reservation, falling flat-that is called praṇipā-so one has to approach the spiritual master. That is the Vedic injunction. Tad vijñānārtham. Tad means tattva. In order to understand the tattva, the Absolute Truth, vijñāna… Vijñāna means practical science, not theoretical. Theoretical is jñāna. When that is practically applied in life, that is called vijñānam. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, therefore, the statement is there: jñānaṁ me paramaṁ guhyaṁ yad vijñāna-samanvitam. Jñāna and vijñāna.

So we are very much proud of seeing things. Somebody says, "Can you show me God?" But just try to understand what is the power of our eyes. Now there is no light, so our seeing power is vanished. In this way, all the powers of our senses are conditional. Under certain condition we can see, under certain condition we can hear. Therefore at the present moment our life is conditional. We act, we see, we walk, we hear, we smell, we touch-under certain condition. Just like I have got my eyes. Because my sight power is less, so I take the condition of a glass and try to see. Similarly, this material condition is like that. Spiritually, we have got the power of seeing, the power of hearing, the power of speaking, the power of touching, power of smelling, but because we are covered by this material body, all these powers have become conditional, not absolute. So those who are inquisitive to understand the absolute life or spiritual life, he must accept a guru. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says pūrve, in the beginning. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. If we actually are serious to understand the Absolute Truth, then one must have the shelter of ācārya. Ācāryavān. This vān word is used when one possesses. Asthate bato prata (?). So when one possesses the shelter of ācārya, then his knowledge is perfect.

So the beginning of spiritual life… (aside:) Oh? He doesn't require hearing? The beginning of life is gurvāśrayam, ādau gurvāśrayam. That is the beginning-every śāstra, every Vedic scripture. Just like Kṛṣṇa, He is the original spiritual master. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi kavaye [SB 1.1.1]. Ya. Brahmā, Brahmā is the first living creature within this universe. So he was also enlightened and educated by the Supreme Lord. Not that because he's Brahmā he's independent. Nobody is independent. Knowledge must be received from the authority, and the supreme authority is Kṛṣṇa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

So here Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the teachings of Lord Caitanya and His life, practical life. He's Kṛṣṇa, and He's personally speaking. Kṛṣṇa first of all spoke about Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, but foolish persons, mūḍha… Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.11]. So Kṛṣṇa was misunderstood. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. People misunderstood. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His five opulences-Himself, His expansion, His incarnation, His energy, personal energy and marginal energy… There is no association of the external energy, as it is said here, that guru-tattva-kahiyāchi, ebe pāñcera vicāra. Guru-tattva is also along with Him. He's also representative of the Supreme Lord. Acāryāṁ māṁ vijānīyān [SB 11.17.27]. So, that guru-tattva has been explained by the author, Kavirāja Gosvāmī in five chapters, six chapters, and the seventh chapter he's describing the five tattvas. Īśa-prakāśa. Nityānanda Prabhu is the direct manifestation of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Vrajendra-nandana yei śacī-suta hoila sei balarāma hoila nitāi. So Nityānanda Prabhu is the first expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. When you speak of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, we should understand immediately that He's Kṛṣṇa in Rādhā's attitude, Rādhā-bhāva. Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, They are one; They are not different. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād [Cc. Ādi 1.5]. Rādhārāṇī is expansion of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa is prominent in His activities. Because Kṛṣṇa, in order to understand Himself, He took the position of Rādhārāṇī to understand Himself. Personally He could not understand His potencies, but when He appeared as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the attitude of Rādhārāṇī's love for Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-prema, then He could fully understand Him. These are very intricate subject matter to understand, but this is the fact.

So, as Kṛṣṇa expands Himself by His omnipotencies… Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Kṛṣṇa has got multi-potencies. We cannot imagine. Inconceivable potencies. So the whole universe is manifestation of His potencies. Śakti parinambha (?). Ekasthāne sthitasyagner jyotsnā. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktir tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. This is said in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Just like the fire. We have got this lamp, it is situated in one place, but the light and heat are expanding. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is situated in His own abode, which is known as Goloka Vṛndāvana. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]. This is the statement of Brahma-saṁhitā. He is situated in His own place, own abode, known as Goloka Vṛndāvana, but He is expanding Himself, akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. Everywhere He is present. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs. 5.35]. He has expanded Himself by His energies. Just like heat and light, the energy of fire expands. It is very easy to understand. Similarly the energies, multi-energies… Not only one, but multi-energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. So His energies are acting so nicely, that everything is coming in front as if automatically done. But it is not automatically done. This is foolishness. To understand that nature is working automatically is foolishness. The nature is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. That is real understanding. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. At the present moment, the so-called scientists, philosophers, they are simply studying the working of the material nature. But they do not know behind this material nature the real powerful is there. Just like we are enjoying the electric light, electric power, but as soon as it has failed from the powerhouse, everything stoped. Similarly, the real power is Kṛṣṇa. He's the powerful, śaktimān. When He desires, there is creation, this material manifestation, and when He winds up, everything is finished. This is the way. So how He is doing that? That is explained in this chapter. Pañca-tattva: He's acting by expansion of His different features.

So Nityānanda Prabhu is the immediate expansion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared here at Māyāpur, this very place where you are now sitting, with all these five features: Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Advaita Prabhu, and Gadādhara Prabhu, Śrīnivāsa Prabhu. So He Himself, Kṛṣṇa, and Nityānanda Prabhu is immediate expansion of His personal self; Advaita Prabhu is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, Mahāviṣṇu, three; and Gadādhara Prabhu is the expansion of spiritual energy; and Śrīnivāsa Prabhu is the expansion of His marginal potency, marginal energy, jīva-tattya. Jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva, prakāśa-tattva, and avatāra-tattva, and He Himself. This Pañca-tattva. This Pañca-tattva will be explained in this chapter. That is the proposal of the author. Guru-tattva kahiyāchi ebe pāñcera vicāra. Consideration of the five. So although the Absolute Truth is one, He expands in His various features. That has been divided in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's practical exposition of tattva-vicāra, in six: five personal, and the guru is also representative. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair **. Guru is also expansion of Hari for the benefit of the conditioned soul. For the benefit of the conditioned soul, He is within everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. So He's trying to teach us from within and He sends His representative for preaching without.

So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He's preaching about Himself, because without knowing, without understanding the tattva, vetti māṁ tattvataḥ, without understanding the Absolute Truth as He is, there is no question of getting out of the clutches of māyā. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. "One who surrenders unto Me," Kṛṣṇa says, "he can get out of the clutches of māyā." Māyā means this material life. We have forgotten ourself, that we are intimately related with Kṛṣṇa, we have got a special function on His behalf. Just like part and parcel of my body: the finger has got a special function the leg has got a special function, the head has got a special function; similarly, we all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got a special function in relationship with the Lord. When we are forgetful of this special relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is called conditional life or material life. Material life means we do not serve Kṛṣṇa but we serve our senses-kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya, like that. That is material life. We are serving, there is no doubt about it, but every one of us we are serving our senses. Kāmādīnāṁ katidhā na katidhā pālitā durnideśa.

Therefore, in order to stop this stupidity of serving our senses, which will never come to an end, simply increase our bondage, we have to come to the spiritual master. Ādau gurvāśrayam. He'll teach how to convert or to divert the activities of the senses to please Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare nāma prema. Dhare prema nāma. The senses will act. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they try to stop the activities of the senses. Yogis also. Yoga indriya saṁyamaḥ. The yogis artificially try to stop the sense activities. They are simply… Because common men, they know activities means sense activities, sense satisfaction… So yogis, they artificially try to stop the sense activities. That is called praṇāyāma. Dhyāna, dhāraṇā, āsana, praṇāyāma, like that. But that artificial stoppage of sense activities will not be ultimately beneficial. Or thinking that my sense activities may be stopped, I become silent, become one with the supreme-that will also not help us. The real philosophy is, the sense activities must be there, but purified. That is real life. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Purified. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. We cannot stop sense activities. That is not possible. Artificially if we stop, even as a big successful yogi or jñānī, it will not act. There are many instances. Just like Viśvāmitra Muni. He was a great yogi. So artificially he was trying to stop the sense activities. But it also failed, the attempt. Later on he met one beautiful woman and he failed in controlling the senses. That is the history. He was the biggest yogi, Viśvāmitra Muni. Similarly, there are many so-called jñānīs also, trying to become one with the Supreme. That is also not possible. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas [SB 10.2.32]. Vimukta-māninas, they are thinking that they have become liberated, but that is not the fact. Why it is not fact? Tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Because they did not take to the devotional service. Tvayy asta-bhāvād. They have no information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore despite their severe austerities and penances and rising to the platform of Brahman realization-āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty [SB 10.2.32]-they fall down.

Therefore, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is practically teaching us with His five associates: Advaita, Nityānanda, Gadādhara and Śrīvāsādi gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Therefore if we want to approach the Absolute Truth, it is our duty to offer our respect to these five features of the Lord.

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]

Therefore, in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we first of all worship the Pañca-tattva: śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara-then we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Then it will be successful. Without going through the Pañca-tattva, with the mercy, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa. It will remain a myth. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa without the mercy of these Pañca-tattva. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, although He came personally, He taught the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā and asked people, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. But because we are mūḍhas, we misunderstood Kṛṣṇa. We could not take the last instruction of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa again came as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to teach us how to approach Kṛṣṇa. If we read the life of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His acceptance of sannyāsa order, His preaching all over India, His chanting and dancing, His living at Jagannath Purī, His activities, His meeting with the devotees, His Guṇḍicā-mārjana, His Ratha-yātrā kīrtana-if we study all these activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, immediately you understand Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore, we are inviting you at this place of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His birthsite, to take the inspiration given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That will help us understanding Kṛṣṇa. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā visate tad anantaram. If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, tattvataḥ, in truth, by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's activities means His distributing kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa. He has no other business. He has no other business. At the full youthful age He gave up His family life, beautiful wife, most obedient perfect wife, beautiful wife, mother, affectionate mother, very good prestige, social prestige. Nimāi Paṇḍita, learned scholar, everything He sacrificed. Tyaktvā su-dustyaja rājya lakṣmīm. Gave up everything-that is the teachings of Lord Caitanya-and became a servant of Kṛṣṇa personally. He's Kṛṣṇa Himself, but teaching us how to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is the significance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or Kṛṣṇa Himself along with His personal associates-sāṅgopāṅgāstra pārṣadam… Kṛṣṇa comes to kill the demons: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]. This is the business of Kṛṣṇa, two-sided business: one side killing the demons, another side giving the protection to the devotees. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared on this part 488 years ago to, I mean to say, hand the same two principles, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. He… Vināśāya duṣkṛtām. He killed Jagāi-Mādhāi not by the body, but by their atrocious activities, stopped that. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is to kill the demon-not by life but by their heinous activities. Anyone who comes to be killed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his heinous, nefarious activities becomes killed and he becomes a Vaiṣṇava, just like Jagāi-Mādhāi.

So at the present moment, the whole world is full of Jagāi-Mādhāi, their four principles. Jagāi-Mādhāi means illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. This is Jagāi-Mādhāi. So this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is killing these Jagāi-Mādhāi principles: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating. So one side killing the Jagāi-Mādhāi principle, and other side protection, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Thank you very much. (end)

740304CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.4

Māyāpur, March 4, 1974

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

pañca-tattva avatīrṇa caitanyera saṅge

pañca-tattva lañā karena saṅkīrtana raṅge

[Cc. Ādi 7.4]

Translation: "These five tattvas incarnate with Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and thus the Lord executes His saṅkīrtana movement with great pleasure."

Prabhupāda: Tattva, Absolute Truth, I tried to explain last night. Tattva… Kṛṣṇa has spoken about tattva in the Bhagavad-gītā, and in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also there is statement of tattva, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam [SB 1.2.11]. Tattva, the truth, can be learned from the tattva-vida, one who knows. The Absolute Truth can not be ascertained by imaginative speculation. One has to learn the tattva from the tattva-vit. Therefore the tattva-vid vadanti. Vadanti means they explain, tattva-vit, one who is tattva-vit, he explains. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam. One who knows, he's not silent. He is to preach, he is to speak. Nowadays it has become a fashion to be maunī-baba, does not speak. So these are, may be very good device for professional business, but so far we are concerned, in the Vedic culture, the tattva-vit must speak. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. The tattva-vit must hear from the authorized person; then he'll speak. That is nice. Otherwise there is no need of speaking. So those who have not heard from the authorized person, they may make a business by making himself maunī-baba. Tāvac ca śobhate mūrkho yāvat kiñcin na bhāsate: "A mūrkha, a dull rascal, is very beautiful so long he does not speak." Because as soon as he speaks, then his knowledge, his learning, his capacity, his position, will be immediately exposed. So our paramparā line… Prahlāda Mahārāja has condemned this system, maunī-baba. No. Our system is kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching.

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. Ādi 17.31]

And Kṛṣṇa also confirms this in the Bhagavad-gītā: satatāṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.14]. That is mahātmā, always glorifying the Lord, Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means this satatāṁ kīrtayanto mām: [Bg. 9.14] twenty-four hours we have to glorify. Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, God is unlimited. So we have to chant, glorifying His qualities, unlimitedly. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "How I shall glorify the Lord by chanting His name and pastimes? I have got only one tongue. If I could possess millions of tongues and trillions of ears, then it was possible to glorify the Lord to some extent." This is our business. You'll be surprised that my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura… Sometimes Paṇḍita Madanmohan Mahalabhya (?), a great politician, well-known political leader, he came to see him. So he inquired from my Guru Mahārāja, "What are your activities?" So in describing his activities he said that "We have got six magazines, and out of them, one is daily, Nadiya Prakash." Those who are resident of this place might know. So he was publishing one paper daily, Nadiya Prakash. So Madanmohan Mahalabhya inquired that "You are publishing daily one paper about spiritual subject?" He said, "Yes, why not?" Now, he explained that this universe is only one of the millions universes. This small universe is one of the many, many. Many, many… We get information from the śāstra, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiḥ [Bs. 5.40]. Jagadānda means this universe. And there are koṭis, unlimited. In Caitanya Mahāprabhu's dealing, one devotee, Vāsudeva Datta, he pleaded to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "My dear Lord, You have come, You take away all the inhabitants of this earth, or within this universe, and if You think that they are so much sinful that they cannot be delivered, so You can transfer their sinful resultant action, sinful activities, unto me. I shall suffer." This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy, that "Let others be delivered, and if they are unfit, sinful, all their sins may be transferred to me." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "You do not require to take their sinful reaction, but even without your transferring they can be delivered. But this is only one universe." And He compared that this universe is just like a grain of mustard in the mustard bag. Say, hundred kilos, kg., mustard bag, and there is one mustard seed. So this universe is like that. So many universes are there. So my Guru Mahārāja explained that "This universe is only just like a grain of mustard seed among millions and trillions of universes, and in each and every universe there are millions and trillions of planets, and this earthly planet is one of them, and in this planet, the earthly planet, there are so many cities, and in each city there are so many daily papers, and each daily paper has got so many editions. So this is only one-fourth exhibition of God's creation. If in one city there are so many news, people can read, so from the three-fourth creation of the world, Vaikuṇṭha-jagat, we can give so many news that we can overflood them with news. Unfortunately we have no customer." That is…

So this is the position. Kīrtana. Kīrtana, we can glorify the Lord twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours we have got at our disposal. We have got (not) only twenty-four hours, but unlimited. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. This is only one-fourth part manifestation of the whole creation. There is no limit of kīrtana. That is unlimited. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction is that "Glorify the Lord continuously." Tṛṇād api sunīcena. And as soon as you begin kīrtanīyaḥ, real kīrtana of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll have many enemies. Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally had many enemies. You know that in this spot there was persecution, religious persecution, by the then magistrate, Chand Kazi. His samādhi is still there. So, and we are also experiencing. Our only fault is that we are preaching the saṅkīrtana movement, and there are so many enemies. You see? So that is possible. Even the father become enemy. Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five-years-old boy, and because he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, his father became enemy. So you'll have enemies. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives us, warning us, that tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā: "You just become humbler than the grass." Just (as) you trample over the grasses, it does not protest. Not only you, so many people are going on the grasses, but they tolerate. So tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. And He has given the example, "tolerant than the trees." The trees are standing in one place. Scorching heat and cold and rains, they are all suffering, and the people taking their leaves, taking their branches, woods, cutting them, taking fruit, and still, the trees give you shelter. This is the example of tolerance. So tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena. Everyone in this material world is very much fond of getting honor. Although he's not honorable, still, he wants to get honor. Although he is unfit, still, he wants. That is the material propensity. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "You give them honor. Don't ask for yourself any honor, respect, but others, you give them." That is the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching.

As Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī has explained,

dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya

kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca etad ahaṁ bravīmi

he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt

caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāga

He says… This is the process of preaching: "My dear sir, I am falling down on your lotus feet and with folded hands and am flattering you thousand times, and I have taken one grass in my mouth to show my humbleness. So you kindly hear my one word." "What is that?" He sādhavaḥ, "You are very great sādhu, but you have learned so many things," he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt. "This is my request, that whatever you have learned, so many things, kindly forget. Kick them out." "Then what shall I take?" Caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāga: "Just become a servant on the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is my request." So we have to preach like that. Just flatter him, but request him that "You forget all these bogus things. Simply take to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Your life will be successful," as it is… We have already… Tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita, sei baḍa dhanya: [Cc. Ādi 7.2]. He's glorified because he receives… To become under the lotus feet of Śrī "Anyone who takes shelter at the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he becomes glorified." Sei baḍa dhanya.

So our preaching should be like that. The Pañca-tattva… Here it is said. We are discussing.

pañca-tattva avatīrṇa caitanyera saṅge

pañca-tattva lañā karena saṅkīrtana raṅge

[Cc. Ādi 7.4]

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has got His associates. That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti he su-medhasaḥ

[SB 11.5.32]

This is the method of worshiping the Lord Viṣṇu. Yajña means to worship the Supreme Lord. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prāyaiḥ.

varṇāśramācāravatā

puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān

viṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsāṁ

nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam

[Cc. Madhya 8.58]

This is civilization, varṇāśrama. One must observe (in) the material world. In the spiritual world, of course, there is no such thing as varṇāśrama. That is pure identity of the soul. So there is no… So long we are in this material world there must be a scientific division of progress of life. That is Vedic system. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is called varṇāśrama-dharma. I have repeatedly said that people call us Hindu in India. Actually, "Hindu" word is not visible in any Vedic literature. This is the name given by the Arabians to the, this part of the world, on the bank of the Sindhu. From the Sindhu the word "Hindu" has come. So actually, our culture is varṇāśrama-dharma. Therefore śāstra says, varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān [Cc. Madhya 8.58]. In the varṇāśrama-dharma, the ultimate goal is to worship Lord Viṣṇu, whose name is Yajña. Out of many names of Lord Viṣṇu, one name is Yajña, Yajña-puruṣa. So anything performed to satisfy the Supreme Lord, that is called yajña.

So other yajñas are not possible in this age, Kali-yuga, Kali-yuga. The only yajña, this saṅkīrtana movement. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]. If you want to perform yajña and if you are intelligent, su-medhasaḥ… The two words has been used in Vedic literature: su-medhasaḥ and alpa-medhasaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā this word has been used, alpa-medhasaḥ, tad bhavati alpa-medhasām, in the matter of worshiping the demigods. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ [Bg. 7.20]., antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām [Bg. 7.23] If you get some resultant action by worshiping demigod, that is antavat. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He got some benediction from Lord Brahmā. Lord Brahmā is not ordinary demigod. He's the… Amongst the demigods he's the head, pitāmaha. So Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted benediction from Lord Brahmā to become immortal. So immortality is not possible. So Lord Brahmā said that "I am myself not immortal. How can I give you? It is not possible." So Hiraṇyakaśipu took indirectly, negative way, that "I shall not die this way, I shall not die this way, I shall not die this way," negative way. So he thought himself to be very intelligent demon. So even that benediction was given, but still, he was killed by Nṛsiṁhadeva. So therefore, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām. Even by tricks or by penance or austerities you take some benedictions from the demigods, even if you are awarded, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām [Bg. 7.23]. People want to be satisfied with little benefit, with little benefit. No, that is not our mission. We want the supreme benefit. Supreme benefit is that you are now entangled in the process of birth, death, old age and disease in the material existence. The real benefit is how to save yourself from these four difficulties. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. We are embarrassed with so many difficulties, but real difficulty is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: birth, death, old age and disease. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give you ultimate benefit: no more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more old age. Always mind that.

So the greatest benefit. The greatest benefit is… Caitanya Mahāprabhu is offering. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. This greatest benefit you can get if you develop your dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

janma karma ca me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

[Bg. 4.9]

That is ultimate goal.

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

So we have to achieve the highest benefit, go back to home, back to Godhead. So for this purpose, Caitanya Mahāprabhu or Lord Kṛṣṇa has not only appeared Himself, but with His associates. They are called Pañca-tattva. So here it is explained, pañca-tattva avatīrṇa caitanyera saṅge [Cc. Ādi 7.4]. If you take guru, then there are six tattvas. But Caitanya personally has expanded, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. When you speak of Bhagavān, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. When Bhagavān… Bhagavān means His paraphernalia. Just like when we speak, "Now the king is coming," it is not that king is alone coming. The king is coming with his minister, with his commander, with his secretaries, with his so many officers. So when we speak of Bhagavān, don't think He is alone only. No. Pañca…, that Pañca-tattva. When Bhagavān incarnates, He comes with all the associates, His śakti-tattva, avatāra-tattva, prakāśa-tattva. Many paraphernalia He comes. So here Caitanya Mahāprabhu, avatīrṇa. Here it is said, pañca-tattva avatīrṇa caitanyera saṅge [Cc. Ādi 7.4]. Caitanyera-saṅge… Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. So He must have His associates. Associates. That is Bhagavān. Just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is explained, the beginning of understanding, how Bhagavān lives in the spiritual world

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambrahma-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.29]

Govinda is not alone. Govinda is associated with the surabhīr abhipālayantam, many millions and thousands of surabhī cows. He tends so many cows. And lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambrahma-sevyamānam. We are flattering one Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune, but in the spiritual world, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata, many, many millions, Lakṣmīs, goddess of fortune. Sambrahma-sevyamānam, with great respect. Here we are flattering one Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune, "Mother, give me some money," but there the Lakṣmīs are flattering Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's position. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambrahma-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣam.

So Kṛṣṇa is never alone. Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is never alone. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, caitanyera saṅgi gaṇe, nitya-siddha boli māne. Gaurāṅgera, gaurāṅgera saṅgi gaṇe, nitya-siddha boli māne, sei yāya vrajendra-suta-pāśa. That is the explanation of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. So either Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whenever They appear, They appear with Their associates. So here Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has appeared with Pañca-tattva. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā-kṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana [SB 11.5.32]. He has appeared, these five tattvas. In our exhibition ground we have first placed these five tattvas: Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, Gadādhara Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, and Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. Nityānanda Prabhu is the immediate expansion of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Baladeva-tattva. Baladeva means who gives strength for spiritual advancement. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo nāyam ātmā balahinena labhyaḥ. These are the Vedic injunctions. So without Baladeva's or Nityānanda's grace, one cannot make advancement.

āra kabe nitāi-cānda karuṇā karibe

saṁsāra vāsanā mora kabe tuccha ha'be

This is the grace of Nityānanda Prabhu. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura explains, āra kabe nitāi-cānda, karuṇā karibe. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is aspiring for the day when Nityānanda Prabhu will be pleased upon him. Just like Jagāi-Mādhāi was delivered by the mercy of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, so we have to pray Nityānanda Prabhu. He's very merciful. He's so kind, Baladeva, He gives spiritual strength. Then we can approach the Supreme Lord. Therefore we chant "Nitāi-Gaura." This is the process. We cannot change this policy. Pañca-tattva must be worshiped; otherwise wherefrom we shall get…? The spiritual master… Nityānanda Prabhu is the spiritual master. Or spiritual master is the replica, representation, of Nityānanda Prabhu. So when Nityānanda Prabhu is pleased, then we become detached from this material attraction.

People, conditioned soul, means they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, and they are suffering, that's a fact. Tri-tāpa yantana, adhibhautika. But because they are illusioned, they are thinking, "We are enjoying." This is called illusion. They are suffering, working day and night like an ass, and still, he's thinking that he's very happy. But he does not know that there is a life where there is no such thing as to work hard. Just like Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's associates in Vṛndāvana, they are jolly, tending their cows, getting milk in the village, sufficient food, dancing with the gopīs. That is life. No mill, no slaughterhouse, no motorcar. You see? No skyscraper building. Here see. So this is another philosophy, another philosophy: simple life, simple life with Kṛṣṇa. Simple life we can live still, but we do not agree. If we live simple life, people will criticize, "Oh, this is primitive, primitive. What you have made advancement?" But they have no sense. Anyway… So if we really want relief from this materialistic way of life, then we should take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His saṅkīrtana movement. Then our misunderstanding of existence will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And we have created a civilization which is blazing fire, blazing fire. Everyone, all politicians, even ordinary citizens, they are now suffering. The politicians cannot give them enough food. They simply take vote, and the price of foodstuff is increasing. This is a very precarious condition. It is called saṁsāra-dāvānala, "the blazing fire of material existence." We may extinguish for the time being, but again… Dāvānala is used for this purpose. Nobody sets fire, but it takes place. That is called dāvānala. In the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes place by dealings. So when we deal in a different way than Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there will be fire immediately. This dealing will produce fire. That has come already. So this is the only remedy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's process:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

So here is the statement, pañca-tattva lañā karena saṅkīrtana raṅge. You take to this movement, chant and dance. All problems will be solved.

Thank you very much. (end)

740307CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.5

Māyāpur, March 7, 1974

Pradyumna: Translation: "Spiritually there are no differences between these five tattvas, for on the transcendental platform everything is absolute. Yet there are also varieties in the spiritual world, and in order to taste these spiritual varieties one should distinguish between them." [Cc. Ādi 7.5]

Prabhupāda: Pañca-tattva. The Absolute Truth is divided into five subject matter of relishing transcendental mellow. Advaya-jñāna, without any difference. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam: [SB 1.2.11] Asolute Truth is one, but still, there are varieties, transcendental varieties. Just like Brahman, impersonal Brahman; and Paramātmā, localized aspect of the Supreme Lord, Paramātmā; and Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead-they are one. There is no difference. Brahman is not different from Bhagavān, and Bhagavān is not different from Brahman. Bhagavān is addressed by Arjuna as Parabrahman. Brahman realization, gradually… First realization: impersonal Brahman; then localized Brahman; then personal Brahman. The personal Brahman is called Parabrahman, the Supreme Brahman. Impersonal Brahman is the beginning of realization of the Absolute Truth. That is not final. Therefore those who are satisfied with impersonal Brahman, their knowledge is not perfect. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. The realization of the Absolute Truth is the platform of viśuddha-sattva. So unless one comes to the platform of personal realization of the Lord, one is supposed to be aviśuddha-buddhi: intelligence is not yet perfectly pure.

So here it is said, eka-vastu. So far the substance is concerned, that is eka-vastu. Just like in logical categories the substance is there, and there are many categories. Take for example that the Absolute Truth is one, but there are categories: "This is śakti-tattva; this is prakāśa-tattva; this is incarnation tattva; this is marginal potency; this is external potency." Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. There are many multipotencies. Because the original is Absolute Truth, in one sense everyone is in the same absolute platform. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a verse, idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ: "This viśva, the whole cosmic manifestation, is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Just like Kṛṣṇa manifested His universal form. So every part and parcel is Bhagavān, but still, it is different. This is the philosophy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's acintya-bhedābheda: simultaneously one and different, inconceivable. We cannot conceive at the present moment how one thing can be the same, at the same time different; therefore it is called acintya, inconceivable. But bhedābheda… Just like we are-everything-you study. It is acintya-bhedābheda, one and different. Take for example your own body and you, soul. The soul is different from the body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā [Bg. 2.13]. The dehi, the soul, is within the body. The body is not the soul. So this is different. Soul is different from the body. We have studied. But in another sense, soul is not different from the body, another sense. How? Because the body, the material body, is also coming from the same source, and the spiritual soul is coming from the same source, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam. Kṛṣṇa said, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva [Bg. 7.4]. "These material elements, they are My bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā, eight kinds of separated energy." Even though it is separated energy, it is the energy of the Supreme Lord. We have discussed many times. Just like the fire and the heat and light. Light is separated from the fire, heat is separated from the fire, but at the same time, heat and light is not different from the fire. This is to be understood. This is called simultaneously one and different, inconceivable.

So Māyāvādī philosophers, they take one side only, that it is one. They do not understand what is the difference, what is the different taste, varieties. They cannot understand the varieties, unity in diversity. They cannot understand. Just like sugar and milk-you prepare so many sweetmeats: "This is rasagullā, this is sandeṣa, this is burfi, this is this, this is that." Hundreds of preparation you can… But what is that? That sugar and milk. So similarly, variety is the mother of enjoyment. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. Therefore they have been described in the Bhāgavata, vimukta-māninaḥ, aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. They are thinking that now they have become one with the Supreme, Nārāyaṇa. They address between themselves, "Namo nārāyaṇa," that "Everyone has become Nārāyaṇa." This is their… "Everyone is Nārāyaṇa," that's all right, but still, different. That distinction is made by the Vaiṣṇavas. The same example: The different energies, material energy and spiritual energy, they are different. One is superior, one is inferior. But when you go to the central point from where all energies are coming… Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. This is the Vedic injunction, "From where everything is emanating."

agnir mahī gaganam ambu marud diśaś ca

kālas tathātma-manasīti jagat-trayāṇi

yasmād bhavanti vibhavanti viśanti yaṁ ca

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

Agni is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Mahī, the earth, it is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Agni, mahī, gagana, the sky, it is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Ambu, water, is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Agni mahī gaganam ambu… Marut, air, is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Because it is coming from Kṛṣṇa, it is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Everything is Kṛṣṇa. But when you taste the air breezing and the water and the earth and the fire, you cannot say, "Because the air is coming from Kṛṣṇa and water is coming from Kṛṣṇa, so either I may be in the air or in the sea, it is all the same." We are living in air, but if I think that air and the water is the same, I jump over the ocean, that is not very good idea. But actually, air is also Kṛṣṇa, water is also Kṛṣṇa, earth is also Kṛṣṇa, fire is also Kṛṣṇa, because they are all Kṛṣṇa's energy.

So in this way, if we try to understand that Pañca-tattva, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda… This is Pañca-tattva: Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Śrī Gadādhara, and Śrīvāsādi. Śrīvāsādi means jīva-tattva. The jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva, viṣṇu-tattva, these are all tattvas. So Pañca-tattva. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is the supreme tattva, Kṛṣṇa. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. We are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combined. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya.

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād

ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau

caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam…

[Cc. Ādi 1.5]

Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. When Kṛṣṇa wants to enjoy… The enjoyer… Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He's enjoyer. So when He wants to enjoy, that is not material enjoyment. That is spiritual, superior energy, not material energy. Because Kṛṣṇa is the supreme, therefore He enjoys the superior energy. So Kṛṣṇa's… The Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā is not material. One who understands Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā as material, they are misled. Kṛṣṇa cannot enjoy anything material. He's supreme pleasure… If you say that "We are seeing daily that you are offering prasāda, the vegetable, rice. They are all material," no, they are not material. This is real understanding. How it is not material? That is acintya, inconceivable. Kṛṣṇa can turn material into spiritual and spiritual into material. That is Kṛṣṇa's inconceivable power, acintya-śakti. Unless you accept acintya-śakti of Kṛṣṇa, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Acintya-śakti.

So this is simultaneously one and different. This acintya-bhedābheda-tattva you'll find everywhere in Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Similarly, here the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta is trying to explain that pañca-tattva eka-vastu, they are one Kṛṣṇa, but āsvāda, taste… Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Kṛṣṇa is the ocean of all pleasure, reservoir of all pleasure. There are different types of pleasure. Just like pleasure like master and the servant. The master is also pleased by the service of the servant, and the servant is pleased by rendering service to the master. This is taste. Husband and wife: Husband is pleased having a wife, wife is pleased having… These are the different tastes: between master and servant, between friend and friend, between father and son, mother and son, between the lover and the beloved. These are different tastes. So this taste is required, transcendental mellow. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand this taste. They think everything is one. And in the material world also, we accept, "Variety is the mother of enjoyment." Without varieties, although everything is spiritual… In Vṛndāvana everything is spiritual. Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, yebā jāne cintāmaṇi. Just like this place, Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's place of pastimes, and the Vṛndāvana-dhāma, the place of pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, they are one and the same. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, yebā jāne cintāmaṇi, tā 'ra haya vraja-bhūmi vāsa. These are the theses given by great ācāryas.

So we should not consider that Nityānanda is different from Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, or Advaita Prabhu is different from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But at the same time, They are different. This is inconceivable, a taste. If you worship Nityānanda Prabhu, it is as good as to worship Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The best thing is… Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in His five different features, therefore the ācāryas, they worship all of them at a time. That is our prayer:

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]

This is the varieties, transcendental varieties, different tastes. Nityānanda Prabhu is guru-tattva, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu is sevya-tattva. The guru is teaching, Nityānanda Prabhu is teaching how to worship Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

bhaja gaurāṅga kaha gaurāṅga laha gaurāṅgera nāme

ye jana gaurāṅga bhaje sei amāra prāṇa re (?)

This is Nityānanda Prabhu's business. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that gaurāṅgera balite habe, pulaka śarīre, hari hari balite, nayane ba'be nīra. Gaurāṅga. So to become immediately in ecstasy of transcendental love, if we chant this śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, it is easier. There is no offense in chanting this Pañca-tattva, but there is offense if you do not properly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. There are ten kinds of offenses, you know. But in chanting śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, there is no aparādha. You chant in any way; you'll get the result. This is the difference, taste. This is variety. Although there is no difference by chanting śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda and Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, mahā-mantra, but still by chanting this Pañca-tattva, you'll get immediately, quickly, result. Therefore our process is to chant the holy names of the Pañca-tattva and then we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. That is perfect. And neither mixing. The mixing taste is called rasābhāsa. Rasābhāsa. And we don't manufacture anything. Just follow. We disagree with the persons who chant that bhaja nitāi-gaura rādhe-śyāma. No. We must follow strictly. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. We cannot manufacture simply for some worldly cheap reputation and prestige. If we manufacture something, that will not help us. We must follow. Mahājano yena. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. We must follow the mahājanas. So you'll find in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the Kavirāja Gosvāmī, in every chapter he begins, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, jaya advaita…, gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. This is the process.

So we may read herewith one commentary by my Guru Mahārāja Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. "In his Anubhāṣya commentary Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura describes the Pañca-tattva as follows: The supreme energetic, the Personality of Godhead, manifesting in five kinds of pastimes, appears as the Pañca-tattva. Actually there is no difference between them because they are situated on the absolute platform, but they manifest different spiritual varieties as a challenge to impersonalists to taste different kinds of spiritual humors, rāsas…" Because they do not accept the different tastes. The Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy, the only difference is… Although the aim is one, Absolute Truth, but the difference is that they do not accept varieties, varieties of taste. Therefore they fall down. It is not our version, but it is stated in the Vedic literature, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: [SB 10.2.32] "By severe penance and austerities, these Māyāvādīs, they go up to the Brahman effulgence, but from there they fall down, fall down." Because for want of varieties. You cannot live without varieties. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: "The Absolute Truth is ānandamayo by nature," abhyāsāt. There are the interpretation of the Māyāvādīs of this Vedānta-sūtra, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). But we see that the Supreme Absolute Person is ānandamāyā. Kṛṣṇa, you'll never see without ānanda. He is, I mean to say, taking care of the cows, He's dancing with the gopīs, He's playing with His cowherd boys. Ānandamāyā. These are ānanda māyā. These are the varieties.

The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand; therefore they think that "This Kṛṣṇa-līlā is māyā." Therefore we call them Māyāvādī. Everything… Māyā māyā, neti neti. They take Kṛṣṇa also as māyā; therefore they are called Māyāvādīs. Because a living entity comes in this material world accepting this material body, similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes, they think that He has also a material body. This is Māyāvādī. Kṛṣṇa has no such thing. Therefore you'll find in Dr. Radhakrishnan's book, when Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], he says, "Not to the Kṛṣṇa person, but the Absolute which is within the Kṛṣṇa." He does not know that Kṛṣṇa is not different from His body. That he does not know. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6].

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya

tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

[Bg. 4.7]

Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]. He does not accept this mayic body. Etad īśanam īśasya. That is the, I mean to say, power, omnipotency of Kṛṣṇa. Even He accepts this material body, it does not mean that He is material. Just like we see the Deity, the Deity, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity, in our front. Everyone will say, "Oh, this is a Deity made of brass, material." But no, it is not material. You have to study in that way. Arcye viṣṇu śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. These are nārakī buddhi. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. The Deity as material, śiladhiḥ, considering as metal or stone or wood, and guruṣu nara-matiḥ, and guru as ordinary human being. Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ: a Vaiṣṇava, to consider, "Here is American Vaiṣṇava and here is a brāhmaṇa vaiṣṇava." No, Vaiṣṇava is Vaiṣṇava. This is absolute. Guruṣu nara-matiḥ. Guru, although he is appearing like human being, he should not be considered. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27]. These are the injunction of the śāstras. Suppose we are worshiping here. The Māyāvādī will say, "They are worshiping a brass, metal Deity." So are we so fools that we are spending so much money for worshiping a lump of metal? That they do not know. This is acintya-bhedābheda. And fact is that. Kṛṣṇa is omnipotent. He can accept your service in any way, as He likes. This is called arcā-vigraha. As Kṛṣṇa's avatāra is there, here is also another avatāra, arcā-vigraha. He is so kind. You cannot see Kṛṣṇa, you cannot touch Kṛṣṇa at the present moment, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He appears before you as you can touch, you can dress, you can offer your respect, you can see. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. But don't think that Kṛṣṇa has become metal. No. And even if He becomes metal, there is no difference. And what is this metal? That is Kṛṣṇa's energy. We have to understand in that way.

So this acintya-bhedābheda-tattva… Pañca-tattva-eka-vastu, nāhi kichu bheda rasa āsvādite. Rasa āsvādite, the mellows, transcendental mellows. So these chapters of Caitanya-caritāmṛta are very… These are postgraduate study. You have to read it very carefully and as they are described. We have tried to describe them as far as possible for being understood by us, but we should be very careful.

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]

Thank you very much. (end)

740309CC.MAY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.7

Māyāpur, March 9, 1974

Pradyumna: Translation: "Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, the supreme controller. No one is greater than or equal to Śrī Kṛṣṇa…" (noise)

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Stop this.

Pradyumna: "…yet He appears as the son of Mahārāja Nanda." [Cc. Ādi 7.7]

Prabhupāda: (noise) (aside:) Stop. Svayam bhagavān kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Whatever Kavirāja Gosvāmī is speaking, not out of his own whimsical way, whatever he's speaking, he's following the paramparā system. That is Vaiṣṇavism, or ācārya. Ācāryavan puruṣo veda. (noise, talking) (aside:) Stop this. Unless we accept the ācārya in the paramparā system, we cannot understand things as they are. It is not possible. So Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he's describing this Caitanya-caritāmṛta strictly according to the verdict of the śāstras. His statement is that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. Svayam bhagavān kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān is person; Bhagavān is not imperson. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. First realization of the Absolute Truth by speculative knowledge is impersonal effulgence of the Lord, which is called brahmajyoti. Then next realization is Paramātmā, the localized aspect of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But realization of Kṛṣṇa, that is the ultimate realization. Svayam bhagavān kṛṣṇa.

Bhagavān means six opulences. Nobody is richer than Bhagavān, nobody is stronger than Bhagavān, nobody is more beautiful than Bhagavān, nobody is wiser than Bhagavān, and nobody is more renouncer than Bhagavān. That is Bhagavān. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). That is Bhagavān. Svayam bhagavān. He is opulent-ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa-not partially. He knows everything. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26]. He knows past, present, and future. He says, therefore, that "All these, My dear Arjuna-yourself, Myself and all the soldiers and kings who have assembled here-it is not that we were not existing before. We are existing at the present moment also, and in future also we shall continue to exist." And how we shall exist? Individually. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa would have said that in future, when we become liberated, then we shall become one. No. He says, "Even in future also, we shall continue to exist like this. You are individual. You are Arjuna. I am Kṛṣṇa. And all other living entities…" That is real understanding. Every one of us living entities, we are all individual persons, and Kṛṣṇa is also individual person. This is knowledge. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Kṛṣṇa, or God, He's also nitya, eternal. We are also nitya, eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. We do not die. That is the preliminary knowledge of spiritual understanding, that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, but I am individual." Nityo nityānām. Kṛṣṇa is individual person; I am also individual person. When Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], it does not mean that I become one with Kṛṣṇa or merge into the existence of Kṛṣṇa. I keep my individuality, Kṛṣṇa keeps His individuality, but I agree to abide by His order. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna that "I have spoken to you everything. Now what is your decision?" Individual. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is forcing Arjuna. Yathecchasi tathā kuru: [Bg. 18.63] "Now whatever you like, can do." That is individuality.

So this is the ultimate knowledge, that, this Māyāvāda philosophy, that to become one, merge into the existence, merge into the existence means we merge into the order of Kṛṣṇa. Our individuality at the present moment is māyā, because we are planning so many things. Therefore your individuality and my individuality clashes. But when there will be no more clashing-we shall agree, "Central point is Kṛṣṇa"-that is oneness, not that we lose our individuality. So as it is stated in all Vedic literature and spoken by Kṛṣṇa, we are all individual, all individual. Svayaṁ bhagavān ekale īśvara. But the difference is that He is the supreme ruler, īśvara. Īśvara. Īśvara means ruler. Actually He is ruler, and we are also ruler, but we are subordinate ruler . Therefore He is ekale īśvara, one ruler. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇa, in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Ekale īśvara. Īśvara cannot be many. That is not īśvara. The Māyāvāda philosophy that everyone is God, that is not very right conclusion. That is rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa says, mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. One who does not submit to the supreme īśvara, the Supreme Lord, you should know it perfectly well that "Here is a mūḍha, rascal," because it is not that everyone, we can become īśvara. That is not possible. There is then no meaning of īśvara. Īśvara means the ruler. Suppose we are in a group, this, our International Society. If everyone becomes ruler or ācārya, then how it can be managed? No. There must be some head. That is the principle in our practical life. We follow our political leaders. We cannot say that "I belong to this party" unless I follow a leader. That is natural.

So that is the Vedic statement, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). There must be one leader, the leader of the same quality, nitya. I am nitya, Kṛṣṇa is nitya. Kṛṣṇa is also living entity; I am also living entity. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. So what is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and me? The difference is that there are two nityas or two cetanaś. One is described as singular number, and the other is described as plural number. Nityo nityānām. This nityānām is plural number, and nitya is singular number. So God is nitya, one, singular number, and we, we are being ruled. We are plural number. This is the difference. And how He is ruling the plural number? Because eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He's supplying all the necessities of life of all these plural number; therefore He's īśvara, He's Kṛṣṇa, He's God. One who provides all the necessities of life, He's īśvara, He's Kṛṣṇa, He's God. So we can very well understand that we are being maintained by Kṛṣṇa, and why we should not be ruled by Him? This is a fact. Now, you can see in this country, in this village, Māyāpur, their so many food grains are growing, but who is supplying? That is Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible to grow these food grains in your factory. No. That is not possible. He's helping us. He has stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni [Bg. 3.14]. Unless you eat sufficiently, unless you have food grains in stock, you cannot flourish. Bhutani. Bhavanti. Bhavanti means flourishing. So both animals and men, they must eat sufficiently. There must be food grain sufficiently. So that food grain you cannot manufacture in your factory. You may start a very big factory, Goodyear Tire factory, but that tire also will not move when there is no supply of petrol. This is your position. You are dependent even for this tire and petrol, and what to speak of this food grain. So who is supplying the food grain? The supplying person is… Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That singular number individual person, He is supplying. You can say prakṛti, nature, is supplying. No. Nature is not supplying. Nature is the agent of supply. Real supplier is Kṛṣṇa. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. And that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. Nature is working under the instruction or the indication of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

In Brahma-saṁhitā also, it is stated, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā [Bs. 5.44]. Here it is the vibharti, and bibhavanti… So nature is dependent, although nature has got this power, very extensive power, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya, to create, to maintain and to annihilate. Such power nature has got, and therefore she is called Durgā, Durgādevī. In Bengal there is great pompous Durgā-pūjā. That is nature worship. So… But nature is yasya ajñāya; she is working under the order of Kṛṣṇa. We Vaiṣṇava, it is not that we do not care for Durgā-devī. Somebody, they say like that. No. We offer her all respect because she is the agent of Kṛṣṇa, but we do not accept foolishly that Durgā is all in all. No. That we do not accept. Durgā is the agent, working agent of Kṛṣṇa. Yasyajñaya. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā, icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā [Bs. 5.44]. Sā ceṣṭate yasya icchānurūpam. And Kṛṣṇa also confirms this: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the supreme īśvara, controller. She is conducting the activities of the material nature. But those who are mūḍhas, they are captivated by the wonderful action of material nature. That is called materialist. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ mohitaḥ. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. They are bewildered. Nature's business is to keep you fool always. And if you can surpass the bewilderment of material nature, if you agree to be controlled by the supreme controller, then your life is successful. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta author says that "Here is the controller," ekala, "one." And Kṛṣṇa also says, mām ekam. Not that imitation Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be befooled. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja.

So all the verdict of the śāstra is the same. It is simply our misfortune that we do not understand the verdict of the śāstra. In the śāstra, everything is there. So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. That is the verdict of the śāstra. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said. In Bhāgavata also said,

ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ

kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam

indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ

mṛḍayanti yuge yuge

[SB 1.3.28]

So try to understand. And Kṛṣṇa said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: [Bg. 7.7] "No more superior." You don't misunderstand that there is something superior to Kṛṣṇa. That is rascaldom. So long we shall remain such rascal we shall not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, na māṁ prapadyante duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Prapadyante. Who does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa? You'll say that "There are so many big, big persons, and they do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So they are all mūḍhas?" Yes, they are all mūḍhas. That is the verdict of the śāstra. We cannot make any compromise. That is not possible, against the principle of the śāstra. If we keep one competitor of Kṛṣṇa, then we are mūḍha. Here it is said, advitīya. Not that there is another Kṛṣṇa, dini-Kṛṣṇa, no. There is no… There cannot be any competitor of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more anyone, bigger authority than Me." And here is also, Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaja, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, says, advitīya: no competitor, sir. Here we are all gods, the rascaldom, that "Everyone is God." But there is competition of Gods. But in case of Kṛṣṇa there is no such possibility, no competition. Nobody can compete with Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was present He showed it by practical example. Nobody could compete Him in either knowledge, either strength or love affairs or any field of activities. There was no competition.

Now, Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, He married sixteen thousand wives. Where is competition? One cannot marry even sixteen wives-and he becomes God. Just see the foolishness. Even from materialistic view, who is that god who can marry sixteen thousand wives? Is there any god, so-called rascal god? Is there any possibility? Kṛṣṇa showed, yes. Kṛṣṇa was attempted to be killed from the very childhood when He was three months old by Pūtanā. But He killed the Pūtanā rakṣasī, not He was killed. Similarly, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, this asura, that asura, simply from the beginning of His life, Kaṁsa and others, from the rogues, the asuras, they were making plan to kill Kṛṣṇa as soon as He is born. Kaṁsa, he was planning that "As soon as Kṛṣṇa is born…" He was trying to kill Kṛṣṇa's mother Devakī, but with argument of Vasudeva that "Don't do this. Your sister's son will kill you, but your sister will not kill you, so let the son be born. I shall bring it to you," Kaṁsa believed the honorable words of Vasudeva. Because he knew that "Vasudeva is very respectable, honorable man. He has promised the children, the child, will be brought to me," so he saved his sister. He was such a cruel. The rogues and cruel, they do not care even for mother and sister. They can kill anyone, you see. That is the roguism. So Kaṁsa was that type of rogue. But Vasudeva, by his intelligence, saved the situation, but as honorable person, he brought all the children to Kaṁsa. You know this history.

So the Kaṁsa or the asura's plan is how to kill Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is going on. Everyone, "God is dead. God is dead." When I first went to your country the philosophy was that "God is dead." But they admitted, "No, God is living. Swamijī has brought in saṅkīrtana." That also they admit. Yes. So God cannot be dead. If we are not ever dead-na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]-how God can be dead? That is another foolishness. God cannot be dead. Nitya. Then there is no meaning of nitya. So this is the position of Kṛṣṇa; He is the Supreme Person, supreme ruler without any competitor. Advitīya, no competition. Here we have got competition, but Kṛṣṇa there is no competition. There cannot be any competition. You cannot say that Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā or any other demigods, they are also as good as Kṛṣṇa, equally. No. That is not possible. Then he would not have used this word advitīya. There cannot be any competition. If somebody puts any competitor before Kṛṣṇa, he's a pāṣaṇḍī.

yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ

brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ

samatvenaiva vīkṣeta

sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam

[Cc. Madhya 18.116]

"Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Person, if one compares with Nārāyaṇa with such exalted demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahma…," brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, "what to speak of other Indra, Candra-they are nothing in comparison to Brahmā. Brahmā is the creator of this universe. So even such creator, even so powerful demigod as Lord Śiva, cannot be compared with Kṛṣṇa." Advitīya. Cannot be compared. That is pāṣaṇḍī. Sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam. So those who are comparing, "All the demigods and Kṛṣṇa, they are on the same level. You can worship anyone," they are all rascals. Because here it is said advitīya, Kṛṣṇa cannot be compared with anyone else. That is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. They may be īśvara. Lord Śiva may be īśvara, Lord Brahmā may be īśvara, but they cannot be parama īśvara. That is not possible. Parameśvara is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1].

So… But, at the same time, Nandātmaja, or Vasudevātmaja. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. That is dealing between His devotee and Himself. Although nobody can become Kṛṣṇa's father, because He is the original father-aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2]-but He agrees to become the son of His devotee. This is called devotional dealing. Śānta, dāsya sākhya, vātsalya-rasa. This is the dealing of vātsalya-rasa. The father… Nobody can become father of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. He is the father. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg. 14.4]. He is the original father. Then how nandātmaja? How Nanda Mahārāja can become the father of Kṛṣṇa? No. That father means he wanted to become the best servant of Kṛṣṇa. When I become father of my child, I am the best servant of the child, actually. You see the children moving, and the mother is taking care. So the mother is the best servant of the child. So this is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. They want to become one with the God, but we keep ourself always servant of God, and to become the best servant of God is also to become His father and mother. This is nandātmaja. Therefore one devotee prayed, aham iha śrī-nandaṁ vande yasyālinde paraṁ brahma, śrutim apare smṛtim itare. The devotee is praying that "Somebody is studying the Vedas, somebody is studying the Purāṇas, the smṛtis," śrutim apare smṛtim itare, "and somebody is studying Mahābhārata to understand God." But the devotee says, "I do not want to understand God. I want to worship Nanda Mahārāja, under whose…, in the courtyard of his house the Parabrahman is crawling." That is nandātma… That is the, I mean to say, superior position of nandātmaja, Nanda Mahārāja. So this is philosophy. Ordinary men cannot understand. But Vaiṣṇava philosophy is so nice that instead of becoming one with the Supreme, they want to become the father of the Supreme. This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Nandātmāja. Rasika-śekhara. This is also a pleasure. Kṛṣṇa wants to be subordinate to His devotee as son so that He may be punished. He is punishing everyone, but He wants to be punished also. That is His pleasure. And who will punish Him? His father and mother, superior. Or superior lover, Rādhārāṇī, can punish Him.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific and sublime. Try to understand. Always read the books. Don't try to understand Kṛṣṇa ordinarily.

manuyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

To understand Kṛṣṇa is not so easy, but if you follow the mahājana, if you try to understand the philosophy through the paramparā system, then you'll realize Kṛṣṇa and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

740315CC.VRN

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.8

Vṛndāvana, March 15, 1974

Pradyumna: Translation: "Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the supreme enjoyer in the rāsa dance. He is the leader of the damsels of Vraja, and all others are simply His associates." [Cc. Ādi 7.8]

Prabhupāda: Before this verse, the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta has described:

svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara

advitīya, nandātmaja, rasika-śekhara

[Cc. Ādi 7.7]

Kṛṣṇa has got many, unlimited forms. Advaita-acyuta-anādi-ananta-rūpam. Svāṁśa-vibhinnāṁśa. Some of the forms are called svāṁśa. Svāṁśa means God, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva, They have expanded in so many ways. So all the Viṣṇu-tattvas, They are called svāṁśa, personal expansions. And others, they are called vibhinnāṁśa. The demigods, the inhabitants of the higher planetary systems within this material world, or the devotees in the spiritual world, we also, we are, although conditioned souls, we are vibhinnāṁśa. We are also expansion of Kṛṣṇa, but we are not equal to the Viṣṇu-tattva. We are fragment fires. The example is given, just like the big fire and the spark fire. So we living entities, we are spark fire. We are also fire, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, vibhinnāṁśa… Aṁśa means part and parcel. So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Spirit, and we are part and parcel. We are also spirit, but we are not supreme. That is the difference. Svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara. So actually, īśvara means the controller. The supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa.

So in the next verse the Kṛṣṇa's business is rāsādi-vilāsa. He's busy in dancing with the gopīs. He has no other business. Just like we try to imitate Kṛṣṇa. Big, big rich men, they go to the ball dance. Especially in your country, at night, big, big businessmen, politicians, they go to the night club for dancing. You know that. And they pay fifty dollars for entrance fee. I have seen in France, Paris. And then other fees for dancing with particular girls, and other things. So wherefrom this propensity comes, dancing? That comes from the Supreme Lord. Rāsādi-vilāsa. Because Kṛṣṇa has the business of dancing and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so we have got the same spirit of dancing. But because we are in the material world, the material covering has perverted the dancing propensity. Otherwise, wherefrom we get the idea of dancing? Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The Vedānta-sūtra says that everything is born of the Absolute Truth. So unless the Absolute Truth has got this dancing propensity, wherefrom we get it? This is the logic. We cannot have anything without that thing being present in the Supreme Absolute Truth. That is the meaning of janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. But this dancing, our dancing, ball dancing, and that dancing is not the same. This is perverted reflection with inebrieties, dissatisfaction, frustration. But in the dancing of Kṛṣṇa there is no such things. No inebrieties, no frustration. Because that is not false; that is real.

So in the Vedas we understand the nature of the Absolute Truth as ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He's ānandamaya, always in pleasure potency. So when Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, wants to enjoy ānanda, so He expands His ahladini-śakti. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. This is Vedic injunction. He has got multipotencies. So when He wants to enjoy, He expands His internal potency, ahlādinī-śakti. That is Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī. Don't think Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī a ordinary girl. No. Then you will mistake. How Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, can dance with ordinary girl? No. That is not possible. Cid-vilāsī. He is enjoyer of the internal potency. That is described by Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara.

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir ahlādinī śaktir asmād

ekātmānāv api (bhuvi purā) deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau

śrī-caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam

āptaṁ rādhā-bhava-dyuti…

Caitanyākhyam, kṛṣṇākhyam, like that. So rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya, the loving affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, that is the expansion of Kṛṣṇa's ahlādinī-śakti. Sandhinī-śakti and ahlādinī-śakti… There are many potencies of Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ Brahman. He is accepted as Paraṁ Brahman in the Bhagavad-gītā by Arjuna: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. He's Paraṁ Brahman, Supreme Brahman. The Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand the Supreme Brahman, or the Supreme Ātmā, Paramātmā. These words are there, ātmā, paramātmā; brahma, paraṁ brahma; īśvara, parameśvara. These words are there. But they, on account of their poor fund of knowledge, they think ātmā and Paramātmā the same, or īśvara or Parameśvara is the same, or Brahman or Paraṁ Brahman is the same. That is poor fund of knowledge. There cannot be any competition of the Parameśvara or Paraṁ Brahman or Paramātmā. Therefore in this verse it is said, svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara. Īśvara, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, cannot have any competitor. Asamaurdhva. These words are there. Asama. Asama means there is no equal. And aurdhva, and nobody is greater. Asamaurdhva. Nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa, and nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosophy that everyone is God, everyone is Kṛṣṇa, that is not substantiated by the Vedic literature. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is used there. The Parameśvara, Paraṁ Brahman, Paramātmā, that is Kṛṣṇa. Not we are. We are very fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa. Very, very small, spiritual spark. So as the sparks from the fire falls down, it loses its original sparking capacity or fire elements. We have seen it. When the spark falls down from the big fire, then it is extinguished. No more fire. It is carbon. Similarly, when we are detached from Kṛṣṇa, we are jīva-bhūta. Then, gradually, if by good association, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and spiritual master, we gradually come to the spiritual position, then we become brahma-bhūta [SB 4.30.20].

At the present moment, being materially absorbed, accepting ourself as one of the products of this matter… Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ [SB 10.84.13]. I am thinking that "I am product of this material world." "I am product of India," "I am product of brāhmaṇa," "I am product of this family, that family." So this is called jīva-bhūta. And when one understands that "I am not product of this material world. I am not American. I am not Indian. I am not brāhmaṇa. I am not śūdra. I am servant of Kṛṣṇa," that is called brahma-bhūta. Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He said that "I am not brāhmaṇa. I am not sannyāsī. I am not kṣatriya. I am not householder. I am not brahmacārī. I am not sannyāsī. I am not… I am…," This is definition by negation. He said positive definition: gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. "That is my identification. I do not belong to these material categories. I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, who provides, who maintains the gopīs." Therefore it is said, rāsādi-vilāsī, vrajalalanā-nāgara. Vrajalalanā-nāgara: He is the leader of the Vrajalalanā, damsels of Vrajabhūmi. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37]. These gopīs, vrajalalanā, they are not ordinary girls. Then you will mistake. They are ānanda-cinmaya-rasa, Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency, expansion of pleasure potency. Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī is the direct pleasure potency, and the all the gopīs, they are expansion of Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī. Therefore He is called vrajalalanā-nāgara. So don't think… You have come to Vṛndāvana. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa had rāsa dance with ordinary girls or Kṛṣṇa was ordinary man. As Kṛṣṇa was not man, He's God, similarly, the gopīs and Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī, they're internal potency of God, or Kṛṣṇa. This is… This should be understood. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. Kṛṣṇa says, "Mūḍhas, rascals, they think that I am a human being, ordinary human being." And therefore they imitate. Sometimes the rascals imitate rāsa dance. "Kṛṣṇa had rāsa dance; then we can have also rāsa…" But they do not understand that Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance is not ordinary ball dance like that. No. It is an imitation, perverted imitation. Because the tendency's there in Kṛṣṇa, therefore we have also got the tendency. But we do not know how to enjoy that dancing spirit. That is our illusion. We think this ordinary dance and Kṛṣṇa's dance is the same thing. No. That dancing, to take part in that dancing, it requires many, many millions of years tapasya. It is not ordinary thing. Itthaṁ brahma-bhūta… There is a verse that kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ, sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11]. To join with the rāsa dance of Kṛṣṇa, or to play with Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boy, it requires kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ, many, many millions of births' pious activities.

So Kṛṣṇa's pastimes in Vṛndāvana with the cowherds boys and with the gopīs, they are all spiritual. They are not material. But Kṛṣṇa manifests, exhibits the līlā, coming here personally so that you may hear about Kṛṣṇa and you may be attracted: "So how I can go and play with Kṛṣṇa? How I can go and dance with Kṛṣṇa?" Or "How I can become a, in paternal affection with Kṛṣṇa? How I can become a tree, a grass, in Vṛndāvana, so that Kṛṣṇa may trample over me?" This is called Kṛṣṇa-prema. So Kṛṣṇa practically demonstrates, for the facility of the conditioned soul.

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya

tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

[Bg. 4.7]

Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He comes here, exhibits Himself, how He is dealing in His spiritual abode. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Kṛṣṇa, in the spiritual world, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is engaged in tending the cows, surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. So when He comes on this planet, in this universe… Kṛṣṇa rotates His touring. There are innumerable universes, and in every moment there is Kṛṣṇa-līlā is going on. That is called nitya-līlā. The example, I have given several times. Just like the sun is rotating within the orbit. Now it is, say, eight o'clock at night. But at this time, there is six o'clock, seven o'clock, nine o'clock, ten o'clock-everything is there. Similarly, every moment, Kṛṣṇa's līlā is going in some of the universes. There are innumerable universes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. So in each universe, Kṛṣṇa-līlā is going on. And in rotation, after some lakhs of years, again Kṛṣṇa comes on this planet. This is… Therefore Kṛṣṇa's līlā is nitya-līlā. So just to attract us, that "You are fond of dancing. Why don't you come back to Me and dance with Me?" this is Kṛṣṇa's business. "Why you are rotting in this rotting dance? You want association. You want sporting. Why don't you come to Me and take part in My sporting with the cowherds boys?" This is invitation of Kṛṣṇa.

So one who has got intelligence, they will try to enter into the pastimes, transcendental pastimes of the Lord, either as a cowherd boy or as a servant or as a flower, as a tree, or the water of Yamunā, or the land, or the father and the mother and the conjugal lover. Or it may be as enemy, as Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Pūtanā. They are also blessed because they are acting with Kṛṣṇa. This is the sum and substance of Vṛndāvana līlā. Kṛṣṇa comes, He exhibits His līlā in Vṛndāvana to attract the conditioned souls, who are engaged in false līlā, temporary līlā, or hellish līlā. Kṛṣṇa wants to save us. The propensity is there. Kṛṣṇa says, "Not here. Not in this material world. This is perverted. You come to Me." But the Māyāvādīs, because they have poor fund of knowledge, they think that "If again there is līlā, there is sporting, there is dancing, so that is here. Then it is māyā." In their poor fund of knowledge, brain cannot accommodate that Kṛṣṇa's līlā and this līlā are not the same. Not the same. They think when there is līlā, then it must be māyā; therefore they are called Māyāvādī. Their idea is that liberation means minus this līlā, no more līlā, simply stop everything. Or voidism.

But that is not the fact…. The fact… Just like a diseased man. He is always drinking bitter medicine, lying on the bed and passing stool in the bed. Very miserable condition. So he wants to commit suicide. So he cannot understand that after being cured from the disease, he will eat very nicely, he will lie down on the bed very nicely, he will no…, have no miserable condition of life. He cannot understand. He says, "Again lying down on the bed and again eating? Oh, this is māyā." They do not know that. Therefore they are called poor fund of knowledge. They think that by avoiding this līlā, making minus, making void, making zero, we become liberated. No, that is not liberated. That is a disgusted negation only. And as soon as I am disgusted with something, I want to make it "No." Just like sometimes a man commits suicide. He thinks that "This life is simply disgusting. So finish this life." So Māyāvādī philosophy is like that. They want to finish this. But finishing, then what you are accepting? That they do not know. Therefore they are Śūnyavādī, Nirviśeṣavādī. If there is life… Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. Simply by committing suicide, how you'll be happy? Because tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]. You'll have to accept another body. Either you commit suicide or die naturally, you have to accept. But if you accept natural death and natural body, then your karma kṣaya, you annihilate your karma, but if you commit suicide, then you become ghost. Because nature's punishment. You got a body and you neglected it, so you now you become, remain without body. That is ghost. Ghost means who does not possess this material body, but he has got the subtle body. That is ghost.

So without knowledge what is the aim of life, what is the actual life, if something is, somebody is misguided by so-called guides or guru, then his life is spoiled. Therefore Vedas gives us direction,

tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet

samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham

[MU 1.2.12]

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta

jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam

śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ

brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

[SB 11.3.21]

These are the definitions.

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 4.34]

Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. So we have to approach the right spiritual master. That is our system, everyone's system. Ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma-pṛcchāt. This is the direction of Śrīla Rupa Gosvami. So we have to accept the bona fide spiritual master. Who is spiritual master? Now, evam paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. By the paramparā system, one who has got the knowledge, he's a spiritual master, and the proof is-how one is spiritual master-that means paramparā, as Kṛṣṇa says. He does not change the words of Kṛṣṇa, but he follows the words of Kṛṣṇa and preaches the words of Kṛṣṇa. That is the proof of spiritual master. That's all. Brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam. Firm faith, unflinching devotion at the lotus feet of the Lord, and speaking what the Lord spoke. No manufacturing. That is bona fide spiritual master. Otherwise, we shall be misguided, bogus. Bogus are described in the Bhāgavatam: mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. Sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10]. They have manufactured their own ideas. That will take time. But if we approach the real spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master, then our material disease will be cured even in this life. Then material disease will be cured when we develop our dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa.

So here the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta is describing about Kṛṣṇa. Here it is: svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara. Isvara, Bhagavan, is Kṛṣṇa. Don't accept these humbug, bogus Kṛṣṇa and bogus Bhagavān. Then you'll be misled. And nowadays, especially India, there are so many gods. No! Here it is said, svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara. If you accept this, then you understand what is Kṛṣṇa. And if you manufacture another dini Kṛṣṇa, no, that will not help you. Kṛṣṇa is one, but He has got many expansions. Therefore the expansions are called āra yata saba dekha. There are… Just like Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, Viṣṇu, Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Catur-vyuha Nārāyaṇa. There are hundreds and thousands of Viṣṇu-tattvas. So āra saba yata dekha tāṅra parikara, expansions. Real, original Kṛṣṇa, the Bhagavān, is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu-kalā-niyamena-tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu

kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.39]

So if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. So those who have come to Vṛndāvana, they should try to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is the business. And unfortunately, they are busy in some other business. And if I criticize them, they become angry. So what can I do? I have to speak the truth. I cannot, I mean to say, amalgamate real and nonreal. That is not possible. So Kṛṣṇa… Try to understand. Here it is said that svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa ekale īśvara. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa also says. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: [Bg. 7.7] "Nobody is superior than Me." And how these rascals, they think that "I am equal to Kṛṣṇa"? Kṛṣṇa cannot be two. Kṛṣṇa is one. But He can expand. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu-kalā-niyamena-tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. Kala, aṁśa-kala, avatāra. There are description in the śāstra. So we have to understand how Kṛṣṇa expands. There are expansion. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta-rūpam. Just like Kṛṣṇa… Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna… [Bg. 18.61]. Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, innumerable living entities. And not only that. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Aṇḍāntara-stham. Kṛṣṇa, as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, is within this universe. Not only within this universe, but within the atom, every atom. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ-paramāṇu-cayāntara. So Kṛṣṇa is so all-pervasive. But that does not mean everything Kṛṣṇa. [break] The dogs and hogs of Vṛndāvana, they are also fortunate because they are in Vṛndāvana. So one life of dogs and hogs, then they will be liberated. But why should we take the risk of becoming dogs and hogs? Finish this business of understanding Kṛṣṇa in this life by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Remain pure, observing the rules and regulations. Then your life is successful. At the end: tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. This is the highest success of life.

Thank you very much. (end)

670201CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.39-47

San Francisco, February 1, 1967

Prabhupāda: …accustomed to follow the Vedic principles. Just like in Christian religion, those who do not follow the Bible, they are called heathens. Similarly, in Muslim, those who do not follow the Koran, they are called kafirs. Similarly, those who do not follow the Vedic principles, they are called nāstika or mlecchas. Nāstika means those who do not believe in the Vedic principles, they are called nāstika, atheist. And those whose behavior is not very clean, they are called mlecchas. So in comparison to Hindu mode of living and others in the world, there is very great difference, social sanctity and personal sanctity. So therefore, formerly the mlecchas means the Muhammadans, because they are meat-eaters, they do not take bath daily and there are so many things. So even those persons who were delivered by Lord Caitanya, but the author says that He could not deliver the Māyāvādīs, the impersonalist sannyāsīs. That means it was easier for Him to deliver the mlecchas, but it was difficult for Him to deliver the Māyāvādīs. In other words, the author is trying to place the position of the Māyāvādī sannyāsī less than the mlecchas. Less than the mlecchas.

So, sabe eḍāila mātra kāśīra māyāvādī. Māyāvādī means materialist. Māyā means this matter, and vādī means those who stick to this principle of material… There are different kinds of materialists. Because we should always know that up to the point of intelligence, it is matter. First point is the senses, the gross. The grossest type of materialist is that they are addicted to sense gratification. So this is materialist. And above this, there are mental speculators. They are also materialists because mind is matter. So the sense gratifiers and the mental speculationists, and those who are trying to reach spiritual perfection by bodily exercise… Because body is not at all spirit; it is matter. But by intellectually, by making proper adjustment… Just the only benefit of such exercises is to concentrate the mind. The mind is very disturbed. So that is also materialist. That means jñānī, yogi and karmī. Karmī means those who are working very hard day and night simply for sense gratification. That's all. They are called karmīs. And jñānī means they are finding out solution by mental speculation. And yogi means they are trying to find out spiritual salvation by bodily exercises. They are all, in strict sense, they are all materialist. There is no question of spiritualist. Spiritualism (means) there where one understands that what is the constitutional position of spirit and act according to that. Therefore bhakti, this devotional service, is only spiritualism because those who are devotees, they know that they are eternally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and therefore to be engaged in transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord is spiritualism.

So,

vṛndāvana yāite prabhu rahilā kāśīte

māyāvādī-gaṇa tāṅre lāgila nindite

[Cc. Ādi 7.40]

Māyāvādī… The followers of Śaṅkara's school, they are generally called Māyāvādī. And another Māyāvādī are called the Buddhists. So in the Kāśī, in Benares, there were two kinds of Māyāvādīs. One kind of Māyāvādī, the Buddhists, they have got still Sarnath. Buddhists temples there are because Lord Buddha, he started his meditation near Gayā at about hundred miles off from Benares. Then his disciples established monasteries near Kāśī because Benares is well-known sacred place since a very long time, so they also established there. Formerly there was no such animosities between the Hindus and the Buddhists. They were practically on the same platform, but philosophically they were different. Just like the Māyāvādīs, the followers of Śaṅkarite, they are still Hindus. They are not out of it. Similarly, Buddhists also were considered as Hindu. But when Buddha religion was completely driven away from India's boundary, then now it is considered another sect. So the Kāśī Māyāvādī means both the Buddhists and the followers of Śaṅkarites.

sannyāsī ha-iyā kare gāyana nācana

nā kare vedānta-pāṭha kare saṅkīrtana

[Cc. Ādi 7.41]

mūrkha sannyāsī nija-dharma nāhi jāne

bhāvuka ha-iyā phere bhāvukera sane

[Cc. Ādi 7.42]

So when Lord Caitanya was living at Benares, on His way to Vṛndāvana… Not… He never made His headquarters anywhere else except Jagannātha Purī. Even Benares… He was worshiper of Vṛndāvana, but He did not make His headquarter at Vṛndāvana. So when on His way to Vṛndāvana He stopped at Benares and was staying at Candraśekhara's house, and He was taking His meals at the house of Tapana Miśra. So when He was passing-because His only propaganda was Hare Kṛṣṇa, just we are doing-so when He was passing on the road, all the people joined, all the people. It is… It has got so attraction. Even nonsignificant persons like us, when we chant, it attracts people, and what to speak of Lord Caitanya? He is personally chanting. So it attracted many people. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu within three, four days became very famous man, and everyone began to say, "Oh, from Bengal, nice sannyāsī, beautiful sannyāsī, a young sannyāsī has come, and He is come," and they were chanting and dancing, and people were very much attached to Him. In this way there was some propaganda in the city.

But the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they could not tolerate. They were, I mean to say, backbiting. What they were saying? "Oh, here is a sannyāsī, and He's dancing." According to Māyāvāda sannyāsa, this dancing and singing is forbidden, forbidden. In Muhammadan religion also, dancing and singing is forbidden. I do not know what is there in the Bible, but I understand in the Bible there is saṅkīrtana allowed. I have asked our Kīrtanānanda to write some article, "Saṅkīrtana and Bible," because he is, he knows Bible very well than other members. So we shall see very nice how in Bible there is saṅkīrtana. The Muhammadan Koran, they do not… In some of their sections, there is saṅkīrtana, not within the mosque, but without. Anyway… So similarly, these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they also do not like singing and dancing. Of course, now they are stopping, finish. They are also taking now to this process of singing and dancing in India. So formerly they used to, I mean to say, decry. So sannyāsī ha-iyā kare nācana gāyana: "Oh, here is a sannyāsī. He is dancing and singing." Nā kare vedānta-śravaṇa: "He does not give His attention for studying Vedānta," kare saṅkīrtana, "and always engaged in Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." Mūrkha sannyāsī: "That means He has (no) knowledge. He has not studied all this Vedānta philosophy, and He's a nonsense. What He can do?" Sometimes we are considered a nonsense because we have no other stock except chanting. And actually, we have no stock except chanting. But why do we talk of philosophy? Because the fools want to talk of philosophy. Otherwise, there is no need of talking philosophy. Simply by chanting, everything is complete. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was showing this example, and other Māyāvādī sannyāsīs criticizing Him, "Oh, here is a, a foolish, is a," mean, "a illiterate sann…" Because there were many illiterate sannyāsīs also in India. "Illiterate sannyāsī. He does not know how to execute…" (aside:) Oh, I have forgotten. [break] "…how to execute the sannyāsa life. Therefore He's chanting and dancing." This sort of criticism was going on. Bhāvuka ha-iyā phere bhāvukera sane: "And there are other sentimentalists who are also equally foolish and ignorant. So therefore they are following this sannyāsī."

E saba śuniyā prabhu hāse mane mane: "When Lord Caitanya was being criticized in that way, He was smiling. He was smiling, 'What can I do?' " So,

e saba śuniyā prabhu hāse mane

upekṣā kariyā kāro nā kaila sambhāṣaṇe

[Cc. Ādi 7.43]

"He was very grave. 'Oh, let them criticize. Let Me do My duty. That's all.' "

upekṣā kariyā kaila mathurā gamana

mathurā dekhiyā punaḥ kaila āgamana

[Cc. Ādi 7.44]

So because He was busy at that time for visiting Vṛndāvana, so He did not take care of this, and He went, left Kāśī, or Benares, after three, four days, and, er, although He was criticized, but He did not challenge. He went to Vṛndāvana.

kāśīte lekhaka śūdra-śrīcandraśekhara

tāṅra ghare rahilā prabhu svatantra īśvara

[Cc. Ādi 7.45]

Now, at Benares He stayed and in the house of Candraśekhara. Candraśekhara was not a brāhmaṇa, and a sannyāsī is not supposed to stay any place except in the house of a brāhmaṇa or in a temple. Otherwise, he is considered lower. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not care for all these formalities. He used to stay with Candraśekhara although he was not a brāhmaṇa, a śūdra, a laborer class, or little more than that. So why? Because He is completely independent, because He is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is taking the shape of a hog. Keśava dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa. Hog is considered to be the lowest animal because it eats stool. Just like in human society, those who are dog-eaters, they are considered the lowest of the human society, similarly, amongst the animals, the hog is considered to be the lowest of the animals because it eats stool. But Kṛṣṇa took the appearance of a hog. That does not mean that Kṛṣṇa has become a hog. He is fully independent. And what sort of hog? That hog was covering practically half of the universe. It, He was so big. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is very nice explanation of the incarnation of hog. The… And They were being praised. The incarnation of hog was being praised from higher planets. The higher planets, three higher planets, they are resided by most pious men. They are called Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka. These three higher planets, they are considered to be the most pious place within this material world. So they were praying, and when the incarnation of hog was sprinkling water by, I mean to say, shaking His body, and the sprinkle of the water was dropping in those three lokas, planets, and they were thinking themselves that "We are becoming purified," although they are considered to be the most pious and purified residents of this material world, still they prayed that "We are becoming purified." So Kṛṣṇa or His devotee, they're independent. They are not under the rules and regulation of this material world. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed this example, that He was staying at a place which is considered abominable by other sannyāsīs.

Kāśīte lekhaka śūdra-śrīcandraśekhara. Lekhaka śūdra means he was a clerk, clerk. The clerk, clerical post was offered to the śūdras, to the laborer class. There was a strike in Calcutta of the clerks. George and Skinner (?), an European firm, they had many jute (indistinct). The clerks, I mean to say, made a strike. So when their, I mean to say, chief man met the manager, so, and asked that "Whether you want to compromise with us?" the manager said, "No. I don't wish to compromise with you. I don't care for you because you are educated laborer." He gave the title to the clerks, "educated laborer." So actually in Hindu society, the clerks were called educated laborers. So here it is lekhaka śūdra. Lekhaka śūdra means clerk, but he's śūdra. Lekhaka śūdra śrīcandraśekhara, tāṅra ghare rahilā. But spiritually there is no such distinction. We should always remember that materially, there may be higher, lower class. There is, always, in every society, in every country. But spiritually there is no such consideration. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's propaganda. He made Haridāsa Ṭhākura-he was a Muhammadan-as the spiritual master for saṅkīrtana, namācārya. And He picked up Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, who were rejected by the Hindu society, and He made them gosvāmīs. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's peculiarity. And here also we see that a śūdra, a laborer class, a clerk, who is considered to be lower in the society, He was staying at his house.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu… And Rāmānanda Rāya, he was also a śūdra, and he was a householder and a politician, governor, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu took instruction from him. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him the preference of being a teacher. He was hesitating. Rāmānanda Rāya was hesitating, "Oh, Sir, You are sannyāsī, in the highest stage of āśrama, and You, in Your previous life You belonged to the brāhmaṇa sect. So You belong to the highest class, and I am a śūdra, I am householder, and I am a politician. So how lower I am in comparison to You? And You are taking instruction from me, so I am feeling hesitation." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "No, no. You don't feel hesitation." He enunciated,

kibā śūdra kibā vipra nyāsī kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

"Never mind a man, whatever he is. He may be a laborer class, he may be a brāhmaṇa, or he may be a sannyāsī, or he may be a householder. It doesn't matter. Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is spiritual master. Anyone." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, I mean to, highest con…, especially for the Hindu society. They have got so much caste distinction, lower and higher and this and that way. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu broke all these barriers. His simple process was: anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is welcome; he is the highest personality in the world. That was His proposal.

So He did not care that "What people will say that I am staying at a śūdra's place?" No.

tapana-miśrera ghare bhikṣā-nirvāhaṇa

sannyāsīra saṅge nāhi māne nimantraṇa

[Cc. Ādi 7.46]

So He was staying with a śūdra and He was taking His meals at another brāhmaṇa… He was also not sannyāsī, but he was a brāhmaṇa. So in this way He was staying at Benares.

sanātana gosāñi āsi' tāṅhāi mililā

tāṅra śikṣā lāgi' prabhu du-māsa rahilā

[Cc. Ādi 7.47]

So this, this incident is that Caitanya Mahāprabhu, first of all He visited Benares and went to Vṛndāvana. Then, while coming back, He stayed at Allahabad, Prayag, for ten days for instructing Rūpa Goswami. That we have already discussed. Now again He has come back to Benares. So He was staying at Candraśekhara's house, and He was taking His meals at Tapana Miśra's house. In the meantime, Sanātana Goswami came to see Him. Sanātana Goswami, after retirement, he had many troubles. He was arrested by the Nawab because Nawab thought him that he was very important hand. "He has now… By sentiment, he's going to Caitanya." So he thought it wise to arrest him. And Sanātana Gosvāmī had some money, so he bribed the superintendent of jail, and he let him go away. So with great difficulty, he reached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he met Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Benares, and for two months he was instructed all the principles of devotional service and different incarnations. We have… Some part of this Sanātana instruction, we have discussed. Again we shall discuss. So this Sanātana Gosvāmī met at Benares while Caitanya Mahāprabhu was returning back from Vṛndāvana. We shall discuss this point tomorrow.

Thank you very much. (end)

670203CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.49-65

San Francisco, February 3, 1967

Prabhupāda: While Lord Caitanya was residing at Benares, Rūpa, Sanātana Goswami met Him, and He taught him about Kṛṣṇa consciousness and the procedure to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For two months He instructed.

itimadhye candraśekhara, miśra-tapana

duḥkhī hañā prabhu-pāya kaila nivedana

[Cc. Ādi 7.49]

So while Lord Caitanya was residing at Benares, that Tapana Miśra and Candraśekhara submitted with great regret that "Sir, the other party, the Māyāvādī sannyāsīns, they are criticizing Your activities. Because You are chanting and You do not give much attention to the reading of Vedānta philosophy, they are criticizing that 'What kind of sannyāsī is He? He does not take part in the matter of studying Vedānta philosophy, and on sentiment He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, and some innocent people are following Him.' So in this way they are criticizing."

kateka śuniba prabhu tomāra nindana

nā pāri sahite, ebe chāḍiba jīvana

It is the duty of devotees not to tolerate blasphemy. So they are presenting before the Lord that "The criticism by the other party has become unbearable. So something must be done. Otherwise, we shall die or commit suicide."

tomāre nindaye yata sannyāsīra gaṇa

śunite nā pāri, phāṭe hṛdaya-śravaṇa

There are three kinds of devotees: kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and mahā-bhāgavata, bhāgavata, or those who are in the lower status, those who are in the middle status, and those who are in the highest status. Those who are in the lower status are beginners. Devotees, for them, the description is that,

arcāyām eva haraye

yaḥ pūjām śraddhayehate

na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu

sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

"In the lower stage, a devotee goes to the temple or to the church or to the mosque, with great devotion and faith offers prayers to the Lord, but he has no knowledge about other devotees," na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, "and he does not know the duty to others." A devotee should not be satisfied simply by elevating himself in spiritual advancement. He has got other duties also. What is that other duties? That those who are innocent, those who are not interested… Everyone is interested, but there are persons who have forgotten his relationship with God. Therefore it is the duty of the devotee to enlighten others. That is required. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he also preached the sense of God, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is the duty of devotee. It is the duty of good son of God, but the…, those who are in the lower status, they have not developed such consciousness that "I have to preach the philosophy of God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others." They are simply satisfied themselves. They go to the church or mosque or temple, offer their prayers in devotion. That's all.

So the next stage is, one who is advanced spiritualist, he has got four visions.

īśvare tad-adhīneṣu

bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca

prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā

yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ

"A person who knows what is God, and knows also who is a devotee, and knows also who is innocent, and knows also who is atheist…" There are four kinds of people. So atheist, innocent, devotee, and er, here, three classes, and God. God, God's devotee. One, God; second, God's devotee; third, innocent persons; and fourth, atheists. So a person who has elevated himself to the second stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has got four kinds of dealings. First thing is, because he knows God, therefore he loves God, prema. His only lovable object is God, or Kṛṣṇa. And the second is the…, he makes friendship with the devotees of God. First thing is, because he loves God, therefore he makes friendship with the devotees of God. But God is the center. If you love God, then you can love others also very perfectly. For example… Of course, in your country I do not know, but in our country, suppose a girl is married to a boy, and the boy has got father, mother, brothers, and so many other relatives. As soon as the girl comes to the house of her husband, the father of the husband becomes the father-in-law, or the mother of the husband becomes mother-in-law. So he has got…, she has got some duty to the father-in-law, to the mother-in-law, to the brother-in-law, but before marriage, she had no connection with these, all these people. Similarly, as soon as you make your connection revived… The connection is permanent. Your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God, is eternal, but we have forgotten. So as soon as it is revived, "Oh, I am the part and parcel of the Supreme," or "I am son of the Supreme," then your relationship with other sons of God becomes clear. That is universal brotherhood.

So one who is in the second stage of development, he knows God, he loves God, and in relationship with God, he loves the devotees of the…, he makes friendship with the devotees of the God. Īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu. And so far the innocents are concerned… Innocent means they are not offender, but they do not know what is God, what is his relation, ordinary man. For them, the person who in the second stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his duty is to enlighten them. And those who are atheists, purposely against God, they should be avoided. Therefore there are four kinds of dealings for the person who is in the intermediate position. And those who are in the higher status of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they do not see anyone as against God. Their vision is that everyone is engaged in God's service. So there, there is only one vision, that everyone is engaged in God's service. They have no distinction. That is very higher stage. One should not imitate that stage.

So in the lower stage, these two gentlemen, Tapana Miśra and Candraśekhara, they are hearing the criticism against Lord Caitanya, but they are, I mean to say, placing themselves in the lower status, and they say that "We cannot bear this." Because they haven't got sufficient power to refute the arguments of the other party, therefore they are feeling sorry.

tomāre nindaye yata sannyāsīra gaṇa

śunite nā pāri, phāṭe hṛdaya-śravaṇa

Because, unless one is conversant with logic, arguments and Vedic literature, it is very difficult to defend. The more you can defend from the attacks of atheist, the more you should understand you have advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The atheists, generally, they will attack you, undoubtedly. But you have to defend yourself. So that is the business of the persons who are in the intermediate position.

ihā śuni rahe prabhu īśat ha-iyā

sei kāle eka miśra milila āsiyā

Eka vipra milila āsiyā. Now, while they were talking, Lord Caitanya and His two devotees, Tapana Miśra and Candraśekhara, so two, one brāhmaṇa came to invite Lord Caitanya.

āsi' nivedana kare caraṇe dhariyā

eka vastu māgoṅ, deha prasanna ha-iyā

The brāhmaṇa came and fell down on the feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and requested Him that "I have come to beg one thing from You. Please be kind to agree to this."

sakala sannyāsī muñi kainu nimantraṇa

tumi yadi āisa, pūrṇa haya mora mana

Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was in the renounced order of life, sannyāsī, still, He was avoiding the company of the Māyāvādīs, who are impersonalists. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is personalist. So generally, that is the system still. The impersonalists, as soon as they see some personalist, they begin to attack by argument. So those who are not very highly developed, they avoid. But those who are conversant, they argue, so on. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, while He was staying at Benares, He was not very enthusiastic to mix with this Māyāvādī class of sannyāsīs. Therefore this man who invited all the sannyāsīs for a dinner, he also came to Caitanya Mahāprabhu and asked Him that "I know that You do not associate Yourself with the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. Still, I have come to invite You. Please accept my request."

nā yāha sannyāsī-goṣṭhī ihā āmijāni

more anugraha kara nimantraṇa māni'

"I know that You avoid the association. Still, I am requesting You. If You kindly accept this request."

Prabhu hāsi' nimantraṇa kaila aṅgīkāra. Now there were two incidences. One incidences, one incident is that His two devotees were very sorry because the other party was criticizing Him. And the meantime, another brāhmaṇa came to invite Him. So it was coincidence. Caitanya Mahāprabhu thought that this is an opportunity to meet the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs and to talk with him, to talk with them, how they criticized the personalists.

prabhu hāsi' nimantraṇa kaila aṅgīkāra

sannyāsīre kṛpā lāgi' e bhaṅgī tāṅhāra

So although previously He did not associate with the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, still, to please His devotees, who were very sorry to hear the criticism, He accepted the invitation so that He could meet them and talk with them.

se vipra jānena prabhu nā yā'na kā'ra ghare

tāṅhāra prerāṇaya tāṅre atyāgraha kare

"And so the invitation was accepted, and the meeting date was also accepted."

āra dine gelā prabhu se vipra-bhavane

dekhilena, vasiyāchena sannyāsīra gaṇe

"The next day the Lord went to the house of that person who invited, that brāhmaṇa, and He saw there were many other Māyāvādī sannyāsīs sitting together."

sabā namaskari' gelā pāda-prakṣālane

pāda prakṣālana kari vasilā sei sthāne

Now, just see the behavior of Lord Caitanya. Although He was not in agreement with the other party, still, because they were sannyāsīs, renounced order of life, Caitanya Mahāprabhu offered His respect by bowing down before them. It is the duty of everyone, not only between the sannyāsī and sannyāsī. It is the custom of Vedic system. As soon as one would see a sannyāsī, at once he should offer his respect. If he does not offer his respect, then it is enjoined that he should fast one day as punishment. He should not eat. "Oh, I saw a sannyāsī, but I did not offer my respect. Therefore the penance should be that I should fast one day." This is the injunction. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was God Himself, but His behavior and His etiquette was excellent. At once He saw the sannyāsīs, He offered His respect. Pāda prakṣālana kari vasilā sei sthāne. And it is the system that when one comes from outside, he has to wash his feet before he enters room, especially for the sannyāsīs. So He washed His feet and sat down outside where the other sannyāsīs were sitting, a little off, just the place where He washed His feet.

vasiyā karilā kichu aiśvarya prakāśa

mahātejomaya vapu koṭi-sūryābhāsa

And while He was sitting in that place, He was so nice and beautiful. He was only twenty-four years old, and, or twenty-five years old, and very beautiful, very fair complexion, and He has accepted the sannyāsa order, the saffron cloth, and with tilaka. Everything looked so very nice that other sannyāsīs became attracted, "Oh, very nice." Prabhāve ākarṣila saba sannyāsīra mana: "The other sannyāsīs who were sitting, they were all attracted, 'A very nice boy sannyāsī.' " So uṭhila sannyāsī saba chāḍiyā āsana: "Automatically they were so pleased that they stood up to show Him respect, Lord Caitanya."

Prakāśānanda-nāme eka sannyāsī-pradhāna: "The chief of the sannyāsīs who were sitting there, his name was Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī." Sarasvatī. The sannyāsīs, they have got different titles. According to Śaṅkara sampradāya, there are ten titles. And, according to Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, there are 108 titles. So the ten titles which the Śaṅkara sampradāya claim, that is also included in the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya. They are called Sarasvatī, Bhāratī, I mean to say Vana, Araṇya-in this way, there are ten names. My Guru Mahārāja, my spiritual master, he was sannyāsī, and his title was Sarasvatī. Sarasvatī. So Sarasvatī, Bhāratī, Tīrtha, Vana, Araṇya, Parvata, just like so many titles. So there was a sannyāsī who was the chief amongst other sannyāsīs. His name was Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He was great scholar.

prakāśānanda-nāme eka sannyāsī-pradhāna

prabhuke kahila kichu kariyā sammāna

"Now, offering respect to Lord Caitanya, he began to say…"

ihāṅ āisa, gosāi āisa, śunaha śrīpāda

apavitra sthāne vaisa, kibā avasāda

"O my dear Sir, why You are sitting so distant place and a filthy place? Please come here. Sit with us."

Prabhu kahe,-āmi ha-i hina-sampradāya. Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu because He heard the criticism by this Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī that "This Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who has come in Benares, He is not very learned," therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's replying him that "I belong to the lower-class sannyāsī. Therefore I am sitting in this filthy place. You better sit in higher places."

prabhu kahe-āmi ha-i hina-sampradāya

tomā-sabāra sabhāya vasite nā yuyāya

"So I am not fit to sit with you," Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied.

āpane prakāśānanda hātete dhariyā

vasāilā sabhā-madhye sammāna kariyā

He was learned man, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He could understand the hint given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He himself personally went to receive Caitanya Mahāprabhu and caught His hand: "Please come here. Sit with us. Why You are sitting here?"

Now, next, tomorrow, we shall discuss about their talks. Thank you very much. (end)

670206CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.66-76

San Francisco, February 6, 1967

Prabhupāda: So Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, they are now together. Now there will be discussion. Now Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he (is) asking Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "I think Your name is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, and You are disciple, You have accepted this renounced order of life from Keśava Bhāratī." As I've explained to you, that there are ten different names in the Śaṅkara sampradāya of the sannyāsīs, and there are 108 names amongst the Vaiṣṇava sannyāsa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was initiated by Vaiṣṇava, He took sannyāsa, He accepted sannyāsa, from Bhāratī, who belongs to the Śaṅkara sampradāya, Śaṅkara sect. The rule is that if one has to accept renounced order of life, there is ceremony; as there is ceremony of initiation, there is ceremony of accepting this renounced order of life. And that ceremony must be performed by another bona fide, I mean to…, sannyāsī, renounced order. It is not that you take your cloth and get it colored and one day you become a sannyāsī. No. There are ceremonies. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu took sannyāsa from Keśava Bhāratī. This Keśava Bhāratī belonged to Śaṅkara sampradāya. Therefore Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī also belonged to Śaṅkara sampradāya. So he's asking that "I understand that Your name is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya."

Now, there are different kinds of names of brahmacārī also under the guidance of a sannyāsī. So the person who is under the guidance of Bhāratī, the brahmacārī's name is Caitanya. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He took sannyāsa, He did not change His brahmacārī name. That is also very significant. Because in the Māyāvādī sannyāsa, as soon as they take sannyāsa, they think that, "I have become Nārāyaṇa." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was regularly a sannyāsī, He did not change His name of brahmacārī. That means brahmacārī's meant for serving the spiritual master. So He continued to be a servitor. That is the significance. So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī's asking that "You are a sannyāsī of our sampradāya because You have accepted renounced order from Bharati. So what is the reason that You do not mix with us?" That is his first question. "And another complaint is that You are a sannyāsī. You should devote Your time in discussing philosophy, Sāṅkhya philosophy, and Vedānta-sūtra. You should learn. You should understand. Why You have taken sannyāsa? And what is this, that You are simply dancing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare?" This was his first question. Yes. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu was simply dancing and chanting. This is the specific contribution of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because, amongst the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, dancing and chanting is considered to be material. So that is also, they take, it is also one kind of sense gratification. So sannyāsa means they should stop sense gratification. So this is also, according to them, sense gratification, because they took it as ordinary singing.

So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Why do you follow this sentimentalism, chanting and dancing? You are a… And some of the foolish persons, who have no knowledge, they also follow You. What is this?" Vedānta-paṭhana, dhyāna, sannyāsīra dharma. "You have taken sannyāsa, renounced order of life. Your duty is to study Vedānta always and meditate." Tāhā chāḍi' kara kene bhāvukera… "And You have given up all these procedure. And You are simply chanting and dancing?" Prabhāve dekhiye tomā sākṣāt nārāyaṇa. "So far I see You, from Your bodily features, oh, You appear to be very glorious. You are very intelligent." Because He was boy. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī was very elderly, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was only twenty-four years old. So he's appreciating that, "From Your face it appears that You are very learned, advanced. And why do You indulge in this sentimentalism?" This is very important question, and answer you should know. This saṅkīrtana movement… Hīnācāra kara kene, ithe ki kāraṇa: "So this is not deserving to a sannyāsī."

prabhu kahe-śuna, śrīpāda, ihāra kāraṇa

guru more mūrkha dehki' karila śāsana

[Cc. Ādi 7.71]

"Yes. You are right, My dear Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. You are right. But there is reason why do I do it. Now I can explain to you. When I took sannyāsa from My Guru Mahārāja, from My spiritual master, he found Me a rascal and fool number one, rascal." So guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana: [Cc. Ādi 7.71] "So, because he found Me a foolish person, therefore he has chastised Me." Why? What is that? "He said mūrkha tumi: 'You are foolish. You have no education. You are illiterate.' " Tomāra nāhika vedāntādhikāra: " 'It is not possible for You to understand Vedānta.' " 'Kṛṣṇa-mantra' japa sadā-ei mantra-sāra: " 'Therefore, You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. That will make You all right.' " Now here is the point, that was Caitanya Mahāprabhu a foolish person? No. He was not a foolish person. In His childhood He was known as Nimāi Pandit, the greatest learned man. Even when He was sixteen years old, He defeated another very learned fellow from Kashmir. So He was reputed scholar, and He was known. And Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī knew it that Caitanya Mahāprabhu, even in His gṛhastha āśrama or in His householder life, He was a teacher of nyāya, logic, and He's great learned man. He knew it. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "My spiritual master found Me a rascal, a fool [Cc. Adi 7.71]. Therefore he said that 'You have no chance for understanding Vedānta. Therefore You take to this principle: chant simply Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare.' " What is the purpose of presenting Himself as fool and rascal? The idea is that in this age, 99.9% are fools and rascals; therefore it is very difficult for them to understand what is the purpose of Vedānta. He's representing Himself as one of the fools and rascals.

So Cai…, according to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the so-called Vedānta societies, the so-called, I mean to say, learned scholars on Vedānta, they are not actually Vedānta scholars. They are all fools and rascals. Because Vedānta-sūtra is very difficult to understand. The compiler, the author of Vedānta-sūtra, is Vyāsadeva. He himself thought it wise that "I must leave one commentation of Vedānta-sūtra. Otherwise, in future, people will misunderstand and misuse Vedānta-sūtra." In this connection I'll, oh, I may declare herewith that some of you, if you read the Chicago speech by Vivekananda… That was, he was the first man. He came from India to preach this Hindu philosophy in 1893. Some of you know. So he has got his speech, Chicago speech of Vedānta. You'll see, it is simply rascaldom. Simply. By his speech it is written… If you can secure, you bring it, you'll see how rascaldom he was. You'll be surprised. Even a clergyman from this country, oh, he was surprised. "Oh, you come from India and you are decrying God in this way? Oh, I'm surprised." He was…, simply he has decried God: "Oh, why do you care for God? Throw Him, God. You are God." In this way, he has spoken.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, five hundred years before, He knew it that in future the all these rascals will misinterpret Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore He presented Himself that "I am fool." Vedānta-sūtra is not a very easy thing. Therefore Vyāsadeva, he explained Vedānta-sūtra in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The first aphorism of Vedānta-sūtra is janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now it is the time for understanding what is Brahman." The next sūtra is… "What is Brahman?" The next answer is janmādy asya yataḥ: "Brahman is that from whom or from where everything emanates." Now he explains janmādy asya verse:

janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ

tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ

[SB 1.1.1]

In this way, there is lucid explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. Now, if you take Vedānta-sūtra, this janmādy asya aphorism, that Brahman is that Absolute Truth from where everything emanates, or everything is born… Janma means, janma means born, birth. And sthiti, sthiti means maintenance. Janmādi. Janma sthiti and pralaya. Pralaya means dissolution. This material world, it has got a date of its creation. Just like your body, it has got a date of its creation. It stays for some time, and again there is a date of its dissolution. You take the history of everything material, either you take this body, or take this world, or take any empire or any… Just like your American country, oh, it has a date of its beginning. Now it is staying. Now it will be, some day will come, there will be no more America. You should know it. That means, that is nature's law. Everything. Everything is born, it stays for some time, then it is dissolute, dissolved. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate. All this thing, whatever material, that manifests, it comes out, it is manifested. It… Just like bubbles in the ocean. There are millions and millions bubbles created one second, and next second, it is finished. So janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. But this is the manifestation of material creation. Behind this, the, this spirit is there. Therefore that spirit is Brahman. In this way…

Now, what is the nature of that Brahman? Is it impersonal or personal? Now, Vyāsadeva says, abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. No. "That Supreme Truth is cognizant. He knows." And Bhagavad-gītā also confirms that, vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26]. The Lord says, "I know everything. I know…" Unless He's cognizant, unless behind this mani…, cosmic manifestation, if there is no brain, if there is no cognizance, how nicely it can be made so regulation, I mean to say, timely, everything is working? The planets are working. Do you think there is no brain behind this? There must be. Therefore Bhāgavata says yes, abhijñaḥ… Abhijñaḥ means He's cognizant; He's not a fool. Therefore He's a person. Cognizant is a person. And it is said, svarāṭ. He also educated Brahmā. He also… Because Brahmā is considered to be the first created being in this universe. So Bhāgavata says, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavaye means the first created being, and brahma means this Vedic knowledge. So He impregnated Brahmā with Vedic knowledge. So these are the explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. But there are so many foolish rascals, they are misusing Vedānta-sūtra in a different way. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very cunningly represented Himself that "I am a fool. I am a rascal. Therefore My Guru Mahārāja, My spiritual master, chastised Me, that 'You rascal, You fool, You cannot understand Vedānta-sūtra. You better take this. That will make You happy.' " Or, in other words, at the present moment, the circumstances are so awkward that it is not possible to understand Vedānta. If you indulge in Vedānta-sūtra, it will be very difficult for you. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's contribution: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. "Just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." That will make you everything progressive. Mūrkha tumi, tomāra nāhika vedāntādhikāra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is representing Himself as the chief man of the fools and rascals, and He says that "My Guru Mahārāja, My spiritual master, ordered Me that 'You better chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That will make You happy and progressive. That will make You one day understand what is Vedānta.' " 'Kṛṣṇa-mantra' haite habe saṁsāra-mocana.

Now one may question, "Oh, Vedānta-sūtra, understanding Vedānta-sūtra, one is liberated from this material entanglement. So you are asking me simply to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? Will that purpose be served?" Oh, His guru said, "Yes, it will be served." He said, kṛṣṇa-mantra haite habe saṁsāra-mocana: "If You go on, continue this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, there will be a day when You come to the perfectional stage. Then You will be liberated." The same result as one gets out of studying Vedānta philosophy or Sāṅkhya philosophy, the same result also you will get by simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-nāma haite pābe kṛṣṇera caraṇa. "Not only that, the Vedantists, sometimes they cannot reach up to the Kṛṣṇa planet. But Your advantage will be that You'll not only be liberated, but You will be achieving the highest planet, planetary kingdom, or the kingdom of God, You'll be able to achieve there." And nāma vinu. Nāma vinu kali-kāle nāhi āra dharma. Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained that, "This Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa is the only universal religious principle in this age." No other religion process will be effective because people are so many and diverted in different way. This is the common formula and this is the effective formula. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, nāma vinu kali-kāle: "Without chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, there is no other alternative for self-realization in this age of Kali."

nāma vinu kali-kāle nāhi āra dharma

sarva-mantra-sāra nāma, ei śāstra-marma

Now the essence of all scripture is this Hare Kṛṣṇa. Essence. Sarva-śāstra-marma means essence of all scripture. And sarva-mantra-sāra. And there are different kinds of hymns and mantras, and this is the, I mean to say, topmost part of all mantras. "In this way, My Guru Mahārāja asked Me to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Eta bali' eka śloka śikhāila more. [break] …dogmatic or dictator. Because one cannot be a guru or spiritual master if he creates something. No. He cannot create. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī that "My Guru Mahārāja, My spiritual master, has reason." Why? What is that reason? Kaṇṭhe kari' ei śloka kariha vicāre: "My Guru Mahārāja said, he gave Me one verse from authoritative Vedic literature, and he asked Me that 'You should always keep this verse within Your,' " what is called, " 'throat.' " That means, keeping in throat means… And what is that? This is a quotation from the Vedic literature, Bṛhad-nāradīya Purāṇa. There are four Vedas, and the, there are supplementary Vedas also. There are eighteen purāṇas. So one of the purāṇas is called Bṛhad-nāradīya Purāṇa. So in that Bṛhad-nāradīya Purāṇa, this quotation is there:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

"In this age of Kali…" Kali means disagreement, quarrel and misunderstanding. This is Kali-yuga, misguiding and, I mean to say, less intelligence, less merciful, living for short period. There are so many disqualifications in this age. So therefore, in the Bṛhad-nāradīya Purāṇa it is explicitly stated that,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

Kalau means in this age of Kali there is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative. Thrice. Just like, when you want to stress upon some point, you say thrice: "Do this. Do this. Do this." Similarly, in the Bṛhad-nāradīya Purāṇa, thrice it has been emphasized that you must take to this harer nāma, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Why I must take it? Now, because there is no other alternative than this for your self-realization. If you at all want to know yourself, if you at all want to become perfect or, if you want, at all, to reach the goal of human life, then you must, you must, you must. "So My Guru Mahārāja…" Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "My Guru Mahārāja, My spiritual master, asked Me to 'Keep this verse within Your throat and You go on chanting and I bless You that You will be liberated. You'll not only be liberated, but You shall also reach the highest goal, the Kṛṣṇa planet.' "

So we shall explain further tomorrow. Any question? (end)

670208CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.76-81

San Francisco, February 2, 1967

Prabhupāda:

…harer nāma eva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva

nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

Caitanya Mahāprabhu is explaining His position, why He's chanting this transcendental vibration,

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

The reason is that Vedānta philosophy, because the Māyāvādī sannyāsīns… The Vedānta philosophy actually belongs to the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya because it was compiled by Vyāsadeva, who is the original spiritual master of this Vaiṣṇava sampradāya. Of course, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they also accept Vyāsadeva as their original spiritual master, but they have interpreted Vyāsadeva's views; therefore they are not considered to be bona fide disciples. Just like you'll see in the Bhagavad-gītā that Arjuna, in the beginning he was arguing with Kṛṣṇa, between friend and friend, but when he surrendered himself as student, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam… [Bg. 2.7]. He said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, now I am surrendering unto You. I accept You as my spiritual master." Śiṣyas te aham: "I am Your disciple, not friend." Because friendly talks, arguments, there is no end. But when there is talk between spiritual master and disciple, there is no argument. No argument. As soon as the spiritual master says, "This is to be done," it is to be done. That's all, final. So you'll find, throughout the whole instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, not that blindly. There is submissive presentation, "Kṛṣṇa, I cannot understand this." That is allowed. But it is not that you have to change the decision of the spiritual master. No. If you cannot understand, it is…, you should know it that "Due to my less intelligence, I just now do not understand what the spiritual master said, but that is already concluded. But I may try to understand so that I may not be misleading." That is the position. So just see. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a rascal, fool. Therefore he asked Me, 'You don't touch Vedānta-sūtra. It is not for You. You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.' "

Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu's explaining, ei ājñā pāñā nāma la-i anukṣaṇa. "After reception of this order from My spiritual master, I have engaged Myself constantly in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." That is disciplic succession. Even if you do not understand the version, the motive, of spiritual master, you have to follow without any argument. In the Bhagavad-gītā also you'll find this verse,

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir

ekeha kuru-nandana

bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca

buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām

[Bg. 2.41]

The purport is that those who are intelligent, they take the message from the spiritual master-whatever he says. And one has to execute that particular order without any deviation. That will make him perfect. There may be different orders for different disciples, but a disciple should take the order of the spiritual master as his life: "Here it is, the order. So let me execute it without any deviation." That will make him perfect. Just see, the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, this is His instruction. He says, ei ājñā pāñā nāma la-i anukṣaṇa. He did not think, "Oh, My spiritual master thought Me a fool, rascal [Cc. Adi 7.71]. Oh, why I am rascal? Let Me see Vedānta-sūtra. Why shall I not see?" Oh, that is rascaldom again. That is rascaldom again. You cannot deviate the order of the spiritual master by an inch if you really want success.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei ājñā pāñā: "I received this order from My spiritual master, and I follow it strictly." Nāma la-i anukṣaṇa: "Because My spiritual master told Me that 'You don't touch Vedānta. You, You fool. You just go on.' " Or, in other words, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was not a fool. He was a vastly learned man. He's representing the fools of the present age. What they will understand, Vedānta-sūtra? Their life is so molded by the present atmosphere, materialistic atmosphere, that they are unable to touch Vedānta-sūtra. They are unfit to touch even Vedānta-sūtra, what to speak of understanding it. Therefore they'll create more rascaldom to create so many Vedānta societies and they are the same rascals, still. For hundred years they are studying Vedānta-sūtra, and the same thing, the same bad habit-same illicit connection, same intoxication, same gambling. Everything is going on. And they're Vedānta-sūtra student? This is rascaldom. There must be change in life. Otherwise, what is the use of Vedānta-sūtra? Veda-anta. Vedānta means… Veda means knowledge, and anta means end, end of all knowledge. Everyone is searching after knowledge, but there must be some end. What is the ultimate end? The Bhagavad-gītā says, vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛd ca aham: "I am the compiler of Vedānta. I am the knower of Vedānta." So, if you simply understand what Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, you are Vedantist. And what says Kṛṣṇa? What does He say? He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You give up all rascaldom. Simply surrender unto Me." This is Vedānta. This is Vedānta. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim [Nārada-pañcarātra].

So Vedānta-sūtra means… To understand Vedānta-sūtra means that one has to know the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full knowledge, and knowing it fully, knowing his own position fully and God's position fully, one has to surrender. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. That surrendered soul is a great soul who has surrendered, "Oh, God is great." That is Vedānta. Not that giving his own interpretation, as if Vyāsadeva was a fool, and he left Vedānta for being commented by another rascal. No. Then what is the authority of Vedānta? If you can… You are a common man. Your intelligence is so imperfect. You are cheaters, and your senses are imperfect. How you can comment on Vedānta which was compiled by Vyāsadeva, the most perfect personality, liberated personality? How you can comment on Bhagavad-gītā? It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. So you have no right. If you at all want to study Vedānta-sūtra, you have to accept it as it is, without any change. That is understanding. Vedānta-sūtra… Just like, several times I have given this example in this class, that it is… Lord Caitanya said to Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya that "In the Vedas, it is stated that if you touch the stool of any animal, you'll be, I mean to say, infected. So you have to take your bath." Just like we go to evacuate in the bathroom and, after evacuating, you have to take bath. This is the system to become cleansed. This is Vedic system. But again the Vedas says that if you touch the cow dung, the stool of cow or another animal, oh, it is pure. Rather, if you are impure, by touching cow dung, you'll be purified. Now here is contradiction, that you… The Vedas says that if you touch the stool of any animal, then you become infected-you have to take bath, cleanse yourself. And again you say that cow dung, which is also stool of another animal, if you touch it, then you'll be purified. Now, if you put your argument, "Oh, this is contradictory. So Veda is full of contradiction," no, it is not contradiction. It is fact. One doctor, Mr., Dr. Goshal, he is a medical college chemist. He analyzed this cow dung and found all antiseptic properties in cow dung. So this is Vedic injunction. Whatever is there, it is already tested, it is already experimented. You have simply to accept. Don't try to argue. This is acceptance of Vedānta-sūtra. Not that "Oh, I have got to serve some purpose, political purpose. So I'll have to prove from Bhagavad-gītā there is nonviolence." In our country, Gandhi, he was supposed to be a great student of Bhagavad-gītā. He wanted to prove that there… [break] …by violence. So he was killed. How you can prove Bhagavad-gītā nonviolence? There is tacit order, "You must fight. The other party is impious. So you must fight." These are the injunction. You cannot change. That is not Vedānta-sūtra.

Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "I accept the order of My spiritual master in toto, without any interpretation, without any argument, without any understanding. Whatever he has said, it is all right." This is acceptance of spiritual master. "Oh, I accept spiritual master, but I don't accept your order"-this is not acceptance of spiritual master. If you at all accept somebody as spiritual master, you must test him. You must test him for at least one year if you have got doubts. And when you are convinced that "Here is a person whom I can follow blindly," then you accept. You haven't got to follow blindly. Spiritual master will not place before you anything unreasonable. But the process is that you cannot change the order of spiritual master. You cannot argue. You… Unless you are convinced that "I shall accept the order of this person without any argument," don't accept anybody as spiritual master. It is a false acceptance. Just see. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that. And other point is that if you take Caitanya Mahāprabhu's life, oh, He was a vast learned scholar, but He said that His spiritual master found Him the nonsense. Now how it is that? He was a great scholar, and how His spiritual master found Him a nonsense? So therefore, however you may be a great scholar, if your spiritual master finds you a fool, you must accept that you are a fool. You don't say, "Oh, I am such a great scholar, and unjustly my spiritual master says that I am fool." Then you lose the connection at once. You'll understand, yes, just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu's disciple. He is, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is speaking about His own discipleship.

Now His disciple, Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he also placed him in that way, that "I am a fool." That Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was great scholar in Sanskrit. He was great scholar in Parsi and Urdu. And he was minister, very learned man, and very man of position. But when he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he said that "Ordinary people, they say that I am very learned man. And I am such a fool that I also accept their version. I think that I am learned man." "What is the objection? You are already learned. You are very good scholar." "Yes. Now I understand that I am fool because I do not know what I am. I may be materially advanced in learning, but if somebody asks me, 'Can you say what you are, wherefrom you have come, where you are going after death, why you are suffering all these material miseries? Can you have any remedy?' oh, there is no answer. So what sort of learned man I am? I cannot answer all these things. Therefore I have come to You." Similarly, Arjuna, when he was arguing with Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, if I kill my grandfather, then such and such thing will occur me. Oh, if I kill my brothers, the, my brothers' wives, they will be widow and they'll be corrupted, and there will be unwanted children," so many things. He was arguing rightly. That was not… That is from materialistic point of view. From materialistic point of view, you may be very great learned man. But every one of you must know that spiritually, you are damn rascal, nothing! Spiritually, all these persons who are very proud of their learning, they're all damn rascals. Asat. Simply rascals. Simply rascal. So you must know that "I am simply rascal" if you want to make progress in spiritual life. And what do you know about spiritual life? You do not know anything.

So that is the representation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says that "My Guru Mahārāja found Me…" It is better if you remain a fool always before your spiritual master. Then you'll make advance. And if you think yourself, even for a moment, that "I know something more than my spiritual master," you are fallen. This is called vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru nandana [Bg. 2.41]. That one vow, that "I have to follow the order of my spiritual…," that will make you advanced. The more you strictly follow the order of spiritual master, the more you become advanced. You do not become fool. Actually you become advanced. Otherwise, what is the use of…? It is not a formality. It is actually fact, if you at all want to make advancement in spiritual life, you must follow the orders of the bona fide spiritual master. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu, such a great scholar, and He's accepted as the incarnation of God, and He's showing us the example that "I followed the order of My spiritual master because he found Me a nonsense."

Nāma laite laite mora bhrānta haila mana. Now He's giving His practical experience. What is that practical experience? He says that "Although I followed, because I had no other alternative to follow the instruction, so I followed… Now I have experienced by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, I thought that I have becoming mad after it. I am feeling ecstasy, mad after it." Bhrānta. Bhrānta haila mana means "As if I become mad. When I chant…" Actually, if you chant sincerely, you'll feel some madness, that not this madness, not LSD madness, but it is spiritual madness. Spiritual madness. Spiritual madness. Bhrānta haila mana. Dhairya dharite nāri. "I cannot… I become impatient." Dhairya dharite nāri, hailāma unmatta. "Just like I became a madman. And what are the symptoms? Hāsi, sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry, sometimes I dance without any fear. And sometimes I sing, and sometimes I become just like madman." Tave dhairya dhari' mane karilun vicara. Then, when He saw that "By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa these symptoms have developed in Me, so I thought, 'Oh, have I become mad? Why these things are coming on Me? '

tave dhairya dhari' mane kariluṅ vicāra

kṛṣṇa-nāme jñānācchana ha-ila āmāra

"Perhaps by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, I have now become a madman, and all My senses and knowledge are now covered. Because I am treating… I do not care for the society. I dance. I laugh. They are laughing at Me, 'Oh, this man has become mad. He's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and crying.' "

So who is mad, who is crazy, that is to be studied. But he's thinking, the other man is thinking, "Oh, this man has become mad, chanting and dancing." So Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, says that "I was in doubt that whether I became a madman." Pāgala ha-ilāṅ āmi, dhairya nāhi mane. "Perhaps I become a madman and I have no patience when I chant and dance and cry." Eta cinti' nivediluṅ gurura caraṇe. He goes again to the spiritual master: "My dear sir, I think I have become a madman." "Why?" "Oh, because you asked Me to chant. Now I am chanting, and the effect is that I am feeling some ecstasy by which I am sometimes crying and sometimes dancing and sometimes singing. So I do not know. What are these disease?" So kibā mantra dilā, gosāñi, kibā tāra bala: "I do not know what sort of mantra you have given to Me. I do not know what, what is the strength, what is the influence of this mantra." Japite japite mantra karila pāgala. "Now I have become mad. What is this?"

So we shall explain again tomorrow, how He became a mad… Thank you very much. (end)

670210CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.80-95

San Francisco, February 10, 1966

Prabhupāda:

…nāhi mane

eta cinti' nivediluṅ gurura caraṇe

[Cc. Ādi 7.80]

So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is describing His practical experience about chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. When He saw Himself that "I am getting almost like a madman," so He again approached His spiritual master and submitted, "My dear sir, I do not know what kind of chanting you have asked Me." Because He's representing always as a fool, He's presenting that He could not perceive, He could not understand what is happening, but He submitted that "These are the symptoms I have developed. Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I laugh. Sometimes I dance. These are some of the symptoms. So I think I have become mad."

kibā mantra dilā, gosāñi, kibā tāra bala

japite japite mantra karila pāgala

"I do not know what sort of mantra you have given Me, but it appears that I have become almost like a madman."

hāsāya, nācāya, more karāya krandana

eta śuni' guru more…

" 'This chanting makes Me obliged to laugh and dance and sing.' So when My spiritual master heard Me, he replied as follows."

kṛṣṇa-nāma-mahā-mantrera ei ta' svabhāva

yei jape, tāra kṛṣṇe upajaye bhāva

Now the spiritual master is explaining, "Yes, this is the right result of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Unless You come to this emotional stage, transcendental emotional stage, You should know that You have not come to the perfectional stage of chanting. So I am very glad to see that You have chanted very nicely and You have developed the desired result." Kṛṣṇa-viṣayaka premā-parama puruṣārtha. "Because this emotion means that You are developing love of Kṛṣṇa. And that is required, not that simply by official chanting You remain where You are. You should develop. This, I mean to…, laughing, crying, and dancing is due to emotion of love of Godhead. So this is not bad." He, I mean to say, informed, the spiritual master of Caitanya Mahāprabhu: yāra āge tṛṇa-tulya cāri puruṣārtha. "Now, the symptoms which You have developed is transcendental and above all other four perfectional stage."

What are the four perfectional stage? In the material world there are supposed to be four perfectional stage of human life. What is that? First perfectional stage is that when one becomes very expert in following the religious principles. That is also another perfectional stage of common man. You have got your principles of religions, say, either Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Jew. You have got your own Bible or Testament or Koran or Vedas. There are rules and regulation, rituals, everything. So one who follows those rules and regulations, they are called religionist. And what is the effect of becoming religionist? The effect is that you can live very peacefully without any material want. Simply by following the rules and regulation of your scripture, it doesn't matter in which religion you belong to, but if you follow the rules and regulation, then your life will be peaceful and there will be no material want. That is not, of course, peaceful. You cannot expect any peace in this material world because the major problem is birth, death, old age and disease. So you cannot check this. But somehow or other, your life will be peaceful and more than those, I mean to say, upstarts who do not follow any rules and regulation. You'll be in better position, far better position than them. So this is one perfection, to become a man of religiosity.

Then, if you become a man of religiosity, then your economic wants will be almost nil. Dharma, artha and kāma. And, if your economic wants are fulfilled, then you can fulfill your sense enjoyment very nicely. We want economic development-why? Because we want to… Ordinary man, who is in the material world, he wants to fulfill his sense… He has got so many demands of his senses, either in this world or in the other world. Suppose a man is trying by his, following the religious principle to go to other planets. What is the purpose of going to other planets, heavenly planets? It is for having a better facility for sense enjoyment. Just like, according to Hindu conception, the heavenly planet, Indraloka, it is said there are very beautiful women and very beautiful gardens, and they can drink soma rasa and enjoy life for ten thousands of years, and their one day is equal to six months of this planet. So opulence, life, enjoyment, far, far greater than this; therefore they want to go to the heavenly planets. Similarly… These are facts. These are not, I mean to say, stories, or fiction. These are facts. Similarly, in the Koran also there is such injunction that if one follows the principles of Koran, in the next life they'll go to Hur(?), the land of the Hu(?), the same beautiful woman. Because we have got this material idea, sense gratification, and the last word in the sense gratification is sex life. That's all. So if we think that "Going to that place, I will have free sex life and beautiful man, beautiful woman, and nice drinking, nice eating," oh, so materialists, they think, "This is perfection of life. This is perfection of life." So dharma, artha, kāma, and the last stage is salvation. Salvationists. What are the salvationists? When a person becomes frustrated by become a man of religiosity, a rich man of economic development, and satisfaction of sense gratification, when he, one has seen that all these things has not given him any peace of mind, then he wants to become out of this scene and become one with the Supreme. This is called salvationist. So somebody is thinking void, somebody is thinking impersonal Brahman. So the last stage is to become extinguished in the void or impersonalism. That is called salvation. Salvation from this material entanglement.

So general people, they have got these four kinds of ideas: religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and at last monism, or become one with the Supreme. That's all. In the Bengal, there is a proverb that mullah do musjik (?). Mullah do (?). Amongst the Muhammadans, the priest is called mullah. So mullah is going very hurriedly, and a person is asking…

Devotee: Your tape is off. It wasn't put in the machine right. It's behind this. It should be in front of it.

Prabhupāda: Oh, he has put wrongly. Stop it. [break] So all these activities are, up to the last stage, to become one. Therefore 99.9%, they will talk of void and impersonalism. They have no idea.

So Kṛṣṇa, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that this emotion, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, developing love of God, is far, far beyond these four principles of perfection, above the idea of becoming one with the Supreme.

pañcama puruṣārtha-premānandāmṛta-sindhu

brahmandi ānanda yāra nahe eka bindu

This pañcama puru… This is fifth dimension. One, religiosity; two, economic development; and three, sense gratification; and four, to become one with the Supreme. So above these four, this is fifth. This is the fifth stage of perfection. What is that? Developing love of Godhead and getting emotion out of that. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says this emotional stage is so transcendental and so elevated that there is no comparison with the other four principles. The perfection of the other four principles is enjoy to become one with Brahman. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says this brahmānanda is just like a drop in comparison with the ocean. This emotion of transcendental love is compared with the ocean, and this brahmānanda, to become one with the Supreme, is just like a drop out of that ocean. So there cannot be comparison. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that there is no comparison. Brahmandi ānanda yāra nāhe eka bindu. Kṛṣṇa-nāmera phala-'premā', sarva-śāstre kaya. Kṛṣṇa-nāme: "If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then the result is that you develop full-fledged love of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Bhāgye sei premā tomāya karila udaya: "So I am very glad, Caitanya, that You have developed that symptoms by chanting. So it is very good, and it is very nice. You are very fortunate." Premāra sva-bhāve kare citta-tanu kṣobha: "When one becomes…" Just like a man in love in this material world, also, he sometimes becomes just like madman, so similarly… Material manifestation is simply perverted reflection of the real love. Here there is no love. It is simply a reflection. Because the spirit soul is originally in love with the Supreme, so he is trying to express his loving sentiments or life's symptoms, but because it is not on the platform of the Supreme, therefore materially they are manifested sometimes, but it breaks. It breaks. It does not exist. So similarly, as in the ordinary love affairs there are so many emotions, similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says this is the nature of love, nature of love. Premāra sva-bhāve kare citta-tanu kṣobha. Kṣobha means there is some agitation, within the mind, of the body. There are so many symptoms. Kṛṣṇera caraṇa-prāptye upajāya lobha: "And the more you increase the symptoms and this emotion, the more you will be anxious to be a sincere lover of God, or Kṛṣṇa." Premāra sva-bhāve bhakta hāse, kānde, gāya: 'This is the nature of loving emotion of a devotee, that he sometimes laughs, sometimes dances, sometimes cries." Unmatta ha-iyā nāce, iti-uti dhāya: "And sometimes he dances like a madman and goes this side and that side. So these symptoms are good symptoms."

sveda, kampa, romāñcāśru, gadgada, vaivarṇya

unmāda, viṣāda, dhairya, garva, harṣa, dainya

Now these are some of the stages explained, and each item is very important. Sveda: when actually one comes to the perfectional stage of emotion, there is perspiration, perspiration from the body, sveda. Kampa: there is shaking of the body, like this. Yes. Shaking of the body. Romāñca: the hairs stands on the holes, romāñca. Gadgada: he fails to speak. He cannot express his words exactly. Vaivarṇya: there is sometimes paleness of the body. Unmāda: just like a madman. Viṣāda: he becomes morose, very sorry, viṣāda. Dhairya: and calm and quiet. Then garva: he becomes pride, sometimes just like a chivalrous man, pride, proud. Harṣa: ecstasy. And dainya: and humble, humbleness. So these are the symptoms of perfection. So sometimes they imitate. So imitation is no good. It will come. When you are in perfectional stage, these symptoms will automatically come.

eta bhāve premā bhaktagaṇere nācāya

kṛṣṇera ānandāmṛta-sāgare bhāsāya

"All these symptoms means that he is floating in the transcendental ocean of joy, of loving Kṛṣṇa." That is the actual experience of love. Just like you love somebody, when he comes, meets you, embrace you, oh, you have got some, a particular emotion, similarly, these emotions means that you are in the perfectional stage of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

bhāla haila, pāile tumi parama-puruṣārtha

tomāra premete āmi hailāṅ kṛtārtha

[Cc. Ādi 7.91]

So His spiritual master said, "So it is very nice, my dear Caitanya. You have developed all these symptoms. So I am also obliged to You because I initiated You. Now You are so perfectional stage, in a perfectional stage, so I am thinking myself, also, proud, that I have got a disciple like You. Or You have been benefited by me." So His spiritual master said like that.

nāca, gāo, bhakta-saṅge kara saṅkīrtana

kṛṣṇa-nāma upadeśi' tāra' sarva-jana

[Cc. Ādi 7.92]

Now here is another order. The first order is that "You chant." And when the disciple (is) in the perfectional stage, the spiritual master orders that "Yes, continue this chanting." Nāca, gāo, bhakta-saṅge kara saṅkīrtana. Nāca, gāo, bhakta-saṅge. Here is the particular word, that "You chant and sing and dance in the societies of devotees, not otherwise." Bhakta-saṅge. This particular word is there. Because otherwise you'll not feel quite comfortable. Abhakta. Abhakta means those who are not devotees. They cannot participate with this chanting or dancing. Therefore it is particularly mentioned that bhakta-saṅge: "You chant and dance in the society of devotees." Nāca, gāo, bhakta-saṅge kara saṅkīrtana: "And Yourself enjoy this chanting and dancing, and at the same time," kṛṣṇa-nāma upadeśi' tāra' sarva-jana, "at the same time preach the Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy so that others may also be delivered. Don't be satisfied that You have attained the perfectional stage, so Your business is end. No. You have to distribute this sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the world so that others may take also advantage." Kṛṣṇa-nāma upadeśi. Upadeśi means "Instruct kṛṣṇa-nāma, about Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's fame, Kṛṣṇa's entourage, Kṛṣṇa's glories, Kṛṣṇa's form." There are so many things about Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa science is Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, principally, and there are many other supplementary books of knowledge about Kṛṣṇa. So this is also another duty of this line, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Āpani… There is another… Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra: [Cc. Ādi 9.41] "Anyone…" He is ordering all Indians. Bhārata-bhūmite means all Indians. He does not say the Hindus or the Bengalis or these Punjabis. No. He says particularly, "Any person who has taken his birth in this land of Bhāratavarṣa," janma sārthaka kari, "you just perfect your life. Just perfect your life," and kara paropakāra, "and distribute this knowledge for benefit of all other people."

So this injunction is received, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, that "First of all make your life perfect. Don't try to preach without becoming yourself perfect." The nonsense thing is going on in this world that so-called preachers, they have not perfected their life, but they have become preachers. They have not already perfected their life, and they have become preacher. Therefore they are bringing so many nonsense things and misleading persons, Vedāntists and Vedānta Society, yogis, this or that. But they are not themselves perfect. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Before becoming preacher, before endeavoring yourself to do good to others, you just perfect yourself." "Physician, heal thyself." Physician, you are yourself diseased. How you can become a physician? People will, at once, will be detracted, "Oh, this doctor, this medical man, he's suffering from fever, and he's treating my fever." So there will be no, I mean to say, effect. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, or His spiritual master says, that kṛṣṇa-nāma upadeśi' tāra' sarva-jana: "First of all You have perfected Yourself by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have come to the perfectional stage. Now You have got the symptoms of emotion. Now You can preach Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare." Yes.

eta bali' eka śloka śikhāila more

bhāgavatera sāra ei-bale vāre vāre

Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "My spiritual master, after instructing Me in this way, he has taught Me one very nice verse from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata." What is that?

evaṁ vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā

jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaiḥ

hasaty atho roditi rauti gāyaty

unmādavan nṛtyati loka-bāhyaḥ

When one becomes actually devoted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and takes pleasure by chanting his object of love, druta-citta uccaiḥ, his mind becomes perturbed by such chanting. And then hasaty, hasaty, he laughs; atho roditi, sometimes cries, roditi; and rauti, and, by seeing him, others also cry; roditi, rauti; gāyati, and chants very loudly; unmādavan nṛtyati, and dances like a madman, nṛtyati; loka-bāhyaḥ, and he doesn't care that "Somebody is looking upon me just like I am madman." He doesn't care for them. This is the perfectional stage of chanting.

ei tāṅra vākye āmi dṛḍha viśvāsa dhari'

nirantara kṛṣṇa-nāma saṅkīrtana kari

Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu concludes… Because you might always remember that He is speaking to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. So He said that "With full faith in the words of My spiritual master, I chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, and I have no other business." Nirantara kari. Because He was… He raised the question of Vedānta, studying Vedānta, so He is answering, "This is My position. I am just following the instruction of My spiritual master. In the beginning, he taught Me like this. He instructed Me like this. Then I followed. I have developed these symptoms. Then again I approached My spiritual master. He confirmed the same thing. Therefore My business is to follow his instruction, and therefore I am always chanting and dancing."

Thank you very much. (end)

740313CC.VRN

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.91-2

Vṛndāvana, March 13, 1974

Prabhupāda: …Māyāvādī sannyāsīs why He was not engaged in reading Vedānta-sūtra, and why He was indulging in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that in this age, Kali-yuga, Vedānta-sūtra, to study Vedānta-sūtra and to understand the purport of Vedānta-sūtra, is very difficult. It requires a very good Sanskrit scholarship. Although it is not very difficult to understand if it is taken by the paramparā system, but because people try to understand Vedānta-sūtra by scholastic demeanor (?), therefore it becomes difficult. It was discussed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. He was a very learned scholar. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya… (aside, about fan:) Make little curved. (someone turns fan off)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want…? Prabhupāda wants the fan down more, on him.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To keep the flies off. (fan noise resumes)

Prabhupāda: Not so much. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Touching his body.

Prabhupāda: So the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs everywhere, they are very proud of their Sanskrit education. Sometimes people ask our students whether you have learned Sanskrit. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness understanding does not depend on Sanskrit scholarship. That is the teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said to the Māyāvādī sannyāsī Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī that "My Guru Mahārāja studied Me as a great fool." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, presenting Himself. He was a learned scholar, undoubtedly, very learned scholar. In His youthful age He was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita. This paṇḍita title, especially the brāhmaṇas are given this paṇḍita title. But He was specifically known as Paṇḍita, Nimāi Paṇḍita, very good scholar. And He defeated the Keśava Kashmiri, a great, renowned scholar of Kashmir. The Kashmir country is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also. It is a very old country. And there were many learned scholars. And one scholar came to Navadvīpa to defeat the paṇḍitas, the learned scholars of Navadvīpa, but he was defeated by a young boy, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Nimāi Paṇḍita was at that time only sixteen years old. But He defeated only in composition, Sanskrit composition. The Sanskrit composition, there is rules and regulations. So you know the story. He pointed out many defects in the verses composed by the Keśava Kashmiri. So he was defeated.

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a great scholar. There is no doubt of it. But in spite of His becoming a great scholar, He is presenting Himself as a great fool. He says, "My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a great…" Even one is very great scholar, he has to abide by the decision of his spiritual master. Even one is very great scholar, and if his spiritual master says that "You are a great fool," he should accept it. This is called full surrender. For example, I'll give you a practical… My Guru Mahārāja was very great scholar, and his Guru Mahārāja, from literary point of view, he could not even sign his name, Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura asked Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura to accept Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja as his, as his spiritual master, that "You go and take your initiation from Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja." So he thought that "I am a great scholar, and I am son of a magistrate, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and great Vaiṣṇava. He'll be very much pleased to accept me." Of course, he was very much pleased. But in the beginning he refused. He refused. Because… Of course, that is only show. He was not proud. Just to teach us. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī explained that "I was little proud. So I was thrice refused by Guru Mahārāja," although he was the only disciple. So the scholarship is not a qualification of becoming devotee. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. Scholarship may help, but it is not necessary. Real necessary is that one should be humble and meek and follow the instruction of the spiritual master. This is real qualification.

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. Ādi 17.31]

Because bhakti does not depend on any material qualification. Bhakti is different subject matter. Aprakṛta. Adhokṣaja. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6].

So that is being taught, that… Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained His position to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī that "My Guru Mahārāja, studying My character, he found Me a great fool. Therefore he advised Me to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra." The idea is that by studying Vedānta-sūtra, by becoming a very great scholar, to achieve transcendental position of devotional service is very, very difficult nowadays. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift. But whatever you may be, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra offenselessly, then everything is achieved, without any difficulty. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra. Sarva-siddhi. Siddhi means perfection. Siddhi means perfection. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised… That is His propaganda. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-māha-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ sarvātmanaṁ paraṁ vijāyate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's… So His Guru Mahārāja advised Him… He presented Himself like that to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. Presenting Himself as fool means that the general mass of people, they are not fit for becoming very great Sanskrit scholar or very good philosopher or student of Vedānta philo… That is not possible in this age, in Kali-yuga. Mass of people, they are almost śūdra. Śūdra-sambhava. Scholarship, to study Sanskrit, to study Vedas, Purāṇas, they are meant for the brāhmaṇas. Not even for the kṣatriyas, or what to speak of vaiśya. Vaiśya, śūdra and woman, they have been classified in the Bhagavad-gītā as less intelligent. Striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdras te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. But Kṛṣṇa is so merciful. If you take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, whatever you may be… You may be scholar or not scholar. You may be rich or poor; women, śūdra, vaiśya, or pāpa-yoni. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. In Bhāgavata also, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbha yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā [SB 2.4.18]. Pāpā means born in low-grade family. They are called pāpā. Śuddhyanti: they become purified. This is the verdict of the śāstras, that bhagavad-bhakti does not depend on any kind of material qualification. Simply you have to become very sincere and serious. That is the only price.

Rūpa Gosvāmī also recommended like that. Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam. Rūpa Gosvāmī advised, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate. He advises that "Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if it is available, you purchase. You purchase anywhere it is available." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's advice, that one should be eager to purchase this Kṛṣṇa consciousness at any price. Generally, we think price means some, in terms of money, monetary transaction, say, hundred pounds or two hundred pounds or millions pounds, billion pounds, like that. The price is different. Here Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "You price…, you purchase at any price." But what is that price? Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam. Laulyam, eagerness. That is price. That is the only qualification. You must be very, very eager to see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in this very life. You must be very eager to talk with Kṛṣṇa in this very life. But not to become sahajiyā. By service. Kṛṣṇa talks with the devotee, but not with nondevotee. He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam [Bg. 10.10]. Only persons who are always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. He has no other business. Satata. Satata means twenty-four hours. He has no other business. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatām. And the bhajatām. Bhajatām means in service. You must find out always some opportunity how to give, render service to Kṛṣṇa. That is the qualification. It doesn't matter what you are. You may be this or that. It doesn't matter. But this eagerness for service can be acquired by anyone simply by sincerity. That is the price. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Rūpa Gosvāmī says, tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam. "So that I, I have got too much eagerness." But no. Immediately Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī warns, na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhir labhyate. This eagerness to achieve Kṛṣṇa's mercy, to approach the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in this life, determination, "I shall do anything. I shall sacrifice anything," this kind of determination is not very easily obtained. Na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhiḥ. Sukṛti means pious activities. Without being pious, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap. You may show yourself that you have become a great sannyāsī or Vaiṣṇava or whatever it may be, but so long you'll be engaged in sinful activities, there is no question of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That sinful activities means illicit sex and intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. These are the pillars of sinful activities. So one must be purified. Janma-koṭibhiḥ. These… To purify oneself from the resultant action of sinful activities, it takes many, many births. Janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛti. By counteracting the sinful activities, to engage oneself only in pious activities. So pious activities means brahmacarya… Śamo damo titikṣa. The brahminical qualifications. But it is very difficult nowadays to practice. Tyāgena śamena damena vā.

Gurukṛpa: Tapasya… Tapasya brahmacārī…

Prabhupāda: Ah! Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa tyāgena śamena damena… [SB 6.1.13]. These are the process of pious activities. But who is going? It is very difficult. Therefore this nāma-saṅkīrtana, if we offenselessly perform nāma-saṅkīrtana, everything is done.

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu presented Himself as a fool number one before His Guru Mahārāja. He advised that "It will be difficult for You to study Vedānta-sūtra or practice tapasya, brahmacarya, śama, dama, titikṣa, tyāgena, śamena, damena, niyamena, yamena… [Bg. 18.42]" It is possible for a human being, but in this Kali-yuga all these functions, to do is difficult. Therefore this process is recommended, vāsudeva-parāyaṇa, bhakti-yogena. Nīhāraḥ. Nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. Just like the, there is mist, fog, and as soon as the sun rises there, all fog is immediately disseminated. Otherwise, it requires so much arrangement. Your railway train cannot move. The ships in the sea, they cannot move. It is very difficult position. Similarly, our sinful activities has covered our heart just like a fog. We cannot see anything. But by bhakti-yoga, it can be immediately dissipated. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was thus advised by His spiritual master to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and He got perfection. That was explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So His spiritual master congratulated Him like this, that,

bhāla haila, pāile tumi parama-puruṣārtha

tomāra premete āmi hailāṅ kṛtārtha

[Cc. Ādi 7.91]

When a disciple becomes perfect in spiritual advancement, the spiritual master feels very, very happy, that "I am a nonsense, but this boy, he has followed my instruction and he has achieved the success. That is my success." This is the spiritual master's ambition. Just like a father. This is the relationship. Just like… Nobody wants to see anybody more advanced than himself. That is the nature. Matsarata. If anybody becomes advanced in any subject matter, then I become envious upon him. But the spiritual master or the father, he does not become envious. He feels himself very, very happy, that "This boy has advanced more than me." This is spiritual master's position. So Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu expresses, He expresses(?) that "By…, when I chant and dance and cry in ecstasy, so My spiritual master thanks Me this way: bhāla haila, 'It is very, very good.' " Pāile tumi parama-puruṣārtha: " 'Now You have achieved the highest success in life.' " Tomāra premete: " 'Because You have advanced so much, āmi hailāṅ kṛtārtha, I am feeling so much obliged.' " This is the position.

Then he encourages, nāca, gāo, bhakta-saṅge kara saṅkīrtana: "Now go on. You have achieved so much success. Now again You go on." Nāca: "You dance." Gāo: "You sing and chant," bhakta-saṅge, "in the society of devotees." Not to make a profession, but bhakta-saṅge. This is the real platform of achieving success in spiritual life. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura also says that

tāñdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa

janame janame mora ei abhilāṣa

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that "Birth after birth." Because a devotee, he does not aspire after going back to home, back to Godhead. No. Any place, it doesn't matter. He wants to simply glorify the Supreme Lord. That is his business. It is not the business of the bhakta that he is chanting and dancing and executing devotional service for going to Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is Kṛṣṇa's desire. "If He likes, He'll take me." Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also: icchā yadi tora. Janmāobi yadi more icchā yadi tora, bhakta-gṛhete janma ha-u pa mora. The, a devotee only prays that… He does not request Kṛṣṇa that "Please take me back to Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana." No. "If You think that I must take birth again, that's all right. But only, only my request is that give me birth in the house of a devotee. That's all. So that I may not forget You." This is the only prayer of the devotee. Because… Just like this child. She has taken birth having Vaiṣṇava father and mother. So she must have been a Vaiṣṇavī or a Vaiṣṇava in her previous life. Because this is an opportunity from the… All our children, those who are born of a Vaiṣṇava father, mother, they are very, very fortunate. From the very beginning of life, they are hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. They are associating with Vaiṣṇava, chanting, dancing. Imitation or fact, it doesn't matter. So they are very, very fortunate children. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ-sañjāyate [Bg. 6.41]. So they are not ordinary children. They are… These children, they're always hankering after associating with devotees, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, coming to us. So they are not ordinary children. The bhakti-saṅge vāsa. This is the very good opportunity, bhakta-saṅge vāsa.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society is a bhakta-saṅga, is a society of devotees. Never try to go away. Never try to go away. Discrepancies there may be. You should adjust. And this chanting and dancing amongst, within the society of devotees, has got great advantage, great value. Here it is confirmed-and all the Vaiṣṇavas have confirmed-

tāñdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa

janame janame mora ei abhilāṣa

Janame janame mora means he doesn't want to go back. That is not his desire. "When Kṛṣṇa will desire, Kṛṣṇa will allow me. That is different thing. Otherwise, let me go on in this way, life in the society of devotees and chanting and dancing is my business." This is required. Not anything else. Anything else, anything desiring, that is anyābhilāṣa. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. A devotee should not desire anything except this, that "Let me live with the society of devotees and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra." This is our life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)

670213CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.106-107

San Francisco, February 13, 1967

Prabhupāda:

…īśvara-vacana

vyāsa-rūpe kaila yāhā śrī-nārāyaṇa

[Cc. Ādi 7.106]

bhrama, pramāda, vipralipsā, karaṇāpāṭava

īśvarera vākye nāhi doṣa ei saba

[Cc. Ādi 7.107]

We have been discussing this point, that īśvara-vacana, what is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no flaw. In our statement, in our writing, because we are conditioned, therefore we have got four kinds of flaws. We are subjected to commit mistakes, we are sometimes illusioned, and sometimes we try to cheat, and always our senses are imperfect. So therefore whatever knowledge I will present or I will tell you, that is all imperfect. You cannot expect perfect knowledge from imperfect person. Just like a medical man, a doctor, when he's sick, he puts himself under the care of another medical man. He does not take care of himself because he's at that time imperfect physician. Because he's diseased, therefore he's imperfect, although he's a physician. But in his diseased condition, he does not take charge of himself. He puts himself in the charge of another medical man. This is the system.

So when rascals and fools think in their imperfect stage as perfect, the whole anomalies of this world begins. The rascals and fools, they do not think themselves that "I am rascal and fool." Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu presents Himself before His spiritual master… Not He presented-His spiritual master found Him, that "You are fool number one." So we should be always prepared to admit our imperfection. But such imperfection is not in, on the īśvara. Īśvara means "controller." If the controller is imperfect… Suppose a man is in charge, director of such and such a department, education department, and if he's a fool, then what is the use of keeping such man? Therefore īśvara, those who are controllers, they have no such flaw. That is to be admitted first. They are flawless. And what to speak of the Parameśvara. There are two kinds of īśvara. Īśvara, you can, you are also īśvara, but you are now in imperfect stage. When you become perfect, you become īśvara, controller. For example, just like, at the present conditioned stage, we are all controlled by the senses. So when you at least become the controller of the senses, then you become īśvara. Now we are controlled by the senses, but when you become actually controller of the senses, then you become īśvara. Then there will be less mistake, less illusion, less cheating, and perfection.

The Lord, God… God is out of all these imperfections. And what are the scriptures? The scriptures are the words of God. In every scripture, you'll find, "God said." In Bible it is said, "God said, 'Let there be creation.' " So therefore why God…, we are bringing God for creation? Because that will be perfect. If God said "Let there be creation," that creation will be perfect. Don't you see how this creation is perfect? We require water, so much, a large quantity. So God has created this earth in such a way that three-fourths of the earth is covered with water. And the water is salty. Why? The water is reserved. Unless it is salty, it will decompose. And how the water is distributed? Oh, there is sun. Sun evaporates the water, and that means salt is made minus and the pure water is evaporated on the sky, and that is distributed all over the world and it is kept on the highest summit of the mountain so that it can come down by gravitation throughout the whole year through the rivers, channel, and you can get water. Now see-nature study-how it is perfectly made. Can you do that? No. It is not possible. When there is scarcity of water, you have to see to the sky. You have no power. Your science cannot acquire when there is scarcity. There is no rain-you cannot create rain. You have to wait. So therefore everything made by the Lord, that is perfect. There is no question of imperfection.

Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate, pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate [Īśo Invocation]. In the Vedic language, it is said that the Supreme Lord is full and perfect. Therefore whatever He creates, it is also perfect and full. Actually, there is no scarcity in this material world. We have created scarcity by our mismanagement, by our mismanagement. Actually the whole world, the whole earthly planet belongs to the, all the living entities there. They are meant for them. God has created vegetables for the animals, and He has created fruits, flowers, grains, and you take milk from the animals. All live peacefully. But we nonsense, rascals, we have created all these distinctions: "Oh, this is American," "This is Indian," "This is Chinese," "This is Russian," "I am this," "I am that," "Oh, I am Christian," "I am Hindu." Why? All of you, you are God's servant, dependent on God. The leader is God. Just think in that way; the whole thing becomes perfect. Everything is there, perfect. The arrangement, nature's arrangement is such that you eat nicely, whatever your bodily wants are there, there is sufficient supply. You take, eat nicely, and live peacefully, and utilize the words of God. There are Bible. There are, I mean to say, Koran. There is Vedas. And try to understand God and make your life perfect and go back to Godhead. This is the whole policy.

So there is no flaw in the arrangement of God. That is to be understood first of all. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that Vedānta, Vedānta is compiled by God Himself. That we have explained yesterday. Lord Kṛṣṇa also says that vedānta vid vedānta kṛd ca aham: "I am the compiler of Vedānta and I am the knower of Vedānta." If God, if Kṛṣṇa is not knower of Vedānta, then how He can compile Vedānta? Vedānta means "the last word in knowledge." We are, everyone, seeking knowledge, and Vedānta means the last word of knowledge. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu first of all establishes that in the Vedānta-sūtra you cannot find any flaw; therefore you have no right to interpret. Because you are nonsense rascal, so how you can touch and comment on the sūtras which is compiled by God, the Supreme Perfect? But we do not admit that "I am rascal." I think that I am very much learned, I have no flaw, I am perfect. So these are foolishness. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's point is this, that why the foolish persons go to interpret and comment on Vedānta, which is perfect itself? Do you require to see the sun with this light? How it is possible? The sun is itself illuminated so nicely that you don't require any other light to see sun. If I say, "My dear boy, please come with me and take this light. I'll show you sun in the sky," oh, you'll think, "Oh, Swamijī is a nonsense. What is the use of this light? What is the use of this light?" Similarly, what knowledge you have got that you have to…, you want to comment on the Vedānta-sūtra? It is already illuminated. In the beginning: athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now you have got this human form of life. Now you have got full consciousness. You are not like animal. We are not like dogs and cats. Now you try to understand what you are, Brahman, what is spirit. Is it not your duty? You should simply be satisfied like animals, eating, drinking and mating and begetting children, and sometimes death is come and gone? Do you think that is your perfection of life? No. The Vedānta says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is for spiritual realization. It is not meant for cats' and dogs' life, sense gratification. They are doing, the hogs are doing sense gratification all day, eating, and as soon as there is female, oh, there is sex. Do you think this is human life? No. Vedānta says it is not human life. The human life is to understand what is spirit, what is the background of this manifestation, janma. So at once the Vedānta-sūtra replies, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. "Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, is that who is the background of all this manifestation."

Now, if Brahman is background of this manifestation, so we are all living entities and we are intelligent. We know how to do things very nicely. We have got intelligence. And do you think from whom we have emanated, He has no intelligence? He has no sense? He is impersonal? What is this nonsense? I am born of my father. Suppose I have not seen. Just after my birth, my father died. So, in my childhood or even when my mother was pregnant, my father died. So I did not see my father. There are so many cases. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. His father died while he was in the womb of his mother. Now he has not seen his father. Does this mean that his father is impersonal? Any common man (can) understand, "I have got this body from my father, and I am so intelligent. I can do things nicely. So naturally my father is a person. How he can become imperson?" although I have not seen it. So these require, janmādy asya yataḥ… [SB 1.1.1]. Vedānta-sūtra says that "from whom everything is emanated." So He's not imperson. Therefore Bhāgavata explains this verse, this sūtra, very nicely. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ [SB 1.1.1]. That Supreme Person, God, is cognizant. He's sentient, not imperson, because He knows everything. Because everything is… Just like your father knows almost everything of you because he has created you. This is crude example. But He's perfect. We fathers, we are not perfect. But He's perfect. Therefore, because He's perfect, He knows everything in the nook and corner of this creation. He knows everything. And Bhāgavata says abhijñaḥ. Abhijñaḥ means He knows. How He knows? Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. His knowing process is different. And we simply apply our nonsense, I mean to say, ideas to God. Now here, Vedas, Vedas says now this sun is the eye of God. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakalā-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ. This sun, which is so illuminating and so powerful, it is the eye of God. Now how we can hide yourself from the eyes of God? The sunshine is within your room. You are thinking that "I am alone in this room. Nobody can see. Let us do all nonsense." Oh, the sunshine is there. How can you hide yourself? Therefore He's perfect. He can see what… Besides that, that is outside looking. Inside-īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. He's sitting within you. So how can you hide yourself? This is not possible. There is no flaw. His seeing, His working, His writing, His instructing-everything is perfect. First of all, you have to understand this.

And the Bhāgavata says, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma, any religion, any religion, or religious principle, sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam, it is compiled and made by the Supreme Lord. Therefore in every scripture, you'll find the beginning is God. Beginning is God. So just like the state laws, the state laws are made by the state administrators. So how can you make change? You cannot make change. The state law is that you must go to the right. Can you make any change? "No, I shall go to the left." Oh, at once you'll be arrested. If you cannot change the laws of your state, how you can change the laws of God? That means the more you violate the laws of God, the more you become sinful. This is called sin. As you violate the laws of the state and become a criminal, similarly, as you violate the laws of God, you become sinful. You become sinful. This is the definition on sin and piety. If you follow the rules of God, then you are pious. Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that "Sex intercourse for begetting children is I am." That means this is pious. But if sex intercourse for sense gratification, that is sin. That is sin. Now fools may inquire, "Oh, what is the difference between married sex life and non-married sex life?" That is the fool's question. But if we follow the rules, the rule is that like that, you require sex life, so you just become gentleman: you marry. You get yourself married and peacefully live. That is nice. That is righteous. So why should you not accept? Similarly, there are so many things. In everything, there is God's law. And that is perfect. That is perfect. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means always to be conscious, in contact with God. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not an artificial thing, that we have manufactured some ideas and advertising that we are Kṛṣṇa conscious. No. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means just as an obedient citizen of the state, he's always conscious of the state's supremacy, similarly, a person who is always conscious of the supremacy of God, or Kṛṣṇa, he is called Kṛṣṇa conscious. He's called Kṛṣṇa conscious. And if we say that "Why should we become Kṛṣṇa conscious?" if you do not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you become criminal. You become sinful. You have to suffer. The laws of nature is so strong that it will not let you go without suffering. As the state laws are so stringent that if you commit some criminal thing… Simply by keeping marijuana and LSD you are still immediately arrested. You see. So what so speak of using them. (laughs) You see. So this is to be known. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we should not violate. And whatever, everything is there, whatever is spoken… Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants to stress on this point, that nobody can interpret that, in the, either in Bible or Vedānta-sūtra or Koran. That is the principle. You cannot make any change. If you do not understand, then you go to the right person.

Who is the right person? That right person who is receiving the knowledge by the paramparā system. Not the right person like Dr. Radhakrishnan, because he's very much educated and world-famous, oh, a philosopher, therefore he's the right person. No. He's not the right person. The right person is… He may be a illiterate person, but if he follows the guru-paramparā, the disciplic succession, he's the right person. He's the right person. He may be illiterate. He may not know. Just like Lord Caitanya confirmed that brāhmaṇa, he was illiterate, but he was studying Bhagavad-gītā, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Yes." He embraced him. "My dear brāhmaṇa, you are really understanding Bhagavad-gītā." Because he knows the central point of Bhagavad-gītā. The central point. I have several times recited this narration, that Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was traveling in South India, He saw that one brāhmaṇa was reading Bhagavad-gītā, and his neighbors, they knew it that "This brāhmaṇa is illiterate and he does not know even what is ABCD, and still he's reading Bhagavad-gītā." So they were joking, sometimes criticizing him. The brāhmaṇa, of course, he was reading as far as possible. What possible? So Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw the fun and approached the brāhmaṇa, "Oh, My dear brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?" He understood that "Here is a sincere person. He's not joking me. He's simply inquiring." So he said, "My dear Sir, I am illiterate. I do not know even the alphabets. But my Guru Mahārāja asked me to read every day eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-gītā. So what can I do? I have taken this Bhagavad-gītā in pursuance of my spiritual master. I am simply seeing the cover and trying to understand what is there." Now he's illiterate. By seeing the cover, he's trying to understand Bhagavad-gītā by the order of his spiritual master. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Because my spiritual master has ordered me to read Bhagavad-gītā-I know I'm illiterate, I cannot read-oḥ, let me see what it is." Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him, "Well, you are illiterate, but I see that with feeling you are crying." "Yes, Sir, I am crying." "Why?" "Now, soon as I take this book, the picture of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna comes before me. I see that Kṛṣṇa is driving the chariot and Arjuna is hearing, and I simply appreciate, 'Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has become his chariot driver of His devotee.' Therefore I am crying. Oh, He's so kind." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "You are reading Bhagavad-gītā." At once He embraced him. This is reading Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa-minus Bhagavad-gītā commentation, all rascaldom. Be careful of these, all these fools and rascals. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. Maybe Dr. Radhakrishnan, Swami Nikhilananda… All rascals because they have made minus Kṛṣṇa. They want to interpret. Similarly, they interpret Vedānta and all this minus God, minus God. So Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu warns you that "Don't go to such rascals." There is no mistake. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā or Vedānta-sūtra or any scripture as it is. Don't try to change it.

Thank you very much. (end)

670215CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.107-109

San Francisco, February 15, 1967

Prabhupāda: …Vedic literature, it is scriptures. It is compiled by the Lord Himself. Religion means the regulation of the Supreme Lord. That's all. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Just like for proper execution of this material world there are certain rules and regulations of the king, of the state, similarly, to execute properly the supreme will of the Supreme Lord there are certain rules and regulations. That is called religion. This is the meaning of religion. Religion does not mean that "My religion says this. Your religion says this. Your religion says this." Religion means whether you are properly executing the will of the Supreme. That's all. This is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. The nonsense rascals, they cannot manufacture religion. Religion cannot be… Just like ordinary citizens, they cannot make laws for the state. Suppose if you make a law. Who will care for your law? Don't take advantage of the innocent people and make your own religion and make a group and try to exploit them. This is all nonsense. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma means the regulation of the Supreme. So we have to know. That is religion. So any religion which is directing to obey the Supreme Lord, that is bona fide. And anything minus or "Not to Kṛṣṇa but to me," this is a nonsense rascaldom. You see. So before studying Vedānta, we should understand this fact. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is therefore stressing on this point, that there is no cheating, there is no mistake, there is no illusion, there is no imperfectness. Then we can make progress. If we are doubtful: "Oh, Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by some Kṛṣṇa, somebody. He was learned man, philosopher. So I can point out my own point…" No. Not like that.

So,

upaniṣat-sahita sūtra kahe yei tattva

mukhya-vṛttye sei artha parama mahattva

This is… Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that all the Upaniṣads, all the Vedic literature, Vedānta-sūtra, they, they are composed in that way. Therefore mukhya-vṛttye sei artha parama mahattva: "Therefore, if you take directly the meaning, that is the superexcellence of your understanding." Directly. Don't try to foolishly interpret. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā the first verse is,

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre

samavetā yuyutsavaḥ

māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva

kim akurvata sañjaya

[Bg. 1.1]

"My dear Sañjaya, my sons, māmakāḥ, my sons and Pāṇḍava, the sons of my younger brother, Pāṇḍu, they assembled in the battlefield which is also a pilgrimage. Then what did they do?" This is the simple… But the nonsense rascals, they are eschewing some meaning, "Oh, kuru-kṣetra means 'body,' and dharma-kṣetra means this and this… Pāṇḍava means 'the five senses.' " So many nonsensical… Even Gandhi has done this. What Gandhi? Gandhi's nothing. You see? So they are, these rascals are doing and misleading persons. I've recently written one written to Dr. Radhakrishnan that "You are going to retire. Now join this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. You have written your Bhagavad-gītā, and you don't believe Kṛṣṇa as Supreme Lord, God. Therefore by reading your Bhagavad-gītā people have become godless. So you better rectify your mistake. Now join this." I've written state letter to Dr. Radhakrishnan. "So if you want to, I mean to say, compensate the greatest sin you have committed in your Bhagavad-gītā, then you join this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement and rectify yourself." "Not to Kṛṣṇa."

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not approve this. Kṛṣṇa says,

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru

mam evaiṣyasi

kaunteya asaṁśayaḥ

[Bg. 18.65]

"O My dear Arjuna, you just surrender unto Me. You worship Me. You offer your obeisances unto Me. You always think of Me." This is straight. The straight meaning, "Me," Kṛṣṇa is saying. Therefore we should offer our respect to Kṛṣṇa. We should worship Kṛṣṇa. We should think of Kṛṣṇa. We shall chant of Kṛṣṇa. This is the straight meaning. But the commentator says, "Oh, not to Kṛṣṇa." Just see. "Not to Kṛṣṇa." So this nonsensical commentation is… Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, mukhya-vṛttye. Mukhya-vṛttye, directly, as you understand it. If I say, "My dear such and such, give me a glass of water," now you interpret, "Oh, Swamijī wants water. Oh, he has taken water. Let me supply this or that, interpretation," what is the use of interpreting? I'm asking for water. Give me water. Call a spade a spade. This should be the… This should be the understanding of Vedānta. Because all foolish nonsense, they are interpreting… "Such and such person's commentation of Vedānta-sūtra." Because they were trying to manifest and expose their thinking power, that "I think that this should be like this." What nonsense you are? What you can think? You think as it is. This is… Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. Don't think otherwise. As it is. In the Upaniṣads, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: "Everything belongs to God." Believe it as belongs to God. Don't interpret. Then you'll understand Vedas. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñcit jagatyāṁ jagat: [Īśo mantra 1] "Anything, any minute thing in this material world, everything belongs to that Supreme Lord." Who can deny it? Why do you interpret? Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā: "So you enjoy as He orders you."

You are not forbidden to enjoy. Just like we say that illicit sex relation not ordered, not allowed. You should take it because it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Dharmāviruddho kāmo 'smi aham: "The sex desire which is sanctioned by religion, that is I am." That is Kṛṣṇa. Sex desire to fulfill-it does not mean that like cat, we are free. What is this freedom? That freedom has cats and dogs. They are so free that on the road they have sexual intercourse. You have not so much freedom. You have to find out a parlor, er, apartment. So do you want that is freedom? This is not freedom. This is, I mean to say, going to hell. This is not freedom. Therefore Vedic literatures enjoins that if you want sex life, then you become householder. You marry a nice girl, and then you have got very good responsibility. This, this concession, sex life, is allowed so that you have to serve the all others. That is the responsibility. Now there are four divisions of social order-brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. The brahmacārī does not, I mean to say, earn anything. They depend on the society. Sannyāsī-depend on the society. Vānaprastha-depend on the society. Only the householder who is living with wife and children, he has got the whole responsibility to provide these brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. You see. In India still, if a brahmacārī, if a sannyāsī goes to a householder, immediately offers something. So they do not want more, but they want little for their maintenance of this body and soul together. It is the duty of the householder. So unless one becomes responsible householder, how he'll execute his responsibility? If he thinks, "Oh, what is the use of keeping a cow when the milk is available in the market? Oh, sex life is so cheap. Why shall I take the responsibility of marrying?" This is going on. This is going on. Just like cats and dogs. So the cats and dogs cannot understand Vedānta philosophy. First condition. It is not meant for the cats and dogs. It is meant for human beings. So we should be human being first of all. Then we shall try to understand… Our life is so wretched that it is less than cats and dogs, and we try to understand Vedānta philosophy. It is not possible.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says mukhya-vṛttye, direct meaning, as it is said. That is beauty of understanding. Janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] "The supreme source from which everything emanating, that is Brahman." What is the interpretation? There is no interpretation. Supreme… There must be some supreme source. That is quite philosophical and logical, that I have my… This bodily existence has a source, my father. My father has a source, his father. His father… Go on. There must be one supreme source. That is God. Simple to understand. Is it very difficult to understand? The supreme cause, He is God. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is described in Brahma-saṁhitā, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1]. Kāraṇa means "cause," and sarva means "all." There are cause, cause, cause and effect, cause and effect, cause and eff… When you reach to the supreme cause, He's Kṛṣṇa. He is Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa confirms it in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. Have you got Bhagavad-gītā?

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante mām..

[Bg. 10.8].

In the Tenth Chapter you'll find this word, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. So things should be accepted as they are. (aside:) Have you got it?

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Read it.

Satsvarūpa: "I am the origin of all. From Me all proceeds. Knowing this, the wise worship Me, endowed with conviction."

Prabhupāda: You see. He's the origin of everything. Now, if somebody says, "Oh, what's the commentation there?" What is that commentation? Is there any commentation or simply translation?

Satsvarūpa: Shall I read that?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Satsvarūpa: Read the commentation?

Prabhupāda: No, that particular verse, ahaṁ sarvasya… Is there any commentation?

Satsvarūpa: Yes, there is.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Satsvarūpa: "The teacher speaks now as the Lord. As…"

Prabhupāda: "Teacher." Still, he'll not say "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa-phobia. (laughter) You see? He's always thinking, "If I say 'Kṛṣṇa,' oh, then I'll be in trouble." This is the demonic tendency, and that is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. The rascals and the lowest of the mankind, narādhama, and the asses and the, I mean, the nonsense-mūḍha-means ass, simply work for others. He has no self-interest. Ass. So mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ. "A person who is as rascal as an ass," mūḍhāḥ, na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtina, "and always engaged in sinful activities, and the lowest of the mankind and demon, he does not," I mean to say, "surrender unto Me, accept Me." Oh, there are many educated persons… Just like Dr. Radhakrishnan, he also says, he also, "Not to Kṛṣṇa." Then what about his education? Oh, that is also replied, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. "Oh, he's educated-so-called. The māyā has plundered his all knowledge." That means although… He's an educated fool. There are educated rascals. They have got some university degrees, but actually they are rascal, less than an ass. So that is also described: māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. They have acquired some knowledge undoubtedly, but the essence of the knowledge is taken away by māyā. Essence of the knowledge. Just like I give you milk, but I churn it. I take the butter out, and I give you milk. It is just like that. If milk is administered, taking out the butter, that is also a cheating, because milk means to take fat. Fat we require. For our proper maintenance of the body, we require fat. So milk-drinking means eating fat. So if the fat is already taken away, what is this milk?

So similarly, knowledge means to, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to understand Brahman. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]: "I am the origin of everything, and everything emanates from Me." Iti matvā bhajante mām, budhā. Budhā means one who is in the topmost platform of knowledge. That is called budhā. Therefore Lord Buddha is called Buddha. Budhā means one who is in the topmost platform of knowledge. He's called budhā. Budh-dhātu. Budh-dhātu means to know, to understand, or to have knowledge. So budhā. Budhā means one who is actually buddha, or budhā, he worships Kṛṣṇa because he knows perfectly well that He is the origin of everything. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1].

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

There are so many īśvaras, controller, but Parameśvara, or the Supreme Lord, supreme controller, is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. People may misunderstand, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, we have seen Him. He's a historical person. How He can be the supreme controller? He's just like a man. He's a man like us." No. He's sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. He's not like a man like you. His form is spiritual, blissful, eternal. "How it is eternal? We have known that He is born." That Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: [Bg. 4.9] "How I am born, what are My activities, if anyone knows…" Then what he becomes? Oh, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar: "He becomes immediately liberated."

So He's not so easy to understand. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is born in Mathurā. His father is Vasudeva. Oh, He…" No. He's unborn. He's unborn, but I am seeing that He's born. Just like sun is unborn. I am seeing that at five o'clock sun is born in the eastern side of New York City. This is my foolishness. Sun is never born. He's always there. It is my imperfectness that I am seeing that sun is born this hour. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is never born. Kṛṣṇa is just like sun. So as they are, if we want to understand… Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet: "Things which are beyond your conception," avāṅ manasā gocaraḥ, "beyond your expression, beyond your knowledge, don't apply your so-called argument and reason." That is Vedānta study. If, if you do not understand, put question to your spiritual master, try to understand, but as a matter of fact, you should know, "What is stated here, that is all right. It is due to my imperfectness of knowledge I cannot just now understand it. Let me ask my spiritual master and let me understand it properly." But a thing as it is, that is all right. We must take it. Mukhya-vṛttye. Mukhya means "as it is." Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. What commentation you can give? If the Vedas says, Īśopaniṣad, that "Everything belongs to God," how can you deny it? What is your argument? What is your…? You cannot deny it. Similarly, all these Vedic sūtras, Upaniṣad, Vedānta, anything should be understood…

gauna-vṛttye yebā bhāṣya karila ācārya

tāhāra śravaṇe nāśa haya sarva kārya

Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu is directly challenging Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī belonged to the Śaṅkara-sampradāya, Śaṅkara school of thought. Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu is directly challenging that gauna-vṛttye yebā bhāṣya karila ācārya. Ācārya means Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya has made a commentary which is called Śārīraka-bhāṣya of Vedānta-sūtra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says this Śārīraka-bhāṣya, gauna-vṛttye, indirectly… Just like we are accustomed to do: "I think the meaning should be like this," grammatical or this way or that way, jugglery of words. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly accuses Śaṅkarācārya that the commentary which he has made indirectly, if we read that commentary or if we hear that commentary, then tāhāra śravaṇe nāśa haya sarva kārya, then anyone who is hearing or trying to understand the Śārīraka-bhāṣya, he is going to hell. He's not only wasting his time, but he's going to hell. Sarva nāśa. Sarva nāśa means "all auspicity lost." Why? Why lost? Lost because as soon as you indulge in the reading of the Śaṅkara-bhāṣya, the whole program is you have to think that "I am God." So if I am God, then who is else God, that I have to worship? That means the prospect of devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is killed forever. Such rascal will never be able to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore he says, haya sarva nāśa. He is being murdered, you see, because he never will come. He'll always think, "I am God." Just like… Who was speaking? Yes, yes, Nikhilananda. He has discussed in that Vivekananda's speech that man is God. But somebody asks, "Why he has become dog?" "Oh," he says, "I do not know." So God says, "I do not know." He's such a God. And that is clearly written. Have you got that book? God, God, God… The followers of Śaṅkarācārya say that "I am God. There is no other God. Every one of us God." Then why you have become dog? "Oh, that I do not know." Is that God's, I mean to say, answer? If I ask if you are God, if I answer you, "Why you are dog?" you say, "I do not know," so are you God? God does not know? Well, God description is there in Parāśara-sūtra that He is full of all knowledge. That is God. And God says, "I do not know"? How he is…? What kind of God he is? That is clearly stated here. Why you have become dog? "I do not know. But I am God." He knows, "I am God," but he does not know why he has become dog. That is his knowledge. You'll find so many fallacies like this. How do you know that you are God? "That also I do not know." What is this? Is this any argument?

But God definition is that,

aiśvaryasya samāgrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

ṣaṇṇam bhāga itiṅgaṇa

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Means Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is, is, He has got complete aiśvarya, wealth, He has got complete fame, He has got complete knowledge, He has got complete beauty, and He has got complete renunciation. By these six complete, I mean…, opulences, the God is there. So if you find somebody, that He's full in six opulences… So we find Kṛṣṇa. If you find in the history… Whole history of the world till now, you won't find any other person more than Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is God. Therefore He is God. Find out from the history if anybody is more than Kṛṣṇa.

So this is, these are the definition, these are the knowledge. We have to follow these. Then we become perfect. Don't try to follow the rascals and nonsense. Then you'll go to hell.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

670218CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.108

San Francisco, February 18, 1967

Prabhupāda: Brahman means "the greatest." So what is the idea of the greatest? The greatest means… That is described by Parāśara-sūtra, that He is the greatest in wealth, greatest in fame, greatest in knowledge, greatest in renunciation, greatest in beauty, everything, whatever attractive. How, how you can understand "greatest"? "Greatest" does not mean that sky is the greatest. That is impersonal theory. But our "greatest" idea is that one who can swallow millions of skies within Himself, He is greatest. The material conception, they cannot go further. They can simply think of the greatest: the sky. That's all. "As great as the sky." But we Vaiṣṇava, we see that Kṛṣṇa has within His mouth millions of skies. So who is greatest? Kṛṣṇa is greatest or the sky is greatest? This is the difference between the Māyāvādī philosophers. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He was boy, He was eating clay. His mother asked, "Oh, just open Your mouth. I want to see what You are eating." And Kṛṣṇa showed him (her) that millions of planets and millions of skies are within the mouth. So He is greatest, who can show that "Millions of skies are within Me." He is greatest. That means greatest in opulence of strength, greatest in strength, greatest in wealth, great…, everything greatest. He is greatest. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's… He says Brahman means the greatest, and greatest means one who is greatest in six opulences.

Now, so there are Upaniṣads. Generally they take eleven Upaniṣads primarily, but there are 108 Upaniṣads. Sometimes the explanation is given that "Why we have got 108 beads?" "Because there are 108 Upaniṣads." So chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa with 108 beads means that we are surpassing the study of 108 Upaniṣads. Another meaning is that there are 108 damsels who served Kṛṣṇa with all respect at Vṛndāvana. So that is also another explanation, 108. We are serving Kṛṣṇa's servitors, hundred and…, chief damsels of, at Vṛndāvana. So these 108 Upaniṣads are described, īśa kena kaṭha praśna muṇḍa māṇḍūkyo taittirī… You can count how many: Īśopaniṣad, Kenopaniṣad, Kaṭhopaniṣad, Praśnopaniṣad, Muṇḍakopaniṣad, Māṇḍūkyopaniṣad, Taittirīyopaniṣad. Then aitareyas ca chāndogya bṛhad-āraṇyakam tathā. Then Aitareya Upaniṣad, Chāndogyopaniṣad, Bṛhad-āraṇyakopaniṣad, Brahmokaivalyopaniṣad, Jābālopaniṣad. There are so many Upaniṣads, 108 Upaniṣads. Āruṇeyopaniṣad, Garbho, Nārāyaṇo, Haṁsa. This Haṁsadūta, the name, the Haṁsa Upaniṣad, it comes from Haṁsa. Garbho nārāyaṇo haṁso bindūro nārada sikaḥ. Sika-upaniṣad, Nārada Upaniṣad.

maitrayaṇi kauṣītakī

bṛhaj-jābāla-tāpanī-

kālāgni-rudra-maitri-

subālakṣari-mantrika

There are so many Upaniṣads. We cannot remember them. Out of them, nine Upaniṣads, just like Īśopaniṣad, Kenopaniṣad, Kaṭhopaniṣad, Māṇḍūkyopaniṣad, Aitareyopaniṣad, Taittirīya Upaniṣad, just like, these nine Upaniṣads are very much popular, and generally people read these nine Upaniṣads.

Now, so far Upaniṣads are concerned, here are some of the notes from different Upaniṣads given by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. He's quoting just like the statement of Upaniṣad, pūrṇam adaḥ, pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate [Īśopaniṣad, Invocation]. This is statement of one Upaniṣad, that the Supreme is pūrṇam, means complete. There is no minus; it is always full, always pūrṇa. Pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idam. And because this creation, material creation, is emanated from that supreme complete, therefore this is also complete. Pūrṇam idam. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate. If a thing is complete and full, then the products should be also complete and full. So these are the statements. So how Kṛṣṇa is complete? Kṛṣṇa is complete-His energy, His opulence, His beauty, His knowledge. Similarly, He's complete always. Then another statement, vicitra śakti puruṣa purāṇa. Another statement of Vedic literature, Upani…, vicitra śakti puruṣa purāṇa. That Supreme Absolute Truth is a puruṣa. Purusa means enjoyer, man. Man is supposed to be the enjoyer. He's not woman. Woman is supposed to be enjoyed. Therefore this very word is used: puruṣa. And Purāṇa, the oldest man, oldest man. Nobody… Because He's the cause of all causes; therefore He should be the oldest. And we are also oldest because we are part and parcel. We are also oldest. That is stated in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit, pūrṇo nityaḥ purāṇaḥ… Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit na bhūtvā na bhūyaḥ bhavitā vā, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇaḥ. Nityaḥ śāśvataḥ ayaṁ purāṇaḥ. Purāṇa means the oldest. We are also the oldest. So because part and parcel, it is always with the Supreme. Just like the molecule of sunshine: they are part and parcel of the sun. Whenever there is sun, oh, the molecules of sunshine is also there. Similarly, we are molecules of the Supreme. Therefore whenever the Supreme is there, we are also there. Therefore we are also Purāṇa. And puruṣa. Puruṣa means the tendency of becoming enjoyer. So that tendency we have also got. But we do not know that we can enjoy in cooperation with the Supreme because we are subordinate. Differently, we cannot enjoy. As soon as we make our plan to enjoy life differently with Kṛṣṇa, then we fall under the clutches of māyā. We cannot do that. Therefore we have to revive our consciousness that we agree to cooperate with Kṛṣṇa. That will give us ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. Just like if you want to enjoy your life, some way or other, if you can secure a very nice service in the government, oh, your life is fulfilled. But if you want to enjoy your life separately… The government is all-powerful. If you become a departmental secretary, oh, immediately you get five thousand dollars and everything is all right. Similarly, some way or other, if you can become a secretary of Kṛṣṇa, then your all problems solved. Don't try to enjoy independently. That is māyā. That is māyā.

Similarly, there are other statements. Sa vṛkṣaḥ kalaḥ kṛtibhiḥ paro 'nyat yasmād prapañca-parivartateyaṁ dharmavahaṁ pāpamaruddham. Then another statement, vedāham etat puruṣaṁ mahāntam āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastād, that vedāham: "I understand that Supreme Person." Vedāham. Vedāham means "I understand." Puruṣa. He's again puruṣa. In the Bhagavad-gītā also you'll find, when Arjuna is recognizing Kṛṣṇa, he said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣam [Bg. 10.12]. Again puruṣam. So God is never woman. The foolish person who says that God is, can be worshiped as woman, as mother… No. That is not according to Vedic literature. God is always father. Therefore Bible is all right-conception of father, not mother. Not that "I worship Kali, goddess mother, and become God." These are all nonsense. He's always father, puruṣa. Everywhere we find puruṣa. Never we find that God is a female. No. God cannot be female. Female is energy. Just like Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā is Kṛṣṇa, but the energy of Kṛṣṇa, pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and still, Kṛṣṇa is male and Rādhā is female. So God, conception of God, always…

Now, again, patiṁ patīnāṁ paramaṁ parastād. That, that puruṣa, that… [break] …mahāntam, the greatest, mahāntam. Mahāntam means the last word of the greatest. Antam means the last, and mahā means great. We have got idea of great, great, greater, greater, greatness, greatness. Where we finish all greatness, He's mahāntam. Mahāntam āditya-varṇam. Āditya-varṇam. Āditya means the sun. Just like sun. Wherever the sun planet is there, oh, there is sunshine, always shining. So where the sun planet… Wherefrom… The sun planet is also a material thing like this earth. Wherefrom the… [break] …inhabitants, they're all fiery. Therefore their glaring effulgence is being manifested. So if you can see in the material world such effulgence of a certain point, particular planet, how can you disbelieve that Kṛṣṇa planet is more dazzling? Kṛṣṇa planet is more dazzling, and from Kṛṣṇa planet the brahmajyoti is emanating. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. We get this information from Brahma-saṁhitā that, by spreading His effulgence, yasya prabhā… Prabhā means illumination, prakāśa. Just like this light is illuminating. So yasya prabhā. "Because illuminating light is emanating from His body…" Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi: [Bs. 5.40] "In that effulgence, millions and millions of planets are generating." The same example you can take, that all these planets… This is scientifically true, I mean to say, that all these planets, they have generated from the sunshine. Similarly, spiritual world, that effulgence of the body of Kṛṣṇa, that is spread, and there are hundreds and millions of Vaikuṇṭha planets are there. Mahāntam āditya-varṇam. And then where is that āditya? Where is that supreme sun? Tamasaḥ parastāt. Oh, that is beyond this darkness. This material world is dark by nature. We have several times explained. Therefore in the temporary… Now, just see the arrangement. The sun is there to drive out darkness, but the night is also there so that we can understand that by nature it is dark. Simply by timely appearance of the sun, it becomes day. Therefore there is day and night, day and night, day and night. Tamasaḥ parastāt. And other Vedic literatures-tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't keep yourself in this darkness. Just try to get out of it and go to that Brahman effulgence." Jyotir gamaḥ. Tamasaḥ parastāt.

Then another Upaniṣad, patiṁ patīnāṁ paramaṁ parastāt. Patiṁ patīnām. There are many patis. Patis means proprietor, or husband. A husband is also considered a proprietor of the woman according to Vedic literature; therefore the word dāsī. A woman's surname is dāsī. She agrees to serve the man. You have observed, when we get young couples married, we get it promised: the husband promises that "I take charge of your life. Your whole life shall be dependent upon me. I take full charge of you." And the woman agrees, "Yes, I also agree to serve you the whole life." This is marriage. The… If we exploit, of course… But this is the nice arrangement. This is cooperation. A woman agrees that "I shall serve you," because the man requires woman's service in so many ways by her ser…, cooking, by her embracing, by her becoming beautiful, so many ways. That is the encouragement so that he can work, he can live peacefully, he can discharge spiritual duties nicely. So there is cooperation. Stri-puruṣa. Puruṣa is supposed to be enjoyer, but both their lives become sublime when there is cooperation. So patiḥ patīnām. So everyone is given the chance of becoming a pati. Pati means husband, or proprietor. Even the ant, it has got also a companion, female ant. Even the dog, it has got also companion. Even the small bird, even the insect, even the fly-everyone is given. This is called viṣaya. Viṣaya means material enjoyment.

So viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. This viṣaya, this material enjoyment, is provided by the laws of nature everywhere. Don't think that it is in the human society there is love and there is male-female combination. No. Everywhere. That is nature's arrangement. Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. Therefore Bhāgavata asks everybody that "Don't be after viṣaya. Viṣaya is already arranged. Accept it as it is." But tūrṇaṁ yateta na mṛtyuṁ pateta yāvat niḥśreyasāya: "Your endeavor should be how to elevate yourself spiritually. Don't bother about viṣaya. Viṣaya is already arranged by nature's way." So patiṁ patīnāṁ paramaṁ parastāt. No. He's also, God is also, as we are given the chance of becoming husband, similarly, He's the supreme husband. Supreme husband. Now, if He's the supreme husband and if He marries sixteen thousand wives, it is very difficult for Him? It is not at all difficult. So people do not understand, do not consult this Vedic literature, how it is stated the Supreme. How one can become Supreme? The Supreme… We judge the Supreme in the same philosophy, frog philosophy. "Atlantic Ocean? Oh, it may be a little bigger than this well. That's all." So our calculation of God is always like that. "Kṛṣṇa, He looks like us, just like a man. So what is there? He may be a little powerful than me. All right, He has spoken Bhagavad-gītā. All right. He's little more wiser than us." So we always compare with us. But it is not. He's supreme. We have no idea of the Supreme. Therefore we forget personality. Patiṁ patī… It is clearly stated, pati. Can pati, the husband or proprietor, can become imperson? No. When the conception of pati, husband and proprietor, is there, then He is personal. Patiṁ patīnāṁ paramaṁ parastāt mahān prabhavaiḥ puruṣaḥ.

Then again there is another statement: mahān prabhavaiḥ puruṣaḥ. The Lord Caitanya is called Mahāprabhu. Mahānprabhu. Prabhu, master. There are different kinds of master, but He's the mahān-prabhu, the Supreme Master, Supreme Master, and Puruṣa at the same time. Prabhu, you can say… A woman also can become the master. Just like in England there is queen. But no. Puruṣa. He is never woman. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Then again another statement from the Upaniṣads, that "The Supreme has multi-energies." Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. He has got so much energies that it appears that it is being automatically done. Just like a, I mean to say, very important man you see. You go there and you… Suppose you ask him for some help, and suppose you want one million dollar, and if he gives you a slip, oh, you take it from there. If you get immediately, then you will understand, "Oh, how much powerful he is. Simply by a pencil, like this, I got millions of dollars!" So God is so powerful. It appears that…, everything is wonderfully, this material nature is working. But it is due to God's energy. His energies are so multifarious, He's so expert, that it appears automatically being done. Not automatically. Not automatically. No. Just like a big mathematician. You give him a very big sum, oh, and within a second, he will at once add it. And for me, I shall commit so many mistakes and perhaps the whole day will go on. Still, I shall not be able. Especially myself. I am never correct in adding. So if the… Supreme power means He has got so much energies, different kinds of energy, that it appears that there is no background, but the nature is working automatically. No. Bhagavad-gītā says no. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: [Bg. 9.10] "The whole nature is working under My superintendence." But the superintendence is so perfect and so nice and so energetic that there cannot be any mistake. So this is called parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport].

Any question? Thank you very much.

Bhaktijana: What's the relationship between Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā? Rādhā is the energy of Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Ravindra-svarūpa: If the brahmajyoti is in the spiritual sky, how could we reach it in our mind? Is it in our mind also?

Prabhupāda: It is here also. Just like the sunshine, when it is covered by cloud, the sunshine is also there. Do you follow? You see that the sky is covered, but still you say, "It is day." Why? The sunshine is there. Similarly, brahmajyoti is here also. Sarvaṁ khalu iti brahma: "Everything is Brahman." But it is covered by māyā. Therefore the full-fledged brahmajyoti, you cannot see.

Ravindra-svarūpa: I thought it was a place that was far away.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is… Just like above the cloud there is sunshine, fully. We have seen it in an aeroplane. This airlines, U.S. airlines, they say, "Friendly skies." So go to the friendly sky. Why do you remain here, nonsense sky, always covered with cloud? Go to the friendly sky. Just go above the cloud. The cloud is māyā. Go above the māyā. Then you see. You are seeing already, but it is not full-fledged experience. Everything we are seeing. We have experienced God's power, God's energy. But because we are in ignorance, therefore we cannot conceive perfectly. And as soon as you are above the māyā… Māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. That māyā you can, I mean to say, surpass simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As you become full-fledged Kṛṣṇa conscious, oh, then you see always brahmajyoti and Brahman and Kṛṣṇa and everything. And so far your present condition is, you are seeing also just now. Because without Brahman, there cannot be any existence. So one has to learn. In the flower you can see. In the tree you can see. In the taste you can see. In the water you can see. In the sound you can see. That is all stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: [Bg. 7.8] "I am the taste of the water." Water is so popular, so tasteful, to every living entity. Man, beast, birds-anyone-water requires. Why? There is a nice taste, quench our thirst. And Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: "That taste in water, I am." So if you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you know from the śāstras that "This taste is Kṛṣṇa," then at once you become Kṛṣṇa conscious while drinking water. "I am sound in the sky." So, as soon as there is some sound, "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa." In this way, you study Kṛṣṇa. You'll see. In the taste of water you'll find Kṛṣṇa. In the sound vibration you'll find Kṛṣṇa. If there is somebody very powerful, you'll find him, Kṛṣṇa. This description are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yes?

Devotee: Swamijī, I'm trying to… You said that, one time, that brahmajyoti is like the pure light, and it's filtered in the material world through the modes?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Material world means three modes.

Devotee: So is that like…? Well… Because the modes don't exist in the spiritual world. Is that right?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like if you go above the cloud, there is no cloud. That's all. But there is. In a certain portion of the sky, there is cloud. And that cloud is also not permanent. Sometimes sky is clear of all clouds, but sometimes cloud is there. The cloud is generating in the sky and it is vanquished in the sky. Similarly, this material world is sometimes being manifested and sometimes there is no manifestation, simply spiritual. Spiritual is always eternal. The sky, sunshine, is always eternal. Take this crude example. But the cloud is not eternal. It comes and goes, although cloud is a product of the same sunshine. Cloud is not independent. By interaction of sunshine, there is cloud, and that cloud is… There is no cloud. Similarly, this material world is just like cloud. It appears. It acts. When there is cloud, there is torrents of rain. Oh, there are so many productions on account of rain. Everything becomes green. So we give so much importance to the cloud, and it is important also, but it is temporary. As soon as the cloud is over, the greenness is gone. There is no rain. Nothing, nothing. And when the sky is clear, you'll see, "Oh, where is cloud? Where is cloud?" Similarly, this māyā means it appears like the cloud, and it disappears like the cloud, but the eternal brahmajyoti remains.

Bhaktijana: Did Kṛṣṇa create us for to serve Him?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Bhaktijana: Did Kṛṣṇa create us to serve Him?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhaktijana: And to enjoy us?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Very nice. So we should prepare ourselves to our healthy condition. That is our healthy condition. As soon as we understand that Kṛṣṇa created us… Kṛṣṇa created… There is no creation. Just like if I say that my hand is created, no, it is not created. As long as the body is there, the hand is there. Otherwise, there is no meaning of body. Similarly, we are not created. Kṛṣṇa is always there; we are also always there. And there are millions and millions of liberated souls who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa. They never misuse their independence. And we small quantity, we misused our independence. We wanted to enjoy separately. Therefore we are conditioned.

Bhaktijana: But there are, there are many…?

Prabhupāda: …liberated souls. They are never conditioned. They never become conditioned. Yes?

Devotee: You mean they never were conditioned at any time or…

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: You said there were millions of souls…

Prabhupāda: Yes. They were never conditioned. They were never conditioned, never conditioned. They are called nitya-mukta, eternally liberated. We are only simple few, this material world. Just like I have several times told you that the prison house. The population of prison house is nothing in comparison to the whole population. What is there? Suppose in New York there is a prison house. Oh, what may be the number? A few thousand maybe. But here, millions. Similarly, the liberated souls are millions; we are only few thousands, or hundreds. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. We are thinking this universe is very great. It is nothing in comparison to the whole creation of the Lord. You are seeing only universe, but there are millions of universes like this. All together, they are ekāṁśena sthito jagat. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is only a part of Kṛṣṇa's creation. One devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, er, Lord Caitanya, requested, "My dear Lord, You have come to deliver all the fallen souls. You please take all the conditioned souls of this universe, and if You think they are not competent, they are sinful, You can give me all the sin to me. I shall suffer for them, but You kindly take." So this is the desire of a pure devotee, that "All may go with Kṛṣṇa. Let them become liberated. I shall suffer all their…" Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied that "Suppose I keep your request. I take these, all the living entities of this universe. Do you think, is there any loss of this material world? It is just like a one mustard seed in the bag of mustard seeds." So this universe is just like one mustard seed in one big bag of mustard seeds. Can you count how many mustard seeds are there in a big bag? So the idea was that Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied that "Even this universe is delivered fully, oh, there is a big bag of mustard seeds. It is only one grain." There are so many conditioned souls, and these conditioned souls are only insignificant in comparison to the liberated souls. Just imagine what is the quantity of liberated souls.

Bhaktijana: How could we make a poor choice if we were part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa? How could we have chosen the material world?

Prabhupāda: Oh, because you have got independence. Don't you see so many students come. They go away again. Yesterday Kīrtanānanda went to call Ranchora. He said, "Oh, I have forgotten this!" So you can forget. There is another student. He was also our student, Wally. "Oh, you can go immediately!" Suppose if you… "Oh, I don't care for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness Society. Who calls you? You can go." That independence is there. We can misuse.

Bhaktijana: But Kṛṣṇa will always be there if we want to go back?

Prabhupāda: Eh? Kṛṣṇa is always prepared to accept you. He's always prepared. But because He has given us independence, we misuse it and we fall under the clutches of māyā. That is our misfortune. We create this misfortune, and we can create our good fortune. "Man is the architect of his own fortune." So if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, it is to your good fortune. If you become māyā conscious, it is to your bad fortune. You are the creator.

Bhaktijana: When the souls that were never conditioned at all…, do they also have the independence?

Prabhupāda: Yes, but they have not misused. They know that "I am meant for Kṛṣṇa's service," and they are happy in Kṛṣṇa's service.

Bhaktijana: Could they ever misuse it?

Prabhupāda: Yes, they can misuse it also. That power is there. Yes?

Devotee: Well, I believe you once said that once a conditioned soul becomes perfected and gets out of the material world and he goes to Kṛṣṇaloka, there's no possibility of falling back.

Prabhupāda: No! There is possibility, but he does not come. Just like after putting your hand in the fire, you never put it again if you are really intelligent. So those who are going back to Godhead, they become intelligent. Why going back to Godhead? Just like we are in renounced order of life. So we have renounced our family life after thinking something. Now, if somebody comes, "Swamijī, you take thousand millions of dollars and marry again and become a family man," I'll never become, because I have got my bad experience. I'll never become. So if one is intelligent enough, if he has got actually the bitter taste of this material world, he'll never agree. He'll never agree. But those who have not advanced to such knowledge, oh, they think, "Oh, this material enjoyment is very nice. Let me taste it and let me do business in my sannyāsī life, and stealthily and privately, let me enjoy." These things are going on. That means they have no taste. They come to hospital-making or this philanthropy. This come again. Sthānād bhraṣṭād patanty adhaḥ. Ye 'nye aravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. "Those fools who are thinking that 'Simply by thinking myself, "I am God, I am Brahman, I have become liberated," ' " but ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvāt [SB 10.2.32], "but there is no knowledge about You, Kṛṣṇa," āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam, "they, after performing so much austerity and penances, they rise up to the highest position, Brahman realization, but," patanty adhaḥ, "they fall down." We have got so many instances. They take sannyāsa. They say that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This world is false. Brahman is truth." But after some days, they come to politics, they come to sociology, they come to hospital, they come to this and that. That's all. Finished. Brahman finished. Patanty adhaḥ. They must fall down because they have no shelter in Kṛṣṇa. Just like the sputnik goes very high, clap, hear clap. Uh, come down again. Where you'll go? Yes. Simply for the time being clapping, that's all. (laughs) But the fools, they are so nonsense, they are satisfied with that temporary clapping. That's all.

Bhaktijana: Has my soul ever been liberated?

Prabhupāda: That you know. I do not know.

Bhaktijana: If I was once liberated…

Prabhupāda: You are liberated. You are liberated. Simply just a cloud has covered you. Drive away the cloud. There is no question that you were ever. You are ever-liberated. That, the sky is always spiritual, but it is sometimes overcrowded with cloud, this māyā. This is called māyā. Actually, you are not conditioned. You are thinking. Just like in the dream you are thinking that tiger is eating you. You were never eaten by tiger. There is no tiger. So we have to get out of this dream. Don't you sometimes dream that tiger is eating you? Is there any tiger? You are simply thinking. So if you keep in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that nonsense thinking will go away. Therefore we have to keep ourself always in Kṛṣṇa-thinking so that this dream will never come. If you are always awakened, then dream never comes. So keep yourself always awakened by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All right. Distribute prasādam. (end)

670220CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.109-114

San Francisco, February 20, 1967

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is stressing that to read Vedic literature, Vedānta, Upaniṣad-these are principal literatures in the Vedic knowledge-then Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, all these books should be studied from the direct meaning. Don't try to interpret. According to ordinary, I mean to say, dealings, suppose in the law court there are two parties. Two lawyers are fighting on the principle of one clause or section in the lawbook. One is interpreting in a different way, one is interpreting in a different way, and the judges give their judgment. Now, the opportunity for interpretation is there when the meaning is not clear. A very good example is given by the grammarians, or Sanskrit scholars, that gaṅgayaṁ ghoṣapali, that "There is a neighborhood which is called Ghoṣapali on the Ganges." Now somebody may ask, "How there can be a quarter on the Ganges? Ganges is water." So there is interpretation required. So somebody says, " 'On the Ganges' means on the bank of the Ganges." That makes it clear. "On the Ganges" does not mean that in the middle water there is a, I mean to say, residential quarter. No. "On the Ganges" means on the bank of the Ganges.

So when there is such doubt, one can interpret. But when there is no doubt-everyone can understand clearly the meaning-there is no question of interpreting. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's stressing, that gauṇa-vṛttye yebā bhāṣya karila ācārya. Therefore each and every aphorism and verse of Vedānta-sūtra has been indirectly interpreted by the Śārīraka-bhāṣya. Such interpretation, if somebody hears, then his future is doomed. Just like our Gandhi, he wanted to prove, from Bhagavad-gītā, nonviolence. The Bhagavad-gītā is being preached in the battlefield, and it is completely violence. How he can prove? Therefore he is dragging the meaning out of his own con… It is very troublesome, and anyone who will read such interpretation, he is doomed. He is doomed because the Bhagavad-gītā is meant for awakening your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If that is not awakened, then it is useless waste of time. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu embraced the brāhmaṇa who was illiterate, but he took the essence of Bhagavad-gītā, the relationship between the Lord and the devotee. Therefore, unless we take the real, I mean to say, essence of any literature, it is simply waste of time.

tāṅhāra nāhika doṣa, īśvara-ājñā pāñā

gauṇārtha karila mukhya artha ācchādiyā

[Cc. Ādi 7.110]

Now, at the beginning, He criticized Śaṅkarācārya that "If somebody hears Śaṅkarācārya's commentation, then he's sure to be doomed." But again He supports Śaṅkarācārya. Why? Śaṅkarācārya is the incarnation of Lord Śiva, and he's a great devotee. Śaṅkara… Vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ: "There are many devotees of the Lord, but the foremost devotee is Lord Śiva." And he has got a disciplic succession which is called Viṣṇu Svāmī-sampradāya. So Śaṅkarācārya was covered devotee. He's covered devotee. His aim was to bring men to the standard of devotional service, but the time and circumstances in which he was preaching, he could not place his real object because they were unable to understand. At last, at the end of his life, he composed so many poetries in praise of Vṛndāvana-līlā, and especially his very famous Catpar pandika (?), that is, he has stated,

bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ

bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha-mate

prāpte sannihite kāla maraṇe

na hi na hi rakṣati ḍukṛñ-karaṇe

"My dear foolish brothers, you kindly worship Kṛṣṇa, Govinda…" Thrice he has said, bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha-mate. Mūḍha-mate means "You foolish nonsense, you kindly worship Govinda." Why? Now, prāpte sannihite kāla maraṇe: "When death will be nearer, your this grammatical interpretation, ḍukṛñ karaṇe, this pratha (?), that pratha (?), arguing, jugglery of words, will not save you, will not save you. You please worship Govinda." That is his instruction. And there are many others.

So Śaṅkarācārya was a covered devotee. He was devotee. Somebody accuses Śaṅkarācārya that he was covered Buddhist. But so far I am concerned, I say that Śaṅkarācārya was covered devotee. He was devotee at heart, but because he was ordered to preach in that way… Otherwise, there was no alternative. That is stated in the Padma Purāṇa. When there is conversation between Lord Śiva and his wife Pārvatī, he disclosed that "In the age of Kali, as a Brāhmaṇa, I preach this Māyāvāda philosophy, which is covered Buddha philosophy." Buddha philosophy says that "This material life is all. After this material life, there is nothing, all void." And Śaṅkarācārya said that "It is impersonal. There is no variety." So in both the philosophies there is no acceptance of Lord, the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead. Therefore they are called nāstika-vāda. Nāstika-vāda means atheism, atheism. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described Buddha religion as atheism. "And Māyāvāda philosophy," He has said, "dangerous atheism." He has given little preference to Buddhism, but to Māyāvāda philosophy He has stated, "It is dangerous atheism." His exact version is like that, bheda namiya bauddha haila nāstika. Vedāśraye nāstika-vāda bauddha ke adika. He says that "We call the Buddhists as atheists because the simple reason is that they do not accept Vedas." Lord Buddha, he denied, that "I don't care for the Vedas. I have got my this own proposition, that ahiṁsā. Nonviolence is the religion. That's all." So he did not accept Vedas. Therefore, those who are Vedantists, those who are followers of Vedas, they called Buddhist religion atheism. Atheism means anyone who does not believe in scriptures, standard scriptures. That is called atheism.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that Buddha philosophy is atheism undoubtedly, but Śaṅkara philosophy is dangerous atheism because he is accepting Vedānta, but he is preaching atheism. He's accepting… Under the shelter of Vedānta, he's preaching atheism. So therefore they are more dangerous. Just like you are fighting with your enemies, that is very clear. "The other party is my enemy." But if somebody's treating as your friend and within he's trying to kill you, enemy, oh, that is very dangerous enemy. So similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that Buddhism is atheism. That's all right. But this Śaṅkara's philosophy is more dangerous than atheism. And actually, so-called, so many swamis and sannyāsīs, they came. They come from India. They are this same, dangerous atheists. Nobody has preached in your country this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or… Bhagavad-gītā is widely read, but differently interpreted. So therefore they are dangerous atheists. They are… Under the garb of Bhagavad-gītā, they are preaching atheism. So they are very dangerous. But still, because he was Lord Śiva, incarnation of Lord Śiva, and he had a particular duty, therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu supports now that tāṅhāra nāhika doṣa: "He's not faulty. He's not faulty because the time required to propagate such philosophy, and he had done that under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He wanted."

There is, Padma Purāṇa, there is statement. In the Padma Purāṇa there is: māyāvādam asac-chāstraṁ pracchannaṁ bauddham ucyate. In the Padma Purāṇa it is stated that "This Māyāvāda philosophy is covered Buddhism." Mayaiva kalpitaṁ devi kalau brāhmaṇa-mūrtinā. Lord Śiva says to his wife, "My dear Pārvatī, in the age of Kali, in the garb of a brāhmaṇa, I'll have to preach this philosophy." Brahmaṇaś cāparaṁ rūpaṁ nirguṇam vakṣyate mayā. Brāhmaṇaś ca aparaṁ rūpam: "Brahman, the Supreme Lord, He has got transcendental form, but I'll have to preach that He has no form, nirguṇam." Sarvasvaṁ jagato 'py asya mohanārthaṁ kalau yuge: "In the age of Kali, just to bewilder the persons, I'll have to preach this philosophy." Vedānte tu mahā-śāstre māyāvādam avaidikam: "And, when I shall explain Vedānta, I shall explain everything against Vedas."

vedānte tu mahā-śāstre

māyāvādam avaidikam

mayaiva vakṣyate devi

jagatāṁ nāśa-kāraṇāt

"In order to kill the atheistic person, I'll have to preach this." This is stated in Padma Purāṇa. And similarly, in the Śiva Purāṇa also, there is another verse:

dvāparādau yuge bhūtvā

kalayā mānuṣādiṣu

svāgamaiḥ kalpitais tvaṁ ca

janān mad-vimukhān kuru

Oh, the Supreme Lord is ordering Lord Śiva that "In the age of Kali, you go and try to make them against Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

So there are so many policies and so many programs of the supreme authorities, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that that is time service. For the time being they are necessary. Actually, such interpretation is not necessary at all. We should take direct meaning. Now He's explaining Vedānta. The first thing He's explaining, 'brahma' śabde mukhya arthe kahe-'bhagavān'. Whenever we speak of Brahman… Because these Māyāvādī philosophers, they are very much uttering this word, "Brahman." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "All Brahman." They don't utter "Kṛṣṇa" or "Govinda." Oh, that is very difficult for them. They simply utter, "Brahman." Now… Let them. Brahman is also Vedic word. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the direct meaning of Brahman is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Cid-aiśvarya-paripūrṇa, anūrdhva-samāna. Now what is the grammatical meaning of Brahman? The grammatical meaning of Brahman is that "the greatest" and "expansive." That is the grammatical meaning of Brahman. Which is unlimitedly expanded and greatest, He is called Brahman. Now, who can be unlimitedly expansive unless He's unlimitedly powerful? Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, the same meaning is there. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. So Brahman-Paramātmā ultimately means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Without coming to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the conception of Brahman-Paramātmā is imperfect. Why? Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that cid-aiśvarya-paripūrṇa, anūrdhva-samāna. You cannot have conception of the greatest, unlimited, unless you place six kinds of opulence, opulences in full. Because aiśvarya, the opulences… Just like wealth, fame, and beauty, knowledge, and renunciation, they should be unlimited. Now, when they are not unlimited, he's not Brahman, or he's not the Supreme Lord.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's interpretation… Not interpretation-He says Brahman means that "One who is in full opulences, He's Brahman." Tāṅhāra vibhūti, deha-saba cid-ākāra: "Therefore, because He's the greatest, therefore He cannot be under the control of this māyā." The Māyāvāda philosophy says that "We are now under the control of māyā. Therefore we have forgotten that we are all Gods." In the Nikhilananda's book, this is explained. He is discussing Vivekananda's speech, that "We are all Gods. Every one of us, we are God." "Then why you have become dog?" "That we do not know." That is the explanation. But actually, the explanation is that we are also Brahman, but not Bhagavān, the Supreme Brahman. That is the explanation. Therefore we are prone to be under the subjugation of māyā. This is real explanation. I am, I am not the Supreme Brahman. The greatest Brahman, I am not. Brahman means 'greatest,' but I am also Brahman, but I am… The infinite and the infinitesimal. We are infinitesimal. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā also-mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: [Bg. 15.7] "My, these living entities, they are My parts and parcels." Such parts and parcels of the Brahman is also Brahman. As part and parcel, minute particle, of gold is also gold, minute particle of poison is also poison, so similarly, we are minute, atomic part and parcel of the Supreme. Therefore we are not the unlimited or the biggest. We are Brahman, undoubtedly, but we are not the biggest. Therefore we are prone to be under the control of māyā. But Supreme Brahman, He's never under the… Therefore Māyāvāda philosophy, that "At the present moment, I am under the control of māyā, but as soon as I become free from the control of māyā, then I become the Supreme," therefore they cannot answer that "Why, if you are Supreme, why you are under the clutches of māyā? Then māyā becomes greater. You are not the greatest." They cannot answer this philo…, this question. At that time, they become fool: "We do not know."

So anyway, tāṅhāra vibhūti, saba… Therefore Brahman, His body, cannot be material. So material matter is under His control. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā [Bg. 7.14]. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that "This material nature is under My control." And in another place it is said,

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ

sūyate sa-carācaram

hetunānena kaunteya

jagad viparivartate

[Bg. 9.10]

"The whole cosmic manifestation is rolling on under My superintendence." Mayādhyakṣeṇa. "Under My order, under My supervision," prakṛtiḥ, "this, oh, the huge, gigantic material nature, is working under Me," hetunānena, "and, on this account, there is rules and regulations, everything is being done nicely." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Because Brahman, or the Supreme Lord, is the greatest, therefore His body cannot be made of this material nature." Because material nature is created at a certain interval, and who creates? Creates, the Supreme Lord. The creator, therefore, cannot be under the material nature. If I am creator of something, so I cannot be under the, that particular thing which is created. It is logical. So therefore, because the Supreme Brahman, or Bhagavān, is the creator of this material nature, He cannot be under the control of māyā. He is… And that is also stated in Bhagavad-gītā, many places. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]. Ātma-māyayā. Not this māyā. Māyā means potency. So we have got the experience of this potency, material potency, but there is another potency which is called spiritual potency. So spiritual potency is the internal energy of Kṛṣṇa, and material potency is the external energy. So Kṛṣṇa says that "Whenever I come," yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7], "whenever there is discrepancies in the discharging of religious principles," adharmasya abhyutthānam abhyutthānam adharmasya, "and there is great predominance of irreligiosity," tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham, "I, at that time, I come." Paritra… Why? Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: [Bg. 4.8] "Just to save the pious and the righteous and to vanquish the impious."

So these are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore natural conclusion, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, that His potencies, His body and His activities-everything spiritual. There is nothing material. Cid-vibhūti ācchādi' tāṅre kahe 'nirākāra.' And when there is some indication of impersonalism in the Vedas, it should be understood that His body is not of this material nature. If somebody says that "God does not belong to this matter," that is all right. That does not mean He's impersonal. He has got a spiritual body. Matter is denied. The whole Upaniṣad… First of all they describe the Supreme… Just like apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā. There are Vedic statements that "The Supreme has no hands, but He can accept whatever you offer." Now, this is contradictory. If He has no hands, how He can accept? What for He's accepting. Therefore it is to be understood that He has His hand, but not this hand. My hand is, er, can stretch, say, one yard only, but because He's unlimited, His hand can be stretched… Just like we are offering foodstuff, so how He is eating? That is His… He's eating by His transcendental body. We cannot see at the present moment, but He is eating. How He's eating? Because we have got the information, "Yes, I eat." Tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ: "Anyone who is My devotee and offers in love, I take them." So that cannot be… There is no mistake. But how He is taking, how He is eating, because we are in this material body, we do not see it, but He is taking. Therefore cid-vibhūti ācchādi' tāṅre kahe 'nirākāra'.

cid-ānanda-teṅho, tāṅra sthāna, parivāra

tāṅre kahe-prākṛta-sattvera vikāra

Now, the Lord's body is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, and Śaṅkarācārya says that prākṛta-sattvera vikāra. "This body of Kṛṣṇa or Lord Rāma, when They come," according to Māyāvāda philosophy, that "actually, the Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, has no form, but when They assume form, They take help of this material nature." That is not a fact. They come in Their own spiritual form. That is confirmed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

tāṅra doṣa nāhi, teṅho ājñā-kārī dāsa

āra yei śune tāra haya sarva-nāśa

Now, he preached this bewildering philosophy because he was ordered to do so by the Supreme Lord. That was his duty. But we must be very much careful. If we hear Śaṅkara's interpretation, or commentation, then you are doomed. "You are doomed" means no more Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are thrown into wilderness for many, many births. Then sometimes, if you come in contact with some pure devotee, it may be possible. But so far Śaṅkarācārya's bhāṣya is concerned, or anyone who is following that commentation, they are doomed.

Thank you very much. [break]

Woman: If someone who does not believe in scriptures, um, what is his duty, and…?

Prabhupāda: His duty is to go to hell. One who does not believe in scriptures, they are meant for going to hell.

Woman: What can one do to rectify his offenses? (?)

Prabhupāda: Well, just come… [break] That will help you.

Woman: But if a person is not willing to do that, is there any way… (static)

Prabhupāda: Oh, how can you do that? If a person is not willing to take medicine, how he can be cured? He'll go to death. He must be willing to. That is a, I mean to say, explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. So that is very dangerous position, one who does not take care. Suppose if one wants to be educated without going to school. How it is possible? If somebody says, "Oh, I don't care for any school, colleges. I'll be educated at home," this is nonsense. Is it possible? Or will anybody recognize you? Then what is the use? Waste of time. That is the disease. Everyone thinks, "Oh, I am everything. I am perfect." That is the disease, material disease. Everyone is thinking, "I am independent. I am perfect. Whatever I think, oh, that is all right." This is going on. First of all, if anyone wants advancement, he must first of all think just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu is pretending, that "My spiritual master found Me a great fool [Cc. Adi 7.71]." So one must agree to become a great fool and study these scriptures from bona fide spiritual master. Then there is hope of advancement. Yes?

Guest (1): (static) …your description of the impersonalist philosophers does not correspond…, it's happening, say, by themselves they make a distinction how those things make… (static) …a part of that philosophy that seems crucial to extending it, and that is sometimes called the "little self" and the "big self," the "big self" being the person who we are-personality, ego-and the other type of ego is the actual ego. And when one's ego is dissolved, he will wake up, as it were. As, like you wake up out of a dream and you find that you thought you were one of the characters in the dream while you were dreaming, when you wake up you realize that you didn't have this limited identity. You had a greater identity which encompassed all the characters in the dream.

Prabhupāda: Where you lose your personality? Either in dream or in awakened, you are person. When do you lose your personality? When you become imperson?

Guest (1): When do you lose it? When you wake up from the dream of this material world.

Prabhupāda: You are not imperson at that time. You are person. You are thinking, "I was dreaming." So your ego is there.

Guest (1): Yeah…

Prabhupāda: Then how…?

Guest (1): Well, they say…

Prabhupāda: Where do you lose your ego? Where your ego is dissolved?

Guest (1): Where is it dissolved?

Prabhupāda: Yes? It is never dissolved.

Guest (1): It is dissolved into a finer form of consciousness.

Prabhupāda: No, finer… Just now, your example: you were dreaming. Now you are awakening. You are now seeing, "Oh, I was dreaming." So the same person who was dreaming and who is thinking that "I was dreaming"-the same person. Where your identity is dissolved? In both the cases, you are standing, "I." This is…

Guest (1): Yeah, but they say at the next awakening you dissolve this "I."

Prabhupāda: This "I" is…, this "I" is not in dream. That is the difference. The "I" in dream and "I" in not-dream, but "I" is there. Where is your "I" dissolved?

Guest (1): Well, when you're chanting it's dissolved, actually.

Prabhupāda: Never.

Guest (1): Forget yourself?

Prabhupāda: No. We don't forget. We always remember that we are servants of God. We don't forget. We forget this material nonsense. That's all. But don't forget ourself. Our identity is there. We are all servants of God, Kṛṣṇa dāsa. And this is real ego. So ego is not dissolved. Ego is there, but it is purified. It is purified. Yes?

Kīrtanānanda: Well, er, it's so difficult to control the senses. So we're engaging all of our senses in chanting and dancing and so forth. Now, the thinking mind is most difficult. So we can engage that in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. So…

Prabhupāda: Well, when you are chanting, that is thinking, practically thinking. When you are chanting, you are practically thinking. When you are cooking, it is practically thinking. You are cooking for Kṛṣṇa. You are typing for Kṛṣṇa. You are chanting Kṛṣṇa's name.

Kīrtanānanda: But there seems to be also a stage of not thinking. Is that… When one is chanting, should they not think or should they think of Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Not thinking is not there. Thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa means thinking of Kṛṣṇa and His energy. There is no question of destruction. It is purification. The psychic power-thinking, feeling and willing-is purified. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. Nirmalam means purified. But it is not lost. It is not lost. Purified. And when it is purified, hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170], with that purified sense, purified mind, when you apply it for Kṛṣṇa, that is called bhakti, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Bhaktijana: Can you ever lose your identity?

Prabhupāda: Evolute? What is that?

Kīrtanānanda: Can you ever lose your identity?

Prabhupāda: What is that? What does it mean?

Rūpānuga: Can you ever lose your "I," the sense of "I"?

Bhaktijana: Can I ever forget myself?

Prabhupāda: How you can forget yourself?

Guest (2): Not self.

Prabhupāda: You cannot forget. You simply purify it. In diseased condition, your identification of "I" is different. Sometimes you are in convulsion. You forget… Rather, that is forgetfulness. Sometimes if we are, I mean to say, deranged in brain, we forget everything of our relationship. But when you are cured, you remember, "Oh, I was forgetful in my that delusion. Yes." So your "I" is always there. This "I," this "I," remembering, is purified. So ego has to be purified. Ego has not to be killed. And that cannot be killed, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20], because it is eternal. How can you kill ego? It is not possible. So you have to purify your ego. The difference between is between false ego and real ego. Just like ahaṁ brahmāsmi, aham… "I am Brahman." Oh, this is also ego. This is, this Vedic version that "I am Brahman. I am not this matter," so this ego is purified ego, that "I am this." So that "I" is always there. Either in illusion or delusion or dream or in healthy stage, the "I" is always there.

Bhaktijana: When you're typing, should you think of Kṛṣṇa first and your typing second?

Prabhupāda: Well, when you type, at least in our Society, whenever we type, we type something which is describing Kṛṣṇa's form, quality, beauty. We are typing this. We are not typing any business letter or any political propaganda. We are typing, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful. Kṛṣṇa says like this. Kṛṣṇa told Prahlāda like that. Prahlāda told Kṛṣṇa like that." Everything Kṛṣṇa. As you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, that (makes typewriter sound:) "cut, cut, cut" is also "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa."

Bhaktijana: Can Kṛṣṇa…? Is Kṛṣṇa made out of atoms like we are?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Bhaktijana: Is Kṛṣṇa made out of atoms like we are? When He comes down and takes the food?

Prabhupāda: No. Kṛṣṇa is not atom. Kṛṣṇa is big. The biggest. We are atom. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. We are atom.

Bhaktijana: Kṛṣṇa takes the, er, takes the spiritual matter from the food and leaves us the physical matter…?

Prabhupāda: No. He takes, He takes…

Bhaktijana: When we offer up…

Prabhupāda: …when He takes, He does not take anything material. He takes spiritual.

Bhaktijana: And leaves the material for us…?

Prabhupāda: No. That is also spiritual. That is not material.

Bhaktijana: What's left, then?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Bhaktijana: What's left when Kṛṣṇa takes…?

Prabhupāda: That is spiritual. Unless it is spiritual… Just like… First try to understand how it is spiritual. Of course, in our gross vision, we see, "Oh, we offer this capati to Kṛṣṇa, and Swamijī said namo brahmaṇya devāya, and it becomes spiritual." Yes. It becomes spiritual. How? That we have to understand by the result. Phalena paricīyate. If you eat this spiritual food, you'll get spiritual strength. That is practical. Just like I'll give you another example: milk. You take more milk preparation, you get diarrhea. You go to a physician, he'll say, "Yes. Today you take only yogurt mixed with little salt and black pepper." Cured, diarrhea cured. Now, you can say, "The same milk?" But it is treated. Therefore it cures. You can say, "Oh, the same milk? Yogurt is also milk." But it is treated. Therefore it cures. So you'll find that your material disease is being cured by spiritual foodstuff. That is practical. Therefore it is spiritual.

Woman: Uh, does belief in any scripture, or…, any scripture whatsoever, such as the Bible or Koran…?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Woman: Does belief in any scripture…

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Woman: …lead to salvation?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, certainly. Certainly. Yes. The same thing, just like I have given example several times that pocket dictionary and the big dictionary, both of them are dictionaries. It is not that because it is small pocket dictionary, therefore it is not dictionary. It is also dictionary. So when he's advanced and finished pocket dictionary, he may consult the big dictionary. That is the difference. Bible is not different from Bhagavad-gītā, but when one is perfectly conversant with Bible, he'll understand more nicely Bhagavad-gītā. It is not contradictory. It is helpful. All right. Distribute prasādam. (end)

670222CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.113-17

San Francisco, February 22, 1967

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) So there are so many statements in the Upaniṣads about the Absolute Truth being the Supreme Person. Patiṁ patīnāṁ paramaṁ parastāt mahān prabhur vai puruṣaḥ parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate… [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. This, this, up to this we discussed yesterday. So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. This is from Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad. So the commentator says that in the Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad it is stated, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: "That Supreme Personality of Godhead's energies are variously manifested." Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Just like a very… In your country it is very easy to understand that a man is sitting as controller in the control room, the subway trains. He, in his table, he has got everything ready: which train is running on which line, where it is, in which station it is now. So he has got switches and he's controlling everything. Not only here, in India also they have now many (managed?). So they can say which train is where it is now. The light also moves according to the train moving. Similarly, if you can manufacture, if you can invent your own energies in different way, as the modern material civilization, they are discovering different manifestations of energy by machine, by electronics, and they are managing from one place, similarly, if it is, materially it is possible, why not spiritually? Spiritual is still finer.

So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. He has got so many energies, subtle energies, that He appears to be doing nothing. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is at Vṛndāvana. He is playing as cowherds boy, or He is dancing with the cowherd girls, or He is going to the pasturing ground with the cows as if He has nothing to do. He is free. Why He is free? Because He has got so many energies to act that He hasn't got to see personally whether things are being done or not done. This is the Absolute Truth qualification. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. There is another qualification: that Supreme Personality of Godhead is so that nobody is equal or higher than Him in opulences. Na tasya samaḥ. Samaḥ means equal, and adhikasya, adhikasya means higher. He has no equal; neither anybody is more than Him. Therefore everybody is under Him, subordinate to Him. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Similarly, in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad there is another statement that tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Viṣṇuṁ padam. Viṣṇu is the highest Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this material world, which is being conducted by three modes of material nature, so Brahma, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara… Brahmā is in charge of the creation, Viṣṇu is in charge of maintenance, and Lord Śiva is in charge of destruction, dissolution. Janma, janma-sthiti-pralaya. Everything material, it has got a fixed date of its birth, its duration and its dissolution. So the Viṣṇu, in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, out of these three Deities, viṣṇoḥ tat-paramaṁ padam, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padam, Viṣṇu.

Those who are sūrayaḥ… Sūrayaḥ. Sūrayaḥ means those who are demigods. There are two kinds of people: sura and asura. Asura means demons, and sura means godly. So sūrayaḥ tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti. Those who are demigods, those who are godly, they are simply searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth. They are focusing their concentration, their meditation, on the lotus feet of Viṣṇu. This is the statement of Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad. Sa īkṣāñcakre. In the Praśna Upaniṣad… This is in the Ṛg-veda. I am sorry. This version, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ, this version is from Ṛg-veda. Then again, in the Praśna Upaniṣad, there is another statement, sa īkṣāñcakre: "He glanced over, glanced over." "Glanced over" means when He glanced over, then the creation began, this material creation. Therefore it should be understanding, it should be understood that this glancing is not material because before His glancing there was no material creation. So our glancing and His glancing is different. Our glancing-we are seeing with these material eyes. As soon as these material eyes will be taken away, we cannot see. We are blind. But He… Here is the statement, īkṣāñcakre: "He saw." "He saw" means He saw with His spiritual eyes. Otherwise where is the material creation, that He can have material eyes? So these things are to be considered. Similarly, if He has got spiritual eyes, then He has got spiritual ear, He has got spiritual nose, He has got spiritual head, body, everything spiritual. And it is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti [Bs. 5.32]. The Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, His bodily, different, I mean to say, limbs of His body, or different senses, they are so perfect that every sense organ can act the, I mean to say, work of the other senses. Just like we can see with our eyes. Simply we can see. But if I close my eyes, I cannot see. But my… I can hear only by my ears, but I cannot see. If I close my eyes, I cannot see with my ears. But about the Supreme Personality of Godhead it is said that He can see with His ears, He can see with His hand, and He can hear with His hand. He can do anything from any part of His body. That is spiritual. He can do any part of His body. Just like, this is the philosophy. Now, we offer something to Kṛṣṇa. That Kṛṣṇa, I mean to say, Deity is not different from original Kṛṣṇa because absolute. Everything is Kṛṣṇa. Why this Deity should not be Kṛṣṇa? This is quite reasonable. If Kṛṣṇa is everything, why not this Deity Kṛṣṇa? This is also Kṛṣṇa. He can do. He has, His power is just like… If you take my photograph and if you put it in my seat, and I am not here, that photograph cannot act because it is material. But for Kṛṣṇa, His photograph, His statue, His everything can act because He is spiritual. So we should always know that as soon as we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is immediately there. Immediately. Kṛṣṇa is already there. But we should know that He has, by sound vibration, Kṛṣṇa is there. So aṅgāni yasya. Sa īkṣāñcakre.

So His vision, His presence, His activities, they are all spiritual. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: "Anyone who understands the absolute nature of My birth, of My appearance, disappearance and activities," tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], "he becomes immediately liberated." Sa aikṣata. Sa imāḹ lokān asṛjata. This is Aitareya Upaniṣad. What is that? Sa aikṣata. The same thing: "He saw. He put His glance." Sa aikṣata. Sa imāḹ lokān asṛjata: "He has created all this material manifestation, cosmic manifestation." So tad vā īśan vijato tebhya ha prabhur babhūva. In this way, there are so many instances, so many quotations. Apāṇi-pādaḥ. In the Śvetāśvatara, apāṇi-pādaḥ. He has no, I mean to say, hands and legs. If He has no hands and legs, then how can He see? Is there any instance in your experience that something which has no hands and legs, he can see? No. He has no… Whenever… This is impersonal… The impersonalists quotes these authorities, that "He has no hands and… Therefore He's impersonal." No, it is not… If He sees, sa aikṣata, if He sees, if He hears, if He creates, then there is hand, there is eyes. But another place, if it is said, apāṇi-pādaḥ: "He has no hands and legs." That means He has no hands and legs like us. Because we have got material hands and legs, but the… "He saw; therefore there was creation." Therefore His seeing power existed before this material creation. So it is natural that He has no material hands and legs. So when it is denied that "He has no hands and legs," it is to be understood that He has no material limited hands and legs, but He has spiritual.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu concludes, therefore, that cid-ānanda-teṅho, tāṅra sthāna, parivāra. Therefore anything of Kṛṣṇa, or anything of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is spiritual. Spiritual. Deha. Deha means body. His body is spiritual, His abode is spiritual, and His paraphernalia, parivāra, His friends, His mother, His father, His beloved-everything spiritual. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37]. He's expansion of all spiritual. Tāṅre kahe-prākṛta-sattvera vikāra. And Śaṅkarācārya says that "The Absolute is imperson, but when He comes, appears, He assumes a form which is in the modes of goodness." He does not say, of course, in the modes of ignorance. Modes of goodness. No. When Kṛṣṇa comes, He has nothing to do with modes of goodness even. What is this goodness here in this material world? This is also matter. So there is no value, even goodness. One has to transcend the modes of goodness. That is transcendental, or aprakṛta.

tāṅra doṣa nāhi, teṅho ājñā-kārī dās

āra yei śune tāra haya sarva-nāśa

So again He supports Śaṅkarācārya, that "It is not his fault. He had to do it under the superior order to explain the Vedic literature in an impersonalist way. But those who are not expert, if they hear the commentary of Śaṅkarācārya, Śārīraka-bhāṣya, then he is doomed." In other words, those who are actually aspiring for being elevated in spiritual science, they should avoid to hear any commentary which is impersonal. Any commentary. Then he is doomed. If we follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, then any impersonal commentary means, if we hear… Because we are not expert. We are not expert. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī. Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī means neophytes, neophytes who are not conversant with the conclusion of the Vedas. They have got some, I mean to say, faith. That's all. But faith can be changed. Any… If a person, strong in arguments and strong in presenting things in jugglery of words, oh, the neophyte, his idea can be changed. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu warns, therefore, in the Vaiṣṇava philosophy that "You should not worship any other demigods." It does not mean that you should show disrespect to demigods. No. That is not. But because he is in the lower stage, if he is allowed to worship or to show respect to the demigods, he will think that he is also like Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa is another demigod, and this Candra is another demigod, Śiva is another demigod." Just like some foolish persons, they propagate that "Whatever deity you worship, oh, that is God." Even, they say, if you worship a cat or a dog, that is also God. So therefore there is stricture. And in the Bhagavad-gītā also, mām ekam, "Simply unto Me, one," Kṛṣṇa says. Because one is a neophyte, he can be turned, his faith can be disturbed at any moment; therefore in the beginning one has to, I mean to say, pin his faith only in Kṛṣṇa, mām ekam. Otherwise, he cannot make progress. And when one understands Kṛṣṇa, janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9], in truth, then he can understand other things also.

Āra yei śune tāra haya sarva-nāśa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu warns that "Anyone who hears Śaṅkara's bhāṣya, Śārīraka-bhāṣya, he is doomed."

prākṛta kariyā māne viṣṇu-kalevara

viṣṇu-nindā āra nāhi ihāra upara

Prākṛta kariyā māne. Prakṛta means material. "If somebody thinks that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His body is material, that is the greatest offense." The greatest offense is that… To accept a material thing as God, that is the greatest offense, and God…, and to accept a material thing as God or to accept God as material. Just try to understand. Just like they are preaching that "Anything you worship, that is God," or "God is also material. When He comes, when He appears, He is also material." So these kinds of conclusion is the greatest offense. Viṣṇu-nindā āra nāhi ihāra upara. Blasphemy. So this should be avoided.

īśvarera tattva-yena jvalita jvalana

jīvera svarūpa-yaiche sphuliṅgera kaṇa

Now, tattva, the Absolute Truth, He is comparing, just like blazing fire. Absolute Truth is blazing fire and, jīvera svarūpa-yaiche sphuliṅgera kaṇa, and the living entities, they are just like sparks, sparks of the fire. We have seen fire, blazing fire, and when fire is blazing, we can see the sparks and the original fire.

jīva-tattva-śakti, kṛṣṇa-tattva-śaktimān

gītā-viṣṇupurāṇādi tāhāte pramāṇa

Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Jīva-tattva, the living entities, they are never the energetic; they are energy." Energetic and energy. So how it is so? The evidence is from Bhāgavata, Viṣṇu Purāṇa and Bhagavad-gītā. Because one has to give evidence. How do you say that jīva-tattva, the living entities, they are not the Supreme? Caitanya Mahāprabhu sa…, they are not su… Not to say, I mean to say, speak of Supreme, they are not even of the same category. Because there are different categories. Viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva and śakti-tattva-there are so many categories. So He says that "Jīva, the living entities, they are in the categories of energy. They are not energetic." Energetic and energy, you should try to understand. Just like the fire, fire and its heat. Heat is the energy, and the fire is the energetic. Similarly, the Supreme Lord, He is the energetic, Supreme Person, and we, the living entities, we are energy. But as you cannot separate energy and energetic separately… Wherever there is energy, wherever there is fire, there is heat also. You cannot separate the fire… So as soon as we are separated, that is our conditional state. How we are separated? Just like the sparks of the fire, as soon as he's come out of the fire and falls down on the ground, it loses its illumination immediately. Immediately. That illuminating spark which was dancing with the fire, as soon as falls down, it becomes black, charcoal. It is just like carbon. So, so long with the fire, it is just like, as good as fire, illuminating. So our position is like that. We are sparks, energy. As from the energy of the fire, there are so many sparks dancing, similarly, we are all sparks of the Supreme Lord. But as soon aw we come out of the fire, as soon as we want to become independent of the Supreme Absolute Truth, our that spiritual energy becomes almost extinguished. It is never to be extinguished, but it appears, it appears. Just like fire covered with ashes. So again, when ashes are removed, the fire comes. So our position is like that. We are now covered by the ash of this material energy and, as soon as this will be removed… The removal process is Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa-ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], cleansing process. As soon as we are completely cleansed, we are as good, I mean, as illuminating as Kṛṣṇa.

So this is the process. We shall study again tomorrow. Thank you very much. (end)

670224CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.118-121

San Francisco, February 24, 1967

(incomplete lecture)

Prabhupāda: Lord Caitanya, from different quotations of Vedas, He establishes that the Supreme Absolute Truth is person. He's not imperson. And so far Śaṅkarācārya is concerned, he was ordered to preach Māyāvāda philosophy by the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the time being. It is not that this is the only process for realizing the Absolute Truth.

There is a very nice story in this connection. There was a physician and his servant. So one day the physician was called by some person to treat his horse. So when the physician came, he asked, "What is the matter?" He says that "The horse has suddenly swollen his throat. So please treat." Then the physician took a hammer and strongly struck the swollen portion, and it was at once cured. The servant saw, "So this is the process of curing swollen parts of the body." So on that very day, he resigned his service and he thought that "Now I have learned how to cure swollen parts of the body," and whenever he was called to treat such disease, he used to hammer over that swollen part and the patient died. So when he came to his former master, "Sir, you cured that horse, the swollen part, by beating hammer, but when I treat, it dies, the patient dies. What is the matter?" So he explained, "You nonsense, the swollen is not cured by beating. That was a special case. The horse took a squash while he was in the garden, and he could not swallow it up. Therefore it was swollen. So I struck therefore, and it was broken, and the same thing, his swollenness, cured. But you foolish, you are simply striking on swollen parts?"

So this is there. Śaṅkarācārya took a special measure to convert the Buddhists to come to Vedic process because at that time everyone became atheist, following the Buddha philosophy, void. Therefore he had to preach that "Yes. It is void, but that is truth. That void is truth, and this material manifestation, nirvāṇa, that is false. Therefore Lord Buddha taught you that 'Finish this, these material activities, and your miseries will be solved.' " Śaṅkarācārya said, "Yes, this is all right, but there is Brahman." But he did not describe the Brahman, whether He has, He is person or He has got pastimes, He has got many planets and there are many devotees, because those fools were not able to understand. Therefore he took for the time being. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, while criticizing, I mean to say, Śaṅkarācārya, He is always taking care that "It was not the fault of Ācārya Śaṅkara, because he's Lord Śiva, and he cannot make any mistake, but he was ordered to do so for the time being. Actually, Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His body is spiritual. He is person. The difference is that He's sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. And so far the living entities are concerned, they are His energies." Energies.

So the distinction between energy and energetic we have discussed several times. Energy is almost the same qualitative as the energetic. The same example, that the sun planet is hot; therefore the energy of the sun planet, sunshine, it is also hot. Sunshine, the sun is illuminating; therefore the energy of the sun, sunshine, it is also illuminating. So there are so many qualitative equality with the supreme, I mean to say, living entity. But Śaṅkarācārya's statement that "We living entities, we are God, and now we are illusioned in māyā. As soon as we become free from this māyā, we become God," that is not fact. You do not become God, but you are already in godly quality, qualities, to some extent, not fully. So when you are free from these material clutches, you attain your original quality, spiritual quality. And that spiritual quality you can serve. Because service means the person who is served, he is also person, and the servant is also person. Otherwise there is no question of service. Service, whenever we say service, there must be a person to take, to accept the service, and there must be one person who renders the service. Therefore dvaita-vāda, duality, the, this predominator and the predominated.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving evidence from Bhagavad-gītā:

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ

prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām

jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho

yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

[Bg. 7.5]

Now, apareyam, iyam. Before this verse, Lord Kṛṣṇa has described that "Earth, water, fire, air and ether, they are My different separated energies, and beyond this separated energy, there is another superior energy. This, these energies are inferior, and there is another superior energy." So therefore jīva, jīva, the living entities, they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as energy, not the energetic.

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ para prokta

kṣetrajñākhya tatha para

avidya-karma-samjñānya

tṛtiya śaktir isyate

[Cc. Madhya 6.154]

So… What is this sound? (rumble in background, buzz) Eh?

Devotee: Motor. Someone's running some kind of machine. It's interfering.

Prabhupāda: Oh. All right. So He's quoting another verse from Viṣṇu Purāṇa, where it is stated that viṣṇu-śaktiḥ para prokta: [Cc. Madhya 6.154] "The energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also transcendental." Energy, that means of the same quality. The same example: Just like sunshine and the sun, they are of the same quality, similarly, the energy of the Supreme Lord, because the Supreme Lord is all spiritual, therefore His energy is also all spiritual. So we are the energy of the Supreme Lord. We are also all spiritual. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ para prokta kṣetrajñākhya tathā para. Kṣetrajñā-śaktiḥ. Kṣetrajñā-śaktiḥ means the living entities. So they are also transcendental, superior. Avidya-karma-samjñānya tṛtiya śaktir isyate. And this material energy, it is the product, product of avidya. Avidya means ignorance or nescience.

Now, the next question will be, "Whose ignorance?" As soon as we say "ignorance," there must be somebody who is ignorant. So whose ignorance? Now, we find the supreme living entity is Kṛṣṇa, and we, the subordinate living entities. So who is ignorant? Ignorant is the living entities, not all living entities, but there is, I mean to say, tendency of becoming ignorant. Ignorant or forgetfulness. Ignorant, we are not, but sometimes we forget, just like under some diseased condition we forget. Or forgetfulness is the diseased condition. Just like a madman. He forgets his identity. He forgets the identity of his family. Either you take this forgetfulness is madness or due to madness, he's forgetful, whatever you say. Similarly, the, this forgetfulness is also energy, another energy. Then whose energy? Avidya. This is living entity's energy. The Māyāvāda philosophers, they cannot answer. They claim that "We are God," but when they are asked, "Why you have become dog?" they say, "We do not know." But here is the answer. They hide the reason. They know, and because they have to establish the Māyāvāda philosophy that "There is no God. We are all God," therefore they pretend that "We do not know."

The real fact is that because we are, although we are energies, therefore we are prone to be in the darkness of ignorance. Just like the same example. It is very easy to understand that the sunshine and the sun, both of them are illuminating and warm, but there is cloud, and the cloud cannot cover the sun. The cloud can cover the sunshine. This is a fact. Everyone can understand. When there is cloud… Suppose immediately there is cloud, say, two miles or three miles above the surface. So we do not see the sun or the sunshine. Does it mean the cloud has covered the sun? No. Sunshine is so great that cloud's father's, there is no capacity of the cloud's father to cover sun. It is not possible. Therefore ignorance… Here it is stated, avidya-karma-samjñānya. This ignorance cannot cover God. That is nonsense. Ignorance covers the God's energy, living entity. Therefore we say that "We are God, but now we have become dog." That is another ignorance. He's never God. He's the energy of God. This is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy. We should always know that we are energies of God, and because we are energies, we are, there are so many things qualitatively equal. Just the same example: The warmth and the illumination of the sunshine and the sun planet is practically the same, but the sun is never covered by cloud, but the sunshine is covered-sometimes, not always. Just like you see that the sunshine is…, the immense sunshine all over the universe, a part of the sunshine is covered, not all; similarly, a part of the energy, living energy, is covered by this māyā, and not all.

Therefore there are millions and billions of liberated souls above this material world, just like there is millions and billions of miles' sunshine above the cloud. You go by airplane above the cloud. Oh, the cloud is, appear to be very insignificant. But sunshine? Oh, so nice, sunshine. Similarly, when you are above this material world, jyotir gamaḥ… Jyotir gamaḥ. Tamasi mā. The Vedānta, the Vedas inform you that "Don't remain in this darkness. Just try to get out of it." Jyotir gamaḥ. Similarly… Just like the same way, airplane. As soon as you penetrate the cloud and go to the sky, you'll see: "Oh, there is immense sunshine." But while you are in, within the covering of the cloud, you say, "Oh, there is no sunshine today." We see as soon as we go out, "Today is very bad." The day is very good, but you are in the cloud. Therefore you say, "It is very bad." So similarly, those who are in the clutches of māyā, for them, this world is very bad. You see? But those who are above this māyā, it is pleasant because it is Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. So if you remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the cloud cannot touch you and if your former, your original… Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). You become always joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati: [Bg. 18.54] "One who is brahma-bhūtaḥ, he never laments or never aspires anything for material enjoyment." Samaḥ sarveṣu: "And he becomes universal. He sees everyone on the same level: 'Oh, they are my brothers. They are part and parcel of my father. They are my brothers.' " Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54]. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So,

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā

kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā

avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

[Cc. Madhya 6.154]

So this avidyā, this ignorance, this forgetfulness, is another energy, another energy. So just like a cloud… This is also another energy of the sunshine. It is not different. When the sunshine warms the sea water, it evaporates and becomes cloud. So therefore cloud is also another energy. So similarly, this material energy is also energy of God, but it cannot cover God. That is the difference. God is never covered by ignorance. This is nonsense. Those fools and rascals say that "God… We are God. We are now covered." It is the most rascaldom. How? If we are God, how we can be covered by ignorance? Then what is your value of your becoming God? You are not God. You are… This is very nicely explained here. Try to understand. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Living entities, they are energy of God. They are never God." The Śaṅkarācārya's theory is nullified by evidences from Vedic scripture, just like Bhagavad-gītā, Viṣṇu Purāṇa. So never claim that "We are God." That is most darkest part of your ignorance, when you say that "I am God." There is neither voidness; neither you are God. You are eternal, perpetual blissful, but your blissful is now covered by this māyā. You get out of it, be one with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Your life is successful. This is this theory.

hena jīva-tattva lañā likhi' para-tattva

ācchanna karila śreṣṭha īśvara-mahattva

Oh, Caitanya Mahāprabhu regrets that such a great difference between God and the living entity, and Śaṅkarācārya has described that we are God? That means he has diminished the opulence and value of God. Suppose if I call a third-class man "His Majesty," then what is that? This word, "His Majesty," is misused. Just like they are saying, daridra-nārāyaṇa. The foolish Ramakrishna mission has, I mean to say, discovered a word, daridra-nārāyaṇa, "poor Nārāyaṇa." Nārāyaṇa, who is the husband of many thousands of goddess of fortune, He has become poor. Just see the theory. You can ask Nikhilananda what is the meaning of daridra-nārāyaṇa. They have discovered. Vivekananda has discovered. Nārāyaṇa has become poor. When you ask him, "Why do you call daridra-nārāyaṇa?" they will explain like that, "Because Nārāyaṇa is there, therefore Nārāyaṇa has become daridra." Just see. Suppose a rich man comes into this store, so he becomes poor just like us. Because he has kindly come here in this store, so because we are all poor men, he'll also becomes poor man? This is the reason. But these are all nonsense. Nārāyaṇa never becomes poor. The poor, poverty-stricken man, all these things are for the jīvas, the living entities. Nārāyaṇa is never poor. Nārāyaṇa is never under ignorance. Nārāyaṇa never becomes dog. We become dog. We become cat. You should always… Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore rejects, that "This sort of philosophy propounded by Śaṅkara is a great mistake because he has minimized the value of the Supreme Lord. By making a dog a god, he has insulted God. Therefore this Māyāvāda philosophy is the most offensive activities of the living being." So you should be very, very careful, very careful. Hena jīva-tattva lañā likhi' para-tattva. "And I have just studied the ordinary living entities, and I am speaking of the Absolute Truth? Oh, this is the greatest nonsensical activity." Ācchanna karila śreṣṭha īśvara-mahattva: "By this the glorification of the Lord has been diminished, and therefore it is a great offense."

vyāsera sūtrete kahe 'pariṇāma'-vāda

'vyāsa bhrānta'-bali' tāra uṭhāila vivāda

Now, vyāsera sūtra means Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-sūtra begins from the very beginning, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Janmādy asya yataḥ means the source of all emanations. Now, this is clear, janmādy asya yataḥ, that "Brahman is that from which, from whom, everything emanates." That does not mean… Pariṇāma-vāda means by-product, by-product. Just like you… This is a tree, and this flower is the by-product. So suppose the flower is there and the flower becomes dried up and falls down. That does not mean the tree is lost. There are thousands and thousands of flowers are coming out, out of…, fruits and flowers, but the tree is there. Similarly, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. Although this material manifestation, this world, has emanated from Brahman, that Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that does not mean he is lost. It is material conception. Just like you get some paper and you make something from that paper. That original paper is lost because it is material. But spiritually they cannot be lost. There are many, many material examples also. Just like sun. The sun, we are getting heat from sun from millions and billions of years… (incomplete) (end)

710217CC.GOR

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.119

Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971

Prabhupāda:

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā

kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā

avidyā-karma-samjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

[Cc. Madhya 6.154]

So we are discussing three kinds of energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yesterday the question was, some gentleman, that whether the ultimate truth, Absolute Truth, is a person or imperson. There are many impersonalists, and there are many personalists also. The personalists, impersonalists, and the localized Paramātmā worshipers, they are worshiping the same Absolute Truth in different features. Impersonal Brahman and localized Paramātmā and Personality of Godhead, They're one and the same. It is the process of realization only, that somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as imperson and somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as all-pervading Paramātmā, Antaryami, and some persons are realizing the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. But they are advaya-jñāna, identical, the same thing. It is our power of perception only that makes the difference. The object is the same. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti

bhagavān iti śabdyate

[SB 1.2.11]

They're sounded in different ways: Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. But the object is the same.

So there is no quarrel between the impersonalists or personalists or the Paramātmā-ists. There is no question of quarreling. The example is present daily in our daily experience. Just like the sunlight, sun, sun globe, and the sun-god. Within the sun globe, there is sun-god. So which one is the chief? That we have to consider. The sun-god or the sun globe or the sunshine? Everything is light. Sunshine is also light, sun globe also light, and the original source of this light, the sun-god, is also light. So sunshine is impersonal, sun globe is localized, and the sun-god is personal. If you be satisfied that "I am in the sunshine," be satisfied. That is called sāyujya-mukti. The sunshine means combination of different molecular shining parts. Any scientist knows it that what is the sunshine. The sunshine appears to be a homogeneous thing, but actually, in minute analysis it will be found that there are innumerable shining sparks, molecular sparks only-their combination. (baby making noise) (aside:) They're disturbing. (speaks to some men in Hindi)

So those who are merging into the Supreme Absolute, the jñānīs… Their ultimate goal is to merge into the Absolute Truth in His impersonal feature. That's all right; you can do so. That is also not this material; that is also spiritual. That is not material. If you want to merge… Generally, people think that is the ultimate goal. But that is not the ultimate goal. In the Īśopaniṣad you'll find that it is said that "Please wind up Your effulgence so that I can see the actual face." The same example that the sunshine is light. There is no doubt about it. This is different from darkness. This material world is darkness. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. The jyoti, the brahmajyoti… It is recommended in the Vedas that you try to approach the jyoti; don't remain in this darkness of material world. That is the injunction of Vedas. And the whole process of emancipation is to, how to approach that Brahman effulgence.

So those who are jñānīs, those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth, jñānī…

catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ

(janāḥ) sukṛtino 'rjuna

ārto arthārthī jijñāsur

jñānī ca bharatarṣabha

[Bg. 7.16]

So jñānī, there are two kinds of jñānīs. One jñānī is trying to understand what is the Absolute Truth, and one jñānī is trying not only to understand the Absolute Truth, but merge into the existence of the Absolute Truth. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, they are also sukṛtinaḥ. Catur-vidhā bhajante mām. The beginning of bhajana, bhagavad-bhajana… If they are, if persons are pious, they can begin bhagavad-bhajana in four ways. Sukṛtinaḥ. Sukṛtinaḥ means "whose background is pious activities." They can take to bhagavad-bhajana in four stages in life. Ārtaḥ… Ārtaḥ means those who are distressed; arthārthī, those who are poor, need of money; jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive; and jñānī. So the ārtaḥ and arthārthī, they are lower than the jñānī and the jijñāsuḥ. Because sometimes we go to worship Bhagavān in the temple in distressed condition, but as soon as my distress is over, I forget. Or if I get some money, I forget. There is chance. Not that always we forget. But because māyā is very powerful, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī [Bg. 7.14], sometimes we forget. Very rich men, opulent, they don't care for what is God. Generally, we see at, in Europe and America, they don't talk of anything about God. They are busy only how to acquire money and enjoy sense gratification.

So jñānī, those who are appreciated in the Bhagavad-gītā. And there are other four classes of men, they are called duṣkṛtinaḥ. Duṣkṛtina means miscreants. They're simply busy in sinful activities: "Any way, bring money; never mind what is the process." Or not that always they get money. But they aspire after material happiness by so many… Just like in Calcutta. The party, Naxalite, they are committing so many sinful activities thinking that by that way they will be happy and they will get the political supremacy. They are called duṣkṛtina. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Four class, the four classes of men who are pious, whose background is piety, they go to worship Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, there are four classes of men who are called duṣkṛtina, very sinful, simply miscreants, and mūḍha, rascals, no knowledge, completely in ignorance, almost like animals, mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, and narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind. Because lowest of the mankind and highest of the mankind, what is the difference? The highest of the mankind means one who knows what is the value of life. And the lowest of the mankind is one who does not know the value of life. Na mam duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. And there are so-called learned scholars also, whose knowledge has been taken away by the influence of māyā. They're supposed to be very learned scholar, but they do not know that what is the aim of knowledge. They are called māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. And these classes of men are called āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Asuric bhāva means denying the existence of God, or defying the supremacy of God. That is āsuri bhāva. Just like example… We have got many examples in our śāstras-Hiraṇyakaśipu, Kaṁsa, Rāvaṇa. They were very powerful materially, but their only fault was that they denied the supremacy of God. Therefore they are called asuras, rākṣasas. Āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. So four classes this way, four classes that way.

So jñānī… Jñānī is accepted… Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that koṭi-karmī-madhye eka 'jñānī' śreṣṭha. There are karmīs, innumerable, millions and millions, all karmīs. Karmīs means they are working hard simply for sense gratification. And according to Bhagavad-gītā, they are called mūḍhas. These are the statement in the śāstras. So we have to explain the śāstras. So karmīs are called mūḍhas because they are working so hard, but do not know what is the aim of their life. Simply going on working very hard. And in the modern education, in the modern civilization, people are simply taught to work very hard and gratify senses. That's all. "Get money and gratify your senses." That is the modern mode of civilization. But according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, an authority, Ṛṣabhadeva, He says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB 5.5.1]. He says that this human form of life is not meant for working very, very hard simply for sense gratification. That is the business of the hogs, viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means the animal which eats stool. You have seen in the villages or sometimes in the cities, there are hogs. Whole day they are busy: "Where there is stool? Where there is stool?" And they become fatty also, very, by eating stool. And as soon as they become fatty… Not fatty. Even the hogs in the cub state, they're very much passionate, sense gratification. Perhaps you have seen. So to work very hard and get some means of sense gratification and live like hogs without any discrimination of eating and sleeping and mating, that is called hog life. The hog has no discrimination. By nature, there are examples. One who has no discrimination in the matter of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. Just like hog. They have no discrimination. Mother or sister or what is to be eaten, there is no discrimination. Anything they can eat, anything they can do, or any female they can mate, never mind. That is hog's life.

So actually, we are experiencing… Not only at the present moment, millions of years ago, when Ṛṣabhadeva instructed His sons… That is long, long ago. Ṛṣabhadeva was the father of Mahārāja Bhārata, under whose name this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa. Formerly this planet was known as Ilavati-varṣa. After the emperor Mahārāja Bhārata, this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa, this whole planet. Bhārata-varṣa means the whole planet. And gradually it is being diminished. Just like in your experience the Bhārata-varṣa, the so-called Bhārata-varṣa is now diminished: Pakistan has gone away. So millions of years ago the same thing was that: a class of persons, they are just like hogs. It is not that a newly… Now, in this age, the hog persons are in great number, but there were… Just like Rāvaṇa. There was only one Rāvaṇa during Lord Rāmacandra's days. At the present moment there are many Rāvaṇas. That is the difference. But the Rāvaṇa is always there, Rāvaṇa-class men. Rāvaṇa-class men means they want to take away the goddess of fortune, Sītā, from the custody of Lord Rāmacandra. That is their business. They do not know that wealth, riches, they are fortune, they are the property, they are enjoyable by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇa says, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the enjoyer. But Rāvaṇa-class men, they think that "I am enjoyer. Get out Sītā from the custody of Rāmacandra. I shall enjoy." But the result is the Rāvaṇa-class of men becomes vanquished.

So this process of civilization at the modern times, Rāvaṇa-class, that "Take money which is the property of the Supreme Lord and enjoy," this is going on. "No God. Godless. Defy God. I am God. Who is God? I am so powerful." These things are also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, Sixteenth Chapter. They don't believe any creator. So these are called āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. The āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ civilization will not make you happy. The āsuri-bhāva… Because āsuri-bhāvam means everyone wants to enjoy. I want to enjoy, you want to enjoy. So there must be clash, there must be friction between you and me, because both of us, we are trying to enjoy. But that is not our position. The enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. Enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, as we sung this song, jaya rādhā-mādhava… Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī. He is enjoying in Vṛndāvana. His only feature is… That is the real picture of God: simply enjoying. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. That is the real picture of God. The Vṛndāvana-līlā of Kṛṣṇa is the perfect presentation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's simply enjoying. And all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, the gopīs, the cowherd boys, Mahārāja Nanda, Yaśodā, everyone is simply anxious how to make Kṛṣṇa happy. They have no other business. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana has no other business than to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa has no other business. Yaśodā-nandana brajajana-rañjana. He's acting as the little son of Yaśodā, and His only business is how to please the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. Yaśodā-nandana brajajana-rañjana. And yāmuna-tīra-vana-cārī. And He's wandering in the forest of Vṛndāvana on the bank of the Yamunā. This is the actual picture of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But Brahmā, Indra, big, big demigods, they are also bewildered. They are sometimes mistaken, that "How this cowherd boy can become the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" Just like some of us think like that. But those who are thinking like that, for them also, there is manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's supremacy. Brajajana-ballabha giri-vara-dhārī. Although he's engaged in pleasing the inhabitants of Vraja, but when there is need, He can lift up the Govardhana Hill-at the age of seven years. Or He can kill the Pūtanā at the age of three months. And so many demons used to visit daily. Kṛṣṇa used to go with the calves and cows, with His friends in the forest, and every day Kaṁsa used to send one kind of demon to kill them-Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Dhenukāsura, so many.

So although Kṛṣṇa is playing just like a cowherd boy, His supremacy as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is never absent there. That is God. God is not created by meditation. God is God. God is never manufactured. We should know this. God is God, and we living entities, we are living entities. That is the Vedic version. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Equality, when there is question of equality, the equality is that Kṛṣṇa, or God, is nitya, eternal; similarly, we are also eternal. So equality in eternity. Kṛṣṇa is conscious, cetana, and we are also conscious. That is equality: equality in quality. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore there is so many things equality. But that equality is just like the ocean and a drop of water of the ocean. If you analyze the ocean, you'll find the same chemical ingredients, and if you analyze the drop of ocean, you'll find the same chemical ingredients. That is equality. But you cannot think that the drop is equal to the ocean. That is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is vibhu. God is great, and we are anu, infinitesimal. Kṛṣṇa is infinite, we are infinitesimal. So when there is question of merging into the existence of the Supreme, that means we remain in the effulgence, Brahman effulgence, as the minute particle of Brahman. There is dimension. That is mentioned in the śāstras: keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. One ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of hair. That minute particle, cetana. So there is… Anantāya kalpite. There are innumerable such particles. That is the formation of nirviśeṣa-brahman. That is nirākāra-brahman. Brahman, but there is no visible formation. But there, there is formation. Unless there is formation, how the material formation can take place? Just like you have got formation; therefore your shirt and coat has got a formation. You have got hands; therefore your shirt has hands, your coat has hands, according to your formation. So this material body is called vāsāṁsi, garments, or dress, shirt and coat. The mind, intelligence and ego, that is shirt, subtle body; and this gross body, kṣitir-ap-tej-marud-van (?). So there are two kinds of shirt and coat, and within that, dehino 'smin yathā dehe… [Bg. 2.13]. The minute particle, that is called dehi, who has formed this body.

So it is very easily understandable. Unless the original, the spiritual spark, has form, how this form can take place? This is shirt and coat. Just try to understand. If you have no form, then how the shirt and coat can take form? From argument. So therefore, living entity is not formless, neither Kṛṣṇa, or the supreme living entity, is formless. Both of them form, having form, but not this form. This is temporary form. The real form is spiritual form. Therefore nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Second Chapter that "Both you and Me and all these soldiers and kings who have assembled before us, they were existing in the past, they are existing now, at present, and they will continue to exist in the future." So they… From our present experience we can see that all the living entities are in form. Therefore, if they existed in the past, they existed in the past as forms, and they'll continue to exist in the future as forms, there is no question of formlessness. There is no question of form… But because we cannot see the form in these material eyes… Just like there is a form in the body, but when that spirit is passing from this body, we cannot see. A medical man cannot see because he hasn't the eyes to see. But it is not that a jīvātmā is formless. No. He hasn't got the eyes to see. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Just like I am seeing you, you are seeing me. But what I am seeing? I am seeing your body, shirt and coat. You are seeing my shirt and coat. But when I pass away from this body or you pass away from this body, neither I can see you, neither you can see me. So because we cannot see, because we have no such knowledge, therefore we say sometimes that formless. Just like people say generally, "A point has no length, no breadth," because he has no measuring instrument how to see the length and breadth of the point. That is deficiency of knowledge. But anything has length and breadth. That is a fact.

So nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This Vedic version, Upaniad, means that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person and we are also persons. We are… What is our position? Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We are dependent persons, and He is the maintaining person. So your position is always dependent. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. That is the version of Lord Caitanya. And Kṛṣṇa also says. All the śāstra says. Here also, we are reading that,

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā

kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā

avidyā-karma-samjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

[Cc. Madhya 6.154]

So we are one of the energies of the Lord, marginal energy. Marginal energy means if I desire… Because I have got little independence… Because Kṛṣṇa is fully independent, sva-rāṭ. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu avijñaḥ sva-rāṭ. Kṛṣṇa is sva-rāṭ, means "fully independent." But we are Kṛṣṇa's minute part and parcels; therefore we have got the independence quality, but not full independence. We are controlled. Just like you claim to be independent, Indian nation. But that does not mean that you are fully independent, each of you. You are dependent on the government. These things are very easy to understand. Similarly, a living entity has got independence, but not full independence. He cannot do anything without the sanction of God. That is his dependence. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭa. "I am sitting there." The living entity and the Supreme Person as Paramātmā, both of them are sitting in this body. That is explained in the Upaniṣad. Two birds are sitting in the same tree. One bird is eating, and one bird is witnessing. Anumantā upadraṣṭā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, anumantā. Because we have tried, we have taken the opportunity to live independently, Kṛṣṇa or the Paramātmā is so kind that He has given… Just like a child is playing, and sometimes he is going to catch the fire, and the parents are obstructing, similarly, Kṛṣṇa, being the supreme father, He is always guiding. Although we are given the freedom to enjoy this material world, but without His sanction, you cannot enjoy, you cannot touch anything. But He is giving the facilities. Because kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare, we wanted to enjoy, to lord it over this material world, He has given us chance, "All right, enjoy. Enjoy to your best capacity." But He is witnessing. Witnessing means you want something, Kṛṣṇa is supplying. The material agent, Kṛṣṇa's prakṛti, or the material nature is supplying you ingredients. But Kṛṣṇa is sanctioning, and you are desiring. You are desiring, "I want this." Kṛṣṇa says, "No, you will not be happy," but you insist: "No. I want this." "All right. You take this." Kṛṣṇa's material energy is there; He is supplying the ingredients. "All right. Take these ingredients. What do you want?" "I want a three-hundred-story skyscraper building." "All right. Take it. Take it." The ingredients… The sky… You cannot create the ingredients. The ingredients is kṣitir-ap-tej-marud-van (?). You take earth, water, fire, air, and combine it and make a skyscraper building. But the ingredients does not belong to you. It is Kṛṣṇa's. Kṣitir-ap-tej-marud-van (?). Prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. "They are My property. That is Mine. Actually it is Mine." You cannot create water, you cannot create fire, you cannot create earth. It is God's property. You take it and satisfy your senses. That's all. That's your business. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmaṇī sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. Prakṛti is supplying. But how prakṛti is supplying? How the material nature is supplying you ingredients? Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. "Under My direction." So what is the difficulty? And how can you become God? How you can become greater than God? This is all foolishness. You are completely under the control. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. You are completely under the prakṛti, this material nature.

So our position is to be dependent on the supreme living force, God or Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. And He is supplying everything as we want. Because God is not poor. He is our father. Just like rich father, there is no insufficiency. In a rich family, the father is very rich, and the sons, they can draw anything from the rich father. Similarly, we can draw anything from Kṛṣṇa, the supreme father. But our, this so-called independence for sense gratification, will not make us happy. That is the position. You can independently try to become Brahmā, what to speak of this prime minister or this king or… You can become Brahmā, Indra, Candra. You can become. They are also living entities in higher position. Just like your president, he is also an Indian, but in higher position. That's all. Your prime minister, he is also Indian. Similarly, all these demigods, Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, they're demigods, they are highly posted as servant of God. But just like a foolish man thinks a constable in the street is the supreme power without knowing the background of the constable's position, similarly, those who are foolish persons, they think demigods are the supreme. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Hṛta-jñānāḥ means lost of all intelligence.

So if we actually try to understand Kṛṣṇa from all points of view on the basis of Vedic literature, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam… [SB 1.3.28]. And Kṛṣṇa personally says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Kiñcid. "Nobody. Nobody is greater than Me." How a foolish man can say that "I am greater than Kṛṣṇa"? So we have to give up all these foolish ideas. We have to take the real fact as it is. And then we become Kṛṣṇa conscious and our life becomes successful. That is our propaganda.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

670318CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.149-171

San Francisco, March 18, 1967

Prabhupāda: …Māyāvādī sannyāsīs of Benares. There are two kinds of Māyāvādīs. The word Māyāvādī is very significant. I saw yesterday in your iṣṭagoṣṭhī you have tried to understand what is this Māyāvādī. Māyāvādī means materialist. Māyā, this matter, the external energy, the inferior energy, and those who want to stick to this inferior energy, never mind what class of philosopher, what section of philosophers they belong, if their idea is only within the boundary of this material energy, they are called Māyāvādī. They have no information of the spiritual energy. They are called Māyāvādī. So chiefly the impersonalists and the void philosophers, they are called Māyāvādī, because they have no other information. They want to simply negate, nullify, but they have no positive information, so they are called Māyāvādī. So the Śaṅkarites… Śaṅkarites, of course, they give positive information. Brahma satya jagan mithyā. They say that this world is false and Brahman is reality. But because we want reality in variety, therefore impersonal philosophy, although we take it as a matter of sectarian philosophy, it does not appeal to the heart because by nature we want enjoyment. And whenever there is question of enjoyment, there must be variety. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. So philosophically or theoretically, we may accept voidness, negation, out of frustration. When we are frustrated in these material varieties we adopt the suicidal policy, "Let me commit suicide, finish." This is called Māyāvāda. Actual spiritual variegatedness, unless one is informed about it and one is situated in spiritual varieties, there is no satisfaction.

So the Māyāvādī philosophers of Benares, after hearing the explanation of Vedānta-sūtra from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they were very much satisfied. Sei haite sannyāsīra phiri gela mana. Their mind turned. "Oh, this is the real explanation." Kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa nāma sadā karaye grahaṇa. Now they also began to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

eimate tāṅ-sabāra kṣami' aparādha

sabākāre kṛṣṇa-nāma karilā prasāda

Caitanya Mahāprabhu excused all these offenders. Anyone who is godless, he is offender. So when they chanted Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa and accepted the Vedānta philosophy according to the explanation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He excused them. That is the significance of Lord Caitanya. He is very merciful. He excuses. Without excuse, how He can deliver the fallen souls of this age? Their condition is very precarious. Their duration of life is very small and they are not very intelligent, very slow to understand their importance of spiritual life. And even they are little advanced, they are under the clutches of so many so-called bogus societies. So therefore their condition is very precarious and… So there is no other alternative than to excuse them. Caitanya Mahāprabhu excused them.

tabe saba sannyāsī mahāprabhuke laiyā

bhikṣā karilena sabhe, madhye vasāiyā

Then all the sannyāsīs, placing Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the middle… According to Indian system of dining… You are accustomed: they sit in a line. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu was requested to sit in the middle, and thus they took prasādam.

tabe saba sannyāsī mahāprabhuke laiyā

bhikṣā karilena sabhe, madhye vasāiyā

bhikṣā kari' mahāprabhu āilā vāsāghara

hena citra-līlā kare gaurāṅga-sundara

So after taking prasādam, He came back to His place. And for Him it was a great victory that He conquered the mind of the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs by explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. So His, I mean to say, friend, Candraśekhara… Candraśekhara and Tapana Miśra and Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were very much pleased. Caitanya Mahāprabhu had only three or four followers at Benares. Of course, when He was on the street, hundreds and thousands of people gathered round Him. But actually, in His residence there were three, four followers only: Tapana Miśra, Candraśekhara Ācārya, Sanātana Gosvāmī, and one Maharastrian brāhmaṇa. They were very much pleased, naturally. Their Lord was victorious in that great assembly of sannyāsīs. And naturally, they were very much pleased.

prabhuke dekhite āise sakala sannyāsī

prabhura praśaṁsā kare saba vārāṇasī

Naturally, He attracted the attention of many other sannyāsīs, and they began to come and see Him and offer their respects. And throughout the whole city of Benares His name was immediately advertised: "Oh, such a great sannyāsī has come. He has explained Vedānta-sūtra in a different way, which has captured the mind of all other Māyāvādī sannyāsīs."

So because Benares is a city of pilgrimage, it is not ordinary city, mostly the person who reside in Benares, they are retired life for cultivating spiritual consciousness, but they are almost cent percent impersonalists. Prabhura praśaṁsā kare saba vārāṇasī

vārāṇaṣi-purī āilā śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya

purī-saha sarva-loka haila mahā-dhanya

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited this city of Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. By His mercy all of them became glorified.

lakṣa lakṣa loka āise prabhuke dekhite

mahā-bhiḍa haila dvāre, nāre praveśite

So many thousands of people gathered before His house, and they wanted to see Him, but due to the crowd, some of them could not enter into the house. Then,

prabhu yabe yā'na viśveśvara-daraśane

lakṣa lakṣa loka āsi' mile sei sthāne

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to go to the temple of Viśveśvara. At Benares, the most famous temple is Viśveśvara, Lord Śiva's temple. Because this place, Benares, is the place of Lord Śiva. Just like Vṛndāvana is the place of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Ayodhyā is the place of Lord Rāma, so there are different places in India. So Benares is the place of Lord Śiva, and he's known there as Viśveśvara. It is very old city, Kāśī-the real name is Kāśī-and it is coming from the Satya-yuga. It is not new city. It is very old city. Satya-yuga. Mahārāja Hariścandra, he was the king of this, and Hariścandra happens to be previous to Lord Rāmacandra. So it is very old city. Viśveśvara sthāne.

snāna karite yabe yā'na gaṅgā-tīre

tāhāñi sakala loka haya mahā-bhiḍe

So when Caitanya Mahāprabhu goes to the Ganges to take His bath, and after taking bath He used to visit the temple of Viśveśvara in the morning, so at that time hundreds of people gathered round Him.

bāhu tuli' prabhu bale-bala hari hari

hari-dhvani kare loka svarga-martya bhari'

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's special feature, as you see in the picture, He would simply raise His hands and ask anybody to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And people will, in the crowd, they will also respond to Lord Caitanya. So in this way, at Benares He was enjoying.

bāhu tuli' prabhu bale-bala hari hari

hari-dhvāṇī kare loka svarga-martya bhari'

And the sound of "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hari bol," that become… According… There are two slogans. One Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And another, short, is Hari bol, Hari bol. You can practice also that. Hari bol.

Devotee: Hari bol.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hari bol. That is a shortcut of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Yes. Hari bol. Hari bol means "the sound of Hari, or the Lord." Hari bol. So whenever there was some greeting, Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to answer, raising His hands, "Hari bol."

bāhu tuli' prabhu bale-bala hari hari

hari-dhvāṇī kare loka svarga-martya bhari'

loka nistāriyā prabhura calite haila mana

vṛndāvane pāṭhāilā śrī-sanātana

Now, and at this time Sanātana Gosvāmī arrived to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu after retirement from his government service. So He taught him for two months about the science of devotion and the principles of devotion. We have discussed to a certain extent, and we shall again discuss. Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught personally Sanātana Gosvāmī what is Kṛṣṇa-what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what is the position of the living entity, what is this world. All these things He has very nicely taught Sanātana Gosvāmī. And Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, these two brothers are authorities of the disciplic succession of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So,

loka nistāriyā prabhura calite haila mana

vṛndāvane pāṭhāilā śrī-sanātana

Now after teaching Sanātana Gosvāmī, He asked him that "You go to Vṛndāvana." Because He was returning to Jagannath Purī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu authorized… You have seen the picture of Vṛndāvana in that catalogue? What is that book you have brought from library? No. That's all right. Oh, you have forgotten your book? Library book? Huh? Who brought that book which is lying in my room, apartment? Anyway, there is a picture of Vṛndāvana. That picture, there is a temple. This temple was first constructed by Sanātana Gosvāmī. That is the oldest temple in Vṛndāvana, not less than five hundred years old. And it was desecrated by the Aurangzeb, Emperor Aurangzeb. Then another new temple is now constructed where Madana-mohana is residing. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu authorized Sanātana Gosvāmī to go to Vṛndāvana and excavate the city. Before Lord Caitanya, the places of pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa was forgotten. People knew only that "In these quarters Kṛṣṇa was born and His pastimes was played here." But no particular places were excavated. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu… After Caitanya Mahāprabhu sent Sanātana Gosvāmī, the importance of that tract of land known as Mathurā-Vṛndāvana became very important. And the importance of that city is due to this Sanātana Gosvāmī, because Sanātana Gosvāmī was authorized to go there and establish temples. So after Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, hundreds and thousands of temples were constructed, and there are at least five thousand temples now, after Sanātana Gosvāmī.

rātri-divase lokera śuni' kolāhala

vārāṇasī chāḍi' prabhu āilā nīlācala

At Benares He was overcrowded with persons. Always there was tumultuous sound, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." And Caitanya Mahāprabhu left Benares and came back to Jagannath Purī. Jagannath Purī and Benares is not less than about eight hundred miles distance. So in those days there was no railway, no other conveyance. Caitanya Mahāprabhu had to travel through the jungles, and He came back to Jagannath Purī.

ei līlā kahiba āge vistāra kariyā

saṅkṣepe kahilāṅ ihāṅ prasaṅga pāiyā

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu thus came back, and the author says that after this incident we shall discuss in another chapter about the activities of Lord Caitanya, and so far His Benares visit was concerned, this is the end.

ei pañcatattva-rūpe śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya

kṛṣṇa-nāma-prema diyā viśva kailā dhanya

In this way, Pañcatattva, these five pictures you have seen: Śrī-Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya Prabhu Nityānanda Śrī-Advaita Gadādhara Śrīvāsadi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. They inaugurated this movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness five hundred years before, and it is predicted here that this movement will sanctify the situation of the whole world.

ei pañcatattva śrī-kṛṣṇa…

kṛṣṇa-nāma-prema diyā viśva kailā dhanya

He has already impregnated the seed. Just like Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda. In 1896 he sent the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message to McGill University. That book you have seen. The letter was there. And these are coincidence. Now, after so many years, a servant of that disciplic succession has come here again to preach. So these things are significant. Caitanya Mahāprabhu practically sown the seed of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and it is spreading, and it is sure it will spread. Now it has come to your country, and I am sure the students who are taking very seriously about this movement, they will spread in the western world.

So, mathurāte pāṭhāila rūpa-sanātana. Now this is incidental, that Caitanya Mahāprabhu sent Sanātana Gosvāmī to Vṛndāvana, and other Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī…

mathurāte pāṭhāila rūpa-sanātana

dui senā-pati kaila bhakti pracāraṇa

Senā-pati means these two brothers, Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, were appointed as the commander in chief, commander in chief in this fighting with māyā. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness means it is declaration of fighting with māyā. Māyā is killing all the poor conditioned souls, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu declared war against māyā by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the commander in chiefs are Rūpa-Sanātana. In other words, if anyone wants to be expert in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to fight with māyā, they must follow the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī.

There is a very nice song sung by one poet, Vaiṣṇava poet. He's singing like this:

gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka-śarīra

hari hari bolite nayane ba'be nīra

He's aspiring that "When I shall loudly call 'Lord Caitanya, Gaurāṅga'?" Gaurāṅga is Lord Caitanya. "And my body will be shivering. And when I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, tears will flow down from my eyes."

gaurāṅga bolite habe pulaka-śarīra

hari hari bolite nayane ba'be nīra

Āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe: "And when I shall be favored by Nityānanda Prabhu?" Āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe, saṁsāra-bāsanā mora kabe tuccha ha'be: "When I shall be detached from material enjoyment?" Viṣaya chāriyā kabe śuddha ha'be mana: "And when I shall be detached from this material enjoyment, my mind will be purified. My mind will be freed from all contamination of material dirty things." Kabe hāma herabo śrī-vṛndāvana: "And at that time it will be possible to see Vṛndāvana." Rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti. Now, here the author, I mean to…, the singer says that "When I shall be too much devoted to the principles of Rūpa Gosvāmī so that I'll be able to understand what is the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa?" In other words, if we want to understand Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya philosophy, then we should try to follow the instruction left by Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. They are the commander in chief in this movement.

Nityānanda-gosāñe pāṭhāilā gauḍa-deśe. So Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were sent to Vṛndāvana, and Nityānanda Prabhu was sent to Bengal, that "You go and preach there." Teṅho bhakti pracārilā aśeṣa-viśeṣe. And in Bengal this Caitanya philosophy is taught by Nityānanda Prabhu and His disciplic succession.

āpane dakṣiṇa deśa karilā gamana

grāme grāme kailā kṛṣṇa-nāma pracāraṇa

And He Himself went to the southern part of India, and He preached this Kṛṣṇa consciousness from village to village, town to town.

setubandha paryanta kailā bhaktira pracāra

kṛṣṇa-prema diyā kailā sabāra nistāra

Setubandha means Cape Comorin. He went up to Cape Comorin, and to northern India, up to Vṛndāvana. I do not know He went to the Punjab side, but up to Vṛndāvana, Delhi, and beginning from Delhi, up to the, practically the whole length of India, He traveled, through Maharastra and other provinces. Kṛṣṇa-prema diyā kailā sabāra nistāra. So practically the whole of India was surcharged with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness during the starting of this movement in India by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

ei ta' kahila pañca-tattvera vyākhyāna

ihāra śravaṇe haya caitanya-tattva-jñāna

Now the author summarizes that "These are some of the activities of Lord Caitanya, and one who will hear these activities, he will be elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and the philosophy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu."

caitanya, nityānanda, advaita-tina jana

śrīvāsa-gadādhara-ādi yata bhakta-gaṇa

Now the author humbly presents himself that "Lord Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu, these five personalities, I offer my respectful obeisances unto the feet of these five personalities." Yaiche taiche kahi kichu caitanya… "Therefore if I have got faith in these five personalities, then it will be possible for me to describe something about Lord Caitanya." Because he is writing this book, it is description of Lord Caitanya. So he is humbly presenting himself before… This is bhakti-mārga. He is not proud that he is very learned man, he can very nicely comment. No. He is just trying to follow the footprints of his predecessors. This is the way of disciplic succession.

śrī-rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa

caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa

[Cc. Adi 1.110]

He's summarizing, at the end of each chapter he says, "My respectful obeisances are unto Rūpa Gosvāmī and all other Gosvāmīs, so that I may be able to describe the activities of Caitanya Mahāprabhu."

Thank you very much. (end)

710213CC.GOR

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.149-50

Gorakhpur, February 13, 1971

Prabhupāda:

aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyaṁ

nanda-gopa-vrajaukasām

yan-mitraṁ paramānandaṁ

pūrṇaṁ brahma sanātanam

I think I shall speak in Hindi? What is that? I shall speak in English? Then they will take advantage of. That is… Why you have gone?

Yamunā: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Oh, I see. So this was a part of the prayer offered by Brahmājī when he offended on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. The incident… Perhaps you know that Kṛṣṇa was a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana. (speaks in Hindi with some Indians) Why you are back side? You can come this side. So Brahmājī is praising the fortune of the residents of Vṛndāvana, vrajaukasām, headed by… Vrajaukasām means the residents of the Vrajabhūmi, headed by Nanda Mahārāja. Aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyaṁ nanda-gopa-vrajaukasām, yan mitraṁ paramānandaṁ brahma. Kṛṣṇa was there.

So Brahmā is admitting that this Kṛṣṇa is parabrahman sanātanam. So we have to take evidence from the authorities. There are twelve authorities according to śāstra. Brahmā is one of the authorities. Twelve authorities means,

svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ

kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ

prahlādo janako bhīṣmo

(balir) vaiyāsakir vayam

[SB 6.3.20]

Svayambhūr nāradaḥ. Svayambhūḥ is Brahmā; Nārada; then Śambhu, Lord Śiva. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ [SB 6.3.20]. Kapila. Kapila is incarnation of God, Kapiladeva, the propounder of the Sāṅkhya philosophy. Kumāra, the four Kumāras, ever brahmacārī. And Manu, Vaivasvata Manu, the father of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. And Prahlāda, the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu. The father was atheist and the son was a devotee, great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Then Janaka Mahārāja, the father of Sītādevī. And Bhīṣma, the grandfather of the Pāṇḍavas. Prahlādo janako bhīṣmaḥ. Then Vaiyāsaki, Śukadeva Gosvāmī; and Yamarāja, they are authorities.

Now, here the Brahmā, the first authority, he is admitting Kṛṣṇa as Brahman, pūrṇa-brahma sanātanam, pūrṇa-brahma, bhagavān. Brahman realization, there are stages, three stages of Brahman realization: first, impersonal Brahman, then localized Brahman, then full Brahman. Localized Brahman is Paramātmā, who is situated in everyone's heart. The example is given: just like the sun. The sun is one and the sun is the abode of the sun-god, Vaivasvata. In the Bhagavad-gītā you have to admit,

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ

proktavān aham avyayam

vivasvān manave prāha

manu ikṣvākave 'bravīt

[Bg. 4.1]

So this Vivasvān, the sun-god, he heard from Kṛṣṇa for the first time about the yoga system stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa spoke and the sun-god heard; therefore he is a person. And the sun-god's abode is the sun planet. And from the sun planet, the effulgence, the sunshine, is coming. By this example one can understand what is Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān-tattva-vastu, the Absolute Truth. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Absolute Truth… (aside:) Not like that. Don't sit… Not like that. Why don't you tell him? The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases. The first realization is impersonal Brahman, the next, higher realization is the Paramātmā, antaryāmī, and the ultimate realization is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti

bhagavān iti śabdyate

[SB 1.2.11]

This is Absolute Truth in three phases.

So here the Absolute Truth, when He is realized as the Supreme Person, as Brahmā is realizing, yan-mitram… He is realizing that Kṛṣṇa, who is playing as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana, and He has become the most intimate friend of the residents of Vṛndāvana, headed by Nanda Mahārāja… Nanda Mahārāja was the zamindar rāja. He was vaiśya. He had 900,000's of cows, and he was the head of Vṛndāvana. All other cowherds men were his tenants or friends or family members. So Kṛṣṇa automatically became their very, very dear friend. That is the significance of the residents of Vṛndāvana. They… Their love for Kṛṣṇa was so ecstatic that they did not know anything except Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Brahmā says, aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyam: "How fortunate these residents of Vṛndāvana are that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has become their friend." And Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa-brahma sanātanam, not that He has assumed a body like a human being and He is imperson. No. Just like Māyāvādī philosophers, they take it, they concoct like that, that "Ultimately the Absolute Truth is impersonal, but when He descends…" I do not know how the impersonal can be "He." So that theory is refuted hereby because it is the statement of Brahmā, and he says that Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa-brahma sanātanam.

Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

apāṇi-pāda-śruti varje prākṛta pāṇi-caraṇa

punaḥ kahe śīghra cale kare sarva grahaṇa

This is the process is describing a spiritual understanding, with reference to the Vedic injunction. Now, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving Vedic reference. He says, apāṇi-pāda. This is a reference from the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad. In the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad there is statement, impersonally, but referring to the person, transcendental person. The mantra is like this:

apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā

paśyaty acakṣuḥ sa śṛnoty akarṇaḥ

sa vetti vedyaṁ na ca tasyāsti vettā

tam āhur agryaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam

Puruṣam. Puruṣam means person, but the Vedic mantra begins, apāṇi-pāda: "Person, but has no leg and no hand." There are two kinds of statements: that He is person, puruṣa, mahānta, the greatest person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is a person; but apāṇi-pāda, but He has no legs and no hands. So how is that? A person has no legs and no hands, and still, He accepts whatever we offer? Just like Kṛṣṇa says, tad aham aśnāmi, bhaktyā upahṛtam aśnāmi: "Anyone who offers Me anything," patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam [Bg. 9.26], "with devotion," bhaktyā… The very word is bhaktyā. That means Kṛṣṇa is transcendental person, and the Vedic mantra confirms. When the Vedic mantra says, apāṇi-pāda, "no hands, no legs," that is not imperson. "Person, but His hands and legs are not like us," that is apāṇi-pāda. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that. Apāṇi-pāda śruti varje prākṛta pāṇi-caraṇa: "When the Vedic mantra says that 'The Absolute Truth has no legs and no hands,' that means that the Personality of Godhead's hands and legs are not material." That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's explanation.

apāṇi-pāda śruti, veda-mantra, varje prakṛta pāṇi-caraṇa

na kahe śīghra cale kare sarva grahaṇa

"And although the Vedic mantra says that 'The Absolute Truth has no legs, no hands,' still, it confirms that 'He can accept whatever you offer, and He can walk more speedily than anyone.' Then He walks; at the same time, He has no legs. And He accepts your offering; He has no hands." What does it mean? Apparently it is contradictory. If He has no leg, then how He can walk more speedily than anyone? These are Vedic mantras. "Nobody can capture Him, He is walking so speedily." But if He has no leg, how He is walking? But that, Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that varje prākṛta pāṇi-caraṇa: "This means that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no material body."

In the Kūrma Purāṇa it is said that the Supreme Personality, the Parabrahman, has no distinction between His body and self. There is no… Absolute means there is no duality as we have got duality-"I am," the soul, and this body, they are different. Therefore śāstra says, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke: [SB 10.84.13] "If anyone accepts this body as self…" This body is made of three dhātus: kapha, pitta, vāyu. I am not this. And Bhagavad-gītā also says,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ…

[Bg. 2.13]

So dehi. Dehi means possessor of this body, the owner of this body. So owner of this body is different from this body. But in case of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu-tattva, there is no such difference, the self and the body, no difference. That is confirmed in the Kūrma Purāṇa. Unfortunately the Māyāvādīs, they, either due to their poor fund of knowledge of the śāstras or by their whims, they say that "Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, when comes, or the Absolute Truth when He descends, He assumes, He accepts, a material body." That is not the fact. Kṛṣṇa says, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]. It is not that Kṛṣṇa accepts a material body. No. Kṛṣṇa has no such distinction, material world. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: [Bg. 9.11] "Because I present myself, descend Myself as a human being, the mūḍhas, or the rascals, they think of Me or deride at Me." The Māyāvādīs, they will never worship the transcendental form of the Lord. They'll not worship. They will worship the imperson. And Kṛṣṇa has said, kleśo adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām. Of course, impersonal, personal, is the same Absolute Truth. But if you try to reach the Absolute Truth through His impersonal attachment, then it will be more troublesome. The jñānīs, those who want to understand the Absolute Truth by their material, imperfect knowledge, how… Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Our manipulation of the senses is not possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

The Vedic mantra also it is said, nayam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ: "You cannot realize the ātmā, you cannot be self-realized, simply by talking. You may be very big speaker, nice speaker, but that is not the process-simply by speaking very nicely you can understand the Absolute Truth." Nayam ātmā pravacanena labhya na medhayā: "Neither you can understand the Absolute Truth because you have got a very nice brain, a great scientist." Then Sir Isaac Newton would have discovered what is God, or Professor Einstein or Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, they could have understand. No, they cannot. Because they have very nice, finer tissues of the brain, it does not mean. It is a different process. It is a… To understand God or Kṛṣṇa, it is not material process. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. Only through devotional service He can be known. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. Kṛṣṇa is covered by the curtain drawn by yogamāyā; therefore Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood by everyone, neither His teaching, Bhagavad-gītā, can be understood without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: [Bg. 4.3] "Because you are My very dear friend, therefore I shall speak to you." Rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam: "Without you, nobody can understand." Kṛṣṇa was a military man. He was not a brāhmaṇa, neither a Vedantist. You cannot expect a military man, a kṣatriya, to be highly learned in Vedic scriptures. That is not possible. They hear from the brāhmaṇas. The brāhmaṇas, they are expected to be highly learned scholars in Vedas because that is their department. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brāhmaṇa… Therefore we call brāhmaṇa, "paṇḍita, paṇḍitajī." Paṇḍitajī has never seen the pages of Vedas, but still, he is going on under the name of paṇḍitajī. So that kind of paṇḍitajī not wanted. Actually a brāhmaṇa means he is truthful. And one of the greatest commentator of Bhagavad-gītā, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa, he says truthful means one should be truthful even to his enemies. Sometimes we have to hide something from the enemies. That is diplomacy. But Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa says, "A brāhmaṇa should be so truthful that he will disclose everything to his enemy also." Satyam. Titikṣa ārjavam śuci śama dama-these are the qualifications. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42].

So without this brahminical qualification one cannot understand the Vedic knowledge. Therefore it is stated sometimes that a śūdra is prohibited from reading Vedas. That does not mean that reading of Vedic culture or Vedic knowledge is monopolized by a certain class of men. Not that. The idea is… Just like in our ordinary educational system, there is some prohibition that unless one is graduate, he cannot be admitted in the law college. That is not a prohibition; that is the necessary qualification to understand. Similarly, to understand the Vedas, the necessary qualification is that one must be a qualified brāhmaṇa. Not that Mr. Max Muller, he has got little knowledge of Sanskrit and he translates. That kind of translation is no use, just like so many commentaries on the Bhagavad-gītā without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa is useless. It has no meaning, because Kṛṣṇa says that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: [Bg. 18.55] "Only through devotional service one can understand Me." How a nondevotee can understand Him? He has no scope to enter into the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā. So first qualification is that he must be a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be revealed.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata there is a verse,

athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-

prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi

jānāti tattvaṁ (bhagavan-mahimno)

na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan

[SB 10.14.29]

"My dear Lord, one who has a little, I mean to say, favorable connection with Your lotus feet, he can understand You." Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda: "One who has got a little prasāda from Your lotus feet, such person can understand You." Prasāda-leśānu…, jānāti tattvam: "He can understand what You are." Kṛṣṇa says that,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

To understand Kṛṣṇa is not very easy job. Kṛṣṇa says, "Out of many millions of men, one is trying to become perfect in this human form of life." Not everyone is trying. First of all one has to become brāhmaṇa or acquire the brahminical qualification. That is the platform of sattva-guṇa. Unless one comes to the platform of sattva-guṇa, there is no question of perfection. Nobody can understand, nobody can achieve perfection on the platform of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, because one who is addicted with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, he is always very greedy and lusty. Tato rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye [SB 1.2.19]. One who is infected with the material qualities of ignorance and passion, he is lusty and greedy. That's all. Therefore you will see, generally people are very much lusty and greedy. They are accumulating money, crores and crores; still, they are not satisfied. In Western country we see very usually. There are many, many workers, working very hard from very poor state. Just like Henry Ford, Mr. Rockefeller, they started life from a very humble state, but they accumulated immense wealth, and still, they were not satisfied. In our country also there are many Birlas and such, accumulating money, money, money. They are greedy because infected with the quality, modes of nature, ignorance and passion. Vaiśya means passion and ignorance, kṣatriya means passion, and brāhmaṇa means goodness. These are the different qualities. So one has to come to the platform of goodness. Then he has to transcend the platform of goodness, come to the pure transcendental platform, vāsudeva, sattvaṁ-viśuddham, sattva-guṇa. In this material world, sattva-guṇa is also sometimes mixed with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. That is the nature. So one has to transcend the platform of sattva-guṇa. Śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. That is the vasudeva platform, when Kṛṣṇa appears.

So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu [Bg. 7.3]. So generally people are addicted, infected with the qualities of ignorance and passion. How he can understand Kṛṣṇa? It is not possible. So one has to engage himself this devotional service. Then you can… You may argue that "How these Europeans and Americans…? They are supposed to be in ignorance and passion. How they are coming to the platform of transcendental platform of pure goodness?" That is possible. That is possible by the execution of Bhāgavata-dharma. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā [SB 1.2.18]. Tato rajas-tamo bhāvāḥ. There are verses in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. One has to hear. Therefore śravaṇa and kīrtana, hearing and chanting, is very important, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, especially hearing and chanting of Kṛṣṇa. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. Simply by discussing and hearing and reciting Bhagavad-gītā purely, not by interpreting wrongly… As it is. As Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām [Bg. 18.65], you have to accept that. You cannot change that. You cannot say, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa; it is the Kṛṣṇa's self and this and that." So śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. One who hears Bhagavad-gītā as it is or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from devotees… Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Because simply by hearing he achieves the result of pious activities… And Kṛṣṇa says also in the Bhagavad-gītā that "One can be engaged in My service, in devotional service, who is freed from all contamination of sinful life."

yeṣāṁ (tv) anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmāṇam

te dvanda-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

Unless one is freed from all contamination of sinful life, one cannot concentrate in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says.

So the process is, as it is recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ: simply you sit down and hear what Kṛṣṇa says. Don't comment wrongly, whimsically. Don't gratify your senses. Submissively, namanta… As Caitanya Mahāprabhu also recommends from Bhāgavata, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Just be submissive, bhavadīya-vārtām, and try to hear Kṛṣṇa submissively. Then you'll benefit. If you make your own commentation, then you will be wrongly directed. You have too… Therefore Kṛṣṇa said,

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

sa kālena

yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

[Bg. 4.2]

Because the paramparā system was lost, therefore Kṛṣṇa said that "The system recommended in the Bhagavad…, is lost off. Therefore I am speaking again to you the same yoga system." So one has to receive the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā by the paramparā system. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna heard Bhagavad-gītā. And how he understood Bhagavad-gītā? He understood Kṛṣṇa as a person. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam [Bg. 10.12]. That is real Bhagavad-gītā understanding. And Arjuna said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava. As Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], so he accepted that. That is Bhagavad-gītā reading, not that "It is not to person Kṛṣṇa; it is to His self," and this and that. No. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

So it is very unfortunate that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accepted by all the ācāryas, not only at the present age, previously also… Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, they are all great ācāryas. And in the recent years, Śaṅkarācārya, he also admitted. Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya-all these authorities, they are accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then how is that-a less intelligent class of men, they are commenting differently? That is not good. They may comment, they go on talking all nonsense, but no sane man will accept them. That is a different thing. But those who are sane, they should judge over this, that "Why we should deny, that 'God is impersonal'? God is person. Kṛṣṇa came." Kṛṣṇa exhibited His godly potencies, energies, when He was present. There is no… In the history you won't find another second person like Kṛṣṇa in the whole history of the world. Apart from other points of view, Bhagavad-gītā, that is admitted, spoken by Kṛṣṇa, such deep, profound knowledge-there is no second imitation or second copy like Bhagavad-gītā in the whole world. That is admitted by all scholars, all religionists. Therefore He is pūrṇa-jñāna, pūrṇa-brahma. Bhagavad-gītā is pūrṇa-jñāna. The Bhagavān's one qualification-He is fully wise. Nobody is wiser than Him. That is one of the qualifications. Nobody is richer than Him, nobody is powerful than Him, nobody is influential than Him, nobody is beautiful than Him, and nobody is renouncer than Him. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya. That will be explained.

So Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, admitted by all ācāryas. And on the basis of that authority, we are preaching all over the world that "You are searching after God? Here is God." Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. In the Bhāgavata has given different list of different incarnation of God but ultimately concludes that ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: [SB 1.3.28] "All the incarnations, they are parts or parts of the parts." Aṁśa means part, and kalāḥ means part of the part. "But svayaṁ pūrṇa-bhagavān, ṣoḍaśa-kala pūrṇa, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa-bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa." That is the verdict all Vedas, all śāstras. So we should also accept in that light. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. And Kṛṣṇa also says personally, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: [Bg. 10.8] "I am the origin of even Brahma, Śiva, and Viṣṇu also." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. So from any…

Now, here Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that Kṛṣṇa is person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is person, but He is not a person like us. That is difference. But less intelligent persons, they think Kṛṣṇa, as soon as He is a person, "He is a person like us." That is a mistake. He is not a person like any one of us. Therefore He is confirmed by the Vedas, apāṇi-pāda javano grahītā: "This Absolute Truth has no leg or hand; still, He can walk very swiftly and He can accept anything you offer." That means His hands and legs are not like ours. That is transcendental. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is trying to explain before Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya that the Absolute Truth is a person, a person like you and me. Cetana… Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the Supreme Person, the chief person. We are all also individuals, Kṛṣṇa is also individual, but He is the chief and we are subordinate. That is the way.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break] God is not poor man, but you are mismanaging. (Hindi) (end)

710214CC.GOR

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.151-154

Gorakhpur, February 14, 1971

Prabhupāda: Ataeva śruti kahe brahma-saviśeṣa: God, Brahma, the great. Brahma means the great. Bṛhatvād bṛhannatvāt. The Absolute Truth is the great and can expand also unlimitedly. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Rūpam: He has got His transcendental forms, ananta, unlimited. But they are all one. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam. Ādyam, the original; Purāṇa, the oldest; puruṣam, person. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam. Although He has got innumerable forms, they are advaita, they are one. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Ādyam, original; Purāṇa, the oldest; and puruṣam, the person. Nava-yauvanam. The oldest, but nava-yauvana, just beginning of youthful life. That is the description in the Brahma-saṁhitā. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms that brahma saviśeṣa. Saviśeṣa means person with varieties of energy. Not imperson. Ataeva śruti kahe. According to Vedic evidence from the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, apāṇi pāda, He has proved that when the Upaniṣad says that "The Absolute Truth has no hands and legs, this means that He has no material hands and legs. But He has His hands and legs." (shouting in background) (aside:) Who is shouting? Why they do not come? Why they are shouting there? All right.

Then he says… Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura comments in this connection that,

ādau brahma prākṛta hasta-pāda naya baliyā

pare śīghra cale emana sakala-vastu grahaṇa kare

In the beginning, the Veda says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no…, not personality. Brahma. He is person, of course. We say personality, but this personality is not material personality. Sighram cale evam sakala-vasta grahana kare: "He walks very quickly and He can accept whatever is offered to Him." So these very statements in the Vedas confirm that He has hands and legs, but not hands and legs like us. Apakrta. That we cannot understand. Aprakṛta. Prakṛta and aprakṛta. Prakṛta means things which are created, and aprakṛta means which are never created, sanātana. That we cannot understand. As soon as there is statement of the Absolute Truth's form, transcendental form, we think that He has a form like us. How it can be? That is quite reasonable. God cannot be possessing a form which is like us. No. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]. He descends, He comes down, as He is, ātma-māyayā. He descends, He comes down, as He is, ātma-māyayā. We accept this form given to us by the material energy. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. According to the association of particular type of guṇa, quality, we get a form. But Kṛṣṇa is not within the influence of the material qualities. His form is different.

ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇa vigraha yāṅhāra

hena-bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra?

The discussion was going with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, a follower of the Śaṅkarite philosophy. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given Vedic evidences that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has His form, transcendental form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, but His form is not material. That is the opinion of Śaṅkarācārya. Nārāyaṇa para avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa, He is transcendental to this creation." So in… With reference to this material creation, He is impersonal. But when we speak of the spiritual world, He is a person, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇa, pūrṇānanda vigraha yāṅhāra.

Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that brahma is full of six kinds of opulences. Pūrṇa. Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. And ānanda, and full of bliss. There is an English word, I think: "Variety is the mother of enjoyment." Enjoyment, ānanda means enjoyment. Enjoyment cannot be impersonal; there must be varieties. That is enjoyment. You have got experience that when there is a bunch of flower of different colors it is very enjoyable. And if there is only rose only, although rose is very nice flower, it is not so pleasing. With rose, some green foliage, some grass, inferior quality, it looks very beautiful. So when there is question (of) ānanda… Because Kṛṣṇa has got form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], eternal, cit, full of knowledge, and full of ānanda, bliss. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, Vedānta-sūtra says. The Lord is ānanda-mayo. This māyā-prātyaya, there is controversy between the Śaṅkarites and the Vaiṣṇavas. They say that māyā-prātyaya… This prātyaya, from Sanskrit verbal root, is affixed in two cases-when there is excess and when there is transformation. So either cases, the ānanda, or the blissful nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is extensive, unlimited. Prācurya. Prācurya means extensive. So ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇānanda vigrahaḥ yāṅhāra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that one who has got transcendental form, full of ānanda… Hena bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra. And you think of such Personality of Godhead as impersonal, how it is possible? Without being person, there cannot be ānanda anubhava. Just like we are persons. We can feel pains and pleasure. Unless one is person, there is no question of enjoying ānanda. So that is His challenge, that if the Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of ānanda, as it is stated in all the Vedic scriptures, especially in Vedānta-sūtra, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt, then how He can be imperson? There is no possibility. And He gives other Vedic evidences also. Apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā, that He has no hand; still, He accepts whatever is given to Him. So there is no possibility of the Absolute Truth's being imperson. He is person. Hena bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra.

svābhāvika tina śakti yei brahma haya

niḥśaktika kari' tāṅre karaha niścaya

The impersonalists say that the Brahman has no enemy. The difference between Vaiṣṇava philosophy… (aside:) What they are talking? They are not coming here?

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Then who is talking? Now, the Māyāvāda philosophers, their point of view is the Absolute Truth is imperson and there is no different energy. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's challenge is that Absolute Truth has got multi-energies. That is also stated in the Upaniṣads: parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. The Absolute Truth has multi-energies, innumerable energies. And such energies have been divided into three divisions. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva…, na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has nothing to do. Why He has to do? Because His energies are working. Therefore, He has energy. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā: [Bg. 9.4] "The whole universe in its avyakta-mūrti, nonmanifested form, I am." Ahaṁ tatam idaṁ sarvam. Aham. "But at the same time, aham is there." Aham means "I." And the word avyakta is there, "nonmanifest." So Kṛṣṇa is manifest. Then what is this nonmanifest? The nonmanifest is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Mayā tatam idam. "By Me." If I say… I have got a big business, big factory. If the proprietor says, "I am all-pervading over this factory," that is right. Suppose one man has got a factory, say Birla. They say "Birla Factory," "Birla Jute Mill," "Birla…" Birla's name is there, although Birla is a person, he's not there. It is very easy to understand. Birla is a person. He is not present in that factory, but everyone says "Birla's factory." That means Birla's money, Birla's energy is there. If there is any loss in that factory, the suffering goes to Birla. Or if there is any gain in that factory, the profit goes to Birla. Therefore Birla's energy is there in the factory. Similarly, the whole creation is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam [Bg. 9.4]. "I am all-pervading." But that does not mean in everything… Everything there is Kṛṣṇa, His energy. He is represented by His energy. This is called simultaneously one and different. Acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, this philosophy of Lord Caitanya. Acintya, simultaneously one and different. The Birla factory is not different from Birla because his energy is working there. At the same time Birla is not there. Similarly, in this material manifestation, everything is God. Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetaraḥ.

In the Bhāgavata there is statement by Nārada. Idaṁ hi viśvam, the whole universe is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But itara, but still, different from Him. This philosophy is very sound philosophy, simultaneously one and different. That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: "I am expanded; I am all-pervading." Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni: [Bg. 9.4] "Everything is resting on Me." Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ: "But I am not there." The Māyāvāda philosophy is "If God, or Brahman, is all-pervading, then why there should be another, separate Brahman?" No. That is also confirmed in the Vedic literature: pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. Pūrṇasya. Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is complete. And if complete is taken from Him, still He is complete. This is material idea, that if the complete has spread all over, then where is the separate existence of the complete? That is material idea. But the spiritual statement is, "If complete is taken from the complete, still the complete is complete." That you have to understand. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya. Here in this material world we have got experience that if I have got one rupee in my pocket and if that one rupee is taken from my pocket or it is expended, there is no more one rupee. It is spent. It is zero now. Or that one rupee has been distributed in purchasing several commodities. So the one rupee is distributed. There is no more separate existence of that one rupee. This is material idea. But according to Vedic scripture, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. If you take one rupee from that one rupee, still that one rupee is there. That you cannot adjust in your teeny brain. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, acintya. It is not accommodated in our teeny brain. Therefore those who are teeny brain, or poor fund of knowledge, they think that when the Absolute Truth is distributed, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, then where is the person? But that is not the conception. The conception is He is unlimitedly powerful, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya pūrṇa, with all power. He can create so many personalities Himself. Just like Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself into 16,000 forms. When He married 16,000 wives, He expanded Himself in 16,000 forms. When He was dancing in rasa-līlā, He expanded Himself. Each gopī was thinking that "Kṛṣṇa is dancing with me." So that is Kṛṣṇa's, or God's, unlimited potency. Not that if He expands, He becomes zero.

In the Brahma-saṁhitā also, it is stated, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Although He is living in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is all-pervading. For example, Kṛṣṇa says,

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ

yo me bhaktyā prayacchati

tad aham aśnāmi

bhaktyā upahṛtam

…tad ahaṁ bhaktyā upahṛtam

aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

[Bg. 9.26]

Now there are innumerable devotees who are offering Kṛṣṇa with love and faith, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. Just like in this temple, we are offering to the Deity according to the order of Kṛṣṇa some preparation made of patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. So He's accepting. He says that "I accept. I eat." But the atheist class says that He does not eat. Why? If Kṛṣṇa says, "I eat," what the atheist class of people has the right to say that He does not eat? He eats. So now not only in one temple or in one place, but millions and trillions of places, they are offering Kṛṣṇa, devotees. And Kṛṣṇa says, "I eat." So everywhere He is eating. Now, just imagine how He has expanded Himself in millions and trillions of forms. He says, "I eat." And there are millions and trillions of devotees offering Him. Then everywhere He's eating. That's a fact. Yes. He can expand. But that does not mean that He is no more in Goloka Vṛndāvana. He is still there. He has expanded in millions and trillions of forms to accept the offerings of His devotees; at the same time, He is in Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is Kṛṣṇa. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37].

Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca, vedeṣu durlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is difficult to be approached by simple understanding of the Vedas. One has to become a devotee. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. It is simple. It is the entrance book for spiritual understanding. It is not very, I mean to say, highly theosophical or theological literature. That highly theological literature is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the natural commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. So in the Bhagavad-gītā we get all information how Kṛṣṇa expands Himself. Advaita… Vedeṣu durlabha. Therefore one who does not read Bhagavad-gītā through a devotee… Kṛṣṇa… Just like Arjuna is a devotee. He understands Bhagavad-gītā. Without going through a devotee, nobody can understand God or His statements. Thousands of people for thousands of years, reading Bhagavad-gītā, but they do not know Kṛṣṇa. Is it not a fact? Yes. So because they are not going through the proper channels, they are… Still, vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. Simply by trying to understand the Vedic literature, one cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vedeṣu durlabha. Durlabha means very difficult to approach. Adurlabha ātma-bhaktau. But ātma-bhaktau, those who are devotees, for them He is very easily accepted. Take for example… Now, you have gone to see a very high officer, say, the secretary of the government. You are waiting. You have sent your card, you are waiting. But you cannot enter the room without being permitted. But an ordinary orderly, his servant, he's thousand times going and coming. There is no restriction for him. He does not require any permission. He goes within because… And the message will come through him. In Dvārakā… Perhaps you have read in the Nectar of Devotion that Brahmā, Indra, they used to come to see Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa's orderly… They were offering prayers, and Kṛṣṇa's orderly was requesting them, "Please make no noise." They were offering prayers, Brahmā, Indra, and His personal servant was prohibiting him, "Please do not make noise. Sit down here." This is the position. So vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. Kṛṣṇa is not available, not approachable, simply by studying Vedas. He has to be obedient to the orders of the devotees.

Here He says,

svābhāvika tina śakti yei brahme haya

niḥśaktika kari' tāṅre karaha niścaya

That "Kṛṣṇa has got, by nature, innumerable energies, and they are divided into three: cit śakti and bahiraṅga śakti, antaraṅga śakti, and tatasta śakti." All the… Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva. All the śaktis, or energies, they are summarized in three divisions. One is called spiritual energy, and the other is called material energy, and the rest is called marginal energy. In the Bhagavad-gītā these three energies are stated. Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā [Bg. 7.4]. "These eight kinds of energies are My separated energies." How separated energies? Try to understand what is separated energy. Just like in the tape record, I sing or speak, it is recorded. But when the tape record plays, I do not speak, I do not sing, but it is my energy. It is working. That is separated energy. And when I speak directly, that is not separated energy. That is also the same thing. So they are from Kṛṣṇa, the whole material… Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. "Everything is created from Me. I am the creator of everything." How He is creator? This bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhir mano… These eight separated energies, that is the material energy. And apareyam, they are inferior because they are material energies; therefore, inferior energy. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "Beyond this, there is another, superior energy." Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. "There is another, superior energy." What is that superior energy? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. These jīvas. So jīvas are energies. How jīvas can claim that they are God? They are energy of God. There is the mistake of Māyāvāda philosophy. Energy and the energetic, although nondifferent, still, energy is not the energetic. Just like this light is emanating from the bulb. So the illumination is there both in the bulb and the light distributed. But you cannot say that this illumination is the bulb. So Kṛṣṇa says that "These are My bhinnā-prakṛti, material energy." The earth, water, air, fire, mind, intelligence, ego-the whole material material creation is out of these eight energies. And the living entity, jīva-bhūta, that is parā prakṛti, spiritual energy.

The living entity is also spiritual energy. He has got His two energies, which is also spiritual actually, but it is called marginal because individual. And this individual spiritual energy can select either to live under the material energy or the spiritual energy. Therefore it is called marginal energy. Just like sparks of the fire, it can fall down on the ground and it can remain with the fire. Similarly, we living entities, we are parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or we are sparks of the fire. So we can fall down within the material energy and we can remain in the spiritual energy, as we like. So when you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you live in spiritual energy, and when you are without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you live in material energy. When you live in the material energy, then your the illuminating quality, because you are fire, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, that is extinguished almost. Therefore, we are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is practically extinguished. And again, the fire, spark, if he falls down on a dry grass, then gradually, the grass becomes blazing. So even if we are… Because in this material world there are three modes of material nature. If we are associated with the goodness quality, then our spiritual energy again becomes blazing fire. From the modes of goodness, purity, knowledge, the brahminical quality… Satya śama dama titikṣa [Bg. 18.42]. When you are put into that…, the dry grass… Although this satya śama dama, truthfulness or controlling the senses, or controlling the mind, knowledge, toleration, these qualities, they are all material qualities. They are not spiritual qualities. Don't think that if one is… One man is very truthful; that does not mean that he has attained spiritual quality. The spiritual quality is different thing. But these material qualities, satya śama dama titikṣa, all these, they can help you. They can help you to be situated in the transcendental, spiritual qualities. But don't think that they are themselves spiritual qualities. No. That is another.

So we, the sparks of the supreme fire, when we fall down in the dry grass, the spiritual quality or the fiery quality is there still, but it may also extinguish. Therefore, our transcendental position is śuddha-sattva. We have to always keep ourself in transcendental position by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, always being engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Then we are brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. That is our Brahman situation. Simply realization of Brahman is not all. You have to be always engaged in Brahman activities. Then there is possibility of remaining in the Brahman platform. The Māyāvādī philosophers, as soon as they realize that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, they think that they are liberated. But no. That liberation is theoretical. That is not practical. Practical liberation is when you are situated in devotional service. Then there is no chance of falling down. If you simply think that "I have become Nārāyaṇa," or Nārāyaṇa position, that is falldown. There are innumerable examples. So we are taṭasthā-śakti. The idea is… Taṭasthā means marginal. We can fall down in the material world, and we can raise ourself in the spiritual world. This is our position. But we are energy, not the energetic.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that,

svābhāvika tina śakti yei brahme haya

niḥśaktika kari' tāṅre karaha niścaya

He is giving evidence from Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Viṣṇu Purāṇa… There are eighteen Purāṇas. There are sattvika, rajasika, tamasika purāṇas. So sattvika Purāṇa is required for spiritual improvement. So He's giving evidence from the sattvika Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa. What is that?

viṣṇu-śaktir parā proktā

kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā

avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

Viṣṇu śaktir parā proktā. All energies of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, they are transcendental, parā, or aprakṛta, not prakṛta. Just try to understand what is transcendental śakti. Just like transcendental and mundane, or material. Material world is created by the transcendental desire of Viṣṇu. Just like in the Bible it is said, "Let there be creation," and there was creation. And Kṛṣṇa also says that this material… Ekāṁśena sthito jagat.

atha vā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

[Bg. 10.42]

So ekāṁśena sthitaḥ, by His one part of energy, the whole material creation is there. He says, "I enter into this material world, and by expansion of My one part of energy, this material, whole material creation is there." There are many… Yasmād bhavanti vibhavanti viśanti. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni bhavanti. Yato vā imāni. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. There are many Vedic statements. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. That means the creation of this material world is from the Supreme Lord. Now, that creative energy of Supreme Lord is not material. That is spiritual. The material means the material world is created by the spiritual energy. Therefore, the spiritual energy (was) existing before the creation of the material world. Therefore, Viṣṇu's energy is not material. Viṣṇu's energy is spiritual. Here it is stated that viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā. Parā means spiritual; proktā, "it is said." Kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā. And kṣetrajña means these jīvas. In the Bhagavad-gītā, kṣetrajña… Kṣetra and kṣetrajña. There are two statements in the Bhagavad-gītā, I think in the Thirteenth Chapter, that kṣetra is this body, and the owner of this body, you and me… We are different owners of different bodies. We are kṣetrajña. So the kṣetrajña-śakti… This is also śakti again. It is śakti. It is not the energetic. So this kṣetrajña is also parā, spiritual. It is confirmation of the Bhagavad-gītā, that viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. The Lord's energy is spiritual, and another energy, which is known as kṣetrajña, or the jīvas, they are also spiritual energies. But energy, not the energetic. Kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā, avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate.

But there is another energy, which is… Now, that is also spiritual in the original sense, the material energy, but that is avidyā, spiritual energy covered. Spiritual energy covered by something else. How that something else? That is… Just like sun is covered by the cloud. The cloud is not separate from the sun. The cloud is created by the sunshine, so it cannot be separate from the sun. But its business is to cover the sun. When there is cloud, you cannot see the sun. Similarly, this material energy is not different from God. There is another example. The same electricity, energy, one apparatus is heater and another apparatus is refrigerator, cooler. The energy is the same. The eater is also creation of the electric energy, and the cooler is also creation of the electric energy, but they are working differently, for under different…, for different purposes. Another example can be given that the civil department and the criminal department of the government, the energy of government is there. The government is maintaining both the departments by the finance of the government. It is not that government is not financing the criminal department. The criminal department is also financed by the government. Similarly, this material world is the criminal department. It is also God's energy, but it is covered. Here… Just like what is the difference between criminal department and civil department? In the criminal department there is disobedience of the law of the government. There is nothing but disobedience. The members of the prison house are all disobedient citizens of the government. Similarly, in this material world, this material energy is also Kṛṣṇa's energy, but here, it is the place for the disobedient part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. Persons who are, I mean to say, very much energetic to forget Kṛṣṇa and try to lord it over this material energy, they are called conditioned soul, or imprisoned. We are all imprisoned within this Durgā. And the superintendent of this durgā, or the fort, is called Durgā. Durgā-śakti. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā [Bs. 5.44]. This material world… But those who have no information how this Durgā is there, how this Durgā is there, they think that by worshiping, by pleasing goddess Durgā, they'll be happy. No. Pleasing means you have to abide by the laws of the durgā, material world. Otherwise, Durgā will take his (her) trident and pierce on the chest of the asura. Durgā is controlling. The asura is also a living entity within this durgā. So those who are asuras… Those who are not cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are asuras. For them, the Durgā's trident is on the chest of the asura. You have seen that picture.

So you cannot get out of this durgā simply by bribing, by satisfying. You have to satisfy Durgā in a different way, in a different way. Just like… These are very easy to understand, that if you are in prison house, if you satisfy the superintendent of jail, somehow… I have seen in Delhi that one man was… He was a very nice young gentleman, and he was typing. He was typing. So I was… He was a fair gentleman, very nice looking young man. So I talked with him, "What is your case of condemnation coming?" So he acted as a spy in some government secretarial department. So he was put into prison for ten years. But he was educated, he was intelligent, and he pleased the superintendent of jail. Therefore, instead of keeping him in ordinary cell, he was put into the office and type. Now, try to understand. This prisoner, by his satisfying the superintendent of jail, he is little given concession not to be placed in ordinary cell, but he is working (in) the office as a typewriter. Or he is given some… Or there are many political prisoners, they are given first-class bungalow, first-class residence, and all facilities. But the superintendent of police has no power to release him. That is not possible. That is not possible. Similarly, by bribing or by satisfying Durgā, you can get a comfortable position within this material world, but your real business is how to get out of it. That Durgā cannot give. Hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti. So long you do not come to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa… Mām eva prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. Unless you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, there is no possibility of getting out of the clutches of māyā. That is not possible.

So we shall discuss further tomorrow. (end)

710216CC.GOR

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.154

Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971

Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu is quoting from Viṣṇu Purāṇa. As I have told you the other day, there are eighteen purāṇas: sattvika-purāṇa, rajasic-purāṇa, and tamasic-purāṇa. The whole scheme of Vedic culture is to reclaim all fallen conditioned souls to the platform of transcendental realization. That is the scheme. There are different status of human understanding according to the association of the qualities. The living being is just like a spark of the complete fire. Brahman is the complete fire, and the living entities are just like sparks. The equality with Param Brahman and individual living entity is on the qualitative basis. The quality is the same. Brahman, Param Brahman. Jivātmā, Brahman, spiritual, and Paramātmā, or Parameśvara. He is supreme, complete.

So Viṣṇu Purāṇa is for the persons who are on the platform of sattva-guṇa, those who are associating with the modes of goodness. This is not correct that everyone is one the same platform. Generally, at the present moment, people are in the platform of tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, mixed. So one has to rise to the platform of sattva-guṇa. And then, after transcending the sattva-guṇa, also when one is situated in śuddha-sattva, or pure sattva-guṇa… In this material world, even sattva-guṇa is sometimes contacted with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa; therefore it is not completely pure. No guṇa is pure. It is mixed-up always. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So one has to transcend these guṇas; then God realization, or understanding of Kṛṣṇa, can be achieved. But the devotional service, vidhi-bhakti, the process of rendering devotional service to the Lord according to the prescribed regulative principles in the śāstra, helps us to transcend all these qualities. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. Who? Māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. Anyone who is engaged in pure devotional service to the Lord, he is immediately on the transcendental position, I mean to…, surpassing the three guṇas. Sa guṇān… Guṇān, bāhu-vacanam, plural number. Immediately. Therefore, we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If somehow or other one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he immediately becomes liberated. Immediately becomes liberated. Because Kṛṣṇa says that sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. And that is a practical application we are now experiencing while preaching in the Western world. The Western world, as you know, ninety-nine percent, they are in the tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. They are very active, working day and night. We are also, here in India. That is rajo-guṇa. And tamo-guṇa, ignorance, and rajo-guṇa, passion. Rajo-guṇa is better than the tamo-guṇa in the sense: in the tamo-guṇa people are lazy, sleeping, lethargic, but in the rajo-guṇa they are active. But they are active only for sense gratification. So rajas-tamo-guṇa. So we have to make further progress to be situated in sattva-guṇa.

So Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Lord Caitanya quotes from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa,

viṣṇu-śakti parā proktā

kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā

avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

The Brahman is not niḥśakti, as some philosophers, Māyāvādī philosophers, they say, "The Brahman is inactive." He's not inactive. He is parāsya brāhmaṇa śaktir sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. Sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat. His energies are acting. The example is: just like fire… Just like the sun. Sun is situated in one place, and the sun's energies are working, heat and light. Heat and light is working. The whole material creation is resting on the heat and light of the sun. That's a fact. Similarly, this sun is only reflection. Just like moon is reflection of the sunlight, similarly, this sun is also reflection of the brahmajyoti. And what is that brahmajyoti? Brahmajyoti is the bodily rays, effulgence, effulgent rays of Kṛṣṇa. You have seen, Kṛṣṇa's head is always auraed. That rays is, I mean to say, distributing different energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. That energies, or multi-energies, are coming out. Just like from sunlight so many things are emanating. Yes. So many energies are coming out. All colors, everything, all material existence, is due to the sunlight. Similarly, the whole creation, whole material and spiritual creation, that is resting on the rays emanating from the bodily effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40].

yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-

koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam

tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.40]

This is a prayer from Brahmā, that Brahman is the prabhā, or the effulgence, of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. First of all, the brahmajyoti is coming. And Kṛṣṇa also says, brāhmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Brahman is not ultimate. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. First realization is Brahman, impersonal Brahman, then Paramātmā, and then Bhagavān. So Bhagavān is the ultimate. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. So brahma-tattva, impersonal brahma-tattva, is not ultimate. The ultimate is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the Vedic verdict.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu is therefore quoting from different Vedic literatures to prove that the Absolute Truth is person, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa, full with six opulences. As in the Parāśara-sūtra there is aiśvaryasya samāgrasya. When Kṛṣṇa was present He exhibited full strength of six kinds of opulences. So the… Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the fact. That is the Vedic version. It is not that some of the Kṛṣṇa's devotees have taken Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme, or He is originally imperson and He takes a form, accepting a material body. These are not right conclusions. In the Kūrma Purāṇa it is said that there is no distinction between the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and soul. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they distinguish that "Kṛṣṇa's soul is different from His body." That is Māyāvāda philosophy. But that is not the fact. There is no such difference. (aside:) What is that sound? Who is making that?

Pradyumna: Cutting, cutting vegetables.

Prabhupāda: All right. Don't mind. Just like Dr. Radhakrishnan says that… When the verse, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ [Bg. 18.65], so Dr. Radhakrishnan says that this man-manā means, it is meaning the inner soul of Kṛṣṇa. You see? He does not know that there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and His soul. His soul and body, the same.

So these things are, I mean to say, creating havoc in the matter of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Instead of taking Bhagavad-gītā as it is, persons who have no knowledge practically, or poor fund of knowledge, they are commenting in different way, and people are misled. As sometimes our, these Europeans, Americans, they say frankly that "For many hundreds of years, the Bhagavad-gītā was known in Europe and America, and many swamis went there. They gave reference to the Bhagavad-gītā, but there was no, not a single devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Not a single devotee." Prior to this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they had not a single devotee of Kṛṣṇa, as you are finding. Now Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, and they are understanding rightly, and they are becoming devotee. Anyone who will read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malcommentation, he'll become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. And when he becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, accepting the principle, "Kṛṣṇa is all in all," vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. That position we have to attain. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching is based on that principle. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. That is His… He is Kṛṣṇa also. According to Vedic evidence, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇa. He belongs to the category of Kṛṣṇa, but He is playing the part of a devotee of Kṛṣṇa in order to teach us how to love Kṛṣṇa, how to approach Kṛṣṇa. As such, if we accept the process enunciated by Lord Caitanya, then it is very easy to approach Kṛṣṇa.

To approach Kṛṣṇa is not very easy job, because Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānām [Bg. 7.3]. Koṭiṣv api mahā-mune. That is also stated in the Padma Purāṇa, that muktānām api siddhānām. Those who are muktas… To become mukta, that is also difficult job. Out of many millions of jñānīs, one becomes mukta, really liberated. And out of many millions of muktas, or liberated, kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ, kaścid, not all, somebody may understand what is Kṛṣṇa. So it is so difficult job. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has appeared as a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, and He is giving you the mercy, causeless mercy so that you can understand Kṛṣṇa very easily. That is the special gift of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We should always know that to understand Kṛṣṇa is very difficult, especially for this age, when people are very much fallen. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ [SB 1.1.10]. The people of this age, they are very slow. Practically, they have no intention for utilizing this human form of life. Generally, people, especially in the Western countries, they are simply interested like animal-eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That's all. We are also imitating in India. We have also made our business… This is animal business. So therefore mandāḥ, they are not at all interested. As Kṛṣṇa as a devotee descended on this planet, Lord Caitanya, to canvass for Kṛṣṇa, similarly we, the servants of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are canvassing door to door. That is our business. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he has taught us how to canvass door to door for accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What is that? The process is dānte nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipātya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi.

Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. He was uncle of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who started at Vṛndāvana the Rādhā-ramaṇa temple. Perhaps you know. So this Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī was a gṛhastha, a householder. Later on, after meeting Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he accepted sannyāsa. Then he wrote a book, Caitanya-candrodaya, very nice book. In that, this verse appears. He is canvassing on behalf of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, or on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is combination of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of the Gosvāmīs.

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād

ekātmānāv api (bhuvi purā) deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau

caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ

rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitaṁ naumi kṛṣṇa-svarūpam

[Cc. Ādi 1.5]

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is combination of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. That is the… This śloka is made by Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, who was personal secretary of Lord Caitanya. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving us the easiest process to approach Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not easily approachable, especially in this age. Because the Bhāgavata says, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10]. They are very slow; they're reluctant. They don't care for the opportunity they have got. This is a great opportunity we have got, this human form of life. Once missed, you do not know what is the loss. We do not know what is going to happen in our next life. But if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is guaranteed that you get another human form of life. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sanjāyate [Bg. 6.41]. Not only human form of life, you get in a very good family. That is assured in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So my Guru Mahārāja used to say that "Don't take the risk of waiting for another life. In this life." Because there is no certainty. So our propaganda, "Take to this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't risk. Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." What is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. That's all. Always think of Kṛṣṇa. Is it very difficult job?

Yamunā: No.

Prabhupāda: Just see. A girl, she says it is not difficult. She is not saying without any understanding. She has the understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So… And man-manā, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. If you chant this mantra and hear Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, so there is no expenditure, there is no loss. You can chant this mantra while walking on the street, while passing in train or in bus. What is the loss?

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

People are crying for votes (loudspeaker heard from outside). So… But they are not inclined to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You see. Crying, "Give me vote, give me vote, give me vote, give me vote." You see? How wasting their time. What they'll do, getting votes? How long they will remain a minister? But mandāḥ sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10]. Their opinion is very bad, sumanda-mati, or they do not take any right conclusion. And Bhagavad-gītā says, tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām [Bg. 7.23]. These activities, they are temporary, will end within some years, but still, they are so much busy with this business. Therefore this kind of occupation is for the alpa-medhasaḥ, those who have got very little brain substance. Medhaḥ means brain substance.

So these things are there, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. Manda-bhāgyā, also, very poor. In this age, practically everyone is very poor, mostly, the population. You don't think that in America there is no poor man. There is poor man. Although they are getting money, very large sum of money, but they are utilizing in a different way, and they are poor. There are many poor. Intentionally, they have become poor. So therefore it is called manda-bhāgyā, that this… Each word of the Vedic scriptures is so nice. In spite of… In America I have seen. In spite of ample money and resources, some people have voluntarily accepted to remain as very poor and wretched. Voluntarily. They like that. They have no systematic life. Therefore Bhāgavata says, manda-bhāgyā. If we are unfortunate, even despite all facilities, we cannot be able to accept it. That is called misfortune. Not that in the absence of money and other facilities, one becomes unfortunate, but even in the presence of all these things, one is unfortunate. That is the characteristics of this age. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ [SB 1.1.10].

So in this age, how it is possible to become siddha? Mukta api siddhānāṁ koṭiṣv api mahā…, nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇa is not very easy job. Muktānām api siddhānāṁ koṭiṣv api mahā-mune. But this is the special mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that He is compassionate. Seeing the fallen souls of this age, He is distributing kṛṣṇa-prema so cheaply. What is that? "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," that's all. Simply by chanting. Ihā haite sarva siddhi haibe tomāra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is blessing everyone that "Be blessed. Take this benediction of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and be blessed." So why should we give up this opportunity? That is our propaganda. Just like Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he is imploring, dānte nidhāya tṛṇakam. You know, in India, when one becomes very humble, submissive, he takes a straw in his mouth. Perhaps you know. Even in the village, still it is going on, that "I have become very humble, submissive to you." Dānte nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipātya. "And falling down on your feet," kṛtvā ca kāku-śatam, "and flattering you in hundred times," ahaṁ bravīmi, "I am just submitting before you one request." What is that? He sādhavaḥ: "You are very great, you are very nice, and you are all sādhus. But my request is," sakalam eva vihāya dūrād, "whatever you have learned, please set aside for the time being. Please set aside." Sakalam eva vihāya dūrād. "Throw it away!" Then what to do? Sakalam eva vihāya dūrād caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: "Please submit yourself on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya."

Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. People misunderstood. Therefore Caitanya came. He took sannyāsa so that… It is the custom in our country that a sannyāsī is offered respect. That is our Vedic system. If one does not show any respect to a sannyāsī, he has to fast one day. That is the injunction. Still, India, they do not disrespect a sannyāsī, although many so-called sannyāsīs, they are taking advantage of this. That is another subject. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted sannyāsa so that people may respect Him. And simply by respecting Him, he'll be liberated. He is so kind. So Rūpa Gosvāmī, he offers his respect to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was prime minister in Nawab Hussain Shah's government. He retired and took to the path of Lord Caitanya. And when he first met at Allahabad, he offered this prayer: namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. "My dear Lord, You are so munificent, You are so liberal than all incarnations. You are liberal, you are merciful than Kṛṣṇa also." So namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: "You are offering love of Kṛṣṇa. It is so difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa, but You are so kind that You are directly offering love of Kṛṣṇa." Not only understanding, but also developing your dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.

So this is the mercy, causeless mercy, of Lord Caitanya. And He simply prescribes that you chant this mantra. As you see, these boys, when they're chanting, how they are in ecstasy. Immediately on the transcendental platform. Immediately. Not only here, everywhere where they are chanting. In every temple, if you see… The advantage of these boys and girls is that they have no other hodgepodge in their head. They directly accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they directly accept the instruction of Lord Caitanya, and they are making advance. Their fortune is that their brain is not congested with hodgepodge ideas. That is the idea. They actually… Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam [Bg. 18.66]. They have given up all other occupation and have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So India also, we can do that. What is the difficulty? We must do this We must accept this… Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān [SB 1.3.28], janmanām ante jñānavān mām prapadyate. We are cultivating knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says, "After cultivation of knowledge for many, many births…" Not in one life, but many, many births. "One, when actually intelligent, jñānavān, actually wise, he surrenders unto Me." Why should you wait for many, many births? Supposing that you are very intelligent, you are very wise, you are speculating, but according to Bhagavad-gītā, why should you waste your time in that way, speculating? Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ [Bs. 5.34]. Speculating process will not help you. Ciraṁ vicinvan.

athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-

prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi

jānāti tattvaṁ (bhagavan-mahimno)

na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan

[SB 10.14.29]

One who has not received the favor of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me [Bg. 4.3]. Just like Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa because he was a bhakta, he was a dear friend of Kṛṣṇa. So you have to become a dear friend, a bhakta, of Kṛṣṇa; then you'll understand what is Bhagavad-gītā, and then you'll be able to surrender unto Him. And the beginning of this devotional service is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]. Simply you hear. Śravaṇam, first business, śravaṇam; then kīrtanam. In this way, gradually, we make advance in devotional service. And Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. "Anyone who wants to understand Me, he has to follow the bhakti principle." Then he'll be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. Not any other process.

So our request is, like Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpada, dānte nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipātya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi, he sādhavaḥ sakala. Whatever you have learned, for the time being forget. Forget. Simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and you'll be happy.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break]

Guest (1): …particularly, the particular place, that is…?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is Goloka Vṛndāvana. Paras tasmād tu bhavo 'nya, mad-dhāma…, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6].

Guest (1): For a man, automatically, he can become Bhagavān. What I mean to say…

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guest (1): For a man, automatically, he becomes Bhagavān.

Prabhupāda: No. He becomes a servant of Bhagavān. He is servant of Bhagavān. Realization means when he realizes that "I am servant, eternal servant of Bhagavān." That is realization.

Guest (1): So his realization is not Bhagavān.

Prabhupāda: No. Servant of Bhagavān.

Guest (1): Different from Bhagavān.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (2): Sāyujya-mukti…

Prabhupāda: Sāyujya-mukti there is, but a devotee does not accept sāyujya-mukti. Sāyujya, sārūpya, sālokya, sāmīpya. There are five kinds of mukti, but sāyujya-mukti is not accepted by the devotees. But if anyone likes sāyujya-mukti, that is not difficult for Kṛṣṇa to offer him sāyujya-mukti.

Guest (1): So a man can can never become Bhagavān.

Prabhupāda: No. How he can be Bhagavān?

Guest (1): And never become Brahman also?

Prabhupāda: No, Brahman he's already.

Guest (1): He is already Brahman?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): And Paramātmā he is not.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Paramātmā is Param Brahman. There are two words, Brahman and Param Brahman. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is accepting Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. Arjuna is accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Param Brahman, the Supreme Brahman. (Hindi) Brahman, every living entity is Brahman, because part and parcel of Supreme Brahman. Just like particle of gold is gold. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta [Bg. 15.7]. Kṛṣṇa says that "These jīvas, they are My parts and parcels." So as part and parcel, they are also Brahman. Just like a particle of gold is gold, but it is particle, and that is mine. Spark. Spark of fire is fire, but that is qualitatively one, not quantitatively.

Guest (1): Naraji(?) Śrī Aurobindo…

Prabhupāda: Why you are quoting Aurobindo?

Guest (1): He is, he was also a saint.

Prabhupāda: There were many saints.

Guest (1): So I can ask one more question. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says…

Prabhupāda: Why don't you touch Bhagavad-gītā? Yes. Do you think Aurobindo is greater than Kṛṣṇa?

Guest (1): He says that…

Prabhupāda: He says he is greater than Kṛṣṇa?

Guest (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then he's a nonsense, if anyone says like that.

Guest (1): He says that…

Prabhupāda: What he has done greater than Kṛṣṇa? Why do you accept like that? What he has done greater than Kṛṣṇa?

Guest (1): He says, one who goes in…(?)

Prabhupāda: Don't say like that, unauthorized, he is greater than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. And you say he's greater than Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can say like that, "I am greater than Kṛṣṇa." So why do you accept like that unless you see practically that he has done greater than Kṛṣṇa? Huh?

Guest (1): That is a… And he said, I said… It can be said the Aurobindo was greater than Kṛṣṇa.(?)

Prabhupāda: No, no. Suppose if I say "I am greater than the President of the United States." Will you accept?

Guest (1): Sad-dharma (Hindi). How he says sarva-dharmān parityajya… [Bg. 18.66]?

Prabhupāda: Because you have created so many rascal dharma; therefore, you have to give it up.

Guest (1): The decision of dharma is dharati, sa dharma.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And what is that dhārayet? What is your position? You are servant. You cannot give up your servitude. All of you, you have assembled here. Can you say you are master? You are all servant. Is anyone that you are the master, supreme master? Who is a master? You are all servants, but you are servant of māyā. That's all. You are servant of your senses. Your senses dictate something, and you are obliged to abide by that. So you have to give up this service attitude of māyā and you have to take the real servitude of Kṛṣṇa. That is your salvation. Constitutionally, you are servant, nothing but servant. Artificially, you are claiming that "I am master." Nobody's master. You are servant. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. That is the real identity of jīva. He's eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So as soon as you accept that position, you are liberated. That is your natural position. You are constitutionally a servant. Artificially, you are thinking, "I am master." That is māyā.

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare

pāsate māyā tare japatīyā dhare

Why you are…, we have come in contact with māyā? Because artificially we're thinking that "I am the lord." Everyone is trying to be lord here in this material world. And when he's frustrated, he says, "Oh, it is false." Nobody is master. Everyone is servant. Try to understand this fact. Who is not a servant here? Is anyone, that "I am not servant, anyone's servant"? Everyone is servant. If anyone has nothing to serve, he keeps a dog and cat and becomes servant of the dog and cat. I have seen in America. He has no family responsibility; still, he keeps a dog and serves whole day, and he says, "The dog is the best friend." Because you want to serve. That is your attitude. That is your constitutional position. You want to serve; you want to love somebody. And if is misplaced, that is māyā. When it is properly done, that is liberation.

Guest (3): But Mahaji reveals(?) the person from the worshiper…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (3): And I think Rādhārāṇī helps a man to reach Kṛṣṇa, to hear, you know, the things…

Prabhupāda: Yes. Rādhārāṇī engages him to Kṛṣṇa's service. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]. You have to take shelter of spiritual energy or material energy. That is your position. Therefore, you are marginal energy. So when you take shelter of the material energy, you forget Kṛṣṇa. And when you take shelter of spiritual energy, you understand your real position. Prasāda dila.(?) You have taken prasādam? (Hindi) …that you are not master. You are all servants. (end)

710219CC.GOR

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.154-155

Gorakhpur, February 19, 1971 (Kṛṣṇa Niketan)

Prabhupāda:

…tathā parā

avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

So there are three kinds of energies. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has got unlimited energies, just like in the sun there is unlimited energy. You can imagine if so much energy is possible in a material thing which is created by God, or Kṛṣṇa, how much energy Kṛṣṇa has got. That can be easily… [break] …partial energy is there in the sun globe. For millions and trillions of years the waves of heat and light emanating from the sun, and still, it is as good as before. Similarly, we can understand from this example that the Supreme Personality has got unlimited energy. The example is given also, just like fire. The same thing…

eka-sthāne sthitasyāgner

jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā

parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis

sarvedam akhilaṁ jagat

Just like a fire situated in one place distributing unlimitedly, or limitedly, its heats and energies, heats and light, similarly, whatever we are experiencing within our views in this material world, they are simply manifestation of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā: [Bg. 9.4] "I am all-pervading, spreading, in this material manifestation, jagat, in impersonal feature, avyakta-mūrtinā." Everything… Avyakta means Kṛṣṇa is not manifested there, but we can feel. Just like when you see some smoke from a distant place you can immediately understand that there is fire; it is very easy. Similarly, if everything is going on nicely-the sun is rising exactly in the time; the moon is rising exactly in the time; they are illuminating; they are appearing, disappearing; everything is going on, seasonal changes-so if things are going on nicely you cannot say that these things are automatically happening. No. There is no such thing within your experience which is automatically managed. We must appreciate there is some brain behind it. Professor Einstein, the greatest scientist, he admitted that "As we are advancing in scientific research, we are coming to the conclusion that there is a very big brain behind all this." How you can deny that? And we are getting direct information from Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ

sūyate sa-carācaram

hetunānena kaunteya

jagad viparivartate

[Bg. 9.10]

So the progress of the material world… Progress, no… Progress means… In the material objects progress means… Just like a flower: it is in the bud, then it fructifies. That is progress. Again dwindles and vanishes. Ṣaḍ-vikāra. Just like your body, my body-progress means from babyhood, childhood, boyhood, youthhood. That is, up to that, youthhood, progress. Then as soon as youthhood passed, old age comes in, then dwindling, then finish. That means janma-sthiti-pralaya. It comes into existence, then it remains for some time, and again pralaya, vanishes, vanquish. This is the way of material existence. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. It takes place… Therefore in the Vedānta-sūtra, Brahman means the original source of appearance, maintenance, and disappearance. From Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, everything is emanating, janma. Janmādi. Janmādi means, janma sthiti and pralaya. So it is remaining in Brahman. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam avyakta-mūrtinā, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni [Bg. 9.4]. Everything is existing, maintained by Brahman. And when the whole manifestation annihilates, pralaya-prakṛtiṁ yānti māmikam-it enters into the energy, supreme energy of the Personality of Godhead. That is the way, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya. From the energy… In the Vedas also it is said, sa aikṣata sa asṛjata: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead glanced over." In the Bhagavad-gītā also, ahaṁ bijā-pradaḥ pitā [Bg. 14.4]. In the material energy, Kṛṣṇa gives the seed. Just like a father gives the seed, the semina, within the womb of the mother, and a living entity comes out, similarly, within this material world the Supreme Personality puts, impregnates, the material energy with the living entities, and they come out with different types of bodies, 8,400,000's. This is the creation.

So here Caitanya Mahāprabhu quotes one verse from Viṣṇu Purāṇa: viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. You cannot say that the Absolute Person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has no energy. Niḥśakti. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that the energy generates when impersonal Brahman enters into this material energy, or māyā. He has got a body of māyā. No. That's not the fact. Kṛṣṇa hasn't got the body created by this material world as we have got. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: [Bg. 9.11] "Those who are foolish persons, poor fund of knowledge, such person thinks that I assume a body with the help of material energy." Kṛṣṇa says Himself that sambhavamy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]-His own energy. That own energy is this viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā, spiritual energy. He does not accept a material energy, a body of material energy. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. So kṣetrajña, these living entities, they are also parā-śakti, cit-śakti. As we can experience two kinds of śaktis… One is cit-śakti and one is jara-śakti. Just like so long the cit-śakti is there within this body, it is living, it is moving, and as soon as the cit-śakti, the soul, departs from this body, there is no more movement. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the chief śakti, or…, not śakti, śaktimān, from whom-janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]-from Him this material world is coming out. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8].

So we should try to appreciate the energy of God. When Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: "I am all-pervading…" Sarvam. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, the same thing, as it is Vedic injunction, similarly Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā: "The all-pervading nature, the expansion of my energy, is the impersonal Brahman." That is impersonal. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ [Bg. 9.4]. That is Kṛṣṇa's power. Everything is resting in Him. That means in His energy. Śakti-śakti mat or abheda. His energy is not different from Him. So therefore this quotation given from Viṣṇu Purāṇa by Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very appropriate. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. Ksetrajña, these living entities… Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, you know. Ksetrajña means the living entities. Kṣetra means this body, and jña means proprietor or the knower of this body. Just like when there is some pain and pleasure, you know. Therefore you are kṣetrajña; we are all kṣetrajña. And Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. And that is Paramātmā. When Kṛṣṇa says, "I am also kṣetrajña…" Not this kṣetrajña. Sometimes they misunderstand that the individual soul, living entity, and Paramātmā is the same. No. He says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: "I am also one of the birds sitting on this body." That is confirmed in the Upaniṣad. Two birds are sitting in one tree. So one bird is witnessing. The witnessing bird is the Paramātmā, antaryāmī. He is looking after all your activities, witness. Anumantā upadraṣṭā. Bhagavad-gītā: upadraṣṭā. You don't think that whatever you are doing, nobody is witnessing. Sarvato pani-padas tat sarvato akṣi. Therefore, when it is said paśyaty acakṣuḥ… Paśyaty acakṣuḥ. Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has got such nice eyes that He can see your activities anywhere. He sees. But His that seeing, that eye or His eyes, are not exactly… Because we cannot see. As soon as I am closing my eyelids I cannot see you. So what is the power of this seeing? But He can see from within your heart what you are thinking, what you are feeling, what you are acting. And He is giving also sanction. You cannot act anything without His sanction because everything is property of Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. So if you want to enjoy something, you have to take sanction from the proprietor. Otherwise you cannot take, unless He sanctions.

Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]. This is the process. We have to understand. He is sitting within your heart.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmāyān sarva-bhūtāni

yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

[Bg. 18.61]

And as witness, as anumantā, as sanction-giver, I am thinking, "Oh, I…" Either you are playing or you are wanting some way. So Kṛṣṇa will give you all facility: "All right, you want? You have it." Māyā is there; she supplies you ingredients, and you and you get your thing. This is going on. Anumantā upadraṣṭā. But the action which you are engaged, the result you have to enjoy. You wanted some facility from Kṛṣṇa. You get it. You wanted to steal something from somewhere. Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence: "Yes, you steal. Come here. You steal. Here is the opportunity." But when you are arrested, you don't make responsible Kṛṣṇa. You wanted to steal. Here is the facility. That's all. So it is kindness of Kṛṣṇa that He is giving you all facilities. If you want to be a thief, He'll give you all facilities to be a first-class thief. And if you want to be a devotee, He'll give you all facilities to be a first-class devotee. Now it is your choice. Therefore we are suffering in our own choice. Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa [Bg. 7.27]. We wish something, we desire something, to have, and we hate something, to leave. Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facility, but we are not happy. By acting in our own way we are misguided. Otherwise we are, would have been happy. Suppose if somebody wanted that "Let me have one crores of rupees." "All right, you have it. Here is one crore of rupees." But after one crore of rupees you are not happy. These Americans, they wanted to be the richest nation in the world. They have become. But their children-not happy. They are becoming hippies. Their father is also not happy, because his boy has gone astray. The government is perturbed, bewildered, "What to do with these boys?"

Therefore, so long we shall want something for our sense gratification, without serving Kṛṣṇa we shall suffer. That is the proposition. In different ways we shall suffer. Therefore Kṛṣṇa very kindly, most confidential… Sarva-guhyatamam. Kṛṣṇa says Arjuna that "I am talking to you most confidential matter." What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam [Bg. 18.66]. "This is the secret of life. Don't bother yourself in this way and that way. That is the secret. You simply become surrendered unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "I am giving you guarantee. You have committed so many sinful activities life after life, and you'll suffer life after life. But if you surrender unto Me, I give you protection, guaranteed." Mā śucaḥ: "Don't be worried." Why don't you take this path? This is the way. Viṣṇu-śakti. We are visnu-śaktis, parā, para-śakti, cit-śakti. But we are not śaktimān. Śaktimān is Kṛṣṇa, and we are śakti. And when we consider that "I am śaktimān; I can do something," that is avidyā. That is avidyā.

There is another śakti, avidyā, avidyā-śakti. That avidyā-śakti is for these living entities, not for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is never covered by avidyā. Just like I… [break] …the cloud has covered your eyes. You say, "The cloud has covered the sun." That is nonsense. Sun is very, very, very, very big. What is the cloud? Maybe hundred miles' spread. But the sun globe is fourteen lakhs… [break] …that correct? So how the cloud, hundred miles' spreading cloud, can cover the sun? It is foolishness that "God is covered by māyā." No. God is never covered by māyā. But God's particles, they are covered by māyā. Jīva is covered by māyā, not God. Māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. Just like you face the sun, there is no darkness. If you keep the sun back side, there is a big dark, shadow. The shadow is māyā. It has no existence. It is simply impeding the sunshine. Therefore it is shadow. Māyā means which has no existence of its own accord. It is also created by the sun, the darkness. Similarly, this avidyā, when you forget Kṛṣṇa, there is avidyā. That is also Kṛṣṇa's creation. Because you want to forget Him, therefore He covers you with avidyā. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā. Another, another energy of Kṛṣṇa which is known as avidyā, or darkness, covers you. And what is the symptoms, that avidyā? Karma-saṁjñā. Karma-saṁjñā means you have to work hard. Those who are covered by the avidyā, they are working day and night. And actually those who are not covered by avidyā, they are depending on Kṛṣṇa. Actually everyone is depending on Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Whatever you are getting for your sense gratification, that is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. You cannot create anything. But by avidyā, he thinks that "I am creating."

prakṛteḥkriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

[Bg. 3.27]

He's thinking. Therefore, avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate.

There is another śakti. One śakti… Every śakti… Kṛṣṇa śakti… Just like Kṛṣṇa… Just like the sun is light, effulgence, and the sunshine is the energy of sun; it is also light. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. His energy is also cit-ānanda, sat-cid-ānanda. Therefore says, viṣṇu-śaktir parā. Parā means superior or spiritual. Kṛṣṇa is spiritual, and His śakti, it is called material. Actually, in the higher sense, there is no material energy. It is covered only. Just like sunshine, when it is covered by the cloud, there is light, but the light is not so strong, so in the material world we cannot feel the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are forgetful. Therefore so many people, those who are covered by this material energy, they say, "There is no God" or "God is dead," "You are God; I am God," "God is loitering in the street," so many theories of God. That is due to our covering of the knowledge how to appreciate God. The difficulty is that we do not follow the direction of the śāstras; therefore we are misguided. As I was speaking the other day, because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa for time immemorial, therefore these books are there.

ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā

anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela

Bahirmukha. Bahirmukha means those who are trying to be happy by adjustment of this material energy. They are called bahirmukha. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31]. This is their misconception, hope. They are hoping against hope. Don't you see? Everyone is trying to be very happy individually, nationally, but it is not happening. Sukhera lagiya, ei ghara bhandinu, agune puriya gelo (?). The nature's law is that, that it will set fire. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Bhāgavata says that "Why you are hankering after happiness? If you are destined to get some happiness, you'll have it. There is no need of your further endeavoring." "Why? Everyone is trying. I shall try." No. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. Just like you don't hanker after distress. Why distress comes? Why distress is forced upon you? So many people come to us, "Swamijī, I am in distress in this way and that way." But he never wanted this distress. Why it has come? "Similarly," Bhāgavata says, "when distresses come without your invitation, similarly, your happiness also will come without your invitation, hankering. Rest assured." Because you are under the laws of nature-prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi [Bg. 3.27]-so the effect will come. So don't try for moving your distress, or don't try, don't be puffed up with so-called happiness. God is… [break] …things will be managed. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. Don't think that you are managing. It is being managed by nature's law. Everything is there, destined. That is called adṛṣṭa. You cannot see, adṛṣṭa. Dṛṣṭa means seeing; a means not. Therefore everyone's business is to cultivate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only business of the human society. And there is ample opportunity. And the process is very simple. Why do you losing the opportunity? Don't do it. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12].

Now here again Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

yayā kṣetra-jña-śaktiḥ sā

veṣṭitā nṛpa sarva-gā

saṁsāra-tāpān akhilān

avāpnoty atra santatān

That avidyā, avidyā, this material energy, is covering me exactly like the cloud covering. Now, this cloud covering also in different stages-one… Some of you must have traveled in the air. The cloud is covered… [break] …little hazy, and when you go above the cloud, it is sunshine. So different stage of covering… Similarly, this avidyā or māyā is covering us in different stages, in different features. Māyā has got three qualities. Guṇamayī, māyā, Bhagavad-gītā says. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī [Bg. 7.14]. Guṇamayī means having three modes of material nature: sattva, tamaḥ, rajaḥ. So here also the same thing is. Yayā kṣetra-jña-śaktiḥ sā veṣṭitā nṛpa sarva-gā. That veṣṭitā… Either you are covered by the quality of goodness, or you are covered by the quality of passion, or you are covered by the quality of ignorance.

So the goodness, good man within this material…, he is also covered. He thinks himself that "I am very learned. I have nothing to do," or "I am now realized God. I have become God, Nārāyaṇa. I've become Nārāyaṇa." That is also covering, māyā's covering. He's speaking like that, that he has become God, but that is also another covering. Of course, he is performing very rigidly the Vedic principles. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means very severe austerity. Those sannyāsīs following the principles of Śaṅkarācārya, they strictly follow austerities, lie down on the ground, and taking three times bath even in very severe cold, and simply have a kamaṇḍalu, nothing more, and lying down on the earth without any bedding, so many austerities. They are going, undergoing, severe austerities. Why? Now, to rise up to the Brahman realization-āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam [SB 10.2.32]-paraṁ padam, that impersonal Brahman effulgence. But patanty adhaḥ, they fall down. Just see. After so much severe austerities, performing, they rise themselves to the brahma-pada, but they again fall down. For example, you know, many learned Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, very learned scholars, they suppose… They are supposed to have realized Brahman, but after few days they come to politics. You have… Perhaps you know. So many sannyāsīs, they go to fail for political affairs. Why? If you have realized Brahman, brahma satya jagan mithyā, why you are mingling matters here in the material world? That means he has not. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. He has come to the position of Brahman realization, but because he has no information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nirākāra-vādī, he falls down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. They don't care, this worshiping, or bhakti-mārga. They say, "Oh, these things are meant for the lower class of men or ignorant men, uneducated persons. Bhakti-mārga is for the uneducated persons." Their allegation is like that. But they are uneducated. They do not know what is education. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, "After many, many births of such cultivation of knowledge, when actually becomes wise…" Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān [Bg. 7.19]. What is the, that function? Māṁ prapadyate: "He," I mean to say, "surrenders himself," Kṛṣṇa says, "unto Me." How he surrenders? "Because after many, many births' culture of knowledge he can understand vasudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], 'Kṛṣṇa is everything,' that knowledge."

mayā sarvam idaṁ tataṁ

(jagad) avyakta-mūrtinā

mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

[Bg. 9.4]

These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very much authorized, scientific, and accepted by the all people all over the world. So why not accept it, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which was spread from this country? Why you are forgetting Kṛṣṇa consciousness? What is your reason? Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā [Bg. 9.33]. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. "The pāpa-yoni, whom we consider as pāpa-yoni, mleccha, yavana, caṇḍālas," Kṛṣṇa says, "if the mlecchas, yavanas, and caṇḍālas accept," māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, "they also become elevated to the highest perfectional stage of life." Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā [Bg. 9.33]. If the mlecchas, yavanas, and caṇḍālas are accepting, and they are making progress to the highest perfectional stage of life, why not the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas of India? Why they should lag behind? So join this movement and be happy. That is our request.

Thank you very much. [break] Now why don't you join? [break] You are going to surrender to Kṛṣṇa or not? There is still hesitation?

Indian: (Hindi) (end)

680108CC.LA

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 6.254

Los Angeles, January 8, 1968

Prabhupāda:

…nija-bhakti-yoga-

śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī

kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye

[Cc. Madhya 6.254]

This is a prayer offering to Lord Caitanya. The central figure, dancing, a boy about eighteen years old, He introduced this movement, saṅkīrtana movement, being compassionate with the fallen souls of this age. He recommended, He recommended from the authorized scriptures, not that He manufactured. Nowadays it has become a fashion to manufacture a certain type or system of religious or yoga principle. Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not do that. What He introduced, that is recommended in the scriptures, that "In this age, for spiritual realization, one may simply chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa means God. If you have got any other name for God, you can chant that also. It is not that you have to chant "Kṛṣṇa." But Kṛṣṇa means God. The word meaning of Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." Kṛṣṇa, from His beauty, all-attractive. From His strength He's all-attractive. From His philosophy He's all-attractive. From His renunciation He's all-attractive. From His fame He's all-attractive.

Five thousand years before, Kṛṣṇa spoke this Bhagavad-gītā; still going strong. It's so famous. And Kṛṣṇa claims that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. Most of you must have read Bhagavad-gītā, and in the Fourteenth Chapter you'll find that Kṛṣṇa says, "My dear Arjuna, in all species of life there may be as many varieties of forms." We are all living entities. Here even, even in human society, we have got different types of forms. Nobody will be exactly like the form of another gentleman. There is difference. So this is the beauty of creation. If you go to a tree, there are millions and billions of leaves, and you won't find one leaf exactly like the other. So there are varieties of living entities. Out of the varieties of the living entities, the human kind living entities are very small. From śāstra, from scripture, we understand that there are 8,400,000 species of life, 8,400,000 species of life. Out of that, aquatics, water animals or water-living entities, are 900,000. The botanist or the physiologist, how many they have seen or how many they have experimented or how many we have seen? But from the śāstra, from the Vedic scriptures, we find that there are 900,000's of species of life in the water, and 2,000,000 species of life in the botanical department. Similarly, there are birds, there are beasts, there are four-legged animals, and at last, the human beings. The human life is considered to be the developed form of all species of life. Darwin's theory also, some idea, gives some idea. I think he might have taken this idea from Vedic literature. But the gradual evolution is recommended, is, I mean to say, mentioned in the Vedic literature that from aquatics to plant life, then worms' life, then birds' life, then animal life… There are thirty-three hundred thousands of animal life. So at last this human form of life. And the human form of life, there are many species, some of them civilized, some of them not civilized. Some of them have no religion. But we can know from the history of human civilization that any civilized nation, it doesn't matter whether he's Christian, whether he's Muhammadan, or a Hindu, or Buddhist-there is some type of religion.

So in the Vedic literature (it) says that without religion, without accepting religion… Dharmeṇa hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If in some society there is no religion… Religion means to abide by the laws of the Supreme. That is religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Christian religion or Muhammadan religion or Hindu religion, religion means… Just like citizen, good citizen. Good citizen means who abides by the law of the state. It doesn't matter what he is. Similarly anyone, either he may be a Christian or may be Muhammadan or may be Hindu, that doesn't matter. Anyone who accepts the Supreme Lord, God, and abides by the laws of God, or laws of nature, he's called religionist or an advanced human being. But Kṛṣṇa says, "Either advanced or not advanced, that doesn't matter. It is a kind of dress only. But I am the father." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg. 14.4]. Just like father is the seed-giving agent into the womb of the mother, and then the child, baby, comes out… Without the combination of father and mother, there is no possibility of generation. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says that "In all species of life, the living entities, I am the seed-giving father, and this material nature is the mother." Nobody can deny. Because our this body… Just like the child's body is made by the mother. Father gives the opportunity to develop the body, and the mother supplies the ingredients for developing the body, similarly, God impregnates, God impregnates material nature with the living entity, and they come out in different forms: aquatics, birds, beasts, animals, trees, plants, vegetables, so many. And Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the father of all of them."

So my request to you (is) that don't accept Kṛṣṇa as something Indian god or Hindu god. No. Kṛṣṇa is the original father of all living entities. He claims. If you don't accept… If the father says, "You are my son," and the son says, "No, I am not your son," oh, that is son's prerogative. He may deny it if he doesn't believe his mother. Now what is the proof that one man is my father? The mother is the proof. There is no other source of understanding who is my father. If a boy wants to understand, "Who is my father?" the only authority is the mother. Mother will say, "My dear boy, my dear child, here is your father." You have to accept. If you say, "I don't accept. I must have proof that he is my father." How it is possible? It is not possible. Similarly, the Vedic literature is to be considered the mother and Vedic literature says, janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] "The Supreme Absolute Truth is that who is the source of all generation, all emanations." And what is that source? Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I am the father." So if you believe scriptures, Vedic literatures, if you believe Bhagavad-gītā, then you have to accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme father because the mother… Vedic literature is considered to be the mother. She gives evidence that Kṛṣṇa is the father. Just like mother gives evidence who is your father, similarly, the Vedic literatures is compared to a mother, and the Vedic literature says that Kṛṣṇa is the father. In your Christian literature, Bible, Jesus Christ is accepted as the son of God. He presented himself as son of God. And here Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the father." So there is no contradiction. The son of God also says about God, and the father also says about the God, Himself. The son of God says that "You surrender unto God," and God says, "You surrender unto Me." Then where there is contradiction? There is no contradiction.

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is to understand the father. It is nothing new. It is old. But in a new process, convenient for the people of this age. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. We have forgotten our father. We have forgotten God. The modern civilization, wherever you go, they say that "We are secular state." Secular state. Secular state means without knowing who is the father of the mankind. That is secular state. But the Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, a great logician during the time of Lord Caitanya, he was also godless. And generally, the so-called learned philosophers, scientists, or so-called educators, they deny the existence of God. They depend more or less on their experimental knowledge of science. But actually, the fact is that there is God. There is God. In every religion they accept there is God, and actually, the fact is there is God. In the Vedic literatures it is accepted, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said by Kṛṣṇa that "I am the father." Not only one place, in many other places. I am especially referring to the Bhagavad-gītā because most of you, you're acquainted with the study of Bhagavad-gītā. Similarly, in the Tenth Chapter you'll find, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: "I am the origin of everything." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "Whatever you see, that is from Me." Iti…

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

[Bg. 10.8]

One who understands this perfectly… One has to understand. So Kṛṣṇa says, "One who has understood that I am the origin of everything…" Budhā. Budhā means one who is learned. Bhāva-samanvitāḥ. Bhāva-samanvitāḥ means "with thoughts." Not that whimsically or sentimentally to accept something, but with thought. "With thoughtful attitude or mood, one who has understood this fact," budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, "he worships Me." These things are there.

So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, he was a great logician. He was unfaithful. Not… He was moralist, but he had no faith in God, or impersonalist. There are many persons who have faith in something superior or absolute, but they do not believe in the personal nature of God. But here, from the Bhagavad-gītā, we can clearly understand, from Bhāgavata we can clearly understand, from Vedānta philosophy we clearly understand that God is person, a person like you and me. Take, for example, in the Vedānta-sūtra, the first aphorism is janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The first sūtra is athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now you have to understand what is Brahman, or what is the Absolute Truth." The next aphorism is, immediately, that "The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates, the original source of all emanation." Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Janma, janma means birth. Ādi means et cetera. But janma, where there is birth, there is death and there is existence. Whenever there is birth, you must know there is death also. There is not a single instance you have got experience where birth is possible and death is not possible. This material world is going on in that way: birth, then existence, then development, then by-product, then dwindling, then vanishing. Six changes, everything. Either take your this body or a fruit or a flower, anything material you take, these six changes are there. First of all birth, then growth, then existence, then by-products, then dwindling, and then vanishing. So Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The original source of birth, the source of maintenance, the source of growth, the source of development, and the source of dwindling, and after all, vanishing, or the conservation of the vanishing elements, everything is the supreme Brahman.

So this janmādy asya śloka has been interpreted in various ways, but the most important commentator is Vyāsadeva. He's the original writer of Vedānta-sūtra. Not only he's the writer of Vedānta-sūtra, he's the writer of all Vedic literature. Vedic literature means four Vedas: Sāma, Atharva, Yajur, and Ṛk. And from the Vedas, there are Upaniṣads. There are 108 Upaniṣads. And there are Purāṇas. Purāṇas means those who will not understand the Vedic aphorisms and the Upaniṣads, statement of the Upaniṣads, for them, for ordinary men, there are many stories. The stories are concluded with the Vedānta-sūtra. Then there is Mahābhārata. You have heard all these names. Mahābhārata, the history, history of Indian royalty. The Mahābhārata is the history of fighting between two groups of royal family, the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus. And in that Mahābhārata you'll find all kinds of sociology, politics, religion, and military science. Everything is complete there. And in that Mahābhārata is put this Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is only a portion of the Mahābhārata. This was also written by Vyāsadeva. But at last, he was not satisfied. Or even after writing so many big literatures, he was not satisfied. So one day he was sitting very morose, and in the same time, his spiritual master, Nārada, came to see him. Because Nārada is not an ordinary spiritual master. He could understand that "My disciple is sitting morose. So I must go there and give him some encouragement because he's a great personality. He is giving human society so many nice things, but he's not very happy in his mood. So I shall go and give him some encouragement."

So I am reading from the Bhāgavata this introduction, how Bhāgavata was compiled by Vyāsadeva. I am reading that chapter. This is the First Canto, Fifth Chapter. So when his spiritual master, Nārada, came… It is the custom of disciple to receive him, and to give him nice seat, and offer obeisances, and then talk on different subject matters. So when Nārada came, Vyāsadeva offered him good seat, and…, comfortable seat, and offered his obeisances. Then Nārada is preaching to him. He saw his disciple Vyāsadeva very much morose. So he's asking,

pārāśarya mahā-bhāga

bhavataḥ kaccid ātmanā

parituṣyati śarīra

ātmā mānasa eva vā

"My dear Vyāsadeva, I see that you are not very happy. But I am asking you question, whether a person becomes ever-happy who has accepted this body as self or the mind as self?" There are two classes of men in the material world-I mean to say intelligent class. I am not speaking of the ordinary class of men. Those who are interested in knowledge, in higher thoughts, in philosophy, in religion, ethics, morality… So many things there are. In science, in literature… So Vyāsadeva is everything in one person. And he has written so many books, as I have described. Now Nārada is asking him, "My dear Pārāśarya…," Pārāśarya means Vyāsadeva was the son of Parāśara. His father's name was Parāśara; therefore he's addressing him, pārāśarya mahā-bhāga. Mahā-bhāga: "You are very fortunate. You have got the opportunity of doing the best service to the humanity by presenting such important literatures. Therefore you are mahā-bhāga."

To serve the human society is not ordinary task. And now it is not possible for any ordinary man. All great men or great personalities who have appeared on this earth and rendered great service to the humanity, they are still remembered. Just like in your country, President Washington, he rendered very valuable service to your country. He's still remembered. Recently, President Kennedy… He's still remembered. Similarly, those persons who have dedicated their life for the welfare of the human society, they are not ordinary men. Therefore he is addressed as mahā-bhāga, the most fortunate personality, because he dedicated his life for the good of the humanity. The greater man is engaged for the service to the humanity, he is considered the great man. Similarly, Lord Caitanya, He also renounced this world. You see His feature is just eighteen-years-to-twenty-years-boy. And after this movement, saṅkīrtana movement, at Navadvīpa during His householder life… He was married at the age of seventeen years. So He was considered to be a householder. And His first wife died at the age of twenty years. Then His mother requested to marry… [break]

…To do the best service to the humanity, that is His order. To do the best service to the humanity. He was so much compassionate with the human society. So by His grace, His philosophy, His teachings are now being spread in the Western countries. And I have taken up the humble responsibility. Please help me. You'll be happy. It is such a nice movement. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was also humanitarian. He's not a religionist. He was not meant for preaching a particular cult to gather some followers. No. It is the need of the human society, and He wanted to preach all over the world. Because it was not possible at that time, in His time. He lived only for forty-eight years. He took sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four years, and He passed away in… Twenty-four years He was very busy all over India. Therefore He left His legacy to the Indians, any Indian, to take up this cause and preach this cult of saṅkīrtana movement all over the world. So I shall request you to understand the philosophy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His movement. We have got already six centers, five centers in your country. I started first in 1966, July, in New York. Then I started in San Francisco, then Boston, then at Montreal. Of course, I did not go everywhere. These boys, the sincere boys and girls who are helping me, who have joined this movement, they are doing. This center was started also by one boy. I have come for the first time here. Now I will request you that this movement is nothing sectarian or anything bluff. It is the movement as the necessity of the human society. You join it, you consider it. You put your logic, arguments. In every way, you'll find that this is the necessity of the present day.

So not only one center in Los Angeles, but you open centers in every village, every country, every home. And the process is very simple. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance in ecstasy and everything will come within yourself gradually. Everything will come. You'll practically feel how you are becoming reformed. There is no need of wasting time. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement can be done at home, outside home, when you are working, when you are walking, every moment. So try to understand this movement and try to follow it. It is not sectarian; it is the need. I shall discuss all these points gradually. If you kindly come and attend our classes, I shall be very much thankful.

Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can ask.

Yes?

Guest or devotee: What should you be thinking about when you're chanting?

Prabhupāda: Beg your pardon?

Guest or devotee: What should you be thinking about when you're chanting…

Devotee: What should you be thinking about when you're chanting? What do you think about when you're chanting?

Prabhupāda: Chanting. You simply hear. When you say "Hare Kṛṣṇa," you try to hear the very sound, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." That's all. Nothing more. This is meditation. Your tongue and your ear should be engaged in sounding this transcendental vibration, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Best meditation. This is also accepted in Bhagavad-gītā: the best meditation. You don't keep your mind elsewhere. You keep your mind on the chanting. "Hare Kṛṣṇa," and hear. So this is responsive. When I was chanting, you were hearing; when you were chanting, I was hearing. So it is exchange. I hear your chanting, you hear my chanting. This is the process. So there is no possibility of thinking anything else. Best and the easiest type of meditation. Fully.(?) Factual. You at once become on the transcendental plane. Therefore we feel dancing. You see? So practice it and you'll see how spiritually you are making advancement. And it is very simple. When you are walking on the street, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is not tax. There is no expenditure. There is no loss. But the gain is very great. Why don't you try it? If without any loss, without any expenditure, you gain something, the supermost sublime thing, spiritual realization, why don't you try for it? We are not asking any money. We are not asking $250 for paying for hearing. No. It is freely distributed. Please take it and try it. Make an experiment. There is no business here. You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and try to hear the sound, that's all. Nothing more. [break]

Guest: I have a question. I was wondering why Kṛṣṇa is always portrayed as being blue.

Prabhupāda: Why the sky is blue? Can you explain?

Guest: Because the sky is blue?

Prabhupāda: Yes, why the sky is blue? First of all, you try to explain this. This is you are seeing every day. Can you explain? You don't? You cannot? Sky is blue! That's all! Therefore it is blue. Kṛṣṇa is blue! Therefore He's blue. (laughter)

Guest: But his consort, His consort is not blue.

Prabhupāda: Sky is the reflection of Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence; therefore it is blue. Just like if the cover of the light is blue or, I mean to say, red, the radiance also becomes… Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is blue. It is described in the Vedic literature, veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam [Bs. 5.30]. God's bodily hue is just like bluish cloud. But it is very beautiful. (end)

770124CC.BHU

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.128

Bhuvaneśvara, January 24, 1977

Prabhupāda: (chants Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava, incomplete)

kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

This verse we were discussing last night, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's statement that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not reserved for any particular person or nation or religion. The central point is that one must understand what is Kṛṣṇa. The other day somebody inquired, "What is the meaning of 'Kṛṣṇa'?" "Kṛṣṇa" means all-attractive. Unless God is all-attractive, how He can become God? So Vṛndāvana life means Kṛṣṇa comes, descends Himself to show what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God. So the picture, Vṛndāvana life, that is village life. There are villagers, cultivators, cows, calves-that is Vṛndāvana. It is not a big city like New York, London. It is village, and the central point is Kṛṣṇa. This is Vṛndāvana life. There the gopīs, they are village girls and the cowherd boys, they are also village boys. Nanda Mahārāja is the head of the village, agriculturist. Similarly, the elderly persons and the elderly gopīs, mother Yaśodā and her other friends-all are attracted by Kṛṣṇa. This is Vṛndāvana life. They even did not know what is Kṛṣṇa. They did not know by reading Vedas, Purāṇas, Vedānta, to understand Kṛṣṇa. But their natural affection was for Kṛṣṇa.

So this svābhāvika ākarṣaṇa can be… At the present moment we have no natural attraction for Kṛṣṇa; therefore we must understand by knowledge what is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa tattva vettā. So why one should be attracted to Kṛṣṇa unless Kṛṣṇa has all the attractive features? The attraction… Generally, in this material world we are attracted to a rich man or to a powerful man, man or woman. Just like our Prime Minister, she is woman, but because she is powerful, we are attracted. We talk of her. So the points of attraction are discussed by Parāśara Muni as bhaga. Bhaga means opulence. So these opulences… When one is very rich, he is opulent. One is very powerful, he is attractive. One is very influential, one is very beautiful, one is very highly learned… In this way, attraction. So if we scrutinizingly study the life of Kṛṣṇa, you will find in the history of the world than Kṛṣṇa there was no richer person, no powerful person than Kṛṣṇa, no beautiful person than Kṛṣṇa, more learned and person of knowledge, philosophy than Kṛṣṇa. If you study you'll find everything. The six opulences are fully represented in Kṛṣṇa; therefore He is Bhagavān. Bhaga means opulences, and vān means one who possesses. This is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa, that He is all-attractive because He possesses all the six opulences. This is the description of Kṛṣṇa. So we should not accept anyone and everyone as Bhagavān. We must test whether he has got the six opulences. A person who is begging from door to door, and when there is some bodily pain he immediately goes to the doctor-"Toothache, sir. Please give me medicine," so does it mean that he is Bhagavān? A Bhagavān cannot cure his tooth pain even? This class of Bhagavān we should not accept. Bhagavān is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, asamaurdha. Nobody can be equal to Bhagavān and nobody can be greater than Bhagavān. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says particularly, yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya: [Cc. Madhya 8.128] "One who knows Kṛṣṇa specifically, not superficially, but in all details, What is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, he can become guru." Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā about Himself, kṛṣṇa-tattva, about…, the truth about Kṛṣṇa we can understand from Bhagavad-gītā with our intelligence. Just like Kṛṣṇa describes that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Now you study this one line that Kṛṣṇa says, "There is nobody greater than Me." Now you study Kṛṣṇa's life, Compare with anyone and you'll find, "Yes. Nobody is greater or equal to Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa.

So at the present moment the defect is that people are not very serious to understand of Kṛṣṇa, because in this age, as it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about the people of this age,

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ (sabhya)

kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ

mandāḥ sumanda-matayo

manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ

[SB 1.1.10]

Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ. People are living not as they used to live formerly. In this age, Kali-yuga, the maximum years one can live: hundred years in this Kali-yuga. Hundred years. In the Dvāpara-yuga it was one thousand years. In the Tretā-yuga it was ten thousand years. In the Satya-yuga it was hundred thousand years. It is reducing. Kali-yuga means the duration of age will reduce, the memory will reduce, the bodily strength will reduce, mercifulness will reduce. In this way everything will reduce. This is Kali-yuga. Supply of foodstuff will be reduced. This is Kali-yuga. So mandāḥ. Everyone is bad, not full strength. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. And everyone has got a sumanda-mata. Mata means opinion or system which is also sumanda. Not only mandāḥ but sumanda. Everyone is manufacturing a type of Bhagavān, a type of religious system. That is not bona fide at all. Sumanda-matayo. Mandāḥ sumanda matayo. And everyone is unfortunate, manda-bhāgyā, unfortunate in this sense: they do not know what is the aim of life, how human life should make progress.

(aside:) So you can read the explanation of this. He will explain in Oriya. Purport.

Hari-śauri: Translation: "Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī, or a śūdra, regardless of what he is, he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa." Purport: "This verse is very important to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains that one should not think that because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born a brāhmaṇa and was situated…"

Indian translator: Kindly read one sentence.

Prabhupāda: One sentence. Yes. One sentence, finish talk. Then he'll explain.

Hari-śauri: "One should not think that because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born a brāhmaṇa and was situated in the topmost spiritual order as a sannyāsī it was improper for Him to receive instructions from Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya, who belonged to the śūdra caste." [break]

Prabhupāda: …prabhu said,

yei bhaje sei baḍa abhakta hīna chāra

kṛṣṇa bhajanete nāhi jāti-kulādi-vicāra

[Cc. Antya 4.67]

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's vision. There is no such distinction that one is lower and higher in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In the śāstras it is clearly stated that unless one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he cannot become guru.

ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro

mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ

avaiṣṇavo gurur na syāt

ṣaḍ-vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ

It is said that a brāhmaṇa, even though he's well-qualified, ṣaṭ-karma, brāhmaṇa's six occupation, ṣaṭ-karma-paṭhana pāṭhan yajana yājana dana pratigraha-ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ, and he's well expert in Vedic hymns, Vedic understanding-mantra-tantra, Pañcatantra, everything is competent-but avaiṣṇava, if he's not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot become guru. Ṣaḍ-vaiṣṇava śva-paco guruḥ. But if a Vaiṣṇava, even though he may come from the caṇḍāla family, śvapaca, the dog-eater's family-that is considered the lowest in the human society-if he becomes a Vaiṣṇava, he is fit for becoming spiritual master. This is the śāstric injunction. Our guru, out of the Six Gosvāmīs, one of them, he has given his direction in the Bhakti… What is that? Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. A person who is not Vaiṣṇava… Vaiṣṇava means kṛṣṇa tattva vettā. If he's not well versed in the science of Kṛṣṇa, if his behavior is not Vaiṣṇava… Sadācāra-sampanna. Vaiṣṇava must have dvādaśa-tilaka, śikhā, sūtra, kunti, and there are many things, description. Sadācāra-sampranna, Vaiṣṇava. If he's not that, simply by education if he speaks about Kṛṣṇa, one should not hear. One should not hear. These are professional men. If you pay him something, he'll speak for some time, but his behavior is not Vaiṣṇava. So from such person it is forbidden to hear about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or anything about Kṛṣṇa. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. So one may say that "He's speaking about Kṛṣṇa, so what is the wrong there? He may be misbehaved, but he's speaking about Kṛṣṇa." So that Sanātana Gosvāmī says, pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathāmṛtam is always pure. That's all right. But avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛta, śravaṇam… Why? Sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Everyone knows milk is very nice and nutritious food, but if it is touched by the lips of a serpent, it is spoiled, no more to be… So it is forbidden, that we should not try to understand about Kṛṣṇa from a person who is not Vaiṣṇava. Explain. [break]

At the present moment there are so-called scholars, politicians or philosophers, they have nothing to do with Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, but just to take advantage of the Bhagavad-gītā they are explaining Bhagavad-gītā in their own way. [break] One should not spoil his life by hearing or understanding the version given by such avaiṣṇava. So if we want to derive actual benefit from the Bhagavad-gītā, we must approach such person who has understood what is Kṛṣṇa. So therefore Kṛṣṇa gives the direction:

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśanam

[Bg. 4.34]

We should approach, we must approach, yei kṛṣṇa tattva vettā. We must learn from him about Kṛṣṇa. Then we can understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise not possible. Go on reading. [break] …movement here giving this yajñopavita to the Europeans and Americans because they are now qualified. So sometimes we are criticized in India, that "Bhaktivedanta Swami is spoiling Hindu religion." But it is not actually the fact. We are increasing the number of Hindus. Unfortunately these, our these European and American disciples, these so-called brāhmaṇa priests of Jagannātha Purī, they do not allow.

Guest (1): Americans, they are not allowed to see Jagannātha temple. What Prabhu Bhaktivedanta is doing? What he's doing for them?

Prabhupāda: That is up to you. We… [break] …vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, arcye śilā-dhīr. Everyone knows in the temple… Just like Jagannātha. Everyone knows Jagannātha is made of wood, or, in other temple, made of stone. But people, do they come to see wood and stone? So if anyone thinks… Sometimes the atheist class, they think that "These foolish men, they are going to see a piece of wood." This is nārakī-buddhi. Similarly, arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. Those who are acting as guru according to the description, if somebody thinks that "This man is ordinary person," and vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, similarly caraṇamṛta, Gaṅgajala, if somebody thinks ordinary water, so "he's nārakī." So these Europeans, Americans who are properly initiated according to Vaiṣṇava system, according to Caitanya Mahāprabhu's indication, if somebody thinks their jāti, angrej jāti or American jāti, he's nārakī. What can be done?

Guest (2): What are the reasons why one should not hear from one who has got sufficient knowledge on Lord Kṛṣṇa if he is not outwardly a Vaiṣṇava? That means he's not having śikhā or kunti, like that.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Hari-śauri: He says, "What's wrong with hearing from someone if he has some knowledge of Kṛṣṇa even if he doesn't have a śikhā and tilaka and what have you?"

Prabhupāda: That is the injunction of authority. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-ka…, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. We have to abide by the orders of the superiors. "Why?"-there is no question. Authority says; you have to accept. You cannot say "Why?" Vedic injunction. Therefore Kṛṣṇa was accepted as guru by Arjuna. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. Because as friend and friend the reply and argument will go on, to stop this argument Kṛṣṇa is accepted as guru, not as friend. Similarly, when you accept a guru, you must accept guru according to the Vedic principle. So here guru, Sanātana Gosvāmī, he is giving the injunction that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. Exceptional case is different, the paramahaṁsa stage. But a guru, although he is paramahaṁsa, because he is teaching, he come down as madhyama-adhikārī. There are three kinds of Vaiṣṇava: kaniṣṭha adhikārī, madhyama adhikārī and uttama adhikārī. Uttama adhikārī may be without kunti, without śikhā, without Vaiṣṇava symptoms. He's paramahaṁsa. But when he comes to the preaching platform he must become a madhyama adhikārī, not to imitate uttama adhikārī, because he has to teach. He cannot deviate from the teaching principles. So what you are speaking, that "Without śikhā without kunti, one can become guru," that is fact for the paramahaṁsa, not for the preacher. Preacher must behave very nicely.

Guest (3): Mahārāja, it is true that one should follow Kṛṣṇa consciousness for spiritual progress, no doubt, but who and why this present society situated which we observe in this world, in the modern civilization?

Prabhupāda: You can come please here. We can hear. You can come. What do you mean by "modern civilization"?

Guest (3): The civilization we are now going through.

Prabhupāda: So what do you mean by "modern civilization"? That means to violate all the rules and regulation? Does it mean modern civilization?

Guest (2): Question was, "Why there is a chaotic situation if…," I think if I'm understanding him correctly, "Why there is a chaotic situation? If God is to uplift the soul of all the persons, all the livings, why there is a chaotic situation?" Lord Kṛṣṇa has said that yadā yadā hi glānir bhavati… That is the answer, guru will say. Why there is a chaotic situation? That is his question, sir.

Prabhupāda: The chaotic sit…, must be there. Kṛṣṇa says one thing and you do other thing. So why there shouldn't be chaotic condition? You hear Kṛṣṇa, you follow Kṛṣṇa; there will be order. But if you do not follow, Kṛṣṇa says something and you do something… Kṛṣṇa says that,

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

sa kāleneha (mahata)

yoga naṣṭo parantapa

[Bg. 4.2]

Kṛṣṇa says that this Bhagavad-gītā,

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ

proktavān aham avyayam

vivasvān manave prāhur

manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt

[Bg. 4.1]

Kṛṣṇa says the way of studying Bhagavad-gītā, but you do not accept Kṛṣṇa's instruction. You read all rascal's Bhagavad-gītā commentary. Then why there shall not be chaotic condition? You do not follow. He strictly prohibits. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2], sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. Yogo naṣṭaḥ. As soon as the paramparā system is not accepted, the so-called commentary on Bhagavad-gītā is lost or rotten. So you are interested with the rotten commentary of so-called politicians, scholars. So how you'll get the benefit? Therefore it is chaotic.

Guest (3): Lord Kṛṣṇa preached Bhagavad-gītā in battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and it is afterwards written by Vyāsadeva.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (2): Is the Vyāsadeva got it out of his meditation, or how the actual thing which was conveyed to Arjuna was again in real thing took a shape in Bhagavad-gītā?

Prabhupāda: That you have no intelligence to understand. But what is given by Vyāsadeva, that is accepted by all the ācāryas. We are not so learned as you are, but we follow the ācārya. And it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, ācāryopāsanam. You must follow the ācāryas, the Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, even Śaṅkarācārya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then you'll get the real answer. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who follows the ācārya, he knows." Others, they do not know. So you cannot question "Why? How Vyāsadeva wrote?" That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sañjaya says vyāsa prasāda. How one can understand? By the mercy of Vyāsadeva. So we have to see. Instead of criticizing in that adverse way, we have to follow the ācārya. Ācāryopāsanam. So you'll find Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they have accepted in that way. So what is the use of our questioning? We should follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Otherwise it is not possible.

Guest (4): I think Bhagavad-gītā invisible treasure of all the sums of teaching of…

Prabhupāda: Invisible for the nondevotees. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. But for devotee He's visible. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. Those who are real devotee of God, they are hours seeing Him within the heart. So God is not invisible. Invisible for the atheist.

Guest (5): We see some invisible action and some outer action.

Prabhupāda: What is invisible?

Guest (5): Man is simple instrument in the hands of God. That I know. God is doing everything or the man? Then the point comes why the brāhmaṇas of the Jagannātha temple are not allowing foreigners… Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, ātmānu:(?) "I live in (indistinct)." That means this ātmā is Paraṁbrahma Himself. If so, why the brāhmaṇas of Jagannātha temple are not allowing them and…?

Prabhupāda: So why in other temples they are allowed? No. God wants that these rascals may remain in darkness. They cannot understand Vaiṣṇava. Let them remain in darkness. That God wants.

Guest (5): Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Hari…

Prabhupāda: No. Your answer is this, that "Why God does not…?" God wants that "These so-called brāhmaṇas who eat Jagannātha-prasāda with fish, let them remain in darkness, not to understand who is Vaiṣṇava."

Guest (5): That is true…

Prabhupāda: That is true. Take it, that. That's all. (laughter)

Guest (5): But to understand the God…

Prabhupāda: Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andhā-yoniṣu [Bg. 16.19]. Those who are vaiṣṇava-dveṣi, bhagavad-dveṣi, God keeps them in darkness perpetually.

Guest (5): What is the reason between man and God? That is the point we have to understood.

Prabhupāda: We have to understood… Come to this school and learn it, not in a minute.

Guest (5): Sir, not minute.

Prabhupāda: Then why you are asking all these things? You come, become a student, and learn. It is not so easy subject that standing for one minute, you'll understand everything.

Guest (5): Not standing. If God… If God is not doing everything…

Prabhupāda: God is doing everything. I have already explained. If you want to remain a demon, God will keep you in demonic condition. That's it. He is doing everything. That's a fact. And if you want to be devotee, then God can make you devotee also. Ye yathā mām prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmi [Bg. 4.11].

Guest (5): That would be good.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So…

Guest (5): That's why I asked of the point which is not clear to me. That's why I asked of the point. I know that God is, God is moving everything…

Prabhupāda: God is doing everything. That's a fact.

Guest (5): Kṛṣṇa says in the Gītā, "I am moving everything.(?)" If so, if Śrī Kṛṣṇa is in the heart, if not then… If Śrī Kṛṣṇa is entering in every heart-He's God-then Americans are also. If Kṛṣṇa is living in every heart, this ātmā itself, God, Paraṁbrahma, ātmā in māyā, being entangled…

Prabhupāda: The God never says the ātmā is Parabrahman. Why you are talking like that?

Guest (5): No. If the ātmā is not God, then what is there?

Prabhupāda: God is…

Guest (5): Due to the presence of a God… This life force is not God. Due to presence of God this ātmā is living.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Ātmā is there. You have studied Bhagavad-gītā or not? First of all tell me. Do you think ātmā and Paramātmā are the same thing?

Guest (5): Mostly the same thing. Yes. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. That is foolishness. First of all try to understand. That is foolishness. Ātmā and Paramātmā-different.

Guest (5): Advaitavāda, dvaitavāda, viśiṣṭādvaitavāda…

Prabhupāda: No, no. I am talking of Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Don't bring this vāda, that vāda. In the Bhagavad-gītā the ātmā and Paramātmā is not the same.

Guest (5): No, then, well… We have to accept dualism. There are two…

Prabhupāda: No. Whatever "ism," we are talking of Bhagavad-gītā. So Bhagavad-gītā-ātmā and Paramātmā different.

Guest (5): This ātmā is giving forms to Paramātmā.

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. That is foolishness. In the Bhagavad-gītā that is not stated.

Guest (5): With our intelligence we both cannot understand the thing, what is Parambrahman, but real philosophy is dvaitavāda, advaitavāda, one monism.

Prabhupāda: So dvaitavāda, advaitavāda, there may be. But we are talking of Bhagavad-gītā. In the Bhagavad-gītā what is there? You speak.

Guest (5): Knowledge of our ātmā. Bhagavad-gītā is connected to our ātmā. Excuse me.

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā, it is clearly stated that… What is that? Kṣetra-kṣetrajña. Ksetrajña. Just hear. Hear, please. Hear. Hear, please. Yes. Now, Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: "So I am also kṣetrajña, and the jīva is also kṣetrajña." So that does not mean… First of all hear. Then say yes or no. He says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata: "I am also kṣetrajñam, but sarva-kṣetreṣu." If ātmā… I am ātmā; you are ātmā. You know your kṣetra; I know my kṣetra. But I do not know your kṣetra; you do not know my kṣetra. That is Bhagavān. He knows everyone. Ksetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. So Kṛṣṇa or Bhagavān, He is sarva-kṣetreṣu, but you are only your kṣetra. Therefore dvaitavāda, two different kṣetras, kṣetrajñas. One kṣetrajña is all-pervading and one kṣetrajña is localized. Therefore two kṣetrajñas. It is dvaitavāda. Yes. You see Bhagavad-gītā? You have read Bhagavad-gītā?

Guest (5): In this ātmā, two kṣetrajñas.

Prabhupāda: In this… Not ātmā. In this body. There are two kṣetrajñas. One is the individual kṣetrajña.

Guest (5): But we mean to who is residing in the heart with the ātmā.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then He's kṣetrajña.

Guest (5): Who become splitted after our death, that is the kṣetrajña.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (5): Then it will be two.

Prabhupāda: There are two kṣetrajñas: one kṣetrajña, the individual soul, and the other kṣetrajña is Bhagavān. There are two kṣetrajñas. Dvaitavāda.

Guest (5): Yes. Then this monism and dualism, then what about the Viśiṣṭa-advaita?

Prabhupāda: No, no. We are talking of Bhagavad-gītā. Why you are bringing so many things? First of all try to understand the simple thing in the Bhagavad-gītā. Then bring big, big words. Yes, there are two kṣetrajñas. You have to accept it.

Guest (5): Two kṣetrajñas.

Prabhupāda: Yes!

Guest (5): Then duality.

Prabhupāda: Yes!

Guest (5): Then there are two Gods.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not two Gods. One God. One is servant. Not two Gods. There cannot be two Gods. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7].

Guest (5): Two kṣetrajña means two Gods.

Prabhupāda: Why kṣetrajña two Gods?

Guest (5): Because jña means God.

Prabhupāda: Then why two Gods?

Guest (5): Two kṣetrajña.

Prabhupāda: No! Two kṣetrajñas does not mean two Gods. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. So He is all-pervading. You are not all-pervading.

Guest (5): Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (5): But by sandhāna, by sandhāna…

Prabhupāda: So even if you say… Even if you…

Guest (5): I can also pervade. I can also pervade. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Bhāgavata: By sādhana he can become all-pervading himself.

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. That is foolishness.

Guest (4): There is no use in argument.

Prabhupāda: That is not possible.

Guest (5): In this body…

Prabhupāda: That is not possible. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva loke sanātana [Bg. 15.7]. Sanātana-jīva-loke jīva āṁśa. Āṁśa cannot be the full. Yes. Āṁśa, part, cannot be equal to the whole.

Guest (5): Then if we be the parcels of God, then what about prārabdha? We are suffering from pain and pleasure…

Prabhupāda: So you are suffering. God is not suffering.

Guest (5): No. God is not suffering.

Prabhupāda: Then, therefore, difference between you and God. You are suffering god and he's enjoying God.

Guest (5): We are enjoying the prārabdha, is it not?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (5): Pain and pleasure is part of God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That prārabdha. That is the… But God is not…

Guest (5): This is not argument. I have no equal.(?)

Prabhupāda: God is not under the laws of karma.

Guest (5): Swami, I want to know from swami.

Hari-śauri: If you want to know, then listen! If you want to know, listen. Don't speak!

Guest (5): All are waves and bubbles of the same sea. We are the bubbles and waves of the same sea, same Paraṁbrahman, this ātmā, Himself… (quotes Sanskrit) Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ… [break]

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa says ca, this word. Ksetrajñaṁ ca means "I am also kṣetrajña." Therefore He is different from the ordinary kṣetrajña. First of all try to understand this. Ca means different, another. And the difference is that sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata, whereas the individual kṣetrajña is within the body. That's all. [break] …there is no advaitavāda. There may be advaitavāda philosophy, but in Bhagavad-gītā there is no adva itavāda. It is dvaitavāda. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān partiyajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ: "You śaraṇaṁ vraja. You are different from Me"? Kṛṣṇa says. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa asked that "You surrender"? That you and I, different. That is dvaitavāda.

Guest (5): Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], that can I understood, all arguments.

Prabhupāda: No. You can understand anything, but that is not the thing. We have to take it as it is. We are therefore presenting Bhagavad-gītā as God is commanding you, that "You surrender." So you are different from God.

Guest (5): That means, surrender means I am not a doer. I am not doing anything. God, who is residing within me…

Prabhupāda: Surrender. Who will surrender? Unless you are servant, why shall you surrender? You are servant; God is master. So therefore master and servant different.

Guest (5): No, that is true. I am not God. But God is there within me. God is everybody.

Prabhupāda: That's all… God is everywhere.

Guest (5): He's within ant and dog and elephant and everybody.

Prabhupāda: That…

Guest (5): Due to presence of God, this small living being, due to presence of God…

Prabhupāda: God is within dog. Therefore does it mean God is dog also?

Guest (5): No. God is not dog. God is a …

Prabhupāda: Then you are putting the same argument. Because God is there within dog, therefore God is dog.

Guest (5): When we are talking…

Prabhupāda: Yes. they are talking like that: daridra-nārāyaṇa.

Guest (5): God is in everywhere.

Prabhupāda: God is everywhere. That is understood. But that does not mean… God says, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ [Bg. 9.4]. Why don't you read this?

Guest (5): No. That is true. If we will not believe that, then we will be helping people? We will be helping lot of people? No, that is not…

Prabhupāda: Well, we understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We don't make any interpretation.

Guest (5): In Bhagavad-gītā Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, "I live in everybody."

Prabhupāda: Who denies that? That does not mean God is everything.

Guest (5): No. God is not everything.

Prabhupāda: Then dvaitavāda-everything and God is different. That is dvaitavāda.

Guest (5): Then we have to love everybody, everything.

Prabhupāda: So who says no? Unless we love everyone, why we are traveling all over the world?

Guest (5): Love is God, accept, paraṁ dharma.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (5): Truth I understand.

Prabhupāda: That's it. That is… That is wanted. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram [Bg. 10.12].

Guest (5): Otherwise we can't love a poor man…

Satsvarūpa: Enough argument. Sit down. Then no more argument.

Guest (3): I think Lord has said in the Bhagavad-gītā…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (3): "Like sky, everywhere I am pervading, like one sun giving light to all."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (3): "So in all souls I am pervading."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (3): That much clear answer to his question, the difference between the all-pervading Lord…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (3): …and the individual soul.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (3): And also He has said that Paramātmā, He is Puruṣottama, greater than the soul. The soul is also…

Prabhupāda: Puruṣa. Soul is described as puruṣa.

Guest (3): Greater than him. So that also establishes that…

Prabhupāda: Dvaitavāda.

Guest (3): Yes. God is different. And we cannot say that we are equal to God.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And God says further, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: [Bg. 7.7] "Nobody is equal." Asamaurdha: "Nobody is equal to God; nobody is greater than God." That is God. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

661121CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.66-96

New York, November 21, 1966

Prabhupāda:

prabhu kahe-'tomāra dui-bhāi prayāge mililā

rūpa, anupama-duṅhe vṛndāvana gelā'

So Lord Caitanya informed Sanātana Gosvāmī that "Your two brothers, I met them at Prayāga, and they have started for Vṛndāvana." Lord Caitanya deputed the Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī to excavate the glories of Vṛndāvana. Before Lord Caitanya, the Vṛndāvana city was not there. The present Vṛndāvana city was not there. It was all forgotten practically. But when Lord Caitanya visited this land He made survey, and His assistants, these Gosvāmīs, they went there, and this present Vṛndāvana was constructed by the disciples of Lord Caitanya. So He said that "I have instructed your two brothers, Rūpa Gosvāmī, to go to Vṛndāvana, and I have met them."

tapana-miśrere āra candraśekharere

prabhu-ājñāya sanātana mililā doṅhāre

And He was guest in the house of Tapana Miśra. So He introduced Tapana Miśra with Sanātana Gosvāmī.

tapana-miśra tabe tāṅre kailā nimantraṇa

prabhu kahe-'kṣaura karāha, yāha, sanātana'

The Tapana Miśra invited him, that "Please accept your bhikṣā at my place." It is the system when a sannyāsī, or renounced order of life, is in the village or in the vicinity of a… So it is the Hindu system that somebody will invite. So Tapana Miśra invited him to take, accept prasādam at his place, and Lord Caitanya said that "First of all you get him to a barber and have him cleansed of, of his beard and hairs which has grown for so many days. Let him become a gentleman." The Lord said that "Let him become a gentleman."

candraśekharere prabhu kahe bolāñā

'ei veṣa dūra kara, yāha iṅhāre lañā'

"Just get him to a barber and clean, clean-shaven." According to the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya, they keep themselves clean-shaven. And only single instance is there, Advaita Prabhu. He had his beard. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu never asked Him to cleanse. Because one reason is that Advaita Prabhu was just contemporary to His father, so He did not like to dictate. But otherwise, all His disciples, they were clean-shaved.

bhadra karāñā tāṅre gaṅgā-snāna karāila

śekhara āniyā tāṅre nūtana vastra dila

Then, after getting him washed in the Ganges and cleansed by a barber, Candraśekhara offered him a new pair of clothing and… Sei vastra sanātana nā kaila aṅgīkāra. And Sanātana Gosvāmī did not accept that new clothing. Śuniyā prabhura mane ānanda apāra. And when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard it that Sanātana Gosvāmī, after renouncement, he's not going to accept any new clothing… So for a really renounced person is that whatever clothing is thrown in the street, he'll collect and he'll wear it. He would not purchase any new clothing. That is the order of strictly one who follows… Cīrāṇi. Sanātana… Svarūpa… Śukadeva Gosvāmī, in the Bhāgavata, he says that "Whether old clothings and torn clothings cannot be had on the street? Whether trees are not giving fruit? Whether the rivers are dried up? Whether the caves of the mountains, they are closed? Then why the renounced order of persons go to the viṣayi?" Viṣayi means those, those who are materialistic. Sometimes renounced order of life, sannyāsī, they go to the householders… Of course, that is their duty. But still… So Śukadeva Gosvāmī, a great personality in the renounced order of life, he would live naked. He would not go even to the human society. So those who are following strictly, they don't make themselves dependent on the householders or on the worldly people. So Sanātana Gosvāmī did not accept that new clothing, and when it was heard by Lord Caitanya, He was very glad.

madhyāhna kariyā prabhu gelā bhikṣā karibāre

sanātane lañā gelā tapana-miśrera ghare

Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu… There were two gentlemen, Candraśekhara Ācārya and Tapana Miśra. So Candraśekhara Ācārya took care of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Tapana Miśra took Sanātana Gosvāmī at his place to give him prasādam.

miśra sanātana dilā nūtana vasana

vastra nāhi nilā, teṅho kaila nivedana

Again Miśra offered him that new clothing, but he refused.

'more vastra dite yadi tomāra haya mana

nija paridhāna eka deha' purātana'

"If you like to give me some clothing, please give me some old clothing which you have used. That will suffice me."

tabe miśra purātana eka dhuti dila

teṅho dui bahirvāsa-kaupīna karila

Then he offered him one dhotī. Dhotī, in India, they use dhotī, about five yards, one dhotī. So he offered that dhotī, old clothing, and he divided into bahirvāsa and kaupīna, underwear and outward clothing.

mahārāṣṭrīya dvije prabhu milāilā sanātane

sei vipra tāṅre kaila mahā-nimantraṇe

Then again one Maharastrian brāhmaṇa also met him. He also invited him that "Next day, you please come to my place."

'sanātana, tumi yāvat kāśīte rahibā

tāvat āmāra ghare bhikṣā ye karibā'

That Maharastriya brāhmaṇa, he invited him, Sanātana Gosvāmī, "So long you shall stay at Benares, kindly accept my invitation. You come to my place and take your prasādam."

sanātana kahe-'āmi mādhukarī kariba

brāhmaṇera ghare kene ekatra bhikṣā laba?'

Just see. He said, "No, no. I cannot accept sumptuous foodstuff from a brāhmaṇa's place. That is not my duty. I shall accept mādhukarī." Mādhukarī is a principle introduced by these Gosvāmīs. Mādh, mādhu. Mādhu means honey. And the bees who collect honey from flower-a drop from this flower, a drop from that flower, a drop from that flower-in this way, he subsists. So this mādhukarī system means a renounced order of sannyāsī or a vairāgī, he should not accept in one place sumptuously. He should go to every householder and take a bit of capātī from this house, a bit of capātī from that house, a bit of capātī from that house, so that the householders also may not be disturbed and they may be benefited. When a real sannyāsī or vairāgi accepts something from the householder, it is a great benefit for him. Therefore to accept little from this house, to accept little from that house, that is also another mercy of the renounced sannyāsī or devotees of the Lord. Yes.

So he did not accept that invitation, that "I shall beg from door to door, and collect my capātī and live on that way."

sanātanera vairāgye prabhura ānanda apāra

bhoṭa-kambala pāne prabhu cāhe bāre bāra

Sanātana, he was so strict in renounced order of life, so that gave Caitanya Mahāprabhu too much pleasure: "Oh, it is very nice." But while he was coming, his brother-in-law gave him a nice blanket. That was on the body of Sanātana. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu several times overlooked about that blanket.

sanātana jānila ei prabhure nā bhāya

bhoṭa tyāga karibāre cintilā upāya

Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was very intelligent; he was minister. He could understand that "Lord is observing my blanket. That means He doesn't like that I should have such valuable blanket on my body." So he thought that "I should give up this blanket."

eta cinti' gelā gaṅgāya madhyāhna karite

eka gauḍīya kānthā dhuñā diyāche śukāite

Thinking this, he went to the bank of the Ganges and he saw one, another vairāgi. He had a torn clothing, and he, after washing it, he gave it for drying. So Sanātana Gosvāmī went there and asked him, "Please take this blanket and kindly give me your, that torn clothing." So that man thought that he's cutting jokes with him, that he wants to exchange such a nice blanket. So he said, "Sir, you appear to be very good gentleman. You should not cut joke with me in this…" Then Sanātana Gosvāmī, "No, I am not cutting joke with you. I am really serious. Please exchange this. You take my, this valuable blanket, and give me that torn clothing." And after taking that torn clothing, when he appeared before Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very much pleased. Yes.

prabhu kahe-'tomāra bhoṭa-kambala kothā gela?'

prabhu-pade saba kathā gosāñi kahila

He inquired again, "Oh, where is that, your blanket, that valuable blanket I saw? Where you left it?" Then he described that "I could understand Your opinion. So I have exchanged that valuable blanket with this torn clothing. Yes."

prabhu kahe-'ihā āmi kariyāchi vicāra

viṣaya-roga khaṇḍāila kṛṣṇa ye tomāra'

"Yes, I was just thinking of you. Now you are completely independent. You don't depend on anything. So it is giving Me much pleasure. Yes."

'se kene rākhibe tomāra śeṣa viṣaya-bhoga?

roga khaṇḍi' sad-vaidya nā rākhe śeṣa roga'

"By grace of Kṛṣṇa, your last attachment also now taken up. It is a great mercy of Kṛṣṇa upon you."

'tina mudrāra bhoṭa gāya, mādhukarī grāsa

dharma-hāni haya, loka kare upahāsa'

Then this is a hint by Lord Caitanya that a sannyāsī who has renounced everything, if he lives very gorgeously, with good dress, and good house, and apartment… No. This is not approved by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then what is that? What does it mean? A sannyāsī living like a first-class gentleman, smoking, and very nice apartment, and some, I mean to say, lady assistant, secretary… What is this? Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not approve. He must be, as far as possible… Whatever is absolutely necessity, he should accept, not more. Yes. That is renounced order of life, not that in the name of renounced order of life he should live at the expense of the householders, very gorgeously. No. This is not sannyāsa. It is not accepted by Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya.

So He says that "You live by begging from door to door, and you have a valuable blanket on your body. This is contradictory. Now I am glad that you have done this."

gosāñi kahe-'ye khaṇḍila kuviṣaya-bhoga

tāṅra icchāya gela mora śeṣa viṣaya-roga'

"Now You wanted me to be in renounced order of life. I first met you when I was at, in Bengal, in the capital of Gaudadeśa. And You desired me that I should be in renounced order of life. So I came, and my last attachment to that kambala is also now finished by You."

prasanna hañā prabhu tāṅre kṛpā kaila

tāṅra kṛpāya praśna karite tāṅra śakti haila

Now Sanātana Gosvāmī and Caitanya Mahāprabhu is sitting together for discussion. This is called "Instruction to Sanātana Gosvāmī." Caitanya Mahāprabhu had discussion with some of His principal disciples. One was Rāmānanda Rāya. Raya Rāmaṇanda, he was Governor of Madras, and later on he retired from that governorship and became a constant companion of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Although he was a householder, he never accepted renouncement, but still, he was con… He was the most confidential devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although he was a householder, because he was highly advanced in the science of Kṛṣṇa. So there was some discussion with this Rāmānanda Rāya, and there was some discussion with this Sanātana Gosvāmī, and some discussion with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, and some discussion with Rūpa Gosvāmī. So He had no other discussion with anyone, and the rest of His life was spent by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And these disciples, under the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they have made volumes of books on the basis of the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not write any book in His own hand. He wrote only eight verses, which is called Śikṣāṣṭaka. That was His only writing. Otherwise, all the books, valuable books that you have got in His sampradāya, they are written by His disciples, especially by Rūpa Gosvāmī. He's famous. Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, and that boy, the nephew of Rūpa Gosvāmī who left home at ten years old and later on, after becoming a very great Sanskrit scholar, he approached their uncles, that Jīva Gosvāmī. Oh, he has written many valuable volumes of books. So the asset of this Caitanya-sampradāya about this devotional service is very great. Very great. This Caitanya-caritāmṛta is also one of them. Yes.

So,

pūrve yaiche rāya-pāśe prabhu praśna kailā

tāṅra śaktye rāmānanda tāṅra uttara dilā

ihāṅ prabhura śaktye praśna kare sanātana

āpane mahāprabhu kare 'tattva'-nirūpaṇa

Now, after Caitanya Mahāprabhu's approval of renouncement of Sanātana Gosvāmī, He instructed him for two months at Benares. In the formerly… Here it is referred. In the formerly, as He instructed Rāmānanda Rāya at, in Kabul (?)-Kabul is a place in the Madras, South India-similarly, in that occasion the Lord was questioning Rāmānanda Rāya, and Rāmānanda Rāya was replying and here, in the similar way, the Sanātana Gosvāmī will question and Lord Caitanya will reply. So sometimes the disciple and the spiritual master, the relationship is like that. Sometimes the teacher questions to the student, and student replies, and sometimes the student questions to the teacher, and teacher replies. This is called iṣṭagoṣṭhī. To develop knowledge, these questions and answers are required. According to system of accepting a spiritual master, it is said that just after acceptance… Ādau gurvāśrayam. One must have to accept a spiritual master. Then the next position is sad-dharma-pṛcchāt. Then he should be very much inquisitive. A student… Not finishing, that "Now I am initiated. Everything finished." No. He should be very inquisitive. Unless one is very inquisitive, there is no necessity of accepting a spiritual master. That is the instruction in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. One has the necessity of accepting a spiritual master who is very much inquisitive about transcendental matter. Otherwise there is no necessity. Simply, "Oh, because so many people accept a spiritual master, so I'll have to accept somebody as spiritual master. My business finished"-no. One should be very much inquisitive. Yes. He must be very much eager to understand what is transcendental subject. Then his, this business of accepting a spiritual master will be fulfilled.

So here also… And when the questions and answers were going on between Rāmānanda Rāya and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Rāmānanda Rāya was not even a brāhmaṇa. Because in those days, the brāhmaṇas were very respectable community and they were learned scholars, so… And he was kāyastha. Kāyastha. Kāyastha, in… Of course, now…, not now, in some hundred or two hundred years before, these kāyastha were considered very lower caste. So Rāmānanda Rāya belonged to that kāyastha community. But he was very much learned. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He belonged to the brāhmaṇa community, and He was vastly learned. At the same time, He was in renounced order of life. So when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was asking question from Rāmānanda Rāya, he felt himself shy, that "I am a householder, and I belong to the kāyastha community, and Lord, You belong to the…, You come from the brāhmaṇa community, and You are so vastly learned. At the same time, You have accepted renounced order. So You are in all respect my master. How is that You are trying to understand from me?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed this example by life's activity. So he was hesitating that "I should rather put question to You as teacher, and You should answer me." But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "No, no, no. There is no such differentiation between master…"

kibā śūdra kibā vipra nyāsī kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

"It doesn't matter whether you are a householder, or you are a brāhmaṇa, or you are a renounced order of… If you know the science of Kṛṣṇa-you are fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness-you are My guru. You are my spiritual master."

So that is the relation between spiritual master and the student, not that the spiritual master, because he has officially accepted the post as spiritual master, he should remain as… He should accept the students also as his spiritual master. This is the reciprocation. Prabhu. Everyone would address the other as prabhu. But officially one may be a spiritual master. But in spiritual platform there is no such difference. But officially, custom is that spiritual master is considered in the place of Supreme Lord, and therefore he is given the such respect. But the spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master, he thinks that "I am your disciple. I am your disciple." And practical example I have seen: our Guru Mahārāja, when we offered obeisances, he used to return me, dāso 'smi: "I am your servant." He used to return me this way, "I am your servant."

So these are the things we have to learn from the behavior, practical demonstration, of Caitanya's Mahāprabhu's life. So tomorrow we shall discuss the questions and answers of Sanātana Gosvāmī.

Thank you very much. [break]

…You see? So similarly, a material qualification, that is not bad, provided they are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise it has no value. Material qualification, if they are engaged… Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. If one is able to dovetail his material qualities in the service of the Lord, then that becomes a great qualification. Viprād dvi-ṣaḍ-guṇa-yutād aravinda-nābha. Aravinda-nābha. Aravinda means lotus flower, and nābha means this navel. So Viṣṇu… Kṛṣṇa is Viṣṇu; therefore His another name is Aravinda-nābha. He has got a lotus flower. On that lotus flower, Brahmā is born. This is omnipotency, omnipotency of God. You have seen that picture in the cover of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is lying, and there is a lotus flower from His navel, and upon the lotus flower, Brahmā is born, and Lakṣmīji is engaged in serving His lotus feet. But just see. Kṛṣṇa was to beget a son. His wife, Lakṣmī, or Viṣṇu's wife, was sitting. But He did not take… [break] … He begot a child, Brahmā, from His own navel. This is called omnipotency. He can do anything and everything. Now, when we conceive of begetting a child, oh, we must have a, we must have to secure a wife first of all. Then I have my sex intercourse with her, then she should be pregnant, then I… Then there is child. Otherwise there is no child. Because we are…, we are not omnipotent, we cannot produce child in that way. This is called omnipotency. And He did not require the help of the wife, neither there was necessity. So Kṛṣṇa's wife, or Kṛṣṇa's girlfriends, they are not Kṛṣṇa's necessities. Kṛṣṇa is without any necessity, without any want. But if somebody wants "Kṛṣṇa should be my friend," "Kṛṣṇa should be my husband," He accepts. That's it. He is not in want. He is full in Himself. One who knows this fact, he is pure devotee. You are a… You are offering capātī. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is in want of your capātī. But if you offer Kṛṣṇa and take the capātī, you are benefited. Kṛṣṇa bada dayāmaya, karibāre jihvā jaya. I sing this. Perhaps you do not know the meaning, that Kṛṣṇa is very merciful. Because my tongue is always hankering after some good, tasty food, this or that, this or that… But if I eat Kṛṣṇa's prasāda, then my tongue will be controlled. And as soon as your tongue is controlled, your all other senses will be controlled. These are the philosophy. So don't think that Kṛṣṇa is in want or Kṛṣṇa is in need-He needs your third-class service. No. He's full, Himself. But if you can offer your service some way or other, then you are benefited. You are elevated to the transcendental position. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thank you very much. (end)

661122CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.97-99

New York, November 22, 1966

Prabhupāda:

kṛṣṇa-svarūpa-mādhuryaiś-

varya-bhakti-rasāśrayam

tattvaṁ sanātanāyeśaḥ

kṛpayopadideśa saḥ

Kṛṣṇa-svarūpa. Now, Sanātana Gosvāmī is taking instruction and lessons from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And what is the subject matter of instruction? That is described herein by the author of this Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The subject matter is kṛṣṇa-svarūpa, what is the actual position of Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-svarūpa-mādhuryaiś, and what is the special attractiveness of Kṛṣṇa, mādhurya, kṛṣṇa-svarūpa-mādhurya aiśvarya, and what are the opulences of Kṛṣṇa, bhakti-rasāśrayam. And all these-what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His special qualification for attraction, and what is His opulence-these three things can be understood through devotional service, by no other means. Just like I have several times cited the example that if you want to be in confidence of a great personality, then you must satisfy him by your service. You cannot understand a big man by your speculation. Even in this material world, if you want to know a big man, what he is, then you must satisfy him by your service attitude, by friendship, by love, and he will disclose to you what he is. So the same process is bhakti-rasāśrayam. If you want to know what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His opulence, what is special feature for attraction, then you should try to understand through this devotional service of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

In the Bhagavad-gītā also, the Lord says that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti, tattvataḥ, yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. In another place the Lord says that "To understand Me, actually what I am, is very difficult." Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: [Bg. 7.3] "Out of many millions of human beings, somebody tries to make a perfection of his life." Otherwise they are all working like cats and dogs, that's all, simply āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. They have no other information. "Work hard, eat, be merry and enjoy, and have mating, that's all." So out of millions and millions of persons like this, engaged in animal propensities of life, only a few persons, selected person… Because the illusory energy has grasped us under her clutches very tightly, to get out of the clutches is very difficult. So somehow or other, a few people, out of many millions and thousands, they come to the understanding that what is the real perfection of life. Now, those who are actually perfected, out of them, out of millions of them, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. That is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām [Bg. 7.3]. Siddhānām means those who are already achieved perfection. Out of them-not these imperfect fools-those who are actually attained perfection, they can understand what Kṛṣṇa is actually, tattvataḥ. And that actual position can be understood… In another place in Bhagavad-gītā it says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: [Bg. 18.55] "What He is actually, that can be understood by this devotional service, no other process." No other process will help to understand Kṛṣṇa. You can… By other processes you can achieve some other thing, but if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you have to understand through your devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: [Bg. 18.55] "As I am." Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā.

So you will have entrance into the spiritual kingdom, into the abode of Kṛṣṇa when you have perfectly… We cannot understand perfectly, but as far as possible, as far we have got the capacity, if we understand Kṛṣṇa as He is, then the entrance will be there. Otherwise there is no entrance. Therefore Lord Caitanya instructed Sanātana Gosvāmī about Kṛṣṇa through devotional service. This instruction is very important. You should very carefully hear and, if possible, note. This is directly the instruction. Just like the Bhagavad-gītā: the Lord Kṛṣṇa is directly instructing Arjuna. But in the Bhagavad-gītā there are many phases of instruction, fruitive action, philosophical speculation, yoga system and jñāna system, all kinds of different paths. Ultimately, of course, Lord Kṛṣṇa instructed him that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is the most confidential part. But here Lord Caitanya, He is not instructing any superfluous things. So that is the blessings of Lord Caitanya. Even what Kṛṣṇa could not give, what Kṛṣṇa could not, or Kṛṣṇa hesitated to give… Because Kṛṣṇa hesitated that "If I speak in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], people would not accept it." There was no necessity of describing Bhagavad-gītā in so many phases of instruction. Because the last instruction, most confidential instruction, was that "You give up everything and just surrender unto Me." That is the actual instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, but that was not spoken in the beginning because there are many phases of human beings. They are under different stages of…

So for their different stages, karma, jñāna, yoga, so many things, they have been described. But here, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His mercy is that He directly gives this highest instruction-what Kṛṣṇa could not give, but Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, or Kṛṣṇa in His incarnation as Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He gave us. Therefore He is considered the most munificent, charitable personality, man of charity. Rūpa Gosvāmī offered his respect, that namo mahā-vadānyāya: "You are the greatest munificent personality." Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: [Cc. Madhya 19.53] "You are directly offering Kṛṣṇa, which is very difficult to understand." It is very difficult to understand. "So many scholars, so many philosophers, so many great personalities, they could not understand Kṛṣṇa, but Your mercy is so broad that You are directly offering Kṛṣṇa." Therefore, mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: "Directly You are giving Kṛṣṇa, love of Kṛṣṇa."

So Sanātana Gosvāmī in this way, directly, here received instruction from Lord Caitanya about bhakti-yogam, what is bhakti. Tattvaṁ sanātanāyeśaḥ kṛpayopadideśa saḥ. Īśa. Īśa means the Lord, the supreme controller. So he is also… Just like Arjuna received instruction directly, similarly, Sanātana Gosvāmī also received instruction directly from the Supreme Lord. Now, here, how to receive instruction, that is given by example by Sanātana Gosvāmī.

tabe sanātana prabhura caraṇe dhariyā

dainya vinati kare dante tṛṇa lañā

"Sanātana Gosvāmī very humbly fell down on the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and most humbly he submitted." What is that submission?

'nīca jāti, nīca-saṅgī, patita adhama

kuviṣaya-kūpe paḍi' goṅāinu janama!

"My dear Sir, I have wasted my time in simply sense gratification. That is my qualification. And I belong to the lowest caste," nīca jāti nīca-saṅgī, "and my association is also of the lowest type." And patita: "I am fallen, and I am the lowest of all. This is my qualification." Now, why he is submitting himself as nīca jāti? Nīca jāti means those who are born in lower families. They are called nīca jāti, as śūdras or less than the śūdras. According to Vedic system the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya, they are higher caste, and the śūdras, they are lower caste. And less than śūdras, they are lowest.

So Sanātana Gosvāmī, actually he belonged to the brāhmaṇa family. His forefathers belonged to the sarasvata brāhmaṇa. There are different sect, gaura brāhmaṇa and sarasvata brāhmaṇa. So sarasvata brāhmaṇa, actually they belonged to the Aryan, ārya-varta, the Punjab side and Kashmir side. They are considered to be high-class brāhmaṇa. So he belongs to that community. But somehow or other, their forefathers, I mean to say, make their domicile in Bengal because they had some property in Bengal. They were very rich, aristocratic family. And this Sanātana Gosvāmī accepted ministership in the Muhammadan kingdom. So in those days, amongst the brāhmaṇa community, if any brāhmaṇa would accept service, he becomes at once a śūdra. He becomes at once, because service is meant for the śūdras, not for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriya, and vaiśyas. They would never accept anybody's obligation as service. They will starve. That was the principle. Only the śūdras could accept service. So because this Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī accepted government office-although it was government office, but it was service-so they were outside the brāhmaṇa community. So all these Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted. Otherwise, at that time social condition was very strict. You have heard the name of Rabindranath Tagore. They were also in that way ostracized. They were out of brāhmaṇa community. They also belonged to the brāhmaṇa community. So therefore he is presenting himself that nīca jāti. Nīca jāti: "I am lower caste." Why? Nīca-saṅgī: "Because my association nīca, my association Muhammadan. They are not brāhmaṇas. They are not highly qualified. Because my association lower, so I am lower also." And patita: "I have fallen down from the standard of my paternal position." Patita: "I am fallen." Adhama. Adhama means "I am the lowest of the human beings."

So of course, because Sanātana Gosvāmī was under certain condition, it is not simply, particularly for this Sanātana Gosvāmī. Everyone, unless he is conscious of his position, that he is the lowest, he cannot become the highest. One should not think… While approaching a spiritual master, one should not be puffed up with his so-called qualification. He should be a blank slate. That is the… That is the requirement. He should forget. That, whatever nonsense he has learned, he should forget. Otherwise there will be no benefit by approaching spiritual master. He should forget. If he keeps his personality, "I believe…, I cannot…," there is no necessity. With such nonsense things, nobody should approach a spiritual master. One should become a blank slate. That is the instruction here, that "I am fallen, I am the lowest, and I am lower born. So many things, all good qualification, this is my position." Nīca jāti. And kuviṣaya-kūpe paḍi' goṅāinu janama: "I have now wasted my time simply by sense gratification." Viṣaya means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. These are called viṣaya, objects of sense gratification: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. These are called viṣaya, and we are engaged only how to eat very nicely, how to sleep very nicely, how to give me protection and how to have nice mating. This is our business. So Sanātana Gosvāmī says that "I have simply wasted my time in this way, and my position is this." So therefore, actually, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "Because I am so much fallen, because I have wasted my time in sense gratification, because I am ostracized, because my association is so lower, therefore my position is that I do not know what is actually beneficial to me." Āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni.

Now, Sanātana Gosvāmī was minister, educated. He was a learned scholar in Parsi and Sanskrit. So how it is that he is placing himself in that way? Is he, I mean to say, imitating something, such humbleness, but actually he was not? Actually, he was… No. Actually he was so. A devotee does not say anything falsely, unless he feels, he feels himself like that. Why does he feel? He was educated. He belonged to the brāhmaṇa, aristocratic family. His association was all nawabs and zamindars, aristocratic family, and still, he says like this. Why? What is the defect, that he felt like that? Now he is expressing. Āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "I do not know what is actually beneficial to me. I am thinking that 'If I am posted in a service like this and if I have got some aristocratic association, I have got some arrangement for sense gratification…' That is materialism. So I have passed my, wasted my time in that way. But actually I do not know what is beneficial to me." So grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni. In the Indian system a brāhmaṇa is addressed as "paṇḍita." Perhaps you know Paṇḍita Jawaharlal Nehru. Although he had no brahminical qualification, but because he was born in a brāhmaṇa family, so this title was… "Paṇḍita." A brāhmaṇa is addressed as paṇḍita, a kṣatriya is addressed as ṭhākura, and a vaiśya is addressed seth, sethji, a rich man. The vaiśyas are generally very rich men. Perhaps you have… As you have in your country the Rockefeller, Carnegie and Ford, similarly, in our country we have got many rich men just like Birla, Dalmiya, Bangar (?), and so many. So they are called sethji. So sethji, ṭhākuraji and paṇḍitaji. And the śūdras are called mahājana. Because if they are called śūdra, they will be angry. So mahājana means great personality. So these are some etiquette for addressing different communities. Amongst the different communities, although they were of such classification, still, there was no enmity. They lived in village although in their position, but the relationship was very friendly, just like brothers, just like brothers actually. Because the culture was religion, culture was this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So they depended on the culture. There was no provincialism because they depended on culture. So culture is the thing, the Kṛṣṇa conscious, which can… Even there are materially so many high and low classification, when you come to this culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they will be all in the same level.

So he says that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita: "As a matter of social etiquette, I am addressed as 'paṇḍita.' " Paṇḍita means learned. Learned scholar, he is called paṇḍita. Paṇḍita sama-darśinaḥ. You have read in the Bhagavad-gītā: a paṇḍita means he sees everything on equal eye. Why? Because he is brāhmaṇa, he has known what is Brahman and what are these living entities. He has got such knowledge. That is called paṇḍita. So Sanātana Gosvāmī has no such knowledge. At least, he is pretending like that. So he says that grāmya-vyavahāre kahaye paṇḍita: "By social etiquette I am addressed as 'paṇḍita,' but…" Tāi satya māni: "And I also accept that I am paṇḍita." If somebody falsely calls me that "Your Majesty," so it is an insult. It is not honoring him. I am an ordinary man. If somebody calls me, Your Majesty," so a man who has no qualification, if he is eulogized in that way, that is an insult. But we are so much fool that if somebody calls me "Your Majesty," I shall feel, "Oh, I am Majesty. Yes. I am His Majesty." That is our nature. If some false qualifications is awarded to me, I shall be very glad to accept it. I shall think, "Yes." So Sanātana Gosvāmī said that "Actually, I am not paṇḍita because I do not know what is my benefit, what is beneficial to me. I do not know the goal of my life. I simply wasted my time in sense gratification. I do not know. And still, people say, 'You are paṇḍita,' and I accept it. Just see my position." This is blank slate, admitting that "I am fool number one, but people say I am learned, and I accept it." This is our nature. This is called illusion. He will never think that "I am fool number one." He will always think, "Oh, who can be greater than me? I can think myself. Why? What is the necessity of a spiritual master? I can become a religious leader, I can become such and such, or…" This is our mentality.

So this mentality should be sacrificed first, before going to a spiritual master. First of all you have to select who can be your spiritual master. That requires some knowledge. Or you have to behave with a person to understand, "Whether he is fit to become my spiritual master?" Then you should offer yourself to be a student. That is the process, not that all of a sudden you shall go to a person, "Oh, please accept me as your…" No. You should first of all try to understand whether he is actually fit. Then offer yourself. So just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he first saw Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he did not offer himself, but when he heard from Caitanya Mahāprabhu and he understood, "Yes, it is very nice thing. So I should now retire from service, and I should wholly devote to Caitanya Mahāprabhu," so he left his very lucrative job, ministership, and just like a very poor man he approached to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he's placing, submitted himself as blank slate, that "These are my qualifications. Please accept me."

Thank you very much. (end)

760704CC.WDC

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.98-99

Washington, D.C., July 4, 1976

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) "Translation: Putting a straw in his mouth and bowing down, Sanātana Gosvāmī clasped the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and humbly spoke as follows. Sanātana Gosvāmī said, 'I was born in a low family, and my associates are all low-class men. I myself am fallen and am the lowest of men. Indeed, I have passed my whole life fallen in the well of sinful materialism.' "

Prabhupāda:

tabe sanātana prabhura caraṇe dhariyā

dainya vinati kare dante tṛṇa lañā

nīca jāti, nīca-saṅgī, patita adhama

kuviṣaya-kūpe paḍi' goṅāinu janama

This is Bengali language. (aside:) Children must stop talking. Sanātana Gosvāmī approaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah, the then Pathan government in Bengal. So since he met Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he decided to retire from political life and join this movement. So there is a long history. When he wanted to resign, the Nawab become very angry because Nawab was depending on him for the ruling of the kingdom. He was free, but when Sanātana Gosvāmī proposed to retire, he became very much disturbed. A long history. So anyway, he escaped from the government service, and with great difficulty, he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was at Vārāṇasi, Benares.

So now, he's ācārya, Sanātana Gosvāmī, he's ācārya. Ācāryaṁ vijānīyān, māṁ vijānīyāt. Ācāryopāsanam. This is the recommendation of Vedic knowledge. One should worship the ācārya. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was made ācārya. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was made ācārya. Ācārya means one who knows the meaning of śāstra, personally behaves according to the śāstra and teaches his disciple accordingly. He is called ācārya. So Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us by his personal behavior how to approach guru. That he's teaching. Tabe sanātana prabhura caraṇe dhariyā. To approach guru the first business is surrender. That is everywhere in the Vedic literature. That is the process.

tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet

samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham

[MU 1.2.12]

In the Bhagavad-gītā also, Kṛṣṇa says:

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 4.34]

First of all guru means tattva-darśī, one who knows the Absolute Truth. He is guru. Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. All previous ācāryas, modern ācāryas, they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In India there are at the present moment… Within one thousand years, all the ācāryas who advented-Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, even Śaṅkarācārya-all accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So here Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's also Kṛṣṇa. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. He has appeared as devotee. He appeared first of all as the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, and He instructed Bhagavad-gītā to the fallen souls and He asserted His Lordship, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. But puffed-up, so-called learned scholars and men of position, they declined, "Why should I surrender to Kṛṣṇa?" Therefore Kṛṣṇa Himself as devotee of Kṛṣṇa appeared. That is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He's teaching how to approach Kṛṣṇa. And His disciples, they are also teaching the same philosophy. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa's philosophy and Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy. It is not that we can manufacture some philosophy. That is nonsense. Philosophy is one; religion is one. Everyone has to follow. There is no second alternative. That is the preaching about… Mām ekam, not that "Whatever you like, you can do." No, that is not. Mām ekam-simply Kṛṣṇa. There are some missionaries. They say that you can manufacture in your…, your own way of worship, and whatever you accept, that is all right. These bogus things are not accepted by the ācāryas. Mām ekam, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. If you want to understand what is Bhagavān, that is Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān… Religion means to understand Bhagavān. The other day we were consulting dictionary? Religion means the process by which we can understand the supreme controller. There is a supreme controller, as in every department, in every state, every affair, every business, every institution there is a controller. That you have got experience, practical. Without controller, nothing can be properly discharged. Controller is required.

So the śāstra says that controller or ruler is the same, and the Sanskrit synonym is īśvara. Īśvara means controller or ruler. So there are different kinds of controllers according to time, sphere. Just like in your country, the President is the controller. In other country somebody is controller. So there are many hundreds and thousands of planets within this universe, and each and every planet there is a controller. The sun planet, there is a controller. His name is Vivasvān. That we find. Similarly, the moon planet, there is a controller. Every planet, there is controller. And above all of them there is another supreme controller of the universe, the Brahma, and there are many millions of brahmāṇḍas, or universes. So there are controllers. But so far Kṛṣṇa is concerned, He is described in the śāstras, Brahma-saṁhitā, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. There are controllers, but the supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Īśvaraḥ means controller. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. His form… He has form. Bhagavān means with form. You see the form here, vigrahaḥ. Vigrahaḥ means form. But His form is different from our. He's sac-cid-ānanda. His form is eternal. Our, this form is not eternal. We have to give it up. We have to accept another form according to our karma. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]. But Kṛṣṇa hasn't got to do that. He is in His original form. He has got many forms, expansions, but His original form is Kṛṣṇa with two hands and flutes.

veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ

barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam

kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.30]

Kṛṣṇa's symbolic representation is He is always playing on flute. And barhāvataṁsa: with a peacock feather. These are described in the Vedic literature. It is not that we worship Kṛṣṇa as imaginary form of God. No. As the Māyāvādīs, they say that you can imagine any form of God, no, that is not the fact. God has His original form, real form sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1].

So if we understand, if we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, are interested… Because Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood very easily. It is not possible.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatayi siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

Kṛṣṇa says, "Out of many millions of persons, one is interested how to become siddha." Siddha means liberated, one who is not entangled with this material atmosphere. He is called siddha. So out of many millions of people, one may be interested how to become free from this material entanglement. And yatatām api siddhānām [Bg. 7.3], and out of many such siddhas, one may understand Kṛṣṇa. Kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. So it is not so easy to understand Kṛṣṇa, but when Kṛṣṇa comes personally as a devotee and shows us the ways and means how to approach Kṛṣṇa, then it becomes easier. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So if we follow the methods, the method prescribed by Kṛṣṇa is very easy, but still, because we misunderstand Kṛṣṇa… Therefore, if we go through the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then we can easily understand Kṛṣṇa. That is recognized by Rūpa Gosvāmī, the younger brother of Sanātana Gosvāmī. Two of them were ministers. So Rūpa Gosvāmī has described,

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

He said, "Caitanya Mahāprabhu, You are Kṛṣṇa. Now, this time, You have appeared as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya in order to give everyone Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa made some condition, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], but here now, as devotee of Kṛṣṇa, You are distributing Kṛṣṇa without any condition. Therefore mahā-vadānyāya: You are the most munificent incarnation." So somehow or other, Sanātana Gosvāmī, he became attracted to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He resigned his ministerial post, and he has come to surrender to Caitanya Mahāprabhu while he was at Benares. Therefore it is said, tabe sanātana prabhura caraṇe dhariyā.

So when we approach guru, our first condition is that we must be humble and surrender. Praṇipāta. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa-nipāta. Then sevā, to serve the spiritual master; yasya prasādād, to gain his favor. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. This is the process. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Sanātana Gosvāmī's teaching how to approach guru, so, very humbly… Dante tṛṇa lañā. In India the system is that to… Symbolic representation of humbleness is to take one piece of grass in the mouth. Then it is to be understood that he is coming very submissively. Now this system is not current, but formerly it was. So Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī also said like that, dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kṛtvā cāhaṁ kāku-śatam ahaṁ bravīmi. He was a devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he also taught us how to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, becoming very humble, humbler… Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also instructed us,

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. Ādi 17.31]

This time, Kali-yuga, is very, very fallen. People are very, very much fallen. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10]. Practically cent percent of the population at the present moment, they're manda. Manda. Manda means of no value, or very bad, manda, or very slow. There are several meanings of manda. So in this age all the people, they are manda. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. And because they are generally very bad, everyone has got a process of spiritual realization. First of all they are not interested, manda. Our real value of life, human being, means spiritual understanding. This is… This human life is meant for spiritual understanding. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Absolute Truth. That is the only business. But on account of being manda, we have invented so many other occupational duties. That is… According to… That is a fact, not according to Vaiṣṇava philosophy, but that is a fact. We may improve the standard of living condition. So living condition, that is bodily concept of life. I am sitting in this comfortable siṁhāsana. That's all. I can sit down also on the floor. It does not make much difference. According to time, circumstances… So life… So we are combination of spirit and matter. This body is matter, and the moving force which is moving this body, that is spirit soul. So we are manda. We are so dull that the highest learned man and the so-called scientist and philosopher, they cannot understand this distinction. They think this body is everything. But that is not the fact. Body is not everything. The moving power of the body is the spirit soul. We are repeatedly trying to convince people this simple truth, but they are so dull-headed they cannot understand. Yes.

So they have been described as animals. The śāstra, they say, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. One who is in this bodily concept… Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ: "In my country, bhauma… I am born in America or I am born in India, so it is my country." How long you'll remain America? How long you'll remain India? They do not know. But they are mad after this conception of life, bodily conception of life. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicit. People in every community, religious community, there is tīrtha. People want (indistinct) holy place. So they go, they take bath. Just like in India they go to Hardwar or Vṛndāvana or Prayag, take bath in the Ganges or Yamunā. Similarly, Christians, they go to take bath in the river Jordan. So everyone has got. Yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na tad janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]. This kind of life is go-kharaḥ. Go means cows, and kharaḥ means ass. Without understanding the value of life, na tad-janeṣv abhijñeṣu, without associating with abhijñaḥ, learned spiritual master, if he passes his life with this understanding, then he is no better than the cows and ass. This is the verdict.

So therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī, he is very learned man in that time. Because it was Muhammadan time, he used to learn very nicely Arabic and Parsi, Persian language. Just like during British period we had to learn English, similarly, the state language was somewhere Arabic and somewhere Parsi. Sometimes, they are called mixed-that is called Urdu. So he was learned scholar, and he was also born of very nice brāhmaṇa family, Sanātana Gosvāmī, sārasvata-brāhmaṇa. So born brāhmaṇa family, well-educated, minister, everything, but he presents himself, nīca jāti, nīca-saṅgī, patita adhama, kuviṣaya-kūpe paḍi' goṅāinu janama! He has understood that the so-called, bodily conception that "I am rich man," "I am very learned man," "I am brāhmaṇa" or "I am American," these are useless understanding. One who understands like that, he is… Sanātana Gosvāmī-he's a nīca jāti, the bodily conception of life nīca jāti. Nīca jāti, nīca-saṅgī. Why the bodily concept of life? Because the association is bad. At the present moment we do not get any education or good association to understand our real identity. That is the difficulty. Therefore he says, nīca saṅgī, patita adhama. Adhama means lowest of the mankind; patita means fallen. If one does not understand his real interest, he is called fallen.

So what is our real interest? By evolutionary process, after going through so many forms of life, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ, in this way, eight million forms of life, and we have got this human form of life. So this life especially meant for athāto brahma jijñāsā. Simply to understand our spiritual identity, the Absolute Truth, that is the only business. But we are… We have got the intelligence more than the cats and dogs. They cannot inquire about the spiritual identity, and if we keep ourself in darkness without understanding our spiritual identity, then we are no better than the dogs and cats. Therefore he said, nīca jāti: "I have no information about the soul." Nīca jāti. Just like dogs. It is a class. So nīca. Of course, in your country dog is very pet. Now we are learning also, India, how to keep a dog and become aristocratic. (laughter) So now there is big, big dog show in New Delhi. But actually in India, although dog was not neglected, in a neighborhood, if there is a dog, people will give him food but not allow to enter into the house. He'll be not allowed. A dog is also trained up. They'll come to a door and sit down and move his tail: "Give me some food." And people will give. But he's not allowed to enter, the dog or caṇḍālas are not allowed.

So there is distinction, caste distinction, according to the spiritual advancement. The brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, these are higher class or lower class according to the spiritual understanding. But one who is elevated in spiritual understanding, he is brāhmaṇa. Brahmā jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brāhmaṇa does not mean simply… Of course, in this age brāhmaṇa means vipratve sūtram eva hi. That is also predicted, that if you get one sūtra, one thread, one paisa-worth, and get it on your body, then you become a brāhmaṇa. No, that is not. Brāhmaṇa is a qualification.

satya śamo damas

titikṣa kṣantir ārjavam

jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ

brahma-karma svabhāva-jam

[Bg. 18.42]

So these things are being lost; therefore in the Kali-yuga practically everyone is a śūdra. Patita-adhama, adhama. Narādhamāḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Because people at the present moment are very, very low grade, nīca jāti, nīca-saṅgī, fallen and narādhamāḥ… The same thing is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Those who are narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind and very, very sinful, duṣkṛtina, mūḍhāḥ, and rascal, they do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

So to surrender to Kṛṣṇa requires little qualification, and that qualification Sanātana Gosvāmī wanted. Therefore he has approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We can follow his footsteps. He is also… He is an ācārya, but it is essential, essential. Don't be assured that you are very highly elevated person. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone-this is a challenge-everyone is low born. Everyone is nīca, badly associated, fallen, and the lowest of the mankind because he's missing the chance of understanding Kṛṣṇa in the human form life, and nobody knows what he's going to be, next life. So it it a very risky civilization without any understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Be careful. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, execute the Kṛṣṇa consciousness business very cautiously so that we may not fall down. There is risk of fall down, but if we stick to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet-mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti-then there is no fear.

Thank you very much. (end)

760427CC.AUC

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.98-102

April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand

Prabhupāda: So this evening I shall speak to you about Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he resigned from his ministership in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah in Bengal and joined Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So there is a long history how he resigned. He was the trustee of the government. Formerly, although the government was Muhammadan, the best Hindu personality was engaged to take charge of the ministership. Even in Akbar's time the same principle was done. Mahārāja Jayasingh. Even Aurangzeb, he was a very rigid Muhammadan, still, his principal minister was Mahārāja Jayasingh. Similarly, Sanātana Gosvāmī and his brother Rūpa Gosvāmī, they accepted the government service coming from a very respectable brāhmaṇa family. But they were rejected by the brāhmaṇa community because they accepted the service of Muhammadan. Formerly, the Hindu society was very strict. Brāhmaṇas would not accept anyone's service. So Sanātana Gosvāmī, after joining Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he left Bengal. And when Śrīla Caitanya Mahāprabhu was residing in Benares to deliver the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, at that time, his bavarṇasee (?) … So after he was clean-shaved… This is one of the items of our movement. If one wants to be initiated, he must be clean-shaved. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was clean-shaved. And after becoming a regular Vaiṣṇava, then he is asking like this:

tabe sanātana prabhura caraṇe dhariyā

dainya vinati kare dante tṛṇa lañā

So he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu in a very humble manner. That is the way of approaching a guru. The Vedic instruction is,

tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet

samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham

[MU 1.2.12]

Samit-pāṇiḥ, taking that short grass, kuśa. In Sanskrit it is called kuśa. So Sanātana Prabhu approached Him very humbly. That is the way. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 4.34]

We must approach a bona fide guru for enlightenment. And samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyam: one who has received knowledge by hearing, not by speculating. Nowadays it has become a fashion to speculate. The Vedic injunction is, "No. By hearing." You have to approach the right person and hear. Therefore the whole Vedic literature is called śruti. One has to learn very intelligently by hearing from the authority. The same example we find in Bhagavad-gītā. In the battlefield, where time is very valuable, still, Arjuna is hearing from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is instructing, and Arjuna is hearing. So this hearing process is our Vedic process. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, according to, of course, Vedic injunction: sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You haven't got to change your position. It is not necessary that you have to take sannyāsa from gṛhastha life, you have to give up your occupation. No. That is not very important thing. The important thing is This verse was submitted by Lord Brahmā:

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva

(jīvanti) san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām

sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir

ye prāyaśo ajito 'py asi tais…

If you want to understand God… That is the business of human life. Human life is specially… That is the chance. Because we are in the cycle of birth and death, changing, migrating from one body to another… This is our position. So except human body, lower than the human body, we can understand how they are suffering. Suppose a tree. Here we are sitting so comfortably. A few yards off from this place, there is a tree, and it is standing for thousands of years. Is not that punishment? If I tell Mr. such and such, "You stand up here for five hours," he'll become mad. That is a sort of punishment to the children. Formerly, the punishment was… The teacher, in the class, a naughty boy, he's asked, "Stand up on the bench." Therefore, half an hour to stand up on the bench becomes a very, very intolerable pain for him. So just imagine that the tree, this is punishment, standing in one place. I saw one tree in San Francisco; they say it is seven thousand years old. So except human form of life, there are eight million different forms of life. And there is little idea in the Darwin's theory of evolution. That is only imitation of the Vedic literature, and he wanted to credit for himself. He presented it pervertedly. But actually, in the Padma Purāṇa the evolution theory is there. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu. There are 8,400,000 species of forms in jīva-jātiṣu, the living entities. They're passing through. So this is the chance, human form of life, to get out of this cycle of birth and death. Actually, this is our miserable condition. Kṛṣṇa presents these four things as actually miserable condition. We are trying to remove miseries and get happiness. This is called struggle for existence. Manaḥ ṣaṣthānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūto jīva-loke sanātanaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says that "These living entities, they are My part and parcels, qualitatively as good as I am.'' So the Vedānta-sūtra says, "The living entities or God, they are meant for enjoyment.'' Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By nature ānandamaya. So "Why I am put into this miserable condition?'' This is the questions by intelligent human being. And if he remains satisfied with the miseries of this material life, then he's no better than the cats and dogs. Sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13].

So this is intelligence, to inquire about the miserable condition of life. So Sanātana Gosvāmī, he says,

nīca jāti nīca saṅgī patita adhama

kuviṣaya-kūpe paḍi' goṅāinu janama

"My dear Sir, although I was born in brāhmaṇa family, but now I am rejected. I am counted amongst the Muhammadans." Because their name was also changed, these two brothers. And even they were rejected by the brāhmaṇa community, and their association was these big, big zamindars, most of them viṣayīs, only concerned with pound, shilling, pence. So about him it is said by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. These Gosvāmīs, they were very exaltedly posted as minister and were associate Minister means associated with big, big men, big businessmen, big zamindars, like that. So maṇḍala-pati. And big men maṇḍala-pati, who controls a very big circle, especially the zamindars, landholders. So tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. He gave up the association of these big, big men. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Tuccha means, "Eh, what is this? It has no value.'' So this is not ordinary thing, one can give up. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one may think of this material enjoyment very insignificant. (child making noises) (aside:) The child may be taken out. So he gave up the association and [break]

…the birds, they have no problem. Early in the morning they rise up, and they are certain, somewhere there is some fruit. They will eat and sleep in the top of the tree. They haven't got to make arrangement, economic development. It already is there. But it is very difficult to understand that these material necessities of life is already arranged. You cannot get more, cannot get… Suppose some of our Indian friends, they come to this country, far away. Does it mean that simply by coming here he has become millionaire? No. In Bengali it is said, yadi gar baṅge kaphala yabe saṅge (?), Wherever you go, your this fate will go with you. If you are meant for getting ten thousand, you'll never get ten thousand, one hundred. You'll get, either you remain in your country or go to hell. Destiny. This is called destiny. Therefore śāstra says,

tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido

na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ

tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukhaṁ

kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā

[SB 1.5.18]

Just like nobody hankers after distress, but we have experienced, distress is forced upon us. So similarly, śāstra says that whatever happiness you are destined to get, wherever you remain, you'll get it by destiny. So there is no need of trying for suppressing distress and getting happiness. Don't waste your time in that way. But you try for that thing which you never got in other different forms of life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This life is meant for this purpose, to understand Kṛṣṇa and God, or God. Yes. That is the only… athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is meant. Not for wasting our time simply with the animal propensities. The modern civilization, modern education, has no information about this. Nobody is trying to understand what is the actual aim of life. There is no such civilization. Therefore he is presenting himself, kuviṣaya-kūpe paḍi' goṅāinu janama. "Simply in the matter of searching after false happiness I have wasted my time." That he has condemned.

Then he says,

āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jān

grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita tāi satya māni

Because brāhmaṇas in India It is A custom is still: whatever he may be, because he's born in a brāhmaṇa family, he's addressed as paṇḍitajī. Paṇḍitajī. So here Sanātana Gosvāmī says, grāmya-vyavahāre. Grāmya-vyavahāre means in village transaction. "Actually I am not paṇḍita, but the villagers, my neighbors, they call me paṇḍita. And because they call me paṇḍita, I also think that I am a paṇḍita.'' I have seen it in Calcutta. One man was pulling on thela with a sacred thread, and another man, maybe he's village men, he "Paṇḍitajī, pala ela(?)." And he's pulling on thela, he said, "Betaji kag amar(?)." Now this is going on. What is the value of his asirvad(?), blessing, who is engaged in pulling on thela? But this is grāmya-vyavahāre. This is not actual fact. So Caitanya…, by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Sanātana Gosvāmī has learned it that "They called me paṇḍita. It is false address. I am not really paṇḍita.'' Why you are not paṇḍita? You are educated. You are very good scholar in Sanskrit and Parsi. And as in these days English is considered to be very important subject And actually it is. So unless one is educated in English, he's half-educated, still. So he was educated certainly. As a brāhmaṇa he was educated in Sanskrit, and as government officer, he had to learn, in those days, Urdu and Parsi. So he was educated. But he says that "Although they call me paṇḍita and I am, maybe I am little educated. But the difficulty is that I do not know what is the ultimate goal of life, or my real position of happiness.'' Āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni.

Ask any learned scholar in these days that "What is the ultimate goal of life?" They will say, "Oh, there is no particular end (?). Let us live very happily, and after death everything is finished." I have consulted many men, big, big professors, Indian and foreign. They have no idea of the first education in the Bhagavad-gītā: tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. There is change of body. There is already change of body. I was a child, I was a boy, I was a young man. Now the body is changed-I have got this wretched body, old man's body. So all these bodies… That is simple, logical. Kṛṣṇa says in the beginning-that is the first lesson of Bhagavad-gītā-that,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

Dehinaḥ means the proprietor of the body. But every one of us, thinking "I am this body." They have no first lesson of Bhagavad-gītā. First lesson only, ABCD, that "You are not this body." This is the first lesson. When Arjuna was talking in bodily relationship, so, and he accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru… Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. "There is perplexity. I cannot understand, Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa was his friend, but he accepted Him guru. Accepting guru means if you accept somebody guru, then whatever he will say, you have to accept. Śiṣya. Śiṣya means one who is ruled. So if you voluntarily accept somebody, that "I shall be ruled by you," that is guru. Not that "I shall rule over you by giving some money." Then it is not accepting guru. Guru means in all circumstances. Guror hitam. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam [SB 7.12.1]. Therefore the first training is to live in gurukula, to learn how to respect guru, how to abide by the orders of guru. So Kṛṣṇa is guru. So Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru. Śiṣyas te 'ham [Bg. 2.7]. "I am Your now disciple. Now give, teach me." Then Bhagavad-gītā was begun. Not before that.

So teaching should not begin unless one accepts the teacher as the ultimate guru. So Kṛṣṇa is teaching the same thing as Caitanya Mahāprabhu will teach Sanātana Gosvāmī. The same process: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. So the teacher, Kṛṣṇa, first of all chastised Arjuna. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhasase: [Bg. 2.11] "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned scholar, but you are engaged in such a thing which is not at all lamentable."

aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ

prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase

gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca

nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

[Bg. 2.11]

"One who is learned, paṇḍita, he has no business to consider about this body." Now see, the whole world is concerned with this body, but this is condemned. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. Anyone who is accepting this body, which is nothing but combination of tri-dhātu… Or you take the material elements: earth, water, air, fire. Or more explicitly: the skin, blood, bone, urine, stool. You'll find these things. But do you think such intelligent person is created, manufactured, by bone and blood and skin and urine and stool? It's common sense. It is something else, spirit soul. That they do not understand.

Sanātana Gosvāmī is also placing that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni: "These fools and rascals call me paṇḍitajī, and I accept, 'Oh, I am paṇḍita.' But actually my position, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: I do not know what I am and what is the goal of my life. I am thinking, 'I am this body, and the body is finished then everything is finished.' This is my knowledge." So just compare. This knowledge is going on all over the world, "I am this body." And anyone who is thinking that he's this body, he's no better than cats and dogs. The dog is also thinking like that, "I am this body." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātu… It is not my manufactured word. It is stated in the śāstra. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. This body is made of these elements. I can call earth, water, air, fire. Or you…, blood, bone, and so many things. So if the…, take this combination of blood, bone, muscles, and veins, and urine and stool is the life, then he…, you are no better than the cats and dogs. Sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]. Go-kharaḥ. Go means cow, and kharaḥ means ass. So the ass is also thinking like that, a cow is also thinking like that. If you are thinking like that, then you are… So one has to learn what he is.

Then Sanātana Gosvāmī said,

kṛpā-kari' yadi more kariyācha uddhāra

āpana-kṛpāte kaha 'kartavya' āmāra

"My Lord, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, very kindly You went to my place and You have delivered me so that after Your visit I decided to resign from the government service, and I have come to You. So You have delivered me from the pitfalls of this materialistic way of life. Now tell me what is my duty." This is student. This is disciple. Approach a bona fide guru, a spiritual master, and abide by his orders and do accordingly. Then your life will be successful. And if you keep yourself in the darkness, that "I am very rich man. I am very learned man, but unfortunately, I do not know what I am," so what is the use? The Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura: vidyā-kule hi karibe tāra. So if you do not know yourself, then what your so-called education and high family, high nationality, will help you? Nature's law is different. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. If you do not cultivate spiritual knowledge, if you remain like cats and dogs, then prakṛti, nature, will give you the cats' and dogs' body next life. Suppose you become very big businessman and you have got nice, very big balance and so on, so on, but by your activities you remain like a dog mentality is, then you are going to get the body of a dog. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. The test is at the time of death. At the time of death, if my mentality is different, so according to that mentality I shall get the body. This is called transmigration of the soul. There is no teaching of this science throughout the whole world, and we are trying to educate people. Of course, it is very difficult to understand, but this is the science, that there is transmigration of the soul. And if we do not take care of this, that "What I am going to become next life?" if you simply waste your time simply on the matter of eating, sleeping, mating and defense, then we are wasting our time. This is the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Then he asked,

ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya

ihā nāli jāni-kemane hita haya

So this is the proposition to the spiritual master, that one must submit that "Actually, I do not know what I am. Am I this body or something else?" I am not this body, that I can understand, because I say, when somebody asks… Even a child, you ask, "My dear child, what is this?" he will say, "It is my finger." He'll never say, "I finger," what to speak of others. If every one of us, we say, "This is my hair, this is my nose," then where is "I"? He doesn't inquire "Where is I?" Then there will be analysis of the body, where is that "I"? Everyone knows "my," but who knows "I"? That is education. That is being submitted by Sanātana Gosvāmī. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. So tāpa-traya means three kinds of miserable condition: ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. Ādhyātmika means pertaining to the body and mind. Sometimes we are feeling some ailments in the body-mind is not in good order. This is called ādhyātmika. And ādhibhautika. Ādhibhautika means miseries inflicted by other living entities. Just like there are mosquitos, there are flies, there are birds, there are other animals, or other enemies in the human society: my friend has become enemy, so he's trying to give me some displeasure. So this kind of This is called ādhibhautika. Ādhyātmika. Even nobody gives me any distress, my body will give me distress. If I cannot sit comfortably, if there is some pinching, I am feeling pain. So these things are going on, ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. And other miseries inflicted by providence. Just like there is no rain, excessive heat, excessive cold, famine, pestilence, earthquake. We have no control over. These are ādhidaivika. So we are suffering. Although we may foolishly say If somebody asks his friend, "How are you?'' he says, "Oh, yes, everything is all right.'' Where is "Everything is all right"? You are suffering and This is called māyā. He's suffering, but he will say, "Everything is all right.'' A man is dying on the deathbed, and his friend comes, "How you are feeling?'' "Yes, I am all right.'' (laughter) Now he's going to die, and he says, "I am all right.'' So this is called māyā. They're suffering, but they are accepting, "I am all right.'' Full of anxieties always: "What will happen next?''

So this is the position. So Sanātana Gosvāmī is placing this plain fact, that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa… "I do not want to suffer. So there is suffering." That's a fact. Ihā nāhi jāni kemane. "So how I can get out of this suffering, kindly give me lesson." And this is human life. Go to a bona fide guru, try to understand the problems of life, what is the aim of life, how actually we can become happy. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra philosophy, therefore, the first instruction is athāto brahma jijñāsā. Kena Upaniṣad. Why? And that is human life. If you remain silent, never ask "Why I am suffering?" then you are in the category of cats and dog. And when this inquiry begins, athāto brahma jijñāsā, then your human life begins. Otherwise you remain in the category of cats and dog. If you are satisfied with all miserable condition of life… In this country, the Western country, they present television, simply presenting problems. That's all. You have got experience. And they are making plans how to solve these problems. This is going on. Whole day and night, and twenty-four hours. But actually, we are in a place with problems only. And intelligent man must inquire how to solve these problems. But they are inquiring, some of them, but not in the right channel. That should be in the… Just like Arjuna had problems, whether to fight or not to fight. So he approached Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] "Kṛṣṇa, I know that the problems, You can make solution.'' Arjuna knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. "Although He's acting as my friend…'' But he knew what Kṛṣṇa is, and therefore he asked. So we are in face of so many problems. Why not approach Kṛṣṇa? What is wrong there? And take Kṛṣṇa's instruction and be happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are opening centers everywhere. Take advantage of this movement and be happy.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Gurukṛpā: Questions, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Anybody who would like to address some question to His Divine Grace, please raise your hand and stand up, any questions. (pause)

Prabhupāda: Everything is solved? (laughter)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You had a question?

Guest: Is it possible to see Kṛṣṇa right now?

Prabhupāda: Why don't you see Him in your back?

Guest: But can't I just see Him?

Prabhupāda: Well, you have no eyes to see.

Guest: Can I see Him within?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: Why? Why is it not so easy? Why can't each one of us…?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Why is it so difficult to see Kṛṣṇa? Why can't each of us see Him within?

Prabhupāda: You have to become qualified.

Guest: Why do I have to become qualified? Why?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Suppose if there is a big man before you in some big meeting, can you talk with him?

Guest: Why…

Prabhupāda: No, no. First of all answer this. Suppose there is a big meeting going on, and some big man is present. Suppose the President is there. Can you talk with him? Why? Why you cannot talk? For talking we think you require some qualification. It is not that He's so cheap that you talk with Kṛṣṇa immediately.

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmād

na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau

svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 17.136]

So if you accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, then you have to qualify yourself to talk with Him.

Guest: By His grace, Kṛṣṇa will show Himself to you.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you read Kṛṣṇa book and if you believe, then you see Kṛṣṇa. He's not different from the book.

Guest: But we could read words till the cows come home. What good is that going to do?

Devotee: You have to accept what you read. You can't read with an argumentative attitude, or you can't ask questions in an argumentative attitude. You'll never learn.

Guest: I can only accept what I experience.

Prabhupāda: What is your experience?

Guest: My experience is that I have seen Kṛṣṇa with (sic) me own eyes.

Prabhupāda: You have seen?

Guest: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's very nice. (devotees laugh)

Guest: It hasn't been hard.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Guest: I haven't had to read any words.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then you are perfect.

Devotee: Are there any other questions please?

Prabhupāda: Sit down. You are perfect. (laughter)

Guest: We are all perfect.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: I must speak.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But please, you can speak afterwards. Please sit down.

Prabhupāda: You have already spoken. Don't take the whole time. Let others question.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Others also want to see Kṛṣṇa. Are there any other questions please?

Girl: How can we stop speculating?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How can we stop speculating?

Prabhupāda: Stop speculation? Don't manufacture ideas. You take what Kṛṣṇa says. Then it will automatically stop. Speculation, the question of speculation comes when you do not accept what Kṛṣṇa says. If you accept Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa says, then there is no scope of speculation. That is our movement, that "Accept Kṛṣṇa's teachings as it is. Don't speculate; then it is lost." This is our movement. Kṛṣṇa says that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]: "I am the origin of everything. Everything emanates from Me." If you accept, then it is all right. And if you speculate, you can do that, but our movement is to accept Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā means, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1], the origin of everything. Here is the person. He says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. Accept it. Very simple thing. You are searching after who is the origin of everything, and Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the origin of everything." So if you accept, your question is solved. If you don't accept, go on speculating. There is no difficulty. Difficulty is when you do not accept Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Then difficulty is. Otherwise, there is no difficulty. And why people do not accept? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births speculation, when one actually comes to the platform of knowledge, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. So we don't find many such jñānavān. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā [Bg. 7.19]. One who's accepted Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, as everything, that kind of mahātmā is very, very rare to be found. It is not very ordinary thing. So anyone who's accepted Kṛṣṇa as everything, he is the greatest mahātmā. Most fortunate. And we can practically see in these modern countries, everyone four or five years or at most ten years, who never heard what is Kṛṣṇa. Now thousand, they are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, because they have accepted Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā [Bg. 7.19]. You accept blindly or knowingly, the result will be the same. If you touch fire knowingly or unknowingly, it will burn. This is the position. If you accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg. 10.8], the origin of everything, then the action will be there. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. You'll become the greatest mahātmā. And what is the sign of mahātmā? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ bhajanty ananya-manaso [Bg. 9.13]. That is mahātmā. He is under the control of daivī prakṛti. As we are controlled by this material nature, a mahātmā is controlled by the spiritual nature. And what is the sign? Bhajanty ananya-manaso, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. This is the sign. Without any division. So these young boys, girls, they're always chanting. That you'll see: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa They are mahātmās. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. Api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg. 9.30]. These things are there. Very simple thing. You accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme, you follow instruction, you become a great mahātmā. And if you don't accept,

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā

dharmasyāsya parantapa

aprāpya māṁ nivartante

mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani

[Bg. 9.3]

If you don't accept aśraddadhānāḥ, then you'll never understand what is God, and you'll be rotating in the cycle of birth and death. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. You have to accept this path. There are two paths. Either you accept Kṛṣṇa, go back to home, back to Godhead, or you accept the path of repetition of birth and death. Two alternatives in this human life. Now it is up to you to make your choice which way you want to go.

Guest: After his demise… [break]

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Gurukṛpā: After if one becomes purified, is it possible when he becomes transferred to the spiritual world that he can meet Rūpa Gosvāmī and other great…

Prabhupāda: Yes. Provided you are pure, purified, you can meet everyone. The condition is purified. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. That is stated in the… That is purification. No more sinful life. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. A person is always engaged in pious activities. Te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 7.28]. So, so long one is infected with sinful activities, he cannot understand, neither he can surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is also explained by Kṛṣṇa:

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

[Bg. 7.15]

This is the signs. And one who is free from all sinful activities, mahātmā, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ bhajanty ananya-manaso [Bg. 9.13]. This is the signs. If one is not accepting Kṛṣṇa-Kṛṣṇa means God-as the Supreme, he's placing himself as the Supreme. Just like so many rascals: "I am God." So such persons are called duṣkṛtina, sinful. Mūḍha. If one is claiming "I am God," how much foolish he is just you can consider. He is under the clutches of māyā, being kicked up by the material energy in so many ways, and he's thinking he is God. So they are duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ. That has been explained. So this simple language is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. There is no difficulty. If we actually accept, then our life is…

janma karma ca me divyam

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti…

[Bg. 4.9]

So we are trying our bit to understand Kṛṣṇa and to make others to understand Kṛṣṇa. And therefore we have published about eighty-two books, big books and small books. So we request that you either accept Kṛṣṇa without any hesitation, or try to understand Kṛṣṇa by reading all these literatures. And they are being well received all over the world by big, big professors and other exalted persons. So you can take advantage. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Many people have brought dakṣiṇā and things like that. Should they bring now?

Prabhupāda: When they want to do?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I was thinking that maybe they could do… It was a little bit too crowded for everyone to come up earlier. Perhaps we could have a kīrtana and I could ask those devotees who brought some offering to bring them.

Prabhupāda: As you say. (end)

760705CC.WDC

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.100

Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) "Translation: I do not know what is beneficial for me and what is detrimental. Nonetheless, in ordinary dealings people consider me a learned scholar, and I am also thinking of myself as such."

Prabhupāda:

āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāna!

grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita tāi satya māni

So in India, still, a brāhmaṇa is called paṇḍita, paṇḍitaji. Just like you know our Prime Minister was Paṇḍita Jawaharlal Nehru. He happened to be a Sārasvata brāhmaṇa. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he also a Sārasvata brāhmaṇa by caste. But he has placed himself:

nīca jāti nīca-saṅgī patita adhāma

kuviṣaya-kūpe paḍi' goṅāinu janama

He could understand that "These people call me paṇḍita." Paṇḍita means one who knows everything. The ultimate paṇḍita is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. Paṇḍita means he sees every living entity on the equal level. That is real paṇḍita. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

He's really paṇḍita. That is spiritually. And material paṇḍita, that is also mentioned by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, his moral instruction. He gives description of a paṇḍita:

mātṛvat para-dāreṣu

para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat

ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu

yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ

He never said that anyone who has passed his M.A. degree or Ph.D. degree, he is paṇḍita. No. The test of paṇḍita is here, from moral instruction, that anyone who sees all other woman except his wife as mother, he is paṇḍita. Just see. This is the test. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu and para-dravyeṣu, other's property as garbage in the street, nobody touches. And ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu, and treat everyone as his own self. If anyone has learned these three things, then he is paṇḍita. And spiritually, when one sees that all living entities, may be in different types of bodies, he is spirit soul, part and parcel of God, then he is paṇḍita.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

So these are Vedic instructions, and Sanātana Gosvāmī, although he was a minister in Muhammadan government, Nawab Hussain Shah's, but in touch with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he has come to his knowledge that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita: "Actually, I am not paṇḍita, but in village, in ordinary common sense, because I happen to be a brāhmaṇa, they call me paṇḍita. I also accept as paṇḍita. But my real position is that I am such a paṇḍita, such a learned man, that I do not know what is good for me. This is my position." He is submitting to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his guru. Why guru is necessary? Tad vijñānārtham. When we are perplexed that "I do not know what is my actually goal of life, what is benefit here for me…" Just like Arjuna did. When he was talking with Kṛṣṇa on equal terms, two friends… But when he saw that the actual solution is not coming, then he submitted himself to Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa, now we are not friends. We are friends, but treat me as Your disciple." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. So "Make me paṇḍita. I am talking all foolishly. I am kṣatriya, it is my duty to fight and I am denying it. I know that I am deviating from my duties. So how it has happened? What is the cause? So kindly, śiṣyas te, I am submitting myself before You as Your student. Śādhi māṁ prapannam, I am surrendering."

So one has to learn the philosophy of life from the person superior, spiritual master. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Do not remain puffed-up, that "I am all-learned, I know everything." That is false. One has to submit. In order to know the solution of life, we have to submit to the proper spiritual master. That is essential. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. This is Vedic injunction. This abhigacchet, this word is used when it is meant "must." There is no escape. We have seen big, big personalities… Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu; He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He accepted Īśvara Purī as His guru. Kṛṣṇa, He also accepted His guru as Sāndīpani Muni. Lord Rāmacandra, He accepted His guru as Vasiṣṭha. So it is (not) necessary, Kṛṣṇa or Rāma. They are Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are the supreme instructor, full of knowledge, everything. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. There is nothing short, but still, to show us example, They accepted guru. That is essential. So here Sanātana Gosvāmī, he is also born in a very well-to-do brāhmaṇa family. He was well-situated as minister in charge of the government of Hussain Shah. So everything was quite all right, and still, he thought himself as nica jati.

nīca jāti nīca-saṅgī patita adhāma

kuviṣaya-kūpe paḍi' goṅāinu janama

If we remain puffed-up, that "I am born in such and such family. I am educated such and such, and I am posted in such and such post, so now my life is successful," that is false. Life is successful when we understand that… Here it is said, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni. When we understand what is the goal of life, then life is successful. Not the temporary position, "I am getting good salary, I am very nicely posted, I have got good family," and so on, so on. No. One must know the goal of life.

The goal of life is that… We are fallen in this material world somehow or other. As Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings, anādi karma-phale pori' bhavārṇava-jale. Now when a man is fallen in the ocean or in the water, he's asking help, you cannot say that "How did you fall? What was the cause?" That we shall discuss later on. First of all, save him. So that is the immediately necessity. There is no… Sometimes we are questioned that "How a living entity fallen in this material world?" Yes, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa [Bg. 7.27]. Icchā-dveṣa. Actually, we are servants of God. That is our real position. But we sometimes become envious, that "Why shall I become servant of God? This is slave mentality." Sometimes we are accused, the Vaiṣṇavas are, of slave mentality because they want to serve God. And the Māyāvādīs, they think that "We are so exalted that I am as good as God. I am God." That is their position. But actually, nobody is God here. Everyone is servant. He's simply falsely thinking that he's God, he's master, he's this or that. You have got very nice example in the life of Mr. Nixon. He was thinking that he's everything: "I am the President." But now what is his position, you can understand.

So similarly everyone…, nobody is master. The master is Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya [Cc. Ādi 5.142]. The master is there, that is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone is servant. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. We living entities, we are eternally servant of God. Kṛṣṇa means God. One who attracts everyone, that is Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is God, accepted by everyone.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. These are the Vedic evidences. So actually nobody can be master; everyone is servant. Either we are servant of God or we are servant of dog. That's all. Nobody can be master. If anyone has no master, then he keeps a pet dog to become his servant. That is nature, we can see. One is servant of his wife, one is servant of his pet or government service or this service. Nobody can claim that "I am the master." That is not possible. That is also temporary. So actually this is the position of all living entities. Everyone is servant. But in the material sense, he is servant of māyā, servant of senses. Servant of māyā means servant of senses. And spiritual life means instead of becoming servant of māyā or servant of senses, we become the servant of Kṛṣṇa or God. That is the position. Servant we shall remain. We have to change the position. And if we become servant of God, then we become happy, and if we remain servant of dog or māyā, then we remain unhappy. This is the position. We have to change the position. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās teṣāṁ mayi na karuṇā jātā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ. One intelligent brāhmaṇa, he's offering, "My Lord, I have become servant of so many senses, but neither the senses are satisfied, neither I am satisfied. This is the result of my service. Therefore now I have got my intelligence that I want to become Your servant." This is intelligence. So I have experienced that I became a servant of my family, servant of my society, servant of my country, and so on, so on, but nobody, neither my so-called master was satisfied, neither I was satisfied. We see practical examples, there are many examples. In our country, Mahatma Gandhi, he dedicated his life for the service of the country. Nobody can doubt about his service, but what is the result? His master killed him. He worked for his country, he took country as his master, and he worked so hard, and his countrymen killed him. We should take lesson from this that you cannot satisfy in this material world by becoming servant of your family or community, society, nation. No. It is not possible. You can satisfy very easily Kṛṣṇa by little service. By little service. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt.

So this is intelligence, how to become a servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of life. That means mukti. Mukti does not mean you'll get four hands and eight heads. No. Mukti means, as it is defined in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. That is mukti. Sva-rūpeṇa, legally, constitutionally, I am servant of God, or Kṛṣṇa. Now I have become servant of dog and māyā. So if I give up this service and again become servant of God, that is mukti. That is mukti. Muktir hitvānyathā rūpam. We are trying to become… Here māyā means "which is not." Ma-ya. We are every one of us, we are thinking, "I am master." "I am the monarch of all I survey." Here is a poetry. Everyone is thinking. I made my plan, I make my survey, and I become king. But that is māyā. You cannot become. You are already servant of māyā.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

[Bg. 3.27]

Everyone is under the clutches of these material laws. You cannot violate even an inch. And still the rascal, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, by false prestige, he's thinking that "I am the master." I was asking this morning that what is this independence meaning? Actually, where is independence? This independence, has it meaning? If you are completely under the rules and regulations of the material nature, what is the meaning of this independence? So those who are paṇḍita, they do not take it as independence. They do not take it. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī said, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni. "I do not know what is independence, I am dancing like dog, independence." Therefore he says, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "How independence I can get, that I do not know." Real independence is, as Kṛṣṇa puts in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. One who is intelligent, he sees that "My real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, old age and disease."So when we get free from these four problems, that is real independence. Otherwise, there is no independence. I may dance with independence, but any moment I shall have to leave my country, my society, my friends, my family, any moment, "Get out immediately. No, no independence." That is my position. So that is intelligence.

So in order to know all these problems of life… Just like Arjuna submitted, and any one has to submit. One has to… Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. So Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us by his personal behavior how to approach the bona fide spiritual master and submit before him and putting himself praṇipā, blank. Not that "I know something, and what my spiritual master can teach? I know everything. There is no need of spiritual master." No. This will spoil our life. The Vedic injunction is that you must have not a so-called guru but… That is also given definition.

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta

jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam

śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ

brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

[SB 11.3.21]

That is the symptoms of guru. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, because we are discussing Caitanya-caritāmṛta, He said that you become, all of you, become guru. He said. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. He said,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

This is Indian mission. Para-upakāra. Not exploit others-to give something. That is Indian mission, that he has to give something. He has nothing to take. He has to give something. And what is that? That Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches, that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Even if you cannot deliver the whole world or very expansive area, at least, wherever you are, you just deliver them. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa. "You become a guru by My order." So one may say that "I have no qualification. How can I become a guru or how can I deliver these fallen persons?" So Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Don't be disappointed."

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa

yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Bas. Simply as messenger, as peon, you simply carry the messages of Bhagavad-gītā, kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Then you become guru. Then you become guru. It is not difficult.

So it is the duty of every Indian not to forget their culture, but bring that culture, pure, wherever you are living and behave yourself to that culture and teach others. That is Indian mission.

Thank you very much. [break] What is that question?

Vipina: Mr. Deyani, you have any questions you would like to ask Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Mr. Deyani: Well, I just have one thing here, you stated about Gandhi, and we respect that he was really a great leader of us, but stated one point in your lecture, this thing, that Gandhi, mostly, was a servant of the country, but in India, during that period, I didn't see other religious people or the great leaders of India fighting for the country, and they…, he's the one…

Prabhupāda: That is admitted. Why you are bringing that question? I mean to say that Gandhi gave the best service to you, but your country is so ungrateful that he killed him. That is my point. So the point is that the best service you can give, but you cannot satisfy everyone. That is material.

Mr. Deyani: No, but my question, sir, was that at some point you have to be the servant of the God, you will have to be a servant of your family or the country or something to serve.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that I'm already explaining, that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] wherever you are, you deliver them. That is service. That is service. Wherever you are. Either you are in the family or in the community or in the country or anywhere, you simply give them service, deliver them. Without service, how you can deliver them? And you haven't got to discover anything or make research. What is already there, kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, you teach them, that's all. He'll be delivered. You'll be delivered, he'll be delivered. It is not at all difficult. Not that I have to manufacture some transcendental means. No. The already instruction is there, kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Then you deliver yourself, you deliver others also. That is the mission. So what we are doing? We are not discovering anything. We are simply presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That's all. Kṛṣṇa said, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. We are teaching all over the world the same thing, that "Here is Kṛṣṇa. You always think of Him, you just offer your obeisances, you just become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī, worship." So we are teaching. So there is no discovery. It is already there. So that we are carrying simply. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. We don't interpret. There is no need of interpretation; then there is no authority of Bhagavad-gītā. If I am a third-class man, if I interpret Bhagavad-gītā, then Bhagavad-gītā has no authority. Bhagavad-gītā should be preached as it is. Then you become guru, you can deliver others. This is the process. (indistinct) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, sometimes when we go preaching, people do not want to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sometimes they actually…

Prabhupāda: So if they want to take, then where is the question of preaching? Because they do not want to take, you have to preach. Otherwise, where is the necessity of preaching? You have to prepare yourself in such a way that nobody is dying for your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but you have to convince him that your life is spoiled without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is your capacity. They are under the clutches of māyā. They are thinking… [break]

Women: …convinced that they have some revelation or some experience that is assuring them of eternal life. So they are not very open to hear about Kṛṣṇa, and they…

Prabhupāda: If they are not open to hear about Kṛṣṇa, then don't waste your time. The simple thing. There are four things. For a preacher, there are four things:

īśvare tad-adhīneṣu

bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca

prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā

yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ

When in the lower stage of devotional service, he cannot become preacher. When he's in a little upper, second stage, he can become preacher. So preacher has to see four things. First of all God, īśvara, and tad-adhīneṣu, and those who are devotees. God, His devotees, and bāliśa, innocent. He does not know anything about… So three: God, devotee, and the innocent. And dviṣat, envious, atheist class. He has to see four things, and he has to deal with four persons differently. With God, īśvare prema: how to advance my love for God, these dealings. Prema-maitrī, and to the devotees, we have to make friendship with them. Prema-maitrī. And to the innocent, we have to preach, kṛpā: "Oh, here is an innocent person. He does not know; he's eager to learn." There teaching is required. Teaching, you cannot teach God or you cannot teach God's devotees. But you can teach the innocent. And those who are dviṣat, atheist, upekṣā, don't go there, save yourself. These are the four things. So when one is not open to hear, then don't bother yourself. That requires very strong preacher to convince the atheist class, provided he is reasonable also. If he's stubborn, obstinate, then it is also very difficult. But preaching is meant, innocent, that one who is actually sincere but he does not know what is God, what is my relationship with God, there is necessity of preaching. Not to the envious or those who are already advanced, or to God. This is the… Hmm. Bālīya. (indistinct)

Indian man: Prabhupāda, you are giving a very simple process, which is… I can confirm by (indistinct) …it is not (indistinct) Indians coming? Why? They are exposed to Kṛṣṇa from their birth; still they are not interested. Nobody wants to listen.

Prabhupāda: Because they have become bara-sab. Especially in the foreign countries, they become bara-sab. So that is the misfortune of India. They are giving up their culture and being misguided. So if they actually feel that they must maintain their own culture, then it is not difficult. It is the duty of every Indian, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

If that mentality is developed, that "In India we were born, we have got the greatest culture, recognized by all the world. So I must make my life successful by taking this culture and distribute it to the whole world," that is real Indian culture. If… They are thinking that they are poverty-stricken. Poverty-stricken because they have given their own culture; therefore poverty-stricken. Otherwise, there is no question of poverty-stricken. So anyway this is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message, that every Indian should take advantage of the great culture, Vedic culture, and make his life successful, and after acquiring mature knowledge he should distribute the knowledge throughout the whole world. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's…

Indian man: (indistinct) How can we (indistinct)?

Prabhupāda: By preaching. If you preach, then you'll meet with so many obstacles, and you have to prepare yourself how to meet the obstacles. Then you become strong preacher. Resistance. There is no difficulty, but if there is difficulty, atheist class of men, and it is very difficult, so take innocent, those who are actually eager to know. Everyone should be. That is the human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is human civilization. Everyone should be inquisitive to know about the Absolute Truth, Brahman, but education is different nowadays. People are interested with hammer, how to play on hammer, that's all, technology. There is no question of Brahman. Let Brahman go to hell, now take out the hammer. That Russian emblem? Hammer? And scythe? That's all. Yes?

Indian man: Prabhupāda, the basic confusion is that the Māyāvādīs take Bhagavad-gītā, they can recite the same Sanskrit words and interpret it in their way and convince someone that the ultimate Brahman is impersonal and the (indistinct) Brahman, Kṛṣṇa is only a technique.

Prabhupāda: That means they misinterpret and they misguide. So people should be intelligent enough that they are impersonalists but Bhagavad-gītā means Kṛṣṇa, the person, He is teaching. Where is the impersonalist? But nobody has any common sense even that Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi bhūtānām. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo [Bg. 10.8]. This aham is person, so how He can be imperson? And He's talking personally with Arjuna. So how He is imperson? Can the air talk with you? Air is imperson. Sky is imperson. Can he talk with you? What do you think? No, sometimes talks. (laughter) So we should have common sense, that where is the question of… And Kṛṣṇa says in the Second Chapter that "My dear Arjuna, both you, Me and all these soldiers and kings who are assembled here, we existed in the past, we are now existing, and we shall continue to exist in the future." So three things: first person, second person and third person. I am first person, you are second person and all others third person. So they existed individually in the past, they are existing now, and they will continue to exist like that. Then where is imperson? There are three things, three different phases, past, present and future. In all the times, if they are individual, where is imperson? Rather, Kṛṣṇa has condemned, avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannam manyante mām abuddhayaḥ [Bg. 7.24]. Those who are rascals, they think avyaktam, impersonal. Now He has become person. Avyaktaṁ vyaktim āpannaṁ manyante mām. Mām means individual person. Abuddhayaḥ: he has no intelligence. So how He can be imperson? So we have to take the words of Bhagavad-gītā and then we understand. Why we should be misled by these so-called interpreters?

Indian man: They say that if you develop pure love of Kṛṣṇa, then you'll see only Kṛṣṇa. Your own personality is…

Prabhupāda: But anyway, but Kṛṣṇa, if you think of Kṛṣṇa, the Kṛṣṇa person, He's not imperson.

Indian man: No, but they…, they say that has happened.

Prabhupāda: They say that if you think of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is a person. So you have to begin with person.

Indian man: But they also say one can go directly to Brahman.

Prabhupāda: Never says, Kṛṣṇa never says in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Indian man: This is my basic confusion.

Prabhupāda: Confusion… How you should be confused? Where is Kṛṣṇa says? The basic (indistinct) is in person? Kṛṣṇa's teaching personally. Where is the imperson? Why you should be misled unless you are also one of them. Kṛṣṇa is always person. He's always speaking aham. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Person. Aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2]. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Mattaḥ. This, ahaṁ-śabdaḥ, is used. So they misinterpret just to mislead people; therefore whole India has become godless. This is the misfortune of India. On account of these impersonalists, Māyāvādīs, India is now godless. Very difficult position. So don't be misled by these rascals. Take real Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then you'll be benefited. That's all. (end)

661122C2.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.100-108

New York, November 22, 1966

Prabhupāda:

āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni

grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni

kṛpā kari' yadi more kariyācha uddhāra

āpana-kṛpāte kaha 'kartavya' āmāra

So Sanātana Gosvāmī, he's ācārya in this disciplic succession from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Caitanya. He is the first disciple of Lord Caitanya, and from him, Sanātana Gosvāmī, six Gosvāmīs. There were six among the first followers of Lord Caitanya. And then, from next step comes Raghunātha Gosvāmī and then this author of this book, Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, and from him, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, and then from him, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. In this way this disciplic succession is coming from Lord Caitanya. So as ācārya… Ācārya means one who knows the principles of scripture, properly being initiated by authority who knows things as they are, and they apply those things in their own life. They are called ācārya. Acinoti śāstrāṇi: he must know all the principles from authorities, and he should apply in his life those principles. Not that he knows but does not apply. He cannot be ācārya. Āpani ācari prabhu jīva disa (?). Lord Caitanya, He, although He is accepted as the, I mean to say, the personal, He's Kṛṣṇa Himself, still, He behaved in such a way that others can follow. He also accepted Īśvara Purī. Īśvara, Īśvara Purī was His spiritual master, Lord Caitanya's. This is the disciplic succession.

Now, how to present himself before the spiritual master? He said that "Actually I am not learned, because I do not know my own position, what I am. But people say that 'You are paṇḍita,' and I am puffed-up, and I think, 'Yes, I am paṇḍita, I am learned.' " This is the situation of the world. Everyone who has no spiritual knowledge, who does not know what he is, still, he is very much proud that he's very learned. So such kind of learning may be praised materially, but spiritually it has no value. Spiritually it has no value, because this is temporary, temporary. Just like by force, so many people is posted on the king's position, but after five years, ten years, again he's a common man. So similarly, all this material acquisition, they have no permanent value. Therefore those who are actually learned, they don't give any importance to this material acquisition. So Sanātana prabhu is, by his personal behavior, he's presenting himself that "People say that I am very learned, but actually I am not learned." This should be the position. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttama. Now, "Because I am not learned, and very kindly You have delivered me from the māyā of illusion, kindly now let me know what is my duty." This is the position. One should present himself to the spiritual master, not that… We have to first of all select spiritual master. The selection is required. Because as soon as you accept one spiritual master, you cannot say that "I don't agree with you." No. That you cannot say. Then it is useless, simply waste of time. First of all you have to select a person who is actually representative. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī is representative of, I mean to say, Lord Caitanya. Just like Arjuna is representative of Kṛṣṇa, because he's directly receiving instruction from Kṛṣṇa, and he's assimilating it; therefore, he is representative. So this is the paramparā system. So we have to select a person who is actually representative of the Supreme. Then we have to surrender, and then we can… Of course, before (indistinct) and do not understand, we must put our questions, then the procedure is nice.

So here, Sanātana Gosvāmī's asking that ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. "Now I place myself that I do not know, but I request You to explain what I am." Now this "what I am…" Sanātana Goswami is such a learned man, he's asking from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "What I am, I cannot know." If one thinks, "What I am?" I shall think myself that "There are so many foolish people, they're meditating, 'What I am? What I am?' 'What I am,' you are a foolish. You cannot know, 'What I am?' " Just like Arjuna did not know what he is. He thought that "I am this body, and these persons who are in relationship with my body, they're my own men, they're my kinsmen." That was his knowledge. So you cannot know, we cannot know "What I am." A superior authority will let you know what you are. You cannot know. This is the mistaken idea, that "I shall find out what I am." No. You cannot know. Just see. Sanātana Gosvāmī said that ke āmi: "Kindly, as You have very kindly delivered me from this illusory position, now I am surrendered soul to You. Please let me know what I am." Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. Tāpa-traya means three kinds of material miseries. Tāpa means miseries; traya means three. So, "What I am, and why I am placed in this miserable condition of material nature?" This is called jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. This inquiry should be in the human form of life. Then his life is perfect. Ke āmi. In the Brahmā Sūtra it is called athāto brahma jijñāsā, and in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: [SB 11.3.21] "One who is inquisitive to inquire, to understand about his real position, he should accept a spiritual master." Not a formality.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is being asked, ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. Tāpa-traya means threefold miseries. What are these threefold miseries? They are miseries pertaining to this body and mind; miseries pertaining to the, I mean to say, disturbance of material nature; and miseries pertaining to the other living entities. We are always under threefold miseries. We may accept or not accept; that is our position. I am in miserable condition due to others' arrangement-my enemies, other animals or other enemies. And I am in miserable condition due to material disturbances, nature's disturbances. And I am always under miseries due to my bodily and mental conditions. These called, these are called threefold miseries. So out of these three… We are always under three kinds of miseries, but sometimes one is slackened, other is greater, in this way, but we are always under miserable condition. When a sane man comes to this understanding, he is eligible for spiritual evolution. And one is dull, who cannot understand what are these miseries, then he has no need of approaching a spiritual master or inquiring about transcendental subject. Just like a man who is not, I mean to say, aware of his disease, he does not go to a physician. He thinks, "I'm all right." Just like the drunkards in the Bowery Street. They think that "We…," they're all right. There, there is nothing miserable condition for them. But what do they know about miserable…? They are so much accustomed to this miserable condition that they cannot understand what is meaning of his miserable condition. Yes.

So when people are in this lowest stage of ignorance, they cannot understand what is needed. But when they are elevated, just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, they…, he goes to a bona fide spiritual master like Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His representative and asks, "What are the causes of my miseries, and what I am? What is my position?"

'ke āmi', 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya'

ihā nāhi jāni-'kemane hita haya'

"And I also do not know what is the path of my welfare."

sādhya-sādhana-tattva puchite nā jāni

kṛpā kaha ta' āpani kari' saba tattva

"And I also do not know how to place my question." Yes. The blank slate. Completely. "I do not know, but I am feeling that I am in a miserable condition, but kindly explain me, what is my duty, what I am, and why I am fallen in the miserable condition? So You kindly explain to me."

prabhu kahe-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā tomāte pūrṇa haya

saba tattva jāna, tomāra nāhi tāpa-traya

And Lord Caitanya encourages him that "Because you have come to this understanding, now all your miseries are over. All your miseries are over." Just like a man suffering from certain kind of disease, if he approaches a right physician, that means he is beginning of, beginning of…, ending of all diseases is there. Similarly, if we can find out a bona fide spiritual master, and if we are actually anxious to end our miserable life, then it is actually done. The beginning is there. Saba tattva jāna, tomāra nāhi tāpa-traya. "Now don't be discouraged. You have no threefold miseries. Because you have come to this position, therefore you are above all these threefold miseries."

kṛṣṇa-śakti dhara tumi, jāna tattva-bhāva

jāni' dārḍhya lāgi' puche-sādhura svabhāva

[Cc. Madhya 20.105]

A sādhu, a sage or a devotee, although he knows everything, still, he always places himself as he does not know anything. He never says that "I know everything." But actually, it is not possible to know everything. That is not possible. But one… Just like Sir Isaac Newton, he agrees that people say, "I am very much learned, but I do not know how much I have learned. I am simply collecting some pebbles on the sea shore." So that is the position. If a man who is actually learned, he'll never say that "I am learned." He'll simply say, "I am the fool number one. I do not know."

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu appreciated his humbleness, because actually he was a very learned and very man of position in the society, so as a matter of reciprocation, exchange of, I mean to say, etiquette, he also accepted, "No, you are not fallen. You don't be discouraged. Simply it is the duty of any learned man to place himself like that. But you are not fool." Kṛṣṇa śakti dhara tumi: [Cc. Madhya 20.105] "Because you are already devotee." Before retirement, and before coming to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, these Gosvāmīs, as I told you, they're very learned Sanskrit scholar. They used to read Bhāgavata. When he gave false report to the Nawab Shah, that "I am not well. I cannot attend office," then Nawab Shah went to his house one day personally, that "This gentleman is not attending office and simply submitting sick report. What is that?" So when he approached and Nawab Shah saw that he's engaged with learned paṇḍitas reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then he understood, "Oh, this is your disease. You are now taken to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." So actually he was very learned, but out of his humble behavior he is submitting himself to Lord Caitanya in this gentle way.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya

yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ

acirād eva sarvārthaḥ

sidhyaty eṣām abhīpsitaḥ

He says that "Your desire is to get perfection; therefore you are so much humble." So he quotes one verse from Nāradīya Purāṇa, that anyone who is very serious, one who is serious about knowing himself perfectly, and if he seeks in that way, then his perfection is guaranteed. The only thing is that one should be very serious. The purport, purport of this verse is sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ. Nirbandhinī matiḥ means he has already determined that "In this life I shall make my life perfect." Then, for him, perfection is guaranteed. If he thinks, "Oh, let me try. Let me test also this department of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at the same time test other departments. Let us go this way…" No. One should be very much serious to make complete perfection in this life. So a man should be serious like Sanātana Gosvāmī. And for that purpose he sacrificed everything, he became a beggar. So we should be prepared to sacrifice anything for perfection of this human form of life. Then perfection is guaranteed. Simply we should be very serious, that's all.

Now, Lord Caitanya says that "Yes. I will have to give you instruction." Actually, this Sanātana Gosvāmī is eternal associated, associate of Lord Caitanya. Just like Arjuna, he's also eternal associate of Kṛṣṇa. Now, he placed himself as an ordinary man, and as if he was in illusion of this relationship of this body. Actually he was not so, but by the energy of Kṛṣṇa he was so-called illusion. Otherwise he would not place himself in that condition, would not question Kṛṣṇa, then Bhagavad-gītā would not come. That is the purpose. Just like playing. He is similarly the sum of the associates of Lord Kṛṣṇa. When Lord Kṛṣṇa, His incarnation comes on this earth, His associates are also present there without. So some of the associates, they play like this, a fool, a personality like this ordinary man, and they question to the Lord, and the answer is there for the benefit of us. Just like Lord Caitanya, He's supposed to be Kṛṣṇa Himself. Because people derided at Him when He was actually present as Kṛṣṇa-avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā: [Bg. 9.11] "Foolish persons deride at Me because I am playing just like a man"-so He came again as a devotee, Lord Caitanya, how to teach, how to grasp Kṛṣṇa bhakti, devotional service. So He practically demonstrated. So He is eternal as Sanātana Gosvāmī is also, he is eternal associate. So as if he is taking lesson, representing ourself, he is taking lesson from the Lord. The Lord is confirming that,

yogya-pātra hao tumi bhakti pravartāite

krame saba tattva śuna, kahiye tomāte

The Lord is also… This is a process. It is the duty of the spiritual master to select a disciple, and at the same time it is the duty of the disciple to select a spiritual master. Now the selection is very nice. Sanātana Gosvāmī is the right person to understand the science of devotional service, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the right person to give lesson to the disciple about this science. So He says, yogya-pātra: "You are just the proper person to understand this science of devotion." Now, krame saba tattva śuna, kahiye tomāte: "Now I shall gradually explain to you about this devotional service, and you'll understand."

Now the first question was, of Sanātana Gosvāmī, that is, that should be the first question of everyone: "What I am?" Because if I do not know what I am, there is no question of my duties and my destination, everything. Everything will depend first to know what I am. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna did not know what he was; therefore Kṛṣṇa first of all taught him that "You are not this body. You are not this body." That was the first instruction. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yau… [Bg. 2.13]. "You are so much absorbed in bodily conception of life, and you are thinking that you are a learned man. That is your foolishness." In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find the first instruction of Lord Kṛṣṇa is there, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: [Bg. 2.11] "You are thinking, you are talking with Me just like a very learned man. You are arguing with me. But from your behavior I can understand you are a fool number one." Because such kind of talk is never, I mean to say, placed by a learned man. So indirectly He said that "You are a fool." And "Why you are fool?" He said that "You are not this body. You are changing every moment your body. Why don't you think that you are not this body? Why you are identifying yourself as with the body?" Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā: [Bg. 2.13] "You are changing your body at every moment. From the mother's womb up to the death point, you are changing every body. Then why you are thinking that you are body? But you are the same. In spite of all changes, you are the same." I think, my childhood, I think that I am the same. I forget that I am so much grown-up. That is my position. So the first lesson, the inquiry of Śrī Caitanya, of Sanātana Gosvāmī, is that "What I am? What I am?" Arjuna did not place himself "What I am?" but here, because the instruction which is given in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta is practically higher than Bhagavad-gītā-it is postgraduate study, higher than Bhagavad-gītā. In the Bhagavad-gītā the, Arjuna, he did not question "What I am?" He was perplexed with this bodily conception. Now here, Sanātana Gosvāmī he, he thinks that "I'm not…, I do not know what I am." So he's advanced than Arjuna. He accepts that "I do not know."

So because he inquired that ke āmi-ke āmi means "What I am?"-therefore Lord Caitanya directly informs him first that jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. Jīva, the living entity, is eternally a servitor of the Supreme Lord. Eternal. He gets, He says, jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa. That is his identity. So he refused all nonsensical ideas that "I am God, I am equal with God." In the first beginning, he refused this idea, that "This is wrong. You are living entity. Your position is that you are eternally servitor of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord."

Now we shall continue tomorrow. Any questions? (end)

751109CC.BOM

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.100-108

Bombay, November 9, 1975

Prabhupāda: So, last Sunday we were discussing about Sanātana Gosvāmī's meeting with Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sanātana Gosvāmī was the finance minister of Nawab Hussain Shah, the then Pathan government of Bengal. So he resigned his office. The Nawab was reluctant to give him release. He was arrested, but somehow or other he released himself by bribing the superintendent of jail and he met Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Benares, or Vārāṇasī. And for two months He gave him instruction how to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So approaching the guru, Sanātana Gosvāmī, his submission was that "People in general, they talk of me as very learned scholar." He was very good scholar in Sanskrit, in Arabic and Persian language because he was minister, very responsible post. So… And he was born in brāhmaṇa family, Sārasvata brāhmaṇa family. So naturally he was supposed to be very learned scholar, paṇḍita, brāhmaṇa paṇḍita. Still we address a brāhmaṇa as paṇḍitajī. Never we address a brāhmaṇa as mūrkhajī. So, that is the etiquette. Brāhmaṇa means he must be very learned scholar and a very advanced devotee. Brāhmaṇa paṇḍita, brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava. These are the qualification of brāhmaṇa. So naturally he was addressed as paṇḍitajī, but he denied to accept that he is actually paṇḍita. So he submitted that,

grāmya-vyavahāre kahaye paṇḍita satya kari māni

āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni

That "People, they address me as paṇḍita, but I am such a paṇḍita that I do not now what I am." This is the position of everyone. Everyone is very much proud of his learning, scientific knowledge and so on, so on. But if you ask him, "What you are?" "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am American." This is the answer you'll get. But that is, I am not. I am not this body. This is the beginning of paṇḍita. This is the beginning. Bhagavad-gītā teaches in the beginning this primary lesson, that "You are not this body."

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

So this is the problem, dehātma-buddhi, identifying oneself with this body. That is condemned in the śāstra. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ sa eva go-kharaḥ: [SB 10.84.13] "Anyone who is identifying himself with this body, he is no better than the cows and the asses, animal." This is… The whole Vedic civilization is based on this principle, that one has to learn first of all that he is not this body. Then further advancement. If one keeps himself under this misidentification that "I am this body," he remains an animal.

So Sanātana Gosvāmī submitted to his guru. This is the actually necessity of approaching a guru, not that guru should be approached for some material gains, for some medical help: "Guru Mahārāja, I am suffering from this disease. Give me your blessing," and he gives some powder and you are cured. So for this purpose there is no necessity of guru. You can go to a medical man. Then he can help you. Why should you search out a guru? But that has become a fashion. For some material gain they would go to guru. And if the guru can manufacture gold, then what to speak of? This is going on. But śāstra does not say that you should approach a guru for some material benefit. No. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. You should approach a guru-what purpose? Jijñāsuḥ, if you are inquisitive, jijñāsuḥ. What is that jijñāsuḥ? Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta. Jijñāsā, enquiry, means not for any other purpose, any political, social or this… So many things are there in this material world. But real jijñāsā is brahma-jijñāsā. That is, the Vedānta-sūtra begins.

So the same thing is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural comment on Vedānta-sūtra. When Vyāsadeva was not satisfied even after giving the Vedānta-sūtras, Brahma-sūtras, then his spiritual master advised him that "You write something simply on the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; otherwise you cannot be satisfied." Then he, on the basis of Vedānta-sūtra, he wrote a commentary, bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrānām **. Therefore in each end of chapter of Bhāgavatam you'll find, brahma-sūtrasya bhāṣyayam. So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural comment on Vedānta-sūtra by the author himself. So the Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā, unless one is inquisitive to understand about Brahman or the supreme spirit or the basic principle of our life…

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur

indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir

buddhes tu ya para saḥ

[Bg. 3.42]

So Brahman means… Generally we are identified with this body. Body means the senses. We take prominent the senses. Whole world is going on on the sense perception, sense gratification. So indriyāṇi parāny āhuḥ. The indriyas are very prominent in materialistic way of life. Indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ. Then, above the indriyas, there is the mind. Just like philosopher, psychologist or scientist, who are thoughtful, thinking, they are also on the mental platform. The ordinary men, they are on the bodily platform like animal, sense gratification. And little higher than that-indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ-those who are on the mental platform. But mental platform will not help us. It is said, mano-rathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. Mano-rathena. If one is on the mental platform, naturally he has no higher information. He'll glide down again to the material platform. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ [SB 5.18.12]. So simply mental speculation, the whole world, the scientists… They are working on the mental platform. Therefore today they fix up, "This is the conclusion," and tomorrow, another conclusion, another conclusion, because it is mental platform. So above the mental platform, intellectual platform, and above the intellectual platform is the spiritual platform, and that is called Brahman platform. So athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should be inquisitive on the spiritual platform. That is success of life.

Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī is submitting that "Actually they address me as (paṇḍita), but I am not paṇḍita, because I am on the mental platform and the sensual platform, not even intellectual platform." And above that intellectual platform is the spiritual platform. So the śāstra says that one should be inquisitive on the spiritual platform. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. Uttamam means spiritual. Tama means material, and jyoti means spiritual. So Vedic instruction is tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in the dark, material platform. You just approach a spiritual platform." These are the Vedic civilization. One should be inquisitive about… Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Ut means udgatam, transcendental. There is no tama, there is no darkness. So uttamam, that is uttamam. This word uttama, uttama means not of this material world: beyond this material world. That is called uttama. So if one is inquisitive about the spiritual world, jīvasya tattva jijñāsā, that is tattva.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti

bhagavān iti śabdyate

[SB 1.2.11]

Everything is there, and we are trying to present them in our so many books. Unfortunately we are not interested. That is another thing. Anyway, so a guru is necessary for him, not for some asirbhat, for curing some material disease or getting some gold. No. He has no necessity for guru. Guru is necessary for that person who is inquisitive about understanding Brahman. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā.

So the Sanātana Gosvāmī came to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, accepted Him as guru, not for any material benefit. Because he was minister… Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. He gave up his position, very high position. What is that? Aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīm. Because he was minister, his associates, his friends, his business was with big, big men of the state, maṇḍala-pati, big zamindars, big kings, big ministers, big so on. Everyone is big. But he preferred to give them up, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat, that "What is the use of this association?" Sadā tucchavat. Bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. And he preferred to do something beneficial to the public, bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau, in the public, general public. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. This was the business, not that he was very busy while he was minister and when he retired he became a dull and sat down in one place. No. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau. He was studying different types of literatures and scriptures. Why? Sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau: just to establish real purpose of religiosity. Sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. These are the qualifications of six Gosvāmīs.

So these Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, they were the principal disciples of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, six Gosvāmī. Śrī rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa raghunātha, śrī jīva gopāla bhaṭṭa dāsa raghunātha. All of them were very, very big, stalwart scholars, ministers, rich men, zamindars. They all joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu just to help Him to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not a sentimental movement. It is meant for the learned scholars and highly situated person. Bhagavad-gītā is also that. Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. The Bhagavad-gītā was not meant for any third-class man. Rājarṣi. Rājarṣi, great kings, at the same time saintly. Not kings of the present day. Saintly kings, rājarṣi. So these Vedic literatures, they are meant for the high-class men, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind, so merciful, that He has made a process that anyone can take it. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. Therefore His name is Patita-pāvana. In this age everyone is fallen, everyone is fallen, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu is called "the deliverer of the fallen," patita-pāvana.

patita-pāvana-hetu tava avatāra

mo sama patita prabhu nā pāibe āra

This is the approach. One should approach Caitanya Mahāprabhu very humbly. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also instructed, to advance in spiritual consciousness one should be very humble, meek. That is the instruction of all scripture. One should not be falsely puffed up. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us,

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. Ādi 17.31]

One should be tolerant.

So anyway, this Sanātana Gosvāmī, he is approaching Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very humbly and tolerantly, putting himself that he is fool number one. Yes. Grāmya-vyavahāre kahaye paṇḍita: "These general people, they do not know what is a paṇḍita, but they call Me paṇḍitajī, but actually I know what kind of paṇḍita I am. I do not know what I am." Grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita satya kari māni. So his first proposal is, ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya: "What is my position? What I am? I do not want to suffer, but in this material world, three kinds of suffering are always there, and they are giving me trouble." This consciousness is not there. People have become so dull-headed that they are always suffering by three kinds of suffering: adhyātmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika; still, they are thinking they are very happy. This is called māyā. This morning we were discussing. Āvaraṇātmikā-śakti. Māyā has got a covering power so that everyone, even he's a cat and dog, he's thinking that he is very happy. This is māyā. Nobody can be happy in this material world. That is the fact. Why? Kṛṣṇa says. The creator of this world, He says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: [Bg. 8.15] "It is the place for suffering. How you can be happy? It is meant for suffering." But people are thinking they are happy or, if they make this plan executed, then they will be happy. You see. Nobody is happy. Big, big politician, they plan so many things. Unfortunately they never become happy, and we have got many examples-we do not wish to discuss-but it is a fact that this place is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. The great authority, Kṛṣṇa, says. And here is a realized, soul, Sanātana Gosvāmī. He said that "Why I am subjected to so many miserable condition?" This is a fact. Duḥkhālayam. This alayam, this place, is for suffering, Duḥkhālayam, and aśāśvatam, and you cannot stay here for long time. Even if you think that it is very happy place, you'll not be allowed. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. So actually it is not the place for enjoyment, but under the spell of māyā we are thinking that this is a place for happiness. And what is that happiness? Yan-maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. The happiness is based on sex life, maithunādi. That's all. This is the material happiness. Therefore everyone within the universe, you'll find the plan of happiness on the sex life. I try to enjoy on sex life. Then, on account of sex life, there are children. So I try to make them them happy-the same sex life. The grandchildren-the same sex life. Because we do not know anything else. Yan-maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham.

So that is not happiness. Happiness is different thing. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya grāhyam [Bg. 6.21]. If you want happiness, that is spiritual happiness, not material happiness. So when he submitted that "Why I am suffering from these threefold miseries, adhyātmika, adhibhautika?" so that is real approaching of the spiritual master, that "Why I am suffering?" not that "Give me some mantra and medicine. I become happy. " No. The question should be… Just like if a person is serious to consult a physician, not that "Immediately give me some tablet. I become happy." No. The root disease must be treated. That is the relationship between the patient and… So Sanātana Gosvāmī is intelligent person, most intelligent person. He was minister. Without being very intelligent, one cannot be minister. So he said that "Why I am suffering? What is my position? What I am?" Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu says directly,

jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa,

kṛṣṇera taṭasthā-śakti bhedābheda prakāśa

[Cc. Madhya 20.108]

sūryāṁśa-kiraṇa yaiche agni-jvālā-caya

svābhāvika kṛṣṇera tina-prakāra śakti haya

Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu is beginning the identification of the living entity from the end of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is demanding at the last instruction, "The most confidential part of knowledge I am giving you, My dear Arjuna, because you are My dear friend." So what is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is the most confidential part of… It is not understood by general public, but this is the only knowledge, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. Kṛṣṇa came, appeared on this planet, for dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. He did not come to establish the conception of Hindu religion and Muslim religion or Christian religion or this religion. No. Real religion. Real religion. What is that real religion? To surrender unto the Supreme Lord. That is real religion. So just like our real citizens means…, citizenship means that we surrender to the government regulation, similarly, dharma means dharmāṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. You cannot manufacture dharma as you cannot manufacture law at home. That is not. Now they are manufacturing and it is being supported, yata mat tata pat. Whatever… [break]…manufacture, it is all right. It cannot be all right. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the Supreme. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. Everything is being conducted under His instruction. The sun is rising exactly at time. Yasyājñaya bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. These are description in the Vedic literatures.

yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahānāṁ

rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ

yasyājñaya bhramati sambhṛta kāla-cakro

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

The sun, the most powerful planet within this universe, the eyes of the universe… Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahānām. Without sunrise, however expert you may be in science, you cannot see even. Therefore real eye-the sun. Any sane man will admit. Now it is darkness at night. Have any scientists any instrument to show that everything is visible? No. That is not possible. The real eyes. This is subsequent, secondary eyes. We are very much proud of our eyes, that "Can you show me God?" Are you able to see God? What is the value of your eyes? As soon as there is darkness, your eyes are finished. And you are so much proud, oh. Therefore Vedic injunction-śāstra-cakṣuṣa: "You must be seeing everything through the śāstra, not with your these rascal eyes." It has no value. Śāstra-cakṣuṣa. Tasmād śāstra-vidhān uktam, Kṛṣṇa said. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya. The direction is the śāstra. You should see through the śāstra what is what. Then you'll be benefited. If you simply believe on your senses… The whole world, philosophers, scientists, they are going on on their own imperfect senses. Therefore everything is rascaldom. It is imperfect. It is not real knowledge. Śāstra-cakṣuṣa. You should know things through the śāstra, guru. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete kariyā aikya. This is… If you want to know something, then it must be confirmed by sādhu, śāstra and guru. Then it is complete. And if you speculate, if you establish something under speculation, then it is not right. It is wrong.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa, when He appeared on this planet, His last instruction was that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ: [Bg. 18.66] "You just surrender to Me, and after giving up all your mental speculation, so-called religious system…" This is real religious system. So He left behind Him the Bhagavad-gītā to open our eyes, but we did not take much care of it. Therefore five hundred years ago Lord Caitanya appeared. He is Kṛṣṇa. He practically taught how to accept instruction of Kṛṣṇa.

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

He also appeared as devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He can command, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], but here Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared as a devotee, ideal devotee of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

The Rūpa Gosvāmī offered his first prayer to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "You are the mahā-vadānyāvatāra, most munificent incarnation." Why? Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: "Even Kṛṣṇa could not convince people about His supremacy, but You are so kind that You are giving love of Kṛṣṇa." Love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift.

So the same Caitanya Mahāprabhu is instructing Sanātana Gosvāmī what is the position, actual constitutional position of us. He says directly same thing, jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. That is the real identification, that every living entity, jīva-we are jīvas-we are eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is our position. But artificially we are trying to become Kṛṣṇa. A servant is trying to become master. They are misinterpreting the Vedic instruction, so 'ham, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Yes. So 'ham, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, these are Vedic instruction. It is all right. So so 'ham does not mean that you are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are the same quality as Supreme, nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa. Just like a servant of a very big man, the king, he is not ordinary thing. Suppose a king. He is in the same palace. He is sitting by the side of the king, he is eating the same foodstuff, but still there is relationship, the servant and the master, although he is living in the same place, same eating, same everything. Sometimes he is honored most, he is honored better than the master. So so 'ham means that "I am the same spiritual self," but not as powerful as the supreme master. Kṛṣṇa dāsa. He is… A living entity must always know that "I am servant of God." And without becoming God, nobody can become servant of God. Without becoming fire, you cannot serve fire. That is the principle. But not that… Just like great fire and a small fire. The small spark fire is within the great fire. You cannot remain in the great fire, but the spark, even if it is very small, he can remain. So the fiery quality of the big fire and the small fire is the same, but there is distinction of dimension or energy.

Therefore here it is said, jīvera svarūpa haya [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. We must… This is our constitutional position. Artificially we should not think that "Now I have become God." That is false. That is the last snare of māyā, because māyā… In this material world everyone is trying to become the chief man, everyone. Everyone is trying to become minister. Everyone is trying to become a Birla. Everyone is trying to become a big doctor or a big financier, everyone. This is the struggle for existence here. Everyone. At last, when failed in everything, then he thinks of him, "I am God." This is the disease, material disease. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in the very beginning He impresses that "You are not the master; you are the servant. If you don't serve Kṛṣṇa, then you'll serve māyā. That is your position." That is the position of everyone here in this material world. They are serving the māyā.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

[Bg. 3.27]

He is foolishly thinking that he is master. But he is always… Twenty-four hours, he is being kicked by the laws of nature. But the foolish man cannot understand. Therefore they have been called mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. They… He does not come to the sense that "Where I am master? I am servant of the dictation of māyā, the rules and regulation of material nature. Where is my mastership?" This intelligence does not come. He is thinking still he is master, he can control the nature, he can control everything, he is God, he is this, he is that. That is the misconception. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in the very beginning of His instruction He is saying to Sanātana Gosvāmī that "You inquired from him what is your position," ke āmi, " 'What I am?' You are servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is the first impression.

jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa

kṛṣṇera taṭasthā-śakti bhedābheda-prakāśa

[Cc. Madhya 20.108]

This is the great philosophy. Acintya-bhedābheda. Just like… I have already explained now. So 'ham, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is bhedābheda-prakāśa, I am the same quality of Kṛṣṇa, I am the same Brahman also, but I am not the Parabrahman. Parabrahman is Kṛṣṇa. When Arjuna… He is Brahman. When he realized Kṛṣṇa, he addressed Him, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. He never claimed equal with Kṛṣṇa. That is not knowledge. That is ignorance. So in this way, Sanātana Gosvāmī will understand his position, relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and Sanātana Gosvāmī, we shall understand. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu is describing in this Caitanya-caritāmṛta; therefore we shall discuss later on further.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

760706CC.WDC

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.101

Washington, D.C., July 6, 1976

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) "Translation: Out of Your causeless mercy, You have delivered me from the materialistic path. Now, by the same causeless mercy, please tell me what my duty is."

Prabhupāda:

kṛpā kari' yadi more kariyācha uddhāra

āpana-kṛpāte kaha 'kartavya' āmāra

So service of Kṛṣṇa is not idleness. There are different methods of spiritual realization, especially jñāna and yoga. That is all right, but actual process of self-realization is service. If you speculate to know about God… You can do so, but after knowing God, if you do not know what God desires you to do, then such kind of knowledge is simply waste of time. That is, you may, of course… That is not real knowledge. Real knowledge is to-that will be explained-to be induced to give some service to the Lord. In the beginning, this is called śānta-rasa, to understand the greatness of God, "God is great."

So we can discuss about the greatness of God, but next stage is that "God is so great, why not let me render some service unto the Supreme, the great?" That is one step forward. Simply to know "God is great and I am engaged in my own occupational duty," there is no symptom of love. Symptom of love means when one is eager to render some service to the beloved. That is love. Simply I love you and you love me, formality, but there is no service, that is not real love. Real love begins as it is stated in the śāstra, dadāti pratigṛhṇāti: to give something to the lover, to the beloved, and to take something. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate: to accept some eatables from your beloved, and offer him something for eating. Bhuṅkte bhojayate. Guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati. And you disclose your mind; there is no secrecy between the lover and the beloved. And the other party also discloses. In this way, love becomes manifest. And our business in this human life, as recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, premā pumartho mahān. The highest achievement of life is to be situated on the loving platform with God. That is the highest perfection.

We are, in the material world, we are also busy loving somebody. That is our whole business. Unless one has got family affection, love for wife, children, he cannot work. That is the impetus for economic development. It is admitted by big, big economists. A family man is responsible. Because he has got responsibility to maintain the wife, children, therefore he works hard. That is impetus. So love is there. Unless there is love, you cannot work. That is not possible. So this is material way of life. So from the morning till night,

śīta ātapa bāta variṣaṇa

e dina jāminī jāgi re

viphale sevinu, kṛpaṇa durajana

capala sukha-laba lāgi' re

There is a song, the devotee is singing that śīta ātapa bāta variṣaṇa. Śīta means severe cold, winter season, snow falling. That is called śīta. And scorching heat. You have no experience of scorching heat. In India we have got 110, 120, and I think Middle East, there is 135. Here you have got less, 50 in winter. So some way or other there is always trouble. This material world means we must suffer trouble. Either scorching heat or pinching cold or blast or ādhidaivika, ādhyātmika. These things should be discussed. But still we got to work, why? Only for love. That is the only cause. I love my children, I love my wife, or I love my country, my society. Love is there. But this love is not giving me satisfaction. We are disappointed. As I, yesterday I cited the example of Mahatma Gandhi. For his country's love, he did so much. He wanted Hindu-Muslim unity, and he wanted nonviolence. In this way he was organizing. But the world is so ungrateful that instead of unity of Hindu-Muslim, in India we experienced complete partition, Hindustan and Pakistan. So he was baffled. And so far nonviolence was concerned, he was killed by violence. So he died very disappointed. So everyone… This is giving the best example, typical example. Everyone. We are attached to the love of this material world, but we are all disappointed. From everyone's experience, you'll find. Everyone is disappointed. Both sides, the lover and the beloved, both sides. You have got very good experience in this country. They marry, again they are divorced, because disappointed. So this is going on. Therefore our love has to be reposed to Kṛṣṇa. That is the recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, premā pumartho mahān. Pumartho, we want some achievement in this life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Achieve love of Godhead. That is the best." Premā pumartho mahān. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose, how we can develop our love for Kṛṣṇa. The love is already there, but it is misplaced, misplaced. Somebody is loving somebody, somebody is loving somebody, but it is misplaced. Real love, if it is executed for the service of the Lord, then our life is successful.

So this Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was minister, he was not ordinary person. Very intelligent. So… Not that now he has retired, he has nothing to do. He does not ask, "Please give me instruction how I shall sit down idly and meditate and sleep, snoring." He does not say. He said, āpana-kṛpāte kaha 'kartavya' āmāra. Something tangible to be done. Not that this so-called meditation. Meditation will automatically be there. If you do, if you sacrifice your life for serving Kṛṣṇa, you'll always remember Kṛṣṇa. You'll always remember Kṛṣṇa. Just like you are taking so much trouble, going place to place to give one book to somebody. Why? Because you love Kṛṣṇa and you are thinking if this gentleman takes one book, never mind, small or big, he'll read at least one page about Kṛṣṇa. So you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is meditation. Not that simply sit down at a place. The real meditation is how to think of Kṛṣṇa. That is real meditation. I am thinking of some light or some sky, like that-they are not meditation; they have manufactured now. Because they have no connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so they think these are the meditation, some light, some sky, some vacant. No. Some tangible thing. We should be always. That tangible thing is Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's activities, Kṛṣṇa's desire, how to fulfill it, that is wanted. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So Sanātana Gosvāmī is begging. You know Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was instructed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu for two months. And he was given responsibility to go to Vṛndāvana and develop Vṛndāvana. Before Sanātana Gosvāmī went there it was field. Because Kṛṣṇa's līlā was there, for five thousand years it became a vacant field only. Nobody knew where is Vṛndāvana. It is Sanātana Gosvāmī, he went there and he excavated. He constructed the first temple in Vṛndāvana, Madana-Mohana temple. You have seen who have gone to Vṛndāvana. So these responsibilities he took after listening Him continually for two months. This is Sanātana śikṣā we are studying. This is required. This is required. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, the perfect meditation, perfect yogi is he who always thinks of Kṛṣṇa.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

[Bg. 6.47]

He is first-class yogi. Who? "Who is always thinking of Me," Kṛṣṇa says. Always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Always thinking "How I shall preach Kṛṣṇa's words, Kṛṣṇa's message?" The Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission and Kṛṣṇa's mission is the same. Only the difference is that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He's ordering. Because He's God, He has the position to order you, everyone. Everyone is servant, and He is the supreme master; therefore He is ordering, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So you give up all other occupational duties, simply engage yourself to serve Him. This is His order. But people misunderstood it because they are not trained up. Therefore Kṛṣṇa again came as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to distribute Kṛṣṇa.

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also said the same thing, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He does not say, "I have manufactured something, you take it." No. He said you take up seriously what Kṛṣṇa has said, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa. So every ācārya… Sanātana Gosvāmī is ācārya, direct disciple of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is taking shelter. He has already taken; therefore he said, kṛpā kari' yadi more kariyācha uddhāra. He's already, he knows. Because he met Caitanya Mahāprabhu when he was minister and he got the inspiration that "I must resign from this post, my ministership. I must join Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement," then that determination, he is already liberated. That determination. Therefore he says, "I know it is not a very easy thing. I was minister, I was in a very good position." Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. He was minister. Naturally, his associate were very, very exalted persons. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati, maṇḍala-pati, big, big leaders, big, big merchants, big, big industrialists or something like that, very, very big men. They are called maṇḍala-pati. One who has control over many people, he is called maṇḍala-pati. So who will have control unless he is a very big man? So about these Gosvāmīs it is said, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. They gave up such position, exalted position, tucchavat, "Eh. Insignificant. What is this?" There is no meaning of this. He was not madman, but he gave up. He understood that these exalted posts… They are hankering after, they are trying to capture the big, big post, materialistic persons, laboring so hard, spending so much money. And he already possessed that position, and out of his own, or the inspiration by Kṛṣṇa, he resigned it. The master, the Nawab Shah, was unwilling to give him release. He became very, very sorry, that "If Sanātana Gosvāmī resigns, then my empire will be ruined. I was so confident that he is managing. Now he's going to resign, the whole responsibility will be mine." So he became very much disturbed. He arrested him, "No, you cannot resign, then I'll keep you arrested." So many things happened. But still he resigned and he came to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Therefore he knows that to take away from this māyā's bondage, it is already fixed-up, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. Otherwise it was not possible. Therefore he said, kṛpā kari' yadi more kariyācha uddhāra. "I know that it is due to Your mercy that I have been able to give up such position, māyā's position, as Your man. So now order me what is my duty." This is devotee. Not that "Now I am free from family life, I have no responsibility. Now I shall take prasādam and sleep." No. That is not. (laughs) You must be hundred times more active than in your family life. That is devotional. Of course, it is not pride, but take from example of my life. I was retired in Vṛndāvana, and at seventy years old I thought that it was to be done: "Nobody did it. Let me try." So I came to America. Today is the tenth anniversary. (devotees cheer) So at least from material calculation, if I had not taken that risk… When I was coming, my friends and others said, "This man is going to die." "Never mind," I thought, "death will come. Let me try." So this activity must be there. That is the begging of Sanātana Gosvāmī, that he said, āpana-kṛpāte kaha 'kartavya' āmāra: "What shall I do?" Doesn't matter what is your age, young man or old man. You must execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, paramparā, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and your guru. That is real life of devotional service, to take some responsibility for working and execute it to your best capacity.

In this connection, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has explained in connection with the verse,

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir

ekeha kuru-nandana

bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca

buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām

[Bg. 2.41]

So in this connection, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura said that "My only duty is to execute the order of my spiritual master. I do not mind whether I am going to hell or going back to Godhead. No. My only life and soul is to execute the order of my spiritual master." He has explained like that. So devotional service is great responsibility, to execute the order of the superior. Then our life is successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

751103CC.BOM

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.101-104

Bombay, November 3, 1975

Prabhupāda: …from Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Caitanya means "the supreme living being." In the Vedas it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is description of the Supreme Lord, that the Supreme Lord… (yelling outside) Huh?

Indian man: They removed a tree from there. Digging.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So, what is God, that is simplified, that nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. He is the supreme eternal being amongst many other eternal beings. We are all eternal beings. We living entities, we are… Our position is eternity. As it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit: "These living entities, they do not take birth or die at any time." Not "Nowadays they are taking more birth and population is increasing." This is all nonsense. Population is neither increasing nor decreasing. It may be… The living entities, they are transmigrating in this material world, not in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world they have got their eternal form. But in the material world, because the living entities have come to enjoy the material resources, therefore, according to the desire, the living entity is getting different forms of body, 8,400,000. But he is not dying. The body is changed. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13].

Our death means to transmigrate to another body. Just like from childhood we are transmigrating to another body, boyhood; from boyhood we are transmigrating to another body, youth-hood; and from youth-hood we are transferred to another body, old body. Similarly, when this body will not be any more workable, then we shall transmigrate to another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. Those who are dhīra-dhīra means sober, thoughtful-they are not bewildered. But those who are not dhīra, adhīra… There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means one who is spiritually situated. He is called dhīra or brahma-bhūtaḥ, prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54], dhīra. And one who is not spiritually situated, materially situated, means on the platform of bodily conception of life, then he is adhīra, he is restless, from this platform to that platform, this platform to that platform. This is going on.

So we change body; otherwise we are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. This is the information we get, that after this destruction of this material body, the eternal soul is never destroyed. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. We get another body. The same example: the child gets the body of a boy, boy gets the… Therefore we are eternal. And what is God? He is also eternal. So nityo nityanānām. We are eternal, we are many, and God is also eternal, but He is one. He is singular number. Not that all of us, we are God. That is nonsense. We are part and parcel of God, but we are not as powerful as God. Anyone can understand it very easily. They are claiming to become God. So does he think that he is equal in power with God? No. That is foolishness. Mūḍha. God is one, but we are… We are also eternal, God is also eternal, but we are many. There is no…

keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya

śatadhā kalpitasya ca

jīvaḥ bhāgo sa vijñeyaḥ

sa anantyāya kalpate

[Cc. Madhya 19.140]

The description of the living being is given in the śāstra that the magnitude… Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpi…: "One ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair." And anantyāya kalpate: "There is limitless." As in practical experience also, we have this understanding that we require a leader. In the present moment there are so many parties, so many nations, so many societies, but there is a leader. That you cannot deny. (loud popping noises from outside, like firecrackers) Just like in our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society-it is a society-I happen to be the leader. Similarly, there are other parties, political parties, and business parties. Everywhere there is a leader. You cannot avoid the leader. That is not possible. You may… I put this question to Professor Kotovsky, that "What is the difference between your philosophy and our philosophy? You are Leninist; you are following the leader Lenin, and we are following the leader Kṛṣṇa. So where is the difference in philosophy?" You have to follow one leader. That you cannot avoid. Without leader you cannot be guided, you cannot form a party. Everywhere you go… Just like in our country we followed the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, so we became a nation. So everywhere you will find: there must be a leader. Without leader you cannot become a community or a nation. Similarly, who is the supreme leader? That is God, or Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is described in the Vedas, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānāmv. He is the leader.

So what is the difference between the plural number nityas and singular number? Now, eka. Eka-vacana, singular number leader, God… Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That is the difference, that we are living entity and Kṛṣṇa, or God, is living entity, but Kṛṣṇa maintains all other living entities; we cannot maintain even ourself. And we find difficulty especially nowadays to maintain even a family. That is the difference. And still, as a rascal, I claim that "I am God. I am God." Nobody can claim unnecessarily that one is God. First of all prove that you can maintain all the living entities. You cannot maintain yourself even. You beg from door to door, and how you become God? Very simple question. Because in the Vedas (it is) said that eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That one, singular number leader, He maintains all other living entities." That we have got practical experience. He is maintaining within the sand so many crabs. He is maintaining so many ants in the hole of your room. He is maintaining millions of elephants in the African jungle. So out of 8,400,000's of forms of life, mostly 8,300,000 species of life are being maintained by that one maintainer. And some of us so-called civilized, we are trying to maintain ourself. Therefore nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is also consciousness. He is conscious. He is not acetana. Acetana means there is no consciousness. He is conscious, and we are also conscious.

So He is the supreme conscious person amongst ourself and He is the supreme eternal amongst ourself. That is Caitanya. Caitanya means the Supreme Being, the supreme eternal being, the supreme conscious being. And He is caitanya-caritra. Caritra means character, activities. So Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Amṛta, amṛta means also eternal or nectarine, which does not die. That Caitanya-caritāmṛta is there. It was written by Kavirāja Gosvāmī some four hundred years ago, and it was in Bengali, er, not Bengali-Sanskrit and Bengali. So now we have translated with elaborate explanation. This is the book. It is now Caitanya-caritāmṛta in English. So we have finished this in seventeen volumes like this. So we request you to take these volumes and read that what is the position of Caitanya, or the supreme living entity, and ourself; what is the relationship and what is His characteristics, what is our characteristics, and how we can make our activities as good as the Supreme Caitanya's. That is called Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

So here we are talking about Caitanya's instruction to Sanātana Gosvāmī. This Sanātana Gosvāmī was one of the important ministers in the government of the then Pathan Nawab Hussein Shah. He is very important person. He was very great scholar in Persian language, in Arabian language, and Sanskrit. And because he joined the Muslim government, he accepted the service of a Muslim government, he was rejected by the brāhmaṇa community. He was born in brāhmaṇa community, Sārasvata-brāhmaṇa. There are many Sārasvata-brāhmaṇas in Bombay. So he belonged to that community. And because the brāhmaṇa community exterminated him, then he became almost like Muslim. Their name was also changed, Dabira Khāsa and Sākara Mallika, two brothers. Later on, by the association of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, these half-converted Muslim brāhmaṇas were again claimed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu to become the first-class brāhmaṇa, gosvāmī. They were Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. So this Sanātana Gosvāmī retired. First of all Rūpa Gosvāmī retired from the government service, and then Sanātana Gosvāmī also retired. With great difficulty he got rid of the responsibility of government. The Nawab arrested him because he was declining to obey his order. The Nawab wanted him to stay in his post, but he declined. So when the Nawab said that "You are declining my order and you are resigning from your post. This is illegal. I shall arrest you," so Sanātana Gosvāmī, he replied that "You are the king, so according to our Vedic civilization a king is supposed to be the representative of God. So I cannot disobey you. But now it is my duty to retire and join Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. Therefore I must do it." So he arrested him. So this Sanātana Gosvāmī, with great difficulty he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Vārāṇasī. At that time Caitanya Mahāprabhu was staying at Vārāṇasī. So he met Him there. And after his becoming a Vaiṣṇava, dressed in Vaiṣṇava, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed him for two months continually just to enliven him in the matter of devotional service and write books so that in future the followers of Caitanya cult may take guide and be advanced in spiritual consciousness.

So both the brothers, they wrote many books. This book is, of course, by different devotee, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī. But Rūpa Gosvāmī's book, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we have translated into English, Nectar of Devotion… He said in that book that… That is the verdict of Vedic culture, to follow the authorities. Kṛṣṇa also said in the Bhagavad-gītā, tasmād śāstra-pramāṇaṁ te: "Whatever you do, you must follow the śāstra." Otherwise it is not bona fide. And if anyone neglects the order of śāstra:

yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya

vartate kāma-kārataḥ

na siddhiṁ sa avāpnoti

na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim

[Bg. 16.23]

So we cannot avoid śāstra. So our, this Caitanya cult is strictly under the injunction of the śāstra. So he has come to Caitanya Mahāprabhu and he is submitting himself.

kṛpā kari' yadi more kariyācha uddhāra

āpana-kṛpāte kaha 'kartavya' āmāra

A disciple, when he accepts guru… This is the example, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Tasmād prapadyeta… Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. This is the injunction of the śāstra. Who requires a guru? It is not a fashion, that one has to accept anyone as guru. No. A person requires a guru when he is inquisitive, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ, when he is very much eager to understand the spiritual śreya uttamam. Uttamam. Ut means transcendental, and tama means darkness. This world is called darkness, ignorance. So one who wants to transcend this position of ignorance and wants to know the transcendental subject, means spiritual subject, brahma-jijñāsā, he requires a guru, not any person, other person. If you are interested in things which is beyond this material world… That is necessary inquiry. So here is the enquiry, that Sanātana Gosvāmī says that "You have delivered me from the clutches of material attachment. I was minister, getting good salary, very nice post. So many aristocrats was offering me respect. So I think it was not necessary. My real necessary is to advance in spiritual consciousness. So kindly You have given me relief from this material concept of life. Now, according to Your desire, I have left everything. Now let me know what is my duty."

This is required. If anyone becomes disciple of a bona fide guru, then his duty is to ask from the guru what he can do to help guru. That is required. So Sanātana Gosvāmī is giving us the example. Āpana-kṛpāte kaha 'kartavya' āmāra. Kartavya means duty. "Now what is my duty? I have left my so-called duty, ministership. Now I am interested in my real duty, so kindly speak to me what is my duty." Another question was… First question was that "What is my duty?" Then next question is, ke āmi: "Actually what I am?" Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya: "I do not want sufferings, but sufferings are forced upon me, three kinds of suffering: adhyātmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika." This is knowledge. So adhyātmika means sufferings pertaining to the body and mind, and adhibhautika means sufferings offered by other living entities. Adhibhautika. And adhidaivika, sufferings offered by natural disturbances. There are three kinds of sufferings. Just like the firework is going on, the heavy sound. It is intolerable by somebody. But still, he has to tolerate, that "This firework is going on by other persons." This is called adhibhautika. Similarly, there are so many sufferings which we do not want. Still, they are forced upon us. Therefore he said, kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya: "These three kinds of miseries are always giving me trouble, and at the same time, I do not know what I am." Everyone is thinking, "I am this, I am that," but he is suffering. These are very plain questions. So these questions should be put before the spiritual master, and he should get proper answer and act accordingly. Then spiritual life will be successful. Unless we are interested in such questions, there is no need of wasting time to accept any guru or spiritual master.

So again he says, sādhya-sādhana-tattva puchite nā jāni: "Actually I do not know. It is my duty to put questions upon you." That is also indicated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 4.34]

Tad viddhi. If you want to understand things which is beyond this material world… Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain within this darkness of material existence. Try to transcend, to go to the spiritual world, jyoti, where it is light." Here it is always darkness, and there there is always light. So everyone should be interested, especially in this human form of life, not to remain here like animals, cats and dogs, but to become brahma-bhūtaḥ. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. One must know. This is the duty of human life. So he says, sādhya-sādhana-tattva puchite nā jāni: "Now I am little interested how to become spiritually advanced, but I do not know how I shall put the question before You and what is the ultimate goal of life. These things I do not know. But I have got an inquiry." That is natural. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the natural inquisitiveness of any conditioned life, especially in the human form of life. As it is inquired by Sanātana Gosvāmī, everyone should be elevated to that position to inquire, "What I am?" Kṛpā kari' saba tattva kaha ta' āpani: "So I do not know how to place my question." This is submission. "So You can speak to me what is actually the goal of life, why I have forgotten my identification and how I shall be properly situated." This is Vedic civilization. Whole Vedic civilization means to understand oneself, to understand God and the relationship. And according to that relationship, one has to work. Then his life is successful. This is Vedic culture. Vedic culture does not mean to become a big dog. No. That is not Vedic culture. In the śāstra it is said that śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ [SB 2.3.19]. Puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. In this material world, without any spiritual knowledge, if one is adored, it is just like the small animals in the jungle is praising the big animal, the lion. The lion is an animal and the small rabbit or other animals, they are also animals. So the rabbits are very much afraid of lion. That is a fact. And they worship the… This morning we were discussing one story, how a rabbit entangled one lion and saved his life. So here in this material world, similarly, the small animal may be afraid of the big animal, but the big animal or small animal, they are animals. They are animals. Therefore Bhāgavata says the small animal may eulogize the big animal. That does not mean the big animal is of any importance. He is animal, that's all. Similarly, our position is that we do not go… We may not go to the big animal, but we may go to like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then we will be benefited. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, if we approach Caitanya Mahāprabhu… That is caitanya, living, supreme living being.

Therefore our request is that for your enlightenment of life you do not approach a big animal. You approach Kṛṣṇa, the supreme being. Then you will be benefited. There is no use. And who is animal? Even if he is two-legged, but still, if he remains an animal… Who? Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. One who is thinking of this body as identified with the self, he is animal. Anyone, it doesn't matter. We do not speak of any particular man, but any person who does not know his real identification… As Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired, ke āmi. He was the prime minister, but still, he did not know what he is. That will be explained. Grāmya-vyavahāre kahaye paṇḍita satya kare māni āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni. "Some foolish person, they say that I am very learned scholar." Because he was brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa is always supposed to be very learned; therefore he is called paṇḍita, paṇḍitajī. So Sanātana Gosvāmī said, grāmye-vyavahāre: "In ordinary dealings my neighborhood men, they say 'Paṇḍitajī.' But I am such a paṇḍita that I do not know what I am." Āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "I am such a paṇḍita. Therefore I have come to You." This is called submission. If one is sincere… If he does not know what he is, what is his function, how he will make his life successful, then he is not paṇḍita. So that is going on now, at the present moment, throughout the whole world, the bodily concept of life-"I am American," "I am Indian," "I am African," "I am this," "I am that," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," "I am black," "I am white"-this bodily concept of life. So śāstra says that "If anyone is in the bodily conception of life," sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13], "he is no better than these animals."

So therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī is the best example to follow, how one should approach a guru, how one should take lesson from guru, how he should understand to make his life successful. These questions or answers are there in the Sanātana-śikṣā of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So we are trying to discuss and…

prabhu kahe-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā tomāte pūrṇa haya

saba tattva jāna, tomāra nāhi tāpa-traya

Caitanya Mahāprabhu answered that Sanātana Gosvāmī… But he is actually very learned. If he is not learned, then how he can give up his post as the minister, finance minister? He is actually learned because he was inquisitive that "I must know the goal of my life, I must make my life successful, and therefore I must go to Caitanya Mahāprabhu." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu appreciated his approach, that "You have come to Me for better enlightenment. That means you are not ordinary person. You are not ordinary conditioned soul. Who can sacrifice such big post and the honor and come to a sannyāsī and submit to Me?" Therefore He says, prabhu kahe-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā pūrṇa haya: "God's mercy is fully there in You." Saba tattva jāna: "You have understood all the truths of life." Saba tattva jāna tomāra nāhi tāpa-traya. And he was inquiring that "Why I am forced to accept all kinds of miserable condition of life?" But, "For You there is no such thing."

Tāpa-traya. This is very important thing. One who is advanced in spiritual consciousness, for him there is no material trouble. There is no material trouble. Ahaituky apratihatā. So long we are in the bodily concept of life, there are so many troubles and miserable condition of life. But as soon as you become spiritually advanced and you know your identity, that you are not this body but you are spirit soul, then… This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

This is wanted. Every one of us should become brahma-bhūtaḥ, not to remain jīva-bhūtaḥ. That is ignorance. One must come to the platform of brahma-bhūtaḥ. Then prasannātmā. He has no three kinds of material conditional life. He has no struggle for existence. Prasannātmā. He is always jolly because he knows that "I am not this body. I am soul," at least theoretically, prasannātmā. That is wanted.

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "As you have decided to relinquish, to resign your so exalted post, and you have come to Me for spiritual enlightenment, that means you are already liberated from the three material conditions of life."

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa (end)

760707CC.BAL

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.102

Baltimore, July 7, 1976

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

'ke āmi', 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya'

ihā nāhi jāni-'kemane hita haya'

[break]

Prabhupāda: …like that, but there is no mistake. But the (laughs) technical. So it is finished? Kene? Finished? (laughter) There was one governor, a Mr. Carmichael. So in India, in British period, every officer had to learn the local language. We were students in the Scottish Church College. Our all professors were Europeans, but during their service they had to learn Bengali. So one governor, Mr. Carmichael, he was called for presiding over a meeting. So he wanted to speak in Bengali. So he said, dekhite dekhite kimbhasa kartiya gele. So the pronunciation is galo, but he said gele. So people were smiling. (laughter) The audience, they were smiling. So there are some technical. Just like we pronounce something and not to the correct current pronunciation. So, but when we are reading Bengali, let us do it, as far as possible, as the Bengalis do. That's all. Otherwise there is no mistake. Finish? Go on.

Pradyumna: (reads word-for-word) "Translation: Who am I? Why do the threefold miseries always give me trouble? If I do not know this, how can I be benefited?"

Prabhupāda:

'ke āmi', 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya'

ihā nāhi jāni-'kemane hita haya'

Ke āmi: "Who am I?" Now, suppose I am sitting here, you are all sitting here. Some fly comes and disturbs. We have got daily experience. And he'll disturb. I want to get him out, and he comes again, stops on his mouth and creates some disturbance. A fly, a small fly, not a very big man. So, but after all, this is disturbance. I don't like it, but the fly will come and disturb me. So there is no question that "Why this fly is coming and giving me disturbance? I do not want it." This is sane man's inquiry. But there is no inquiry. I do not want… There are three kinds, jāre tāpa-traya, three kinds of miserable condition. One is called ādhyātmika, another is called ādhidaivika, another is called ādhibhautika. Ādhyātmika means pertaining to the body and mind. All of a sudden my mind is not in order. Suppose a friend has come to talk with me, so I refuse to talk, I am not in mood. We have got this experience. "I cannot talk with you, mind is not in order." This is happening daily, every moment. This is called ādhyātmika. I did not want it, but it has come. All of a sudden I am feeling some headache. I did not want it, but it came. This is our practical experience.

So this kind of troubles I don't want. There are always, either ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika, that is you are suffering. In this material world means the suffering is going on. We are thinking we are very safe, running in the car. At any moment there may be accident. At any moment. I do not want it, my life may go. So this is sane man's life, that "So many things, I do not want them, but they are enforced upon me, and I do not know how to get out of it." The fly is coming, disturbing. I can simply make some spray to kill it, as you do generally, but that killing is another risk. But those who do not know, they kill it. Because you have no right to kill. Suppose a man is disturbing you. So if you kill, you become a murderer and you'll be taken into the court and you'll be punished, and if you say, "This man was disturbing me; therefore I have killed him," that is no excuse. You have killed this man; you must suffer. This is ordinarily we find in our general living condition. So in the state of the Supreme Lord, you cannot kill even a mosquito or even a fly. You'll be punished. Because God says that "Everyone is My child." Just the same example. Suppose I have got so many brothers. One brother is a fool, so he creates me some disturbances. I kill him. So will the father be happy? If you say, "Father, your this child was disturbing me. I have killed him," the father will be sorry, "Why you have killed him?" This is natural. Because one child of the father is a fool, the other intelligent child cannot kill him. Then the father will be angry or sorry.

So we do not know. We are doing irresponsibly. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī has gone to his spiritual master, he's asking this… This is also common, also very grave questions, that "In this material world, I do not want so many things, but they are enforced upon me. Why?" This is human life, to inquire why. Not to… The modern theory is struggle for existence. There are troubles, and you try to save yourself, and survival of the fittest. But nobody is fit, nobody survives. Nobody wants death, but we are talking of survival. Who can escape death? There is no possibility. So there are so many slogans, but actually there is no remedy. There is remedy, but we do not know. That is the defect of modern civilization. There is remedy. Otherwise why we are talking this śāstra? Why Sanātana Gosvāmī is putting this question? Just to get the solution from the spiritual master. Otherwise there was no need of putting these questions, that "What is my position? Why these threefold miseries always give me trouble? Why I die? Why I become old? Why I become diseased? Why I have to take birth?" They are simply struggle for existence, that here is a child, and the child-bearing is very troublesome, and if I give birth to a child… The mother is killing. This is going on. But that means she is implicating herself again in another way of life. This is going on.

So this question, at the present moment, nobody asks this question. But this is very intelligent question. We are completely under the laws of nature.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

[Bg. 3.27]

We are not independent. Just like in the state, in your country, although you have observed the independence ceremony, but you are not independent. If you go… "Keep to the right," you go to the left, immediately your independence finished. You'll be punished. So this so-called independence is conditional. It is not absolute independence. If you want absolute independence then you have to go back home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are hankering after independence, but so long we remain in this material world, there is no question of independence. So intelligent man, when he inquires about, when he thinks over, that "I want independence from so many things, but I am not independent. I am forced to accept, then where is my independence?" When this question arises, then he is human being. Otherwise he's as good as the cats and dogs. Because the cats and dogs, they cannot inquire. Just like an animal is being sent to the slaughterhouse, he cannot say "Why I am… What I have done? Why you are sending me to the slaughterhouse?" He cannot protest. Even he protests, nobody hears him. Nobody hears. He protests by crying, by screaming, but we have made our own theories: "This crying is nothing. It has no soul. We can kill."

So in this way the whole world is going on under a gross atmosphere of ignorance. There are so many things to be discussed. Just like we do not know what is the problems of life, how life comes into existence. We see a child is born, but we do not know wherefrom the life came. The lump of matter of the child is not the child. If the child takes birth dead, without life, it has no value; it is a lump of matter. You throw it immediately. But if it has a life, then we take care of it, we raise it, give him food, give him breast milk, and so much care. The life is so important. But nobody cares to know what is this life, where it begins, wherefrom it comes, what is the destiny. No question. Similarly, if we… We are seeing every night so many planets. We are making tiny attempt to go to moon planet or some other planet, but there are, we see there are so many millions and trillions of planet. What about their situation? We have made our calculation from here that they are simply decoration; there is no life. No, there is life. There is life, but we do not know it. So yesterday our scientist, Svarūpa Dāmodara, Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara, was speaking that in the history of human society, actually these two things are ignorance: what is the beginning of life and what are these planetary systems.

So we are after knowledge, but so many things are unknown to us. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us by his practical behavior to approach the spiritual master, and putting his case that "I am suffering in this way." He was minister, there was no question of suffering. He was very well situated. That he has already explained, that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya kari māni. "There are so many questions I cannot answer. There is no solution. Still, people say that I am very learned man-I accept it foolishly." Nobody is learned man unless he goes to the guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Therefore Vedic injunction is that if you want to be learned, then go to guru, bona fide guru, not the so-called guru.

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 4.34]

Guru means one who has seen the Absolute Truth. That is guru. Tattva-darśinaḥ, tattva means the Absolute Truth, and darśinaḥ, one who has seen. So this movement, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is for this purpose, to see the Absolute Truth, to understand the Absolute Truth, to know the problems of life and how to make a solution. These things are our subject matter. Our subject matter is not material things, that somehow or other you get a car and a good apartment and a good wife, then all your problems solved. No. That is not solution of problems. The real problem is how to stop your death. That is the real problem. But because it is very difficult subject matter, nobody touches it. "Oh, death-we shall peacefully die." But nobody peacefully dies. If I take a dagger and I say, "Now die peacefully," (laughter) the whole peaceful condition finished immediately. He will cry. So these are nonsense, if somebody says, "I will die peacefully." Nobody dies peacefully, that is not possible. Therefore death is a problem. Birth is also a problem. Nobody is peaceful while within the womb of the mother. It is packed-up, airtight condition, and nowadays there is risk of being killed also. So there is no question of peacefulness, birth and death. And then old age. Just like I am old man, so many troubles I have got. So old age. And disease, everyone has got experience, even headache is sufficient to give you trouble. The real problem is this: birth, death, old age and disease. That is the statement given by Kṛṣṇa, that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. If you are intelligent, you should take up these four problems of life as very dangerous.

So they have no knowledge; therefore they avoid these questions. But we take up these questions very seriously. That is the difference between other movement and Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Our movement is how to solve these problems. The śāstra says that if you cannot solve these problems for your children… That is real contraceptive method. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. If you cannot protect your child from the imminent death and repetition of birth, then don't become a father, don't become a mother. This is śāstra's injunction. If you are actually father and mother, you should give him such educational knowledge that this is the last birth. Next he'll not have any such body subjected to birth and death. That is possible. That the Bhagavad-gītā says: tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then the whole problem solved. What is the problem solved? Tyaktvā deham, this body we have to give up. Because it is material body, you must have to give up. But those who are Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the…, after giving up this body, no more material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Punar janma means next birth. If you accept a material body, then there is question of next birth. But if you remain in your spiritual body, there is no question of next birth. That is spiritual salvation or liberation. If you remain in your spiritual body, then you go back to home, back to Godhead. Kṛṣṇa is complete spiritual body. The kingdom of God is also spiritual, and you go there, and you live there eternally. Tyaktvā deham. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāmaṁ paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. Where going you do not come back again to this material world. That is the supreme abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So this benediction is offered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who has very kindly come here, Nitāi-Gaura. So you take advantage of His mercy. You are very fortunate that Nitāi-Gaura is here. If you simply chant Nitāi-Gaura and dance, then you'll become happy. There is no difficulty. There is no difficulty. You are chanting "Jaya Śacīnandana." This simple chanting, "Jaya Śacīnandana," "Hare Kṛṣṇa," this chanting and dancing, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanair prayaiḥ yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ. This is not I am manufacturing. It is the injunction of the śāstra. In this age, simply by chanting and dancing, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanair prayaiḥ, you get complete spiritual service. So I am very glad you are taking care of Nitāi-Gaura so nicely, They are so nicely dressed. So continue these activities, and even if you cannot do anything, simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance and "Jaya Śacīnandana." That will make your life perfect.

Thank you very much. (end)

760708CC.WDC

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.103

Washington, D.C., July 8, 1976

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) "Translation: Actually I do not know how to inquire about the goal of life and the process for obtaining it. Being merciful upon me, please explain all these truths."

Prabhupāda:

'sādhya'-'sādhana'-tattva puchite nā jāni

kṛpā kari' saba tattva kaha ta' āpani

The injunction in the Bhagavad-gītā is that tad viddhi, try to understand. Not try, but must try. The human life is meant for understanding tattva, the Absolute Truth. That is the special advantage of the human life. If a human being does not inquire or he's not trained up to inquire about it, it is a great disadvantage and it is enviousness. In the human life, the chance is there to make a solution of the whole problem, struggle for existence, survival of the fittest. This is going on life after life. Now here is a chance, human life, he can understand what is the goal of life and how to achieve it. He can be trained up. So if that opportunity is refused to the human society by the guardians, by the government, it is a great misservice, a great disadvantage. To keep them in darkness of animal propensities… Because we are changing our body, here is a chance, after many evolutionary process, many thousand and millions of years. We are going to the park. How many plants and creepers are there, how many animals, how many aquatics? We have to come through all these processes, evolutionary process. So here is a chance. Therefore for the human being it is advised that try to understand the goal of your life. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyam [MU 1.2.12]. That is Vedic instruction. Must try. So from the very beginning, if children are not trained up to inquire about the goal of life, they are kept in darkness, simply eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, that is not civilization. They must be trained up. The opportunity must be given so that he can inquire more and more about the goal of life.

The goal of life is, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu will explain, that we are intimately related with God. Someway or other, we are fallen down in this material world, and we are by mistake accepting this body as self, and we are being trained up also only to see the bodily interests just like cats and dogs. The animals also, they are interested with the body only. They have no other interest. But if a human being is kept in the same darkness, simply bodily interest, that is a great disadvantage. So Sanātana Gosvāmī, he understands that, because he has already begun,

'ke āmi', 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya'

ihā nāhi jāni-'kemane hita hara'

There are so many things with which we have to struggle. This is called struggle for existence. Even the modern scientists, they call… It is not a very peaceful situation. The same question was raised by Sanātana Gosvāmī that Why there should be struggle for existence? Why not easy life, peaceful life? Why some outer elements, they are giving us opposition? I want to be happy, but there is opposition. That is struggle for existence. This question should be there: Why? Even with a fly we have to fight. I am sitting, without doing any harm to the fly, but it attacks, bothering me. There are so many. Even if you sit down without any offense… Just like you are passing on the street, there is no offense, but from one house all the dogs begin to bark: "Why you are coming here? Why you are coming here?" There was no cause of his barking, but because it is dog, his business is "Why you are coming, why you are coming?" Similarly, we have no freedom to go from one place to another at present moment. There is immigration department: "Why you are coming? Why you are coming?" In many places we have been refused to enter. We have been refused from the airplane. "No, you cannot enter, go back." So I had to go back. So, so many disadvantages. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām [SB 10.14.58]. In this material world, you cannot live very peacefully. Not very; not peacefully at all. There are so many impediments. The śāstra says, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām: every step there is danger. Not only from these lower animals, but from the human society, by nature, on which we have no control. So in this way, our life is not very happy in this material world, and we should be advanced in inquiring about it, that why there are so many impediments. That is human life.

So how to inquire? How to become happy? What is the goal of life? Sanātana Gosvāmī… Not only Sanātana Gosvāmī, he's representing us. We do not know, we do not know. So by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu or by the mercy of the servants of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one can be enlightened as to the…, what is the goal of life, why there is struggle for existence, why there is death. I do not want to die; why there is birth? I do not wish to enter into the mother's womb and remain packed-up condition for so many days; I do not want to become old man; but these things are enforced upon me. Therefore our business is…, real business is how to solve these questions, not to arrange for economic development. Economic development, whatever we are destined, we shall get it. Either happiness or distress, we shall get it. Just like we don't try for distress, but it comes. It is enforced upon us. Similarly, the little happiness which you are destined to obtain, that will also come. That is śāstra's advice. Don't waste your time to get artificially some happiness. Whatever you are destined to get happiness, it will come automatically. How it will come? Yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ. The same way. Just like you don't try for distress, but it comes upon you. Similarly, even if you don't try for happiness, whatever you are destined, you will get.

So don't waste your time bothering about this so-called happiness and distress. Better engage your valuable time to understand what is the goal of life, why there are so many problems, why you have to struggle for existence. This is your business… This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are inducing people to understand the problem. It is not a sectarian movement or so-called religious movement. It is not a religion. It is educational cultural movement. Every man has to understand the goal of life. Every man has to understand why there is struggle for existence, if there is any remedy, if there is any process where we can live very peacefully without any disturbances, without any… These are the things to be learned in human life, and one should approach… Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was minister, very educated, well placed, but he has approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So we should approach the Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or His representative, and surrender. Tad viddhi praṇipātena [Bg. 4.34]. The way is not challenging, "Can you show me God?" These are challenges. Not this way. God is everywhere, but first of all make your eyes to see God, then you challenge, "Can you show me God?" This attitude will not help us. Submissive. Tad viddhi praṇipātena. This is the injunction of the śāstra. If you want to understand the science, transcendental science, tad viddhi try to understand-but praṇipātena, very humbly. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī is submitting very humbly.

So tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena [Bg. 4.34]. First of all praṇipāt, then paripraśnena, questioning. Don't waste your time by questioning some spiritual master or somebody unless you have praṇipāt. You must be ready to accept the answer which he gives; then make inquiry. If you think that "I have to test his answer, because I am more learned or more advanced than him," then don't go there, don't propose anything or inquire anything. You first of all settle up, that whatever, "I am going to inquire something from somebody," so whatever answer he'll give, you'll accept. Then there is question of inquiry. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Sanātana Gosvāmī, he is completely surrendering. He said that "I am blank. I do not know actually how to inquire You. So kindly You speak everything, what is the subject matter of inquiry and what is the answer of such inquiry. I am completely blank slate. I am simply submitting to You." Sādhya, the goal of life, and sādhana, the process by which one can approach.

So "I do not know anything about it, simply I'm depending on Your mercy." That is kṛpā kari. That is surrender. In this way, we can make advancement in our spiritual education, and we must carry out the order of the spiritual master. Just like you are singing daily, guru-mukha-padma-vākya cittete kariyā aikya āra nā kariha mane āśā. Āra nā kariha mane āśā **-do not think otherwise. Simply whatever… First of all, select who will be your spiritual master. You must know the preliminary law. Just like if you want to purchase gold, at least you must know where gold is available. If you want to purchase diamond… So you must know, if you are so foolish that you go to a butcher shop and ask him to supply diamond or gold, then you'll be cheated. You must know at least where to go and purchase gold or diamond. These are valuable things. So that requires little intelligence and sincerity. If we are sincere that "I want to purchase gold or diamond…" This is crude example, but the spiritual inquiry…, if one is actually serious about understanding the goal of life, spiritual knowledge, then Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart. He understands how this person is sincerely seeking. Then He'll give direction that "You do this." He is giving direction in every respect. We want to do so many things, so Kṛṣṇa is giving us facility.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni

[Bg. 18.61]

He is giving all facilities. But when one becomes actually very much eager to understand Kṛṣṇa, God, He is very glad to give instruction, that "You go to such and such person and you submissively inquire, and you'll be…" Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. By the mercy of guru, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, one can make advancement in spiritual understanding. So one must be sincere. Then every direction is there.

Thank you very much. (end)

760710CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.104

New York, July 10, 1976

Prabhupāda: There is no signboard? Why? All right, go on.

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) "Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, 'Lord Kṛṣṇa has bestowed His full mercy upon you so that all these things are known to you. For you, the threefold miseries certainly do not exist.' "

Prabhupāda:

prabhu kahe-"kṛṣṇa-kṛpā tomāte pūrṇa haya

saba tattva jāna, tomāra nāhi tāpa-traya"

So Sanātana Gosvāmī's first question was, ke āmi, kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya āpani kaha prabhu kisera hita haya. Tāpa-traya, we have explained several times that there are three kinds of miserable conditions: pertaining to the body; pertaining to the mind; on account of harassment by other living entities and by natural disturbances. There are three kinds of miserable conditions within this material world. But when one takes shelter of spiritual master and seriously engages himself in devotional service, he has no more any miserable condition. The miserable condition means… It is a question of understanding. The beginning of spiritual life is to understand that "I am not this body." That is the beginning. So if I am properly trained up to understand that "I am not this body," then where is my tāpa-traya, miserable condition? Because miserable condition is due to this body. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ [Bg. 2.14]. We feel sometimes cold, sometimes warm. What is the reason? The reason is on account of the body. Mātrā-sparśās. The water is the same, but according to the seasonal changes the water is sometimes very pleasing and sometimes it is not pleasing. So according to the seasonal changes…The water does not change its chemical compound, but these seasonal changes, my body becomes susceptible to the condition. And therefore the same water sometimes gives me pleasure and sometimes gives me distress.

So when one understands that "I am not this body," he is not very much affected. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, deha-smṛti nāhi yāra, saṁsāra-bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. Deha-smṛti: it is simply to understand. Just like I have given several times this example: you are in a very nice car, Cadillac, and you are very proud of it, and if by chance the car is by accident broken then your heart breaks. Why? You are not the car. But because your thoughts are absorbed in the car, that "This is my car," therefore your heart becomes broken. Actually you have nothing to do with the car. Even the car is broken into pieces, you are not affected. But because I have got affection for the car, therefore I am… So this affection can be withdrawn by cultivation of knowledge. That I am not this car, it is a fact, but on account of my ignorance and attachment I am thinking, "Now I am finished because my car is broken." It is simple truth. Similarly those who are too much absorbed in the thought that "I am this body," their sufferings are more on account of this misconception that "I am this body."

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā the first lesson is, Kṛṣṇa began the lessons of Bhagavad-gītā that aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: [Bg. 2.11] "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned man, but you are lamenting on a subject matter which has nothing to do with you." Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase. Here in this material world we are advanced in so-called civilization, but we are very much attached to this body. This is misconception. This is called illusion. This is, the dog is also thinking like that: "I am this body." So where is the difference? If the dog thinks, "I am this body," "I am Indian…" I think, "I am Indian"; Americans thinks he is… So where is the difference between the dog and me? There is no difference. Simply by dressing nicely… If you dress a dog very nicely, does it mean that he becomes a human being? A dressed dog, that's all. Dog dancing. So śāstra says that if one is still in the bodily concepts of life, then he's no better than animal. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. Tri-dhātuke. This body is made of, according to Āyurvedic knowledge, it is body development of three dhātus: kapha, pitta, vāyu. The vāyu is there, air. It is very scientific. Whatever we are eating, it is becoming secretion. Then by vāyu… When there is less ventilation, in old age, the vāyu becomes slow, and therefore so many diseases overcome. This massaging means just to help the air within the body to ventilate. So it is actually made of vāyu-kapha, pitta, vāyu. The vāyu is making the secretion dried up and so on, so on.

So we are not this kapha pitta vāyu. We are not this skin, bone, blood or whatever it may be. You analyze it. I am not this. But life is not there. They are claiming that life is chemical composition, but try each and every part of this body and chemical composition. First of all take this breathing. What is this breathing? Breathing is air. So air, that is also chemical composition: hydrogen, oxygen, ether. (?) So that is chemical composition, or air. So there is no question of chemical combining. Air you can sufficiently have. You are making airtight so many things. So just put some air within the body and by artificial way let it be blowing like the bellows. The bellow also breathes like that. And will life come? No. It is not possible. Similarly, take every one item, take the breathing, take the muscles, take the blood, take the urine, take the stool, take the bone, and analyze it very carefully, part to part, and combine them all together. You have got scientist: bring life. No. That is not possible. That is not possible.

So therefore it is misconception that life is chemical composition. No. Chemical composition is this body, not the soul. But they do not know; they are speculating in darkness. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes to give you knowledge that "You rascal, you are thinking of this body, yourself. No, it is not that." Asmin dehe. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāram… [Bg. 2.13]. You are living within this body. Under certain conditions according to your karma, you have been allowed to live in this body, and if your karma improves, then you'll be allowed to live in a better body, in the demigod. Or if your karma is abominable, then you'll be degraded to the lower body. Just like you pay… According to your payment you'll get a certain type of apartment. Everyone cannot live in a first-class apartment, because he cannot pay. Similarly, this body is also like apartment. According to your capacity of paying the rent or the price you get a certain type of… Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu [Bg. 13.22]. This is going on. We are not this apartment, we are the occupier of the apartment. That is real knowledge. There are two persons: one is the occupier and one is the proprietor. We have got practical knowledge.

So Kṛṣṇa says clearly that,

kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi

sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata

kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānaṁ

idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram ity abhidhīyate

[Bg. 13.3]

In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find this knowledge, kṣetra-kṣetrajñaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that "This body is called kṣetra." Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa "What is kṣetra, what is kṣetrajñaḥ, what is jñāna, and what is subject matter of jñāna?" So Kṛṣṇa answered that kṣetra means this body, and kṣetrajñaḥ means one who knows that "This is my body." He is kṣetrajñaḥ. You study your own body. You study your finger, you'll never say "I finger." "My finger." Nobody says. Even a small child, you ask him, "What is this?" He'll say, "My finger." He'll never say, "I finger." I am not finger. I'm not this. So one who knows that this body is mine, that is kṣetra, ah, kṣetrajñaḥ. And the body is kṣetra. Ksetra means the field of activities. We have got this body, field of activities. We are very much proud of civilized… But subject matter is the same. The dog is thinking, "I am this body." He is jumping with four legs, and you are jumping with four wheels, that's all. Because the knowledge is the same, that "I am this body." There is no improvement. So we are thinking that "Dog is running on the street without any car, and we have got a nice car we are running, so therefore we are civilized." No. This is not civilization. This is the same civilization as the dog and cat has got. Sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13].

Real civilization is athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is, Sanātana Gosvāmī, he is asking this question, ke āmi kene āmāya, jāre tāpa-traya. This is real question: "What I am?" So Sanātana Gosvāmī's question is being answered by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "Because you have this inquiry, this is the beginning of human life." So if one is little inquisitive to know what I am, then his real life begins. And if he is kept in the darkness and he remains in the darkness, that "I am this body," there is no value of so-called civilization, education, nothing. It is a very important question, ke āmi kene āmāya. One must be inquisitive. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. He must be conscious that "I do not want all these things, miserable condition of life, and they are enforced upon me. I cannot check them; they are coming. No, there must be somebody superior who's law is being forced." That is the factor. That is religion. Religion means to find out the supreme controller who is forcing everything. That is religion. That is stated in the dictionary. Religion is not some sentiment, some ritualistic ceremony. No. This inquiry about the supreme controller, that's a fact. We see in every step there is a supreme controller, and we are foolishly declaring that we are independent. This is called foolishness. So real religion means to come out from this foolish conception of life, that "There is no controller. We are everything. Whatever we like, you can do. There is no life after death, and there is no life in other planets…" These are all ignorance. Simply fool's paradise. It has no meaning.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to give people right knowledge. Don't think that it is a sentimental so-called religious movement. But you come to the right conclusion to the spiritual platform by this easiest method introduced by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Chant the holy name of the Lord and your… Because misunderstanding means because we have so many dirty things accumulated on the heart for many, many lives. Beginning from aquatics, then plant life, the trees' life, the insect life, in this way, now we have come a life of enlightenment. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now we should inquire. That is, Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us that go to the proper spiritual master. He has come. He is not ordinary man, he is minister, so he cannot go to a cheater, to a bluffer. He has selected the right person, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So we have to go to a person who is as good as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As good… How one can become Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu? He is God. How another man can become as good as Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Then he is also God? No. He doesn't require to be God, and neither he can ever become God. That is false. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's equal person means one who speaks the exactly what Caitanya Mahāprabhu speaks. That makes him equal. He doesn't manufacture. If you simply repeat what Kṛṣṇa says or Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, then you become equal to me. Equal to me? That is guru. Guru means who is equal. Sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. Why guru is accepted as God Himself? Does it mean Māyāvāda philosophy? No. This is not Māyāvāda. Because he is most confidential servant of God-kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya-therefore he's as good as God. He is very, very dear to God. Why? Because he does not speak anything nonsense what his master does not speak, that's all. That is the qualification. Still, "No, I see that his son addresses him 'father.' He is the father, considering him as ordinary man. And still he's as good as God?" Yes. Still he's as good as God. Why? Because he does not speak anything nonsense except what he has heard from God. That is the qualification. In this way, if we study Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and… Of course, Caitanya-caritāmṛta is the higher study. Still we have got all these books, very exalted, authorized books, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Nectar of Devotion. So we request, especially… Of course, I am pleased that these countrymen of this American country, they are taking our books, reading. So gradually they will understand. But take real knowledge. Don't be misled by bluffers who have no authority to speak. And to cheat you… Because you are wanting, hankering after something, so so many bluffers, cheaters, they come and cheat you. Don't be cheated. Here is authorized literature.

Read them, be enlightened, and make your life successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

760711CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.105

New York, July 11, 1976

Prabhupāda:

kṛṣṇa-śakti dhara tumi, jāna tattva-bhāva

jāni' dārḍhya lāgi' puche-sādhura svabhāva

[Cc. Madhya 20.105]

So Sanātana Gosvāmī is guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is authorizing him to become guru. This is paramparā system. Nobody can become guru all of a sudden. Self-made guru, that is not guru. Here Caitanya, er, Sanātana Gosvāmī is presented as the disciple, ideal disciple. He is asking, ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya, process how to approach guru, how to ask him question. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena [Bg. 4.34]. Paripraśna means question. That is also required. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is authorizing him. Therefore He says, kṛṣṇa-śakti dhara tumi [Cc. Madhya 20.105]. Here Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is authorizing Sanātana Gosvāmī. Unless he has got the power to receive the instruction, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not going to waste His time. He has the power. He is empowered. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is that to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. So He is empowering Sanātana Gosvāmī to take this task and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. There is… You'll find in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta the verse, kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe nāma pracāraṇa. Without being empowered by Kṛṣṇa, nobody can preach the holy name of the Lord. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe nāma pracāraṇa. So without getting the power of attorney… Just like even one is qualified lawyer, he must get the power of attorney from his client, and then he can speak. That is the law. Similarly, without being endowed with the power of attorney from Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible to preach.

So our business is… Because we are preparing ourselves to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we must be qualified to get the power of attorney. Sometimes we speak that "I'll preach." What you will preach? First of all get the power of attorney; then preach. Preaching is not so easy that anyone and anyone can preach without… Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe nāma pracāraṇa. So to get that power of attorney one has to qualify himself, not that the power of attorney is hanging in the tree and you can take it. No. So how this power of attorney can be achieved? That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You are singing daily day, daily guru. Now, today is guru-pūrṇimā. Especially we should understand what is the power of attorney. Anyone can recite this verse, śrī-guru-caraṇa?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrī-guru-caraṇa-padma, kevala-bhakti-sadma, vando mui sāvadhāna mate.

Prabhupāda: So this is the beginning, that if you want to be devotee, then you must approach the spiritual master who has got the power. Śrī-guru-caraṇa-padma, kevala-bhakti-sadma, vando mui sāvadhāna mate. Sāvadhāna means very carefully, not whimsically. Then?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi

Prabhupāda: Yāṅhāra prasāde bhai, ei bhava toriyā yāi. Huh? Kṛṣṇa-prāpti hoy yāhā hoite. So why one should go to spiritual master? Because yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi: "My dear brother, if you get the benediction from the spiritual master…" Yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi, ei bhava toriyā yāi. What is that benediction? The benediction is not that "Cure my disease." They do not know, generally. Therefore they are cheated. The other day in Washington, one lady came with backache. So she came for curing the leg trouble. That is going on. "So you should approach a spiritual master? There is so many doctors, hospital. You go there." "No. Here you show me your miracles." And people are also cheating like that-some miracles and he becomes God. This is going on. But the miracle of spiritual master is yāṅhāra prasāde bhāi, ei bhava toriyā yāi. This is miracle: no more material existence. Then ei bhava toriyā yāi. So real thing (?) is one can cross over the ocean of nescience. That is real gain. That is the real favor of spiritual master, not that cure your leg and again walk here and again become, break your leg, and again come. Not like that. Ei bhava toriyā yāi. Then?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Kṛṣṇa-prāpti hoy yāhā

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa-prāpti hoy yāhā haite. That is spiritual master, one who can give you Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa se tomāre, kṛṣṇa dite pāra, dhāi tava pāche pāche-Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. "Kṛṣṇa… I am seeking after Kṛṣṇa, Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, my spiritual master. So Kṛṣṇa is your property." Kṛṣṇa is not independent. He is the property of the devotee. Kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra, dhāi tava pāche pāche: "I am just following you, sir. Because Kṛṣṇa is your property, if you like, you can deliver: 'Take it immediately.' " So it is not flattering; it is in the śāstras. Vedeṣu durlabha adurlabha ātmā-bhaktau. You cannot get Kṛṣṇa by studying all the Vedas. Vedeṣu durlabha. Durlabha means it is not possible. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam [SB 10.14.29]. Prasāda-leśa. Prasāda-leśa. One who has got little favor of Kṛṣṇa, he knows Kṛṣṇa-tattva. Yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ gauram eva stumaḥ.

Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he has made one poetry, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalya means to merge into the Brahman existence-no difference, oneness. That is called kaivalya. So for a Vaiṣṇava the kaivalya is as good as the hell. Prabhodānanda Sarasvatī said, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. This kaivalya…. No Vaiṣṇava will say, "Now I am going to merge into the existence," no, because they hate it as hell. Kaivalyam narakāyate. Then? Heavenly planets? Tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Tridaśa-pūr means the heaven, where so many millions of demigods live. They consider, Vaiṣṇava consider as ākāśa-puṣpa, will o' the wisp, phantasmagoria. It has no value. Ākāśa-puṣpāyate. That means karmī, jñānīs. Jñānīs, they are after liberation, merging into the existence, Brahman existence, kaivalya. The Vaiṣṇava thinks, "Oh, this achievement is as good as one who goes to the hell." Then? Heavenly planet? Karmīs? They might have pious activities. They want to go to the heavenly planet. So Vaiṣṇava says that "What is this heavenly planet? It is phantasmagoria. It has no…" Actually it is so. Then yogi? The yogi's main business is to control the senses. That is real yoga. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. Controlling the senses so that mind can be in a peaceful condition… Without controlling your senses, mind cannot be. Then you can apply this mind for meditation. If the mind is agitated, what is this nonsense meditation? First of all control the mind; then think of meditation. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā. We have to meditate with the mind. But if the mind is agitated, where is the question of meditation? It is all bogus. So for a yogi the first business is yama-niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, pratyāhāra-aṣṭa, aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Then one's mind is controlled. Then dhyānāvasthita. Then he can remain in trance, always thinking of Viṣṇu. That is yoga. So first thing is to control the mind, control the senses.

So that is also, I mean to say, declined by a devotee. He says that durdānta indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. The senses are just like venomous serpent, always agitating. And as soon as one sense touches another sense, then the spiritual life is finished. Just like the serpent, if he touches even little, immediately your life is finished, similarly, our senses are very strong, just like as strong as the serpent, uncontrollable. So why it is so dangerous? Because it has got the fang. He has got fang, poison. But there are physicians, in the Āyurvedic physician. They know. They capture snakes and they take away the fang for making medicine. They are also used as medicine. So if the poison teeth is broken, then it is not more dangerous, no more dangerous. It may have very big hood, but one knows that his poison teeth is taken away, he is not afraid. It may be very fearful to the children, but a grown-up man who knows his poison teeth is no longer there, he is not afraid. In Bengal he is called viṣṇai kulama cakra (?): "There is no poison, and you have got a very big hood."

So how it is possible? First thing is kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate, and durdānta indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta daṁṣṭrāyate. How it is possible? Now, viśvaṁ sukhāyate. This material is miserable for everyone. For a devotee it is not at all miserable. Sukhāyate. In this New York City there are so many skyscraper buildings. Bring all of them and compare our happiness. See practically. Here is a skyscraper building, and there are others. And call them and ask them, "Are you happy like us?" So we can turn this whole world like that. Viśvaṁ pūrṇaṁ sukhāyate. It is possible. Everyone is hankering, working so hard day and night, and there is fire brigade, "gon-gon-gon-gon." It is going on. (laughter) This is life. That is not happiness. Here is happiness. Come here, sit down, and you'll find happiness. Practical. If is practical. So if you expand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you'll find whole world full of happiness. Viṣvaṁ pūrṇaṁ sukhāyate. How it is possible? Yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ gauram eva stumaḥ. It is possible simply by the mercy glance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If He simply glances over anybody, then the whole thing happens.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving, empowering Sanātana Gosvāmī. So we should follow. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, ei chai gosāi yār, tāro mui dās: "I am servant of that person who has followed the six Gosvāmīs."

ei chai gosāi yār, tāro mui dās

tān sabāra pada-reṇu, mora pañca-grās

Narottama dāsa says, "By… Their dust of lotus feet is my subsistence." So today Sanātana Gosvāmī's birthday? Disappearance. Disappearance and appearance the same. His disappearance here, appearance somewhere. Just like sunset somewhere is immediately, sunset and sunrise, simultaneously. So for a Vaiṣṇava, because he is under the order of Kṛṣṇa, he appears somewhere and disappears somewhere because he is order-carrier. He says, "Now go there. Preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Go there." So appearance here, disappearance there. Therefore the same thing. Then what is the next line?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Guru-mukha-padma-vākya… **.

Prabhupāda: Cittete kariyā aikya. Now this is the determination. We must approach the real guru, empowered guru, with power of attorney. Then if we take his word… Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete kariyā, āra nā kariyā mane… *. Don't try don't manufacture ideas. Then if you take up that seriously, then your life is successful. Guru-mukha-padma, cittete, āra nā kariyā mane. Don't spoil yourself by manufacturing ideas. Take word from him. You carry it out. Don't bother whether you'll be spiritually advanced or not, but take the word of the spiritual master and carry it. Then everything is guaranteed. Guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya, āra nā koriyā mane āśā *. Then?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrī-guru-caraṇe rati…

Prabhupāda: Śrī-guru-carane rati, ei sei uttama-gati. You want advancement in spiritual consciousness, but it is possible only-śrī-guru-caraṇe rati. If you keep your faith only on the lotus feet of your guru, then you'll make advance. There is no doubt about it. Then?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Ye prasāde pūre sarva āśā.

Prabhupāda: Ye prasāde pūre… We have got so many desires, but if we have got strong faith at the lotus feet of guru, everything will be fulfilled automatically. Ye prasāde pūre sarva āśā. Then?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Cakhudāna dilo yei…

Prabhupāda: Cakhudāna dilo yei, janme janme prabhu sei. Guru's business is cakhudāna. We are kept in the darkness of this material existence, and guru's business is to open it, bring him to light. That is guru, not to keep him again in the darkness. Cakhudāna dila yei janma janma prabhu sei. Prabhu means master. Then?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Divya-jñāna hṛde prokāśito.

Prabhupāda: Divya-jñāna hṛde prokāśito. What is that divya-jñāna? Divya-jñāna is that we are all servant of Kṛṣṇa, and our only business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. Divya-jñāna. This is divya-jñāna. It is not difficult at all. Simply we have… We have become servant of so many things-servant of society, servant of community, servant of country, servant of wife, servant of children, servant of dog and so many. "Now let me become servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is divya-jñāna. Dīkṣā. Dīkṣā means from this divya-jñāna. That is dī. And kṣā means kṣapayati, expands. Then?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Prema-bhakti yāhā hoite….

Prabhupāda: Prema bhakti yāhā hoite, avidyā vināśa yāte.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Vede gāy yāṅhāra…

Prabhupāda: Vede gāy yāṅhāra carito. You should understand this. So by the mercy of guru, by the favor of guru, we get prema-bhakti. There are vidhi-bhakti. In the beginning we have to discharge devotional service according to the rules and regulations of the śāstra, the instruction of guru, śāstra-vidhi. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na siddhim avāpnoti [Bg. 16.23]. Kṛṣṇa says, "This śāstra-vidhim, the vidhi-mārga, if one gives up the śāstra-vidhi and manufactures his own way," na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti, "he does not get success," na sukham, "neither happiness," na parāṁ gatim, "and what to speak of going back to Godhead?" Forget all this. Śāstra-vidhi. So this is minimized. So when we are practiced to vidhi-mārga, then we gradually get love of Godhead. That is ultimate. Premā pumartho mahān. Just like in India formerly they… Very small, minor-aged boy and girl are married, especially the girl, ten, twelve years, married. So how she can love her husband? She does not know. But there is vidhi-mārga. Vidhi-mārga, the elderly people of the-"Now, just to give your husband this refreshment." So she gives. In this way, gradually, when she's grown-up, she does not require any instruction; she knows how to serve her husband. That is prema. That is the bha… But the beginning must be regulative principle. Prema, vidhi prema. Prema-bhakti yāhā hoite, avidyā vināśa yāte. Prema-bhakti, avidyā… Unless we are free from this nescience of material existence, there is no question of Kṛṣṇa prema. Two things cannot go. Viraktir anyatra syāt. If you actually advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then naturally you'll be averse to this material enjoyment. Viraktir… Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt [SB 11.2.42]. Just like if you are eating, naturally you are satisfying your appetite. So kṛṣṇa-bhakti means we are satisfying automatically all our desires. That is Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. The more we advance in Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, you'll have no more material desires. Then?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrī-guru kāruṇa-sindhu.

Prabhupāda: Śrī-guru kāruṇa-sindhu, adhama janāra bandhu.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Lokanātha lokera jīvana.

Prabhupāda: Lokanātha lokera jīvana. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's guru's name was Lokanātha Gosvāmī. You have seen, those who have gone to Vṛndāvana. There is Lokanatha Gosvāmī's tomb. So, then?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Hā hā prabhu koro dayā…

Prabhupāda: Hā hā prabhu koro dayā.

Devotees: …deho more pada-chāyā.

Prabhupāda: So this, the one, that… We should seek the shelter of the lotus feet of guru. Then everything… And vede gāya yāṅhāra carita. It is not that it is sentiment that one has to become very strong devotee of guru. Therefore Narottama dāsa Tha…, vede gāya yāṅhāra carita. Not that I am talking something nonsense. It is because… Śruti-pramāṇam. Whatever we talk, it must be supported by Vedic injunction. Then it is right. Just like we sometimes challenge these big, big scientists and others, and what is our strength? I am not a scientist, but how I can challenge? The Veda gāya. We have got evidence from the Vedas. Just like so many people are thinking that the moon planet is first. We are challenging, "No, moon planet is second." What is the strength? The strength is Vedic knowledge. We cannot accept it. So vede gāya yāṅhāra carita. Vedic knowledge is so perfect that you can challenge so many scientists. Yes. If it is not in accordance to the Vedic knowledge, then it is… We do not accept. If it is not to the Kṛṣṇa's instruction, we reject immediately. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. As soon as we see that one man is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we immediately group him in four classes: duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Finished, that's all. "No, I am learned, and you are nothing. You have not… You have no degrees of university. I have got degrees." "Yes, that is all right, but your degrees and knowledge have been taken away by māyā. You remain in darkness. Ye timire jeti (?). You remain in the darkness." That's all.

So Sanātana Gosvāmī is teaching us… Kṛṣṇa-śakti dhara tumi, jāna tattva-bhāva [Cc. Madhya 20.105]. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is affirming that "You are authorized by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you have come for My help. My mission is to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness…" So He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He posing as a devotee. Therefore He is saying that "By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, you are empowered, so you have come to Me to help Me. You are asking. That is very good on your part because," jāni, "you know everything." Dārḍhya lāgi' puche sādhura svabhāva. A sādhu, a saintly person, although he knows everything, still he remains very humble and tries to confirm from the higher authorities, "I think this is right. Is it not right?" He knows it is all right, but still, he waits for the higher authority to confirm it. So this is the relationship, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Study all of them very nicely and be advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you. (end)

760712CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.106

New York, July 12, 1976

Pradyumna: (chants verse, etc.) "Translation: Those who are anxious to awaken their spiritual consciousness, who have unflinching intelligence and who are not deviated, certainly attain the desired goal."

Prabhupāda:

acirād eva sarvārthaḥ

sidhyaty eṣām abhīpsitaḥ

sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya

yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ

[Cc. Madhya 20.106]

So here the most important word is sad-dharma. Dharma… In the English dictionary dharma is described as a kind of faith, but here it is said, sad-dharma. Sad-dharma. Sat means which exists, which never diminishes. In the Vedic knowledge we get information, asato mā sad gama: "Don't remain in the nonexistentional platform." Sad-gama: "Go to the platform of eternal life." That we can understand, what is sat and what is asat. Sat, cit, ānanda. Sac-cid-ānanda. We describe Kṛṣṇa, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. So that is sat. Sat means eternal. And so according to reference with sat and asat, there are two kinds of dharma. I… Several places in my books I have described, dharma means occupational duty, occupational duty. So if we are on the platform of asad-dharma, just like on the conception of this body… This is asad-dharma. Everyone knows the body will not exist; therefore it is asat. So any dharma or any occupational duty with reference to this nonpermanent body, that is asad-dharma. Asad-dharma. Whatever our occupational duties are now going on in this big city of New York… What is their occupational duty? The duty… Everyone is going to the office early in the morning. They have got… Everyone has got duty, but that duty-asad-dharma. Body will not exist; therefore anything done on account of the body, that is asad-dharma. That is not real dharma. Real dharma is when you come to the platform of sat. That sat we have to understand, what is sat and what is asat. Asat, nonpermanent. Everyone we know that this body is not permanent. And sat? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You have to learn it. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. The body is asat, it will be destroyed, but the soul, which will never be destroyed… Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate… Na hanyate hanyamāne śarī… [Bg. 2.20]. Na jāyate mriyate vā kadācit. That soul is never born, never dies, kadācit, at any time. Not that sometimes it dies and sometimes… No. Any time, kadācit.

So this sad-dharma means the occupational duty of the soul. That is sad-dharma. And except that duty, whatever we are doing, that is asad-dharma; it will not stay. Now I have got this body, Indian body or Christian body or American body. But this, everything, this conception of Christianity or Indian nationality or American nationality-everything will be finished with this body. Everything will be finished. Therefore all our engagements in this connection, they are all asad-dharma. It is very difficult. We are all engaged in occupational duties, all asad-dharma. But the Vedic injunction is asato mā sad gama: "Don't remain in this asat platform. Come to the sat platform." And the same thing is described here, sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya. So the human life begins when we can distinguish between sat and asat. If we remain in darkness without understanding what is sat and asat, then we are no better than dogs and cats. So the modern civilization, not only… Nowadays very big problem. People are very much attached to asad-dharma. They are not… Because they are so dull-headed, they cannot understand what is sat and what is asat. They cannot understand, dull-headed. Therefore brain requires to be clarified.

The two words are used in the śāstra, alpa-medhasaḥ and sumedhasaḥ. Medha means brain substance. So those who have got brain substance, they are called sumedhasaḥ, and those who have no brain substance, filled up with cow dung, they are called alpa-medhasaḥ. So this distinction I made in Chicago. It made a very great agitation because I discriminated that men are found to have more brain substance than the woman. So there was a great agitation. But this is fact psychologically, that brain substance in man is greater than the brain substance in woman. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrāḥ [Bg. 9.32]. But in spiritual understanding there is no such distinction because sad-dharma, spiritual understanding, has nothing to do with this body. The brain substance, more or less, is in connection with this body, but the sat, the spirit soul, it has nothing to do with the body. So long it has to do something with the body, that is called māyā. He's sat, but he is absorbed in the thought of asat. That is called māyā, what he is not. He is absorbed in thoughts of the bodily comforts of life. That is asad-dharma. The karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they are all asad-dharmī because there is reference to the body. Karmī, in gross ignorance he knows that "Everything is this body, so let me enjoy bodily comforts, sense enjoyment, as far as possible." Not only in this life, next life… Even if he believes in the next life, but still, he's after these bodily comforts. "I shall be promoted in the higher planetary system. I shall go to moon planet, I shall go to the Mars planet," and so on, so on. These are karmīs' plan. Anything within this material world, that is all asat.

So the karmīs are too much attached with the asad-dharma, total, cent percent. And the jñānīs, they are little intelligent, that… Jñānī means "I have tried so much to be happy with the bodily comforts, but it has not become possible." Then he tries to understand "Whether I am this body or something else?" That is Vedic injunction, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. When he is actually liberated he understands that "I am not this body." So he tries to get rid of this bodily conception of life, but because he has no information of the ultimate goal of life, he thinks that "If I merge with the Supreme, then my life is successful." But that is also asad-dharma, because this impersonal understanding will not help him because he is person. Every one of us, we are person. We cannot stay on the impersonal platform. That is not possible. Artificially if we try to stay on the impersonal platform, it will not stay. Then we shall fall down again. Just like this moon excursion or the Mars. They do not get actually shelter there; therefore they fall down again, come here. With some stone and sand, they are satisfied. Because they did not get any shelter, they fall down.

So śāstra therefore forbids or gives warning, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. The same example. With great endeavor, with much expenditure you may go eighty thousand miles per hour, but unless you get shelter, you have to again come back to this, either in America or Russia. They tried, but they could not get shelter. Similarly, the one may understand that he is spirit soul and he may try his best to merge into the spiritual effulgence, Brahman-ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I shall remain in Brahman"-but because he is person, the impersonalism condition will not be helpful to him, and because he has no personal view of the supreme spirit-he cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa-naturally he again comes back to this material world and surrenders to the material subject matter. Sometimes he is engaged in philanthropic work or altruistic work. He thought, "This is the best service. instead of serving myself, let me serve the whole humanity, whole community, whole nation," so on, so on, so on. But they are all asad-dharma. They are not sad-dharma.

So when one is actually in sad-dharma or he is hankering after sad-dharma, then Kṛṣṇa helps him. Kṛṣṇa helps him. That we get information from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, so Kṛṣṇa gives him opportunity. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi.

teṣām evānukampārtham

aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ

nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho

jñāna-dipena bhāsvatā

[Bg. 10.11]

Kṛṣṇa gives him real knowledge. Therefore guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. So he becomes more and more inquisitive to understand what is sad-dharma. So sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya. If one is actually serious, nirbandhinī matiḥ… Nirbandhinī matiḥ means with firm conviction that "In this life I shall be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, I shall understand fully Kṛṣṇa." In this way if we have got firm determination, then Kṛṣṇa will help. That is, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, sidhyaty eṣām abhīpsitaḥ. If one is actually eager to understand his position and his goal of life, then Kṛṣṇa will help. We require determination. That is wanted. Laulyam ekaṁ mūlyam. Laulyam, to advance in spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the value is only strong eagerness, laulyam, that "I must finish this business in this life, to understand Kṛṣṇa." There are many śāstric references. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te. Simply we should be very seriously eager. Then very soon, acirād eva sidhyaty abhīpsitaḥ, immediately… If not immediately… We should patiently. Simply we should be very, very eager. Tatra laulyam ekaṁ mūlyam. Laulyam means very greediness or… We can say, "How I shall approach Kṛṣṇa?" This greediness required, not greediness for sense gratification. Then we shall be implicated more and more.

The greediness… Greediness is very good. Kāmaṁ kṛṣṇa-karmārpaṇe. Strong desire, that is called lust. So, but this strong desire… Just like gopīs. The gopīs, they were village girls. They had no understanding of what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. But they became very much lusty for Kṛṣṇa, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended that ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhūbir yā kalpitā: "There is no better type of worship than what was conceived by the gopīs." Their strong desire, "How we shall get Kṛṣṇa?" that was their day and night thought. That's all. Somebody is thinking in some way… The central point was Kṛṣṇa. I have already explained that, that Kṛṣṇa was going to the pasturing ground, and the gopīs at home, they were thinking that "Kṛṣṇa's foot is so soft and so delicate," and that "We dare not to take His feet on our breast, but He is now walking in the fields, pasturing ground, naked without any… And the stones pricking. How much He is feeling pain." Thinking this, they became fainted. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended ramyā kācid upāsanā. These gopīs, they were not supposed to be educated. Village girls-who is giving them education? They are not Ph.D.'s. But still, strong desire for Kṛṣṇa. And that is called yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ. Nirbandhinī, strong desire. It doesn't require any other price to become advanced in…, simply to become very strongly eager, laulyam. Then life is successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

760713CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.107

New York, July 13, 1976

Pradyumna: (chants verse, etc.) "Translation: You are fit to propagate the cult of devotional service. Therefore gradually hear all the truths from Me. I shall tell you about them."

Prabhupāda: Yogya-patra hao tumi. This is hao not haoḥ.

yogya-pātra hao tumi bhakti pravartāite

krame saba tattva śuna, kahiye tomāte

So to propagate the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it requires the fit person. Not that one can imitate. It is not possible. One who is fit to take this responsibility, he receives proper instruction and help from higher authorities. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu selected Sanātana Gosvāmī as the fit person, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī. They were ministers, but when Caitanya Mahāprabhu first met them in Rāmakeli, in Maldah district, at that time the headquarters of Bengal government, so He thought… Not only He thought, but… These Caitanya Mahāprabhu associates, they are eternal associates. They appear somewhere… Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura appeared somewhere in Muhammadan family, Sanātana Gosvāmī was found engaged in government service, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was a zamindar's son. In different places. But actually they appear to fulfill the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore they are called nitya-siddhas. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is nitya-siddha friend, eternal friend. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa said that "Arjuna, when I spoke to sun-god…" Arjuna inquired that "Kṛṣṇa, how can I believe? Sun-god is long, long millions of years ago. How it is that You taught him?" So what Kṛṣṇa replied? Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, you were also present there, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten." So similarly, whenever Kṛṣṇa goes anywhere, His eternal associates also go with Him.

So sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. About Caitanya Mahāprabhu it is said in the Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam [SB 11.5.32]. Saṅga, associates. Therefore we worship Caitanya Mahāprabhu with His associates. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. These are principal associates, and similarly other devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just like six Gosvāmīs and many others-we have got the list in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta-so they are all nitya-siddhas, eternal. There are two kinds of living entities: nitya-siddha and nitya-baddha. Nitya-siddha means they never fall a victim of māyā. That is nitya-siddha. Even though they are within this material world, they are never victimized. That is called nitya-siddha. And one who is victimized, he is called nitya-baddha. But the actual constitutional position of every living entity is nitya-siddha, because God is eternal and His part and parcels, the living entities, they are also eternal. So that is nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha, sādhana-siddha, kṛpā-siddha-there are different grades. They are all described in The Nectar of Devotion. So one can become sādhana-siddha. By following the rules and regulations and instructions of the spiritual master, he can also become siddha. He can become again nitya-siddha.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to make the nitya-baddhas again nitya-siddha, to bring them. It is a difficult task. Just I was talking in the morning, it is very difficult task to… Just like a madman. A madman, to again bring him to the normal life is very difficult task. You have got in your country so many institutions. So the whole world, anyone who is in this material world, he's a madman.

piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya

māyā-grasta jīvera sei dāsa upaya (?)

When a man becomes ghostly haunted and he talks all nonsense… Similarly, anyone who is within this material world, they are all madmen. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to cure them by this treatment. So if anyone accepts this treatment, then he can make progress very quickly. Just like any madman, if he is under proper treatment, there is hope of his being cured. But the modern education is that to keep him madman. That is the defect of modern civilization. Everyone is madman within this material world, and the modern education is to keep him madman. Therefore they cannot understand our philosophy. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy is very bona fide and most essential philosophy. Madman cannot understand, but that does not mean the process of treatment should be stopped. No. It must go on. It cannot be stopped. So therefore in the previous verse it is said,

acirād eva sarvārthaḥ

sidhyaty eṣām abhīpsitaḥ

sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya

yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ

One must at least understand that we are in a… Everyone understands that, but māyā covers, does not allow him to understand properly. Here in this material world we are trying to become happy. Just like in your country is supposed to be most advanced in material civilization. They are trying to be happy. But we can see even in this New York City, nobody wants, still, twenty-four hours there is blazing fire: "gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan." Stop this. Why there is blazing fire? Nobody wants it. But there must be, because you are in the material world. However big, big skyscraper building you may have, you have to suffer. But these dull brain cannot understand, because madmen.

So this dull brain has to be cured. All rascals, mūḍha. It is a fact. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Duṣkṛtina means simply unnecessary wasting time adjusting things materially. This is miscreants. They do not know that "For one type of advantage, I have to create hundred times disadvantage." This is the fact. We are coming from New Vrindaban. They are living very comfortably in open space. There is no such disturbance, twenty-four hours, "dung-dung-dung-dung-kah-kah-kah-kah-kah." No. (laughter) No disturbance. But you have created some advantages to live in the skyscraper building. There are so many disadvantages also. So therefore sometimes the Indians are accused that "Believe in destiny." But that is actual fact. You cannot improve a single inch than you are destined. That is not possible. That is not possible. If you want to increase your so-called happiness, then you simply waste your time. That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. Na tat prayāsaṁ kartavyam. "I am not in a good position economically. Let me try to improve it." That you cannot. Otherwise in New York City, so opulent, so materially advanced, why we see so many men in the Central Park lying on the bench? Why? They do not belong to the poor nation or poor city. Still, because he's destined, he must lie down there. Maybe he is rich man's son or born in rich nation, but because he's destined to suffer, he must lie down there. Because he's destined to suffer, he must become a hippie.

So you cannot stop it. You cannot stop it. That is not possible. Therefore those who are advanced in knowledge, they do not try for all these nonsense, improving material condition. It will not make happy; it will increase problems. The so-called happiness will increase problems, and you have to deal with that problem, then again another problem, another problem. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. Just like they are trying to control over the laws of material nature. That is impossible. It will never be possible. If you solve one question, then you will have to meet with thousands of other questions. It is not possible. So… Therefore Vedic literature says that "Do not waste your time in that way. Better you utilize your valuable time to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful." Yasmin vijñāte sarvam eva vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you'll understand everything very nicely. Just like we sometimes challenge the big, big scientists, philosophers, psychologists, but we are not psychologist or scientist. Ten years before, in my Easy Journey to Other Planet, I have written that "This moon-going attempt is childish and waste of time." And still we are challenging that "Mars-going, so-called, it will also fail." Write it: It will fail. Not that process. So how we are saying? How we are challenging these big, big scientists? Because we know from the Vedic literature that it is not possible to go to the moon planet or Mars in that way. It is not possible. You have to qualify yourself. Just like to come to America one has to qualify himself for the proper visa, passport, and so many other things, bank balance, this, that. How you can go to the other? They are higher planetary system. So this is all childish. But if you want to go at all, then it is possible if you follow the proper process. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā:

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtāni yānti bhūtejya

yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām

[Bg. 9.25]

So the intelligent person, they will try to attempt for this, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. "Let me become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa so that next life I go directly to Kṛṣṇaloka."

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

That is the highest perfection of life.

So if we accept… If we little understand this philosophy, that "There is another life, which is eternal, blissful life of knowledge," if we simply become serious to go to that life, then the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only method. But if we want to live in this rotten life of material existence, then we can continue. Yathecchasi tathā kuru [Bg. 18.63]. Whatever you like, you can do. But if you have got little inclination, then there is process. Therefore in the previous verse we have read, sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ. Sad-dharma means eternal life. Dharma means occupational duty. Here we are engaged in temporary occupational duty. That this dull brain cannot understand. Now I have got Indian body or American body, I am engaged in American consciousness, but as soon as the body is changed, I get the dog's body, then dog's consciousness. Whole thing changed. So therefore it is temporary. This consciousness is temporary, say for fifty years or a hundred years utmost. But this dull brain cannot understand that there is a life of eternity, blissful knowledge. The dull bra… So to… Just like a madman cannot understand. So our task is very difficult. We have to cure so many. It is not possible to cure all of them, but as far as possible we are trying to cure, and simply one has to accept this philosophy seriously, then he'll get knowledge. Sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ.

So it is the duty of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's representative to take instruction from Caitanya Mahāprabhu and spread it. That is here said, yogya-pātra hao tumi bhakti pravartāite: "You are the fit person." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives you instruction. If you are unfit, then there will be no instruction. And what is the fitness? Fitness is he must be very eager to serve Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī approached: "My Lord, You have released me from this material occupation. Now order me what shall I do." This is wanted. One must be ready, very eager to carry out the orders of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then He will give you instruction. And as soon as you get the favor, mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu… It is very simple. Simply we must be serious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tara ei deśa

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

This is the sum and substance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction. And the details are there, but this is the platform. You must be ready to become a guru simply by repeating the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore we have taken Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and following the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are preaching to our best capacity. This is required, that you must be ready, you must be serious. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu will give you proper instruction, and then you'll be very nice preacher for the benefit of the whole world.

Thank you very much. (end)

760715CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.108-109

New York, July 15, 1976

Devotee:

jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa

kṛṣṇera 'taṭasthā-śakti', bhedābheda-prakāśa

[Cc. Madhya 20.108]

sūryāṁśa-kiraṇa yaiche agni-jvālā-caya

(svābhāvika) kṛṣṇera tina-prakāra 'śakti' haya

Prabhupāda: So Caitanya Mahāprabhu begins his instruction to Sanātana Gosvāmī because he's the appropriate person to understand. In the previous verse Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has asserted,

yogya-pātra hao tumi bhakti pravartāite

krame saba tattva śuna, kahiye tomāte

So the philosophy is very simple, but unless one is fit or appropriate person, he cannot understand. No. So in the material world we are materially diseased; therefore it is very difficult for us to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy. Otherwise it is very simple thing. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera 'svarūpa' haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. Very simple thing. Everyone, even a child can understand that we are, our svarūpa, our constitutional position, is that we are servant of God, Kṛṣṇa. But the material world is so bewildering that everyone is thinking that "I am master of everyone." This is the disease. "I am the monarch of all I survey." There is an English poetry. Everyone is thinking. Why this is so much struggle in this New York City? Because now there is Presidential election, so everyone is thinking, "If I could become the President." That is everyone's desire. But those who are not so fit, they do not stand for election, but those who are little fit, so they stand, make competition, "I am the President." If you are President, why you require election? The simple truth. If you are actually President, then why do you depend on other's vote? You become President. No. Artificial President. Simply by votes he is President. Actually he is not; he is the servant of the voters, but he's thinking, "I am President." This is called māyā. Everyone is servant of Kṛṣṇa. He's servant. Every one of us, we are servant. So take this example. Actually the President means the servant of the voters, and as soon as the voters do not like him… Just like Nixon is drawn back.

So nobody can be master. That is not possible. You'll find in this instruction, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya [Cc. Ādi 5.142]. Only Kṛṣṇa is the master, and everyone is servant. This is our position, actual. But artificially we are trying to become master. That is struggle for existence. We are trying for something which we are not. We know this word, "struggle for existence," "survival of the fittest." So this is struggle. We are not master; still, we are trying to become master. The Māyāvāda philosophy, they also undergo severe type of austerities, penances, but what is the idea? The idea is that "I shall become one with God." Same mistake. Same mistake. He's not God, but he is trying to become God. Even though he has performed so much severe austerities, vairāgya, renunciation, everything… Sometimes they give up everything of material enjoyment, go to the forest, undergo severe type of penances. What is the idea? "Now I shall become one with God." The same mistake.

So māyā is very strong, that these mistakes continue even one is very advanced so-called spiritually. No. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu touches the main point immediately with His instruction. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy. Where Kṛṣṇa says the last word, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja.. [Bg. 18.66]. He is talking on the position; He is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is asking, demanding, "You rascal, give up everything. Just surrender to Me. Then you'll be happy." This is the last instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same Kṛṣṇa but acting as devotee of Kṛṣṇa; therefore He is speaking the same thing. Kṛṣṇa said, "You surrender," and Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Every living entity is the servant of Kṛṣṇa." That means he must surrender. Servant's business is to surrender, not to argue with the master or to claim that "I am equal with you." These are all fanatic, mad proposal.

piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya

māyā-grasta jīvera se dāsa upajaya

A servant cannot become master. That is not possible. But as soon as… As long as we shall persist on this wrong conception of life, that "I am not master; I am servant," er, "I am not servant; I am master," then he will suffer. The māyā will give him suffering. Daivī hy eṣā. Just like outlaws, rogues and thieves, they defy government order: "I don't care for government." But that means he voluntarily accepts suffering. He has to take care of government law. If he does not ordinarily take care, outlaw, then he'll be put into the prison house and by force, by beating, by punishment, he has to accept: "Yes, yes, I accept."

So this is māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayi mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. We are under the rulings of the māyā. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. Why? Because we are declaring master. Servant is declaring to become master; therefore suffering. And as soon as we accept that "I am not master; I am servant," then there is no suffering. Very simple philosophy. That is mukti. Mukti means just come to the right platform. That is mukti. Mukti is defined in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. Mukti means to give up this nonsense business, anyathā. He is servant, but he's thinking master. That is ankatha (?), just the opposite. So when he gives up this opposite conception of life that he is master, then he is mukti; he's liberated immediately. Mukti does not take so much time that you have to undergo so much severe austerities and go to the jungle and go to the Himalaya and meditate and press your nose and so many things. It doesn't require so many things. Simply you understand plain thing, that "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa"-you are mukta immediately. That is the definition of mukti given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa avasthitiḥ. Just like even a criminal in the prison house, if he becomes submissive that "Henceforward I shall be law-abiding. I then shall obey the government laws very obediently," then sometimes he is released prematurely on account of giving a declaration.

So we can become immediately liberated from this prison house of material existence if we accept this teaching of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. And therefore so many arrangement. We are having Kṛṣṇa Deity here, and every one of us, we are engaged as servant. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṇgāra-tan-mandira-mār janādau **. Somebody is engaged in cleansing the temple. All servant, we are. Somebody is engaged in dressing the Deity. Somebody is engaged in preparing nice foodstuff for Deity. Somebody is making flower garlands. Somebody is going to distribute literature to make people understand the glories of Kṛṣṇa. So in this way Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means everyone is engaged cent percent to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. So those who are sincerely engaged in the service of the Lord, they are all liberated. They are all liberated. The Māyāvādīs who are trying to become liberated in so many ways, mystic yoga practice and austere penances, and so on, so on, so on, so on… You can get that liberty immediately, simply by engaging yourself in some service of Kṛṣṇa. Immediately. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Even little service you give, it is your permanent asset. Even if you fall down from that service platform, still, whatever you have done, it will never go in vain. As soon as there is opportunity, again you shall begin from that point where you left. Therefore everyone… Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ [SB 1.5.17]. There is a verse spoken by Nārada Muni, that even by sentiment, not understanding properly the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even by sentiment-"All right, let me also dance and chant like these people, the saffron-colored, shaved-head people are doing. Let me do that"-so once dancing with them will never go in vain. It will (be) immediately accounted, "Ah, he has danced." It is so nice. It will never go in vain. Then these children are dancing. Don't think it is spoiling time. Everything is recorded. This you will find in the, our Nectar of Devotion. You'll find. Rūpa Gosvāmī… It will never go in vain. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also sings, keno māyār bośe, yāccho bhese', khāccha hābuḍubhu bhāi, jīv kṛṣṇa-dās, ei viśvās, korle to' ār duḥkha nāi. Everyone is being washed away by the big waves of the ocean of nescience, but if he simply accepts, "No, I am Kṛṣṇa dāsa. I am not master. I am not God. I am simply a servant…" And the more you become servant of the servant, more you are perfect. Not directly servant. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. This is perfection. Don't try to become directly Kṛṣṇa dāsa. Kṛṣṇa's servant, his servant, his servant, his servants-you come down to the hundredth point of servant; then you are perfection.

tāndera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vās

janame janame mora ei abhilās

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said, "Let me become the servant of the servant and live with devotees [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. That is my desire."

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that let us live amongst devotees. Why we are struggling to get so many centers open? Because devotees will live there, follow the regulative principles according to the instruction of the śāstra and spiritual master, guided by, and people will get chance. As soon as one comes in this society of devotee, he'll get some opportunity. And svalpam apy asya… That is meant. Even by sentiment one comes… Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ hareḥ [SB 1.5.17]. The Nārada Muni said, "Even by sentiments, one gives up his occupational duty, so-called occupational duty, and surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, even not understanding fully…" So śāstra says, "What is the loss there?" And if one is performing one's material duties very perfectly, then what is gain there? He's simply wasting time. And a devotee, even by sentiment or whimsically comes in this center and gives some service, that is a permanent record. And these karmīs, although they are acting very sincerely, but there is no guarantee what is the next life. He may become a dog. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and tyaktvā deham… Or what is that? Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. These will be dehāntara, change of this body. The body will be finished, everyone knows, but body being finished, you are not finished; nobody is finished. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. Then he has to accept another body. So if we do not work according to the rules and regulation of nature, then we have to accept another body, and we do not know what kind of body you are going to accept. But it will be a gift by nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni [Bg. 3.27]. Eh? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad janma-yoniṣu [Bg. 13.22]. So they do not know these things, the rascal civilization. Just like dancing like dog, that's all. This is rascal civilization. They have no responsibility of life, and dancing like dog. No. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific movement. Everyone should try to understand. If he wants to understand through science, through philosophy, through logic-in any way-through religion, through culture-anyway he wants to understand, we have got volumes of books. Try to understand. It is not a bluff. It is all scientific. So either you accept as Kṛṣṇa, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇera dāsa… [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. If you immediately accept the words of, accept the words of Kṛṣṇa-sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ [Bg. 18.66]-that is very good. But if you are very learned philosopher, scientist, then read books. Both ways we have prepared to convince you.

So,

jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa

kṛṣṇera taṭasthā-śakti bhedābheda-prakāśa

[Cc. Madhya 20.108]

Bhedābheda-prakāśa. Bheda means difference, and abheda means one. Two philosophies are going on. The Māyāvādīs, they say, "We are the same." So 'ham: "I am the same." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am the Supreme Brahman." But the Vedic literature says, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, but Kṛṣṇa, or God, is Param Brahman. In the Vedas there is no such thing as ahaṁ paraṁ brahmāsmi. No. They are misusing. The… Instead of understanding… Brahman, every one of us, we are Brahman. There is no doubt about it. But unfortunately, by mistake, by illusion, I am thinking, "I am this body." So spiritual education means first of all one has to understand that ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman. I am not this body." That is the beginning of spiritual education.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

One has to become first of all… Not become. Just to understand one has to come to the platform of Brahman. Then spiritual education begins.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

naśocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

So bhakti is not very ordinary thing. It begins after one is liberated. The Māyāvādī says that "By bhakti one can become one with God." No. That is not bhakti. That is Māyāvāda. That is mistake. Bhakti means to understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." This conviction is possible when one is brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Brahma-bhūta means "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," as it is said, sūryāṁśa-kiraṇa, yaiche agni-jvālā-caya, svābhāvika kṛṣṇera… Oh… When one understands this, that "I am… My position is eternal servant," that is brahma-bhūta [SB 4.30.20]. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. Then undoubtedly he becomes immediately jubilant, that "Now I have got my real master to serve. I am serving so many, I mean, items, in the family, in the society, in the community, in the nation. But I could not be satisfied. Neither I am…, persons to whom I have given my service, they are also not satisfied." This is wrong service. Nobody is satisfied. The so-called master is not satisfied, and the so-called servant is not satisfied. The so-called servant means that "Unless you pay me, I am not going to serve you." Strike. "I am your master. You pay me. Then I shall serve you." So nobody is servant actually. Everyone wants to become master, either collectively or individually. That is māyā. This is material world. And when one understands that he is not a master-he is servant-and the real master is Kṛṣṇa, that is liberation.

So bhedābheda-prakāśa. So the living entity is simultaneously one and different. The two philosophies are going on. One philosophy, Māyāvāda, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, miscalculation, so 'ham-this is to become one. And another philosophy, Vaiṣṇava philosophy-that we are different. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that both are true. Bhedābheda-prakāśa. A living entity is one with God and is as different from God. Bhedābheda-prakāśa. One? How one? Because Kṛṣṇa says that "Living entities are My part and parcel." Just like this hand, this finger, is part and parcel of my body, so therefore it is one. But the finger is not the whole body. Different. It is very simple thing. Bhedābheda-prakāśa. Anyone can understand. The finger… The tree… Just like the leaf, the twigs, the flowers, the fruits. They are all tree. But at the same time, it is not tree; it is leaf, it is branch, it is twig, it is flower. It is very simple philosophy. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained, taṭasthā-śakti, marginal. Marginal means the living entity has to become servant. That is his position. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. But when the servant wants to become master, he is under the clutches of māyā. And when he understands that "I am not master; I am servant," he is under Kṛṣṇa. That is taṭasthā. Taṭasthā means marginal. That taṭa… Taṭa means the beach. Sometimes the beach is covered with water, and sometimes it is land. That is called taṭasthā. So that land, sometimes water.

So when we accept Kṛṣṇa as our master, then we are in the Vaikuṇṭha planet. And when we do not accept… That propensity we have got, sometimes by forgetfulness or sometimes by willingly. By forgetfulness if we think that "I am master," that is also mistake. And willingly, if we reply, "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? Let me become Kṛṣṇa," this Māyāvāda philosophy, "Let me become God…" So all these things are māyā. Real position to become… Not become. We are. But to become sane. Now, in madness, we are talking all this nonsense that "I am one with God. I am God." We have to be treated. This treatment is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By hearing, by chanting-ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]-all the mistakes within our the core of our heart is dispel… Then we come to the understanding. Then,

sūryāṁśa-kiraṇa, yaiche agni-jvālā-caya

svābhāvika kṛṣṇera tina-prakāra śakti haya

Now, we are grouped under the taṭasthā-śakti, and there are other two potencies, or energies. That is called spiritual energy and material energy, the spiritual world and material world. We have got experience of the material world not completely. We do not know even what are going on in the whole material world. We see the universe. We see at night so many stars and planets, but we have no idea. So we do not know even what is this material world perfectly, and what to speak of spiritual world. But the spiritual world is there, as there is this material world, and the living entity belongs to the spiritual world. Actually he belongs to the spiritual world. By chance or some way he has come to the material world. So when he goes back again to the spiritual world, then he gets his normal condition of life. Unfortunately, in the modern education there is no information of the spiritual world, the spiritual identity, and go on, our relationship with God-nothing. Simply they are working like cats and dogs under the influence of māyā and the suffering. To stop this suffering, one must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understand the position of his life and be perfect.

Thank you very much. (end)

760717CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.110

New York, July 17, 1976

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (chants verse, etc.) "Translation: Just as the illumination of a fire, which is situated in one place, is spread all over, the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Parabrahman, are spread all over this universe."

Prabhupāda:

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner

jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā

parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis

tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

Akhilam, entire; jagat, universe. So this is the manifestation of the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like we read in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: [Bg. 4.1] "I first of all spoke this yoga system to Vivasvān, the sun-god." The sun-god, the present sun-god, predominating Deity of the sun planet, is named as Vivasvān, and his son is called Vaivasvata Manu. This is the age of Vaivasvata Manu we are passing through. So Kṛṣṇa is person, and Vivasvān the sun-god is also person. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa could speak to him? Imaṁ vivasvate yogam. How He instructed him? Just like exactly Arjuna was instructed by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is person and Arjuna is person. Person-to-person talk. Similarly, that predominating deity in the sun planet is also a person, and there are many other persons. Just like when Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna talked, there were many, many others, individual persons. Similarly, in the sun planet, not only the sun-god himself is a person, but all the population there, they are like sun-god, made of fire, their body is made of fire, they can stay in the fire. Just like the fish, their body is so made that they can live within the water. Similarly, there also there are many, many living entities. The sun planet is very, very big, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth. So it is all congested with population. And because they are all fiery, everything made there fiery, therefore it is a blazing fire, and the illumination is coming all over the universe. But they cannot understand this, the so-called scientists. It is not… Beyond their conception. But this is a fact. And the moon planet is also fiery, exactly like the sun. Therefore that illumination is distributed. But the difference is, so far I can remember, that the moon planet fire is surrounded by cool atmosphere. Because the heat is coming through some cool atmosphere, it is at night so pleasing. It is not vacant. There is also living entities. This is one of the heavenly planets. Heavenly planet begins from the sun, then moon, then Mars, Jupiter, like that. We have challenged this, that moon planet is beyond the sun planet. The moon planet is not the first planet. The sun is first, moon is second. So we have to learn from Vedic literature all this information. Many, many millions of years ago this Vedic literature was given to us. So about these planetary systems, everything is there, described. It is not unknown.

So anyway, our point is, either the sun or the moon, they are localized. They are situated in one place, we can see. But the illumination, the heat or the cool illumination… Sun illumination is hot, and moon illumination is cold, very soothing. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that both things are there, and both things are required. It is not that unnecessarily. No. Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūrayoḥ [Bg. 7.8]. This prabha, this illumination, the light coming from the moon, from the sun, śaśi-sūrayoḥ… Śaśi means the moon, and sūrya means the sun. So those foolish persons who are challenging, "Can you show me God?" rascal, why don't you see God here, śaśi-sūrayoḥ? You do not see the sunshine, the moonshine? Why do you say that "I did not see God"? Huh? What is this argument? If Kṛṣṇa said, God said, "Here I am. I am the moonshine, I am the sunshine," why don't you see Him? Huh? You have to see according to your capacity. You cannot see with your, these present eyes the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not possible. Now see the illumination of God. Just like, practical, we can experience the sunshine. Everyone knows what is sunshine, but everyone is not aware of the temperature of the sun or the person within the sun. But that's a fact. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa is liar. Kṛṣṇa said, "I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god." So sun-god is there, that's a fact. And then if the sun-god is there, his devotees or his associates are also there.

So far we get information, all the planets, they are full of living entities. Janakīrṇa. It is stated in the Vedic literatures, janakīrṇa. Janakīrṇa means congested with living entities. Therefore we see New York City is congested with so many living entities. But if you go higher, then you cannot appreciate how New York City is so congested, or other cities are congested. So similarly, we have no knowledge of these planets, but each and every planet, millions and trillions, they are all congested, full with living entities. This is Vedic information. It is not imagination, imperfect imagination. No. It is fact. So we learn from the śāstra that on account of illumination of the moon, the vegetation in every planet is, I mean to say, flourishing condition, due to the moon. Still we find reaction of the moon on the waves of the seas and ocean. So everything has got its necessity. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktir. They are all acting as potency of the Supreme Lord. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktir. They are śakti; they are not śaktimān. Śaktimān means one who possesses the potency. And we are all śaktis.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu is going to explain the potency of the Lord-three potencies: spiritual potency and material potency and the marginal potency. How they are acting, throughout the whole cosmic manifestation, beyond that also, that very simple word, everyone can understand. The light is here, the bulb is here, localized, but the illumination is spread. And we can take advantage of the illumination. By the sun's illumination we see practically how trees are growing their leaves, their color. Everything is due to the sunshine, we have got practical experience. Where there is no sunshine, especially in these countries, all the leaves fall down, and as soon as there is sunshine, immediately millions and trillions of leaves come out. Immediately. Not that waiting. Immediately. At least in this way you have to understand how Kṛṣṇa's potency is working. That is the Vedic information, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktir. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Just like the sunshine is the potency of the sun and how it is acting wonderfully. Everything is perfectly-the flowers, the leaves-perfectly done. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. It doesn't require any research work how this leaf has come out. It is coming out automatically. They cannot understand. They say, "Automatically." No automatically. There is the working of the potency, but it is so perfect that svābhāvikī, as if natural, coming out. Everywhere you'll find, in your body also, potencies. You shave your head, immediately next day again coming out, again coming out. But you do not know. Let the scientist say how it is coming out, his own hair, what to speak of others.

So everywhere the potency of the Supreme Lord is working. Very good example, exactly like the illumination, sunshine, moonshine, they are influencing the creation and they are situated in their own place, and they are all different potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So this is the potency of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is engaged in Vṛndāvana, Goloka Vṛndāvana. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Although He is in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is playing with His cowherd boyfriends and the gopīs and His father and mother, but still He's expanded all over the creation. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. Just like we live in some apartment. Now we are here, we are absent from that apartment. God is not like that. God is in His apartment, at the same time universally present. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna… [Bg. 18.61]. He's everywhere present. That is God. He's not limited; unlimited. That is God. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā, mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam, paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto [Bg. 9.11]. The rascals, they do not know what kind of… Kṛṣṇa, He appears like a human being with two hands and two legs. They do not understand what are the quality of these two hands, two legs. They think that He has got two hands, two legs like us; therefore they are called mūḍha. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto. Mūḍha nābhijānāti, mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. Sarvato pāṇi-pādaḥ. Not only two hands, but He has got many, many millions and trillions of hands and legs all over the universe. This is Kṛṣṇa. So don't take it as ordinary human being. Then you'll be calculated as one of the rascals. Don't be rascal; be intelligent to understand Kṛṣṇa. And if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you become liberated, immediately.

janma karma ca me divyam

evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naitimām eti so 'rjuna

[Bg. 4.9]

That is the qualification. As soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa-not thoroughly; at least partial, what is the nature of Kṛṣṇa-then immediately you become liberated. That is, Kṛṣṇa says personally. Naṣṭa prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Prāyeṣu. Prāyeṣu means almost. We cannot become perfect in this material world, but to some extent if we become perfect, then our life becomes successful. To some extent. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. These things are there.

So this expansion of energy, that is impersonal. But Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal. These foolish people, they do not understand Him. We see daily that the sunshine is so expansive, all over the universe, but it is…, the source of sunshine is the sun globe. That we see. So which is important? The sunshine or the sun globe? That we can see practically. And which is important, the sun globe or the sun-god? We can see every day. So similarly, God the person is important. God person is important. God… Just like the sun-god is important, and because he has his place, residential quarter, in the sun globe-the next important. And because his effulgence is distributed all over the universe, next important. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śakti. Actually, the illumination is coming from the sun-god. It is a material thing, and what to speak of spiritual body of Kṛṣṇa? That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. Yasya prabhā. You can study Kṛṣṇa's position from the sun. It is stated here that eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā. So His potencies are working. What is the sun and the sunshine different? The sunshine is combination of illuminating molecules, that's all, but each of them particle. Not that it is homogeneous. Each and every that particle, kana-kana means atomic (indistinct)-they are all individual. Similarly, in the impersonal Brahman effulgence, these living entities are small particles. This smallness is also described in the śāstra: one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair, such a small particle. They are congested. That is called Brahman effulgence.

So if you want to merge into the Brahman effulgence, it is not difficult, because you are a small particle of spiritual identity. If you don't want your individuality, you can stay in the Brahman effulgence. That is not very difficult for Kṛṣṇa, if you want to merge into the Brahman effulgence. But what is the profit? There is no profit. Suppose if you are placed in the sky, in the sunshine, and if somebody asks, "Now, you remain in the sky," would you agree? Huh? Will anyone agree that "Let me remain in the sky as a small particle of the sunshine"? No. You can agree out of some sentiment, but you cannot stay there. That is not possible. Therefore, those who merge into the existence of Brahman, impersonal Brahman, they again fall down. Just like they are going moon excursion, Mars excursion. "Stay there." They cannot stay. Because, actually, whether they are going or not-that's another thing-but there is no staying place. Simply rotating in the sky is not very pleasant thing. We have got experience in the airplane. If we go five or six hours in the planes, we become suffocated. So it is not possible. Therefore those who merge into the Brahman effulgence, they again fall down, because they have no engagement in Kṛṣṇa's business. They never cultivated such knowledge. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Because the Māyāvādīs, they think, "What is this nonsense, serving Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is māyā. We are not going to serve māyā. We are going to become one with God, with effulgence." That oneness, you can stay within sunshine and be burnt up, but you cannot stay there. After your whims are fulfilled or you become disgusted… But because you have no information of serving Kṛṣṇa, then come down again to this material world and serve māyā-so-called hospitals and other things, philanthropic work. Because they have no information to serve Kṛṣṇa, the result is āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam [SB 10.2.32]. The Brahman is also paraṁ padam. It is not material; it is spiritual world. But because they have no shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they fall down again at the shelter of the māyā.

So this whole cosmic manifestation is nothing but expansion of the potency or energy of Kṛṣṇa. This is the conclusion. This expansion of the energy, that is impersonal. Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal: the original source, brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. The sunshine is coming from the sun globe, but the sun globe is more important than the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's personality is more important than His impersonal feature, expansion of His energy. In this way, if we understand, then it is very easy, what is the difference between impersonal and personal understanding of the Absolute Truth.

Thank you very much. (end)

751117CC.BOM

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.110-111

Bombay, November 17, 1975

Prabhupāda:

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner

jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā

parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis

tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

We were discussing this verse last Sunday night. So the example is given: just like fire is localized in a place but the heat and light is expanded. The vivid example we can see, the sun. The sun globe is situated in one place-every one of us, we can see-and the heat and light is distributed throughout the whole universe. According to our Vedic conception, the sun is moving round, not the sun is the center. It is in the center of the universe, but it is going round. Kala-cakra. It is called kala-cakra. In Brahma-saṁhitā it is said,

yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ

rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ

yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

From Bhāgavatam we understand sun is not fixed up in one place but it is going round. And the whole universal planetary system, they are also moving, making the polestar, making the polestar as the pivot.

So we can see that sun is in the center of the universe, but it is illuminating and heating the whole universe. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is situated in his own abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, but by distribution of His different energies He is all-pervading. This is idea. When you speak God "all-pervading"-His energy. But He is not different from His energy. Śakti-śaktimatayor abheda. Śaktimān, the energetic, and the energy, they are not different. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said-Kṛṣṇa says-mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā: [Bg. 9.4] "I am situated all over the universe in My avyakta form, nonmanifested form." The manifested form is Kṛṣṇa. That is in Goloka Vṛndāvana. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. He is distributed all over the universe, everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. He is within the universe, aṇḍāntara-stham, and paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham, within the atom also. That is all-pervading. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. So this is to be understood. The God is simultaneously localized and all-pervading. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think materially, that "If God is all-pervading, why He should be localized?" Why He should not be? That is answer. God is not under your dictation. He is all-powerful. He can do so. Remaining in His own place, He can be distributed. He can distribute Himself everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33].

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ

yac-caktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ

aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

This is the conception of all-pervading.

So eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. So we should understand presence of God everywhere by His energy. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. There are many places in Bhagavad-gītā it is also said,

atha vā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

[Bg. 10.42]

Ekāṁśena sthito. As Paramātmā, He is situated everywhere. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

kṛṣṇera svābhāvika tina-śakti-pariṇati

cic-chakti jīva-śakti aṛa māyā-śakti

So everything is parasya brahmaṇaḥ śakti. Whatever we see, that is manifestation of the Supreme Lord's different energies. The example is the fire and the heat and light. That's all. So heat is the material energy, and light is the spiritual energy. Just like when you feel some heat, you can immediately understand there is some fire. And if there is light, you can immediately understand there is fire. The light you can see, and heat we can feel. By feeling or seeing, we can understand the existence of God everywhere. This is intelligence, not that… They challenge foolishly, "I can… Can you show me God? I cannot see God, therefore…" No. Why you cannot see God? You can feel the presence of God by heat and light. Light. Light you can see. When there is sunshine, you can see both the light and the heat. So as it is confirmed in the Vedic literature, we should appreciate the presence of God everywhere by His different energies, exactly like heat and light.

So this energy of Kṛṣṇa… He has got multi-energies.

na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate

na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate

parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate

svābhāviki jñāna-bala-kriyā ca

[Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]

This is Vedic injunction. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Kṛṣṇa… Here He is playing on His flute, but His energies are working. Just like a big man, a big business magnate: he is sitting in his room, but his energy is working-big, big factory is going on; large amount of profit is coming automatically. So if it is possible for ordinary human being that he is sitting in one place, and still, things are going on by management of his energy, so why not Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord? He is sitting in one place. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. He is situated in His planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana; still His energies are going on. The material energy is working, this material world. Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. Under His vigilance all the laws of material nature is going on. Exactly in time the sun is rising, the moon is rising. Everything is going on minutely, very nicely. Parāsya śaktiḥ. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. It is going so nicely that Kṛṣṇa hasn't got to learn how to do it. The machine is so perfect, it is going on perfectly. The flower is coming by His energy. Puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca. The special seed you sow on the ground and a particular type of plant will come out, then rose will come out, a particular flavor will come out. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. We do not see how Kṛṣṇa's energies are working, but it is working. Don't think that "It is automatically… There was a chunk and there was…" No. Not like that. Everything. But His energy is so perfect. Just like if you want to paint one nice flower, you have to arrange so many things-color, and the brush, and the painting cloth-and you have to apply your energies and… But still, it will not come so perfect. But Kṛṣṇa's energies are so perfect that we see automatically, but there is supervision of Kṛṣṇa. There is no question of accident. Everything is supervised. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. We have to do it with our hand, to paint a picture of a nice rose flower, but in the nature the flower is coming out. We see automatically. No. The Kṛṣṇa's energy is working, there but it is going on so swiftly, so, I mean to say, accurately, that he hasn't got to exact His energy, but it is working automatically. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Whatever knowledge is required… If you have studied, you will find in the petals of the flower the color, exactly symmetrical, everything. Whatever color is required, it is coming out. We say "automatically." No automatically. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā. The knowledge and the action of Kṛṣṇa is so perfect, it is coming out.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that kṛṣṇera svābhāvika tina… Svābhāvika. Natural, automatically, inconceivable. We cannot conceive that, how it is working. So,

kṛṣṇera svābhāvika tina-śakti-pariṇati

cic-chakti jīva-śakti āra māyā-śakti

[Cc. Madhya 20.111]

So there are many energies, and all the energies now aggregated divide into three. One is cit-śakti, the spiritual energy; another is jīva-śakti, the marginal energy. Jīva-śakti… We are marginal energy. We are śakti; we are not śaktimān. You must always remember. Jīva-bhūtaḥ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhārya… Para prakṛti. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūta. Jīva is parā prakṛti. It is prakṛti. The other day I have already explained. It is not puruṣa. Puruṣa is enjoyer, and prakṛti is enjoyed, predominated. Prakṛti is predominated and God is predominator. So all these śaktis are under, fully under control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. In another place:

sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir eka

chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā

icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.44]

Every śakti is working under His direction. That is Kṛṣṇa.

kṛṣṇera svābhāvika tina-śakti-pariṇati

cic-chakti jīva-śakti āra māyā-śakti

[Cc. Madhya 20.111]

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu… That is the ācārya process. Ācārya. Acinoti śāstra, śāstrārtha. One who knows the śāstra-artha, one who has assimilated the śāstrārtha, he is ācārya. So immediately He is giving evidence from śāstra.

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā

kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā

avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

[Cc. Madhya 6.154]

The… He has divided the whole energy of Kṛṣṇa into three: cit-śakti, jīva-śakti, and māyā-śakti. So the evidence is quoted from śāstra, Viṣṇu-Purāṇa, that viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā. Originally the Kṛṣṇa's energy is cit-śakti. Cit-śakti means spiritual energy, originally. Everything… Just like the sun and the sunshine. The sunshine originally shining, but when it is covered by cloud it is not shining. Within the cloud the real sunshine is there. So this material energy means it is covered by ignorance. This is the difference between spiritual energy and material energy. There is no two energies. Energy is one: viṣṇu-śakti parā proktā. That is parā, spiritual energy. Kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā. Kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā. Kṣetrajña means jīva-śakti, one who knows kṣetra and kṣetrajña. This subject matter is there in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānam. So when Arjuna inquired, kṣetra-jñam, Kṛṣṇa replied, idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram abhidhīyate: "This body is kṣetra, and one who knows this body…" Just like I say, "It is my body," so I am kṣetrajña.

So here the same kṣetrajña. Kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā. The jīva-śakti, that is also spiritual. We are all spiritual, and this is our mistake, that I am thinking "I am this body." This is ignorance. The whole world is going on under this ignorance, that "I am this body," "I am this body." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke, sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]. If we study this verse, that anyone who is under the conception of…, bodily conception-"I am this body"-then he is no better than the animal. Sa eva go-kharaḥ. Go means cow, and khara means ass. But this is going on. The whole, the so-called nationalism, nations… So what is this idea of nation? "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindustani," "I am Pakistani." Bodily concept of life. But śāstra rejects immediately. If anyone is under the bodily conception of life he is… Sa eva go-kharaḥ: "He is no better than the animal." This is the challenge of the śāstra. So all these so-called nationality, big, big nations, big, big races, caste, and so on, so on, what is their position? The position is that all of them are animals. That's all. This is the verdict of the śāstra. Sa eva go-kharaḥ. Actually this morning we were talking, one dog sees another dog: "Oh, he is coming from another neighborhood." He immediately begins to bark. Immigration department: "Why you are coming in this neighborhood? All right, you can stay here for three days. Then you must have to go out." The dog barking. So we have opened so many branches, but the basic principle is sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]. All of them are on the platform of animal consciousness. This is the modern civilization. India was never meant for that. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. This high culture we have lost now. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. They never distin… Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini, śuni caiva śva-pāke… [Bg. 5.18]. Because there was no bodily concept of life. This is India's prerogative. But now we are also developing the bodily concept of life and becoming one of the animals. There is no distinction. If one is in bodily concept of life he is no better than animal. It may be… The dogs are fighting that "I am dog, and you are a different dog." If the man also fights on that same principle, then where is the difference between dog and man?

So this can be understood when actually… Prahlāda Mahārāja was surprised when his teacher was teaching him how to deal with enemies. He was surprised: "Who is enemy?" So a Vaiṣṇava has no enemy. Vaiṣṇava is friend. Patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo.

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo

vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.]

Vaiṣṇava is meant for delivering the patita, the fallen. Fallen means fallen in the bodily conception of life. That is patita. So patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo. Kṛṣṇa's also business is to deliver these fools and rascals in the bodily concept of life, that dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā [Bg. 2.13], first pointing out that "You are not this body." Then knowledge begins. And otherwise, where is knowledge if one is under the bodily concept of life? He has no knowledge. And he is parā-śakti. But not aparā-śakti. The aparā-śakti… What is that aparā-śakti? Now, avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. This material world means full of avidyā and karma-saṁjñā, and working hard like hogs and dogs day and night. This is material world. Material world means based on ignorance that "I am this body," and working day and night like hogs and dogs. That is material life. But human life, although we have got this material life, body, we should not be, I mean to say, bewildered. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. Ahaṅkāra, taking this body in the concept of ahaṅkāra, false ahaṅkāra, egotism-"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that"-this is called ahaṅkāra. Vimudhātmā kartāham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. And the whole world is going on.

So if we want to become out of this ignorance, then we have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise there is no possibility. And if we remain in ignorance, then we shall go on committing sinful activities and entangle ourselves in the karma-cakra. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ [SB 5.5.4]. If you don't give up this ignorance of bodily concept of life, and if you go on continuing this bodily concept of life, then we are becoming entangled in the laws of nature. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapatti [SB 3.31.1]. And then we'll create another situation for another body. And another body means another period of suffering. This is going on. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ, na sādhu manye yato ātmano 'yam. Atma is sac-cid-ānanda, but on account of being bodily covered, encaged in this body, we are suffering. We are suffering. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "Bhārata, O the son of Bhārata dynasty, Bhārata…" So in the material world the suffering is there. But what is that suffering? Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ [Bg. 2.14]. On account of this body… Now, in this season, we are feeling heat. Therefore the fan is there. But another season the body is the same, but season has changed. Therefore I will have to cover with hot coat and pant. So this feeling of heat and cold is due to this body. And what is this body, this material body? Therefore all our feelings of happiness and distress, it is due to this body. That we do not know. So therefore the best solution of miserable condition of life is to stop this material body. Then you become spiritually situated, and there is no more contradiction.

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya

śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ

āgamāpāyino anityāḥ

tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

[Bg. 2.14]

That is the advice. We have to do our own business, self-realization. That is tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. Existence… To purify the existence we have to practice tapasya, not running like cats and dogs here and there. This will not make solution of life. Human life is meant for tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. This is the process. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ [SB 5.5.2]. If you want to get out of this entanglement of distressed condition of material body, then mahat-sevām: you associate with mahātmās and serve him. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. And if you want to enjoy senses, then the path of darkness is there: tamo-dvāram. Then you do not know where you are going. Today you are human being. Tomorrow, after this body, you may become a plant or tree or something else. That is tamo-dvāram. We are pushing through darkness. But we should not remain in darkness. Jyotir gamaḥ, tamasi mā: "Don't remain in darkness. Come to the light."

So we have got so many books of knowledge giving us light, especially in this age, Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Take advantage of this and come into the light and make your life successful. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. (end)

760719CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.111

New York, July 19, 1976

Pradyumna: (chants verse, etc.) "Translation: Lord Kṛṣṇa naturally has three energetic transformations, and these are known as the spiritual potency, the living entity potency and the illusory potency."

Prabhupāda:

kṛṣṇera svābhāvika tina-śakti-pariṇati

cic-chakti jīva-śakti āra māyā-śakti

[Cc. Madhya 20.111]

In the previous verse we have discussed that fire is situated in one place, but it is expanding heat and light. We should always remember this comparison, that the sun is there, localized, and from millions and millions of years it is distributing heat and light. Take for… That is not yet reduced. The same transformation is going on. Similarly, we can understand very easily that God may be far away from us. He's not far away; He is within us, but we think like that: "God is far away." Simply we have no knowledge to understand. Just like in the morning, as soon as there is daylight we can immediately understand, "Now the darkness is finished; the sunlight is there." Gradually the sun comes out, and the whole day becomes very brilliant and warm. Immediately things are changed. Similarly, when we see that the nature's way… That is the heat and light of the sun, material world. So if everything is going on nicely, so how you can say that God is dead? Things are going on. Just like the heat and light is there; therefore, even though you are within the room, you can understand the sun is there. Or even there is cloud covering the sun, that does not mean the sun is not there. So it is simply foolishness. We say sometimes that "There is no God. Can you show me? I have not seen God." These are all rascals' propositions. When we see… Any foreign country, you see that a city is maintained very nicely, the police is there, the light is there, the green light, the red light is there-we can immediately understand that there is government. Any sane man, how he can say that government is dead? This is foolishness. There cannot be any question of "God is dead." If you say "I cannot see Him," so you cannot see even the government head man. Can you see the President always? But you have to accept that there is a system of government; therefore the head of the government is there.

So actually God is there, and His system is going on in three potencies. In the Vedas we learn, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Para, the Supreme Absolute Truth, has many potencies, and all the potencies have been summarized into three. That is stated here: cic-chakti, jīva-śakti and māyā-śakti. Cic-chakti means spiritual potency, and jīva-śakti, living entities. We are also śakti, prakṛti; we are not puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. We cannot be the enjoyer; that is not possible. So śakti… In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is confirmed, apareyam itas tv prakṛtim viddhi me parām. When Kṛṣṇa described about the material energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ [Bg. 7.4], earth, water, air, fire… These are material energies, gross. And there are subtle material energies, mind, intelligence and egotism. Beyond that, apareyam… These are inferior energies. Beyond that, there is spiritual energy. What is that spiritual energy? Jīva-bhūtaḥ. That you know. (?) That is spiritual energy. That spiritual energy is always different from the material energy. Unfortunately the so-called scientists, they have no sufficient intelligence. On account of poor fund of knowledge, they are mixing up. They are thinking that there is no spiritual energy separately, but by combination of matter, chemicals, the spiritual energy comes into existence. That is wrong; that is not fact. Spiritual energy is completely different from the material energy. That is energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but spiritual energy is direct, and material energy is indirect. Both of them are energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and when there is question of energy, śakti, some energy, so we have to accept the source of energy. Just like electric energy. We see there is electric energy, but there is source of electricity, the powerhouse. How can you deny it? Those who are foolish persons, they think that a childish, that this bulb is giving light automatically. No. That is not fact. The fact is, the electric energy is coming from the background, the powerhouse, then about the bulb is giving light.

So whatever intelligence we have got, that is not our intelligence; that is God's intelligence. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. That intelligence is coming, but the intelligence, why you'll find different? So just like the bulb. There are fifteen-candle-power, there is fifty-candle-power, hundred-candle-power-according to the bulb, the energy is exhibited. Similarly, according to our power of reception, we can exhibit our intelligence, merit. But actually it is coming from God. Anything… The same principle. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1], the Vedānta philosophy, "Absolute Truth means the original source of everything." Everything may be of different varieties, but the original source is Kṛṣṇa.

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

[Bg. 10.8]

The devotee, he can understand. By the grace of God he can understand wherefrom the energy is coming, how it is acting. Iti.

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā…

budhā-bhāva-samanvitāḥ

[Bg. 10.8]

Iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. Bhajante mām. This thing can be understood by the budhā. Budhā means one who is very intelligent, one who is in awareness of everything. He is called budhā. Bhāva-samanvitāḥ: "Oh, it is coming from Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then they become more and more a devotee. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa

ihā ha-ite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa

Sentiment is no… Sentiment is bhāva, but that is after full knowledge. When you can understand Kṛṣṇa is so great, so powerful, then your devotion increases immediately. Therefore we have to study śāstras for understanding His position, and if we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we become liberated person immediately. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti. Janma karma ca me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. So those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they should study Kṛṣṇa scientifically, not by sentiment. After full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, when you become absorbed in Kṛṣṇa's form, that is called bhāva. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ.

So that bhāva stage does not come immediately. You have to practice gradually.

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-

saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā

tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt

tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ

athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]

There are stages. So, this is the beginning. Ādau śraddhā. Just like yesterday you made. They very much appreciated this Ratha-yātrā ceremony, and they wrote very frankly, "Here is the point of meeting East and West." The newspapers, they have written like that. It is actually the fact. We cannot become united nations of united dogs. (laughter) It is not possible. Everyone is barking. And if you practice to bark, then simply some different types of dog, some bulldogs, some greyhounds, some this, some that. (laughter) So how they will be united? No. That is not possible. Here is unity, when you accept Jagannātha. There is unity. So actually, if we take Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, scientifically, then there is unity.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

Paṇḍitaḥ means learned. He is sama-darśinaḥ.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

Actually this is the platform where we can unite. And by practical example you have shown. Everyone was engaged in dancing and chanting, never mind whether Indian, American, black, white, children, or old like me. This is wanted. This is wanted. And when we thoroughly understand what is the basic principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and we understand, "Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is the central point of attraction," then our life is successful. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. Mahātmā means great soul. So great soul, one who has understood that Kṛṣṇa is the source of all energies, just like the sun is the source of all material energy… So then we can become perfect. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. I request you that each and every one of you just become mahātmā, not crippled-minded, but broad-minded. So that is possible when we understand Kṛṣṇa is the source of all energy.

Thank you very much. (end)

751124CC.BOM

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.112

Bombay, November 24, 1975

Prabhupāda:

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā

kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā

avidyā-karma-samjñā anya

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

[Cc. Madhya 6.154]

So we were discussing other night about the three principal energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are multi-energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. From śruti we understand that the Supreme Lord is full of potencies. Even we are. We are a small particle of the Supreme Lord; still, we are full of potencies. Just like you shave today, and tomorrow morning, by your own potency, the hairs again grown. We see actually things are happening. How it is happening, that we do not know, even in our body. But it is a fact it is happening. Things are happening. That means due to my potency. As soon as I leave this body there will be no more hair growth. The potency is gone. So as we are a small particle, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ… [Bg. 15.7]. Jīva, the living entity is a very small particle, one ten-thousandth part of the top point of hair. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. So such a small particle, atomic particle of the Supreme Lord, has got so much potencies. We see different varieties of life, different intelligence all over the world. What is that? Potency. So if we have got so much potencies, just imagine what Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, has got, potency.

So He has got potency. He is not niḥ śakti. He has got śakti. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna… [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Everything is happening on account of His potency. Just like in your body so many things are happening on account of potency, similarly, the gigantic universal form of the Lord-His potencies are working. Everything is happening. The tree is coming out, the fruit is coming out, the flower is coming, the color is painted-everything. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Na tasya kāryam karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. He hasn't got to do anything personally, but His potencies are acting. Na tasya kāryam karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Na tat-samas cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Nobody can be equal to Him or greater than Him. Sama. Asama urdhva. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is explained that Kṛṣṇa is asama urdhva. Nobody is greater than Him, and nobody is equal to Him. So anyone who is claiming equal to Him, they are less intelligent. They have no intelligence. Asama urdhva. Na tasya samaḥ. Nobody is equal to Him, neither urdhva. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: [Bg. 7.7] "Nobody is greater than Me." Therefore God is great. If somebody is equal to Him or greater than Him, then he is not God. God is Kṛṣṇa.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

He is the original cause of everything. So he has got… He is working the whole cosmic manifestation is exhibited by His potency. That is described here: viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. That is spiritual potency.

Originally the God's potency, Kṛṣṇa's potency-cit-śakti, sat-cit-ānanda. God is sat, eternal; cit, full of knowledge; and ānandamaya. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). You'll never see Kṛṣṇa nirānandamaya. Even if He is killing a demon, He is smiling. That is also ānanda. So the potencies of God, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu-viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā-they are not these ordinary potencies, material potency. Spiritual potency. Viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā kṣetrajñaḥ [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. Ksetrajña means jīva. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṣetra-kṣetrajñaḥ. The living soul is kṣetrajña, and this body is kṣetra. Kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānam, yad jñānaṁ tad jñānaṁ mataṁ mama. If anyone understands what is this kṣetra and kṣetrajña and what is their relationship-kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānam-that is jñāna, not this material jñāna. That is spiritual jñāna. So kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā. As God's potency is parā… Parā and aparā. Originally everything is parā. And aparā means forgetfulness. This material world we forget Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is called aparā. But there is another parā. That is spiritual potency. There there is no forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious. So if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then immediately you become parā. Kṣetrajñam ākhyā tathā parā. Immediately you become parā. Otherwise you remain in the aparā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ [Bg. 7.4], this material contamination. Kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā.

Then what is this material potency? That is explained, avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. In between or besides this, parā and aparā, there is another śakti. That is avidyā, ignorance, darkness. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñā. And in this potency everyone has to work. Karma-saṁjñā. Without working, nobody can live here. You have to work. It is said that the lion is supposed to be the biggest animal, very powerful. So it is said in the Hitopadeśa, na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. Even if one is lion, if he thinks, "I am lion. Let me sleep and the prey will automatically come within my mouth," no, that is not possible. You have to work. Anyone, whatever you may be, you have to work. Kṛṣṇa also said in the Bhagavad-gītā, śarīra yātrāpi te na prasiddhyed akarmaṇaḥ. In this… This material world means everyone has to work. Otherwise he cannot live. Therefore it is called karma-samjñā. Karma-samjñā anyā. And avidyā. If I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa… Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. If Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do, then-I am also part and parcel-I will also have nothing to do. Everything will be there, present. But that is our real constitutional position. We don't require to work. Everything is there for my enjoyment. But because we are now in this avidyā, ignorance, this material darkness, therefore I have to work. Avidyā-karma-samjñā. Karma is meant for this materialistic person. Bhakta does not require to take to karma, karma, jñāna, yoga, nothing. These are all material. Karma, jñāna, yoga, and bhakti. There are four primary principles for spiritual realization. So out of the four, karma, jñāna and yoga, they are all material, but bhakti is not material. That is spiritual. Therefore Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī describes,

bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī-sakali aśānta

kṛṣṇa-bhakta-niṣkāma ataeva śānta

[Cc. Madhya 19.149]

If you want śānti, then you have to become a devotee. Otherwise yayātmā samprasīdati.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yayātmā samprasīdati

[SB 1.2.6]

If you actually want peacefulness of your ātmā, then you have to learn bhaktir adhokṣaje. And this action cannot be checked, ahaitukī, if your bhakti is pure, without any motive. Bhakti means without any motive.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttama

[Brs. 1.1.11]

Bhakti has no other definition, simple, pure. "Simply I shall carry out the order of Kṛṣṇa," as Arjuna did, that is pure devotee. He is not under the resultant action. Anāśrtaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ. One who does not expect the resultant action… Karmīs, they are very much careful about getting the resultant action. "I am working so hard. I must have some material profit." That is karmī. Everyone in this material world, they are working so hard. Why? For some material profit. Therefore they are aśānta. Bhukti. Bhukti means sense enjoyment. So bhukti, mukti and siddhi. This is karmī, jñānī, yogi. The karmīs, they are expecting some good result, material result, sense enjoyment. That is karmī. And jñānī, he is thinking that "Material result has no profit. I have tried for it, but I could not get any profit out of." Gatila janja (?).

sat-saṅga chāḍi' khainu asate vilāsa

te-kāraṇe lāgila mora karma-bandha-phāṅsa

So jñānī means when he understands, "By acting for fruitive result, actually I have not gained anything." That is jñānī. One cannot get actually any good result. That is not possible. That is ajñāna. So jñānī means one who understands that "We cannot get any good result by this karma. So let me become one with God." That is… He does not know that is higher expectation. The karmīs are trying to become a big man, a big, very honorable man in the society, or minister or president. But when he is baffled… This is also wanting something, karmī. A jñānī, he wants to stop the small business; he wants to become one with God. That is more dangerous expectation. So that is jñānī. So they also cannot get peace, because there is demand. Karmīs, they want something material, and the jñānīs, they tries to become one with the Supreme. Ekatvam. Ekatvam meaning we make differently, but the jñānīs-sāyujya-mukti, to become one with God. So they cannot be happy also, because there is want. The karmīs, they have got want. They want something. And here also there is want, a different type of want. Karmī wants some material result, immediate sense gratification, and here is also sense gratification. He is expecting something impossible-"I want to become one with God." So they cannot also get peace. That is not possible. And yogi, they also wanting to be something, siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā, garimā, prāpti, siddhi, īśitva, vaśitva. There are eight kinds of siddhis. The yogis want to get these siddhis and declare that he has become God, the same, like the jñānī. People are hankering after. If some yogi, some…, play some yogic prakriyā, magic: "Oh, here is God." He does not see the wonderful magic which is going on throughout the whole universe. A simple magic captivate them.

So Caitanya-caritāmṛta kar therefore says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. They cannot get peace. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma [Cc. Madhya 19.149]. Kṛṣṇa bhakta, he doesn't want anything. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at least, teaches us, and that is the… Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11], zero, no abhilasa. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. In the platform of jñāna there is demand: "I shall become one with God." And karma, there is demand: "I must have the highest form of material happiness." Therefore jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam: "without any tinge of jñāna and karma." Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: "all material desires made zero, śūnyam." "Then I become zero?" No. That is your purity. When you are not contaminated by jñāna, karma, yoga, that is your pureness. And that purity, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Simply always be ready to serve Kṛṣṇa. Serve Kṛṣṇa. "Now, where is Kṛṣṇa?" Yes, Kṛṣṇa is there. You can serve. Kṛṣṇa is present before you in His sound representation, Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is absolute, and His words, what He has spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā, they are the same. Kṛṣṇa's words and Kṛṣṇa, they are not different. The material world means my words and me, we are different. But in the spiritual world the words, the name, the form, the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, they are as good as Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, if you discuss on the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, like Bhagavad-gītā, then you are immediately in touch with Kṛṣṇa. Abhinnatvād nāma-nāminoḥ. There is no difference. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam. If you want to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa, anu-śīlanam… Anu-śīlanam means cultivation. The words are there. The words are not different from Kṛṣṇa. So as soon as you take the words as it is, you immediately associate with Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you take the instruction of guru, representative of Kṛṣṇa. If you can please your guru, yasya prasādad bhagavat-prasādaḥ… **. If you can please His representative, then you please Him. So in this way, kṛṣṇānuśīlanam, that is our duty, ānukūlyena, ānukūla, not pratikūla. There are two ways of acting, ānukūla and pratikūla. If you act as I desire, that is ānukūla, and if you act what I don't desire, that is pratikūla. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be ānukūla, according to the desire of Kṛṣṇa, as it is confirmed by guru. That is ānukūla, favorable. And if you act whimsically, which Kṛṣṇa does not desire or the guru does not desire, then it is pratikūla. So ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167], that is bhakti.

So here it is said, avidya-karma-samjñānya trtiya śaktir isyate. This material energy is full of ignorance, avidya, and karma-sanga. Here you have to work hard. But if you become devotee, then there is no need of working hard. Yoga-kseman vahamy aham. Then Kṛṣṇa takes charge. Kṛṣṇa takes charge of you. Kṛṣṇa has taken charge of everyone, but especially yo tu bhajanti yam pritya tesu te mayi. Those who are devotee, for them special care. So here we are careless. Nobody is taking… The materialistic persons, they are working in their own capacity, that "I shall become happy in this way, I shall become happy in this way," and therefore entangling, committing so many sinful activities. And he's not becoming happy; more and more unhappy. Karma-bandha. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sata sanga chadi khainu, asate vilāsa, te karane lagile mora karma bandha phansa. So if we don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if we act independently, then the result will be that we shall be entangled in the laws of karma. Laws of karma means karmana daiva-netrena jantor deha upapatti [SB 3.31.1]. By karma we are creating another body, next body. That we do not know. Karma, according to my karma. Karmana daiva-netrena, supervised, decided by the higher authorities: "You have done like this; you must get this body." Automatically. Automatically. Karanam guṇa-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu [Bg. 13.22]. Everything is going on. Prakṛteḥ kriyamanani guṇaiḥ karmani [Bg. 3.27]. If you don't like or like, it doesn't matter. If you have infected some disease which you don't like, that will not save you because you don't like. You must have to suffer from that disease. That is the law of nature. But that we do not know. We are acting independently. That is not possible. So therefore it is called avidya. Avidya means rascals. [break] …acting independently without knowing that there is overseer. There is the supreme seer. He is sitting within your heart.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmāyān sarva-bhūtāni

yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

[Bg. 18.61]

Now Īśvara is seeing. You cannot do anything secretly. That is not possible. He is seeing. According to your karma, the next body is offered. Karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1]. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe… He is seeing. He is witness. Anumanta updrsta. He is seeing everything, upadrsta. So He is asking the material nature, "Now this living entity wanted to act like this. So give him this body." Daiva-netrena. So you'll get a body, yantra. This body is yantra, machine. You are sat down on a machine, and bhrāmāyān sarva bhūtāni-sometimes you are in nice bodies. Nothing is nice. Everybody will die, so there cannot be anything nice. It may be, the duration of life, little more-a dog's duration of life less than man's duration of life. That may be. But nobody is going to live forever. That is not possible.

So this is anitya, this body, daiva-netrena, by the order, prakṛti, prakṛti. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati, bhrāmāyān sarva-bhūtāni [Bg. 18.61]. Sarva-bhūtāni, all living entities, are wandering, wandering not only here. There are so many planets, so many up and down situation. So we are wandering within this universe, within this material world, sometimes in good body, sometimes in bad body, and this is our life. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñā anyā. Under the influence of this material energy, on account of our ignorance, we have submitted to the laws of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍha [Bg. 3.27]. He is thinking, "I am independent. I am now this. I am now that." Avidyā-karma-saṁjñā. Bhramāyān sarva-bhūtāni. Everything you will find this. So prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. This ahaṅkāra, that "I am independent," this ahaṅkāra is making you obliged to accept different types of body in different condition of life within the universe. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is mahā-vadānyāvatāra. He is very, very kind incarnation. Rūpa Gosvāmī accepted Him, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. So He teaches, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Under this avidyā-karma-saṁjñā trītīyā śakti, material energy, we are wandering throughout the whole universe. (aside:) This child should be moved. So ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva. So one who takes Kṛṣṇa consciousness, becoming happy, more and more happy. Karma-bandha. Narottama bhāgyavān jīva. Not the dur-bhāgyavān, jīva. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā [SB 1.1.10]. Those who are unfortunate, they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. Kono bhāgyavān jīva. Kono means somebody. That is also not all. That is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Out of many, many millions of persons, one wants to become perfect or bhagavān. And yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ. So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says the same thing, kono bhāgyavān jīva. Not always. Not the manda-bhāgyā. Sa bhagavān.

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

Guru and Kṛṣṇa. Two persons' favor, guru and Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa is asking to become a guru, everyone. Everyone become a guru, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says.

āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Āmāra ajñāya guru hañā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said… Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu is mahā-vadānyāvatāra, most munificent incarnation to reclaim all the fallen souls. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. So the guru's business is to make everyone a bhāgyavān, fortunate. That is guru's business. The guru's business is… They are so much sympathetic that one can get Kṛṣṇa consciousness if he is fortunate. So guru's labor, guru's activity, is how to make people fortunate. That is wanted. Because without being fortunate one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. And without Kṛṣṇa consciousness he cannot be relieved from this avidyā-karma-saṁjñā-śakti, material nature. Therefore it is the business of guru to make everyone fortunate. So how he can make everyone fortunate? That is… Caitanya Mahāprabhu advises that āmāra ajñāya guru hañā. You follow the principles of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction first of all. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. You just take their mercy. Then you become guru. And then what is your business? His business is yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. So guru-kṛṣṇa. Guru makes the people fortunate, and then the people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and then he becomes fortunate. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone is advised to become guru. Especially those who are born in India. They can easily take the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because in the blood there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness on account of taking birth in this holy land of Bhāratavarṣa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haile jāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

This is the business.

So every Indian is expected to take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and spread it outside India. There are many people who are hankering after it. It is the duty of every Indian to first of all get himself out of these clutches of avidyā-karma-saṁjñā-ignorance and whole day and night working like hogs and dogs. One has to become free from these clutches of māyā, and then he must undergo tapasya. There is no difficulty. This tapasya is that you have to give up the four principles: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. This is tapasya. It is not that you have to go to the forest or Himalayan mountain and enter into a cave and press your nose and… No, that is not possible. You simply practice. Wherever you are, you simply practice this tapasya-no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling and no meat-eating. Then you become perfect. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattva [SB 5.5.1]. "This tapasya? Can we do that?" You can do it very easily. It is not said "No sex," but "No illicit sex." That is very sinful. Therefore one has to get himself married. That is allowed. But no illicit sex. No meat-eating. Why one should eat meat? There are so many nice things given by Kṛṣṇa, so many fruits, so many nice food grains. We can eat many palatable dishes mixed with milk. Take milk from the cows. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, go-rakṣya. Without milk you will eat all rubbish things like hogs and dogs, and your life will be spoiled. Everything is there, practical. But avidyā, on account of our ignorance, foolishness, rascaldom, we are avoiding this kṛṣṇa-upadeśa and suffering. Be saved from suffering and be happy by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

760720CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.112

New York, July 20, 1976

Pradyumna: (chants verse, etc.)

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā

kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā

avidyā-karma-samjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

[Cc. Madhya 6.154]

"Translation: Originally, Kṛṣṇa's energy is spiritual, and the energy known as the living entity is also spiritual. However, there is another energy, called illusion, which consists of fruitive activity. That is the Lord's third potency." [break]

Prabhupāda: …Bhagavān, the Supreme Absolute Truth, Viṣṇu, all-pervading Personality of Godhead. So His potency… So His potency must be also spiritual. Just like the sun globe is reservoir of heat and light. Everyone will know. So His potency… The sun globe potency, sunshine, is also heat and light. It is not different from the sun. Śakti means potency. Śakti śaktimat abheda. The potency of a certain person is nondifferent; there is no difference in quality. The same example, the sun and the sunshine. Sunshine is the potency of the sun, but the quality of the sun and the quality of the sunshine is the same, heat and light. So viṣṇu-śakti, there are… According to the Vedic information, He has got many multifarious potencies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Different types of śakti. We can see different types of agency, er, what is called, energy, is working within this creation. Take for example the leaves of the tree. Some of them are green; some of them are red; some of them are yellow; some of them are mixed. Similarly fruits-different tastes; flowers-different flavor. Varieties. But wherefrom it is coming? The sunshine. The sunshine is the same, but it is acting in different way, so we see different manifestation. This is crude material example. Similarly, if we take the spiritual original, then the original is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg. 10.8]. It is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Ahaṁ sarvasya. All these colored manifestation, it is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "Everything is coming from Me." So this understanding is real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when you understand that there is one only. Eka brahma dvitīya nāsti. And Kṛṣṇa is above Brahman. We have got a slight idea of Brahman, generally, but Kṛṣṇa is Parambrahman. There are many millions of Brahmans, and above them, the Supreme Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. Arjuna admitted.

So Kṛṣṇa śakti… Everything is Kṛṣṇa's śakti, potency. There is no doubt about it. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate iti matvā [Bg. 10.8]. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. Vasudeva is everything. That is Kṛṣṇa. But He's working in so many ways. So many ways. How it is working? That is stated in the Vedas: svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. He has got so unlimited potency that things are being done as if naturally, without any endeavor. But the background is Kṛṣṇa. Just like we see one flower growing, very small flower. The stem is very fine, and the flower is decorated even in their different colors. But it is not ordinary thing. If you are a painter, if you paint such a flower, it will take so many days. But it is coming. But don't think simply that it has come automatically. No. There is no such thing as automatically. Same as you, when you paint a flower, you have to employ so much energy, so Kṛṣṇa has also do that, the same energy. But it is because it is so natural for Kṛṣṇa, svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Simply by His willing, it is happening. So He hasn't got to endeavor for it. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa's activities and our activity, although we have got the tendency at least. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got the same quality. Kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā. Kṣetrajña means living entities. They are also of the same potency. So then what is the difference? The difference is that the kṣetrajña, the living entities, are prone to become under illusion. That is the difference. We are small, very small; therefore we are prone to be extinguished. Just like the fire and the fire spark. The spark, when it is out of the fire, it is extinguished. No more fiery quality. But so long it is playing with the fire, you'll find the nice brilliant sparks coming, now dancing. The quality is the same. Fire can burn, and the small spark, it falls down, it will burn your cloth. It is very small, but it will… It has become off, illusion. This is avidyā. The same spark, when he's out of Kṛṣṇa's touch, it is extinguished, avidyā. Immediately he is covered by darkness, extinguished, his spiritual quality. Not finished-at least stopped for the time. Spiritual quality cannot be finished because it is spiritual. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. The spiritual quality cannot be finished. It goes on. And on account of avidyā, ignorance, it goes through another body, another body, transmigration of the soul. And unless he is again revived to his original consciousness, he has to go through that. He has to struggle for existence. He's trying to get his original position like Kṛṣṇa's brilliant position, like the fire.

So this is called struggle for existence. Avidyā-karma-samjñānyā. They are trying to be happy. You'll find in the New York City, they are simply struggling. What is the aim? The aim is how to become happy. Somebody is drinking, somebody is gambling, somebody is going to the restaurant, somebody is going to the Times Square, and somebody is going here, there. Their real aim is how to become happy. But because in avidyā, ignorant, they are unable to become happy. That is the position. Avidyā-karma-samjñā anyā tṛtīyā śaktir. This avidyā is illusion, illusion. Just like we are now enwrapped, covered with this body, and I am thinking I am this body. This is avidyā. I am not this body. So again he has to brought to this knowledge, that "You are not this body. Because you wanted to dominate over the material nature, therefore you have got this material body. Because you wanted to eat stool, you have got this hog's body. Because you wanted this, jump over unnecessarily, creating trouble, you have become monkey. Because you wanted to drink fresh blood, you have got the body of a tiger." This is called avidyā. He's not either tiger nor pig nor monkey nor this so-called human being, nor American, nor Indian. He's spirit soul. That knowledge one has to come. From that avidyā, from ignorance, one has to come to the knowledge. Then his life will be successful.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to bring back the human society, because it is not possible to bring back the monkeys and cats and dogs to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. So those who are of the dog's mentality, cat's mentality, monkey mentality, it is difficult for them. They have to change their mentality by sat-saṅga. This is called sat-saṅga. Just like you are hearing from the śāstra, and we are speaking from the śāstra. This is called sat-saṅga. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ [SB 3.25.25]. By sat-saṅga, by real spiritual association, by talking with them, by mixing with them-satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido-then we can learn about the unlimited potencies of Kṛṣṇa. Mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. Then it becomes very pleasing to the heart and to the ear, by satāṁ-prasaṅgān. Otherwise it is not possible. If you go to a professional reciter, it will enter in this ear and go out this ear, that's all. Because there is no life; it is business. So you cannot do business with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not agreeable to this proposal. He's master. You cannot utilize Him for your service. You must engage yourself to His service. That is wanted. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Then if we be in that attitude, that "Kṛṣṇa is my master; I must serve Kṛṣṇa. I shall not take Kṛṣṇa an instrument to become my servant…" That is not possible, although it is said that catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna: "Four kinds of men," sukṛtina, "whose background is pious, they come to Kṛṣṇa." One who is impious, he cannot come.

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuraṁ bhāvam…

[Bg. 7.15]

Why a few selected persons come here? Because it requires background of pious activities. Otherwise it is not possible. We do not expect that cent percent of people will become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is not possible. But if there is one ideal Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he can do benefit to many thousands. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ. If there is one moon in the sky, he can illuminate the whole universe, na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ, not these twinkling stars. It is not possible.

So people are suffering. Avidyā-karma-samjñānyā. Being enwrapped by avidyā, illusion, they are struggling for existence. So Kṛṣṇa personally comes Himself to deliver them. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]. That is His two businesses. So the Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa's devotee, also take up the business of Kṛṣṇa by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and it will do good to him and as well as to the persons amongst whom he will preach. But preach. Don't manufacture preaching. Preach as it is in the śāstra. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction: yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. You do not become a rascal guru yourself by manufacturing some imagination, "You do this. Give me some money and you become God, you become this, you become…" This rascaldom don't do. One thing you do. What is that? What is said by Kṛṣṇa, you say. That's all. What is the difficulty? What Kṛṣṇa has said, you say. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. These four things, that you just become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa… How can I become devotee? Come to the temple, offer little obeisances, take prasādam. So what is the difficulty? If you say there is no difficulty… And if one comes, there is no difficulty. But they are so rascals, they will not come. We are giving so much facilities that "Come here, live in this nice building and hear about Kṛṣṇa. Take prasādam, chant and dance, very happy life." But they'll become hog. They are preparing their life for that purpose. They'll become a dog next life. They prefer like that.

So therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the topmost welfare activities in the world. People should try to understand it and join it and take advantage of it.

Thank you very much. (end)

760723CC.LON

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.113

London, July 23, 1976

Pradyumna: (chants verse, etc.)

śaktayaḥ sarva-bhāvānām

acintya-jñāna-gocarāḥ

yato 'to brahmaṇas tās tu

sargādyā bhāva-śaktayaḥ

bhavanti taptatāṁ śreṣṭha

pāvakasya yathoṣṇatā

"Translation: All the creative energies, which are inconceivable to a common man, exist in the Supreme Absolute Truth. These inconceivable energies act in the process of creation, maintenance and annihilation. O chief of the ascetics, just as there are two energies possessed by fire-namely heat and light-these inconceivable creative energies are the natural characteristics of the Absolute Truth."

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) full of living entities, and the moon planet there is no living entity. They are doubting also in the Mars planet. But we get information from the śāstra that every planet is full of living entities. Every planet. Janakīrṇa. This very word is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, janakīrṇa, and there is vivid description of different planets and different types of oceans, just like milk ocean. We have got here examples, sweet water and salted water. So there is sweet ocean also. That is mentioned in the śāstra. Not that in this planet there is salted ocean and… There are other planets where there is sweet water ocean and milk ocean and liquor ocean and oil ocean, ghee ocean, butter ocean, milk, butter ocean, and so many different types.

So if we bring everything to our conception, that becomes cintya, conceivable, but that is not the fact. Therefore here it is stated, acintya-jñāna-gocarāḥ. We have to receive this knowledge from sources which can inform us about all these things inconceivable by us. It is not possible to bring the inconceivable within our conceivable limit. That is not possible. That is foolishness. Mūḍha. Mūḍha will not believe. We are finding out, try to… This is knowledge. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. To find out the source of everything the Absolute Truth, and when the Absolute Truth comes down to inform us, Kṛṣṇa, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8], we don't believe it. First of all we cannot understand it, and if the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes personally to speak about Himself, we do not believe it. This is our position. First of all we shall challenge, "Can you show me God?" And if God comes Himself we don't believe, then what is our position? You want to see God. All right, God has come here. See, here is God. "No, this is idol worship." In the Bengali there is a word, ei gule nipamsa pechlo belo gelo (?). So this is our position. This position will not help us. We must admit our position that in the God's creation everything is inconceivable by us. We cannot calculate within our limitation. That is not possible.

Therefore śāstra says, acintya khalu ye bhava. The same word in another way: na tas tarkyena yojayet. Things which are beyond your conception, don't try to understand it by your so-called logic and argument. But one logic, one argument, if we are sincere, then we can accept even by logic and argument, that… That is also stated in śāstra, in Bhagavad-gītā, that Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā.

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ

tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

So we find mahad-yoni, mahā-tattva, the material elements, is the mother. Everything is coming out of the womb of the mother. Whatever we see in this creation, the plants, the trees and living entities, and we are speaking especially of the living entities, and there are 8,400,000 different forms, they are coming from earth. That we can see. It doesn't require great intelligence. Any boy can understand that it is coming out of these five elements-means earth, water… The grass is coming out of earth, the fish is coming out of the water. So we have got experiences in two elements. But we have got experience also that living entities coming out of air. So earth, water, air… There are living entities in fire also, but because our knowledge is limited, we do not see. We cannot conceive that in the fire also there can be living entities. And why not? There are five elements, matter. So if earth is producing life, if water is producing life, if air is producing life, why not fire? What is the fault there? Everything is producing life. So the mother produces children. So many children are coming out of the… Tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma. Yoni, yoni means mother. So the children are there, the mother is there, and where is the father? A commonsense. Is there any mother can produce children without father? Is there any science can prove that a mother without connection with the father has produced child? No. If you say, "I cannot see the father," you do not see your fathers. There are many children nowadays who do not know who is father. But that does not mean there is no father. Common sense. There is father. Similarly, we see so many living entities produced by the mother, material nature-there must be father. And the father personally says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg. 14.4]-"I am the father." So why these rascals, they say that there is no God? There must be God, and He has got inconceivable potencies. Everything is being done by Him. If you say nature is doing, nature is a machine. Nature is not the doer. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10].

So less intelligent, for them, it is inconceivable, but those who are intelligent, they take knowledge from the right source. Just like even though I do not know who is my father, but if I take information from my mother, then I can know. Mother says, "My dear child, he's your father." There's no question of research. You can immediately understand your father. Father must be there. But I do not know, that may be a problem, but when the mother says, "Here is your father," then where is the difficulty? So mother is the source of knowledge of the father. The Vedas, they are called mother. Veda-mātā. These books, Vedic knowledge, this is the mother. From mother you can take information that there is father. And here is father. Who is father? Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda [Bs. 5.1]. And the father comes personally and He informs, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg. 14.4]. Then where is the difficulty? Is there any difficulty? But because we are rascals, will not believe mother, will not believe father. We, with our tiny brain, we shall make research and make things topsy-turvy and pass on as great scientist doctor. This is our position. Therefore śāstra says that "You rascals, do not waste your time in that way." Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet.

So according to the Vedic system, the difference between atheist and theist is that the atheist means who do not believe in the version of the śāstra. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhim avāpnoti [Bg. 16.23]. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not blind. Don't think wrongly. We are confident. We sometimes challenge big, big scientists. On what ground? Not whimsically, but on the ground of śāstra. So we may not please everyone, but we cannot go out of this scope. We know that in the moon planet, in the Mars planet and all other planets, Jupiter and others, there are living entities, there is a predominating deity in each and every planet. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. So if there is no living entity in the sun planet, how there is Vivasvān, the sun-god or the predominating deity in the sun planet? So we cannot believe this version that there is no living entity in the sun, moon, or… There are living entity… Full of, janakīrṇa, this word is used. Congested. Just like here in this planet we are congested: so many living entities, different varieties. Similarly, the same congestion is there in all other planets. So do not try to poke your nose which is inconceivable. And that also not assertion. You say, "Perhaps," "Maybe," "Millions of years," "It might have been." All suggestion. So if you want knowledge, then you have to consult this Vedic knowledge. Veda means knowledge, the source of knowledge. That is called Veda. And the ultimate knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. That is the version.

What is the use of studying Vedas? To understand Kṛṣṇa. So if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa thoroughly. And if you understand Kṛṣṇa thoroughly… Of course, it is not possible thoroughly, but it is possible also. Just like Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything. So if you believe it, it is understanding thoroughly. If you believe that what Kṛṣṇa says is fact, then it is understanding thoroughly. If you don't believe, then it is not thoroughly. Because if you make research that "Kṛṣṇa says 'I am the origin of everything.' Let me make research," that will not be possible. Inconceivable. But if you believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa, then you've studied thoroughly. Where is the difficulty? To study Him thoroughly does not require much education; simply you believe Him. And if you believe Him… Actually, that is the fact. There must be… Just like the same example: there must be a father of all this creation. Mother nature is mother, and we are all creation, born of material nature. Then there must be father. And when the father says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg. 14.4], "I am father," then if we believe this version, then thorough knowledge. Father, mother, children. That is family, creation. So yato ato brahmaṇas tās tu sargādyā bhāva-śaktayaḥ. So this creation is another. Just like children is creation of the semina of the father, similarly, the whole thing is creation of the Absolute Truth. And the example is given: bhavanti tapatāṁ śreṣṭha pāvakasya yathoṣṇatā. The fire, the fire must have heat, and by heat you can create so many things. In the Western countries, the electricity… What is electricity? It is heat. So heat, through electricity so many things are being created, through electric energy. The heat is created and the cool is also created. The refrigerator is going on by electric current, and heater is also going on. Two contradictory, but still, the energy is the same. Similarly, viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. It is, we have already described. Viṣṇu, Lord, the Supreme Lord, all-pervading, His energy is also spiritual. But when we cannot understand it, that is material. Otherwise, the energy, just like electricity. The electricity is working in the refrigerator-it is cool. So therefore in the refrigerator there is no appreciation of the heat, although heat is there. But in the heater there is direct appreciation. But the energy is the same.

So material means when we do not understand Kṛṣṇa, when we do not appreciate His creative energy or when we are in ignorance . That is called material life. So all these fools and rascals who are unaware of Kṛṣṇa's energy, they are all fools and rascals. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Therefore we have taken it very easily. Because we are not very advanced scientists, we take the words of Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa says,

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

[Bg. 7.15]

Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, anyone who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, he is within these groups. What are these groups? Duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means one has got merit, but the merit is utilized for sinful activities. You can use your merit two ways-for good purpose and for bad purpose also. Just like thieves and rogues, they have got merit. They know how to steal, how to cheat. It is not unintelligent. They are intelligent. But their intelligence, merit, is used for bad purposes. They are called duṣkṛtina. And mūḍha-purposefully they are trying to avoid. Every step they are being baffled, and still, they are trying to avoid the supreme controller. Therefore mūḍha. And narādhama, narādhama means the lowest of the mankind. In the animal life they could not understand Kṛṣṇa or God-that is not possible-and they have got this human form of life… In this life one can understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. Just like we are trying. That is possible. But if we do not take advantage of this human form of life to understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, then you are lowest of the mankind. So na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamaḥ māyayāpahṛta-jñānā [Bg. 7.15]. And if we say that "There are so many doctors of philosophy, doctors of science, they are also hovering under this darkness, how is that? Then what about their education?" Yes, their education, certainly, but māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. The result of education, knowledge, that is taken away by māyā.

Therefore we should not be washed away by these mūḍhas' conclusion, narādhamas' conclusion, māyayāpahṛta-jñānās' conclusion. We should take up seriously the conclusion in the śāstra, conclusion given by Kṛṣṇa. Then our life will be successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

661123CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.118-119

New York, November 23, 1966

Prabhupāda:

…uṭhāya, kabhu narake ḍubāya

daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya

So Lord Caitanya is explaining the position of the conditioned souls. They are completely under the grip of this material nature. And just like one is seated on the car and the driver drives him-if the driver is not under control, he drives him anywhere, to any hell-similarly, we are sitting on this car of this body, supplied by the material nature, and she is driving anywhere, sometimes up, sometimes down. In this way we are suffering life after life, birth after birth. This is our condition. We are not independent; completely under the stringent laws of material nature.

So daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya. The example is very nice, that a culprit is drowned in the water, again taken for some time to take breathing. He was suffocating. Nature… He's not meant to be killed, but he is to be given suffering in that way. So material nature is giving us suffering, miseries like that. Bhayaṁ dvitīya.

(bhayaṁ) dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād

īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ

tan-māyayāto budha ābhajet taṁ

bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā

Therefore Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, is giving direction, bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. When we are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when we think that "There is no God. This matter is everything. This material manifestation which we see, that is everything all in all, and there is no Lord, no, I mean to say, supreme controller," when we think like that, that begins, that is the point of our anxiety, beginning of anxiety. Bhayam, fearfulness. We are all fearful because, as we have got these bodily necessities, we want to eat something, we want to sleep, similarly, we have fear, and we have demand for mating. These four principles are animal life. We are always fearful. And why we are fearful? Because we have taken it that there is no God. There is no God; therefore we are fearful. Just like a forlorn child, when he thinks that "My… I am… My father and my mother, lost." You might have experienced. A child lost, he cries. He thinks himself, "I am helpless. Where is my mother? Where is my…?" Similarly, when we are helpless, we are fearful. And those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are not helpless. They know, "Above me, there is Kṛṣṇa." And śaraṇāgati, surrender, means to have firm conviction that "Kṛṣṇa will protect me. I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, so Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." If I work in some ordinary man's service, he gives me protection. Don't you think if you work for Kṛṣṇa, He'll not give you protection? Because we have no faith, therefore we are seeking protection from elsewhere. Kṛṣṇa is able. He says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: [Bg. 18.66] "I shall give you protection from all sinful reactions."

But we have no faith. We are thinking, "Oh, it is written in the Bhagavad-gītā. That's all right, but I must have my protection in a different way." So dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ. Because he thinks there is anything superior than Kṛṣṇa, therefore he is fearful. Why a conditioned soul is fearful, that is explained in the Bhāgavata. Bhayam dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. So this māyā, the illusion, when we take shelter of this illusion, then we are afraid. And when we understand that "Illusion, this energy, is under the control of Kṛṣṇa, because illusion, this material energy, is also Kṛṣṇa's energy, inferior energy. So even if I, I am within this material energy, when I am forgetful of Kṛṣṇa, this material energy is fearful for me, and when I am in Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, there is no question of fearfulness from material nature." Therefore tan-māyayā ābhajet tam. Ābhajet tam. And therefore it is our duty to regain our lost consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the duty of this human form of life. Ābhajet tam bhaktyaika īśam. Simply by devotional… If you want to worship the Supreme Lord, then you have to worship Him simply by service. There is no other process. You cannot worship Kṛṣṇa by this controlling breathing or by mental speculation or by some pious activities or by charities. You have simply to worship Him simply by your devotional love. That is the only way. Bhaktyai, bhaktyaika, only one, bhakti. There is no other means. There is no second means to understand God without this devotional service. Rest assured. Foolish creatures, they take this, that. They do not understand. They come to the, that impersonal, void, all the nonsensical conclusions and… Because they do not take shelter of this, devotion, therefore they cannot have any conclusion. It is not possible. Therefore, more or less, they become atheists or after the voidness or impersonalism, and so many things there are. They create.

But because Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, cannot be understood by any other process… It is simply waste of time. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, if you want to know God, then you have to take this process. That is a… Bhaktyaikayeśam, ābhajet tam bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā: "He is the Supreme Lord, He is the Supersoul, and He is the supreme spiritual master." In this way. He's the supreme spiritual master within you. As soon as you will take to devotional service, He'll give you dictation, "You do this." What dictation? To go to hell? No. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. In the Bhagavad-gītā: "I give him intelligence." Why? What for? Yena mām upayānti te: "By which he can come back to Me." That buddhi-yogam. He'll help you. If you think something… If He takes seriously about your case, if you are fully surrendered, then He'll direct you in such a way that you cannot go elsewhere except to Him, even sometimes you may find that "He is doing something against my will." I have got my personal experience. I never tried, never accepted that I shall become a sannyāsī. And I tried my best to keep myself in this material world. And He has, several times He has frustrated me and has brought me by force (to) this life. And now I am happy. I can understand that how much favor has Kṛṣṇa showed me. Yes. I did not understand in the beginning.

So sometimes, if Kṛṣṇa takes special care for you, He'll do in such a way that you will have no other way than to go back. He'll take charge, take charge. If we sincerely want Kṛṣṇa, if He sees that "Here is a person. He wants Me. But he's a foolish. He wants Me; at the same time he wants to enjoy this material world. So crush this, crush this, his material propensities, and let him become simply devoted." Yes. Sometimes we see like that. In the, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata there is a question by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, by Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Mahārāja Parīkṣit… Because he understood that his grandfathers were put to so many difficulties although Kṛṣṇa was their friend, personal friend. So everyone became astonished: "How is that? These five brothers, the big brothers… Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. He was the most pious man. Arjuna was the greatest warrior, and Draupadī, their wife, directly the goddess of fortune. And so much nice… And above all, Kṛṣṇa is their personal friend, and still, they were put into such difficulties. They lost their kingdom. They lost their wife. And they were put into so many… For thirteen years they had to undergo so many troubles." So this was astonishing. Even Bhīṣma, he cried that "I cannot understand why these five brothers are put into so many difficulties in spite of their, all these qualities."

So their grandson, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he was being taught by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he had some suspicions about devotion to Kṛṣṇa. Not suspicion. Just to teach us, he inquired that "Lord Kṛṣṇa, He is Viṣṇu. He is the, I mean to say, master of the goddess of fortune. Why people who become Kṛṣṇa conscious or a devotee of Viṣṇu, they remain poorer, and others, those who worship Śiva and other demigods, they become very rich? What is the reason? He is the proprietor of everything. So one who wants Him, they become poorer. Whereas Lord Śiva, he hasn't got even a house of his own, he's a pauper, and one who worships him, he becomes richer." You know the history of Lord Śiva. He hasn't got a house even. He lives under the tree, or in some mountain. But one who worships Śiva, oh, they get material opulence very nicely. Therefore a person have become very easily… And they can smoke gañja. So all this captivates person to become a devotee of Śiva. Our Ginsberg is a devotee of Śiva. Perhaps you know. Anyone who wants this material prosperity, naturally they become the devotee of Śiva. So this is contradictory. "Śiva has no house even, not even a dwelling place, residence. He's a pauper. And worshiping him, one becomes richer. And Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is… Sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam: 'Always thousands of goddess of fortune is serving Him.' He's such opulent. And so Kṛṣṇa-bhaktas, devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they appear to be poorer. Why?" This question was… Just the opposite.

So the answer was given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī that "This very question was also put to Kṛṣṇa by your grandfather. So instead of answering myself, I'll put that very question and answer between your grandfather and Kṛṣṇa." So what is that? "Now, a similar question was put by your grandfather Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa answered like this." What is that? Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ: [SB 10.88.8] "If I do somebody some special favor, then My first duty is I become him crushed in all material possessions." You see? Why? "Because to make him more surrendered to Me." When he becomes helpless, he has no other way. "Kṛṣṇa, please take me." When he has something, he thinks, "Oh, these things will protect me, my material possessions." Therefore he does not surrender. Now, Kṛṣṇa sees that "This man, this living entity, is very much devotee, but he wants something, this nonsense. So crush him so that when he'll feel helpless, he will come to Me. No more. So I'll give him all protection." So there is a policy of Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes He puts us into test, whether we are sincerely devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Because we are always after sense gratification, so if Kṛṣṇa is not a order-supplier, then one rejects Kṛṣṇa. We want God, or Kṛṣṇa, to be our order-supplier. So we must order Kṛṣṇa, "Give me this. Give me that. If You cannot give me, then what are You, Kṛṣṇa? I don't want You." This sort of bhakti, or devotional service, is not accepted by Kṛṣṇa.

Just like Mr. Sulye(?), our Godbrother, German, he told me personally that during wartime many German women, some, they prayed into the church to get back their husband, son or brothers, because all went to war and nobody returned. And they become atheist: "Oh, there is no God. We prayed so much to God to get back my husband, to get back my brothers, but they are dead." But the brother was not returned and the husband was not returned. So result was… So if we pray, go to Kṛṣṇa with that purpose, that He should be our order-supplier, then there is no question of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. We must fully surrender, fully surrender: "Let Him do." Āśliṣya vā. That is taught by Śrī Caitanya: Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām marma-hatāṁ karotu vā adarśanāt [Cc. Antya 20.47]. Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratā: "Either You embrace me or You trample me down on Your feet, neglect me, and You make me broken-hearted, and not being present before me all the life…" Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām marma-hatāṁ karotu vā. Marma-hatām means "If You make me broken-hearted… I love You so much. I want You, but You never care for me. That's all right. Still You are my worshipable, unconditionally. I don't want any return from You. Still You are my worshipable Deity(?)." This is pure devotion. Kṛṣṇa takes all care. Don't think… Because He says personally, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg. 18.66]. Why should you be so anxious? But one who is in love with Kṛṣṇa, he wants to see Him, he wants to love Him. But even He does not present Himself before the lover, the lover says, "Oh, still, You are my lovable object, worshipable… Whatever You can do… You are… You are free to treat me as, as You like, but You are my worshipable…" This is pure. So as soon as we come to this stage, that is perfection. That is perfection. Don't expect anything, return.

Now these Gosvāmīs, the Sanātana Gosvāmī… There is a nice story about Sanātana Gosvāmī, of whom we are now studying. Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, two brothers, they went to Vṛndāvana for devotional service. So their all business was… Rūpa Gosvāmī, especially, he was always engaged in writing books. And when he was hungry, he went to some householder: "Give me a piece of bread." And everyone at Vṛndāvana… They were leaders. All the Vṛndāvana inhabitants, they took… Even their household quarrels, they used to represent, "Swamijī, this is our position. Please settle up." So whatever decision he would give to the villagers, they will accept. Their court was Swamijī, Rūpa Gosvāmī. So he was so lovable. So one day Rūpa Gosvāmī was thinking that "If I could get some, I mean to say, commodities for cooking, then I would have invited Sanātana Gosvāmī to take some prasādam." He thought like that. And, and after, say, one hour, one young girl came with sufficient quantity of rice, flour, ghee, and vegetables, so many things: "Bābājī…" They were called… They call in the India, especially in Vṛndāvana quarters, they call all these transcendentalist swamis "Bābājī." "Bābājī, please accept these commodities. There is some ceremony at our house. So My mother has sent you all these things." "Oh, very good." He was thinking that "If I could get some commodity and I could prepare something and invite Sanātana Gosvāmī." So the things were there. So Rūpa Gosvāmī inquired, "Where do You live? Oh, You are very nice girl. Where do You live?" "Oh, I live in this village. You do not know?" "No, I have never seen You. All right. Thank You very much." Then She went away. And invited Sanātana Gosvāmī, "My dear brother, please come and take your prasādam here. I have got some food." "All right." So Sanātana Gosvāmī came during prasādam time, and Rūpa Gosvāmī has prepared so many nice dishes. They were also expert in cooking, expert. You know, all devotees, they are expert. That is his qualification. So then Sanātana Gosvāmī was inquiring, "Where did you get all these things, so nice things, you have prepared in this jungle? How did you get?" So he narrated the story, "Yes, in the morning I thought that 'If somebody sends me something…' So by Kṛṣṇa's grace, somebody, a nice girl, a very beautiful girl, and She brought all these things." "Who?" He began to state about the girl's beauty. Then Sanātana Gosvāmī said, "Oh, I have never seen such beautiful girl. How…?" "Yes, I have also never seen." "Ohhh. Then She must be Rādhārāṇī. She must be Rādhā. You have taken service from Rādhārāṇī? Ohhh. You have murdered me. We don't want to take any service from Kṛṣṇa, and He has taken the opportunity, sent us… We want to simply give our service, not any exchange. Oh, you have done a great mistake. Rādhārāṇī has taken this opportunity." So he began to cry that "We have taken service from Kṛṣṇa. We have given Her trouble." This is pure devotee. They were very sorry that "Kṛṣṇa was troubled to send me all these goods."

So this is the process. Kṛṣṇa is also finding always opportunity, "How to serve My pure devotee?" And pure devotee's so clever that he won't accept any service from Kṛṣṇa. Just like the Arjuna, he never said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are God. Why You are putting me to war indirectly? You can give me everything." Kṛṣṇa said, "No." He never said that, Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa said, niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ: "You are kṣatriya. You have to fight." He never said. So we should not take God as order-supplier. That is not devotion. That is mercantile business. Kṛṣṇa is not going to be a lover by mercantile mentality. You are, you must give Him service. Ābhajet tam. This is the process of devotion.

Thank you very much. (end)

661124CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.119-121

New York, November 24, 1966

Prabhupāda:

bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād

īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ

tan-māyayā ato budha ābhajet taṁ

bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā

Therefore it is advised that our fearfulness, "How I shall live? What I shall eat? Where I shall live? Where I'll, I'll have my shelter…?" We are always perplexed with all these fearfulness. Why? Because we have forgotten that there is one who is giving me all protection. We are, we have become so foolish that…, that the lower animals than the human being, they have no economic problem. They are freely living. In the morning they do not care where they shall eat. But there is eating. No animal, no bird, is dying of starvation. Have you seen any animal or any bird has died out of starvation? And who is providing him? So they have no economic problem. The only this foolish, advanced, civilized man, under the name of so-called misusing the intelligence, which was given to him for realization of God, misusing for sense gratification, and therefore they are troubled. That is the whole problem. The world's problem is due to this forgetfulness. Īśād apetasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ. They have forgotten the protection of Kṛṣṇa, God. They think that "By this adjustment, we shall be able to protect." Nonsense. It is not possible. Can you protect yourself from death? No. Then what is your protection? So this is the formula: bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt. Dvitīya means that a, a secondary existence beyond God which is, in Bible, it is said, Satan and God. So this satanic mentality has made them under the control of material nature. Satanic mentality. What is that satanic mentality? That "I want to be God." Always thinking falsely, "I am God," or "Independent," "I can do anything, everything," "Whatever I survey, I am the lord of whatever I survey." These foolish things are going on.

So this is very nicely explained, and reference is given by Lord Caitanya that our whole difficulty, problems, anxiety… A similar verse is in Bhāgavata, another place, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt [SB 7.5.5]. Asad-grahāt. Asat means nonpermanent, which will, we shall not exist. Due to our absorption in that sight, asat, this matter… Just like this body: it will not exist. So giving too much stress on the bodily concept of life, they are sadā samudvigna-dhiyā, they are always full of anxiety. This is the cause. The foolish people, they do not know. Still, they are very much proud of education. Here is the cause, that because we have given too much stress on this false conception of life, therefore we are always full of anxiety. And as soon as I understand that "I am pure spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. He is giving me all protection, and my duty is to love and serve Him," then I am free. At once I am free. The simple formula. How He'll give me…? He's not poor man. He's, He's… What you are? Your human, human being, they are very few. If you compare with other animals, other living entities, you are most insignificant number. Your number is very little, especially for the civilized. If you search out a hole in your room, you'll find millions of ants coming out. Even in your room you'll find. You'll be over-voted. So who is supplying their necessities? Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. In the Vedic language we can understand that one singular entity… God is also a living entity. He's not void. He's just like a person, like you and me. But He's so powerful. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. One single number, He is providing so many, innumerable living entities. So our business is… And the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: [Bg. 10.10] "I supply whatever he needs. Who is constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I supply it. I take the goods personally and deliver there." Why should you be anxious? Kṛṣṇa will take hundred pounds of flours, hundred pounds of rice, and deliver you. Just be Kṛṣṇa conscious. In ordinary home you don't find more than five pounds. You see in our stock, all hundred pounds.

So these are facts. These are not stories. But foolish people, they have no knowledge or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All your material necessities will be… But don't be extravagant. Take only whatever you need to maintain your body and soul together and execute this… Make this primary and other things secondary. Kṛṣṇa will supply you. But if you want to make your sense gratification, if you want to accept more than what you need, then you'll be in trouble. That is māyā. So Kṛṣṇa has provided for everyone, everything. There is no need of being anxious. But that does not mean that I shall feel, "Oh, I shall do everything and anything." No.

So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now, Lord Caitanya says,

sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya,

sei jīva nistare, māyā tāhāre chāḍaya

Now how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? A person who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no problem. Now how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? Lord Caitanya says, sādhu-śāstra-kṛpā: "One can become Kṛṣṇa conscious by the mercy of saintly devotees and by the mercy of the scriptures." These two things are recommended. Not that fools, as they are thinking, "I can…, I can think myself. I don't agree with the śāstra. I don't agree with the spiritual master. I don't agree with scriptures. I have got my independent opinion." He is fool number one, rascal number one. One who says like that, you'll at once take him that he's fool, rascal, anything. You have to take shelter of sādhu, guru and śāstra. Sādhu means saintly persons, those who have got all those qualities. (aside:) Where is that paper? Are you using that paper which has been supplied to you? Good qualification of devotees? What are those? Can you say, any of you? Where is that paper?

Disciple: It's on the inside of the drawer there.

Prabhupāda: Oh, not with you? It is in the book. "Oh, my knowledge is in the book." No. You should learn. Everyone is missing. So how you can become saintly person? So those qualities, twenty-six qualities, they are called saintly person. Devotee means to become fully qualified with all the noble qualities. Devotee does not mean a rascal, at the same time, a devotee. No. As soon as you become devotee, the test is that all those twenty-six qualities will develop. You have to test yourself, "Out of the twenty-six qualities, how much I have developed?" If I am lacking, then you must know that you are not developing. This is the test. What are the qualities? Paul, you have got the copy?

Paul: Yes.

Prabhupāda: What are the qualities?

Paul: "Kind to everyone."

Prabhupāda: Kind to everyone. Yes. Then, go on.

Paul: "Does not quarrel with anyone. Fixed up in the Absolute Truth."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Paul: "Equal to everyone."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Paul: "Spotless, faultless, charitable, mild, clean, simple, benevolent, peaceful, completely attached to Kṛṣṇa, no material hankerings, meek, steady, self-controlled, does not eat more than required…"

Prabhupāda: Does not eat more than required. Yes.

Paul: "…sane, respectful, humble, grave, compassionate, friendly, poetic, expert…"

Prabhupāda: Poetic, expert and silent. One who is too much talkative, that means he's lacking in devotion. He should simply talk about Kṛṣṇa, nothing more. And when he, when one is actually absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought, he cannot talk nonsense. He has no time. He does not waste time. So these are the qualities. Here, he's called sādhu. Sādhu means these are the qualifications. Of course, not that we may develop all these qualities immediately, but sādhu means this. Sādhu means, what is called, pious man. These are the qualities of pious man, sādhu. And śāstra. Śāstra means the scripture. By study of scripture, you can develop these qualities. That is called scripture. That is authorized scripture. Just like you study some book, and you develop some quality after reading that book, similarly, when you actually have scripture, then you develop all these qualities. And guru, spiritual master, means who teaches you all these things. So you have to make your progress-sādhu-śāstra-guru vākya. You have to corroborate whether guru, what guru is speaking, whether it is there in the scripture; what scripture is speaking, whether that is in the character of guru, or in the sādhu, saintly persons, or spiritual master. So you have to always make comparison with three things: sādhu, śāstra, guru. Nobody can become a spiritual master who has no reference to the scriptures and these qualities. Nobody can be accepted as a qualified man, he has not…, if one has not developed his character through the scripture under the instruction of guru.

So sādhu-śāstra-guru. A sādhu, a guru… Here Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, sādhu-śāstra. That sādhu includes guru also, because a spiritual master, unless he's a sādhu, he cannot be a guru, cannot be a spiritual master. And the primary qualification of spiritual master-that he is completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, completely Kṛṣṇa conscious person. These are the things. So Lord Caitanya said, sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya. Now, the sādhu's qualification is he's merciful, friendly… So the sādhus, they take the risk of becoming friendly and merciful to the fallen, conditioned souls, and they preach the message of Godhead. Therefore their mercy is required. They are merciful, by nature. By nature, they are merciful. One who is sādhu, one who is devotee, by nature, he has developed that merciful quality, friendly quality. So their business is to enlighten those who are ignorant, those who are fully absorbed in this material concept of life. Therefore they preach. And we have to take that mercy. If we don't accept… Suppose a man is fallen in the pit and he's trying to come out, and another man drops a rope, "Please catch it. I shall take you out of the pit." He does not catch it. Then how he can be taken out? So sādhu and śāstra, they're always ready to give you mercy, but you have to take it. If you don't accept it, then how you can recover, recover? Therefore initiation means to accept the mercy of the sādhu and spiritual master. If you don't accept, so there is no other way. If you think… If you cry that "I am fallen in the pit. Please take me," and when somebody comes to help you, you say, "No, I'll not catch it," then you remain there. Who'll help you?

So because I am a living entity, I try for so many things, for my daily bread, and I don't try to catch the mercy of sādhu and śāstra. Just see my foolishness. I, for getting a work, I flatter so many persons and put my, serving my application, but for my deliverance from the material bondage I don't care. "No, I am not going to submit to anyone. I don't require." Just see. How much foolishness there is. Just like a dog, for his bread he'll submit everyone, but for his spiritual emancipation, oh, he's not agreeing to submit. Just see the foolishness. For bread, which is already settled by the nature, he'll submit to everyone. Just like dog goes from door to door and moves its tail that "Give me a bread. Give me a bread." Yes. So this application is a doggish… In the Bhāgavata it is stated that the, the brāhmaṇa, a kṣatriya, if he's poverty-stricken, he may accept something mercantile, but don't be a dog. This modern civilization is teaching people to become dog. Go door to door! [break] …the saintly person, the representative of Kṛṣṇa, they are always trying to distribute this mercy. So if somebody by his fortune accepts this mercy then he can become, mean, aloof from these material troubles.

So one has to accept. Sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya. They are always merciful. But one has to accept them and become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya. And as soon as he agrees to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then his path becomes clear. He'll get rid of these material clutches and this always full life full of anxiety and problems, he'll kick. These things, sādhu, śāstra, saintly person and scripture, they have to be accepted. If you don't accept them, then there is no other way. Why there is no other way? Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī [Bg. 7.14]. He's citing again from Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is the book of evidence. Lord Caitanya is citing. Because it is Vedic. Just like in the law court you have to cite section from the law book, not from your concocted mind. No foolish man can argue in the law court, because he has to refer in every step from the law book. Sādhu means that he has to give evidence from the scriptures. Not that "I think… In my opinion you can do this." He's not a sādhu; he's a fool. What is your opinion? You are a conditioned soul. Can you manufacture something? No. You cannot manufacture anything. You have to give reference from authorized scripture. So Lord Caitanya is giving evidence from Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī [Bg. 7.14]. Why you cannot yourself get out of these material clutches? The reason is this: daivī hy eṣā. It is, material clutches is so powerful. You cannot get out. It is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā. "This material nature, which is My energy," Lord Kṛṣṇa says, "it is very strong, very strong." In the history you'll never find that anybody has overcome the laws of material nature by his own effort. No. It is not possible. Therefore the modern scientific world who are trying to conquer over the laws of material nature by their teeny scientific arrangement, they are all fools. It is not possible. Not possible. If you try for something which is not possible, then you'll simply go on, wasting your time. That is a different thing. But if you accept the scriptures, the truth, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā-daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā: [Bg. 7.14] "This material nature, which is one of My energy, it is very difficult to get out of it"-then he'll be a sane man who: "Then why I am trying foolishly? In this way, that I can make adjustment in this material world for comfortable life? No. It is not possible." Then what is the remedy? The remedy's there. What is that? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: [Bg. 7.14] "As soon as one surrenders unto Me, he becomes out of these clutches." This is the process.

So this information… We are holding this class from Bhagavad-gītā, from Caitanya-caritāmṛta and scripture just to… With reference to the śāstra, scripture. And we are trying to follow. We are not creating anything. It is not a manufactured thing, concocted thing. It is standard, followed by great ācāryas like Caitanya. So we have to accept. That is the way. We have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and follow, as the śāstra says. Sometimes, as we… The law books are there. As we take help of a lawyer, how to utilize the law book, similarly you have to utilize the scriptures by accepting a spiritual master who can guide you. He's a lawyer. These are the process. If you don't accept, then go on suffering. If you accept, then everything is there. That is the way of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much. (end)

751112CC.BOM

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.120

Bombay, November 12, 1975

Prabhupāda: So in our last meeting we were discussing about the constitutional position of the living entity. Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. This is the first question. Arjuna also, when he became perplexed whether he should fight or not, he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and accepted Him as his spiritual master. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] "Actually I am deviating from my duty, so I am perplexed. What to do? Therefore I know…" Arjuna knew it perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa, although He is friend, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That was known to Arjuna. All the Pāṇḍava family members, they knew. Kurus also, they knew. Otherwise how it was possible to deal with Kṛṣṇa as family member? Kṛṣṇa was… In His human form of life He was related with the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas by family relationship. Kṛṣṇa's father's sister, Kuntī, was the mother of the Pāṇḍavas, and Kuntī was the family daughter-in-law in the Kurus' family. So they were very intimately related. Duryodhana's daughter was married with Kṛṣṇa's son. So these two families, they were very intimately related. But they knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You'll read in Kuntī's stotra. She was praying to Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although Kṛṣṇa was offering His obeisances to the aunt, Kuntī. Similarly, Nārada Muni also, when he entered the royal assembly of Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā, Kṛṣṇa received him by standing from His throne and taking the dust of his feet, although Nārada knows that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, whenever he used to meet Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, He was giving His respect by touching his feet, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira embracing Him as younger brother. But they knew, all, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So we can also have Kṛṣṇa like that. That is Kṛṣṇa's pastime, that… You are thinking of God as nirākāra, without any form: "He cannot be touched. He cannot be embraced. He cannot be talked." No. Kṛṣṇa, personally being present, He was talking with His devotees, dealing just like ordinary human being. But the devotees knew Him, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only the nondevotees… Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. Those who are nondevotees, still now… Just like we are worshiping here Kṛṣṇa in this temple. The others, nondevotees, rascals, they will think that "These fools are worshiping a stone statue." They will think like that. They are very learned scholar, so they think that "These are fools. They have accepted a stone statue. Everyone knows that here Kṛṣṇa is made of stone, so why these fools are spending so much money, lakhs and crores, for having a temple for this stone statue? This is their foolishness." Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11].

So people are unaware of Kṛṣṇa and His position. Therefore one should go to the guru-tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]-eva, "must," in order to learn Kṛṣṇa. That is… The example is being shown by Sanātana Gosvāmī, the minister. He is not ordinary man. He is trying to know from guru what is his actual position. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew Sanātana Gosvāmī, intelligent, advanced. So he doesn't require to be educated by teaching Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD of spiritual life, preliminary study. Bhagavad-gītā is not meant for persons who are advanced. They know Kṛṣṇa. One who does not know Kṛṣṇa, for them, first reading book is Bhagavad-gītā, so that he can know what is Kṛṣṇa. But here Sanātana Gosvāmī is advanced; therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching him from the point where Bhagavad-gītā was ended. That Bhagavad-gītā ended… Kṛṣṇa, after teaching Arjuna different kinds of knowledge-karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, so many, bhakti-yoga-ultimately He said, "Arjuna, because you are My very confidential friend, so I am giving you the confidential knowledge." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You surrender unto Me, and whatever I say, you do. That is your duty." So from that point, when one surrenders to Kṛṣṇa… Why one should surrender to Kṛṣṇa? Everyone is puffed up that "I am as good as Kṛṣṇa. Why shall I surrender to Kṛṣṇa?" Many, many scholars, they comment on this verse, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ. Vraja, "Why? This is sophistry. Everyone should give up everything, simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa?" Still they say that "Why you are after Kṛṣṇa? Why not other gods or demigods?" That is their… Sometimes they question. But one who knows Kṛṣṇa, he cannot be deviated from this path, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Bhagavān means Kṛṣṇa.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

This is understanding.

So our relationship with Kṛṣṇa… Sanātana Gosvāmī inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, ke āmi, "What I am? What is my position? Why I am put into this miserable condition of material existence?" This should be the inquiry. Simply they are trying to mitigate the material distresses, but nobody inquires that "Why I am put into this condition?" That is real intelligence. When the disease is there, you go to the doctor, take medicine, try to become cured from the disease. But nobody inquires that "Why I am subjected to this disease?" That is intelligence. "Precaution is better than cure." If you know how to protect yourself from disease, then that is better position than to become diseased and cured. That is not very good intelligence. Rather, don't be diseased, not that you become diseased repeatedly and go to the medical man and be cured. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30]. They have been described as chewing the chewed again and again. So actually our problem is that we are diseased at the present moment, every one of us. What is that disease? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. This is our disease: we are forced to die, we are forced to take birth, we are forced to become old and we are forced to become diseased. This is our problem, but nobody inquires about this. When there is death forced upon us, they simply cry, "Oh, my father is gone. My father is gone." When we are diseased, then we cry. But nobody inquires that "Why I am put into this condition?" That is intelligence. That is called brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's disciple Sanātana Gosvāmī is inquiring that, that "What I am? Why I am put into these difficulties?" This is intelligent question. One should go to the spiritual master, guru, for answering or making solution of these problems, not for getting some material profit, that "I have got some disease," and the guru says, "All right, you take this dust and you become cured." "I am poor," "All right, I am creating some gold for you. Take it." This is not relationship with guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. One should go to guru for making the ultimate solution of life, not temporary. That is not relationship with guru and…

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly says that jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108], two words. Svarūpa. Svarūpa means original, constitutional position. That is svarūpa. Mukti means just like one is diseased, and there are many symptoms of disease. So when one becomes free from the disease, the symptoms disappear. Similarly, mukti means that we have lost our original constitutional position. Because here Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that the real position of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So our position is servant, subordinate position. That is the Vedic injunction also. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme leader, supreme maintainer of everyone. That is our position. We are maintained, and Kṛṣṇa is maintainer. We are predominated, and Kṛṣṇa is predominator. This is our relation. How(?) Caitanya Mahāprabhu describing the constitutional position of the living entity, svarūpa. Svarūpa means original position, and mukti means svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. This is the Vedic injunction. Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpa. Now we are acting differently. Actually our position is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Now, at the present moment, every one of us, we are trying to become master. If not master of Kṛṣṇa, at least we are trying to become equal with Kṛṣṇa. This is our position. That is called māyā, "which is not possible." God is not so cheap that you can become equal with God or greater than God. You must always remain subordinate to God. That is your position. Actually we are subordinate. We have no meeting with God. We have no knowledge of God. But practically we see that we are subordinate to the material nature. That's a fact. Everyone knows. Who can overcome the laws of material nature? No. Nobody can do. By nature you have to die. You cannot avoid it. You are subordinate. By nature you have to become old man. You cannot avoid it. So we know that we are subordinate to material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. All these living entities-man or not man, animal or trees or plants, everyone-everyone is under the laws of material nature. They are, of course, dumb, the other animals or living entities. But human being has got advanced senses. He can think advancedly. So why they are thinking that they are free? They are servant of at least material nature at the present moment. Why they are thinking "master"? That is their misconception. This is called anyathā rūpam. He is actually servant, but he's thinking "master." This is called anyathā rūpam. Anyathā means "otherwise," not svarūpam. So therefore mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpam, giving up this nonsense speculation that "I am master of nature. I am master of this, master of that," or "I am God. I am equal to God." These are all rascaldom, anyathā rūpam, thinking otherwise.

So when one gives up this rascaldom that "I am God. I am equal to God. I am nobody's servant. I am free…" So these are anyathā rūpam. Hitvā anyathā rūpam svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. When one is situated in his original constitutional position, that is called mukti. Mukti does not mean that you get a big head or big hand. No. Mukti means knowledge. Knowledge. This is our actual knowledge, that "I am not master; I am servant." This is knowledge. So mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpam. Everyone is thinking otherwise. Somebody is thinking "I am equal to God. I am God," or "I am master," or "I am trying to become master of nature." The scientists, they are always thinking like that, that "We want to control the material nature so that we can manufacture living entity according to our plan, according to our order." Everyone. This is called baddha jīva, conditioned soul. But mukti means… This is mukti. That means… Caitanya Mahāprabhu is immediately, by one word, giving you mukti. They are trying so much, undergoing austerities, penances, going to the Himalaya, making mystical…, so many things for mukti. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu? That mukti He's given directly: "Take this mukti." This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. "You simply try to understand your position, that you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." And as soon as you accept this position, you are mukti.

So mukti is not difficult for a devotee. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has said, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "Oh, mukti? She is standing at my door with folded hands: 'What can I do for you?' " So the bhaktas, they do not care for mukti. They are already mukta. There is no need of separate endeavor for mukti. You simply accept this truth, that you are servant of Kṛṣṇa-immediately you are mukta, immediately. It doesn't require… It requires only one second to become mukta. It doesn't require… Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bha…,

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi…

[Bg. 18.66]

This is mukti. "You surrender unto Me, and immediately I save you." Sarva-pāpebhyo… Because we become entangled by our sinful activities… There are all sinful activities, that "I am independent. I can do whatever I like. I am as good as God. I am God," or "I am God. Where is the difference for me? I can do anything. There is no question of sinful activities." Some of the big, big swamis, they lecture like that, that "Why you are thinking of sinful activities? You are God. There is no sin for you." They are preaching like that, that "You have no sin." And it is very easy to think. That is māyā. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Therefore these sinful persons who are thinking like that, that "I am God. I have no sinful activities. I am independent. I can do whatever I like," they have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as duṣkṛtina, duṣkṛtina. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15].

So by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu one can learn how to become liberated in one second, one second. It doesn't require many births. Of course, to come to this position, as Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19], after many, many births, that is very difficult job. We do not know. Suppose in this life I am living for hundred years or fifty years or ninety years. Then again another eighty years, ninety years, another hundred, four, five hundred years, or five thousand years… Because according to the body… The trees are standing for hundreds of years, five thousand years. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19] is not very easy thing. It may be millions of years. So after millions of years, if one actually becomes wise, jñānavān, he understands this simple truth, that jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa, this simple truth, that every living entity is eternally the servant of Kṛṣṇa. If he understands this, then he becomes immediately liberated. But intelligent man, he takes things very intelligently: "Caitanya Mahāprabhu said jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109], then why I am falsely thinking that 'I am God. I am not dependent on anyone,' this, that? Let me accept this." Then you become mukta immediately. Simply acceptance how Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ [Bg. 18.66], he becomes immediately mukta. Then actually, when he is mukta, then there is life in mukta. Mukta does not mean finished life. Just like if you become free from a certain type of disease. So after being cured there is duty. There is duty. Not that after being cured, the diseased also cured, and you are also cured. You are also finished. No. After the disease being cured, there is healthy activities. That is required.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

So Brahman activities means bhakti, Brahman activities. So these devotees who are engaged in devotional service of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, they are not only realized soul, brahmaṇubhūti, but they are muktas and they are engaged in Brahman activities. Brahman activities. That is bhakti. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu [Bg. 18.54]. Therefore devotee has no distinction between this man or that man. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. A devotee does not distinguish that "Here is American, there is Indian, and here is cat, here is dog." No. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. A devotee knows that every one of them, all these living entities in different forms… It is not difficult to understand. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavāmi mūrtayo yaḥ, tāsāṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā aham [Bg. 14.4]. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father. So a devotee knows that the dog is also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, living entity, but he is in a different dress, dog's dress, and a learned paṇḍita, he is also the same spirit soul, but he is dressed as a learned scholar. Similarly,

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

That is oneness, one who can see. Even from material point of view, a paṇḍita, a learned man knows that "What is this material form, your body or my body?" Superficially it may look black, white or colored, but if you chemically analyze-the same ingredients: the same blood, the same muscle, the same stool, the same urine. When doctor examines the urine and stool, they do not examine differently a black man's urine and a white man's urine different, because they know the chemical composition is the same. So from material point of view you are also one. Even though you have got this material body, differently formed, the ingredients are the same: kṣitir ap tejo marud vyoma, mind, intelligence. Everyone has got these things. This body, gross body, is made of earth, water, air, fire, ether, and the mind. Don't think that dog has no mind. Everyone has got mind. Everyone has intelligence. A dog know(s) intelligently how to secure his food, as we know. There is no scarcity of these things, material things, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca [Bg. 7.4].

So a paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18], means even materially all these living entities, although in different forms of body, the ingredients are the same. Sama-darśinaḥ. And spiritually, if living entity is spiritual spark, the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, that is all the same. You are also spark of the supreme spirit; I am also the spark supreme spirit, every one of us. So therefore they can see equally everyone. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. When one comes to this position, then mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54]. That means bhakti begins when one is mukta. Mukti has already been attained. Bhakti begins. So unless you accept Kṛṣṇa as your eternal master, how you can engage yourself in His service? So bhakti means mukti.

māṁ ca (yo) 'vyabhicāriṇi-

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

[Bg. 14.26]

So here Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is giving mukti immediately. People are undergoing severe austerities, penances, but if you simply understand your position, what you are, that is mukti. So here Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving the intelligence immediately to Sanātana Gosvāmī that jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108]. Simply you have to accept, and surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also says the same thing, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], the same thing. Nitya dāsa. Unless you accept yourself as servant of Kṛṣṇa, how you can agree that "Yes, I surrender to You"? Surrender is made to somebody who is superior, not to the equal person. So Kṛṣṇa demanding that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], that means that we are servant. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa can order that? So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving mukti immediately teaching the same thing-jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa. And Kṛṣṇa also says that this understanding, that "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa," is realized after many, many births.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

[Bg. 7.19]

So mahātmā, su-durlabha mahātmā, means who is liberated, not trying for liberation. There are two kinds of mahātmās. One mahātmā is trying for liberation, mukti, and the su-durlabha means… Those who are trying for mukti, out of millions of such persons, one becomes mukta. That is the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Out of millions of karmīs, one becomes jñānī. And out of millions of jñānī, one becomes mukta. And out of millions of mukta, one becomes bhakta. This is the description given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So if we accept this philosophy, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, without falsely declaring ourself that "I am equal to God" or "I am God," if you simply accept that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109], that we are eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa, and act like that… The servant of Kṛṣṇa means he must be always engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. This is called bhakti.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

This is our position. And if we understand that all of us, we are servant of Kṛṣṇa-you are servant of Kṛṣṇa, I am servant of Kṛṣṇa, he is servant of Kṛṣṇa-then we can understand our position is one. That is oneness-we are all servants. So there is no question of becoming envious of you or your becoming envious of me. We are all servants of God. So we have to execute the orders of God. That is servant's business. So "How I shall execute? Where is God? I surrender to God. That's all right. So let Him speak to me." Yes, He'll speak to you. How? Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: [Bg. 15.15] "I am situated in everyone's hearts as Paramātmā, and I give everyone intelligence how to do things." And especially for the bhakta, the instruction of Kṛṣṇa or Paramātmā is there:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

[Bg. 10.10]

This is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is situated within your heart, Paramātmā, in His Paramātmā feature. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. So the feature by which Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart, that is… Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61].

So yogis, they find out Kṛṣṇa. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1]. Yogis try to find out the Paramātmā, and the jñānīs, they are trying to find out the brahmajyoti, and similarly, the bhakta is trying to find out Kṛṣṇa. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. So in this way Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the ultimate goal. But those who are addicted to Brahman or Paramātmā, they are also addicted to Bhagavān, but in different features. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam [SB 1.2.11]. Knowledge of Brahman, knowledge of Paramātmā and knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is the same, but in different features. Just like knowledge of the sun planet, knowledge of the sun god and knowledge of the sunshine, they… Knowledge is the same-heat and light-but the heat and light which you receive from sunshine is different from the heat and light from the sun globe, and the heat and light in the sun globe is different from the sun-god. But heat and light is there, either you realize Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān. So a devotee means he is concerned with Bhagavān. That's all. So devotee is also mahātmā; those who are jñānīs, after Brahman, they are also mahātmā; and the yogis, they are also mahātmā; but one who has understood Kṛṣṇa perfectly and surrendered to Him-vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]-that mahātmā is very rare to be found.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching how to become that mahātmā, su-durlabhaḥ. Koṭiṣv apy mahāmune. Muktānām api sahasrāṇām. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching is so sublime and very easy also. We should take it up-this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement-and execute it as it is enjoined in the śāstras and following the footsteps of mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. That is also described in the śāstra. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ [SB 6.3.20]. And… Dvādaśa mahājana. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ, and prahlādo janako bhīṣmo balir vaiyāsakir vayam. Everything is there in the śāstra. So to become actually devotee we have to follow these mahājana. Svayambhūḥ is Brahmā, and… Svayambhūr… Nārada Muni, and Śambhu, Lord Śiva. They have got their parties, or their paramparā system-Brahmā-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya Śrī-sampradāya, and Kumāra-sampradāya. In this way we have to accept the sampradāya and follow. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. Then we become pure devotee. And as soon as we understand pure…, we become pure devotee, we can understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Although Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, but He says that "If one wants to understand Me properly, then bhaktyā." He does not say that "By jñāna" or "By yoga." No. Why He says bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]? The bhakta… His name is bhakta-vatsala. Because jñānī will take some time to understand. Yogis also will take some time. They'll come to that point if they make actually progress. Bhakta can take immediately. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gift. Therefore, when Rūpa Gosvāmī met Him at Prayag, he offered his prayers to Caitanya Mahāprabhu as mahā-vadānyāya: "You are the most munificent incarnation," namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53], "because You are distributing kṛṣṇa-prema. One cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, but You are so munificent that You are giving kṛṣṇa-prema." Just like prema means love. If you do not understand a person properly, how you can love him? That is not possible. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's process is so nice that even we are neophyte-we do not understand Kṛṣṇa-but if we follow His process, we immediately come to the platform of how to love Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te.

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

So this Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching Sanātana Gosvāmī about bhakti-śāstra. He taught him for two months at Benares, Vārāṇasi, and He… Later on, these six Gosvāmīs preached Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult, which we are preaching at the present moment, according to the prediction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu,

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe more nāma

That is His prediction, that as many towns and cities are there on the face of the globe, everywhere His name will be advertised or everyone will know His name. So by His grace this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going on all over the world and everyone is receiving very nicely, either in Europe or America or Africa or Canada or Australia. So we are very much hopeful. And those who are foreigners present here, take this movement very seriously and preach it all over the world. People will be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

661125CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.121-124

New York, November 25, 1966

Prabhupāda:

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

[Bg. 7.14]

So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that this is the condition, suffering condition of the living entities, and he can be rescued by the mercy of sādhu, saintly persons, the scriptures and the spiritual master. They are prepared to bestow their mercy upon everyone, provided people like to take their instruction and mercy. That is the solution. And in the Bhagavad-gītā the same thing is confirmed in the Seventh Chapter: daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. The influx of the disturbances created by this material nature under different forms is very stringent. So anyone who wants to be rescued from these miseries, he should surrender unto the Supreme Lord. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te.

This māyā has got two kinds of influence: prakṣepātmikā, āvaraṇātmikā. Āvaraṇātmikā means we are already covered by the illusion. Although we are suffering in every step, we are thinking that we are happy. Just, just the day before yesterday the lady, she said, "Oh, the temperature was so high that I could not tolerate it. I could not…" The next moment she said, "Oh, I don't feeling any, any unhappiness." This is called prakṣepātmikā. First things is that I am so much illusioned that I… Just like the animals. They are suffering so much, but they have no knowledge that they are suffering. But human beings, who are above them, they can understand that what sort of suffering there is. A animal, he's, he's being taken to the slaughterhouse, but it does not know due to ignorance. This is called āvaraṇātmikā, covering influence of the material nature. And there is another influence. Suppose one is trying to come out of the covering. Prakṣepātmikā. It throws: "Oh, why you are trying for this? You are very happy. Why do you think, why you are so much pessimistic of this life? Just work hard and enjoy life. That's all."

So these things are going on. Actually, we are suffering and we are in dangerous position step by step. But by the influence of this material, external energy, we are covered, illusioned. We are thinking, "Yes, I am very happy." And if somebody tries to come out of it, then he is also advised by the material nature, "Oh, why you are doing all this nonsense? You are very happy." Yavaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. The atheistic theory… The atheist… Nowadays there are atheists, not that… Atheist class of men there are always. Maybe number of the atheists are now greater than before, but there was a great atheist in India. There are six kinds of philosophical theses. Out of those, atheism is one of them. So that atheism… Cārvāka Muni. He was, Cārvāka, the leader of the atheists. His theory was that ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet: "Just beg, borrow or steal. You must eat butter. Never mind." Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet, yāvan jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet: "So long you shall live, you must live very comfortably." Then one may say, "Oh, beg, borrow, steal, and who'll suffer the sins? If I borrow, if I cannot pay? If I commit sins? If I commit burglary? Oh." The Cāṇakya, the Cārvāka Muni replied, bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar-āgamano bhavet: "Well, when your body will be burnt into ashes, who is coming here and who is going to be responsible? Don't think all these." So this is atheistic theory. They don't believe that there is transmigration of the soul. He has to take another body and he has to take body according to his work, and there are 8,400,000's of different kinds of bodies, and human body is the most benefactory. So they do not know all these things. So this is called āvaraṇātmikā, covering influence.

So covering influence and throwing influence. Out of these two influences, one can come out if he agrees to surrender unto the Supreme Lord. Otherwise there is no other way. He'll be, he'll be always covered or be thrown again.

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

[Bg. 7.14]

Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "Anyone who surrenders unto Me fully, he, he alone can get rid of these two kinds of influence of māyā. Others cannot."

māyā-mugdha jīvera nāhi svataḥ kṛṣṇa-jñāna

jīvere kṛpāya kailā kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa

These, I mean to say, illusioned, māyā-mugdha, illusioned living entities, they have forgotten. They have forgotten their relationship with the Supreme Lord. Mostly: "Oh, what is God?" Somebody says, "God is dead." So these things are going on. Not now. Now the number has increased. It is always. So long the world is there, the material world is there, this sort of thing is going on. So māyā-mugdha, illusioned by this external energy, they have no memory that how they are connected with the Supreme Lord. They have no memory. They have forgotten. That there is something like God, altogether they have forgotten by the illusion. Yes. Māyā-mugdha jīvera nāhi kṛṣṇa smṛti-jñāna. And just to revive their memory, Kṛṣṇa… Jīvere kṛpāya kaila kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa. Veda-purāṇa. Veda means the Vedic literatures. Veda, real literal meaning is veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vido jñāne. There is a Sanskrit root, vid-dhātu. From that vid-dhātu, veda. Veda means knowledge. And Purāṇa, Purāṇa means supplementary, Vedic instruction described in story form. That is called Purāṇa, story. This Bhāgavata is also one of the Mahā-purāṇa. Mahā-purāṇa means the science of Kṛṣṇa is described in story form. This is called Purāṇa. People better understands in stories, in history.

So Lord Caitanya says, "Because people in general, by the influence of the illusory energy, they have forgotten their eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, therefore the Lord Himself, as Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa…" Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa is considered to be a powerful incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Unless he was a, he was an incarnation, it was not possible to write so many books. There are eighteen Purāṇas and four Vedas and 108 Upaniṣads, and Vedānta, then Mahābhārata, then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Each of them contains thousands and thousands and millions of verses. So we cannot imagine that a man can write in that way. You see. So Veda-vyāsa is considered to be incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, and he was very powerful in writing. In the Mahābhārata itself is so many, so big book. And there are… Each Purāṇa contains thousands and thousands of verses. So these are his gifts. So Kṛṣṇa, means Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa, he… Because sādhu, sādhu, those who are saintly persons, they're always thinking of the miseries of the people in general. They are not meditating for their own purpose. They are writing books. They are thinking how to establish them in such a way so that they can properly utilize the human form of life. That is their business, sādhu. Sādhu means that they are always compassionate with the sufferings of the people in general. That is sādhu. Because they are devotees. The Lord comes… Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. Whenever there is… The nature's law is so stringent that if you violate a little, then you have to suffer. There is no mercy. There is no mercy. So as you go on violating the laws of nature, the nature law is so made that the nature is giving you chance to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the whole program. And as soon as you deviate from that law, then you are put into trouble. So we are passing in that way.

So the sādhu and the pious and the devotees of the Lord, out of their compassion, they write books what they have heard in the disciplic succession. They do not manufacture. These Vedas, what is written by Vyāsadeva, you don't think that he has manufactured something. No. Formerly the Vedic knowledge was simply spoken by the spiritual master, and the disciple simply heard it. Therefore the Veda is known as śruti. There was no need of books. They were so, I mean to say, their memory was so sharp that once heard, they can remember, they could remember. The life was so nice that… In the advancement of Kali-yuga, as I have several times described, that this memory will be decreased. People will be less, less memorious, memory… Their memory will be very shortened. They'll forget. Just like the lady was angry(?). At once forgets. One moment she says that "Oh, it was terrible heat," and next moment says, "Oh, I don't feel any unhappiness." That is forgetfulness. So memory will be so short that people will forget. Just like the animals. They forget. There is no memory. In some of the animals there is no mind. That is also analyzed in the Bhagavad-gītā, er, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So memory shortened, shortened. So just to give us remembrance again, the books are… Vyāsadeva, he wrote those Vedic traditions into books. Vyāsadeva is the first man who wrote this Vedic knowledge into writing. Before that, there was no writing. Only by hearing, by memory, the students will grasp the whole thing and coming down, tradition, tradition. Yes. Śruti, by hearing.

So jīvere kṛpāya kaila kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa.

'sādhu-guru-ātma'-rūpe āpanāre jānāna

'kṛṣṇa mora prabhu, trātā'-jīvera haya jñāna

So what is the utility of this Vedic knowledge? Now, by understanding, by hearing from authorized sources, or by reading from authorized sources, the forgetful living entities will come to his senses. That is the purpose. He will come to his sense: "Oh, my position is this, and I am suffering in this way." So śāstra-guru-ātma-rūpe āpanāre jānāna. So Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, is always anxious to revive the memory of these forgotten souls, conditioned souls. Now, how He revives? He revives in śāstra. Śāstra means scripture. Śāstra, guru, spiritual master. Śāstra, guru, ātma-rūpe. And sometimes He comes Himself or as Paramātmā, or the Supersoul. He is giving you instruction from within as Paramātmā, He's sending you suitable spiritual master so can, you can have instruction without, and the books are, the scriptures are there. So many facilities the Lord has created. And therefore the human form of life is meant for utilizing all these facilities. In the animal form of life there is no facility. They cannot read śāstra. They cannot understand scripture. They cannot take the advantage of a bona fide spiritual master. They cannot consult within with God. They have no this capacity. Their consciousness is so undeveloped that it is not possible to have, utilize all these facilities. But in human form of life we can utilize all these facilities. The śāstras are there, the Vedas are there, scriptures are there. And still, although it is the age of Kali, still, those who are following the disciplic succession, there is bona fide spiritual master also. Śāstra, guru and ātmā. And over all, the Paramātmā. The Paramātmā, the Supersoul, Kṛṣṇa as Supersoul, is sitting within your heart along with you. And as soon as, by the instruction of the scripture and direction of the spiritual master, you begin sincerely something, the Paramātmā, from within you, He'll speak, "Yes, now you are right." He'll speak to you.

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

[Bg. 10.10]

Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Those… The spiritual master's duty is to lead a person, a forgotten soul, to the right way in terms of the śāstra and scripture, and when he begins sincerely and with love and seriously, then the next stage is that God within, who is sitting within you, He'll dictate, "Yes, you do like this. You do like this." So in every respect the Lord is trying to help us. But we are so much stubborn, we don't like to take advantage of this position. Oh, he says, "Why shall I take all this? I am very happy." There is a story in the Bhāgavata that once Indra, the king of heaven, he was condemned by his spiritual master, Bṛhaspati, that "You are so foolish. You should have become a hog." So he became a hog. So after some days, when the throne of the heavenly kingdom was vacant, Brahmā went to reclaim this hog, Indra, that "Come to your place." So when the hog was requested that "You are Indra. Why you are suffering? Now you come. I have come to take you," so the hog says, "Oh! I do not know what I am, Indra. I have got my responsibility. I cannot leave this place." Just see. Even the hog-you can just imagine what is the standard of his living-he thinks also that "I am very happy. I am very happy." The stool-eating and this nasty place, and "Oh, I have got a very comfortable life." So this is the, I mean to say, prakṣepātmikā.

So the sādhu-śāstra, the God Himself comes, He sends His confidential servant, He sends His son to reclaim us, and we should take advantage of these facilities and make our life successful. That should be the aim of human life.

Thank you very much. (pause) Oh, no, there is time.

veda-śāstra kahe-'sambandha', 'abhidheya', 'prayojana',

'kṛṣṇa'-prāpya sambandha, 'bhakti'-prāptyera sādhana

Now, what is the subject matter of these Vedic scriptures? That is summarily summarized, summarized by Lord Caitanya. Veda-śāstra kahe-'sambandha', 'abhidheya', 'prayojana'. There are three things in the Vedic scriptures. What is that? The first thing is: "What is my relationship with God?" Or: "What is my relationship with this world?" Or: "What is my relationship with this nature?" These three is described. Then, as soon as you understand your relationship, then your action begins according to… Just like two businessmen, two. They want to do some business. They wanted to do… Mutually, they want to do some business. And what is the aim of business? To make some profit. Both of them are interested in making some profit. Without profit, there is no question of business. So first, if the profit is aim, then the two business first come to a contract, or agreement. This is called sambandha, relationship. "Yes, you are supplier; I am purchaser. And you shall supply in this way, and I shall purchase in this way." Agreement. This is called relationship. And after the sign of the agreement, when actually the activities begin, supply and purchase, that is called abhidheya. And abhidheya means why they are doing this business? Now, some profit. So the profit there must be. Otherwise nobody's interested. Same thing is there also in the Vedas. First of all you have to understand, "What is my relationship with God, or with this world, or the nature?" We must understand first this. And when we understand this, "This is my relationship," then my actual work will begin. That is abhidheya. And after executing that prescribed duty, the result is that I'll get my relationship with the Supreme Lord revived. These three things are described in the Vedas. There is no other thing.

So there are different kinds of knowledge in the Vedas. Veda is a vast knowledge. Even how we shall live in this material world, that is also described. Even medicine, medicine, the science of medicine is also described in Vedas. That is called Āyur-veda. The science of military science also described there in the Vedas. That is called Dhanur-veda. Yajur-veda… So many Vedas there are. And ultimately the knowledge is there, how to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth and how to get yourself liberated. That is… These are the subject matter of Vedas. So in the Bhagavad-gītā also the Lord says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: [Bg. 15.15] "The ultimate purpose of Veda is to understand Kṛṣṇa." Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. So Kṛṣṇa or the sādhu and śāstra does not stop your material activities. Because you have to act materially so long you have got this material body, so they give regulation, how you should act so that ultimately you can reach to Kṛṣṇa. So if we follow the regulations given in the Vedas, then automatically we reach to the highest stage of perfection. That is the purpose of Vedas. Therefore you'll find different subject matter dealt in Vedas, and unless we have a bona fide teacher of the Vedas, it is very difficult to understand Vedic language and take advantage of it.

Therefore Lord Caitanya says that "The subject matter of the Vedas, we must understand." And what is that subject matter? That we must know our relationship with God, or with each other, or with this nature, or this world; then what is our action, regulated action; then the prayojana, the ultimate goal of life is reached. 'Kṛṣṇa'-prāpya sambandha, 'bhakti'-prāptyera sādhana. The ultimate end is to reach Kṛṣṇa or to get Kṛṣṇa, ultimate end. And that is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. The ultimate purpose of the Vedas is to reach Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So this is the ultimate goal of life, and Vedas describes this, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu is describing also. We shall come to this point gradually.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

661126CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.124-125

New York, November 26, 1966

Prabhupāda:

veda-śāstra-kahe-'sambandha', 'abhidheya', 'prayojana'

'kṛṣṇa'-prāpya sambandha, 'bhakti'-prāptyera sādhana

Now, the Vedas or the scriptures, why they are made? This… It is not practically made, but it is coming down by traditional process, by hearing. Just like we accept our father by hearing. A child is born, and when the child sees his other brothers and sisters calling a gentleman "father," he also begins to say "father." There is no question of studying. By hearing. How does a child learns to call the father a father? Because he hears. Others are calling "father," so he also calls "father." There is no evidence. There is no study. Similarly, the Vedic knowledge was coming by hearing. There was no need of book. But when this age, Kali-yuga, began, five thousand years before, they were recorded, and systematically… Vedas, first there was only one Veda, Atharva Veda. Then Vyāsadeva, just to make it clear, divided into four and entrusted his various disciples to take charge of one school of Veda. Then again he made Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, just to make the Vedic knowledge understandable by the common man in different ways. But the principle is the same.

So Lord Caitanya says the purpose of Veda is… Veda-śāstra kahe-'sambandha'. Sambandha. What is our relation? Our relation is, as Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. So the relation with God is that we are… Everything is born out of the energy of God. So we are also born… Therefore we say God, "Father." This is accepted in every religion. There is no argument. Now, what is the relationship between father and son? Is it the relationship to exact only from father? There is no duty of the son, simply to take from father? No. There is duty. If a son is sensible and grown-up, he knows that "I have got my duty: to love my father." That is very simple thing, to love father. "Father has done so ma…, so much for me, I am just going to own the estate of father, and I am enjoying the earnings of my father. So is it not my duty to show respect to my father?"

So those who are against God-principle, those who are not God-minded, they're the lowest creature. They're the lowest creature. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ: [Bg. 7.15] "Anyone who does not recognize God, he's the lowest of the lowest creature." Duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. These, these terms have been used. Just like mūḍha, ass; duṣkṛtina, miscreant; and narādhamāḥ, and lowest of the mankind. Mankind. Mankind is meant for recognizing. This is the life. In animal life, one cannot recognize that there is God and everything is coming from God. They cannot read Vedas, or scriptures. They cannot take any instruction. So these Vedas and scriptures are there for human beings. Therefore, a human being, so-called human being with two hands and two legs, but they're animals who do not accept the authority of scripture and do not accept the existence of God, so Bhagavad-gītā very nicely describes them, narādhamāḥ. Naradhāmāḥ means lowest of the mankind. So our civilization is going to the lowest of the mankind. And we are, we are trying to advertise ourself that we are advancing, but the… Yesterday some boy came: "Who is God? I am God." He was speaking like that. You see. And he appears to be educated student. From his appearance it appears that he, he's educated. So this is education is going on, that they're going to be the lowest of the mankind. The purpose of education is to make man the highest of the mankind, but modern education is teaching lowest of the mankind. And if some of the students are taught to become highest of the mankind, their guardians become disturbed: "Oh, my son is going to be highest of the mankind? Swamijī, you are playing dangerous things." Oh. Just see. Swamijī's speaking, "No, don't smoke. Don't take tea. Don't have illicit connection with women. Be upright. Be devotee." "Oh, Swamijī's dangerous." And if somebody teaches, "My dear boys, take LSD, go to hell, and become mad. Go to the lunatic asylum," "Oh, that is…" What can be done? This is the situation.

So we are situated in a society of the lowest of the mankind. Always remember this, that we are situated in a civilization which is the lowest of the mankind. Not only I am speaking of your United States… All over the world. Even India, where so much culture was made for understanding God, this foolish government, they're also teaching this. You see. So this is the, I mean to say, age. Don't think that I am particularly criticizing some country or community. This is the age, Kali. It is called Kali. Hypocrisy, simply hypocrisy. Kali means full of hypocrisy. So we have to be very careful. We have to… Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā [Bg. 7.14]. And the illusory energy is very strong. At any moment, little slackness… (aside:) Oh, you have wrongly put. [break] So this is… Actually, we should understand. So Lord Caitanya says that sambandha means we have to revive, we have to reestablish our lost relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is civilization. The relationship is there already because I am born. The supreme cause is Kṛṣṇa, or God. But I have, some way or other, I have forgotten that. Therefore these scriptures-Vedas, this Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā-these scriptures are reminding me. They're made for reminding me that "Your relationship with Kṛṣṇa is eternal. Why you have forgotten? Therefore you are suffering." We have discussed the śloka, verse, that bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād īśād apetasya viparyaya-smṛtiḥ. Vipa… Because we have taken a, a reverse position for, for, forgetting the Supreme, therefore we are put into anxiety. Because we have taken a reverse position. "Who is God?" Viparyaya-smṛtiḥ. This very word is used. Viparyaya means topsy-turvied. "Your memory has become topsy-turvied. Therefore you are suffering." But he will not agree. "No, we shall adjust. We shall make laws. We shall make agitation. We shall form party and go on defying God, and we shall be happy in this way." So this godless civilization is now generating the Communist party. So the dangerous position, we are coming.

So anyway, one who takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa, he'll not be put into danger. Rest assured. So 'kṛṣṇa'-sambandha, 'bhakti'-prāptyera sādhana. So I have to revive my relationship. Relationship is there; simply I have forgotten. So I have to revive it, or remember it, that "Oh, I am such and such." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. I have to become a great soul by surrendering unto God. So that surrendering process is bhakti, or devotional service. My relationship is eternal with the Supreme. I have forgotten it. Now, that relationship is that He is the original father of everything, and we are all sons. So we have to become… We have… So long we have been disobedient. Now we have to become obedient. That's all. This obedience means that… What is called? Obedience, the first law of discipline. So as soon as the people of this world, so-called advanced world, they become obedient to God, then there will be discipline and there will be peace. There is no discipline now. They are not agreeable to follow any rules and regulation. Everyone is God. Everyone is dog. Everyone can do anything, whatever he likes. So there is no discipline. So bhakti, bhakti, devotional service, means to undergo a, a disciplinary system of our life so that automatically we can revive our lost relationship with Lord, God, and we become happy. This is called bhakti. Abhidheya-nāma 'bhakti', 'prema'-prayojana. And why? What is the use? Suppose we don't revive our relationship? Then you'll be disturbed. You are after peace and prosperity.

So what is the basis of peace? Basis of peace is love. Do you think that you do not love anyone and you become peaceful? No. How it is possible? Therefore, if you love God, then you can love everyone. And if you don't love God, then you cannot love anyone. Because He's the center. Just like in our… Of course, here your family system is different. In India there is joint family system. Suppose a girl comes… The parents, they engage the girls and boys. Say a girl belonged to a different family. But when she is married, she comes to family, and because the husband and wife is related, at once the husband's brother becomes related, the husband's mother becomes related, the husband's father becomes related. Husband's… Everyone becomes related at once. The central point is husband. Before that, before any connection with that central point, this boy's father, brother had no relation with that girl. You see? So central point must be there. So if you can love God, then everything in relationship with God, then you can love. You can love every man. You can love your country. You can love your society. You can love your friend. Everyone. That is the point. They are thinking in a different way, "Why shall I love God only? Why shall I love God? I shall love my family. I shall love my country. I shall love my…" Oh, no, you cannot love. It is not possible. Because you are missing the central point. These are facts. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12]. One who does not love God, he cannot have any good qualification. Why? Mano-rathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. Because he'll simply speculate on the mental plane and he will fall down under the spell of this material energy. He has no standing. However materially, academically qualification he may be, it is clearly stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā. We have given you the list, twenty-six qualifications. As we become advanced in devotional service, all these good qualities will develop automatically. There is no need of legislation. There is no need of, but, anything, but all those good qualities will develop. Otherwise, what is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Is it a sentiment or fanaticism? No. It is a science. If you follow the rules and regulation and systematically, then all these qualities will develop. You'll practically see it. And as soon as these qualities are there, then you become actually lover of your country, you become a lover of your fellow man. You become friend, God, everything.

So if each and every man becomes like that… Of course, it is not expected that each and every man will become like that. At least, ten percent of the population become Kṛṣṇa consciousness-there is guarantee, peace in the world. Because ekaś candra… We do not require many moons in the sky. Only one moon is sufficient to drive away the darkness. Varam eka guṇī putra na ca mūrkha-śatair api. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, "It is better to have a qualified son than to have hundreds of fools." So the modern civilization is going on in that way, godless civilization. If some percentage of the civilized human beings become Kṛṣṇa conscious, that will bring forth peace. Otherwise it is not possible. It is therefore necessity. Lord Caitanya says, abhidheya 'bhakti', 'prema'-prayojana. Prayojana means it is necessary. Puruṣārtha-śiromaṇi prema mahā-dhana. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching was based on this principle: premā pumartho mahān. What is the objective of human life? He said that "Objective of human life is to attain love of God." That's all. That makes him perfect, nothing more. He…, His mission has been described by one of the ācāryas, Viśvanātha Cakravartī. He has studied. He said that the mission of Lord Caitanya is ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanaya: "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is ārādhya." Ārādhya means He is worshipable. He's the only worshipable personality. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanaya tad-dhāmaṁ vṛndāvanam: "And as Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshipable, similarly His place of pastimes, Vṛndāvana-dhāma, is also worshipable." Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanaya tad-dhāmaṁ vṛndāvanam. And what is the best kind of worship for Kṛṣṇa? Now, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā-kalpitā: "The highest kind of worship is as demonstrated by the damsels of Vṛndāvana, the girlfriends of Kṛṣṇa." Yes. They had no adulteration. Simply they were always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is going outside of the village, and they were thinking at home, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa's," I mean to say, "sole is so soft. How He's wandering in the jungle? There are so many particles of stone. Must be pricking." In this way. Kṛṣṇa is there; they are at home, but they are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how He's walking, how His soft foot is suffering. In this way they are always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are not Vedantists. They are not brāhmaṇas. They are not educated. They were cowherds girls. But their love of Kṛṣṇa was so intense that Lord Caitanya recommends, "Oh, there is no better worship than, than it was being demonstrated by the damsels of Vṛndāvana." Ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. Then what is the source of understanding Kṛṣṇa? Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Amalaṁ purāṇam. If you study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then you attain all these things. Śrī-caitanya-mahaprabhor matam idam. And premā pumartho mahān.

So the book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; the ideal worship, the damsels of Vṛndāvana; Kṛṣṇa is the worshipable object; and the necessary of life, necessity of life, is to attain love of God. This is the whole mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, sum and substance. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is saying here, puruṣartha-śiromaṇi prema mahā-dhana. People are, have their objective of life, everyone. Dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90]. Their objective of life is… Of course, nowadays people are different. Formerly… It is Vedic version, dharma, to make them religious. Therefore every civilized nation has some sort of religion. Religious… Because without becoming religious, there is no possibility of peace and prosperity. So this is one of the aim of human society, religious. And why religious? Dharma-artha. Then the economic condition will be better. If all people are religious, then economic condition will be better. Dharma-artha. And why economic condition better wanted? Kāma. Kāma means then the necessities of your life will be fulfilled nicely. Dharma, artha, kāma, and moksa. Then what is the end? That if you are peacefully in the society, then you can culture for your liberation. So dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa [SB 4.8.41], so generally these four principles are the aim of human society. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Yes, these are all right." But premā pumartho mahān: "With all these things, if you have no love of Godhead, it is all nonsense. All nonsense. Therefore try to love God and everything will be all right." This is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, premā pumartho mahān. So prema. Here, also, Lord Caitanya says that we should understand our relationship with God. We should act in that way. That means in devotion. Then we shall have the highest perfection of life, love of God, and our mission of human life will be fulfilled.

Thank you. (end)

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.125

New York, November 27, 1966

661127CC.NY

Prabhupāda:

abhidheya-nāma 'bhakti', 'prema'-prayojana

puruṣārtha-śiromaṇi prema mahā-dhana

So after understanding our relationship with Kṛṣṇa… Every understanding has its ultimate goal. So the understanding is that we are eternally related with Kṛṣṇa. Forgetting this relationship, we are now engaged in relationship with this material body, which I am not. Therefore I have to revive my activities which is directly in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. And that is called to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And development of that Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be ended in love of, full love of Kṛṣṇa. When we reach that stage, love of God, love of Kṛṣṇa, then we love everyone because Kṛṣṇa is everyone. Without coming to that central point, our love on the material conception of life-equality, fraternity, brotherhood-are all simply cheating process. That is not possible. So come to that stage.

kṛṣṇa-mādhurya-sevānanda-prāptira kāraṇa

kṛṣṇa-sevā kare, (āra) kṛṣṇa-rasa-āsvādana

Kṛṣṇa-mādhurya-sevā, prāptira kāraṇa. Just like in the material world, when we serve somebody, we become tired. We become detestful. We do not like to serve. But if we serve Kṛṣṇa, then we shall feel some ecstasy in increasing the service. There is no payment. There is, I mean to say… Materially, there is no payment. Still, a person engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will be encouraged to serve more and more. This is the distinction. In the material platform, if you serve somebody, you will find tired, satiated. You won't like. But if you engage yourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa, you'll find yourself more energetic. You'll like to serve more and more. That is the test. If I feel tired, then that is material, and if I feel more encouraged, that means it is blessings of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-mādhurya… So one is engaged in service of Kṛṣṇa not officially or to make show, he feels enlivened in rendering such transcendental service. Some of you must be feeling like that, I am sure; otherwise you cannot take so much responsibility, working all day, unless you feel. You see?

So that is the test. Kṛṣṇa-mādhurya. There is some transcendental ecstasy, feeling, in the service of the Lord. So in the beginning we may not relish that transcendental feeling, but as we go on, increasing, we'll feel it. Kṛṣṇa-sevā kare, kṛṣṇa-rasa-āsvādana. This is called kṛṣṇa-rasa. Just like anything we do, there is some humor, there is some taste. Suppose a person writes poetry. In writing that poetry he feels some taste; therefore he writes. Some, somebody plays on flute. So everything… Somebody drinks. So there is some particular taste. Similarly, transcendentally, you'll have a taste for Kṛṣṇa's service. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a taste of mellow, mellow, or, what is called, a humor. You'll like. You'll like to serve more and more. The more you serve, you'll like to serve more and more. That is transcendental service.

ihāte dṛṣṭānta-yaiche daridrera ghare

'sarvajña' āsi' duḥkha dekhi' puchaye tāhāre

Now, Lord Caitanya is giving one example, that a astrologer has come to a poor man's house. The astrologer sees that "This man is living very niggardly life, wretched life, but he should not have done like that. His horoscope says that he should be a rich man. His palmistry says that he should be a rich man."

ihāte dṛṣṭānta-yaiche daridrera ghare

'sarvajña' āsi' duḥkha dekhi' puchaye tāhāre

So the astrologer asks him, "Oh, I see you have got some good symptoms in your horoscope, in your palm. Oh, why you are suffering? Why you are suffering?" So…

'tumi kene duḥkhī, tomāra āche pitṛ-dhana

tomāre nā kahila, anyatra chāḍila jīvana'

"I see that you have got your paternal property hidden somewhere, hidden somewhere. You have got some money left by your father, but it is hidden somewhere. You have to find out. It is hidden somewhere."

sarvajñera vākye kare dhanera uddeśe

aiche veda-purāṇa jīve 'kṛṣṇa' upadeśe

Now, as you… Now, the poor man asked the astrologer, "Yes, what you say is right. I have heard also that my father is very rich man and he has left some money for me, but where he has kept, I do not find. Will you please let me know how I can find out?" So the astrologer… Astrologer, a perfect astrologer is called sarvajña. Sarvajña means he knows past, present and future. A real astrologer means he will tell you about your past life and he will tell you about your present life and your future life also. There is a system of astrology in India which is called Bhṛgu-saṁhitā. Any man will go, and if the expert in Bhṛgu-saṁhitā science, he will at once tell you what you were in your past life, how you are acting in this present life, and what is your next life. Therefore, perfection of astrology is in the Bhrgu-saṁhitā, and they is called sarvajña. In old Indian system, as soon as child is born, an expert astrologer will be called forth and there will be ceremony, jāta-karma, just after the birth. Just like, before giving birth to the child, there was some ceremony which is called garbhādhāna ceremony, and between the birth-giving ceremony and the child is born, there are two other ceremonies, sadhavakan (?). So after the birth of the child, the astrologer is called forth and he begins to tell about the future of the boy.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, when Mahārāja Parīkṣit was born, his father was dead, his grandfather. You know, his father was only sixteen years old when the boy was in the womb of his mother. In the battlefield he died. So when the child was born, the grandfather, Arjuna, and his elder brother, they are very much anxious to know how this child will become in future. Because a responsible king, they wanted to know "Whether the child is worth to our family?" So everything was spoken that is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that "This child will be like this, like this," and it was foretold that the at the last stage of his life, he will be cursed by a brāhmaṇa and he will die out of snake bite. "This child will die by snake bite." That was also foretold. And because the brāhmaṇa cursed, a brāhmaṇa boy cursed him that "Within seven days the king will die by snake bite…" That's a long story. Therefore, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he was not very old, but he understood that "I will have to die by snake bite, so let me get free from this royal responsibilities." He at once handed over his kingdom to his son and went to the bank of the Ganges and sat down there tight, without taking any food and drink, for seven days, and he heard Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the authoritative source of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and he died at the end of seven days. A snake came and bit him.

So this astrological calculation were then; still there are. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, when Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written, it was five thousand years before. It is stated there that in the beginning of Kali-yuga, there will be buddha-avatāra, incarnation. Vabhisekha (?). Vabhisekha means "there will appear." These are śāstra, these are astrological calculation, everything perfect. The other day, when I was discussed about Sanātana Goswami, how even an ordinary hotel keeper, he kept an astrologer who told the hotel keeper that "This man has got eight golden dollars." Just see. This is astrology. Even a thief could be conducted, guided by astrologer, and what to speak of others. So that was their system in India. So that example is being placed here by Lord Caitanya that the Veda, that is astrology for your guidance. For your guidance, the scripture is your astrologer. He knows your future, he knows your past. So therefore you should consult, you should consult, for our guidance.

Now, the astrologer is supposed to give some instruction to the poor man.

'ei sthāne āche dhana'-yadi dakṣiṇe khudibe

'bhīmarula-barulī' uṭhibe, dhana nā pāibe

Now, the astrologer says, is giving him, it is figurative, that "If you want to search out the Absolute Truth by ritualistic method…" Mostly people are attached to the particular faith and its ritualistic method. They consider this is everything. Veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ. They think that performing these rituals of a particular religion and faith, that is all; no more. So Lord Caitanya says, Lord Caitanya in the shape of that astrologer says, that if you follow-it is given figuratively, that he is searching after the wealth left by his father. Similarly, we have got our father, the Supreme, and He is the supreme proprietor of everything. If we try to find out our father and father's property by the ritualistic process-there are ritualistic processes in every religion and in every scripture-but if we stick to that, then the result will be they will be entrapped by the search, fanaticism, and it will be not possible to make progress. This is called dakṣiṇa system. Dakṣiṇa, dakṣiṇa means if he is giving him instruction that "Your house is bounded by east side, west side, north side and south side. So if you go to the south…" South is translated into Sanskrit, dakṣiṇa. And dakṣiṇa also means giving something to the priest in respect of his service for performing rituals. So this is figuratively being used, dakṣiṇa. Dakṣiṇa means priesthood. If you follow the priesthood, then the result will be that 'bhīmarula-barulī' uṭhibe, dhana nā pāibe. "There are some poisonous insects which will bite you, and you will not be able to dig out the wealth left by your father." So this poisonous effect is that the priesthood, they are for business. They will never give you the right thing, not it is in their power. Not it is in their power. That is going on. But if you find out, if you want to find out the Absolute Truth through this rituals and priesthood, then the result will be that you will be bitten by some poisonous insects and your attempt will be unsuccessful. Paścime, paścime khudibe.

'paścime' khudibe, tāhā 'yakṣa' eka haya

se vighna (karibe)-dhane hāta nā paḍaya

Then again, the system of ahaṅgama-pāsanā, pantheism, philosophical speculation, pantheism, monism, atheism, agnosticism, so many isms there are. So if you follow these isms, there is a jata, there is another danger which you will not get any information of the Absolute Truth.

'uttare' khudile āche kṛṣṇa 'ajagare'

dhana nāhi pābe, khudite gilibe sabāre

So uttara, uttara means uttara-mīmāṁsā. There is a philosophy which is called karma-mīmāṁsā. Karma-mīmāṁsā means there is no need of making your relationship with God. God is Supreme, accepted, but He is bound to give you the result of your honest work. This is another philosophy. So you work honestly, there is more or less moral principles. If you stick to the moral principle, ethics and morals, then you will be entrapped by the prideness that "Oh, I am very moral. I do not speak lies. I do not steal. I treat with my neighbors very nicely. So I have no necessity to search out father. I am quite all right." That means, this mundane moralist, if you become mundane moralist, or if you become mundane philosopher or if you stick to the ritualistic process of your particular faith, then there is no hope of reaching to the Absolute Truth. Mundane scriptural, ritualistic way and dry speculative philosophy and mundane moralists. Just like Arjuna and his brother. His eldest brother is Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira; he was very moralist, Dharmarāja. His name was "the king of religious principles," Dharmarāja. So Kṛṣṇa Himself advised him that "You go to Droṇācārya and tell him a lie, that 'Your son is dead. Your son is dead.' " Now Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, he was a mundane moralist, so "How can I tell lie? How can I tell lie? I have never spoken lie in my life." So there was some argument. Of course this was, fight was, some compromise was made between them in the camp. So he became a mundane moralist. He did not consider that "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is asking me to tell lie." So he could not transgress his moral principles so he could not become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He (was) considered mundane moralism, so it was not possible for him to become a Kṛṣṇa conscious person. He could not take Kṛṣṇa's order as the Supreme. But Arjuna, in the beginning, he was hesitating to fight and kill his kinsmen, and when he understood that "Kṛṣṇa wants this fight," he decided, "Yes, I shall do." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So these are the principles. If we stick to the particular type of ritualism-because I confess a particular type of faith, and my faith describes this sort of ritualism, I must follow-then you stick to that, you cannot make any progress. And if you go on simply philosophizing-this ism, that ism, that ism, nonsense-ism-then also you will not be able. And if you become mundane moralist, then also you will not be able. You have to become transcendental to all these mundane principles; then it will be possible to become perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious. So it is not transgressing, because as soon as you become really Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you become all: you become a philosopher, you become a ritualistic, you become actually moralist. What is the standard of morals? Can you explain? What is the standard of morality? Can you explain? Can any one of you say? Have you got any idea what is the standard of morality? The standard of morality is to obey the Supreme. That is standard of morality. Standard of morality does not mean that you manufacture something morality out of your concoction. No. Standard of morality is to obey the Supreme. That is standard of morality. Example. Example is, just like this State, the State has law that if you commit murder, then you will be hanged. It is immoral. If you commit theft, then you will be punished. But when the State says that you go and become a spy and become a thief and bring out these documents on the enemy's camp, that is morality. If you kill a man, you will be hanged. But when the State order, if you kill an enemy, hundreds of enemy, you will be awarded gold medal. So if you stick to the principle, theft and murder, and do not follow the State order, you will be considered, what is called, tyrant, or what is that? Traitor. Traitor.

So if in our practical experience we see to obey the order of the Supreme is morality, standard of morality, don't you think to obey the supermost supreme, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to obey Him, that is morality. That is morality. So if you stick to the mundane principle, then it will not be. Therefore the astrologer advises the poor man,

pūrva-dike tāte māṭi alpa khudite

dhanera jhāri paḍibeka tomāra hātete

In other words, that if you take this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service, a slight attempt will give you the treasury house of that wealth. A slight attempt. Sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. This is the only, only path. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that if you actually want God, then you will have to follow this process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord. That will make you successful. Even if you execute a little percentage of this process, then you will touch at once, at least you will know, "Oh, here is the hidden box containing the treasure." Now, gradually, you open it and then enjoy. But at once you will get information, "Here is the thing." So this is the process. Aiche śāstra kahe-karma, jñāna, yoga tyaji'.

Now, Lord Caitanya is explaining this system, different system, ritualistic, philosophical, meditation, morality, all these in śāstra-kahe. Real Vedic instruction… Just like, what is Veda? Veda means the words of the Lord. That is Veda. Scripture means the words of the Lord. God says, "Let there be light." God says, "Let there be creation." These words are scripture. Now one who takes out… Just like sound is transmitted from a certain place, and one who catches by the machine, he gets the information. Similarly, Veda means instruction transmitted by the Supreme Lord, and there are capable personalities, just like Brahmā, that capture it, and that is distributed, either in writing or by tradition, by hearing. That is scripture. The words of God. Now, here the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is personally speaking Bhagavad-gītā. Is it not Veda? That is Veda. That is real Veda. Sarva-upaniṣade. In the Gītā-māhātmya it is said, "This is the essence of all Veda." This is Vedānta. Simply by studying Bhagavad-gītā, one becomes a learned science in the science of God. So śāstra-kahe. And what is that śāstra? The essence of all śāstra, the essence of all scripture, asks you to do-the śāstra says, the Lord says-sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Give up everything, just surrender under Me." This is the most confidential part of knowledge.

So "give up everything" means there are different processes, different processes, ritualistic process, different religious processes, philosophical processes, meditation, so many. "Give up all them. Simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa." So Lord Caitanya is stressing on that point, that aiche śāstra kahe-karma, jñāna, yoga tyaji'. Karma. Karma means general activities on moral principle. That is called karma. Karma means, real karma means that you have to live, so you have to work. So work in such a way that you may not be entangled. Just like honest businessman, he works, he works according to the law. He does not play any blackmailing, and he pays the proper income tax to the government and the other taxes. He does nicely. This is called work, karma. You have to live. Without working you cannot live. But you work in such a way so that you may not be entangled. That is called work, karma. Now, this work is not the solution of your human life. You can get some morsel of bread and eat and drink and sleep and just enjoy your life and die like cats and dogs, that's all. And then you will take with you the result of your good work or bad work. That is karma. That is not solution. Then the next stage is, above this karma, this ordinary, general people, there is a class, they are thinkers. They are thinkers: "Whether this is the solution of life?" So thinkers, some of them are dry thinkers, they have no knowledge, but they think only. They do not get the source of knowledge from higher authorities; they manufacture their own way. So apart from that, those who are bona fide thinkers, they are called jñānī. Jñānī means that this process of karma cannot make solution of life. They push some philosophical thesis that "This is the solution of life." They are called jñānī. The others, yogis, they meditate. So what they meditate? Not they meditate falsely; they meditate, they concentrate the whole senses and put the focus on the soul and the Supersoul. So their endeavor is to make, reestablish with the Supersoul who is sitting in my heart. That is yoga system.

So all these systems can be adjusted only in one system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the version of all the śāstra, all the Vedas. Lord Caitanya also confirms that

aiche śāstra kahe-karma, jñāna, yoga tyaji'

'bhaktye' kṛṣṇa vaśa haya, bhaktye tāṅre bhaji

If you want Kṛṣṇa, if you want God, then you don't try to follow all these processes. You just try to follow devotional service to the Lord, bhakti, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will please Kṛṣṇa. Then by His pleasing, He will reveal to you. He will reveal to you. God being pleased with your sincere service and love, He will let you know. Just like Arjuna is being instructed by the Supreme Lord, and He says, "My dear Arjuna, I am speaking to you the most confidential part of knowledge." So if we become friends like Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal Himself, as He is revealing Himself, "I am this, I am that, I am this, I am that." (indistinct) So if you actually want to reestablish your lost relationship with Kṛṣṇa and God, then you have to adopt this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and nothing more.

Thank you very much. (end)

661128CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.137

New York, November 28, 1966

Prabhupāda:

na sādhayati māṁ yogaḥ

na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma uddhava

na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgaḥ

yathā bhaktir mamorjitā

So Lord Caitanya explained to the poverty-stricken man that simile. The astrologer is foretelling about the poverty-stricken man that "You are a very rich man's son. Your father has got so much wealth, but you do not know. Therefore you are suffering." To be poor man in this world, material world, is a curse for ordinary, general people. Those who are spiritually enriched, they have nothing to do with this poverty or richness of this material world. But those who are under the concept of material life, poverty is a curse for them. So living entities, they are not meant for being poverty-stricken because they are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, the supreme proprietor. Therefore he has, by his birthright, to enjoy the God's property. That is the law. But under spell of illusion, we have forgotten our relationship with the supreme father; therefore we are suffering. This is the diagnosis. Now we have to find out how to go home, back to go, back to home, back to Godhead. That should be the mission of human life. Never mind under what circumstances and why we are in contact with this material world, but we should come to this point by the instruction of the astrologer-like Vedic literatures. Just like the astrologer is giving hint to the poor man, similarly, the Vedic literature is also giving us hint, astrological instructions, that we can become the richest by reviving our lost relationship with our father.

So that process of reviving… There are different paths, different rituals. So Lord Caitanya says that no other method… Not only… Not Caitanya, but the Vedic literature says. So He is quoting one evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: na sādhayati māṁ yogaḥ. The Lord says that "The yoga process cannot achieve success in reaching Me." Na sāṅkhyam. Sāṅkhyam means philosophical speculation. "That also cannot reach Me." Na dharma. Dharma means religious principles. Uddhava: "O My dear Uddhava." This is an instruction just like Lord Kṛṣṇa gave instruction to Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gītā; similarly, He gave instruction to one of His cousin-brothers whose name was Uddhava. And that is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So in course of that instruction He says, "My dear Uddhava, yoga cannot achieve Me, neither sāṅkhya." Yoga means, real yoga means "connect, plus." Real yoga means "plus," "addition," just like in mathematics we have got addition and subtraction. So at the present moment we are in subtraction-God minus myself. I have no sense of God; therefore I am in minus condition. So yoga means God plus I. That is the real meaning of yoga. So long I was God-minus, now God-plus. But you must always remember. In the spiritual, absolute sense, God plus me is also God, and God minus me is also God. When I am minus, that does not mean God has lost some of His capacity. No. He is full. And when I am plus, it does not mean that God has increased in some capacity. No. The very good example is given, āpūryamāṇam acala-pratiṣṭha. Just like the ocean, Atlantic Ocean. In the… During summer season, rainy season, millions of tons water is evaporated by the sun to make, to create cloud, but if you see the Atlantic Ocean, it is the same. Similarly, after rainy season, millions of tons of water are poured into the ocean by overflow of rivers, but still, you see the ocean is the same. In the material world, if you can find out such things that an ordinary ocean… I say "ordinary" because there are millions of oceans floating in the air. Therefore we should not be very much astonished to see the Atlantic Ocean. Within this space, even within this material space, you have got millions and trillions of ocean like Atlantic. Just like a drop of water or less than that, an atomic portion of water, they are floating in the air. So that is the potency of God.

So yoga… Yoga means God plus myself, plus myself. The system is: those who are too much engrossed with this bodily conception of life, for them, yoga system is very good because it is a practice to withdraw the senses from their engagement in the external world to the inside. Pratyāhāra. And yama, niyama, asana, prāṇāyāma, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, pratyāhāra, samādhi-there are eight different stages of yoga practice. The first practice is yama. Yama, niyama. Under regulative principle, one has to try, endeavor, to control the senses about eating, about sleeping, about working. These are called yama-niyama. Then there are different kinds of sitting postures. They are called āsana. So yama-niyama means the first principle of yoga is to abstain from sex life. That is real yoga. Those who are indulging in sex life, intoxication, and so many nonsense things, they have no chance for any success in yoga. This is called yama-niyama. And then, after controlling, after sitting, then one has to sit nicely in a secluded place, in a sanctified place, and sit straight with your neck, head and body in one straight line. Then you have to see the tip of your nose without closing your eyes and not opening your eyes. If you open your eyes, then all this material manifestation will disturb you. And if you close your eyes, then you snap. (snores) I have seen. So many yogis are doing that, sleeping. (laughter) Yes. So these are the process. Then dhyāna, then concentration of the mind. Then what is the purpose of concentrating the mind? Just to find out myself, where I am within this body, and then find out where is Lord. This is the perfection of yoga. Simply that I am doing all nonsense whole day and night, and I am attending yoga class, paying five dollars to the class, and I am thinking, "Oh, I am a great yogi"-this is all nonsense. Yoga is not so easy thing. You see? So simply this… This is the simply exploitating, the so-called society. I tell frankly they are society of the cheater and the cheated. This is not the process of yoga.

So yoga process is very difficult at the present moment. Yoga… Because it is stated in the Vedic literature, that is an approved method. That's all right. But that method is very difficult in the modern age to perform. And what to speak of us, even five thousand years before, when the circumstances were more favorable and people were not so polluted and they were advanced in so many things, still, at that time a personality like Arjuna, he refused. When Kṛṣṇa asked him that "You become a yogi like this," he said, "It is not possible for me. It is not possible for me." So this is an overendeavor, to practice yoga in this age, which was refused by a personality like Arjuna. So yoga is not at all possible. It was possible in the Satya-yuga, when every man was in the modes of goodness. Every man was highly elevated. The yoga process is meant for the highly elevated personalities, not for ordinary man. So even that yoga practice is done very nicely and perfectly, that cannot take you to the Supreme Lord. That is denied here. What to speak of this pseudo yoga process, even if you perform it rightly, even if you do it nicely, perfectly, still, you cannot reach God. That is denied here. Na sādhayati māṁ yogaḥ na sāṅkhya. Sāṅkhya means just discriminate what is spirit and what is matter. That is called sāṅkhya. Samyak khyāpayate.

So by philosophical speculation this process is… Now, what is that philosophical speculation? What is this material world? They are divided into twenty-four parts, this material world. What are those? Now, the first thing is that what we see, the five material elements, the earth, water, fire, air, ether. These are material elements. These are studied. Then finer than the ether is the mind, then finer than the mind is the intelligence, and finer than the intelligence… Mana, buddhi, ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra means ego, ego, false conception, that "I am this matter." These are eight elements. Then your senses, five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses… Just like our eyes, ears, tongue, hand-all these five senses, they are acquiring knowledge. And five senses just like hands, legs, and evacuating hole, genital-these are five senses by which we are enjoying or suffering. And the five objects of senses. What is that? Form, rūpa; rasa, taste; smell; and… Rūpa; rasa; gandha; śabda, sound; sparśā, touch. So these five. So five plus eleven, and mind. Five plus eleven equal to sixteen, and these eight elements, twenty-four. The whole material world is analyzed into twenty-four parts. That analytical study is called sāṅkhya. Samyak khyāpayati iti sāṅkhya: complete, full analysis of this, whatever we are experiencing. And above that, that spirit soul, above that. Because these twenty-four elements, they are combination. Whatever we are thinking, whatever we seeing in this material world, they are combination of these twenty-four elements. And above that, there is the soul. And above that, there is God.

So Sankhyites, those who are simply analyzing this material world, they cannot find out what is soul. Sāṅkhya means the material scientist, one may, you may call. Just like material scientists, they are simply studying these material objects. They have no information above that. They have no information. Now I am talking with you, so they cannot explain what is that thing which is talking. They cannot analyze this body. Medical doctor, after dissecting this body, they cannot find out what is the spiritual force, what is working. That they cannot. So because they cannot find out even the particles of the Supreme Lord-we living entities, we are all particles of the Supreme Lord-so if they cannot find out the particle, what there is chance to find out God? So they cannot also find out God. Neither this yogi, they cannot find out the Supreme Lord, neither these materialists who are simply analyzing these material elements, they cannot. Na sāṅkhya.

Dharma. Dharma means rituals. Everyone has got some faith, and faith means… Just like Hindus are going to the church, er, in temple, and the Christians are going to the church, or Muslims, they are going to the mosque, they…, with idea that "Here is God." That is, of course, beginning. It is nice. But because they are trapped in simply the rituals, they have no other, further knowledge, so that also cannot help to reach because they are trapped. Every religious faith, because the fai… Of course, that conviction must be there. But they do not try to make any further advance. They think that "Here it is ended. Everything is ended here." Therefore they cannot make any progress. (aside:) Please sit down. Don't… So they cannot also. Then svādhyāya. Svādhyāya means study, study of these Vedic literatures. Without any guidance, if you… Just like so many ladies and gentlemen, they purchase books from the market. They have heard that Bhagavad-gītā is very nice book. So svādhyāya. Svādhyāya means studying the scriptures. Studying the Vedic literatures, that is called svādhyāya. Svādhyāya. And tapaḥ. Tapaḥ means penance. Somebody is fasting. Somebody is in the solitary place in the jungle. They are meditating. So many, there are process of penances and austerities. And tyāga, and renunciation. Just like sannyāsī, renounced order of life. So (the) Lord says, "All these processes-the yoga process, the sāṅkhya process, the ritualistic process, or studying the Vedas or undergoing severe type of penance and austerities-all these processes, combined together or individually, they are not suitable for achieving Me. They are not."

So practically every process is condemned herewith by the Supreme Lord, condemned in this sense, that they can approach to a certain degree, certain extent, towards the final goal. But that process will never be able to achieve to the final goal unless this devotional process is added there. Plus, this must be, the devotion, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because ultimate end is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. As we have several times discussed that verse from the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyante: [Bg. 7.19] "After many, many births, those who are actually intellectual, they come to Me and surrender to God, that 'Here is…' Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: [Bg. 7.19] 'God is everything.' Then he surrenders." So one has to come. Maybe you go by the yoga process, maybe you go by the philosophical process, maybe you go by the ritualistic process, maybe that you go by penances and by study. But unless you reach to this point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your attempt…, not failure, but there are different degrees. So people are satisfied with that different degrees only. They… Hardly they try to reach the final goal. But if anyone wants to reach the final goal, then he has to take this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhaktir mamorjitā. That process alone can take you to the Supreme Lord.

So those who are intelligent, they take this simple process. Now, especially in this age, even you cannot perform any other process. You cannot perform perfectly yoga, you cannot perform the religious rituals, neither you can study. The circumstances are so unfavorable that these processes are not possible in this age. Therefore Lord Caitanya, by His causeless mercy, He has given us this process:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

"In this age of Kali," harer nāma, "simply by chanting the holy name," harer nāma, "simply by chanting the holy name," harer nāma, again, thrice, "simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa…" Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam. You should always do this. Kalau: "In this age"; nāsty eva, "there is no other alternative," nāsty eva, "there is no other alternative," nāsty eva, "there is no other alternative." Three times again, nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā: "There is no other process." So these are stressed by the Vedic literatures. This verse is quoted from Bṛhad-Nāradīya Purāṇa. Out of eighteen Purāṇas, this Bṛhad-Nāradīya Purāṇa is also… So this is recommended. So Lord Caitanya's recommendation also is corroborating. He is not recommending this process by manufacturing Himself, but He is quoting from the authorized scripture and authorized sources so that people can accept it. So we should accept this process-

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

-and practically see that this is the only process of swiftly realizing the supreme truth, Absolute Truth. So we should follow Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously and sincerely.

Thank you very much. (end)

661129CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.137-142

New York, November 29, 1966

Prabhupāda:

na sādhayati māṁ yogaḥ

na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma uddhava

na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgaḥ

yathā bhaktir mamorjitā

So if you want God, Kṛṣṇa, then there is no other way except this devotional service. Neither yoga, neither philosophical speculation, neither ritualistic performances, nor study in the Vedic literature, neither penance, austerities… All these formulas which are recommended for transcendental realization, they may help us to advance to a certain extent, but if you want personal touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you have to adopt this devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other way.

So Lord Caitanya, giving evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam… He is giving:

bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ

śraddhayātmā priyaḥ sataṁ

bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā

śva-pākān api sambhavāt

There is another verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Lord says… The same chapter in which Lord Kṛṣṇa instructed Uddhava… Uddhava was also one of His cousin-brothers in the family. He was a great devotee, Uddhava. He was more advanced than Arjuna. There are different grades of devotees. The first-class devotees were the gopīs, the damsels of Vṛndāvana. Nobody could be compared with their devotional service. So next were Uddhava, then Arjuna. There are different grades of devotees also. So Uddhava was also a great devotee of (the) Lord, and he was also instructed similarly, just like Arjuna was instructed. So the Lord says to Uddhava, bhaktyā aham ekayā grāhyaḥ. Ekayā: simply by devotional service, one, this one method… God is one, and to achieve Him, the process is also one. Just like in your body there are many holes, nine holes, nine holes: these two nostrils, two ear, two eyes, one mouth, and genital and evacuation, these nine holes. So if you want to supply foodstuff within your body, that is the one way: this is the mouth. There is no other way. You cannot push the foodstuff through ears or eyes or genital. No. That is not possible. Therefore, similarly, if you want God, then the one way, bhaktyā aham ekayā… Ekayā. The foolish person says that "Whatever path you may adopt, you will go to God." There are certain rascals. They say like that. But this is misleading, completely misleading. You cannot, I mean to say, reach God by any other means except this means, this bhaktyā aham ekayā. It is clearly stated, ekayā. Ekayā means "only one." There is no second process. And the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is stated-you will find in the Eighteenth Chapter-bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. Tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ means in fact.

So you… Impersonal conception of Godhead, localized conception of Godhead or universal form of God, pantheism, monism-they are not perfect. If you want to know perfectly, then bhakti… It is stated in everywhere, in all Vedic literatures, evidentially in Bhagavad-gītā, which is present before us, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Everywhere you will find this only way, that devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. Tattvataḥ means "in fact." Partially you can know, but in complete… Of course, God cannot be known in complete, but the highest point a human being or a living entity can reach… That, the only process, through bhakti… Bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām. Śraddhā ātmā priyaḥ satām. That bhakti, that process of devotional service, is very dear to the actual transcendentalist, very dear. Bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā. Man-niṣṭhā. To know simply "I believe in God," that is not sufficient. The ultimate goal is to attain very intimate relationship or love of Godhead. That is required. Of course, to know, to believe in God, to accept God, that is all right. It is better than the atheist. But that is not end. You must develop yourself. You must… You should not simply make God as your order-supplier, but you should be order-supplier. When I become order-supplier to God, that is my perfection. And so long I keep God as my order-supplier, that is not bhakti. Generally, people keep God as his order-supplier: "O God, give us our daily bread," "O God, I am in distress, "O God, I am in difficulty, "O God, I am…" God supplies them. God is supplying. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. But that is not ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is that you should supply God. God will be dependent on you. That is bhakti.

Just like Yaśodāmayī. Yaśodāmayī, he (she) was so advanced in devotion that God became dependent on her. God appeared as his (her) child. As the child always remains dependent on the mercy of the mother, similarly Kṛṣṇa before His foster mother Yaśodāmayī just remained just like dependent. Mother said, "My dear child, if You become more naughty, then I shall chastise You." And God is crying. You see? These are the relationship between God and the devotee. You see? One who chastises the whole universe, whole creation, He is afraid of His mother. He becomes dependent as He likes. It is said in the śāstra that "When My devotee thinks Me dependent on him, oh, I like that. I like that." People always worship God as the sublime, but the devotee, they do not worship. They want to serve God as dependent. Just like mother serves the child as dependent. There is no purpose. The mother is satisfied simply by keeping the child in perfect order. Yes. There is no purpose. Similarly, when we shall be inclined to see that He is always satisfied, that is devotion. Then you can have God in your grip. You see? God is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, that He becomes just… Ajito 'pi. Nobody can conquer Him, but He becomes conquered by this kind of devotional service. You see? Ajito 'pi jito 'py asi. He becomes conquered. This is the process of conquering. What is the use of becoming one with God? You can conquer Him. You can have Him within your grips. Such is the process, devotional service. It is stated here. Ataeva. Therefore, Lord Caitanya concludes, ataeva 'bhakti'-kṛṣṇa-prāptyera upāya. Therefore, if you want Kṛṣṇa, then bhakti, the devotional service, is the only way.

ataeva 'bhakti'-kṛṣṇa-prāptyera upāya

'abhidheya bali' tāre sarva-śāstre gāya

Abhidheya means that is the transaction.

So in this life, while we are in the material world, so we have our material body. So this devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, doing everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this is just like, what is called, apprenticeship to reach that highest stage. The same thing will be there in your liberated stage in the spiritual kingdom. But here, by the order of the śāstra, by the guidance of the spiritual master, you are being trained up as apprentice. This is called abhidheya, abhidheya, practice, practice. But even in practice you will feel that "I am making progress." It is such a thing. 'Abhidheya' bali' tāre sarva-śāstre gāya. And,

dhana pāile yaiche sukha-bhoga phala pāya

sukha-bhoga haite duḥkha āpani palāya

taiche bhakti-phale kṛṣṇe prema upajaya

prema kṛṣṇāsvāda haile bhava nāśa pāya

Very important passage. Just note it carefully. Now, by apprenticeship, by practice, if one sincerely follows this practice, then what is the result? Dhana pāile yaiche sukha-bhoga phala pāya. Just like a poor man, if he gets sufficient money, then at once his all distress is over, at once, immediately. Simultaneously, as soon as the sun is in the sky, at once the darkness is gone. Just in the morning, a little, not sun directly, but even there is sunshine far away, immediately the darkness goes away. I am in distress; I am in poverty-stricken. Suppose I get immediately some large amount of money. Immediately my distress gone. So exactly like that, dhana pāile yaiche sukha-bhoga phala pāya, then automatically he becomes happy, a poor man when he gets money. Similarly, as soon as we have little taste of this devotional service, at once all our miserable life becomes happy at once. Yes. Sukha-bhoga haite duḥkha āpani palāya. And if there is happiness, where is the question of misery? If there is light, where there is question of darkness?

So a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he cannot be in distress of material miseries. It goes automatically, automatically. Taiche bhakti-phale kṛṣṇe prema upajaya. Similarly, by execution of this devotional service, gradually you develop love of God, love of God. And preme kṛṣṇāsvāda haile bhava nāśa… And as soon as you get a taste for Kṛṣṇa, you at once lose all this nonsense taste, culminating into sex life. The material taste means we want to gratify senses in so many ways, and the supermost point is sex life. So as soon as you get into touch with Kṛṣṇa and you develop Kṛṣṇa love, all this nonsense finished. Then you are liberated. And so long you are attached even to a pinch of material taste, there is no question of liberation from material miseries; you have to continue this transmigration from one body to another, and body means material miseries. The material body means material misery. You may get the body of a king or you may get the body of Brahmā or Indra, Candra or the ant or the insignificant animal. Any body, any material body, that is meant for miseries, miseries, tāpa-traya, threefold, threefold material miseries, and, besides that threefold miseries, ultimately birth, death, old age and diseases.

So to develop love of Kṛṣṇa means that is real liberation. And that love of Kṛṣṇa begins after many, many births of cultural life. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. When one surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa, that is the beginning of his real life. And as he makes progress, then he realizes-I have several times discussed this point-ādau śraddhā. First thing is that "I must get myself out of this material contamination." That is called śraddhā. "In this very life I shall realize." So this śraddhā, this belief and this determination, as you make more and more perfect, you make advance. You make advance. Not as official, not as makeshow, but really… Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅgaḥ. Then, as you are determined, so your taste for associating with devotees… Just like we are now associating with Lord Kṛṣṇa's, Lord Caitanya's, teaching. He is a great devotee. This is called sādhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅga tathā bhajana-kriyā. Then bhajana-kriyā, how to execute. Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu is teaching. You will gradually know what is the bhajana-kriyā, how to execute devotional service. That we shall come later on. Tato anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. And as soon as your devotional service, prescribed duties, are discharged, you become free from all material contamination. That is the test. Tato anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā. Then you become firmly convinced. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruci. Then taste. Athāsakti: then you cannot give it up, at any circumstances cannot give it up. Athāsaktis tato bhāvas: then you become fully in samādhi, in trance. Sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādur… These are the steps of attaining love of God. Love of God is not that you can immediately go and purchase from the market in the store. You have to practice it. The love is there within you. It is not artificial, neither an imposition by some person or… No. It is already there. If you kindly become submissively hearing this, by hearing only, and if you practice, it will be very nice and quickly we shall develop.

So hearing and practicing. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234]. Kirtana, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ jihvādau. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. The tongue especially meant, tongue. Tongue should be engaged, jihvā. How? Tongue should be engaged in glorifying. That is one business. And tongue should be engaged for eating kṛṣṇa-prasāda. These two things, chanting and eating. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. As soon as you submissively engage your tongue… Just see the technique: no other body, no other part. Tongue has been especially mentioned. And what is the business of tongue? I am speaking with the help of tongue. If there was no tongue, I could not talk with you. And another, I taste. So engage your tasting capacity of the tongue in kṛṣṇa-prasāda and engage your tongue in talking of Kṛṣṇa. Then this is the process. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. And as you engage them in this process, God will reveal to you. You cannot order God, "Please come and be stand up. I shall see You." He is not your servant. You have to please Him by your service attitude. Then He will reveal to you what He is. And that is bhakti. That is bhakti: taiche bhakti-phale kṛṣṇe prema upajaya. If you execute the devotional service, then you develop that love. And as soon as kṛṣṇa-prema āsvāda haile, bhava nāśa pāya… And as soon as you develop, the more the proportionate way of, you develop love of Kṛṣṇa, love of God, proportionately, you are free from this material contamination. When you are perfectly in Kṛṣṇa love, you are perfectly free from material contamination. This is the way of liberation.

dāridrya-nāśa, bhava-kṣaya-premera 'phala' naya

prema-sukha-bhoga-mukhya prayojana haya

So one should not think that "Now I am materially happy. My all distress, my all poverty, has gone by Kṛṣṇa, by devotional service of Kṛṣṇa," or "I have become liberated." No. These are by-products. To become liberated and to become materially happy by prosecution of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a by-product. You have to attempt further thing. And what is that? Prema-sukha-bhoga: you shall be absorbed in love of Kṛṣṇa. That is the… That is here recorded that that should be your ultimate goal of life. So we should not stop: "Oh, now I am very happy. Now I have no material miseries," or "I am liberated. Now this material contamination does not affect me." No. When you will be so much absorbed in love of God, just like Lord Caitanya showed… Cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me, govinda-viraheṇa me: "Oh, I am crying. Just My tears coming, just torrents of rain from My eyes." Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvam: "I am seeing everything vacant." Why? Govinda-viraheṇa me: "In separation of Govinda." That is highest stage of life. Govinda-viraheṇa me. Just like in this material world, if you love somebody and if he is dead and passed and gone, you see everything vacant. That is a test of that govinda viraha. But we are foolish. We know that everything will be finished here. Why should I give so much attachment to this nonsense? Give your attachment to Kṛṣṇa. He will never be finished. So that is love of Kṛṣṇa. We have to attain that stage. Yes. That is the perfection of life.

Thank you. (aside:) You are going? (end)

710224CC.BOM

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.137-146

Bombay, February 24, 1971

Haṁsadūta: The lecture was recorded the morning of 24th March, 1971, at Akasha Ganga, Bombay.

Prabhupāda:

…na sāṅkhyaṁ dharma uddhava

na svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo

yathā bhaktir mamorjitā

We have explained this verse yesterday, that in order to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhakti, devotional service is required. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: [Bg. 18.55] "Simply through devotional service one can understand Me." Not through knowledge, not through fruitive activities. There are various types of men. The lowest stage is the karmīs. Karmīs means those who are working very hard for sense gratification. They are called karmīs. And the next stage is the jñānī. Wiser than the karmīs, they try to realize the value of life, what is the value of life. Not that blindly, simply working hard day and night. Actually, human form of life is not meant for that purpose, to work so hard. Because the animals… Our tendency is also… Therefore the capitalists and the laborer class are there. Actually, we do not want to work hard. That is our tendency. But we want more profit for sense gratification. Therefore we utilize other's service, who will work for me, and I shall take the profit. This is the defect of modern civilization. Actually, my tendency is… Just like when a man gets some money, he does not work very much. He takes some profit, either keeping in the bank some balance, and lives in a comfortable place. That is the tendency. Because we are spiritual entities, our natural tendency is to enjoy life. Spiritual entities means by nature, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12); by nature, they want to enjoy life. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. That is the spiritual nature. As Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is by nature joyful, similarly, we being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are also by nature joyful. But unfortunately, we have been put into such condition, material condition, that we are trying to enjoy life in this material condition. That is not possible. So karmīs, they are trying their best to make material adjustments and enjoy life. They are called karmīs. But when they are wiser, that "We have worked so hard, but actually we could not enjoy life. Then what is the problem of life?" that is the platform of the jñānīs and the yogis.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that these karmīs, the jñānīs… In another place, in His instruction to Rūpa Gosvāmī, He has said that in the human society there are different kinds of people. Out of that, those who are followers of the Vedic civilization, they are supposed to be first-class human being. So out of the followers of Vedic civilization, mostly they say that "We are followers of Vedic civilization," but actually they do not do. Actually, they, I mean to say, indulge in anything which is not sanctioned by the Vedic knowledge or Vedic scriptures. Take, for example, that in our Vedic civilization, these four things are prohibited: illicit sex life, animal-killing, intoxication, and gambling. This is the preliminary understanding. Especially those who are higher caste-brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya-they are strictly forbidden. That is the Vedic injunction. But although we pose ourself followers of Vedic injunction, we indulge in these things. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Most people, they call themselves as followers of Vedic civilization, but actually they do not obey all the rules and regulations." Then again He says that "Persons who are actually trying to follow the Vedic rules and regulations, mostly they are karmīs." Karmīs means they are attracted by the ritualistic ceremonies just like performing great sacrifices, yajña, for elevating oneself to the higher planetary system. They are called karmīs. "And above them," He says, "out of many thousands of karmīs, one person is jñānī or yogi. So out of many such jñānīs, one person may be a mukta, or liberated soul. And out of many thousands of liberated souls, there may be one devotee of Kṛṣṇa." That is the division Caitanya Mahāprabhu makes.

Therefore, to become a person Kṛṣṇa conscious, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, from the systematic way, it is very difficult. But by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa Himself, He has made the path very easy. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not very easy path. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says,

bhaktyā aham ekayā grāhyaḥ

śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām

bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā

śva-pākān api sambhavāt

Simply by devotional service, one becomes purified even he is born in the family of the dog-eaters. That is the Vedic version. Caitanya Mahāprabhu quotes from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ataeva bhakti kṛṣṇa prāptyera. Therefore He concludes that "If you want at all Kṛṣṇa…" Kṛṣṇa… We should, everyone should want Kṛṣṇa. Because as soon as we get Kṛṣṇa… Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If actually we get Kṛṣṇa, then we shall not consider any other profit more valuable than Kṛṣṇa. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja went to practice yoga in the forest, Madhuvana. The idea was to get the kingdom of the father. Now, actually when he saw Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu… The picture is here. You can see. Actually when he saw by his severe austerities and penances…, a small boy, five-years-old boy, then he said, "My dear Lord, now when You offer benediction that 'You take whatever benediction you want, you take from Me,' " he said, svamin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. That is the process. If one gets Kṛṣṇa, he thinks that no more any other benediction is required. He becomes fully satisfied. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi: "I am fully satisfied." Therefore we find a Kṛṣṇa-bhakta is always satisfied because he has no demand.

In other place Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, kṛṣṇa bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śānta [Cc. Madhya 19.149]. So long you have got demands to fulfill your desires, you cannot be happy. Kṛṣṇa bhakta, kṛṣṇa bhakta has no demand. They do not demand that "Kṛṣṇa, favor me in this way or that way." No. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. They are completely free from demanding anything from Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa, pure devotee. Kṛṣṇa bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śānta. Therefore they are pacified, they are peaceful. And bhukti mukti siddhi kāmī sakali aśānta. Bhukti means these karmīs, they want elevated life of sense gratification, bhukti. That is called bhukti. From bhoga, bhukti. Bhukti or mukti, liberation. They are also not, I mean to say, peaceful because they are making sādhana, austerities, penances, to get liberation. There is demand, that "I shall be liberated." So there is demand. So the karmīs, they have also demand; the jñānīs, they have also demand; and the yogis, they have also demand because they want siddhi, eight kinds of siddhis. Aṇimā, laghimā. A yogi can become very light. They can become the smallest. Such siddhis, such mystic powers, they can attain. So they have also demand. They are trying to get some material perfection. Just like flying in the sky or walking on the water-these things are very wonderful, and people are very much amazed. If you can walk on the water, so many followers you will get immediately. That is a wonderful thing for common man.

So they yogis want these mystic powers. Therefore they have also demand. Muktis, the jñānīs, they have also demand; the karmīs also have the demand. But the bhaktas… Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We accept Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the ideal bhakta. He's teaching us how to become exceptionally perfect devotee. So He says in His Śikṣāṣṭaka, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]. "I do not want riches," na dhanam. Na janam, "I do not want number of followers." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. "I do not want very beautiful, nice, poetic wife." Mama janmani janmanīśvare. Janmani janmani means He does not want even liberation, because when there is liberation, there is no question of janmani janmani. So He says, mama janmani janmani īśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. So this is the sample of pure devotee. A pure devotee does not want even liberation. Dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti. If liberation is offered to a devotee, he does not want it. He'll refuse to accept it. He is satisfied only in the service of the Lord. That is the standard of satisfac… Or in other words, to a devotee, liberation is not very valuable thing. Just like our one devotee, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī… No, Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. He says, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Like that. So devotee's position is very sublime. Devotee's position is the most exalted, transcendental position of a pure devotee who does not want anything except Kṛṣṇa.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttama

[Brs. 1.1.11]

That is…

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ataeva bhakti kṛṣṇa prāptyera. The conclusion is that if you want Kṛṣṇa, then you have to take the path of devotional service. That will help you. And that bhakti is technically known as abhidheya. That is the technical…, abhidheya. Abhidheya means discharging one's duty. That is abhidheya, or the performance of the means by which one can reach the ultimate goal of life. That is called abhidheya.

dhana pāile yaiche sukha bhoga phala pāya

sukha-bhoga haite duḥkha āpani palāya

taiche bhakti-phale kṛṣṇe prema upajaya

preme kṛṣṇāsvāda haile bhava nāśa pāya

He says that "If a poor man gets some money, not only he becomes happy, but the symptoms of his poverty is also immediately vanquished." Just like a poor man gets, say, ten lakhs of rupees. Immediately he'll have a nice bungalow, he'll have two, three cars, and so many other opulences. So simultaneously, the distress out of his poverty-stricken life is also vanquished, and there are symptoms of sukha, symptoms of happiness. We suppose like that. If a man has got a car, we think he's very happy. But this is a symptom of happiness. A poor man cannot get a car, but a rich man cannot get… If one has got a car, it is understood that he is rich man. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that automatically the symptoms of happiness come unto him, and his distress of material condition simultaneously becomes vanquished if one is elevated to the position of devotional service. That is the test. That is the test of how one is advanced in devotional service. This is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca [SB 11.2.42]. He is no more interested in material happiness. He is fully satisfied with Kṛṣṇa. Taiche bhakti-phale kṛṣṇe prema upajaya. Kṛṣṇa bhakti-phale. These, by the, as a result of kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service… The same devotional service for the neophyte and the same devotional service for the advanced devotee, but the advanced devotee enjoys life, but the neophyte devotee simply practices. That is the difference. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives the example: just like mango. The mango remains the same, but in the unripe stage the taste is little different, whereas in the ripened stage the taste is different. So bhakti in the beginning maybe tastes a little pungent. One may feel very inconvenient to discharge devotional service according to the rules and regulations of the śāstra. But when he is advanced, the same service will appear to be very palatable, very relishable.

yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ

manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ

yasmin sthite guruṇāpi

duḥkhena na vicālyate

[Bg. 6.20-23]

So devotional service… Because it is transcendental, pure, spiritual, and we are, every one of us, hankering after to be elevated to the spiritual stage of life because we are spiritual entities. The same example, as I have repeatedly explained, that if you take a fish out of the water, however you may keep comfortably on the land, it will never be happy unless and until it is again thrown in the water. Similarly, we are all spiritual sparks, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7]. So however we may try to make ourself happy by material adjustment, it is not possible. We must turn to the spiritual life, or devotional… Spiritual life means devotional service. That is real spiritual life. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi-bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. "One who is engaged in bhakti-yoga service," sa guṇan samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26], "he's already in the Brahman stage." People cannot understand how bhakti is on the Brahman platform. But here the Lord Himself says, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate.

dāridrya-nāśa bhava-kṣaya-premera 'phala' nay

prema-sukha-bhoga-mukhya prayojana haya

So when one is elevated in the platform of devotional service, it is not that he gets some material happiness, that is the result. No. Material happiness automatically comes to him. Material happiness…, a devotee is not bereft of material happiness. Automatically (it) comes to him.

So that is not the ultimate goal of a devotee's life. A devotee's ultimate goal of life: how he becomes, I mean to say, a lover of the Supreme Lord. The example are the gopīs, or the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. They had no other desire. They simply wanted to love Kṛṣṇa. They wanted to see Kṛṣṇa very happy. That feeling of happiness, that thinking of Kṛṣṇa, that is the highest perfection of life. Always, constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That was their happiness. They did not try to derive any material happiness by loving Kṛṣṇa. There was no such thing. That is pure love.

dāridrya-nāśa bhava-kṣaya-premera 'phala' naya

prema-sukha-bhoga-mukhya prayojana haya

So we should be trying for that position when we shall relish what is the position by loving Kṛṣṇa, by loving God.

veda-śāstre kahe sambandha abhidheya prayojana

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa-bhakti prema-tina mahā-dhana

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu concludes again that we are after dhana. Dhana are riches. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that Kṛṣṇa and kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service, and love of Kṛṣṇa, these three items are the topmost riches of our life. Vedādi sakala śāstre kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service, and love of Kṛṣṇa, these three items are the topmost riches of our life.

vedādi sakala śāstre kṛṣṇa-mukhya sambandha

tāṅra jñāne ānuṣaṅge yāya māyā-bandha

Caitanya Mahāprabhu further says that the purpose of studying Vedas means to understand Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as one understands Kṛṣṇa, automatically the tinges of māyā, the influence of māyā, automatically becomes vanquished. That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam…, er, Bhagavad-gītā, that,

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti (te)

[Bg. 7.14]

"It is very difficult to surmount the stringent laws of material nature, but anyone who surrenders unto Me, very easily, automatically, simultaneously he becomes freed from the contamination of māyā."

mukhya-gauṇa-vṛtti, kiṁvā anvaya vyatireke

vedera pratijñā kevala kahaye kṛṣṇake

Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Directly or indirectly, whichever Vedic literature you study, you'll find that the aim is to understand Kṛṣṇa." When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was speaking, He proved that in the Koran there is kṛṣṇa-bhakti. When He was coming back from Vṛndāvana, at a place… It is known as Soro. Perhaps you know, Soro. That is a holy place, Soro. Still, people go there. There is a nice place, Soro. So there Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was chanting and dancing, He sometimes fainted. So in the course of His chanting and dancing, when He fainted, then His personal assistants, they were treating Him. So one batch of soldiers, Moghul, Pathan soldiers, were passing that way. So the chief of the soldiers, of the army, they were surprised that "How is that? One man is lying unconscious, and others are treating him. This must have been, this man must have been poisoned by these men." So they came down, because they were government men, they came down and challenged all these men that "You have given this man some drug so that he's fainted, and you wanted to plunder him. So we arrest you." Then they said, "No, sir. We have not done anything such. He faints like that while chanting. Now He'll be… Very soon He'll get up, because we are also chanting. Hearing, hearing, He will get up." So in this way, when He came to His consciousness, the Muslims, these Pathan soldiers, they were very happy to see Him. So there was a Mullah. So he talked with Him. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu… I am summarizing the story; this story is very big. He talked with that Mullah, and He proved from the Koran that there is kṛṣṇa-bhakti. He proved from the Koran that there is kṛṣṇa-bhakti, there is hint of kṛṣṇa-bhakti. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says here also that indirectly… When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, you should know, Kṛṣṇa means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You may call Him by any other name; that is a different thing. But Kṛṣṇa means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

mukhya-gauṇa-vṛtti kiṁvā anvaya vyatireke

vedera pratijñā kevala kahaye kṛṣṇake

You take any literature, any Vedic literature, religious literature, you'll find that the whole literature, whole knowledge is aiming at Kṛṣṇa. That is the purport of all Vedas and religious scripture.

kṛṣṇera svarūpa-ananta vaibhava-apāra

cic-chakti māyā-śakti jīva-śakti āra

Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu is explaining what is the identification of Kṛṣṇa. In the beginning He says, kṛṣṇera svarūpa ananta. Kṛṣṇa has form, svarūpa. Kṛṣṇa is not formless, but He has got many millions of forms. Not one form, many millions of forms. But He has form. He is not impersonal. Kṛṣṇera svarūpa ananta. Ananta means unlimited. That is also confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.33]

The Brahma-saṁhitā says that advaita acyuta. Advaita means although Kṛṣṇa has many forms, many expansions, still, they are one. There is no duality. Just like Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, They are one. They are not different. Similarly, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. Beginning from Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, He has got innumerable forms. Tiṣṭhan: He is existing always with all these forms, expansions, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā. Just like Kṛṣṇa existing in everyone's heart. There are millions and trillions of living entities. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Kṛṣṇa is existing. That is Kṛṣṇa's omnipotency. If you do not try to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, with inconceivable omnipotency, then you cannot understand God. That is not possible. So Kṛṣṇa… Just like we are sitting here; we are not sitting in the other room. But Kṛṣṇa can see in innumerable rooms simultaneously at one time. Therefore He is all-pervading. Just like Kṛṣṇa married 16,108 wives. Nārada came to see Kṛṣṇa, and every palace he entered he saw Kṛṣṇa was there. And with some wife, in some wife's palace He is playing with children, or some wife's He's just taking bath. In another palace He was playing chess. In this way he differently saw Kṛṣṇa in different palaces. So in 16,000 palaces he saw Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that He married 16,000 wives, but He remained one. He also expanded Himself sixteen hundred times. That is Kṛṣṇa. He can expand Himself. Rāsa-līlā… Rāsa-līlā, every gopī was feeling that "Kṛṣṇa is dancing with me." So many gopīs. That is Kṛṣṇa. He can expand. But He has got form. He is not formless. The Māyāvādī philosopher thinks because Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading, therefore He has no form. No. That is not fact. He has form, but His form is not like your form and my form. This form is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā: advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Acyuta. And He does not fall down. Acyuta means thing which does not fall down. So just like we are, we are living entities, we fall down in the clutches of māyā. But Kṛṣṇa does not fall down. The Māyāvādī philosophers mistake that. They think that as we come to this material world with a material body, similarly, Kṛṣṇa also comes with a material body. No. That is not the fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā manuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.11]. Mūḍha. Mūḍha means those who are not intelligent. "They think that I am also ordinary man." Therefore there is controversy, "Why I shall worship Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa cannot… The Supreme Lord cannot come in this way, just like ordinary man, and making friendship with Arjuna and driving his chariot, or dancing with the gopīs." They cannot conceive. They cannot accommodate within their tiny brain that Kṛṣṇa is so powerful. He's so… We say that Kṛṣṇa, God is all-powerful, God is all omnipotent, but when God shows actually that He's omnipotent, all-powerful, they do not believe. That is their defect. But the manifestation which Kṛṣṇa showed when He was actually present, He's the Supreme Lord.

aiśvaryasya samagrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

ṣaṇṇāṁ bhaga itīṅganā

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

He fully manifested, or demonstrated, the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no other supreme power or supreme personality than Myself."

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the same thing. What Kṛṣṇa has said in the Bhagavad-gītā, what is spoken about Kṛṣṇa in all the Vedic literature, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the same thing in His teaching to Sanātana Gosvāmī. So we shall discuss further.

Thank you very much.

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: What is that? Mecca?

Guest: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: As have got pilgrimage, everyone has got pilgrimage. Muslims have got, Christians they have got, Hindus they have got. That means they go to pilgrimage with God consciousness. So in Koran there is God consciousness, in Bible there is God consciousness, in Vedas God consciousness. Now you have to utilize it, develop it. The aim and objective is already there. But in the Vedic literature they are very explicitly presented. That is the difference. The Christians, they agree, "God is great." We also agree, "God is great." But how God is great, that is explained in the Vedic literature. That is the difference between… There is no difference of opinion if one is actually religious. God created this world, God is the supreme father, God is great. This is accepted by everyone, either Hindu or Muslim or Christian. There is no doubt about it. But in the Vedic literature you'll understand how God is great, how He is acting as father. That's all. Even God's name is there, God's address is there. Do you agree to this point? Yes, that is the difference. Any other scriptures, if you ask what is the name of God, what is His address, what He is doing, they cannot give you. But we can give. We do not give; God Himself gives, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "My address is like this." What is that? Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. That is address. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg. 8.20]. God is giving address. We have to note down. And His name is Kṛṣṇa. You'll find Vyāsadeva is writing śrī bhagavān uvāca, "the Supreme Personality of Godhead speaking, or Kṛṣṇa." And in the śāstras there is list of incarnation of God. And Vyāsadeva concludes: ete cāṁśa kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: [SB 1.3.28] "All the list, comprehending list, they are either part or part of the part of God. But the name Kṛṣṇa," kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, "He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Similarly, in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said,

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. And Kṛṣṇa also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ kiñcid asti, kiñcid asti dhanañjaya. "There is no more." Everyone is cause. You are… You are… Your cause for appearance is your father. The cause of your father's appearance is his father. You go on-father, father, father, father-you reach Brahmā, who is called the supreme forefather. Then Brahmā is also born of Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And the Garbhodakaśayī is also appeared from Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. In this way, go on, go on. And Saṅkarṣaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha-there are so many. And at last you reach Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes.

So Kṛṣṇa's name is there, God's name is there, God's address is there, and how to reach God, the process is there. Then why you'll not utilize this? What is the reason? Why you say, "Can you show me God? Is there any God?" Why do you say like this? What is the reason? Everything, information, is there, and still you say, "Can you show me God? Who is God? There is no God. God is dead." Why do you talk like that? If you say that "How we can understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord?" then you have to approach authorities. Just like if you want to purchase some diamonds, you cannot understand whether it is diamond, but you go to a jeweler and he'll say yes or no. "Yes, it is real." So you have to go to the authorities. Who are the authorities? At least, in our country. Not only in… All countries. So our authorities, the whole Vedic civilization is going on under the authorities of ācāryas. They are coming by disciplic succession. Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya-there are so many authorized ācāryas. The śāstra is there, the authoritative statement is there, and the activities are there. Then what reason you have got not to believe that Kṛṣṇa is not God? What reason you have got? Here is God. And those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, actually see their life, how they are advanced in God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

But the difficulty is, as Kṛṣṇa says,

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhā

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ

[Bg. 7.15]

The duṣkṛtinaḥ, the miscreants, those who are always engaged in mischievous activities… Such persons are called duṣkṛtina. So duṣkṛtina class, na māṁ duṣkṛtina mūḍhā. Mūḍha means less intelligent or foolish class men. Na māṁ duṣkṛtina mūḍhā prapadyante. "They do not accept Me," narādhama, "the lowest of the mankind." "No, they have got very much educated." Kṛṣṇa says, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. "Yes, they are educated, but their knowledge has been taken away by māyā." Why? Āsuri-bhāvam āśritāḥ. "Because they have taken to this view, 'There is no God.' " On this account they cannot understand in spite of high degrees of university education. Māyāyapahrta-jñāna. So Kṛṣṇa says like that. The only reason is because duṣkṛtina mūḍhā māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuri-bhāvam… Therefore, in spite of all evidences from the śāstras, they'll not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead. That's it. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja requested his father so many times, but still, he did not agree that there is God. [break] But he agreed there is God when he was killed by God. Yes. That you cannot escape. Then you'll see God: "Here is God." The asuras, they'll never accept God, but when they are killed by God, they understand that "Yes, there is God." That is the difference between asuras and devas. The devas, they accept God while living, and the asuras accept God by being killed. That's all. And who can escape killing? Is there any scientist, is there any philosopher, any great man who can stop being killed by the cruel death? Is there any man? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham [Bg. 10.34]. "I am mṛtyu." Mṛtyu means death, which takes away everything at a time. Just like "I am very rich man," "I am very big industrialist," "I am prime minister," this, that, so many things. "I am in possession of all I survey. I am the master of my country and everything." That's all right. As soon as death comes, "Oh, I am Jawaharlal Nehru," "I am Gandhi," "Oh! Never mind! Please go away! Finish Stop your all leadership." That is God. You don't believe, you may not believe God, but when death comes you have to believe in God. Let the scientists and let the big leaders and rich men protect himself from death. Then you can say that there is no God. [break] This atheism, denying the existence of God, is not very good. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important. (pause) Prasāda, you have given prasāda? I'll take first of all… (end)

661130CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.142

New York, November 30, 1966

Prabhupāda:

dāridrya-nāśa, bhava-kṣaya-premera 'phala' naya

prema-sukha-bhoga-mukhya prayojana haya

So by devotional service one should not expect, "My miserable material condition may be improved" or "I may be liberated from this material entanglement." So that is also a kind of sense gratification. If I want that "Let me be free from this entanglement…" Just like the yogis and the jñānīs, they try. They try to be free from this material entanglement. But in the devotional service there is no such desire, because it is pure love. There is no expectation that "I shall be profited in this way." No. It is not a profitable commercial business, that "Unless I get in return something, oh, I shall not practice the devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no question of profit. Lord Caitanya prays to the Lord like this:

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye

mama janmani janmanīśvare

bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

[Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]

"Oh," He says, "My dear Lord, Jagadisa…" Jagadisa means the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Jagat, jagat means this world, material world or spiritual world, all worlds. Jagat. Jagat gacchati iti jagat: "Which is progressing, that is called jagat." So Jagat-īśa, the supreme master of this jagat, going concern. "Jagadīśa, O the supreme master of this jagat, I pray unto You that I do not want," na dhanam, "I do not want any wealth," na janam, "I do not want any number of followers…" Na janaṁ na dhanaṁ na kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Kavitām means very nice wife, poetical… "I do not want." "Then what do You want?" Mama janmani janmanīśvare. Janmani janmani [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4] means "birth after birth." So He does not want liberation also. Because when we speak of liberation, there is no birth. Mad-gatvā punar janma na vidyate: "One who reaches the kingdom of God, he hasn't got to come back again to take birth here." So here Lord Caitanya says, mama janmani janmani: "Birth after birth." That means "I do not want liberation also." Mama janmani janmani.

"Then what do You want?" Īśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī: "My dear Lord, I may be put in any condition of My life, but please bestow this benediction, that I may not forget You. That's all. I may not forget You. Because due to My forgetfulness I am suffering so much. So if I can remember You, I don't mind in whatever condition I am." He has to give the factual fact. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābham. In the Bhagavad-gītā in the Sixth Chapter we find in the yoga system, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ: "When one achieves that perfection of yoga," yaṁ labdhvā, "by gaining that perfection," yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābham, "then he has no other desire to achieve." Just like we achieve something in this material world, but that does not stop our desire to achieve something more. I may achieve millions of dollars, but that does not make me satisfied. I want further ten millions of dollars. And when I get further ten millions of dollars, then I desire for further hundred millions of dollars. There is no cessation. So here is a thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who is perfect in that system, bhakti-yoga system, the Bhagavad-gītā says, yam labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ. Adhikam means "greater than this." We want, we desire something which is greater than what I possess now. Therefore I desire. I have got hundred millions dollars, and I want million millions of dollars, because that amount is greater than what I possess now. But one who possesses this devotional service, he does not think anything there is in the world which is more valuable than this. So why should he inquire? Why should he desire? He has got the sublime thing. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābham. Lābham means gain. Manyate na: "He does not think." Na. What is that? Adhikam. Adhikam means greater. If I have got two dollars' possession and if you offer me ten dollars, I think, "Oh, it is better." So he possesses such a thing that nothing is greater than because he possesses devotional service. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not different from Kṛṣṇa. So therefore he possesses Kṛṣṇa, and what thing can be greater than Kṛṣṇa? Therefore he is fully satisfied.

yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ

manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ

yasmin sthito guruṇāpi

duḥkhena na vicālyate

[Bg. 6.20-23]

"And one who is situated in that condition, then guruṇāpi duḥkhena, the severest type of miseries, offered to him, he is not shaken." He is steady. He is steady. Just like a five-year-old boy, Prahlāda Mahārāja, and his father, atheist: "Oh, you rascal boy. You are chanting God's name? Who is God? I am God. Why don't you chant my name? If you don't do that, then I shall throw you in the fire." Oh, he is steady. He said, "Father, I cannot do that," this little boy. "You nonsense, you cannot do that? How do you dare to speak before me like this? Even the demigods, they are afraid of me." "Oh, yes, father. By the mercy of whom you are speaking so nicely, so by the mercy of Him I am speaking also like that." "Oh, I don't care for anyone's mercy." So this is… And so much wrath of his severe father, oh, he is not… Steady. Steady. So that is the characteristic of a pure devotee. Even in the greatest difficulty, even in the greatest danger, he is not shaken; he is steady. Yaṁ labdhvā. This is the perfection of yoga. When one is steady in every circumstances, that is the perfection of yoga. That can be achieved easily by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ

manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ

yasmin sthito guruṇāpi

duḥkhena na vicālyate

[Bg. 6.20-23]

So here also we should not be aspiring after improving our material condition or liberation or anything. These are all desire, desires. They say that "desireless," but desire cannot be completely absent because I am living entity. So my desire should be not to forget Kṛṣṇa. That's all, that one desire. That is real desire. And all other desires, they are foolish. So we cannot be desireless, but we should desire only bona fide. Just like I am part and parcel of the Supreme. So if I desire to work in cooperation with the Supreme, that is my natural position. That is desirelessness. If you… Suppose in this material condition, if you desire to eat, oh, that is natural. So long you have got this body, you have to eat. If somebody says, "Oh, you are desiring eating…?" Nobody says like that. Similarly, what is natural desire, that is permitted. And what is not natural, that is called "become desireless." Don't desire like this, unnatural. So desirelessness means not to desire unnatural thing. But to desire Kṛṣṇa's remembrance, that is natural. Because I am part and parcel, how can I forget? This forgetfulness is the cause of my so many desires. And as soon as I desire Kṛṣṇa, there will be no other desire. That is desirelessness.

So prema-sukha-bhoga-mukhya prayojana haya. Prema-sukha. The happiness in the matter of our reciprocation as the whole and the part and parcel, that sense is the highest pleasure. That we should aspire after, not that by becoming Kṛṣṇa consciousness we may desire some material profit. That is not.

veda-śāstre kahe sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana

kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-bhakti, prema-tina mahā-dhana

Now, we are aspiring after possessing something, possessiveness. What we should possess? The possession is Kṛṣṇa, and desire is reciprocation between Kṛṣṇa and myself, and the ultimate end is love. That's all. Just like we have got perverted reflection of that love here between the two lovers. They don't want anything. He wants she, and she wants he. That's all. That is desire and their reciprocation of loving affairs and the ultimate end, that they are peaceful in love. This is only perverted reflection of the real love, which is reciprocated with Kṛṣṇa. Here there is no possibility of love. This is all lust. But we call it love because it is just a reflection. Just a real… That is real, and this is unreal. Just like shadow and reality. There is gulf of difference between the shadow and reality. So whatever love we see in this world, that love is only a perverted reflection of that real love with Kṛṣṇa.

vedādi sakala śāstre kṛṣṇa-mukhya sambandha

tāṅra jñāne ānuṣaṅge yāya māyā-bandha

So a devotee is not anxious for liberation because his intimate connection with Kṛṣṇa means he is liberated. One cannot be in intimate touch with Kṛṣṇa unless one is liberated. So liberation and intimate connection with Kṛṣṇa, the same thing.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

[Bg. 7.28]

Yeṣām… Have you got Bhagavad-gītā here? Yes. Just try to find out this śloka. I don't remember where it is. I think in the Eighth Chapter.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

[Bg. 7.28]

Yeṣām. Yeṣām means those who are anta-gataṁ pāpam. Pāpam means sinful reactions. One who has surpassed all sinful reactions. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānām. Such persons, puṇya-karmāṇam, who have done never any sinful action but always engaged in the matter of pious activities, puṇya-karmāṇam, such persons can only devote himself fully in the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa. (aside:) Have you got it? What is that?

Devotee: "But those men of virtuous deeds whose sin has come to an end, freed from the delusion of dualities, worship Me, steadfastly avowed."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So to worship Kṛṣṇa steadfast means he is liberated from delusion. That is mukti. One who has got still some doubt-"Why shall I worship Kṛṣṇa?"-that means still in delusion, and still the reaction of his sinful life is not finished. A slight doubt means there is slight tinge still. And one who is dvandva-moha-nirmuktā, duality… Duality means "Whether I shall do it or not? Whether I shall stick up to this process of Kṛṣṇa conscious or not?" This is called duality. So one who is free from all these sinful reactions, he has no more duality. He has firm faith: "Yes! Kṛṣṇa worship is the final."

So Kṛṣṇa worship means he is liberated already. Just like the same example: If a man is sitting on the high-court bench, it is to be understood that he has passed all educational qualification, and he is a good lawyer. Therefore… There is no more necessity to ask, "Whether you have passed M.A. examination or law examination?" This is foolishness. Similarly, if one is, I mean to say, strictly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is to be understood that he is liberated. Liberation, the definition of liberation, is in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, mukti…, svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. Hitvā… Muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. Mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpam. Now we are now represented in different kinds of formalities. You have got a different kinds of idea; I have got different kinds of idea; another man has different from others. There are difference; therefore we are clashing each other. This is the sign of bondage. And mukti means when we are liberated from these different kinds of ideas, and svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ, when we are situated in our constitutional position, that is called mukti, liberation. And what is our constitutional position? "Oh, I am the part and parcel of the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa." Then what is my duty? Duty, part's duty, is to serve the whole. That's all. Just like your hand, the part of your body. What is the duty of hand? To serve the body. It is very easy thing. If you are part and parcel of the Supreme, then what is your duty? Your duty is to serve Him. You have no other duty.

So one who understands this firmly and convincingly, he is liberated. He is liberated. Oh, how can I say liberated? "He is also now going to the office. He is dressing like ordinary man. What do you mean?" Mukti means he will dress like something else or he will have four hands or eight legs? No. Simply change of consciousness, that's all. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means change of your consciousness. I am thinking, "I am this matter. I have got so many duties with this material world." So when you change this consciousness-"No, I belong to Kṛṣṇa. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore whole energy should be for Kṛṣṇa," this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now I am applying all my energy to this material conception of life. When you apply your energy, your transcendental energy, to Kṛṣṇa, then you are liberated.

Therefore a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, they are not hankering after Kṛṣṇa…, mukti. They say, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "Oh, the mukti lady is standing with folded hands, 'My dear sir, what can I do for you?' " And devotee doesn't care. "Oh, what can I (you) do for me? I don't want your help." There is a nice verse of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. He lived for seven hundred years in Vṛndāvana, and he was, became a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. In the beginning he was an impersonalist. His life is very nice. It is better to cite his life. He was a South Indian brāhmaṇa, a very rich man and very much sensuous. He kept one prostitute, prostitute. So he was so much, I mean to say, devoted to the prostitute that he was performing his father's death ceremony and he was asking the priest, "Please, haste. Please make haste. I have to go. I have to go." Means prostitute's house. So he was very rich man. Priestly, anyway, he finished that business. Then there was ceremony. He took very nice foodstuff in a bag, and he was going to that prostitute's house. But when he came out of his home, oh, it was raining torrently. You see? So he never cared for that raining. He went to the riverside. Oh, there was no boat, and it was, river was waving. The waves were very furious. And he thought that "How can I go to the other side?" He was daily going to the other side of the river. Then, anyway, he swimmed over, crossed over by swimming. Then the prostitute thought, "Oh, it is today raining, and he may not come." So he (she) blocked the door and went to sleep. And when he came to the house he saw, "Oh, the door is blocked," and it was raining still. "So how can I go?" So he crossed over the wall by catching one snake. Just see how much intensely he was attached. And he went to the prostitute, and she was astonished: "Well, Bilvamaṅgala"-his name was Bilvamaṅgala-"how do you dare to come here like this?" Oh, he described, "Yes. I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this." Oh, the prostitute was astonished. Her name was Cintāmaṇi. So the prostitute said, "My dear Bilvamaṅgala, if you have got so intense love for me, oh, had it been for God, for Kṛṣṇa, how would have been, your life, sublime." Oh, that struck him: "Yes." He at once left and went away: "Yes, you are right."

Then he was (going to) Vṛndāvana. He saw another beautiful woman because he was practiced to that habit. So he was going behind. Although he determined, "Now I am going to Vṛndāvana," on the way he was again attracted by another woman. So he followed that woman. That woman belonged to a respectable family. So he came, and the woman said to her husband, "Oh, this man is following me. Please ask, 'What is the idea?' " So the husband asked, "My dear sir, you appear to be very nice gentleman, and you belong to very aristocratic family. From your appearances I understand. What do you want? Why you are following my wife?" He said, "Yes, I am following wife because I want to embrace her." "Oh, you want to embrace? Come on. Embrace. Come on. You are welcome. Come on." So the wife also… She (he) ordered, "Oh, here is a guest. He wants to embrace you and kiss you. So please decorate yourself nicely so that he may enjoy." So the wife also followed the instruction of the husband because wife's duty is to follow the instruction. And when Bilvamaṅgala came inside before the woman, he said, "My dear mother, will you kindly give your hairpins?" "Yes. Why?" "I have got some business." Then he took the hairpin and at once pierced his eyes: "Oh, this eye is my enemy." And he became blind. He became blind. Then all of them… "That's all right. Now no more I shall be disturbed."

So in that blindness he was penancing, austerity in Vṛndāvana. So by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa came like a boy. "Oh, my dear sir, why you are starving? Why don't you take some milk?" "Oh, who are You, my dear boy?" "Oh, I am a boy of this village. I am a cowherd boy. If you like, I can give you daily some milk." "All right." So Kṛṣṇa supplied him milk. So there was friendship. And he has written that bhakti is such a thing that muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "Mukti, mukti is nothing for me." So this is his verse, muktiḥ mukulitāñjali sevate asmān: "So we have no desire for mukti. When Kṛṣṇa comes to supply milk, oh, then what is the use of my mukti?" You see? That's a great soul, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. It is worth to remember his name. For seven hundred hears he lived in Vṛndāvana, and he has written a nice book which is Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. That is a very authoritative book, Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. Lord Caitanya picked up this book, and He recommended all His devotees to read that Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta book.

Thank you very much.

Kīrtanānanda: Do you have it here?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Kīrtanānanda: Is it in English? (end)

661201CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.144-146

New York, December 1, 1966

Prabhupāda:

vedādi sakala śāstre kṛṣṇa-mukhya sambandha

tāṅra jñāne ānuṣaṅge yāya māyā-bandha

Lord Caitanya, summarizing the purport of the Vedic knowledge… He says that vedādi sakala śāstre kṛṣṇa-mukhya sambandha. All the Vedas, all the Vedic literature, all scriptures, all over the world, all over the universe-what is meant? What is the purpose of the scripture? The purpose is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That's all. He is summarizing the whole thing, that "All purposes of different types of scriptures, Vedas, they are meant for realizing what is Kṛṣṇa." That's all. Tāṅra jñāne ānuṣaṅge yāya māyā-bandha. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, one becomes automatically liberated from this material entanglement. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person hasn't got to make separate endeavor and attempt to become liberated. The more you understand Kṛṣṇa, the more you become liberated, ānuṣaṅge, as a by-product. (coughing) Just see how material entanglement, this body. At any moment, at any moment you can be finished. You cannot be finished, but your all activities is. Therefore we should be very careful because we have to pull on with this body. Because unless you are perfectly in understanding of Kṛṣṇa, there is no release from this body. It is not that "I want to get release myself from this body; therefore I cut my throat and I get relief." No. That is not possible. You have to be completely detached from this body, and that can be possible when you come…, (coughing) when you understand at least something about Kṛṣṇa. You cannot know Kṛṣṇa completely. That is not possible. He is unlimited. But even a little knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, preliminary knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, will make you liberated from this material entanglement. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so valuable that even little progress will make you liberated from this material entanglement.

He is citing another nice verse from Padma Purāṇa. There are eighteen Purāṇas. Out of that, this Padma Purāṇa is one of the most important Purāṇas.

vyāmohāya carācarasya jagatas te purāṇāgamās

tāṁ tām eva hi devatāṁ paramikāṁ jalpantu kalpāvadhi

siddhānte punar eka eva bhagavān viṣṇuḥ samastāgama-

vyāpāreṣu vivecana-vyatikaraṁ nīteṣu niścīyate

In different Purāṇas… These Purāṇas are made just to complete Vedic knowledge, or supplementary addition to the Vedic literature. Because Vedic literature is very difficult to understand, therefore they have been expanded by the Purāṇas for different classes of men. So there are three divisions of the Purāṇas: sattvika Purāṇa, rājasika Purāṇa and tamasika Purāṇa. Sattvika Purāṇa is meant for the higher class of people who are in transcendental knowledge of Brahman, Paramātmā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rājasika Purāṇa are meant for those who are aspiring to have improvement of material condition. And tamasika Purāṇa are meant for those who are in the lowest stage of…, little, just like animal life, and to develop them the Purāṇa is helping them to come to the second and first stage.

So in the Purāṇas there are worship of different demigods. Just like in the tamasika Purāṇa there is description of the worship of goddess Kālī. You have seen perhaps the picture of goddess Kālī, a black female standing with sword and cutting the heads of so many people like that, that picture, goddess Kālī. And animal sacrifice is offered before goddess Kālī. So such kind of worship is mentioned in the tamasika Purāṇa. The purpose of such worship and demigods, several times I have explained to you. So Padma Purāṇa is a sattvika Purāṇa, for men who are in the modes of goodness. So here it said that although in the different Purāṇas there are recommendations for worshiping different kinds of demigods, but at the conclusion it is found that Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord, He is all in all, all in all. Just like… You have not seen in India. Even there is worship of any other demigod, just like Durgā-pūjā, so even in that paraphernalia of gorgeous worshiping arrangement, when the worship will begin, the first worship is offered to Viṣṇu, Yajñeśvara, because, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ: [Bg. 7.20] "Those who are mad after material sense gratification, they go and worship other demigods to have some immediate reward." And they get it. But how they get it? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayaiva vihitān hi tān: "They cannot have that reward without My sanction." Because the demigods, they are also subordinate servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore the demigods, although they can give you the reward which you want, but with the permission of the Supreme Lord… Because they are not fools. If somebody, some of you, somebody comes, outsider, and asks from this institution, our Society, that "Please give me this," so you can deliver it, but you will take permission from me. That is a common custom. Similarly, the demigods also, they cannot offer their reward without sanction of Viṣṇu. Mayaiva vihitān hi tān. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām [Bg. 7.23]. Therefore Viṣṇu is present there. He… In the midst of worshiping other demigods, Viṣṇu is presented, and that is the system of Vedic process. So therefore Viṣṇu is Supreme. Why Viṣṇu's sanction is required? Therefore it is understood, although in different Purāṇas different types of worship for different types of demigods are recommended, but the ultimate sanction is of Viṣṇu. Therefore Viṣṇu becomes supreme.

So from this verse, Lord Caitanya wants to impress upon us that "Don't be misguided for worshiping different demigods. The ultimate issue-the Viṣṇu is worshipable." Ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param. Even in the Śiva Purāṇa it is stated that Pārvatī, the wife of Lord Śiva, she was asking Lord Śiva that "Sir, worship… Which worship is the best?" There are different kinds of worship mentioned in the Vedic literatures. So Lord Śiva replied, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param: "There are different kinds of worship, but the best and the supreme worship is worship of Viṣṇu." Then again he gives more stress, ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param, tasmāt parataraṁ devī tadīyānām ārādhanam: "And more than Viṣṇu worship is to worship devotee of Viṣṇu." Tasmāt parataraṁ. Viṣṇu ārādhanam is the best. And better than the best worship is to worship the devotees of Viṣṇu, Vaiṣṇavas. This is recommended in the Śiva Purāṇa.

So Lord Caitanya making an analytical study of the Vedic literature, and He is giving His conclusion. This is called mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. We have to follow the footprints of great ācāryas. Lord Caitanya is playing the part of an ācārya; so His conclusion should be taken. Lord Kṛṣṇa said also that kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajanti anya-devatāḥ: [Bg. 7.20] "Those who are worshipers of other demigods, they are mad after sense gratification." Oh, that means they are third-class men. Those who are mad after sense gratification, they are not considered first-class men because they are not transcendentalists; they are materialists, just like animals. They do not know anything. Simply sense gratification-āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna: eating, sleeping, mating and defending-that is their business. So those who are engrossed in the matter of sense gratification only, they are not in higher position. Therefore hṛta-jñānāḥ. Hṛta-jñānāḥ means those who have lost their sense. For sense gratification they have lost their sense. Hṛta-jñānāḥ. So Lord Caitanya wants to say that "Don't be hṛta-jñānāḥ. Don't be hṛta-jñānāḥ, or senseless. Be," I mean to say, "senseful."

mukhya-gauṇa-vṛtti, kiṁvā anvaya-vyatireke

vedera pratijñā kevala kahaye kṛṣṇake

In any way you study Vedas-directly, indirectly, this way or that way-the conclusion is that the objective is Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya says. And in the Bhagavad-gītā also we get the same information. You will find in the teachings of Lord Caitanya, the same thing as in the Bhagavad-gītā. That is the beauty of teachings of all ācāryas, that you won't find any deviation from the teachings of Kṛṣṇa and the teachings of ācāryas. Therefore it is said, ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who has the guidance of a bona fide ācārya, he knows things. He knows things, what it is." Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who is under the guidance of bona fide ācārya, he knows things, what they are."

So Kṛṣṇa also, as spiritual master of Arjuna, He played. He is the original ācārya. Then ācārya's disciple becomes ācārya when he assimilates the knowledge received from bona fide ācārya. So he becomes bona fide to act as an ācārya. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. Ācārya means one who has become a rigid disciple of his ācārya. Just like a critical student under a professor, he becomes a first-class professor, similarly, a person who is a very rigid student of bona fide ācārya, he becomes next ācārya. That is the… Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam. This is the disciplic succession. So as in the Bhagavad-gītā five thousand years before Lord Kṛṣṇa said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: [Bg. 15.15] "The purpose of all Vedic literatures, the conclusion, is that, to understand Me, Kṛṣṇa…" By understanding Kṛṣṇa, immediate liberation… That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

[Bg. 4.9]

Anyone who can understand critically and in truth about the appearance, disappearance, activities, transcendental activities, pastimes, of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, at once he becomes liberated. Tyaktvā deham: "This person who has known like that," tyaktvā dehaṁ, "by quitting this body," punar janma naiti, "he never… No more he takes another material body." Then what does he do? Mām eti: "He comes to Me."

So simply by understanding what is Kṛṣṇa, one becomes liberated. Vedas, knowledge of Vedas, means to become liberated. The knowledge of Vedas is set in such a way that they are directing that "You have come here to enjoy this material world, so you try to enjoy in this systematic way." Just like government gives you facility. You want to do some business; the government gives you all facility, but under certain rules and regulations, not that whatever you like, you can do. No. You have to get license to do any sort of business. Even if you do any nonsense, still, you have to follow the rules and regulation of the government. So Vedas means that we conditioned souls who have come here in this material world to become an imitation Kṛṣṇa, enjoyer… Because Kṛṣṇa is enjoyer, and we are all here imitation enjoyers, imitation… Frogs. Frog's philosophy. So Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He has given you all facility: "All right, you enjoy. You build up. You construct skyscrapers and again break it and again do it. Do it and waste your time." So He gives us facility. He supplies us materials: "All right, you take material." Because He has no scarcity, pūrṇam, He is complete, so whatever you go on taking, you take, you build and break and keep it again. Dig earth and make high buildings, and again break it and fill it up. This is your business. Go on doing that and waste your valuable time. Your life is meant for realizing your self, self-realization, and get out of this material entanglement. But if you want to waste in that way, well, Kṛṣṇa will give you all facilities. Waste. This is going on. Therefore Vedas, they give you instruction, "All right, you want to enjoy? Just try to enjoy this way, so that by following the Vedic principles you will come to this stage of liberation." And what is that? Knowing Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. By study of Vedas, when you come to that conclusion, that Kṛṣṇa is everything, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: [Bg. 7.19] "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is everything," sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ: "That great soul is very rare."

So similarly, as Kṛṣṇa says, this is called disciplic succession. Lord Caitanya, although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He has accepted the disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa… I have given you the process of disciplic succession: from Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā; from Brahmā, Nārada; from Nārada, Vyāsa; from Vyāsa, Madhva; from Madhva, Mādhavendra Purī; from Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī; from Īśvara Purī, Lord Caitanya. So evaṁ paramparā. So in the paramparā system in that disciplic succession, you will find no change. The original word is there. That is the thing. They are not foolish to manufacture something new. What new? People are after something new manufactured by this tiny brain. What new you can manufacture? That is all nonsense. If you want really thing, then you have to take the old, the oldest. You cannot change anything. Can you change any law of the sun rising or sun setting? The old laws, they are going on, and you have to follow. So you cannot manufacture anything. The same seasons are coming for millions of years. As there were system of change of season, that is going on. Millions of years before, the sunrise, sunset, was going on. That is… Millions of millions of years, the death was there. That is going on. And the birth was there. That is going on. And disease was there. That is going on. So what you can change? You are simply foolishly wasting your time. There is no possibility of changing the laws of nature. It is simply futile attempt. Therefore those who are sane people, they understand that this life is meant for not fighting with the material laws, which I cannot change. Better stop this nonsense and realize yourself, what you are, what is your duty, and what the human form of life is meant for. That is stated here, that you have to realize Kṛṣṇa. You have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your life's mission is fulfilled.

Thank you. (end)

661203CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.146-151

New York, December 3, 1966

Prabhupāda:

mukhya-gauṇa-vṛtti, kiṁvā anvaya-vyatireke

vedera pratijñā kevala kahaye kṛṣṇake

So Lord Caitanya says, "You study Vedas in any way, directly, indirectly. In whatever way you like you study Vedas, but the ultimate objective is Kṛṣṇa."

Now, Caitanya, Lord Caitanya, is describing about the various forms of Kṛṣṇa. This is very important subject. How Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading, He is describing.

kṛṣṇera svarūpa-ananta, vaibhava-apāra

cic-chakti, māyā-śakti, jīva-śakti āra

Kṛṣṇera svarūpa ananta. The transcendental forms of Kṛṣṇa, innumerable, vaibhava, and His opulence, that is also innumerable. Nobody can estimate. How many forms are there of Kṛṣṇa or how much opulent He is, nobody can estimate; nobody can measure. This is inconceivable. The first proposition. Cic-chakti māyā-śakti jīva-śakti āra. And His potencies are also unlimited, out of which, three potencies are generally accepted: cit-śakti, spiritual potency; material potency; and marginal potency. These three potencies I have described many times. Cit-śakti, the spiritual potency, is a manifestation of the spiritual world, and material potency is a manifestation of this material world, and the marginal potency, we are, we living entities. We are marginal potency. Why it is marginal? Because although we belong to the spiritual potency, but we have got tendency to come into contact of this material potency. Therefore it is called marginal, "this way or that way." That a slight independence which is there in every living entity, he can use that, and he may select either to live in the spiritual potency or in the material potency. Therefore the living entities are called marginal potency. So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Although the energies of the Supreme Lord are innumerable-nobody can count or measure-but they are divided into three.

vaikuṇṭha, brahmāṇḍa-gaṇa-śakti-kārya haya

svarūpa-śakti śakti-kāryera-kṛṣṇa samāśraya

Now, Lord Caitanya says, Vaikuṇṭha. Just like this universe is a jagad-aṇḍa, is a big round ball, aṇḍa. Aṇḍa means egglike, just like egg is round. Therefore it is called brahmāṇḍa. It is a round ball. Every planet is round, and the universe is also round, and the Vaikuṇṭhas are also round, all round. Vaikuṇṭha, brahmāṇḍa-gaṇa-śakti-kārya haya. So all these universes, the universe which we experience… There are innumerable universes that we cannot see. We can see only one universe, and in one universe there are innumerable planets. Similarly, there are innumerable universes, and in each universe there are innumerable planets. This information we get from Brahma-saṁhitā.

yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-

koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam

tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.40]

That brahmajyoti, in that brahmajyoti there are all these universes and Vaikuṇṭhas. All, they are resting in that brahmajyoti. Just like in the sunshine so many planets are resting, similarly, in the brahmajyoti, the personal shining of Lord Kṛṣṇa, in that shining which is called brahmajyoti, all the universes and Vaikuṇṭha planets or universes, they are all resting. And the universes, the material universes are only one-fourths in quantity of the Vaikuṇṭha universes. All the universes taken together of this material world, it is only one-fourths in comparison to the other Vaikuṇṭha, or spiritual, universes. Vaikuṇṭha, brahmāṇḍa-gaṇa-śakti-kārya haya.

Now, these universes and the brahmāṇḍas, or the Vaikuṇṭhas, they are manifestation of the energy of the Supreme Lord. God is all-pervading. "God is all-pervading" does not mean God has lost His identification. This is the mistake of the impersonalists. "Because God is everywhere, God is all-pervading; therefore there should not be any particular existence of God." This is impersonalism. But this is material thought. They do not study Vedic literature properly. In the Vedic literature it is said, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. Just like I have several times explained before you that in the spiritual absolute identity, one minus one equal to one and one plus one equal to one. So although innumerable energies are coming out of the supreme body of the Supreme Lord, still He is full. There is no loss of energy. Just like we can have some material example: the sun. We do not know for how many millions of years the sunshine and temperature is coming out of the sun planet, but still the sun is the same. There is no loss of temperature. So if in a material object this is possible, that in spite of distributing heat and light from the sun disk for millions and millions of years, the sun disk is still of the same temperature, there is no loss of temperature-this is a material thing-so why in the spiritual body of the Supreme there will be any loss? This is a material idea, that "Because God has become all-pervading, therefore He has lost Himself." Why He should lose His identity? This is confirmed in the Vedic literature: pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evavaśiṣyate. If you take from the… He is so full that if you take the whole thing from Him, still, He is whole. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate.

So as described here, kṛṣṇa svarūpa ananta vaibhava apāra. So although He is transmitting innumerable energies and although He is expanding Himself in innumerable forms, still, He is one. Still, He is the same and one. That is the spiritual conception, or absolute conception. Absolute is not relative. "Because something has being taken away, therefore it is something less"-it is relative. It is not absolute. This idea is relative. I have got in my pocket ten dollars. So I have taken two dollars. Now it is eight dollars. This is relative truth. This is not absolute idea. Absolute idea is that pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. Avaśiṣyate means the balance is still full. Whatever you may take, the balance is still.

daśame daśamaṁ lakṣyam

āśritāśraya-vigraham

śrī-kṛṣṇākhyaṁ paraṁ dhāma

jagad-dhāma namāmi tat

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are twelve cantos. In the Tenth Canto the appearance of Kṛṣṇa and His activities are mentioned, in the Tenth Canto. And before Lord Kṛṣṇa's activities and life is mentioned, there are nine cantos. So why? Now, daśame daśamaṁ lakṣyam āśritāśraya-vigraham. Now, to understand Kṛṣṇa, we have to understand what is this creation, how this creation is going on, what are the activities, what are spiritual knowledge, what is philosophy, what is renunciation, what is liberation. All these things we have to learn very nicely. After learning these perfectly, then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. So in the nine cantos of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, all these different nine manifestation of His energies are described. If we can understand… Just like if we can study the sunshine, the energy of the sun, then we can estimate the value of sun: "Oh, what sort of temperature is there." So if you want to study God, if you want to know God, then you must first of all study His energies. God is all-pervading by His energy. You study. Just the scientists, what they are studying? They are studying a portion of the energy of God, only a portion of the energy of God. That is also not perfectly. So the energy is so vast and immense that one cannot study even the energy. Therefore those who are studying about God, after finishing the study of the energies, they are at a loss to understand how so much energy can be emanated from the person. Therefore they cannot conceive any personal idea of God. The energy is so vast and immense that they are bewildered in the energy. And how such great amount of energy can emanate from a person they cannot conceive, because they compare with their own energy. Because I am limited… I have got this body, I have got my personality, but my energies are limited. But we cannot understand that the Unlimited has got unlimited energy.

So this impersonal idea of God is for the less intelligent person, not for the intelligent persons. Those who are, I mean to say, favored with poor fund of knowledge, they cannot conceive about the Personality of Godhead. Therefore we have to approach authorities just like Lord Caitanya. He is putting something before us. Even in Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa also says that "I am person. I am person." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. And it is confirmed by Arjuna. What is that? Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. Pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. So the Bhagavad-gītā, the speaker of the Bhagavad-gītā, establishing Himself that "I am person," and the student of the Bhagavad-gītā, I mean to say, Arjuna, he is accepting, "Yes. You are person. I accept it." I do not know why these fools explain, from Bhagavad-gītā, impersonalism. Where is the chance of explaining impersonal about conception of God from Bhagavad-gītā? Now, how they can surpass the speaker and the student? The student is Arjuna. He is accepting that "You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead." And the speaker, Kṛṣṇa, He is also establishing Himself that "I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Now, wherefrom these fools take impersonal idea, I do not know. How they can? There is no chance. But still, they will poke their nose in that way. It is very sorry plight. You see? They are simply misleading persons.

So God is person. God, so far Vedic literature is concerned, God is person and accepted by the ācāryas. We have to follow the ācāryas; otherwise we cannot… Our own interpretation, our own tiny brain, cannot conceive. We have to follow. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. Śrī Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, and from Arjuna there are paramparā. There are disciplic succession. We have to follow that way. Now, here Lord Caitanya, although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, still, He is in that paramparā, in that disciplic succession. He says that "In order to understand Kṛṣṇa, you have to study His energies. He is person. His energies are impersonal." In Śrīmad-Bhāgavata also it is said,

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti

bhagavān iti śabdyate

[SB 1.2.11]

"The Absolute Truth, those who know about Absolute Truth, they say…" Śrīmad-Bhāgavata describes about the Absolute, vadanti tat tattva-vidaḥ. Tattva-vidaḥ means "those who are in the knowledge about the Absolute Truth." Vadanti tat: "They describe that thing as Absolute Truth." What is that? Advaya-jñāna: "There is no duality of knowledge." That is Absolute Truth. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yad advaya-jñānam [SB 1.2.11]. Advaya-jñānam means just like you are Mr. such and such, and when you are not present, if I ask, "Mr. such and such, please help me this way." But you are not present; you cannot help. Therefore it is duality. Your name and you, person-duality. And advaya-jñāna means, nonduality means, the person and the name is the same. Otherwise what is the use of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare? Then in that way I can chant anyone's name? No. This Kṛṣṇa name and Kṛṣṇa is Absolute Truth, advaya-jñāna, nonduality. Nonduality.

So vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam, brahmeti [SB 1.2.11]. That Absolute Truth is manifested in three phases. What is that? Brahman. Brahman is impersonal, Brahman conception. Then Paramātmā, localized conception. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām: [Bg. 18.61] "Īśvara, the Lord, is sitting in everyone's heart." This is Paramātmā conception. And Bhagavān. Bhagavān means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So Bhagavān, Paramātmā and Brahman, they are not different. Simply according to my realization, the different names are there, according to my different realization. Somebody is realizing only the impersonal manifestation, energies, and somebody is experiencing the… Because God is everywhere. So I experience this way; you experience in that way. Therefore the name, Absolute Truth, is differently named. Otherwise there is no difference. It is my realization. So we… If somebody argues, "The sunshine is sun," well, that can be accepted. Why not? Sunshine is sun. But if somebody says, "No, sunshine is not sun," that is also accepted because sunshine is not sun also. Somebody says that "Sunshine is sun." That is accepted. And somebody says, "Sunshine is not sun." That is also accepted because there is no difference between sun and the sunshine. Similarly… But by comparative study, one who is studying the sun as it is, he is studying everything or he knows everything. Similarly, one who knows Kṛṣṇa, he knows everything. He knows Paramātmā; he knows Brahman; he knows māyā and everything. Yes. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam eva vijñātaṁ bhavanti. The Vedic literature says, "The understanding of that one is the understanding of everything."

So Lord Caitanya says that in order to understand that one Kṛṣṇa, there are nine cantos in the Bhagavad-gītā (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam). Yes. Daśamasya viśuddhaye. Unless we study these nine cantos perfectly, we cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

"Out of millions and millions persons, some persons are interested in self-realization, not all." That we can see. Some of you… There are thousands and thousands of persons. Some of you are interested to understand this, so you kindly come here. Therefore manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: "Out of millions and millions persons, somebody becomes interested in self-realization." Then yatatām api siddhānām: [Bg. 7.3] "Now, out of those persons who are trying to realize self, out of such millions and millions persons, somebody may know what is God." So it is not very easy. But it is easy also. For whom? Who at once surrenders to God. Then God reveals to him. And one who does not surrender, oh, it is very difficult for him. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. You cannot find out God by simply reading and philosophizing all the scriptures and books. No. If you want to know God, then you must be in confidence. You must be a devotee, a lover of God. Then you can understand God. Otherwise it is not possible.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

661205CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.152-154

New York, December 5, 1966

Prabhupāda: So Lord Caitanya is describing about the personal feature of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The (im)personal feature of Lord Kṛṣṇa, as described in the Bhagavad-gītā, that is the manifestation of His material energy. Now the personal feature as described by Lord Caitanya in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, this is the description of His spiritual feature. We have already studied in the Bhagavad-gītā that the Lord has two distinctive features: material and spiritual, superior and inferior. Of course, for Him there is no superior or inferior. But for us, it is superior, inferior. We cannot say that because everything is emanation from the Supreme, therefore there is no superior or inferior. No. Superior, inferior, in relationship with the energy. Just like īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati: [Bg. 18.61] "Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is situated in everyone's heart." So He is in the heart of a hog, of a dog, and the learned brāhmaṇa as well. For Him there is no such discrimination-what is hog, what is dog, what is brāhmaṇa, what is good, what is bad-because He is Absolute. But here we have to distinguish between the hog and the dog, at least so far the material body is concerned.

So Lord Caitanya says,

kṛṣṇera svarūpa-vicāra śuna, sanātana

advaya-jñāna-tattva, vraje vrajendra-nandana

He is addressing Sanātana Gosvāmī. You'll remember that this chapter, "Instruction to Sanātana Gosvāmī," was begun when Sanātana Gosvāmī, after his retirement, approached the Lord at Benares and surrendered himself and asked Him, "What I am?" So under that question, He is describing his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa. The jīvātmā, the living entity, is eternally servitor of Kṛṣṇa, and one should understand the nature of his master so that his service attitude, his affection, may be more intimate. Suppose I am serving at a place. I am engaged in a service to a master, but I do not know how big is my master. But when I understand the influence and opulence and greatness of my master, I become more devoted: "Oh, my master is so great." So therefore simply knowing, "God is great, and I have got some relationship with God," that is not sufficient. You must know how much great He is. Of course, you cannot calculate, but as far as possible, you should know how great He is.

So that greatness of Lord Kṛṣṇa is being described here by Lord Caitanya to His disciple, Sanātana Gosvāmī. Advaya-jñāna-tattva, vraje vrajendra-nandana. Advaya-jñāna-tattva. Advaya-jñāna-tattva means He is Absolute. He is not relative. Here everything is relative, but God means He is Absolute. He has nothing to be dependent. Here everything, we are all dependent. To understand something, to understand light, we have to understand darkness. To understand good, we have to understand what is bad. So here it is everything duality. So Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. That is the first understanding, that there is no duality. Kṛṣṇa, His name, His fame, His pastimes, His quality, His association, associates-everything is one. One plus one equal to one, always remember. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name. That is Absolute. We have got here experience that the thing and the name of the thing, they are different, dual. Suppose here is a glass of water. I am thirsty. I want glass of water. But if I say "water, water, water, water," that will not quench my thirst. I must have the thing, water, and then it will be acting. But Kṛṣṇa is advaya-jñāna. So when we hear Kṛṣṇa's name, then we should understand that "Kṛṣṇa is before me in His sound vibration. He is present before me in sound because He is everything." Why sound (is) not Kṛṣṇa? If He is everything, sound is also Kṛṣṇa.

So this is called advaya-jñāna. Similarly, when we read Bhagavad-gītā, that is also Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we should pay respect. When we enter into the temple of Kṛṣṇa, it should be understood that we are in touch with Kṛṣṇa. Everything in relationship is Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest… Therefore the devotees who are in the higher conception of Kṛṣṇa consciousness sees nothing before him save and except Kṛṣṇa. That is not to be imitated, but the stage, in the higher stage, the devotee sees nothing but Kṛṣṇa. Sarvatra sphūraya tāṅra iṣṭa-deva mūrti. Everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa. Matter is energy of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore energy and the energetic, not being different, so even in the material world he sees Kṛṣṇa. So for him, there is no matter, everything spiritual. Advaya-jñāna. There is no matter at all. Just like in Kṛṣṇa, he has no distinction what is matter, what is spirit, but in our conditioned stage we have got superior, inferior conception. But when we are also in the higher stage of the Absolute Truth, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54], when we are actually in such pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa, then we will see that everything is Kṛṣṇa. For example, just like we take Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, we respect prasādam. We offer obeisances before taking prasādam. Why? Because the prasādam is also Kṛṣṇa. So by taking prasādam, I am contacting Kṛṣṇa. By hearing Kṛṣṇa, I am contacting Kṛṣṇa. By working for Kṛṣṇa, I am contacting Kṛṣṇa. This is called Absolute.

So Lord Caitanya says, kṛṣṇa advaya-jñāna-tattva. He is Absolute Truth. Vraje vrajendra-nandana. And the abode which is called Kṛṣṇaloka, Vṛndāvana… He is just like the boy of… Vrajendra-nandana. He has got His devotee as father and mother. He is just like a boy, sixteen-years-old boy, Vrajendra-nandana. That is the real feature of Kṛṣṇa. You will never find Kṛṣṇa as very old man. No. Kṛṣṇa's real feature of body, not this body, His transcendental body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1], with a flute in the hand, He looks just like a fresh sixteen-years-old boy, always freshness. Kiśora. Kiśora means, kiśora age is from ten years to sixteen years. And after sixteenth year, one begins his youth. So Kṛṣṇa is always in His kiśora avasthā. Kiśora avasthā means He will appear just like boy, a fifteen-, sixteen-years-old boy, Vrajendra-nandana. But at the same time, sarva-ādi: He is the original. Everything, whatever you see, either in the material world or spiritual world, He is the origin. So He is the oldest. He is the oldest, but you will see Him as youngest. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca [Bs. 5.33]. In the Brahma-saṁhitā you will find description of Kṛṣṇa, advaita acyuta… Advaita means absolute. Acyuta means nonfallible, Brahman. He is Parambrahman. We are also Brahman, but we have fallen down. We have fallen down in this material condition. But Kṛṣṇa never falls down in material condition. When He appears before us, don't think that "He is also fallen soul like me." The fools consider like that. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā [Bg. 9.11]. Mūḍhā means fools. The fools consider Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man. Mānuṣīṁ paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. The fools do not know what is immense potency, background, of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they think Kṛṣṇa as like one of us.

So here it is said, sarva-ādi. Sarva-ādi means the primal. Primal. And sarva-aṁśī. Sarva-aṁśī means He is the original thing, and everything is part. We are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśa, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Aṁśī. Aṁśī and aṁśa. Just like this hand, It is called part, and I am, as whole body, I am the whole. So we can understand part and whole. So therefore He is whole, and everything is His part. He is the aṁśī; He is the whole. Sarva-aṁśī. Kiśora-śekhara. This very word, kiśora-śekhara, "the supreme boy." The supreme boy. His feature is just like a fresh boy, but the supreme. Kiśora-śekhara cid-ānanda-deha, spiritual body. Just mark this description of Kṛṣṇa: cid-ānanda-deha. Cid-ānanda-deha means transcendental, spiritual body, not this body. Because the less intelligent persons, they cannot think of personal God… Because they think that whenever there is question of personality, it is material body. They cannot find out the shape of the spirit soul. It is so small that from material eyes, by material instrument, you cannot find out the shape of the soul. Therefore they conclude that there is no shape. The same example: just geometrically, the definition of point is given, "point has no length, no breadth," because a point cannot be measured by any human instrument. But nothing can be without… Even the atom has got its measure. But because we have no power to measure, we set aside, dismiss: "Oh, there is no, nothing." So similarly, "Because we do not know what is spirit, and we think spirit is something just opposite to this matter, and matter we find manifestation, form, therefore spirit should be formless." That is their conclusion.

But actually it is not so. We therefore require to learn from the authority. Kṛṣṇa… Lord Caitanya says, cid-ānanda-deha. Cid-ānanda-deha, the transcendental eternal body. Cid-ānanda-deha and sarvāśraya. Sarvāśraya means He is the rest of everything. Now, you see before you that so many big, big planets, even the sun, it is floating in the air. Such a big body, lump body, which is some million times greater than this earth, we can see it is floating in the sky. So how it is floating? Here it is explained, sarvāśraya. It is floating on Kṛṣṇa's energy. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Sarvāśraya sarveśvara. Sarveśvara means the Supreme Lord. This is very nicely explained by Lord Caitanya. Sarva-ādi: "He is the origin of everything." Sarva-aṁśī: "He is the whole of all the parts. And He is just like a fresh boy. His body is transcendental, spiritual, full of bliss." Sarvāśraya: "And He is the rest of everything. And He is the Supreme Lord." This is the description of Kṛṣṇa.

So as we have seen that Lord Caitanya, when He instructs, He gives at once evidence from authoritative scripture, that is the way of presenting. Always you should remember that we cannot imagine about God: "I think God is like this." This is nonsense. You have no thinking power. You are under the grip of material nature. He is pulling. The material nature is pulling you by the ear, just like this. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. You are being acted, influenced. Just like the same example: You are thrown in the Atlantic Ocean. You have no power. By the waves you will have to work. The waves are tossing this way and that way. You are simply struggling. That's all. So how we can think independently within the tossing of Atlantic Ocean? This is all nonsense. So we cannot imagine, we cannot concoct, about God. We have to hear from authoritative scripture, authoritative version. Then we will understand. So here is authoritative version from Brahma-saṁhitā:

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

The Brahma-saṁhitā describing about Kṛṣṇa, that īśvara, Lord… There are many lords. We have got experience. In England you will find many lords. We had some dealing with Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland. There are many lords. In your country also there are many lords. Any rich man is lord. In our country also there are many lords. But Kṛṣṇa is not a lord like them. These lords are under the grip of material nature. They are lord by name. But as soon as the material nature gives a slap on the lord, at once passed, everything lordship finished. So He is not a lord like that. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. He is Lord, but the Supreme Lord. He is not under anyone's control. Here the stamped lord, rubber-stamped lord, they are under full control. So they may say that "I am lord of all I survey," but it is all foolishness. Nobody is lord. The real Lord is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Parama means Supreme. And who is that Supreme Lord? Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1].

So how He becomes parama, the Supreme? Because He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. His body is spiritual, full of bliss and eternal. Therefore He is Supreme Lord. Anādi. So we have got experience that everything has got its cause. Suppose I am lord. But I have got some cause to become lord. Either my father was lord or I have accumulated some wealth, the government has recognized me as lord… Under certain condition, I have become lord. But He is ādi. Ādi means He is the origin. There is nothing beyond Him; therefore ādi. Ādi, anādi. Anādir ādiḥ. Everything has got a cause, but He has no cause. He is Lord, but there is no cause how He has become Lord. When I am lord, there is cause. I cannot become… Perhaps you know that in England, if somebody becomes very rich, he has to deposit some amount of money to the government, then government will award him the title "lord." And with that huge amount of money his family will be maintained, and the first son of the lord family, he will be declared as lord. In this way. So far I have heard. I do not know exactly. But this lord is made, recognized, by the government on deposition of some certain amount of money. The government recognizes, "Yes, this family may be recognized as lord family." They create. In England they create aristocracy. Similarly, when they were in India, they also created many aristocracies. So Kṛṣṇa is not a created, aristocratic lord. That we should know.

Anādir ādir govindaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Govinda means… Go means three things. What is that? Go means the senses, and go means cow, and go means land. There are three meanings of go. So He gives pleasure to these three things. Wherever He is present, it becomes blissful, ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The Vedānta-sūtra says, ānandamaya, always full of… Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of pleasure. So whenever He is present, in whichever land, in whichever country, in whichever planet He is present, it becomes full of bliss, ānanda. Govinda. And He is playing just like cowherd boy, sixteen-year-boy and playing with cows. His father has got many cows, and He goes to the cows, pleasure trip with friends. That is Kṛṣṇa's business. He is not going to any office or any factory. You see? So goṣṭha. He goes, and His mother gives Him sufficient to eat. And after eating breakfast, with His friends and His flute and cows He goes outside for pleasure trip. That is Kṛṣṇa's business. Therefore He is Govinda. The cows, oh, as soon as they see Kṛṣṇa, they become… They lick up His face and body, and every cow has got a different name. As soon as He will call, the cow will come immediately and dropping milk. And those cows are also spiritual. Surabhī. It is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Surabhī. Surabhī cow means nonexhaustive. You can milk as much milk you want and as many times. In the material world the cow is limited. There is time that you can milk, morning and evening, and so much quantity, not more than that. But surabhīr means you can milk those cows anytime you like and you can draw milk as many as you like, as much as you like. This is called surabhī. Surabhīr… In the description of Brahma-saṁhitā: cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Surabhīr abhipālayantam. So therefore He is Govinda. He gives… He is pleasure for everyone.

And indriya… Go means senses. We are seeking sense pleasure. Sense pleasure means reciprocation between the two. I want to see a beautiful girl. That means two. Or I want to see a beautiful boy. So that means two. So without two, there cannot be sense pleasure. I want to eat something palatable. There must be two. At least, the dish must be full of varieties. So impersonal, there is no pleasure, actual pleasure. So Kṛṣṇa, our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, our service with Kṛṣṇa, that is pleasure. Govinda. That is real sense pleasure. By seeing Kṛṣṇa, by tasting Kṛṣṇa, by smelling Kṛṣṇa, by touching Kṛṣṇa-everything, that is sense pleasure. That is our real sense pleasure. So He is Govinda and sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1], the cause of all causes. Beyond Him, there is no other cause. This is the description Lord Caitanya gives, and we shall gradually discuss other points.

Any questions? (end)

661207CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.154-157

New York, December 7, 1966

Prabhupāda:

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

So Lord Caitanya has explained the particular features of Kṛṣṇa, and He's giving evidence from Brahma-saṁhitā and other authentic Vedic literatures. So we have concluded that Kṛṣṇa is the origin. Origin. There are many demigods, gods, and living entities, energies, millions and millions. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. There is no estimate. But He is the origin of all. Just like in your New York City there are so many manifestation of electricity, but the origin is the powerhouse, similarly, He is the origin, powerhouse. Sarvādi, sarvāṁśī. He is the whole, and everything is part. And He is always just like a young boy of sixteen years old. And His body is transcendental, spiritual, full of bliss, eternity, and He is the shelter of everything. On Him everything is resting, and sarveśvara, He is the Supreme Lord.

svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa, 'govinda' para nāma

sarvaiśvarya-pūrṇa yāṅra goloka-nitya-dhāma

Now, that Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa is the original name of God, and Govinda is the qualitative name, transcendental qualitative. This Govinda, we have explained. Go means land, go means senses, and go means… Land, senses…

Devotee: Cow.

Prabhupāda: Cow. Yes. This we have explained. And because He gives pleasure to all these things especially, cows and land and the senses, He is known as Govinda. Sarvaiśvarya-pūrṇa. He is full of all opulences. There is definition of God in the Parāśara-sūtra. Parāśara Muni, the father of Vyāsadeva, he was a great sage. So he has given the definition of God. After consulting all Vedic literatures, he has given his, delivered the definition of God. What is that? Sad-aiśvarya-pūrṇa: full of six opulences. And what are those six opulences? Aiśvaryasya samagrasya: "He is the proprietor of all wealth, everything." So aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya: "He is the reservoir of all strength." Vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ: "And He is the supreme famous." Nobody can be more famous than Kṛṣṇa. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Śriyaḥ means beauty. Nobody can be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. And jñāna, knowledge. Nobody can be more knower and full of knowledge than Kṛṣṇa. And renunciation. And He is also, at the…, having so many opulences. He is renouncer of… He has nothing to do with all these things. He does not depend for His Godheadship on these qualifications. He is renouncer at the same time. So here also Lord Caitanya substantiates that ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa: "He's full of six opulences." Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa yāṅra goloka-nitya-dhāma. Nitya-dhāma means He's homely. Homely. He's the proprietor of all land, but just like a king. A king is the proprietor of the whole state; still, he has got his personal residence, which is called palace, royal palace. So similarly, although Lord is the proprietor of everything, every land, every space, every, any, anywhere… This is the proprietorship of Lord, of God's.

So we are seeking after peace, but we do not know that where we are living. We are claiming proprietorship for the time being. We come here under different shapes, in different body, and claim proprietorship for the land where we are born. But we do not know by freaks of nature, any second, we can be driven away from this land and put another land. So where is my proprietorship? If I am staying for some time here, some time there… Bhojanaṁ yatra yatra śayanaṁ haṭṭa-mandire: "I eat wherever eatables are available, and I sleep on the marketplace." Then where is my home? Where is my home? So this is our position. We are circumambulating under, in the cycle of birth and death. Sometimes I am claiming, "America is my land," sometimes claiming, "India is my land," sometimes claiming, "China is my land," sometimes claiming, "Moon planet is my land." No land belongs to you. Everything belongs to God. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. He is the proprietor. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. That misunderstanding… We are falsely encroaching upon and falsely claiming proprietorship. Therefore there is no peace. You are searching after peace. How can there be peace? You are falsely claiming something which does not belong to you. So here it is said, sarvaiśvarya-pūrṇa.

So every place belongs to God, but that Goloka Vṛndāvana, that place is particularly His abode. You have seen the picture. It is lotuslike. All planets are round, but that supreme planet is lotuslike. So that is in the spiritual sky, Goloka Vṛndāvana. And from that spiritual planet… Just like the, from the sun planet, the sunshine is emanating profusely. Just like this sun is, is compared with the eye, eyes of the Lord. Not… One eye. Another eye, the moon. It is figuratively stated. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ, unlimited potency, sunlight, is coming from the sun. This material world, we can practically experience. But the sunlight is also emanating from that light which is emanating from that Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is the real light, which is called brahmajyoti. So in that brahmajyoti there are innumerable spiritual planets also. So in the spiritual sky, in that spiritual light, in that spiritual planets, there are innumerable liberated living entities, and each, each and every planet, there is expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa. They are named by different names. [break] Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa yāṅra goloka-nitya-dhāma. So origin. He is the origin. His planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is the original planet, and from that planet, that brahmajyoti, light, is coming. And in that light, everything is resting. And in an insignificant portion of that light, this material world is situated. In that place there are innumerable universes as we are seeing one. And one of these universes, there are millions and billions of planets, of which this earth is only a insignificant fragment. And in that earth, the land of America, United States, is still insignificant. And in that state, New York is still insignificant. And in that New York City, this 26 Second Avenue insignificant. And we are sitting here. So just see how much insignificant we are. And we are claiming "God." Do not know… Ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. This is called ignorance. We do not know how much insignificant we are in the creation of God, and we are claiming, "God." This is called poor fund of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge.

Now Lord Caitanya says that… He's giving evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated,

ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ

kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam

indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ

mṛḍayanti yuge yuge

[SB 1.3.28]

Now, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, perhaps in the Third Chapter in the First Canto, you'll find there is description of different incarnations, principal incarnations-not all the incarnations, principal, in different yugas. So in that list of incarnations you'll find Lord Kṛṣṇa's name also, Lord Rāma's name also, Lord Buddha's name also. Lord Buddha is mentioned in that list. So we, Vaiṣṇavite, we respect Lord Buddha as incarnation, incarnation. So do not think that the Hindus, they have got disregard for Lord Buddha or for Lord Jesus Christ. No. They have all regard. Anyone who comes as representative of God, or as God, as powerful incarnation, they are all welcome. According to time, according to place, according to the audience, they may speak, speak something which is, which may be different from the Vedic conclusion, but they are accepted as powerful incarnations. So in that list of incarnations, Kṛṣṇa's name is also there. But just to particularize Kṛṣṇa from all others, this verse is mentioned there. What is that? Ete. Ete means "All this list of incarnations that we have seen or we are reading in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam…" Ete ca aṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ. Puṁsaḥ means the Supreme Lord. "The Supreme Lord's plenary portion or portion of the plenary portion…" Just like the… I have several times mentioned in this room, that the original lamp… This is original lamp. And you kindle another candle, from that, another, from that, another, from… In that… Thousands and millions of candles, you can light up, but the original is called the original. Similarly, the original God is Kṛṣṇa. From Him, Baladeva, and from Him, Saṅkarṣaṇa, and from Saṅkarṣaṇa, then Nārāyaṇa, and Nārāyaṇa, then second Saṅkarṣaṇa, the second Saṅkarṣaṇa, puruṣa avatāra, then puruṣa avatāra, Mahā-Viṣṇu… You have seen the picture in the, what is called, title page of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying in the, lying in the Causal Ocean, and in that Causal Ocean, from Mahā-Viṣṇu, from His breathing, millions and millions universes are coming out. And when He, when He breathes externally, the universes come out, and when He inhales, all the universes go into Him. You see? That Mahā-Viṣṇu.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā-jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.48]

That Viṣṇu, Maha-Viṣṇu, is the part, part, part, part, part, part of the part of the part of Kṛṣṇa, that Mahā-Viṣṇu. So they are called kalā.

So all these list… Bhāgavata is specifying about Kṛṣṇa. All this full list of God's incarnation… Either they are part, plenary part, or parts of the parts of the parts of the Supreme, but here, the name Kṛṣṇa, He's the original God. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: [SB 1.3.28] "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa." That has been particularly pointed out in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, although there are list of many. So that, that Kṛṣṇa, although He is original, still, indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge. Indrāri. Indra. Indra is the king of heaven. And ari, ari means enemy. Just like the heavenly king and the Satan, conception of Satan. So when there is satanic influence over the kingdom of God, or the devotees, or the appointed demigods, they are disturbed by satanic influence, then Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi… That is stated, confirmed, in Bhagavad-gītā.

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya

tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

[Bg. 4.7]

Whenever there is discrepancies in the discharge of natural laws of God, then God incarnates. Either He incarnates Himself, or He sends His bona fide representative, or He sends His powerful representative, like that. So whenever there is incarnation of God, it is to be understood that there is discrepancies in the matter of discharging the laws made by God. And the laws made by God is called dharma, dharma, or religion.

So religion, you cannot manufacture; I cannot manufacture. Just like there are so many religions now, manufactured by laymen. Oh, they are not religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: [SB 6.3.19] "Dharma means, religion means, which is made by God." Or His representative. Not by anyone. Not that you make a club or association, you manufacture some idea and it becomes religion. No. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bha… [SB 6.3.19]. Therefore God incarnates. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. Glānir means when there is discrepancies. In that law, which is given by God, when there is discrepancies and people are disturbed, especially the devotees are disturbed, when there is satanic influence, there is, devotees are very much disturbed. So paritrāṇāya sādhūnām [Bg. 4.8]. When incarnation comes, now, paritrāṇāya sādhūnām, the first business is to give protection to the devotees. There is no necessity of God's coming here to settle up things. There is no necessity. He has got omnipotential power. He can do without His presence. But when His devotees become very much disturbed, He comes personally. He comes personally, sends His representative. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. Sādhūnām means devotees. Paritrāṇāya and vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. And, simultaneously, when He comes, all these miscreants, they are killed. They are annihilated. Vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya, and reestablishing the principle of religion. Yuge yuge sambhavāmi. The Lord says, "I come in different millenniums."

So that is going on. There are innumerable universes, which you cannot estimate, and each of the universes, the Lord is incarnating Himself by one of His plenary portions. Kṛṣṇa is present in some of the universes even now. We do not know where is that universe because we cannot see. What is information we have got? We do not know anything about this universe. We see so many stars in the night, so many sun, moon, but what do we know about them? Still, we are claiming that "We are very powerful. We are very advanced in knowledge." This is our poor fund of knowledge. Anyone who is claiming that "I am God" or "I am everything," he is a fool number one. Take it for… Immediately take as fool. What does he know? So indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam [SB 1.3.28]. There are many universes and many planets. So in either of them or each of them, some sort of incarnation is present there. Just like in government, in every department, there is a government representative. Just like in your city, your mayor, mayor is there. Or any responsible post, there is some director, there is… Similarly, indrāri-vyākulaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge. Yuge yuge means different yugas. The same example. Just like the sun. The sun is present everywhere. Just at this moment it is now eight, eight o'clock in New York. In India it is night. There is no sun. But here it is, sun present. Similarly, in your country also, if you go more farther eastern, western side, somewhere the sun is already there somewhere, somewhere the sun is not there. So similarly, the sun is there, but it is the particular time and place where people can see and cannot see. So Kṛṣṇa is there always, everywhere, but it is the power of seeing where Kṛṣṇa is or Kṛṣṇa is not.

So indrāri-vyākulam… He is, by His one plenary portion, He is in either of the all universes. So in this universe, when He comes… Just like when sun appears in your country it takes round of twenty-four hours, similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes on this universe, it is only in one day of Brahmā, that is, some millions and millions of years after, He comes. He has got a scheduled time also, to appear in this universe. We get information from authentic scripture. Indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge. So He is… Just like sun is rotating, or we are rotating, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is there. At a certain interval of time we see Him in this universe. He is present always, but at a certain interval… Just like the motorcar passes… It is going on. But when it is in front of my storefront, I can see. That's all. Not that because the motorcar has passed away, out of my sight, there is no motorcar. No. It has passed away from your sight. That's all. It is going on. It is going on. Similarly, incarnation, representation of Kṛṣṇa, is always going on. When we can see, then it is… Kṛṣṇa we can see. That is His omnipotency.

Now to understand that Kṛṣṇa… Already said that bhakti, only devotional service, can help you in understanding that Supreme Kṛṣṇa.

jñāna, yoga, bhakti-tina sādhanera vaśe

brahma, ātmā, bhagavān-trividha prakāśe

That same Kṛṣṇa, He manifests Himself before you in three different features. What is that? Paraṁ brahma. Brahman, impersonal Brahman; impersonal ātmā, Supersoul; and Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The same Kṛṣṇa. Actually Kṛṣṇa is everything. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Godhead, and He is Ātmā. He is situated as Paramātmā, the Supersoul, in everyone's heart. And He is Brahman. He is impersonal brahmajyoti spreading everywhere. So how the same thing is understood in different features? That is said, jñāna, yoga and bhakti. Those who are trying to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth through knowledge, they can go up to that impersonal Brahman. Those who are searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth through meditation, yoga, they can approach Kṛṣṇa up to His plenary portion, Paramātmā, or the Supersoul. And those who are pursuing the principles of devotional service, they can directly approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is everything. He is impersonal Brahman, He is localized Paramātmā, and He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead at the same time, but due to our different processes, different process of approach, somebody is realizing Him as the impersonal Brahman, somebody is realizing Him as the localized Paramātmā, Supersoul, and somebody is realizing Him, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1], the most, supermost reservoir of all pleasure, Personality of Godhead, and associates with Him in different relationship and enjoys life, eternal life, blissful life and knowledge of full…

Thank you very much. (end)

661211CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.156-163

New York, December 11, 1966

(incomplete lecture)

Prabhupāda:

ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ

kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam

indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ

mṛḍayanti yuge yuge

[SB 1.3.28]

jñāna, yoga, bhakti-tina sādhanera vaśe

brahma, ātmā, bhagavān-trividha prakāśe

So the Absolute Truth is manifested according to the vision of the seer. The Absolute Truth is one without second, but according to the capacity of the seer, the Absolute Truth is manifested either as Brahman, impersonal Brahman, or localized Paramātmā, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So this point we have discussed.

So Lord Caitanya is giving one evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti

bhagavān iti śabdyate

[SB 1.2.11]

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that "The Absolute Truth is one, without any duality. He is simply named in different ways." And what are the different names? "Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān."

brahma-aṅga-kānti tāṅra, nirviśeṣa prakāśe

sūrya yena carma-cakṣe jyotirmaya bhāse

Lord Caitanya says that "The conception of Brahman is that it is the rays of the body of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the sunshine is the rays of the body of the sun disc, similarly," brahma-aṅga-kānti tāṅra nirviśeṣa prakāśe. And in that brahmajyoti, or rays, there is no variegatedness. Just like if you all of a sudden see to the sun, you don't find any variegatedness in the sky. It appears just like only dazzling effulgence. But when the sunlight is not there, we can see millions and millions of stars in the firmament. So in the Upaniṣad also, it is prayed that "My Lord, You kindly move this curtain of glaring effulgence so that I can actually see You."

So one who is dazzled by this glaring effulgence of the rays of Kṛṣṇa, they can realize the Supreme Lord or the Supreme Absolute Truth as impersonal. Sūrya yena carma-cakṣe jyotirmaya bhāse. Carma-cakṣe, with our present eyes, defective… All our senses are defective. We are very much proud of our eyes. I want to see personally. But we do not know that with these eyes or any sense, they are all defective. They are not perfect. Just like in the glare of the sunshine, oh, we see nothing. We see sometimes darkness. So we cannot believe these eyes or senses. We have to take information of perfect knowledge from the authorities. That is the Vedic way. So those who want to see God or the Supreme Absolute Truth by the agency of their imperfect senses, they say that God is impersonal. They're imperfect. That is a realization of the imperfect senses. Perfectly, the perfectly vision, perfect vision of the Supreme Lord is a person. Just like nobody can enter into the sun disc. They can say from distant place, "Oh, there is nothing. It is simply fire." But from scripture we understand, "No, that is a planet." And as in this planet we have got so many variegatedness, similarly, in that planet also, there are… In every planet. There is no reason to disbelieve that in, in the, in other planets there is no life, there is no variegatedness. No. According to Vedic literature, it is not acceptable. Each and every planet, there is variegatedness as we find in this planet. The difference is that in some of the planets earthly matter is prominent, some of the planets fiery elements are prominent. So in the sun, sun planet, fiery elements is very prominent. There the living entities and everything, they are made of fire.

So He's giving another evidence from Brahma-saṁhitā:

yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-

koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam

tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.40]

"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, whose bodily effulgence is brahmajyoti." The brahmajyoti, that is nothing but His bodily effulgence. And in that brahmajyoti… Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. Or that brahmajyoti being manifested, there are innumerable planets and universes. There are. The same example: just like in the sun, sunshine, there are innumerable planets, so similarly, in the original shine, Kṛṣṇa shine-this is sunshine; the original shine is Kṛṣṇa shining-in that effulgence there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, spiritual planets. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. In the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find, all these planetary manifestations is situated in one fourth of His effulgence. Three fourths of the manifestation are in the spiritual sky. Tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtam. Aśeṣa-bhūtam. It is so much extended that nobody can calculate how far. We cannot calculate even the sunshine, how far it is extended, and what to speak of that original effulgence. So our knowledge is always imperfect. We cannot study even millions and millionth part of the opulence of the Supreme Lord. So it is futile to deny God because we cannot calculate His potencies and expansion of potencies.

paramātmā yeṅho, teṅho kṛṣṇera eka aṁśa

ātmāra 'ātmā' haya kṛṣṇa sarva-avataṁsa

Now, this localized aspect, Paramātmā, in individual soul, living, He's called Paramātmā. So that Paramātmā, Supersoul, is also a part representation. The, the body of Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Sac, cid, ānanda-three, three spiritual divisions. Not division actually. They are one. But for our understanding we analyze in that way, sac, cid, ānanda. Sat. Sat means eternity. So Brahman realization, impersonal Brahman realization, is realization of eternity; Paramātmā realization means eternity and knowledge; and Bhagavān realization means full realization: eternity, knowledge and bliss. Simple eternal realization is without factual knowledge and without bliss-impersonal. The impersonalists, they cannot enjoy the transcendental bliss. They simply stay as eternal. That's all. Śānta-rasa. It is called śānta-rasa, peaceful śānta-rasa. There is no exchange. And further development is dāsya-rasa. And further development is sākhya-rasa. And further development is vātsalya-rasa. And further, ultimate development is mādhurya-rasa. So in the spiritual atmosphere there are different degrees of realization. So this Brahman realization is the first step, and the Paramātmā realization is the second step, and Bhagavān realization, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is the ultimate stage.

He's giving some evidences from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā also:

kṛṣṇam enam avehi tvam

ātmānam akhilātmanām

jagad-dhitāya so'py atra

dehīvābhāti māyayā

Now, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam some advanced devotee is indicating Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇam enam avehi: "This Kṛṣṇa…" When Kṛṣṇa was present in person, many persons studied Him in a different way, but one of them, who is pure devotee, he is describing about Kṛṣṇa that enam, "This Kṛṣṇa, this Kṛṣṇa," kṛṣṇam enam avehi, "you should try to understand." What is that? Tvam ātmānam akhilātmanām. Ātmānam akhilātmanām. Ātmā means the self, or soul. So we individual souls, we are part and parcel, fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is to be understood as the source of all individual selves. Akhilātmā. Akhila means all. Then jagad-dhitāya: "Now, He has come, He has descended out of His causeless mercy," jagad-dhitāya, "for the benefit of this world, this planet." Dehīva ābhāti. Just like He appears ordinary person. Ābhāti māyayā. Māyā. This māyā is not illusion. This māyā means by His internal potency. By His internal potency, He can appear just like us, but He's not like us. He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Then,

atha vā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

[Bg. 10.42]

Now the Lord says, Kṛṣṇa says, when Arjuna asked Him, "Kṛṣṇa, will You describe something about Your different potencies, by which You are working in this material world?" Then Kṛṣṇa describes so many things. Out of that one verse is that atha vā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna: "My dear Arjuna, I have described in nutshell many of My potencies in displaying this manifested world, but you can understand one thing, that by one part, by manifestation of one of My part, I am…, I have entered all the universe and all the hearts of living entities." Just like by one reflection of the sun, if you put millions of pots with water, by one of the potencies of the sun, you'll find the sun is represented in every pot. During noontime, by one of the potencies of the sun, you can feel, five thousand miles away, the sun is just over your head. So, as it is possible even for a material object, so this Kṛṣṇa, the supreme spiritual form, He has got many potencies which we cannot calculate. In the Vedic literature it is said: parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate… [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. (end)

661213CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.164-173

New York, December 13, 1966

Prabhupāda:

'bhaktye' bhagavānera anubhava-pūrṇa-rūpa

eka-i vigrahe tāṅra ananta svarūpa

Expansion of Kṛṣṇa, that is being described by Lord Caitanya. They are described in different Vedic literatures, and we are getting the information in one place from Lord Caitanya. So that is the advantage, to be in the disciplic succession. To find out in different information from different scriptures, it is very difficult, but if we become in the line of disciplic succession, all the experience is at once achieved. If you want to fight in the law court and if you want to find out all the law sections from the law book, it is very difficult for you. Better to go to a lawyer who knows the law section and take help and it is all right. Similarly, there are different kinds of descriptions of the Supreme Lord. The experienced spiritual master gives us the information in one place.

So about the expansions of Lord Kṛṣṇa, in Brahma-saṁhitā, Īśopaniṣad, and there are various Vedic literatures… They are all taken together, calculated and presented by Lord Caitanya. He says,

svayaṁ-rūpa tad-ekātma-rūpa, āveśa-nāma

prathamei tina-rūpe rahena bhagavān

Svayaṁ-rūpa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, He is called svayaṁ-rūpa, His personal feature. Then tad-ekātmā. Tad-ekātma-rūpa means not exactly the same person, but almost the same. Tad-ekātma-rūpa. And āveśa. Āveśa means that empowered. There is always difference between the individual soul and the Supreme Absolute Soul. When the individual soul is specially empowered by the Supreme Soul, that is called āveśa. He can act almost like God. We accept, according to this āveśa, āveśa-avatāra incarnation, authorized incarnation, we accept, my Guru Mahārāja accepted Lord Jesus Christ and Hazrat Muhammad, this āveśa incarnation, almost the same power.

svayaṁ-rūpa tad-ekātma-rūpa, āveśa-nāma

prathamei tina-rūpe rahena bhagavān

Now, in the first instance the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, and tad-ekātmā, His next expansion with the same features, and āveśa, a powerful incarnation or powerful living entity…

'svayaṁ-rūpa' 'svayaṁ-prakāśa'-dui rūpe sphūrti

svayaṁ-rūpe-eka 'kṛṣṇa' vraje gopa-mūrti

Svayaṁ-rūpa, the supreme personal feature, and svayaṁ-prakāśa… His immediate expansion is called svayaṁ-prakāśa.

So in His svayaṁ-rūpa, in His personal feature, He always remains at Vṛndāvana, and He is just like a cowherd boy. That is His real feature, Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, that is not the real feature of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a person, high-court judge, where you will find his real feature? His real feature you will find at his home, not on the bench. In the bench, even his father comes, the high-court judge's father, he will have to address the judge, "My lord." That is the court. The same person at home and same person in the court is different, although the same person. Similarly, the real Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, He never goes out of Vṛndāvana. He remains always a cowherd boy. That's all. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Surabhī means transcendental cows. He is engaged in that pastime. So svayaṁ-rūpa eka kṛṣṇa vraje gopa-mūrti. Gopa-mūrti means cowherd boy.

'prābhava-vaibhava'-rūpe dvividha prakāśe

eka-vapu bahu rūpa yaiche haila rāse

Then prakāśa, expansion. From expansion, there are two kinds of division, prābhava and vaibhava. So prābhava, what is the prābhava expansion? It is given: eka-vapu bahu rūpa yaiche haila. Prābhava expansion means the same feature, the same body, but it is distributed in innumerable places. That is called prābhava expansion. The example is, eka-vapu bahu rūpa yaiche haila rāse. In the rāsa dance, Kṛṣṇa performed the rāsa dance, not exactly the ball dance… But it is an imitation of that rāsa dance. Because you cannot have any idea of anything without its being originally in Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. That is the version of Vedānta-sūtra. Any idea, whatever you… But they are simply perverted reflection. That's all. You cannot get anything, any idea, without its being situated in Kṛṣṇa. The rāsa dance, that is described in the Thirty-second Chapter of the Tenth Canto in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Five chapters, from Twenty-ninth Chapter to Thirty-fourth Chapter, Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance is described there. The rāsa dance… The short history of rāsa dance is that Kṛṣṇa was sixteen years old, and the girls of the village, Vṛndāvana, and the boys, they were all friends. Naturally in India the girls were early married, some at the age of twelve years, some at the age of thirteen years, some at the age of ten years. The boys remain… So the girls who were friends of Kṛṣṇa, they always prayed to different demigods, Lord Śiva, that "Kṛṣṇa may be our husband." So that desire was there, but it was not possible to get Kṛṣṇa to become everyone's…, because He was only a boy. But they maintained that idea although they were married and some of them were mothers. Some of them were unmarried. So Kṛṣṇa, to fulfill their desire, He blew on His flute on a nice moonlight night, and all the gopīs, all those girls, they came. And Kṛṣṇa advised them, "Oh, you are now married. You have come at dead of night to Me. It is not good." In this way He advised so many things. They were very moral instruction. But the gopīs denied to go back, and they arranged that dancing. That is called rāsa dance.

In the rāsa dance there were hundreds of gopīs, but Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself to dance with each one of them. That is called vaibhava-vilāsa. He expanded.

'prābhava-vaibhava'-rūpe dvividha prakāśe

eka-vapu bahu rūpa yaiche haila rāse

The same Kṛṣṇa, I mean to say, expanded Himself in many Kṛṣṇas. That is expansion, vaibhava expansion. Another expansion is,

mahiṣī-vivāhe haila bahu-vidha mūrti

'prābhava prakāśa'-ei śāstra-parasiddhi

So one expansion is vaibhava at Vṛndāvana, and another expansion was made by Kṛṣṇa at Dvārakā when He was grown up and He was obliged to marry sixteen thousand wives, sixteen thousand wives. He had actually… Because the kṣatriyas, the administrator, the royal family, royal class, they are allowed to marry more than one wife, not other class. Because they were rich, they were royal, kingly order, they had sufficient means. They could maintain many wives with the same comforts. So they were allowed; not others, not the poor brāhmaṇas or others. No. So Kṛṣṇa's father had sixteen wives, and one of the wives' name was Devakī, and Kṛṣṇa happened to be her son, Devakī. Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa's father, Vasudeva, had sixteen wives. He was also Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa similarly had three or four wives, eight wives, yes. But He got information, prayer, application, prayer application, from sixteen thousand girls who were kidnapped by a demon, Narakāsura. And they sent application to Kṛṣṇa, "Please save us." So Kṛṣṇa is always responsive to His devotee, so He went to save the girls. He killed that Narakāsura and rescued those all sixteen thousand girls.

Now those sixteen thousand girls prayed to Kṛṣṇa that "We are kidnapped." They were all king's daughters. They were also all princesses. "But because we are kidnapped, so nobody will marry us." That is the system. Once a girl goes out of the home, it is very difficult for her to be married in the society. Still that system is going on in India. Unmarried girls, young girls, they cannot go out unless she is married. If she goes out and if she passes some night with other boys, then no more place in the society. So those girls prayed to Kṛṣṇa that "Because we are kidnapped by this Narakāsura from our father's custody, now nobody will marry. So You become our husband. Otherwise there is no other way." So they appealed, they cried, and Kṛṣṇa accepted: "Yes. I will accept you all, My wives." Therefore He brought those sixteen thousand girls. But what kind of husband? He is God, not an ordinary husband. So He constructed sixteen thousand palaces for all the wives and equally all decorated houses. They are described that the houses did not require any external light. It was all bedecked with jewels. And in sixteen thousand forms He used to live with each wife. That is God. You see?

So somebody may say, somebody questioned that "How is that, sixteen thousand? He was very lusty," somebody says, poor fund of knowledge. Or "It is simply story." No. It is… Kṛṣṇa is neither lusty, nor it is story. He is Supreme, full in Himself. He did not require even one wife. Because we require the association of wife or girl because we feel the need, if God is in need, then He is not God. He must be full. But just because His devotees wanted Him her husband, therefore He played the part of a perfect husband. That is the position. Nobody, no husband, can expand himself in many ways. Suppose one has got many girls friend. Oh, he can go to one girl friend, not to many. This is. Another point is that īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati: [Bg. 18.61] "The Lord is situated in everyone's heart." So if the girls prayed God that "You become our husband," so if God comes out of the heart and becomes her husband, what is the difficulty for God? So not sixteen thousand, if He would marry sixteen millions of wife, still it was insufficient, because He is everywhere. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. This is called vaibhava-vilāsa, vaibhava-vilāsa, inconceivable. Lord Caitanya is presenting the real, factual features of Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. So,

mahiṣī-vivahe haila bahu-vidha mūrti

prābhava vilāsa ei śāstra-parasiddhi

Now, the yogis, some of the yogis, not all the yogis… Those who are highly qualified and advanced yogis always remain in… There is a name of Saubhari Muni, Ṛṣi, and he was in meditation, in trance within the water. Because the trance, there is no breathing, so there is no difficulty to remain even in water, because breathing causes difficulty within water. Within goes… So he was in trance, and he was a great yogi. He was meditating within water, but he… Some way or other, he was agitated by sex desire, by seeing the fish have sex intercourse. Just see. The sex power is so strong that even such a yogi who could meditate within the water, he was also agitated by sex desire. So he came out of the water and went to the king and asked him that "You give me your daughter as my wife." Oh, he was a great ṛṣi, and because he was in the water, his feature was very ugly. So the king became perplexed: "Oh, how my daughter will select such a nasty body as my son-in-law?" So he was yogi; he could understand: "Then all right…" (snaps fingers) He became very nice. Because yogis, they can do anything, very nice bodily feature. Then the king tried to avoid him, and the king told him, "Well, sir, my determination is I have got eight daughters. So I can offer my daughters to one who can become eight at least." He wanted to see how much he was yogi. And he bifurcated himself at once into eight forms. So here it is stated,

saubhary-ādi-prāya sei kāya-vyūha naya

kāya-vyūha haile nāradera vismaya nā haya

Because that oneness… Just like in photograph. In photograph you can expand yourself in millions, but that is not actually expansion. So similarly, the yogi Saubhari Ṛṣi, he expanded into eight, but that was not actually expansion. That was merely a show, just like photograph. But Kṛṣṇa's expansion, here it is compared, He actually expanded in different houses, in different feature, and differently dealing. That is mentioned in the Bhāgavata.

So He is giving evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as it was experienced by Nārada. Nārada doubted that "How Kṛṣṇa is married with sixteen thousand wives, and how He is dealing with them?" So when he came, in whichever house he entered, palace, he saw Kṛṣṇa was there. Somewhere He was taking bath, somewhere He was playing with the children, somewhere… Just like if you go in different houses, the householder, you will find differently engaged. So he went each of those sixteen thousand palaces and saw Kṛṣṇa differently engaged. Then he was surprised, and he recited this śloka,

citraṁ bataitad ekena

vapuṣā yugapat pṛthak

gṛheṣu dvy-aṣṭa-sāhasraṁ

striya eka udāvahat

Dvy-aṣṭa-sāhasram. Dvy means double, and aṣṭa means eight, and sāhasra means thousand. That means double eight thousand, or sixteen thousand. Dvy-aṣṭa-sāhasraṁ striya eka udāvahat. And Kṛṣṇa, one, He married, and He was expanded in sixteen thousand forms and features.

sei vapu, sei ākṛti pṛthak yadi bhāse

bhāvāveśa-bhede sa 'vaibhava-prakāśe'

Now, the feature, the body, is the same, but in different house with different devotees, the exchange of feelings is different. That is called vaibhava-prakāśa. So it is a very complicated idea, which of them is vaibhava, which of them is prābhava, which of them is vilāsa, which of them is tad-ekātmā, āveśa… There are different divisions of Kṛṣṇa's expansions. But we can note down if we like from original Kṛṣṇa how many, I mean to say, expansions, innumerable expansions Kṛṣṇa has got. But some of them were shown when He was present before us just to prove that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because in future so many fools will imitate to become Kṛṣṇa as the incarnation of God or God, but Kṛṣṇa has in His life so many uncommon features, nobody can show that. Just like Govardhana. You have seen that picture. At seven years old, He lifted the hill. And when He was young He married sixteen thousand wives, and sixteen thousand features… So… And when He was in Battle of Kurukṣetra, He showed the universal form. So before claiming oneself as "I am God," they should be prepared to show these uncommon features. Otherwise, no sane man will accept any fool as God.

ananta prakāśe kṛṣṇera nāhi mūrti-bheda

ākāra-varṇa-astra-bhede nāma-vibheda

Then He says, "There are unlimited expansions of Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual world, and…" Nāhi mūrti-bheda. Just like His expansions in the spiritual world… He is originally two-handed, but in the spiritual planets… There are innumerable spiritual planets, and He is situated in each of them in four hand. Now this four hand, each hand… There are four symbols: conchshell and wheel and club and a lotus flower. Now, these four symbols are differently manifested in. Just like four hands. Beginning from right, this is lotus flower, club, and then conchshell, then wheel. And some of them, here begins wheel, here begins club. In this way the four has about sixteen divisions, and they are represented… Not sixteen. Twenty-four. Twenty-four, I mean to say, change of the place of the symbols. And according to the change of symbols, you will find different names. In the cover of the book Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you have seen. These symbols are there. And there are different names. Some of Them named Hṛṣīkeśa, some of Them named Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Padmanābha… In this way there are different names according to the different change of the symbolic representation.

anye ca saṁskṛtātmāno

vidhinābhihitena te

yajanti tvan-mayās tvāṁ vai

bahu-mūrtyeka-mūrtikam

So there are different kinds of devotees also. Some devotee worships the Nārāyaṇa feature, some devotee worships Kṛṣṇa feature, Nṛsiṁhadeva… So there are innumerable devotees and innumerable forms also of Kṛṣṇa. But not these ordinary demigods. When Kṛṣṇa says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham: [Bg. 4.11] "Any devotee who wants to worship Me in My different feature, I offer him in that feature…" Just like Hanumān. He was a devotee of Rāma. So there is one verse by Hanumān, that "I know Rāma and Nṛsiṁha and Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, is the same. But still, I want to worship Rāma." Just like we, ourself, we know Lord Rāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa the same, but we want to worship Kṛṣṇa. So different devotees have different inclination to offer his service to different features of God. And therefore He has got innumerable features of the presentation. They are differently named.

Thank you very much. (end)

661214CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.172

New York, December 14, 1966

Prabhupāda:

ananta prakāśe kṛṣṇera nāhi mūrti-bheda

ākāra-varṇa-astra-bhede nāma-vibheda

So Kṛṣṇa has innumerable expansions. So far potency of the Lord is concerned, in those expansions there is no difference of potency, but the different names are due to difference of manifestation. Sometimes the Lord is manifested with two hands, sometimes with four hands. And (in) the four hands there are different symbolic representation. So due to these different kinds of manifestation there are different names, but so far God's six potential opulences are concerned, they are always present in every form and manifestation. There is no difference.

vaibhava-prakāśa kṛṣṇera-śrī-balarāma

varṇa-mātra-bheda, saba-kṛṣṇera samāna

Balarāma. Balarāma is considered to be the elder brother of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was present, Balarāma became His elder brother. When Rāma was there, this Balarāma represented Himself as His younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa. So Balarāma is the first manifestation of His personal expansion.

vaibhava-prakāśa yaiche devakī-tanuja

dvibhuja-svarūpa kabhu, kabhu haya caturbhuja

Vaibhava-prakāśa, vaibhava manifestation… The example is given: just like when Kṛṣṇa was born, He was not exactly born from the womb of His mother. So He appeared first of all with four hands. Then, when the mother prayed… She could know that Kṛṣṇa has come. She prayed for become an ordinary child, and at once He became two-handed. This is called vaibhava-prakāśa manifestation. Ye-kāle dvibhuja, nāma-vaibhava-prakāśa. When He is two-handed, it is called vaibhava-prakāśa, and when He is four-handed, it is called prābhava-vaibhava.

svarūpera gopa-veśa, gopa-abhimāna

vāsudevera kṣatriya-veśa, 'āmi-kṣatriya'-jñāna

In His original personality, sometimes He represents Himself as the son of Nanda Mahārāja, the cowherds man, and sometimes He represents Himself as the son of Vasudeva, the kṣatriya king.

saundarya, aiśvarya, mādhurya, vaidagdhya-vilāsa

vrajendra-nandane ihā adhika ullāsa

Aiśvarya, the opulence, six kinds of opulence of which mādhurya, I mean to say, His relationship with His devotees in conjugal love… That is very much prominent in Vṛndāvana.

govindera mādhurī dekhi' vāsudevera kṣobha

se mādhuri āsvādite upajaya lobha

The beauty, beauty of Kṛṣṇa, is fully manifested in Vṛndāvana. As sixteen-years boy and playing flute, the beauty was so attractive that even Vāsudeva Himself became attracted by the beauty.

sei vapu bhinnābhāse kichu bhinnākāra

bhāvāveśākṛti-bhede 'tad-ekātma' nāma tāṅra

Now, that original feature of Lord Kṛṣṇa, when there is a little difference, that is called tad-ekātma.

tad-ekātma-rūpe 'vilāsa', 'svāṁśa'-dui bheda

vilāsa, svāṁśera bhede vividha vibheda

That tad-ekātma, almost the same, that is also divided into two: svāṁśa and vibhinnāṁśa.

prābhava-vaibhava-bhede vilāsa-dvidhākāra

vilāsera vilāsa-bheda-ananta prakāra

prābhava-vilāsa-vāsudeva, saṅkarṣaṇa

pradyumna, aniruddha-mukhya cāri-jana

Now, the prābhava manifestation, four, They are called Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha and Pradyumna. These four names are there.

vraje gope-bhāva rāmera, pure kṣatriya-bhāvana

varṇa-veśa-bheda, tāte 'vilāsa' tāṅra nāma

vaibhava-prakāśe āra prābhava-vilāse

eka-i mūrtye baladeva bhāva-bhede bhāse

These are all technical terms. You just go on hearing. But if you want to have them minutely studied, then you have to take a note from this book. And of course, it is necessary, but gradually, when you are conversant with the features of Lord, these things will come automatically. Just let us hear how many forms are there, prābhava-vilāsa, and their technical names.

Now these prābhava-vilāsa forms, four-handed, They are also divided into different names according to the different months. Just like your calendar month is called January, February, March, April, May, June, and in India the calendar months are named as Vaiśākha, Jyaiṣṭha, Āṣāḍha, Śrāvaṇa, Bhādra, Āśvina, similarly, according to the Vaiṣṇava smṛti, there are the spiritual… These names, calendar months, they are according to the situation of the sun. Similarly, in the spiritual world the twelve months are named according to the different features of the Lord. And they are described here:

cakrādi-dhāraṇa-bhede nāma-bheda saba

vāsudevera mūrti-keśava, nārāyaṇa, mādhava

Vāsudeva, according to the symbolic representation of the hands, They are differently named. Vāsudeva is divided into three: Keśava, Nārāyaṇa, Mādhava. Similarly, Saṅkarṣaṇa is divided into three: Govinda, Viṣṇu, Śrī Madhusūdana. Similarly, Pradyumna is divided into three: Trivikrama, Vāmana, Śrīdhara. Similarly, Aniruddha is divided into three: Hṛṣīkeśa, Padmanābha, Dāmodara. So all these, three into four, twelve, They are named in different months. Mārga-śīrṣe keśava. Mārga-śīrṣe means October. In the month of October He is known as Keśava. Then November, not exactly November, October, November. November, Keśava; and December, Nārāyaṇa. And then January, Mādhava. Then Govinda. Just take twelve names. Govinda, then Viṣṇu, then Madhusūdana, then Trivikrama, then Vāmana, then Śrīdhara, then Hṛṣīkeśa, then Padmanābha, then Dāmodara. Similarly, we have got dvādaśa tilaka. The same names are there. Lalāṭe keśavaṁ dhyāyet. When dvādaśa tilakas are made, these twelve names are remembered. Lalāṭe keśavaṁ nārāyaṇam athodare: Nārāyaṇa on the belly. Then vakṣaḥ-sthale, then here, then here, then here, then here. In this way, twelve names there are. In this way… Of course, these are very technical. It may be not very interesting, but there are similar names of Kṛṣṇa-Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa-and how they are divided, it is an artistic… The Vāsudeva name, the four hands… How you can distinguish? The four hands you will find everywhere, and the symbolic representation in the hand, that lotus flower, club, and the wheel, and the conchshell. Now, according to the different position of these four symbolic representation, the name are different. Just like Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva, He takes the club in the first right hand and then the conchshell in the second right hand and then left, the upper left hand, wheel, and the lower left hand, lotus flower. Similarly, Saṅkarṣaṇa, there is change. So different change… Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Keśava, Nārāyaṇa, Śrī Mādhava, Govinda, Viṣṇu-mūrti, Madhusūdana, Trivikrama, Śrī Vāmana, Śrīdhara, Hṛṣīkeśa, Padmanābha, Dāmodara, Puruṣottama, Śrī Acyuta. Śrī Acyuta, (aside:) Acyutānanda. Śrī Acyuta, Śrī Nṛsiṁha, Śrī Janārdana, Śrī Hari, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Adhokṣaja, Upendra, Hayaśīrṣa. In this way there are different names. How many names we can remember? He is unlimited. His names are unlimited. His expansions are unlimited. So if you want to take details of His names and expansions, they are mentioned in the scriptures. You can have it. But it is very difficult to remember them. But let us understand that His expansions are unlimited, and unlimited expansions of God, particular names, they are mentioned in the scriptures.

'svayam bhagavān', āra 'līlā-purusottama'

ei dui nāma dhare vrajendra-nandana

Now Kṛṣṇa's two particular names are Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Puruṣottama. In the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Eighth Chapter you will understand what is Puruṣottama. Puruṣa, puruṣa means enjoyer; uttama means the highest. So Paramātmā and Puruṣottama are discussions there in the Eighth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā.

purīra āvaraṇa-rūpe purīra nava-deśe

nava-vyūha-rūpe nava-mūrti parakāśe

prakāśa-vilāsera ei kailuṅ vivaraṇa

svāṁśera bheda ebe śuna, sanātana

Now the description of prakāśa manifestation and vilāsa manifestation are described in this way, now, His plenary portions, how they are named.

saṅkarṣaṇa, matsyādika-dui bheda tāṅra

saṅkarṣaṇa-puruṣāvatāra līlāvatāra āra

Saṅkarṣaṇa and in incarnation… Saṅkarṣaṇa, from Saṅkarṣaṇa, there are three expansions. They are called Viṣṇu-Mahā-Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī-Viṣṇu, and Kṣirodakaśāyī Viṣṇu-from Saṅkarṣaṇa. Mahā-Viṣṇu… When the material world is created, the Mahā-Viṣṇu expansion is there. From Mahā-Viṣṇu, all these universes are generated. And from Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is expanded. This Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu enters into each universe, and then, in each universe, from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is expanded. That Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu has a planet within this universe near the polestar. And from that Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the expansion, Paramātmā, is distributed in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. That Viṣṇu-mūrti is expanded from the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu within this material world. The Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is also within this material universe. And both, all these Viṣṇu-mūrti… One Viṣṇu-mūrti is the Mahā-Viṣṇu. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ [Bs. 5.48]. From Maha-Viṣṇu, all these universes are being generated, niśyaika-kāla…, when He, Mahā-Viṣṇu, is lying in the Causal Ocean, and from His breathing all these universes are being generated. Then they expand, and then Mahā-Viṣṇu enters in each universe as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu… These pictures are there. You have seen. And from Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu… From Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu there is expansion of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu the Paramātmā, or the expansion of Supersoul in every living entity, that is expanded. Then His incarnation. The incarnation, that is also innumerable. Principally the incarnations are avatāra haya kṛṣṇa ṣaḍ-vidha prakāra.

Generally the incarnations are divided into six divisions. What are they? Puruṣāvatāra eka, first puruṣāvatāra; second, līlāvatāra; third, guṇāvatāra; and fourth, manvantarāvatāra; and fifth, yugāvatāra; and sixth, śaktyāveśāvatāra. This is very important. This is very important. There are incarnations, six kinds of incarnations. This may be noted. First, puruṣāvatāra. Purusāvatāra, these Viṣṇus, three Viṣṇu-Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu-They are called puruṣāvatāras. God sometimes manifests Himself as incarnation of fish, incarnation of hog, incarnation of lion, incarnation of Rāma. Rāma is also puruṣāvatāra, I mean to say, līlāvatāra, Rāma. So līlāvatāra, then guṇāvatāra. Gunāvatāra is according to the modes of this material nature there are three guṇāvatāras. So first, Himself, Viṣṇu, and the second, Brahmā. Brahmā is also guṇāvatāra, incarnation of the quality. There are three qualities in the material world. Brahmā is the incarnation of the passion, mode of passion, and Viṣṇu is the incarnation of the mode of goodness, and Śiva, Lord Śiva, is the incarnation of the mode of ignorance. So all these three avatāras, although they are different manifestation of God, still, in the scriptures this is recommended that if anyone wants to get out of this material entanglement, then he has to worship These incarnation in the modes of goodness, Viṣṇu-avatāra. That is… These things are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

So one may say that "If three of them are incarnation of the Supreme, why particularly to Viṣṇu? Why not Lord Śiva and why not Brahmā?" That is described in the Bhāgavata. Just like I require fire. So fire, the fire, there is. Just like wood is produced from the earth, and fire is produced from the wood, similarly, although it, production, the source of production, is the same, but still, I require fire. I cannot have fire from the earth or from the, just tree. I have to take the wood, fuel. This example is there. Although the source is one, still, unless I get fire, my purpose will not be served. Similarly, this Viṣṇu and Śiva and Brahmā… From, I mean to say, gross earth the wood is produced like tree, and from tree we take wood, and from wood there is fire. So when we get fire, then we can serve our purpose. Similarly, although these three avatāras are there in the material world, we have to take shelter of the Viṣṇu-avatāra, goodness. So far spiritual progress, one has to be situated on the modes of goodness first. Therefore we require to be brāhmaṇas, qualified brāhmaṇas, then Vaiṣṇava. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brāhmaṇa does not mean caste. Brāhmaṇa means one who knows the Supreme Brahman. He is brāhmaṇa. And then, after being brāhmaṇa, then you have to transcend that position and put yourself in the pure goodness. This material goodness is contaminated. Sometimes goodness is affected by ignorance and passion in the material… So when you are transcendental to this material goodness, that stage is called Vāsudeva stage. And Vāsudeva stage, that means God realization.

So there are three incarnation of guṇāvatāra, then manvantarāvatāra. Manvantarāvatāra means… There is seventy-one yugas. One yuga means about 4,300,000's of years. Four million and 300,000's of years, that makes a complete yuga. Such seventy-one yuga is the duration of a Manu. That is called Man… And each Manu is also an incarnation, Manvantarāvatāra. And such Manu takes place, fourteen Manus take place, during one day of Brahma. So Manvantarāvatāra. Then yuga avatāra. Yuga avatāra… In each yuga, during that 4,300,000's of years, there are yuga avatāra. They are the incarnation. They come. They are called yugāvatāras. And then there is śaktyāveśa-avatāra. Śaktyāveśa-avatāra, they are counted just like Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ. They are counted amongst the śaktyāveśāvatāras. They are also incarnation of śaktyāveśāvatāra, powerful. In this way the Supreme Lord manifests all over the universes. There are innumerable universes, and some of His incarnation are working always.

So God's kingdom is not vacant. Just like we are thinking that except this earthly planet, all planets are vacant. Somebody is suggesting it is a lump of ashes. Just like they are thinking of this moon planet-a lump of dust. I cannot, of course, think like that. How dust can remain in a lump and how so much illumination come out from the dust? But they are putting the theory that the moon planet is a lump of dust. So let them do. But from the scripture we understand that there are innumerable universes, and each and every universe is full with innumerable planets, and each planet is full with innumerable living entities, and God's incarnation is working somewhere, other, to reclaim these conditioned souls.

Thank you very much. (end)

661216CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.245-255

New York, December 16, 1966

Prabhupāda:

avatāra haya kṛṣṇera ṣaḍ-vidha prakāra

puruṣāvatāra eka, līlāvatāra āra

guṇāvatāra, āra manvantarāvatāra

yugāvatāra, āra śaktyāveśāvatāra

Now, we have been discussing about incarnations. These incarnations are concerned so far the maintenance of the material world is required. In the spiritual world there is no incarnation. There is a permanent situation of the spiritual planets, and in different planets, He, Kṛṣṇa, has different expansions under different symbolic representation, and they are differently named. There is no change. But in the material world, when we speak of incarnation, that is in relationship with this material world. In this… For the material world these incarnations are expanded. And what are they? First the puruṣāvatāra; then līlāvatāra; then guṇāvatāra, three; then manvantarāvatāra, four; then yugāvatāra, five; and then śaktyāveśāvatāra. Śaktyāveśāvatāra.

So these incarnations are manifested at different times according to the need. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated,

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya

tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

[Bg. 4.7]

There is a system. In the process of this material world there is a system. Just like for maintenance of your state, United States, there is system of government, and there is an aim. Just like your government does not like that…, there should be no Communistic persons, and you write that "We trust in God." It is better to trust in God. You have got a system. Similarly, the maintenance of the whole material world, there is a system. It is not blind. Foolish creatures, they think that everything has come out of nothing, and it is being managed by nature. No. Behind nature there is God. In the Bhagavad-gītā you have learned, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: [Bg. 9.10] "Under My superintendence the material nature is working." Material nature is not blind. Just like foolish person, because he cannot see President Johnson and the governmental personalities, they think, "It is going on. Nobody is there behind this government, and it is going on." So similarly, persons who have no knowledge in the affairs of this material world, they think that "This material nature is working, and automatically, by magic, the sun is coming out, the moon is coming out, and the season is changing, and everything is going on just like magic, and we are the master of everything." Never think…, these foolish persons never think that they are not masters, they are servant, servant of the material nature.

So that is their foolishness. Therefore, when there is too much foolishness, so there is need of avatāra, incarnation, to correct. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. Whenever there is, I mean to say, discrepancies in the maintenance of law and order of this material nature, there is need of avatāra, incarnation. Because it is God's kingdom, it is also secondary kingdom-real kingdom is in the spiritual world-so God comes in different avatāra. And when the material world is created, the first avatāra is puruṣa-avatāra. The Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī, They create. And then līlāvatāra. Līlāvatāra, under some particular circumstances, to save some particular devotee, or to display some particular feature… Just like Lord Rāma, He incarnated. He is līlāvatāra. Then guṇāvatāra. For maintenance of this material world there are different kinds of modes of nature, and to control those modes of nature there are avatāras, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. Līlāvatāra. Then manvantarāvatāra. The changes of millenniums, that manvantarāvatāra. And then yugāvatāras, yugāvatāra, in each and every yuga. Just like this Kali-yuga. This is called Kali-yuga. In the Kali-yuga the incarnation is Lord Caitanya.

It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam… There is a chapter. Nava-yogendra, nine great mystics, met one very powerful king, and they explained, each and every one of them. They explained about spiritual things. And there was a transcendentalist amongst them. Amongst the nine personalities, there was one whose name was Camasa Muni. The Camasa Muni said… That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. When he was asked by Viveha Mahārāja, the King Viveha, "What is the avatāra of this Kali-yuga, especial?" then he mentioned,

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

[SB 11.5.32]

"Now, in this age of Kali-yuga, there will be avatāra, incarnation, who is Kṛṣṇa, but His color of the body is not black." That is Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya was very fair complexion, nice looking. So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā. Tviṣā, by complexion, He is not Kṛṣṇa, but He is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam tviṣākṛṣṇam and sāṅgo 'pāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. And He is associated by His confidential, I mean to say, devotees. You'll find Lord Caitanya always crowded by His devotees, always. His dancing mood-you have seen the picture. Special associates, that Advaita, Gadādhara, Nityānanda. So that incarnation, who is Kṛṣṇa, but His color, His complexion, is not black, but He is associated with devotees… And the process of worshiping that incarnation is to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare.

So in this yuga, this Kali-yuga, incarnation is Lord Caitanya, and the process of worship is this sound vibration. That is mentioned. In every avatāra, every incarnation… Just like Lord Buddha. His name is also mentioned. And there will be another incarnation, Kalki. That is also mentioned. So they are mentioned, yugāvatāra. And śaktyāveśāvatāra. Śaktyāveśāvatāra. All avatāras, their mission is to preach the message of God. Avatāra has no other business. The message of God. Śaktyāveśāvatāra. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, this is also considered śaktyāveśāvatāra, the incarnation of sound. Incarnation of sound. It is described by Lord Caitanya that kali-kāle nāma rūpe avatāra: "In this Kali-yuga, in this age, this incarnation of name-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare-to give facility to the conditioned soul." They cannot do anything. It is very difficult to perform any other religious rituals. This, the best anywhere, everywhere-you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śakti. Śakti, this word is used, śakti. And from śakti, that energy, śaktyāveśāvatāra. So this name is also śaktyāveśāvatāra.

bālya, paugaṇḍa haya vigrahera dharma

eta-rūpe līlā karena vrajendra-nandana

And when Kṛṣṇa personally comes, He can be seen in two features, bālya, paugaṇḍa: His childhood and boyhood, up to sixteenth year. That is the real feature of Kṛṣṇa, kiśora. And further features, that is expansion of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19].

ananta avatāra kṛṣṇera, nāhika gaṇana

śākhā-candra-nyāya kari dig-daraśana

avatārā hy asaṅkhyeyā

hareḥ sattva-nidher dvijāḥ

yathā 'vidāsinaḥ kulyāḥ

sarasaḥ syuḥ sahasraśaḥ

Now, He is concluding about the topics of incarnation, that "There are innumerable incarnations of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can count." He is giving the example: just like nobody can count how many waves are flowing in the river or in the ocean, similarly, it is impossible to count how many incarnation are there.

prathamei kare kṛṣṇa 'puruṣāvatāra'

seita puruṣa haya trividha prakāra'

Now, the first avatāra, first incarnation, is the puruṣāvatāra. He divides Himself into three. This is stated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa:

viṣṇos tu trīṇi rūpāṇi

puruṣākhyāny atho viduḥ

ekaṁ tu mahataḥ sraṣṭṛ

dvitīyaṁ tv aṇḍa-saṁsthitam

tṛtīyaṁ sarva-bhūta-sthaṁ

tāni jñātvā vimucyate

Tāni jñātvā vimucyate. Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā you have read that,

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

[Bg. 4.9]

Anyone who understands about the appearance and disappearance of God or His incarnation, simply by understanding this, one is liberated. And that person who understands, after quitting this material body, no more he comes here, but he goes back to Godhead to become one of His associates. Such persons who knows about the incarnations, they are not impersonalists. Therefore they do not merge in the impersonal Brahman feature, but they go to the different spiritual planets.

So viṣṇos tu trīṇi rūpāṇi: "That Viṣṇu, for the creation of this material world, takes into three forms, trīṇi rūpāṇi." Viṣṇos tu trīṇi rūpāṇi purusākhyāny atho viduḥ: "And all of them are known as puruṣāvatāras." Mahā-Viṣṇu puruṣāvatāra, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu puruṣāvatāra and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu puruṣāvatāra. They are called puruṣāvatāra. Ekaṁ tu mahataḥ sraṣṭṛ: "And the first puruṣāvatāra, who is called Mahā-Viṣṇu, He creates the material ingredients, which is called mahat-tattva." Everything requires ingredients. So the, I mean to say, original ingredients, the, what is called, subtle ingredients, they were created first by this Mahā-Viṣṇu. Then, from those ingredients, universes were produced. And each universe, ekaṁ tu mahataḥ dvitīyaṁ tv aṇḍa-saṁsthitam. The first puruṣāvatāra, Mahā-Viṣṇu, creates the ingredients, and the second Mahā-Viṣṇu enters in each and every universe. He is called dvitīya. And tṛtīyaṁ sarva-bhūta-stham: "And the third, He enters into the body of all living entities, Paramātmā, or the Supersoul." This is the division of three first incarnation.

ananta-śakti-madhye kṛṣṇera tina śakti pradhāna

'icchā-śakti', 'kriyā-śakti', 'jñāna-śakti' nāma

Now, Kṛṣṇa has immense potencies, which are divided into three. What is that? Icchā-śakti, kriyā-śakti, jñāna-śakti. Icchā-śakti means His potency, whatever He wishes, that can be done, icchā. Kriyā-śakti: then activity, kriyā-śakti. And jñāna-śakti, knowledge, knowledge. In the Vedic literature it is said, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Just like one potency is working, producing flowers, producing flowers. We are seeing that a flower is being produced automatically, so nicely scented, so nicely colored. But because we are fools, therefore we think it is being produced automatically. No. It is produced by the kriyā-śakti, by the active potency of God, kriyā-śakti. Jñāna-śakti: and there is such perfect knowledge that nobody can see any defect. You see a butterfly, how it is nicely painted. You just see duplicate in both the wings. Just like an artist paint nicely, it is painted. So we think it is coming out of nothing. This is our foolishness. Here is, that it is coming out of the jñāna-śakti. But His jñāna is so wide that simply by His desire, simply by His will, it can be executed. These are the things to be studied. Because we cannot see something before our eyes, that does not mean there is no existence. There is existence, but we do not know how one is working, how one is working. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā.

Just like you see the anatomical condition of your body. Now, how this body is produced, how nicely, that every mechanical arrangement, the eyes (piece?), and the…? Just like a big factory and big office. The brain is the office, and stomach is the factory, and it is creating energy, it is coming to the heart and another place… Just like soap factory. Sometimes, in some place, it is being, some part of the manufacture is finished, another… In this way it is going on. But it is coming out a small pea. And how it is developing. In everything you can see. You take a seed, how it develops, a great tree. How much potency is there. So svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Everything is being done. I do not know. I claim, "It is my body," but I do not know how even a hair is growing. I do not know how it is replaced. I cut in the morning, and the next day, I see again there is. So these things are going on. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. We have to study God's activity in this way, so many things, nature's study. So those who are intelligent, they can see that these things are working. What is that? Icchā-śakti, kriyā-śakti, jñāna-śakti, these three potencies of God, Kṛṣṇa, is working.

icchā-śakti-pradhāna kṛṣṇa-icchāya sarva-kartā

jñāna-śakti-pradhāna vāsudeva adhiṣṭhātā

Now, out of these three different potencies, then Kṛṣṇa expands Himself also to conduct or to control or to act on these three potential power. The icchā-śakti, willing potency, that is being controlled by His expansion which is known as Vāsudeva. Icchā-jñāna vinā nā haya sṛjana. Without desire and without knowledge, nothing can be created, nothing. Suppose we are manufacturing so many things. Now, the manufacturer is first of all thinking, willing, that "This sort of thing, if we manufacture, it will be very nicely sold in the market." That is icchā-śakti. Then he acts, acts on it. That is called jñāna-śakti. Without jñāna, without willing, nothing is produced. So whenever you find something produced, you must know, behind that production there is that will, the supreme will, the supreme knowledge. This is study. Icchā-śakti-jñāna…

icchā-jñāna vinā nā haya sṛjana

tinera tina-śakti meli' prapañca-racana

So this icchā-śakti, this potency of will, supreme will, and the potency of supreme hand and the potency of supreme knowledge, these three things are conducting all affairs in this material world.

kriyā-śakti-pradhāna saṅkarṣaṇa balarāma

prākṛtāprākṛta-sṛṣṭi karena nirmāṇa

And the potential activity, that is being done by the expansion of Saṅkarṣaṇa, either in this material world or in the spiritual world. So parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyat [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]e. In this way the Lord is working in so many ways, and because we have no knowledge, we think that "There is no brain behind it. There is no knowledge behind it. Everything is coming out automatically, and we are the master of everything." That is called illusion. So by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you will be free from this illusion, and you will know how God is working by His different potential power.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

661217CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.255-281

New York, December 17, 1966

Prabhupāda:

kriyā-śakti-pradhāna saṅkarṣaṇa balarāma

prākṛtāprākṛta-sṛṣṭi karena nirmāṇa

So out of three transcendental propensities of the Supreme Lord, icchā-śakti, jñāna-śakti and kriyā-śakti, the kriyā-śakti, that is represented by, or the controller of the kriyā-śakti is, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Balarāma. And with that potency, kriyā-śakti potency, the creation, both material creation and spiritual creation, are effected.

ahaṅkārera adhiṣṭhātā kṛṣṇera icchāya

goloka, vaikuṇṭha sṛje cic-chakti-dvārāya

Cic-chakti-dvārāya. The spiritual potency is manifested in the spiritual world, Goloka Vṛndāvana and spiritual planets.

yadyapi asṛjya nitya cic-chakti-vilāsa

tathāpi saṅkarṣaṇa-icchāya tāhāra prakāśa

Actually, there is no creation in the spiritual world. The creation means it begins at a certain time and ends at a certain time, but in the spiritual world there is no such beginning. But because we find the creation of this material world by the kriyā-śakti potency of Lord, therefore it is understood that the spiritual world is also manifested by the same potency with the help of His spiritual energy.

sahasra-patraṁ kamalaṁ

gokulākhyaṁ mahat-padam

tat-karṇikāraṁ tad-dhāma

tad anantāṁśa-sambhavam

[Bs. 5.2]

That original planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is described here in the Brahma-saṁhitā, "just like a lotus flower."

māyā-dvāre sṛje teṅho brahmāṇḍera gaṇa

jaḍa-rūpā prakṛti nahe brahmāṇḍa-kāraṇa

Now, so far this material creation is concerned, it is said here that "By His material potency, He manifests this material world and unlimited universes within the material world." So nobody should think that the material world has come out of nothing, out of void. No. This is confirmed in all Vedic literature and especially in the Brahma-saṁhitā, and in the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. So material nature is not independent. It is a misunderstanding, a wrong conception, that matter is working out of its own accord. Matter has no power to work. It is a jaḍa-rūpā. Jaḍa-rūpā means it has no moving capacity or, what is called, initiative. Matter has no initiative. Therefore matter cannot manifest in such a way without the direction of the Supreme Lord. Māyā-dvāre sṛje teṅho brahmāṇḍera gaṇa. Actually, it is His direction, but material potency is help only. That's all.

jaḍa haite sṛṣṭi nahe īśvara-śakti vine

tāhātei saṅkarṣaṇa kare śaktira ādhāne

Jaḍa haite, from matter there is no possibility of any creation. The Saṅkarṣaṇa, He is manifestation of Saṅkarṣaṇa, Balarāma. He is the director of this material creation.

īśvarera śaktye sṛṣṭi karaye prakṛti

lauha yena agni-śaktye pāya dāha-śakti

"Just like it is, in contact with the fire the iron becomes red hot and it become fire, similarly, in contact with Saṅkarṣaṇa, this material energy gets potency, and thereby the material manifestation is there."

etau hi viśvasya ca bīja-yonī

rāmo mukundaḥ puruṣaḥ pradhānam

anvīya bhūteṣu vilakṣaṇasya

jñānasya ceśāta imau purāṇau

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the Tenth Canto, it is stated that "This Rāma and Kṛṣṇa"-Rāma means Balarāma, and Kṛṣṇa-"They are the root of this material creation. And both of Them enters into each and every universe and maintains that." Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. This is mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

sṛṣṭi-hetu yei mūrti prapañce avatāre

sei īśvara-mūrti 'avatāra' nāma dhare

"For material creation, the expansion of the Supreme Lord for the purpose of material creation is called incarnation. That is called avatāra."

māyātīta paravyome sabāra avasthāna

viśve avatari' dhare 'avatāra' nāma

"So all Viṣṇu expansions, they are in the spiritual world, and they all of them reside there. But when they come into this material world, it is called incarnation." Actually, avatāra… This Sanskrit name is avatāra. Avatāra means who comes down from the spiritual world. Avatāri. Avatāri means descends. Descends. They are not born of this material energy. They descend from the spiritual world.

sei māyā avalokite śrī-saṅkarṣaṇa

puruṣa-rūpe avatīrṇa ha-ilā prathama

Now, puruṣa-rūpe, the first incarnation for this material creation, the Mahā-Viṣṇu, sa aikṣata. Simply by His glance, this material world begins its activity.

sei māyā avalokite sri-saṅkarṣaṇa

puruṣa-rūpa avatīrṇa ha-ilā prathama

jagṛhe pauruṣaṁ rūpaṁ

bhagavān mahad-ādibhiḥ

sambhūtaṁ ṣoḍaśa-kalam

ādau loka-sisṛkṣayā

Ādau loka-sisṛkṣayā: "Just before the creation the Mahā-Viṣṇu, He takes His incarnation, and He puts His glance on the material energy, and the creation begins."

ādyo 'vatāraḥ puruṣaḥ parasya

kālaḥ svabhāvaḥ sad-asan-manaś ca

dravyaṁ vikāro guṇa indriyāṇi

virāṭ svarāṭ sthāsnu cariṣṇu bhūmnaḥ

So ādyo avatāra, the first puruṣāvatāra, Mahā-Viṣṇu, is very vast. Just imagine how much great He is, His body is, that from His breathing all these universes are generating.

sei puruṣa virajāte karena śayana

'kāraṇābdhiśāyī' nāma jagat-kāraṇa

"That puruṣāvatāra, the first incarnation of puruṣa, He lies down in the water of Causal Ocean, and His name is Kāraṇābdhiśāyī Viṣṇu."

kāraṇābdhi-pāre māyāra nitya avasthiti

virajāra pāre paravyome nāhi gati

Kāraṇābdhi-pāre. Just on the other side of the ocean, Causal Ocean, this material energy is situated. Virajāra pāre paravyome nāhi gati. And this material energy has no entrance in the spiritual kingdom.

pravartate tatra rajas tamas tayoḥ

sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ

na yatra māyā kim utāpare harer

anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ

Now, the description of the spiritual world is that there is no rajas-tamaḥ. These modes of passion and modes of ignorance is not there. Śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva means simply goodness, pure goodness, without any tinge of passion and ignorance. So pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ. There is no mixed goodness; simply goodness. And na ca kāla-vikramaḥ: "And there is no influence of time." This is the description of the spiritual world: "There is no modes of passion, and there is no modes of ignorance, and there is no influence of time." That means there is simply pure goodness. And in pure goodness we can understand our constitutional position: we can understand what is God, what is creation, everything. These are… Goodness means prakāśa. Prakāśa means knowledge comes out. And so long we are in ignorance and passion, there is no knowledge. In ignorance there is no knowledge at all, in passion there is some glimpse of knowledge, and in goodness there is full knowledge. So the living entities there, they are full of knowledge. Therefore they do not come into this material world. And na yatra kāla-vikramaḥ: and because there is no influence of time, therefore there is no past, present and future. In this material world there is influence of time. Therefore we have got this past, present and future.

So these things, of course theoretically we have to understand. But these are authentic explanation from scriptures, Vedic literatures. At least we have to accept them theoretically. The spiritual world means that there is no ignorance, there is no passion and there is no influence of time. Na yatra māyā kim utāpare: "And this māyā, this illusion, is also absent." Kim utāpare harer anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ: "And there, in the spiritual planets, all the living entities, they are all surrendered souls, or followers of the Supreme Lord." There is no misconception that "I am Lord; I am God." There is no such misconception. They are all clear of this nonsense ignorance. Anuvratā: they are always following. Therefore there is unity, oneness. There is oneness. God is one, and the living entities there, they are all followers, obedient of God. There is no influence of time, no influence of ignorance, no influence of passion. So that is perfect. That is spiritual kingdom, the description of spiritual world. This is from Bhāgavatam. And there are other verses in this chapter where this verse appears that, I have read it, that there are aeroplanes also. And the devotees, and the woman, they are just like lightning. So it appears there are men, there are women, there are airplane. Everything is there. Simply difference is that there is no influence of time. Influence of time there is no-that means there is no past, future and present, and there is no death. Death is the influence of time. An old man like me is going to die. Death means the influence of time is being acted on this body. So after a few days or few years, this must vanquish. So there is no influence of time.

So there is no death, there is no birth, there is no ignorance, and everyone is obedient, everyone is happy. And their features of body is also exactly like God. In the spiritual planets, all of a sudden if you go, you cannot distinguish who is God and who is not. Yes. Just like here also, when Kṛṣṇa comes, He appears just like one of us. So man is made after God. So so far features are concerned, there is no difference between God and man. But the difference is only that God has no material body; we have got this material body subjected to the influence of time. When Kṛṣṇa comes, He does not become old. He remains just like a boy even when He is great grandfather because on His body there is no influence of time. Because His body is spiritual, therefore there is no influence of time.

māyāra ye dui vṛtti-'māyā' āra 'pradhāna'

'māyā' nimitta-hetu, viśvera upādāna 'pradhāna'

This material energy is divided into two: pradhāna and upādāna. Pradhāna and upādāna. The whole, total material energy is called pradhāna, and the material elements are called ingredients, upādāna.

sei puruṣa māyā-pāne kare avadhāna

prakṛti kṣobhita kari' kare vīryera ādhāna

Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā you have read that mahad-yonir mahad-brahma tāsām… It is stated there that ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: [Bg. 14.4] "I implement the seeds of living entities into the matter." So in the matter the living, the seeds of living entities, as we are, they are impregnated. As the father impregnates the mother, similarly, this material nature is just like mother, and therefore material nature is worshiped as mother, goddess, mother goddess, Durgā, Kālī. Yes. And this worship of the country, nationalism, that is also the same matter-worship. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. So, so long we are not enlightened, we are worshiper of this matter, energy. And when we are advanced in knowledge, then we are worshiper of the Supreme. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means advanced stage of knowledge. It is not in the material platform. Therefore anyone who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness appropriately and thoroughly, he is liberated from material consciousness.

svāṅga-viśeṣābhāsa-rūpe prakṛti-sparśana

jīva-rūpa 'bīja' tāte kailā samarpaṇa

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is this evidence:

daivāt kṣubhita-dharmiṇyāṁ

svasyāṁ yonau paraḥ pumān

ādhatta vīryaṁ sā 'sūta

mahat-tattvaṁ hiraṇmayam

So from this version of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that the living entities as seeds they are coming from the spiritual world… They are not product of the matter. Therefore it is not possible to produce living entity with material chemicals and material elements. It is not possible. As some of the modern scientists, they claim that "We shall now give life," or they advertise in that way, so from this verse we can understand that it is not possible, because these living entities, they are just like seeds, and they are coming from the spiritual world, from the body of the Supreme. Those spiritual living entities are desirous of enjoying sense gratification, they are allowed to this material world, and others, they are in the spiritual world.

kāla-vṛttyā tu māyāyāṁ

guṇamayyām adhokṣajaḥ

puruṣenātma-bhūtena

vīryam ādhatta vīryavān

So there is another verse, that how the seeds are given within this material world:

tabe mahat-tattva haite trividha ahaṅkāra

yāhā haite devatendriya-bhūtera pracāra

Now, here is a short description of the creation. First, material energy; then the seeds of the living entities are impregnated into that material energy; and then mahat-tattva, from the material energy, the ego, false ego, comes out. First manifestation of this material world is this false ego, mahat-tattva. Trividha ahaṅkāra. Yāhā haite devatendriya-bhūtera pracāra: "And from this ego, all these human beings or demigods or other living entities, they are coming out."

sarva tattva mili' sṛjila brahmāṇḍera gaṇa

ananta brahmāṇḍa, tāra nāhika gaṇana

"In this way the Lord created unlimited number of universes." This one universe which you have seen, that is one only; but there are innumerable universes. That is created.

iṅho mahat-sraṣṭā puruṣa-'mahā-viṣṇu' nāma

ananta brahmāṇḍa tāṅra loma-kūpe dhāma

"Now, the expansion of Kṛṣṇa who is doing all this material expansion, He is known as Mahā-Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu."

gavākṣe uḍiyā yaiche reṇu āse yāya

puruṣa-niśvāsa-saha brahmāṇḍa bāhirāya

Now here is a nice example. You have seen the sunshine entering your room through a hole of your window, and you will find so many atomic demonstration. So these brahmāṇḍas, the so many universes, they are emanating from the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu in that way.

punarapi niśvāsa-saha yāya abhyantara

ananta aiśvarya tāṅra, saba-māyā-pāra

In this way all the universes, they enter into the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu after the creation is over and again comes out. In this way it is coming and going, coming… Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that they are coming and going within. This is the way of material nature. And here is another evidence from Brahma-saṁhitā:

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.48]

Now, such a vast, gigantic Mahā-Viṣṇu, of whose breathing producing these universes and whose inhaling, annihilating all the universes-such vast Mahā-Viṣṇu is only part and part of the expansion of Kṛṣṇa, or Govinda. So Brahmā says, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So just we have to imagine how much potential is the Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much. (end)

661218CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.281-293

New York, December 18, 1966

Prabhupāda:

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.48]

Kṛṣṇa's first expansion, second expansion, the third expansion. The third expansion is Mahā-Viṣṇu. So Mahā-Viṣṇu's potency is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya. Niśvasita-kāla means the breathing period. Just abiding by the breathing period of that Mahā-Viṣṇu, jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ means the supreme creature, created, supreme created creature, Brahmā. Brahmā is the principal supreme creature in each, every universe. There are innumerable universes, and there are innumerable Brahmās also.

You will find in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it is quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that one sometimes… It is called līlā, pastimes, that Brahmā, when Kṛṣṇa was here on this planet, so Brahmā was very much proud that "Kṛṣṇa is now in the earthly planet, and this earthly planet is one of the innumerable planets under my control." Brahmā is the controller, is the primal, principal living entity in this universe, so he was little proud that "Kṛṣṇa is within my control." So therefore Kṛṣṇa, because He is Paramātmā, He knows everything, what one thinks, what one does. So Kṛṣṇa asked Brahmā to come and see Him. So Brahmā came. Brahmā came. His doorman informed Kṛṣṇa that… Doorman asked Brahmā, "Who are you, please?" "Now, you say Kṛṣṇa that I am Brahmā. I have come to see Him." So when the doorman informed Kṛṣṇa that in Dvārakā, when Kṛṣṇa was there as king, so Kṛṣṇa asked, "Oh, which Brahmā? Which Brahmā?" The doorman came back again and informed that "Which Brahmā you are?" So Brahmā became astonished: " 'Which Brahmā?' I am the Brahmā. I am the supreme creature within this universe, and 'Which Brahmā?' " He was surprised, and he said, "Tell Kṛṣṇa that four-headed Brahmā." Brahmā has four heads. So Kṛṣṇa called him, "All right, come on." So he came, and he offered his obeisances, and Brahmā asked Him, "Kṛṣṇa, my Lord, may I ask You some question?" "What is that?" "Your doorman asked me, 'Which Brahmā?' So does it mean there are other Brahmās also?" Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, there are innumerable Brahmās. You are only four-headed. There are eight-headed, there are sixteen-headed, thirty-headed, sixty-four-headed, hundred-twenty-eight-headed, and millions of headed. So all right, I am calling them all." So Kṛṣṇa called all the Brahmās, and by His māyā, Brahmā could see them, but they could not see this four-headed Brahmā, and each of them came and offered obeisances to Kṛṣṇa, and they asked, "My Lord, what can I do for You? You have asked me?" "Yes. I have not seen you for so many times, so many days, so I have called you." So they came, thousands and millions of Brahmās came, and offered obeisances, and they went away. And this Brahmā, four-headed Brahmā, remained in the corner, "Oh, what is I am?" So this is Kṛṣṇa's creation.

So here it is stated that yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya [Bs. 5.48]. "Only just abiding by the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu"-there are millions of Brahmās-"they are living." And each Brahmā's period… That you have read in the Bhagavad-gītā: sahasra-yuga-paryantam arhad yad brahmaṇo viduḥ [Bg. 8.17]. The Brahmā's one day means 4,300,000's times 1000. That is Brahmā's twelve hours. Similarly, twenty-four hours, one day. Now calculate one month, such one years, such hundred years. So that hundred years of Brahmā is only a breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, just like we are breathing, our inhalation and exhalation is going on. So during the breathing period, when the breathing is out, all these brahmāṇḍas become created, and when it is inhaled, all, they are closed, account closed. So this is going on. And such Mahā-Viṣṇu is the part, one of the fourth part of Kṛṣṇa's expansion. That is stated. Lord Caitanya is giving evidence from Brahma-saṁhitā:

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.48]

"I worship that Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, whose fourth dimension, fourth expansion, is Mahā-Viṣṇu, in whose breathing period all these Brahmās, or the principal head of each brahmāṇḍa, they live."

samasta brahmāṇḍa-gaṇera iṅho antaryāmi

kāraṇābdhiśāyī-saba jagatera svāmī

"Now, this Mahā-Viṣṇu, the puruṣāvatāra, incarnation of puruṣa, of Kṛṣṇa, is the principal Supreme Personality of Godhead of all the brahmāṇḍas, all the many thousands of brahmāṇḍas."

eita kahiluṅ prathama puruṣera tattva

dvitīya puruṣera ebe śunaha mahattva

Now, He said, "Now I have explained to you about the first incarnation, avatāra. Now just try to hear about the second, second Viṣṇu." First Viṣṇu is described. Now second Viṣṇu, what is that? Sei puruṣa: "That Mahā-Viṣṇu," ananta-koṭi brahmāṇḍa sṛjiyā, ananta-koṭi, "innumerable universes came out of His breathing period by breathing." Sṛjiyā means "He created." Ekaika-mūrtye praveśilā bahu mūrti hañā: "Now, this Mahā-Viṣṇu again expanded Himself in millions and millions Viṣṇu form and entered in each brahmāṇḍa." The same Viṣṇu, Mahā-Viṣṇu, expanded Himself in millions other forms.

praveśa kariyā dekhe, saba-andhakāra

rahite nāhika sthāna, karilā vicāra

"When He entered in each universe, it was all dark. So He began to think."

nijāṅga-sveda-jale brahmāṇḍārdha bharila

sei jale śeṣa-śayyāya śayana karila

Now, in each brahmāṇḍa… This universe, what we are seeing, it is only half. Half is full with water. And where is that water, we cannot see. But there is water. Just like a ball, and half the ball, inside, is filled with water. So and wherefrom this water came? Viṣṇu, the Viṣṇu which entered each universe, from His perspiration He created this water. And He laid down on the water. This is called Śeṣaśāyī Viṣṇu or Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Tāṅra nābhi-padma haite uṭhila eka padma: "And then He created one lotus flower from His navel." You have seen that picture in the title page, title cover. Nābhi-padma. Sei padme ha-ila brahmāra janma-sadma: "And from that lotus flower, on that lotus flower, the Brahmā, the first created being, was manifested."

sei padma-nāle ha-ila caudda bhuvana

teṅho 'brahmā' hañā sṛṣṭi karila sṛjana

And this Brahmā is a living being, jīva-tattva. He is not Viṣṇu-tattva. Just see how much a living being can be powerful. 'Now, Brahmā was created by this Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and Brahmā in his turn, he created all these planetary systems." There are fourteen status of planetary system, caudda bhuvana: Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, and similarly, there are fourteen planetary systems all over this universe.

'viṣṇu'-rūpa hañā kare jagat pālane

guṇātīta viṣṇu-sparśa nāhi māyā-sane

"Now, this Viṣṇu has nothing to do. He is not affected by this material contamination." That is the power of Viṣṇu. Just we are living entities. When we come into this material world, we become contaminated, we become affected by the influence of this material nature. But Viṣṇu, although He is looking after the management of creation of this brahmāṇḍa, He is not affected. He is not affected.

'viṣṇu'-rūpa hañā kare jagat pālane

guṇātīta viṣṇu-sparśa nāhi māyā-sane

'rudra'-rūpa dhari kare jagat saṁhāra

And when these material worlds or universes are to be annihilated, the same Viṣṇu in His form of Lord Śiva, Rudra-rūpa, He annihilates. So Viṣṇu creates, and Lord Śiva annihilates, and Brahmā is in charge of this universe.

brahmā, viṣṇu, śiva-tāṅra guṇa-avatāra

sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralayera tinera adhikāra

Now, this material world is created, it is, it stays for some time, and it is again annihilated. Just we have seen in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. This is the nature. This material nature is like that. Just like you have seen one lamp. Once it is extinguished; once it is light. Similarly, there is creation, there is maintenance and there is annihilation of this material world. Now, these three functions are controlled by three guṇāvatāras, qualitative incarnation of the Supreme Lord. What are they? Now, Viṣṇu… Viṣṇu is the incarnation of the modes of goodness, and Śiva is the incarnation of the modes of annihilation, and Brahmā is the in-charge. Brahmā is secondary. Brahmā is the secondary creator. First of all, the everything is, the principle, the material principle ingredients and the guṇas and the everything is created by Viṣṇu. Then, the secondary creation, with those ingredients, all these planetary system, everything, is created by Brahmā. So Brahmā is also a secondary creator. And then Viṣṇu maintains. Just like to a carpenter you give wood and planks and materials and screw and other thing, and the carpenter makes a very good cabinet, and you maintain that, similarly, this brahmāṇḍa, the secondary creation, is Brahmā, and Viṣṇu is the maintainer, and when it is to be destroyed, it is destroyed by Lord Śiva. These three guṇāvatāras. Brahmā, viṣṇu, siva-tāṅra guṇa-avatāra. They are incarnations of Kṛṣṇa's guṇa. So in other words, it is to be understood that these three guṇas, they are also coming from Kṛṣṇa, three guṇas. So therefore, for Kṛṣṇa, there is no such distinction.

Several times just I have explained this thing, but this material, spiritual, or the qualitative differences, that is for us, not for Kṛṣṇa. How it is? Just like government has got different departments. There is criminal department, civil department, and this department, that department, so many departments. Now, for us the criminal department may not be so pleasing or civil department may be very much pleasing, but for the government both the departments are equal because they have to maintain equally, either criminal department or the civil department. The government has no distinction that "This is criminal department; therefore this department should be neglected," or "It is inferior." No. Rather, in criminal department the government may spend more than civil department. Similarly, these distinctions, these qualitative distinctions, matter, spirit, and the different kinds of modes, they are distinction for us, not for Kṛṣṇa. He is Absolute. He is Absolute. To the Absolute, there is no such distinction. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa comes, when Kṛṣṇa comes in this material, He is not affected by this. Suppose the minister, the secretary of the president, goes to the criminal department to see the prison house. He is not affected by the prison rules. It is simple to understand. If the prisoner thinks, "Oh, he is also one of the prisoners because he has come here," this is nonsense. He is not prisoner. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes in this material world, if a foolish man thinks that he is also one of us, he is foolish number one. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ: [Bg. 9.11] "Foolish persons, they think that I am one of them." These examples are very nice. We can understand.

So here it is stated that Viṣṇu…,

brahmā, viṣṇu, śiva-tāṅra guṇa-avatāra

sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralayera tinera adhikāra

hiraṇyagarbha-antaryāmi-garbhodakaśāyī

'sahasra-śīrṣādi' kari' vede yāṅre gāi

In the Vedas there is a prayer, Sahasra-śīrṣā. That is very famous prayer. That prayer is offered to this Viṣṇu. Which Viṣṇu? The Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the Viṣṇu who has entered in every universe, that Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.

ei ta' dvitīya-puruṣa-brahmāṇḍera īśvara

māyāra 'āśraya' haya, tabu māyā-pāra

Although this Viṣṇu is the shelter, shelter of the material energy, still, He has nothing to do with this material energy. He is free from the contamination of material energy. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a verse: apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ māyāṁ ca yad apāśrayam. When Vyāsadeva, he was just attempting to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by bhakti-yoga, he saw two things: apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. He saw the Supreme Personality and the material energy, apāśrayam, just far away from Him. Because this māyā's task is very thankless task. Māyā's task is very thankless task because she is in charge of these conditioned souls, and her business is to give all the conditioned souls always miseries. Trisura. You have seen in the hand… You might not have seen, but there is a picture of Durgā, she has got three, trisura. Trisura means three kinds of miseries. So the māyā, this material nature, is inflicting upon the conditioned soul always three kinds of miseries so that they can come to their consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But the conditioned souls are so foolish and so dull, they have accepted, "Oh, these miseries are very palatable." Yes. They have no sense that they are always in three kinds of miseries: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. This is constantly going on. Just like in the prison house, when the prisoners are there, it is not meant that they should be comfortably situated there. The prison house (is) meant for giving them always some trouble so that they can come to their consciousness that "We have broken. We are lawbreakers. Therefore we are punished here." But if the prisoner becomes so fool that "All right. Don't care for this prison. Let me finish this term and again commit nuisance and again come to the…" That is going on.

So gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante. So the conditioned souls, they are not coming to the sense that what is their position. This position, by the grace of some special representative of the Supreme Lord or by the Supreme Lord, is offered to these conditioned souls, that "This is not your place. You are part and parcel of God. Your place is in the kingdom of God. Your place is there. You are…" Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati: [Bg. 15.7] "You are struggling very hard within this material nature. Just try to understand your position." So these things are described in scriptures, in the Vedas, so that these foolish conditioned souls may come to their senses and try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and make their life successful so that they can go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

661219CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.294-298

New York, December 19, 1966

Prabhupāda:

tṛtīya-puruṣa viṣṇu-'guṇa-avatāra'

dui avatāra-bhitara gaṇanā tāṅhāra

virāṭ vyaṣṭi-jīvera teṅho antaryāmī

kṣīrodakaśāyī teṅho-pālana-kartā, svāmī

So Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; then next Viṣṇu, the third incarnation, is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Within this universe there is a planet near the polestar which is called Kṣīrodakaśāyī planet, and there Lord Viṣṇu in His incarnation of antaryāmi, Supersoul… He is acting as the Supersoul. And He is the universal form. When you think of universal form of the Lord, that is the manifestation of this Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And that Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu as Paramātmā, Supersoul, is situated in everyone's heart, even within the atom also. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. Paramāṇu means atom. Within the atom also. We think of God as very great, universal form, but God can take also form less than the atom. That is God's power. He is not only great, greatest, but He is the smallest. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Mahato mahīyān means greatest of the great, and aṇor aṇīyān, the smallest of the small. We cannot think how small He can become. That is His inconceivable potency. So within this material world, He is within the atom, and He is within everyone's heart, in everywhere, all-pervading, and at the same time universal form, the biggest form.

virāṭ vyaṣṭi-jīvera teṅho antaryāmī

kṣīrodakaśāyī teṅho-pālana-kartā, svāmī

Now, He is the maintainer of… Whatever we are enjoying, it is due to His mercy. In the Kaṭhopaniṣad, er, Māṇḍūkyopaniṣad, it is stated, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Now, He is the supplier whatever we want. So as pālana-kartā, as the maintainer, as the Supersoul, He is supplying. He is supplying whatever you want: "All right." So we should not approach God as supplying agent. That is the lowest stage. He is supplying even to the cats and dogs. Then what is the difference between human being and the cats and dogs? Just like a small child, he is supplied all necessities by the father, but when the child is grown, he wants to serve the father, similarly, to make God as order-supplier, "O God, give us this. Give us that…" God is giving. You ask or not ask, He will give you because, after all, you are all children. So He takes care of His children. But you may say that "Why the childrens are differently treated? Somebody is supplied sumptuously, and somebody is not. Why this difference of treatment?" That difference of treatment is also for good. How? Just like a mother has got five children. One of them is suffering from fever, is ill. Now, very nice foodstuff is prepared. All the children come, and mother is supplying. And when the feverish child comes, "Oh, you don't sit here. You cannot take." "Why?" "Oh, you are diseased. You cannot take." Do you think that mother is partial to this child and that child? No. Anyone who is not supplied as he wants, that is due to his own disease, chronic. So if God does not supply him sufficiently, it is good for him. Therefore, in spiritual advancement a poor man is in more advantage because he can think of God. Provided he is virtuous, he will think of God. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna.

So this supplying, God is supplying. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one… There are two living entities, one Supreme and others; one singular number, other plural number. We are amongst the plural number, nityo nityānām. Nityānām, this is plural number, "Amongst many eternals." So we are amongst the many eternals. We are also eternal. We have got that qualitative, I mean to say, thing. Eternity is the same quality as of God, as of ours. We are eternal; God is eternal. That's all. But we are amongst the plural number. Nityo nityānām. And He is the singular number. And it is particularly stated that eko, that singular number, eternal puruṣa, He is supplying everyone's necessities. So God is supplying everyone's necessities. Either you are cat or dog or demigod or President Johnson or anyone, everyone is dependent on God's supply. We cannot be independent. If God stops supplying, you cannot manufacture. If there is food grains, there is no food grain, you cannot chew your dollar notes. What you will do (with) your hundred dollar notes? So He is the supplier. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.

So we should be… This is knowledge of God. We should be in love of God, means "Oh, God has supplied us so many things." Why not? Therefore pure devotees, they like to supply God. They want to become order-supplier of God, not to make God as order-supplier. What God wants? God wants that make everyone God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. He sends His son. He sends His books. He comes Himself. That is His mission. He wants that all these suffering living entities, they should become Kṛṣṇa conscious and be happy. God wants it. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly stated. So if you wants to supply the want of God, God wants it. If you become yourself Kṛṣṇa conscious and try to serve God by spreading this mission all over the world, that is the best service. That is the best service to Lord, to become yourself a field worker, field worker. God is very much anxious to get back His, these mad sons. In this material world everyone is mad, crazy. It is a difference of degrees only. I may be more crazy than yourself, but we are all crazies. And as soon as we are fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our craziness is vanished. Yes. That is our constitutional position. The part is to serve the whole. We are part and parcel. So this is a chance. This manifestation of this material world is a chance to have that opportunity. And especially this human form of life is a, the boon for understanding this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If we miss this opportunity, then we are unfortunate. Unfortunate.

puruṣāvatārera ei kailuṅ nirūpaṇa

līlāvatāra ebe śuna, sanātana

Now I described about the three puruṣa incarnations. What is that? Mahā-Viṣṇu… Yes. Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, or Mahā-Viṣṇu; then Garbhodakaśāyī, or Hiraṇyagarbha; Kṣīrodakaśāyī or the Supersoul, antaryāmi. The three Viṣṇu incarnation description is finished. Now He is trying to explain līlāvatāra, pastimes. God has got all propensities. So if He wants to fulfill some propensity, then He comes here to exhibit, to manifest that. Just like God comes here, just Rāmacandra, Lord Rāmacandra. And what was the main function of Lord Rāmacandra? He fought with Rāvaṇa, His enemy. So this is called līlā. What is that līlā, līlā pastime? When God wants to have some desire to fulfill, that "I should fight…" Sometimes you sometimes feel mock fighting with friends or with your children. Similarly, wherefrom this desire comes unless the desire is in God? Because He is the origin of all, everything. So don't you feel sometimes, mock fighting? That is enjoyment, fighting with friends, boxing. That is not fighting. That is enjoyment. Similarly, God wants to enjoy by fighting. So Vaikuṇṭha, there is no fighting because nobody can be found there enemy. Everyone is obedient servant. Therefore He comes here to find out some enemy. The two functions are served. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]. He satisfies His fighting spirit; at the same time, He protects the devotees and protects that enemy also by killing him. Because when a demon is killed by the Supreme Lord, he is at once liberated. The liberation which he had to achieve after many, many births, he at once achieves. That is the advantage. So He saves the enemy and saves the devotee, and at the same time, He satisfies His fighting desire. So God is good. So any fight, that is also good. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is inducing, inciting Arjuna, fight. There is a plan, big plan. So foolish people who criticize, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is inciting war. We are very good men, nonviolence." So this "good man" has no value. That fighting has much value. But there is a plan, good plan. So this is called pastime, līlā, līlāvatāra.

So what are the līlāvatāra? Lord Caitanya says, līlāvatāra kṛṣṇera nā yāya gaṇana: "How many number of līlāvatāras are there, nobody can count." God is unlimited, so anything manifested by Him is unlimited. That cannot be calculated by us. So there are so many līlāvatāra. Pradhāna kariyā kahi dig-daraśana: "Some of them I am just mentioning." Nobody can fully calculate or understand how many līlāvatāras are there and where it is going and how it is going on. But it is going on. The same example, that the sun is always in the sky. Now, where it is, that you have to find out. But sun is always in the sky. Similarly, the līlāvatāra is always there. Just like Kṛṣṇa. In this planet Kṛṣṇa is not present, but in some of the universe He is present. His avatāra is going on, is going on. In every minute, every second, He is taking His birth and He is fighting in the Kurukṣetra. That is called nitya-līlā, eternal. His everything eternal. He is eternal; whatever He does, that is also eternal. And because we are conditioned, we cannot understand His eternity, His unlimitedness. But He's unlimited; His everything is unlimited.

So Lord Caitanya confirms that how many līlāvatāras, incarnations, are there. We want to everything make limited because we are all limited sense, limited understanding, limited… Everything is limited, and God is unlimited. That we do not understand. We try to understand God with our limited means. That is our folly. Therefore we don't believe. "Oh, God is doing like that? Oh, God is lifting hill? How it is possible? This is story." How? Why it is story? God is omnipotent, and God cannot lift a hill? He is floating so many planets in the air, weightlessness, and He cannot lift a hill? Because I do not believe He is God. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā: [Bg. 9.11] "Foolish rascals, they consider Me as ordinary man: 'Not Kṛṣṇa, but me. You offer your respect to me. I am God. I am competitor Kṛṣṇa.' " So these are foolishness. He is unlimited; His everything, He is unlimited.

Now Lord Caitanya (is) mentioning some of these main features of these līlāvatāra.

matsya, kūrma, raghunātha, nṛsiṁha, vāmana,

varāhādi-lekhā yāṅra nā yāya gaṇana

Some of the principal avatāras, they are mentioned. Matsyāvatāra. During Vaivasvata Manu there was devastation, and in that devastation, Lord took Matsyāvatāra, incarnation of fish, and He protected the Vedas.

pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedaṁ

vihita-vahitra-caritram akhedam

keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare **

The poet Jayadeva, a great devotee poet, is singing that "In the devastation, my Lord Keśava, You have assumed the form of fish." A great muni was sitting. He was meditating. And after taking his bath in the ocean, in the sea, he brought one pot of kamaṇḍalu. Kamaṇḍalu, that pot, you have seen. He found a little fish there. Then, within few seconds, that fish covered all the pot, and the muni thought, "Oh, He is growing so rapidly. All right, let Him have some big pot." So he gave Him big pot. Then again He became full. Then in this way he had to put it in the ocean, and He became oceanlike. Then he understood that He is God. So this is Godly power. He can take the shape… As the ocean is big, so He'll take and take this bigger-than-the-ocean form. But He is the maker of all forms. He has made ocean. But is it very difficult to understand how God becomes fish? That does not mean that every fish is God. No. So there is Matsyāvatāra.

pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedaṁ

vihita-vahitra-caritram akhedam **

Similarly, He took the incarnation of tortoise, Kūrma. There was a churning of the ocean, and the churning rod must be rested on something solid. So He became the churning rod, resting. And the hill, Mandara Hill, was placed, and He was feeling some itching sensation. So it was nicely itched by churning rod. So this is… He is Kūrmāvatāra. Then Raghunātha. Raghunātha. Raghunātha, this Rāma, Lord Rāma, He came to kill that daśanana, who had ten faces. Vitarasi dikṣu raṇe dik-pati-kamanīyam. So in this way there are innumerable incarnation of pastime. Nṛsiṁha. Nṛsiṁha.

tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgaṁ

dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam

keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare

Nṛsiṁha. Nṛsiṁha means half-lion and half-man, and this shape was assumed by the Lord to kill Hiraṇyakaśipu, the father of Prahlāda. Prahlāda was a great devotee of Lord, and his only fault was that he was a great devotee. His father wanted to kill him. So it is very dangerous also to become devotee. Even the father will be prepared to kill you. You see? The mother will be prepared to kill you. And what to speak of others, complaining, "O Swamijī, you are disturbing our sleep."

So although we have made our friendship with Kṛṣṇa and He will always protect us, but at the same time this devotional line is risky also, that we create so many enemies. There are many examples in the history of this devotional service that unnecessarily people become enemy to these innocent devotees. Even a innocent boy like Prahlāda Mahārāja, five years old. But a devotee cannot give up his profession. You see? He was being chastised so many times by his atheistic father, but what Prahlāda Mahārāja was doing? Oh, because he was king, he ordered the teachers that "This boy is coming home and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. What is this nonsense?" Teachers were asked. Teachers said, "My dear sir, we do not teach Hare Kṛṣṇa. According to your regulation, we are secular. (laughter) There is no possibility of teaching God or God's name. This boy, I do not know wherefrom he has got this Hare Kṛṣṇa." (laughter) Oh, he became very angry: "Where you have got your Hare Kṛṣṇa?" "Father, from where you have got your anger, I have got that Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) He is the supplier. You want to be angry; He supplies anger. And I want to chant." Oh, he becomes more angry. So, but that boy, what he was doing? That teacher was forbidden, secular, and the father was enemy. Still, he was taking some opportunity as soon as the teacher is out: "O my dear friends, come on. I shall speak to you Hare Kṛṣṇa and the science." So this should be our, your policy. Whenever there is some chance, just preach this, whenever there is chance. But you should always know that you will find enemies, but you don't be afraid. Go on with your work.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was such a nice devotee. And to protect him when he was just going to be killed by his father… And his father was very good politician. He took benediction from Brahmā that he will not be killed by anyone. Means by policy he took benediction from Brahmā that "I shall not be killed by man." "Oh, yes." "I shall not be killed by demigods." "That's all right." "I shall not be killed by any animal." "That's all right." "I shall not be killed in day." "That's all right." "I shall not be killed at night." "That's all right." "I shall not be killed by any weapon." "That's all right." And he said, "Now it is finished. Everything is now secure. I cannot be killed in day. I cannot be killed at night. No man can kill him (me). No demigod can kill me. No animal can kill me. Then where is the killing? Everything finished." But God is so cunning that He assumed neither man nor animal, and no weapons. He killed him with the nails. He never expected that "I will be killed by the nails." This is the definition by negation, defective definition. In argument, if you define negatively, "This is not this. This is not this. This is not this," then something will come that will nullify all your arguments. So he protected himself in all negative ways: "This will not. This will not. This will not. This will not." Something came which was not in his power. So this Nṛsiṁhāvatāra.

Then Vāmanāvatāra. Vāmanāvatāra, I have already mentioned, that He became a dwarf brāhmaṇa boy and took all the possession that Mahārāja Bali. This Mahārāja Bali was grandson of this Mahārāja Prahlāda. So these are līlāvatāra pastimes. Pastimes means exchange of dealing between the devotees and the Lord, between the living entities and the Lord, exchange. Either there are twelve kinds of humor, rasas… Sometimes He deals as enemy; sometimes He deals as friend; sometimes He deals as so many things. There are twelve. So we are all related with God in some humor out of these twelve, either as enemy or as friend or servitor or lover or as son or father, as the master and servant. In so many ways we are related. And when these relationship is exchanged between God and the living entity, that is called līlā, līlā, pastimes. So līlāvatāra. We shall explain again to…

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

661220CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.298

New York, December 20, 1966

Prabhupāda:

matsya, kūrma, raghunātha, nṛsiṁha, vāmana

varāhādi-lekhā yāṅra nā yāya gaṇana

Now Lord Caitanya is describing about līlāvatāra. So they are some of the names of the līlāvatāra. There are innumerable līlāvatāra, but these are some of the names: Matsya, Kūrma, Raghunātha, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana, Varāhādi. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a verse in which some of the names of the līlāvatāra is mentioned:

matsyāśva-kacchapa-nṛsiṁha-varāha-haṁsa-

rājanya-vipra-vibudheṣu kṛtāvatāraḥ

tvaṁ pāsi nas tribhuvanaṁ ca tathādhuneśa

bhāraṁ bhuvo hara yadūttama vandanaṁ te

So all these incarnations, especially this līlāvatāra, līlā incarnation, they come, they descend on this material world, to settle up some disturbances by the demons. There are two classes of men in this world, the deva and the asura. Deva means those who are devotees, those who are conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are called deva, gods, demigods. And demigod does not mean that something extraordinary. They are also living entities like us, but they are completely Kṛṣṇa conscious, and therefore they have got unlimited power, and they are entrusted with some of the management of this material world. They are called deva. And the asuras, demons, atheists, they are not entrusted. They are simply meant for creating disturbances. So when the atheist class, the number of atheist class, increases, at that time it becomes intolerable for the devas and the gods to remain here because the asuras can create much disturbances. So at that time, indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ mṛḍayanti yuge yuge [SB 1.3.28]. Indrāri. Indra means the head of the demigods. When his enemies are increased and create disturbance, these līlāvatāras, they come. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: [Bg. 4.8] "Just to deliver the faithful and to annihilate the unfaithful," yuge yuge sambhavāmi, "I come in every millennium."

līlāvatārera kailuṅ dig-daraśana

guṇāvatārera ebe śuna vivaraṇa

Now Lord Caitanya says, "I have mentioned some of the līlāvatāra. Now, Sanātana, you just hear from Me about guṇāvatāra." Guṇāvatāra means the incarnation of the material qualities. There are three qualities in the material world: goodness, passion and ignorance. So each quality is controlled by the Supreme Lord Himself by His expansion of different incarnation. Brahmā, viṣṇu, śiva-tina guṇa avatāra. Now on these three qualities, material modes of nature, the heads are Brahmā-Brahmā, the first living creature, Brahmā-and Viṣṇu-Viṣṇu, God Himself-and Śiva, Lord Śiva. Śiva's position is between Brahmā and Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is God, and Brahmā is living entity. Gradation. Living entities, they are also parts and parcels of God. Śiva is also part and parcel of God. Viṣṇu is also part and parcel of God. But there are degrees of power. That we have already discussed. Kṛṣṇa is cent percent, Viṣṇu is ninety-four percent, Śiva is eighty-four percent, and we living entities, we are seventy-eight percent. So tri-guṇa aṅgīkari' kare sṛṣṭy-ādi-vyavahāra. They have nothing to do with these material modes of nature. Just like a person in charge of the criminal department or jail department, but we should not think that he is also one of the prisoners because he is in charge of the jail department. No. Similarly, Śiva, Lord Śiva, he is in charge of the modes of ignorance, but he is not ignorant. He is the most enlightened devotee of Lord. He has got a paramparā, disciplic succession, which is called Viṣṇu Svāmī-sampradāya. There are four sampradāyas of great devotees of Lord: one from Brahmā, one from Śiva, and one from Lakṣmī, and one from the Kumāras. So Lord Śiva, although he is in charge of the department of the modes of ignorance, but he is not ignorant. You should not mistake that. Similarly, Brahmā is also in charge of this passionate department, creative initiation. This, whatever we are creating, the creative incentive, that is from Brahmā, passion. And ignorance, they neither create… They simply destroy. And Viṣṇu, He has taken the charge of maintenance, because without God nobody can maintain us. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "One personality, one eternal personality, He maintains all other plural eternities." We are also eternities, but we are maintained by Viṣṇu. Even Brahmā is also maintained by Viṣṇu, and Śiva is also maintained by Viṣṇu. So these are three qualitative incarnations: Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva.

bhakti-miśra-kṛta-puṇye kona jīvottama

rajo-guṇe vibhāvita kari' tāṅra mana

Now, what is the constitution of Brahmā? Brahmā… Just there are so many innumerable living entities. If some of them, they are devotee, but they want to enjoy this material world… They want to enjoy. So they are devotee for taking some favor for God and want to enjoy this material world. He is called Brahmā. Brahmā's constitutional position is that.

bhakti-miśra-kṛta-puṇye kona jīvottama

rajo-guṇe vibhāvita kari' tāṅra mana

garbhodakaśāyi-dvārā śakti sañcāri'

vyaṣṭi sṛṣṭi kare kṛṣṇa brahmā-rūpa dhari'

Sometimes such pious living entities are not available, so sometimes Kṛṣṇa Himself becomes Brahmā and for maintenance, for creation…

bhāsvān yathāśma-sakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ

svīyaṁ kiyat prakaṭayaty api tadvad atra

brahmā ya eṣa jagad-aṇḍa-vidhāna-kartā

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

Now, Brahmā's description is given here, that bhāsvān yathāśma-sakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ. Just like valuable stone… The example is very nice, valuable stone, just like diamond. Diamond has got power to illuminate. And what is this diamond? The diamond is made by the interaction of sunshine. All these valuable stones, they are products of sunshine. So as the diamond has got power of shining power, it is derived from the sun, or diamond, the moon also, it derives power from the sun, similarly, Brahmā, although he is very powerful, he is known as creator of this universe, but he is just like diamond. He inherits power from the Supreme Lord, so he becomes powerful. Bhāsvān yathāśma-sakaleṣu nijeṣu tejaḥ. That is simply a bit of power. Just like a diamond, diamond also illuminating, but it is not original luminous. Original luminous is sun, and the illumination expanded by diamond is not so valuable as the sunshine. Similarly, Brahmā, although we see him so powerful, he has little power derived from the Supreme Lord. That is the example given here.

kona kalpe yadi yogya jīva nāhi pāya

āpane īśvara tabe aṁśe 'brahmā' haya

Kona kalpe. Kalpa means the duration of one creation. This material creation, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19], it is created at a certain interval, and it stays for some time. Again it is annihilated. So again, at the time of creation, if somebody is not available, then the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, He becomes Brahmā Himself.

yasyāṅghri-paṅkaja-rajo 'khila-loka-pālair

mauly-uttamair dhṛtam upāsita-tīrtha-tīrtham

brahmā bhavo 'ham api yasya kalāḥ kalāyāḥ

śrīś codavahema ciram asya nṛpāsanaṁ kva

So,

nijāṁśa-kalāya kṛṣṇa tamo-guṇa aṅgīkari'

saṁhārārthe māyā-saṅge rudra-rūpa dhari

Similarly, sometimes, when Śiva is not available… Śiva is available. Nijāṁśa-kalāya kṛṣṇa tamo-guṇa aṅgīkari'. Now Kṛṣṇa, the Lord Himself, when He accepts the management of these modes of ignorance, He is called Śiva. So Śiva, Śiva is God, but because he is in the department of ignorance, therefore his name is Śiva. He makes śiva. Śiva, another meaning of śiva is "auspicious." These inauspicious persons who are in ignorance, for them, Śiva worship, worship of Lord Śiva, is recommended so that gradually they come to the modes of passion and goodness, and then they are liberated. So nijāṁśa-kalāya kṛṣṇa tamo-guṇa aṅgīkari', saṁhārārthe. But his business is destruction. When there is some destruction in this material world, you should know that is the action of Śiva. Perhaps you have seen one statue that is very popular, sold in antique shops-Naṭarāja, dancing and fire, all round there is fire. When Śiva begins to dance, his dance is very serious. As you dance, kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, so similarly Śiva also dances for annihilation. There is fire. By his dancing, there will be fire. Saṁhārārthe māyā-saṅge rudra-rūpa dhari. Māyā-saṅge. He has got connection with this material energy, and he is meant for destruction. Material energy is under the, I mean to say, control of this Śiva-rūpa of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he is called father. He is called father, and the material energy is called mother. Father and mother, Durgā.

māyā-saṅga-vikāri rudra-bhinnābhinna rūpa

jīva-tattva haya, nahe kṛṣṇera 'svarūpa'

And because he has connection with this illusory energy, therefore he is not exactly God. God has nothing to do with this material energy, illusory energy. He is never illusioned. But Śiva, Lord Śiva, he has connection with Durgā, the material energy. Therefore his position is between the living entity and Kṛṣṇa.

Now Lord Caitanya is quoting one verse from Brahma-saṁhitā about the real position of Śiva:

dugdha yena amla-yoge dadhi-rūpa dhare

dugdhāntara vastu nahe, dugdha haite nāre

A very nice example. Just like if you mix up with milk something sour and it turns into yogurt or curd, similarly, the difference between Śiva and Lord Kṛṣṇa is like that. He is Kṛṣṇa, but because he is mixed up with this material energy, therefore he is something like that yogurt. So yogurt, the constitutional position of yogurt is nothing but milk, but it cannot become milk again. Once turned into yogurt, there is no possibility of turning into milk. Neither you can derive the benefit of milk from yogurt. Yogurt is used for some purpose; milk is used for some other purpose. Similarly, those who are worshipers of Śiva, they cannot derive the same benefit as persons who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like you cannot derive the same benefit by drinking, by taking yogurt. If you require milk, if I supply you yogurt, it will give another, I mean to say, disturbance. Similarly, the distinction is given here, and He is quoting from Brahma-saṁhitā, most authoritative literature in this connection.

kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vikāra-viśeṣa-yogāt

sañjāyate na tu tataḥ pṛthag asti hetoḥ

[Bs. 5.45]

Śiva is not different from Kṛṣṇa, but it is added with this material energy. Therefore Śiva has turned into yogurt.

yaḥ śambhutām api tathā samupaiti kāryād

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

But somebody is required for destruction, so that destruction part is taken by Śiva, and he is charge of this tamo-guṇa.

'śiva'-māyā-śakti-saṅgī, tamo-guṇāveśa

māyātīta, guṇātīta 'viṣṇu'-parameśa

Therefore Viṣṇu and Śiva, the difference is that Viṣṇu is never in touch of this illusory energy, or material energy, but Śiva is in intimate touch with the material energy. That is the difference between Śiva and Viṣṇu.

śivaḥ śakti-yuktaḥ śaśvat

triliṅgo guṇa-saṁvṛtaḥ

vaikārikas taijasaś ca

tāmasaś cety ahaṁ tridhā

harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt

puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ

Now, Hari, Viṣṇu is beyond this material world. That is accepted by Śaṅkarācārya. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa, Hari… Although Śaṅkarācārya is impersonalist, but he has accepted Nārāyaṇa, Hari, the Supreme Lord, as beyond this material infection. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. And he has also agreed to accept Kṛṣṇa. Sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. It is accepted by Śaṅkarācārya. Those who are reading the commentary by Śaṅkarācārya on the Bhagavad-gītā, he will find in the beginning of that nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ. So it is also confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt: "Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is beyond the touch of this material qualities." Therefore His body is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. His body is not made of this tri-guṇa. Our, this material body is made of these three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Those who have got this body from the modes of goodness, they are called brāhmaṇas, or the most intelligent persons. And those who have got their body from the modes of passion, they are called kṣatriyas. They have got creative initiation. And those who are mixed, they are called vaiśyas, or the mercantile community. And those who have got purely body from modes of ignorance, they are called śūdras. So harir hi… But Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this. He is transcendental. Harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ.

Prakṛteḥ paraḥ means… Prakṛti means nature. This material nature, He is beyond this material nature. Prakṛteḥ paraḥ.

sa sarva-guṇa upadraṣṭā

taṁ bhajan nirguṇo bhavet

The advantage is that if you want to get release from the infection of these three guṇas, three qualities, then you have to render devotional service to the Lord. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nirguṇo bhavet. Nirguṇa, when there is mention of nirguṇa, nirguṇa does not mean quality-less. Nirguṇa means without these contaminous three qualities of material nature. There are transcendental qualities. Those transcendental qualities… You have got the list, twenty-six qualities of the devotee. Those are transcendental qualities. Those transcendental qualities are in God as well as in the living entity. But when the living entity comes in contact with material nature, those transcendental qualities are covered by the material qualities. So they are not manifested. But as soon as one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, those transcendental qualities automatically develop. Because they are already there.

It is stated that… What is that? The idea is that these qualities are already there. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. These qualities are not acquired. The transcendental qualities are not acquired. Rather, these material qualities are acquired. But transcendental qualities are there in minute particles. As the transcendental qualities are there in God, similarly, transcendental qualities are in living entities also. But when they are covered by these material qualities, the material qualities which we exhibit in the material world, that is acquired. But transcendental qualities are not acquired. So nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. They are not acquired. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. Those transcendental qualities again revive themself by this process: śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte. As you purify your heart by this process of hearing transcendental messages from Godhead, as your heart becomes purified, those transcendental qualities automatically develop. And when fully developed, it is called nirguṇa, nirguṇa, without any material quality. That nirguṇa stage can be obtained, can be achieved, in touch with the nirguṇa, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is stated, sa sarva-dṛg upadraṣṭā taṁ bhajan. Bhajan. Bhajan means by rendering devotional service to Him, that Supreme Lord, you get revived your transcendental qualities. And when you revive your transcendental qualities, that means you are liberated, you are happy, you are transferred to the spiritual world.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

661221CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.313-317

New York, December 21, 1966

Prabhupāda:

harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt

puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ

sa sarva-dṛg upadraṣṭā

taṁ bhajan nirguṇo bhavet

Nirguṇo bhavet. The liberation from material bondage is called nirguṇa. Nirguṇa means the three qualities, three modes of material nature, is nullified. As soon as we are transcendental to the three modes of material nature, that is called liberation. So just like there is injunction in the Vedic literature: to live in the city is rājasika; to live in the forest is sattvika, goodness. Sattvika quality means to live in goodness is to live in a forest. Therefore formerly, all the sages and saints, they used to live in a forest. Still there are many transcendentalists, they live in the forest, because forest is considered to be situation in goodness. Similarly, those who live in cities and villages, in society, human society, that is rājasika. And those who live in the liquor shop and similar, gambling shop and other, they are called tamasika.

So this goodness, passion and ignorance, the division. And how to nirguṇa? When you live in a temple of Kṛṣṇa, that is nirguṇa. That is transcendental. So if you live in a society like this, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are nirguṇa. You are above the qualities. It is far better than to live in the forest or in the city. Those who are in touch with the supreme nirguṇa… Nirguṇa means transcendental to the material modes of nature. So nirguṇo bhavet. Sa sarva-dṛg. Harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt. Nirguṇa means only Viṣṇu is nirguṇa, above the transcendental, above these material modes of nature. It is accepted by all the authorities. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he says, nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Avyakta. So far this material nature, manifested and nonmanifested, what we see, this is manifested. And then it is… Nonmanifested stage is there, covering, covering of the universe. Oh, then that space is far, far greater than, ten times greater than this space. That is avyakta. And above that avyakta stage… Avyakta means nonmanifested. Vyakta avyakta. This is vyakta, this is manifested. Certain space is manifested, and certain space is nonmanifested. So this is called vyakta and avyakta. Śaṅkarācārya says that Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is vyaktāvyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Similarly, it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā also. So Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, He is God. He is nirguṇa, transcendental to these three guṇas. They cannot affect. The three guṇas cannot affect. So similarly, those who are in touch with Kṛṣṇa, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are also nirguṇa. They are also transcendental to the three material modes of nature. This is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, quotation by Lord Caitanya.

So we have to accept these authorities, quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedic literature, and quoted by authority, Lord Caitanya. We have to follow in that way. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Therefore we have to accept this, that if we be engaged in devotional service of the Supreme Lord, then we are transcendental to these material modes of nature. Therefore anyone who is so engaged, he is liberated. He is liberated. Officially he is liberated. But if he falls down by the attraction of these three modes of nature, that is a different thing. That is possible. That is possible if we are not strong enough because… Always remember that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a sort of declaration of war with this illusory material nature. So there is war. She will always try to get you fall down. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. It is very strong, powerful. How you can save yourself? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. If you persistently simply adhere to the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, there will be no more strength of this illusory nature to drag you. No more. There will be no more power to get you into this province of sense gratification. Material nature means the jurisdiction of sense gratification. That's all. Simply people are engaged by sense gratification like cats and dogs. That's all. This is material atmosphere. And in the spiritual atmosphere there is no sense gratification; there is only activity for satisfying the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference.

So if you adherently be always engaged in some sort of service, twenty-four hours in the service of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no power in the world who can drag you into this sense gratification province. You at once become nirguṇa. This is the process. So we have to stick to this principle: "How I can serve Kṛṣṇa always, always?" Īhā yasya harer dāsye. If you cannot do, if you simply think, "How can I do? How can I do? How can I do?" simply this, if you practically cannot do, but if you simply think that "How can I do?" oh, then also you become liberated. Then also you become liberated. And what to speak of when we actually serve. This is such a nice thing, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you want to save yourself from this material turmoil, then always stick to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness persistently. Yes.

pālanārtha svāṁśa viṣṇu-rūpe avatāra

sattva-guṇa draṣṭā, tāte guṇa-māyā-pāra

svarūpa-aiśvarya-pūrṇa, kṛṣṇa-sama prāya

kṛṣṇa aṁśī, teṅho aṁśa, vede hena gāya

Now, these Viṣṇu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, although He is in this material world… There is a planet-I have already explained to you-it is called Kṣīrodaka planet, or where the oceans are of milk ocean. So in that planet Lord Viṣṇu is there, within. But He is not within this material world. Just like even a devotee who is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is not in this material world, how Viṣṇu, the Supreme, He can be in the material world? He is not in the material world. Just like outside there may be snow falling, but inside, if you are protected by heating system and other things, you are not affected. The whole city may be overwhelmed by snow falling, but if you are protected by certain means and adjustment, then you are not affected. Similarly, Viṣṇu and Viṣṇu-bhakta, they are not affected by this material nature. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. Therefore foolish creatures, when they see Kṛṣṇa is here, they think that "Kṛṣṇa is like one of us." But He is not. So here it is stated, pālanārtha svāṁśa viṣṇu-rūpe avatāra. He is providing. Bhūta-bhṛt. Kṛṣṇa's name or Viṣṇu's another is Bhūta-bhṛt. He is providing our necessities. Always know that. This is also another knowledge. Don't think that you are producing your foodstuff, you are producing your necessities. No. You cannot do anything. He is providing. God is giving you. God is giving you. So you should always remember that pālanārtha. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Eko, that one supreme eternal, He is providing all the necessities of so many, innumerable living entities. Don't you see? We are mad after economic development from morning to late at night. In our cars, in our trucks we are going hither and thither. But there are many, many millions of living creatures; they have no economic problem. Who is providing them? Who is providing them? Providing, Kṛṣṇa is providing them. Viṣṇu is providing them.

pālanārtha svāṁśa viṣṇu-rūpe avatāra

sattva-guṇa draṣṭā tāte guṇa-māyā-pāra

He is, although in this material world, He is transcendentally situated. He has nothing to do with this material world.

svarūpa-aiśvarya-pūrṇa, kṛṣṇa-sama prāya

Kṛṣṇa-sama prāya. Now, I have already told you. Prāya means He is almost like Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is cent percent, He is 94%. Therefore it is said, kṛṣṇa-sama prāya. All these Viṣṇu-mūrti, They are kṛṣṇa-sama prāya, or almost like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa aṁśī. The difference is that Kṛṣṇa is the original teṅho aṁśa and this Viṣṇu is plenary expansion. This is the difference between Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa. How it is? Somebody may say, "Oh, Lord Caitanya is devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and you are all devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you are saying that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead." No. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find, Kṛṣṇa Himself says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more supreme than Me." "All right, He may say personally. He may advertise Himself." But there are many instances in the Vedic literature. Just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said,

dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya

dīpāyate vivṛta-hetu-samāna-dharmā

yas tādṛg eva hi ca viṣṇutayā vibhāti

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.46]

"Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, He is the original, and from Him all other Viṣṇu expansions are emanated." How it is that? Just like this is a lamp, original. Now you can, I mean to say, ignite another lamp, another lamp, another lamp, another lamp, another lamp. Now, all these lamps, they are equally powerful so far the luminous quality is concerned, but you have to accept, "This is original lamp." Similarly, all these Viṣṇu expansions, they are almost like Kṛṣṇa, a little difference, but… Kṛṣṇa, what is that difference? That also we can note. When Kṛṣṇa was here, He was completely…, He manifested Himself as completely free from any rules and regulation, any rules and regulation. But other incarnation, when They come, They follow the rules and regulation.

Just like Lord Rāmacandra. When He came, He accepted only one wife, accepted only one wife. And even when that wife was banished… You know that. Sītā. Sītā. He (She) was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa, and Lord Rāma fought with him, killed the whole family and installed his brother in that kingdom and rescued Sītā and brought home. So He was living with Sītā. But some of the śūdras, they criticized, "Oh, just see Rāmacandra. He is king. He is very powerful. He is living with His kidnapped wife." Because in India once a woman goes out of home-still the culture is-you cannot be…, she cannot be accepted any more. She has to live just like prostitute. She has no shelter. But when this, I mean to say, popular opinion was there… But He was king. He has to take the criticism of the public. Just like at the present moment the president, they don't care for public opinion, irresponsible. They say, "Responsible government." They are most irresponsible. But formerly, although there was monarchy, they were very much responsible. As soon as there was some criticism from the public, Rāmacandra at once banished Sītā: "Oh, I cannot live with Sītā. Public opinion is against it." Just see. He is following the rules and regulations. His father told Him, "My dear boy, I wish that instead of being enthroned, please go to the forest." "All right, it is your order. I must carry." Just see. He is following the principle. He is ideal… Rāmacandra is ideal king means He has followed the principle of moral codes. But Kṛṣṇa's behavior, you will find there is no moral code. He is free. At night He is calling girls, "Come on," and dance with Him. They were coming. From material point of view it is immoral, at least in India. But He is free. Rāmacandra accepted one wife. He accepted sixteen thousand wives.

So Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is above everything. No rules and regulation. He cannot do anything wrong. He is not under the jurisdiction of any law. Therefore Kṛṣṇa manifested the full power of the Supreme Lord. And other incarnations, although they came, they came for the time being to perform a certain particular purpose, but they did not manifest the full power of God. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme God. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. It is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that He is the Supreme Personality, original Personality of Godhead. He is nobody's under control. Even He was not controlled by His supreme lover Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī is considered… The gopīs are considered the topmost lover of Kṛṣṇa. But when Kṛṣṇa decided to leave Vṛndāvana, oh, they began to cry. They blocked the way. Kṛṣṇa didn't care, went away. Went away. He didn't care even. So much dear Rādhārāṇī. They became blind, crying, crying, crying, crying, whole life. But Kṛṣṇa never returned. Never returned. He sent His message, He sent His letter, that "I am very sorry, but…" That is God. He is not controlled by anything. Anything. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. So,

brahmā, śiva-ājñā-kārī bhakta-avatāra

pālanārthe viṣṇu-kṛṣṇera svarūpa-ākāra

Therefore all demigods, including Śiva, Brahmā and everyone, they are only order-carrying servants. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya [Cc. Ādi 5.142]. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you will find one passage, that "Only master is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone-never mind what he is-is servant, is servant." Everyone is servant. And what to speak of us. We are servant's servant's servant. Therefore anyone who understands this philosophy, that "I am servant's servant's servant's servant, hundred times, million times lower servant," he is a liberated person. And one who thinks that "I am God," he is a dog. He is a dog. And one who thinks, "I am servant, God's servant's servant's servant, million times servant's servant," he is liberated. He is liberated. This is the process. Gopī bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Lord Caitanya, He said that "I am not a brāhmaṇa. I am not a Christian. I am not a Hindu. I am not a sannyāsī. I am nothing of this sort." Then what You are? "I am the servant's servant's servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is My identification." And when you identify yourself in that way, you are liberated. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

661222CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.318-329

New York, December 22, 1966

Prabhupāda:

sṛjāmi tan-niyukto 'haṁ

haro harati tad-vaśaḥ

viśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpena

paripāti triśakti-dhṛk

This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in which Brahmā, the creator of this particular universe, he says that "I am engaged, I am appointed, by the Supreme Lord." So the creator and the annihilator, Śiva, they are appointed agents of the Supreme Lord. They are not Supreme. Sṛjāmi tan-niyukto 'haṁ haro harati tad-vaśaḥ. Tad-vaśaḥ means we are under the control of the Supreme Lord. Nobody is free or independent. Only Kṛṣṇa. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. You have this statement in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Ninth Chapter, that "Nobody is greater than Him." And another version is there, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody is equal or greater than Him." There are so many statements in the Vedic literature.

So here is also another statement from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This was spoken by Brahmā to his disciple Nārada. Nārada questioned him that "So far we know, that you are the supreme, but you also sometimes meditate and worship somebody." So in that connection Brahmā explained that "We are not supreme. We are all appointed agents. Supreme is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Viśvaṁ puruṣa-rūpeṇa paripāti triśakti-dhṛk. Viśvam, this cosmic manifestation, is being maintained by His threefold energies. Triśakti-dhṛk. Triśakti means three kinds of energies. When it is materially conceived, the three kinds of energies are the modes of goodness, the modes of passion and the modes of ignorance. And when they are spiritually conceived, the same three kinds of energies are manifested as spiritual potency, material potency and marginal potency. So anyway, the Lord is always full with different kinds of energies, of which these three are main divisions.

manvantarāvatāra ebe śuna, sanātana

asaṅkhya gaṇana tāṅra, śunaha kāraṇa

Now Lord Caitanya has explained about… Out of six kinds of incarnations, He has explained to you the incarnation of puruṣāvatāra, three, then līlāvatāra, then guṇāvatāra. Three kinds of incarnations are already explained. Now the remainder, three kinds of incarnations, manvantarāvatāra, yugāvatāra, and śaktyāveśāvatāra, He is going… Out of that three, first the manvantarāvatāra, Manu… So Lord Caitanya says that "I shall now explain to you about the manvantavatāra." And He says, manvantarāvatāra ebe śuna, sanātana: "My dear Sanātana, just now I shall explain to you about the manvantarāvatāra. You hear it." Asaṅkhya gaṇana tāṅra, śunaha kāraṇa: "And this manvantarāvatāra… So far other incarnations are concerned, we have somehow counted three or say ten, like that. But here, when we speak of manvantarāvatāra, they are countless." Asaṅkhya. Asaṅkhya means countless. Nobody can count how many manvantarāvatāras are there. How it is so? He is explaining. Brahmāra eka-dine haya caudda manvantara: "In one day of Brahmā, in one day of Brahmā…" That you have calculated according to Bhagavad-gītā: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ [Bg. 8.17]. Brahmaṇo, or Brahmā, arhat. Arhat means one day, twelve hours. What is that twelve hours according to our calculation? Sahasra-yuga-paryantam, sahasra, one thousand yugas. And what is the duration of yuga? Four million, three hundred thousands of years, one yuga. Such one thousand, that makes Brahmā's one day, twelve hours. Similarly night, twelve hours. Similarly one month. In this way he has got hundred years' duration of life.

Now, this one day, twelve hours, within this twelve hours, there are fourteen Manus. Twelve hours of Brahmā means 4, 3, five zero, eight zero. What is that, 4, 3, eight zeroes? What is the calculation according to your arithmetic, 4, 3, eight zeroes? Huh?

Hayagrīva: 4,300,000,000.

Rūpānuga: Four billion three hundred and eight.

Prabhupāda: 4, 3, eight zeroes.

Devotee: 4,300,000,000.

Rūpānuga: Yes. That's right.

Prabhupāda: Four billion…

Rūpānuga: …three hundred million.

Prabhupāda: 4,300,000,000. That's all right. Within that 4,300,000,000's divide into fourteen. That is the duration of one Manu. Four billion, three hundred millions divide into fourteen. That will make… That one part is the duration of a Manu.

So anyway, fourteen Manus are taking place in one day of Brahmā.

brahmāra eka-dine haya caudda manvantara

ei caudda avatāra tāhāṅ karena īśvara

They are also incarnation of the Supreme Lord. Caudda eka dine, māse cāri-śata biśa. If in one day of Brahmā there are fourteen Manus, then in one month of Brahmā it comes to cāri-śata, 420. Thirty days a month. So 420 Manus in one month of Brahmā. Brahmāra vatsare pañca-sahasra calliśa. Similarly, in one year of Brahmā there is 5,040 Manus in one year, and he lives for hundred years. So 5,040 Manus in one year. Now hundred. So 5,040 plus two zeroes. So it comes to pañca-lakṣa cāri-sahasra manvantarāvatāra. Pañca-lakṣa means fifty millions. Not fifty millions. Ten millions a lakṣa. That means five millions and four thousands of Manus are there in one Brahmā's life. Five million and four hundred thousand of manvantarāvatāra, incarnation of Manu, in one brahmāṇḍa. And Lord Caitanya… Ananta brahmāṇḍe aiche karaha. And there are innumerable brahmāṇḍas, universes. Now you can calculate how many Manus are there. Therefore you cannot calculate. He said, "innumerable."

ananta brahmāṇḍe aiche karaha gaṇana

mahā-viṣṇu eka-śvāse brahmāra jīvana

And all these Manus and Brahmās, they are living only on the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu. Mahā-viṣṇura niśvāsera nāhika paryanta. And just imagine what is that breathing? Eka manvantarāvatārera dekha lekhāra anta.

So in one breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu, you cannot calculate how many Manus are there. This is called unlimited. We say "unlimited," but we should have some knowledge how it is unlimited. There is no question of counting the energies displayed by the Supreme Lord in so many ways. Because we cannot explain something, we dismiss the whole thing. "There is void, nothing. Void." Because my mind, my intelligence, cannot go so far, we say, "Perhaps, maybe it was like this." So this is all mental speculation. And how we can say? Now, the opposite party may say, "How you can say?" Now, we have got evidence from the Vedic literature. But the other party, they have no evidence. They are simply speculationist. We can give some evidence. The Vedas are accepted by ācāryas, and they are following, and they are getting the result. So therefore, śruti-pramāṇa. Śruti-pramāṇa. There are three kinds of evidences. Out of that, śruti-pramāṇa, evidence from higher authorities, that is the first-class evidence. What are those evidence? Pratyakṣa, aitihya and śruti. Pratyakṣa means direct perception. Direct perception, that is evidence. People with poor fund of knowledge, they want direct perception of everything. That is not possible. Direct perception of everything is not possible. Therefore aitihya. Aitihya means historical, historical, paramparā, hearing, traditional. And the next first-class evidence is śruti. Śruti means to hear from the authority. That is śruti. Just like the example we have several times cited here that the evidence "Who is my father?" that evidence is to hear from my mother. That's all. There is no other evidence. The mother says that "This is your father. He is your father." This is śruti, hearing from the mother, authority. And we have no other authority to understand father. Similarly, we have to understand our supreme father from the śruti mother, Vedas mother, mother Vedic mother. We have to accept Vedas as mother, śruti. The Vedas are considered as mother, and the Purāṇas are considered as sister. That is explained. So, śruti-pramāṇa, śruti-pramāṇa.

mahā-viṣṇura niśvāsera nāhika paryanta

eka manvantarāvatārera dekha lekhāra anta

Simply one manvantara in one universe, we cannot count how many manvantaras are there, and what to speak of…? There are innumerable, uncountable universes, and there are so many manvantarāvatāras.

Now He is giving the names of Manus. Just like the sun, the present sun-god, is named as Vivasvān, similarly, in every planet there are heads: sun-god, moon-god, heavenly god, Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, Vāyu, so many, thirty-three koṭi. Koṭi means ten millions. Such thirty-three million demigods are there, and each of them has got a separate planet, and their names are similarly there. So here Lord Caitanya is giving some of the names of the Manu. You cannot count how many Manus are there, but for one day the fourteen Manus are named, and that is given here. Svāyaṁbhuve 'yajña', svārociṣe 'vibhu' nāma. A different period of Manus are differently named. So the fourteen names are Yajña, Vibhu, Satyasena, Hari, fourth; then Vaikuṇṭha, Ajita, Vāmana, Sārvabhauma, Ṛṣabha, Viṣvaksena, Dharmasāvarṇye, Sudhāmā, Indra-sāvarṇya, Bṛhadbhānu. In this…, fourteen Manus. Bṛhadbhānu. I will answer your question.

yugāvatāra ebe śuna, sanātana

satya-tretā-dvāpara-kali-yugera gaṇana

Now yugāvatāra. We have finished manvantarāvatāra. This is fourth. Puruṣāvatāra, līlāvatāra, guṇāvatāra, and the manvantarāvatāra, fourth. Puruṣa incarnation, and then quality, modes of nature, three modes, so guṇāvatāra, then līlāvatāra. Then manvantarāvatāra we have finished. Now Lord Caitanya is explaining about the yugāvatāra, incarnation in every millennium, yuga. What is that?

yugāvatāra ebe śuna, sanātana

satya-tretā-dvāpara-kali-yugera gaṇana

Now, there are four yugas. Each yuga is divided into four: Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali. This is the Kali, this age we are passing. Similarly, these four yugas, such thousand four yugas, when passed away, then one twelve hours of Brahmā is finished, when such thousand four yugas passes away. So satya-tretā-dvāpara-kali-yugera gaṇana. So each yuga is divided into four. Satya-yuga is about eighteen lakhs. Eighteen lakhs means 1,800,000's of years. That is Satya-yuga, 1,800,000's. And the next yuga, Tretā, is 1,200,000's of years; and the next yuga, Dvāpara, 800,000's of years; and this Kali-yuga is 400,000's of years, 432,000's of years. Out of that, five thousands of years we have already passed. Now, there is balance: 427,000 years, there is balance of this Kali-yuga. And the symptoms of Kali-yuga we have already seen, how it is.

So the more we will pass this Kali-yuga, the symptoms will be more acute, intolerable. So we should care. We should take care of this so that we may not come back again to this Kali-yuga. (laughter) You see? This life should be utilized. Now we are conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. It should be so utilized that no more coming back to United States of America and no more coming back of this condemned earthly planet. That should be the aim. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. We have to be determined to go back to Godhead, to Kṛṣṇa, where going nobody will come to this condemned place. One should know that this is a condemned place. Unless one is fully convinced that this is a place, condemned, one cannot make progress. If he is satisfied with this condemned condition… Just like these Bowery Street men, they are lying on the footpath. They are satisfied. Condemned condition, but they are satisfied. We should not be satisfied in that way. That is very wretched condition. So we are all in wretched condition under the grip of material nature, always suffering threefold miseries. So we should be conscious. Unless we are conscious about this fact, then our human life is spoiled. They say that you spiritualists, you are very pessimistic. Yes. He should be pessimistic. There is no question of being optimistic. Where is the optimistic view?

So unless one becomes very much pessimistic of this material world… Actually, they are, but they want to forget. Somebody is trying to forget it by liquor. Somebody is trying to forget by LSD, and somebody is marijuana, or gañja. But that forgetfulness will not save you. You have to actually forget it, that "This is a condemned place," and you cannot forget this unless you have got ideal place before you. Therefore this śruti-pramāṇa, the Vedic knowledge, will give you: "Here is your ideal place, Kṛṣṇa. Come back to Kṛṣṇa. Try for it. Try your best for this." That is the life. That is human life. And unless one is not conscious to this platform, he is defeated. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. We are born ignorant. And if we are educated more, more, more into the platform of ignorance, then our life is all defeat, parābhava. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. So long one is not awakened to spiritual consciousness… "What I am? Why I am suffering? Is there any remedy? How I can save me?"-these questions should arise. This is called brahma-jijñāsa. The Vedānta-sūtra explains this brahma-jijñāsa. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Athāto: "Now. Now it is the time for you to inquire about your Brahman realization, of your Brahman life." That Brahman life begins when we understand that "I am not this material body. I am spirit soul." That is brahma-jñāna. And one who has got this knowledge, he is brāhmaṇa. He is brāhmaṇa. One who has actually attained this knowledge, that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," that is brahma-jñāna.

Now, simply to have brahma-jñāna is not sufficient. When you act like Brahman, that is called Vaiṣṇava. That is Vaiṣṇava. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To understand yourself, that you are not this body, you are Brahman, and when you act factually in that Brahman stage, that is called bhakti. Bhakti. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā,

māṁ ca (yo) 'vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

[Bg. 14.26]

So as soon as you begin your activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you at once come to the stage of Brahman. And the more you execute functions for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, the more you realize yourself and more you are well-situated in spiritual life. And kaunteya prati… I was discussing. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]. The Lord declared through Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, declare it to all the world that anyone who is My devotee, he will never be destroyed." So we should take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously and try to execute it thoroughly under the guidance of the śruti-pramāṇa. The Vedic literatures are there. Everything is there. We should utilize it.

Thank you very much. Any question? Yes.

Kīrtanānanda: You spoke of the energy of the Lord as being threefold… (end)

661223CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.330-335

New York, December 23, 1966

Prabhupāda: So we have discussed the different names of Manu, the father of man. In different millenniums there are different Manus, and the present Manu is Vaivasvata Manu. Out of the fourteen Manus, now it is, the eighth Manu is going on at the present moment. That means this is about one o'clock in the day of Brahmā, just past noon. It is going to be afternoon. And during Brahmā's sleeping time all these planets will be, I mean to say, not annihilated, but inundated, you see, devastation with water. So after the finishing of these fourteen Manus here will be evening, night, and there will be devastation, and half of this universe, up to the sun planet, or above that, everything will be covered with water. Instead of air, there will be water. Then again there will be again… This is kaṇḍa-pralaya. And mahā-pralaya means, when Brahmā dies, then everything is finished.

So these fourteen Manus we have mentioned yesterday. Now yugāvatāra. Yugāvatāra means just like there are four yugas: Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali. The ages of each yuga we have mentioned already. Now in the Satya-yuga, when the yugāvatāra comes, He is white. He is Hayagrīva in the Satya-yuga, as white as our Hayagrīva brahmacārī. Yes. He is white. And rakta. Śukla-rakta-kṛṣṇa-pīta-krame cāri varṇa. In the Satya-yuga when the incarnation of yugāvatāra comes, His complexion is white. And in the next yuga, Tretā-yuga, the complexion is red. And the next yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, the complexion is black, Kṛṣṇa. And the next, Kali-yuga, the complexion is yellow. Lord Caitanya is yellow.

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

[SB 11.5.32]

In this age, Kali-yuga, this is the yugāvatāra, Lord Caitanya. And His description is mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Five thousand years before, it was mentioned that kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam means that He is in the category of Kṛṣṇa. Svayaṁ-kṛṣṇa. You can take the meaning of kṛṣṇa-varṇam like this. Varṇa means a caste or classification. So He is in the classification of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Or if you don't take that meaning, then kṛṣṇa-varṇam means He is always chanting "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati. Varṇayati means chanting. So kṛṣṇa-varṇam, always engaged in Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So this is the first feature. The symptoms of the yugāvatāra of this age is given like this, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Either you can say that He is varṇayati… Varṇayati means describing only Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya preached… His preaching mission was ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanaya, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the only worshipable object. And He was always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. This is the first symptom of Lord Caitanya.

Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. By complexion He is akṛṣṇa. Akṛṣṇa means not kṛṣṇa, not black. Not black, you may take, if not black, then it may, as there are four colors, so He may be white, He may be red, He may be yellow. Now, out of these three colors, in the Satya-yuga white is already done. And in the Tretā-yuga red is already appeared. Then the balance is pīta. Kṛṣṇa is also done. Then the pīta, the yellow. So therefore His color is very golden colored, yellow. Lord Caitanya's complexion not exactly white like you, but He was golden color, golden with yellowish tint, a very nice complexion, Lord Caitanya's. He is… Therefore His name is Gaurāṅga. Gaurāṅga means white complexion. Another name is Gaurasundara, "very beautiful." So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam [SB 11.5.32]. Tviṣā, tviṣā means by complexion akṛṣṇa, not kṛṣṇa. Although He is Kṛṣṇa, His complexion is not kṛṣṇa. Then next? Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. He is always accompanied by His associates. You will see in the picture. There is Nityānanda Prabhu, there is Advaita Prabhu, there is Śrīvāsa, and always He was… From the beginning, when He was a child… Not child. When He was a boy, He started the saṅkīrtana movement. You see the picture: He is surrounded. And throughout whole, so long He lived, He was present on this world, that was… He was surrounded by this Hare Kṛṣṇa party. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. This is the yugāvatāra of this age.

Now, kalau, kalau, "in this age," especially meant. Now, how to worship Him? Does He require any grandeur, any throne or any decoration? No. Nothing. Anywhere and everywhere you can worship Him. How? Saṅkīrtanaiḥ, this chanting. Keep the picture of Lord Caitanya with His associates, this, as picture we are painting, we have got, and any part of the world, you sit down and go on chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma… So no expense, no nothing. This is the recommendation for this age. Therefore this picture and this sound vibration should be preached all over the world. And rest assured there will be peace and prosperity. This should be the mission of this society, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Lord Caitanya's mission. He ordered,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

Para-upakāra means "do good to others." "You are born in Bhāratavarṣa. You are not meant for exploiting others. You are meant for doing good to others." That is His mission. Para-upakāra. Para-upakāra means "Do good to others." It is specially mentioned, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra. Bhārata-bhūmite, in this land of Bhāratavarṣa, one who has taken his birth as a human being… Human being. "I am not talking," Lord Caitanya said, "I am not talking of others, less than human being. Anyone who has taken his birth as human being…" Janma sārthaka kari. Janma sārthaka. How? How to make your life perfect? Now, just you become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

So He advised every Indian that this is the mission of Indian mission. Because in this age all over the world there will be hopelessness, now this mission should be started from India. That was His prediction. This mission should be started, and the Indians should take responsibility for starting this mission all over the world. And they will be happy. There will be too much unhappiness in this age, and by spreading this mission there will be happiness. That is His prediction. So it is not a manufactured thing. We are just following the footprints of Lord Caitanya. So let us follow it nicely. There will be peace and prosperity all over the world. Yes.

So in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is quotation when Kṛṣṇa was born. It is the system of Vedic system. There are ten kinds of saṁskāras, reformation. And how much careful this Vedic civilization is, that a child will be born and he is taken care of since the day of the, I mean to say, joining, conjugation of the father and mother. Garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. How much they were expecting that a good son will come, and he will be so good that the society will be happy, the country will be happy, the world will be happy. Never they prescribed unwanted children like cats and dogs. No. So therefore there was garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Before the father and mother conjugate there is ceremony, garbhādhāna, for the higher caste. The higher caste were made not artificially. They had to follow nine great principles, then they are higher caste, not by rubber stamp, just like Gandhi wanted to do, taking the banghis, the sweepers, and rubber-stamping "harijana." No. This is a process. Everyone is open to become a harijana, but not by rubber stamp but by training. That training is required. People are avoiding the training and simply speculating in the mind, foolishness. How the world can improve? There must be training. Without training, simply by mental speculation, one can make any… Manasā mathurāṁ gacchasi. Oh, you have to work. If you want to go California, you have to go there. Simply I am thinking, "I am going to California, California," will that…? No.

So similarly, actually if you want peace, then you have to work. The process is there. The process open for everyone, but you have to take it. Otherwise it is not possible. Therefore Lord Caitanya says, manuṣya-janma sārthaka kari: "You first of all make yourself perfect; then preach." Don't become yourself nonsense, and you become a preacher. No. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvera śikṣāya. Preacher must be in his life perfect. Then he can become a preacher. If I smoke, how can I say that "You do not smoke"? Then how… Modern days is, "What I do, that you may not do. What I say, you do." Why shall I follow you? You are not doing? So Lord Caitanya therefore says, janma-sārthaka kari.

So when Kṛṣṇa was born… Of course, He is pure. He is God. But the social and the scriptural rules and regulations were followed. So when a child is born the astrologer is called. Still that system is followed. But due to this Kali-yuga the astrologer has also become a false, and this has become a formality. Somebody is following; somebody is not following. So as soon as a child is born… You will find Mahārāja Parīkṣit, as soon as he was born, his grandfather, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, called for astrologer. This is called jāta-karma. Just after the child is born, this astrologer will come and he will see the moment, the astronomical situation, and make a horoscope, and then immediately his future activities and everything will be clearly made, that "This child is born at such and such moment. He will be like this and this." And that will be… You will be surprised… Not surprised. This is calculation. In my horoscope it is written there, "At the age of seventy years he will go across the sea." It is written there. Yes. And there are so many things still. So this astrologer was so accurate. I have got that horoscope. Not here. If some day I shall, then will show. It is clearly written there that "This time he will go across the sea." Just see. The circumstances became so that I have come. So astrology is so nice.

So when Kṛṣṇa was born the same principle was followed. Astrologer was called for, and there were good astrologers. And the great astrologer, a famous astrologer who came to see Kṛṣṇa's birth affair, he was Gargamuni. His name was Gargamuni. Yes. So that Gargamuni, by astrology, said to Kṛṣṇa's father Nanda Mahārāja, "This boy, this child who is born as your son, He had three colors before." Āsan varṇās trayo hy asya: "This child had three colors before. I see." Just see the astrology. From astrology he says that "He had three colors before." That means God. "He had three colors before." Gṛhṇato 'nuyugaṁ tanūḥ: "According to the age, according to the millennium, He had three other colors." Śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ: "And He had that white color and red color and yellow color. Idānīm, just now, He has assumed this black color." So this was the astronomical calculation of Kṛṣṇa's birth. Satya-yuge dharma-dhyāna karāya 'śukla'-mūrti dhari'.

Now, śukla-mūrti, that white incarnation of God, He will teach the people… The incarnation of God, why does He come? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. The incarnation of God comes… When there is discrepancy all over the world about religious principle, the incarnation comes. So Lord Caitanya says that in the Satya-yuga this incarnation of God in white color, He preached meditation, dhyāna. Therefore meditation is for the Satya-yuga. Satya-yuga means when cent percent people are pure. That is called Satya-yuga. And Tretā-yuga means 75% are pure, 25% impure. And Dvāpara-yuga means 50%, 50% pure and 50%… And Kali-yuga means 75% impure and 25% may be pure. (laughter) This is Kali-yuga. And we are thinking we are advancing. Such a foolish civilization, they are less than 25% pure, they do not know what is purity, and they think that they are advancing in civilization. Civilization means to purify. The Aryans, Aryans means advance. And what way advance? Advance in eating? Advance in sleeping? No. Advance in purification. They are called Aryans. And the most advanced purified is called the brāhmaṇa. And less than that, the kṣatriya. And less than that, vaiśyas. And less than that, the śūdras. And less than that, they are caṇḍālas. This is the classification of the human society. What is that classification? Due to this purity, who is pure, pure, purer, purer, and purest. So unless we become purest, we cannot approach Kṛṣṇa.

So here it is said, satya-yuge dhyāna karma. This dhyāna, this medi… Why meditation? They were all pure; still, to become purest, dhyāna karma. Kardamake vara dilā yeṅho kṛpā kari. And He gave some, bestowed some blessings to Kardama Muni. Kardama Muni, he was a great penance taker, and he worshiped this incarnation of God, and he was blessed with a son. He was also incarnation of God, Kapila Muni. Kapila Muni. He is also incarnation of God, and He preached the sāṅkhya philosophy, original. Later on, in the, just in this Kali-yuga, there is an imitation sāṅkhya philosophy. So there are two sāṅkhya philosophies: atheistic and nonatheistic. So (non)atheistic sāṅkhya philosophy you will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam preached by Kapila. His name was Kapila, Kapila Muni, son of Kardama and Devahūti. His mother's name was Devahūti; His father's name was Kardama. So this Kardama's name is mentioned here:

kṛṣṇa-'dhyāna' kare loka jñāna-adhikārī

tretāra dharma yajña' karaya 'rakta'-varṇa dhari

Now in the Satya-yuga the people were trained to meditate on Kṛṣṇa. They had, I mean to say, 100,000's of years they used to live, 100,000's of years. Just like we cannot…, our limit is one hundred years only, similarly, in the Satya-yuga the limit of living was 100,000's of years. And people would meditate. There are history… Meditate some fifty hundred thousands of years…, no, fifty thousands of years. Just like Vālmīki Muni. Vālmīki Muni meditated for fifty thousands of years, and then he wrote Rāmāyaṇa. The Rāmāyaṇa is not an ordinary book. You see? Therefore Rāmāyaṇa is so much popular in India. Before the appearance of Rāma, he wrote Rāmāyaṇa, all the activities of Rāma. So this Vālmīki Muni… And what this Vālmīki Muni was? This Vālmīki Muni was a dacoit, a plunderer. He used to plunder, I mean to say, innocent men on the road, kill him and take everything. That was his business. But by chance, he was associated with Nārada Muni, and he rectified him. This is the process. When a devotee meets even a dacoit like Vālmīki Muni, he becomes… Nārada Muni elevated so many fallen souls. This Vālmīki Muni was also. So he was given this mantra, "Rāma." He could not chant it. Then he was advised to just the opposite, māra. Māra means dead body. So māra māra māra. Three māra means one "Rāma" is there. So in this way he was initiated and he became a great sage. For sixty thousands of years he meditated simply on "Rāma, Rāma, Rāma, Rāma, Rāma, Rāma." And when he was liberated, he wrote this Rāmāyaṇa.

So that is the function of the Tretā(Satya)-yuga. And Tretā-yuga… Tretā dharma yajña karāya… (aside:) There is one bug. Throw it. So in the Satya-yuga this meditation is possible, not in this age. Therefore those who are imitating the process of the Satya-yuga, they are simply wasting time. That's all. That is not recommended. Nobody can meditate in this age. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ [SB 12.3.52]. There are different yugas, millennium, and there are different processes. In this age, this is the process, kalau saṅkīrtana, hari-kīrtanāt, simply chanting. Sit down anywhere, everywhere, and go on chanting, chanting, chanting.

So as the ages, either it is fallen or risen, that doesn't matter. Just like if you go to a doctor, he has got different kinds of medicine, different kinds of treatment. There is no question of being hopeless. There is no question of being hopeless. If we follow the injunction given in these authorized scriptures, then even in this Kali-yuga we can attain perfection. And the process is this: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

661224CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.334-341

New York, December 24, 1966

Prabhupāda:

satya-yuge dharma-dhyāna karāya 'śukla'-mūrti dhari'

kardamake vara dilā yeṅho kṛpā kari'

In the Satya-yuga the incarnation of God is of white color.

kṛṣṇa-'dhyāna' kare loka jñāna-adhikārī

tretāra dharma 'yajña' karāya 'rakta'-varṇa dhari'

So in the Satya-yuga, the age of goodness, in that age the meditation was possible. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ [SB 12.3.52]. According to injunction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, meditation is possible in the age of goodness when cent percent people, they are all in the modes of goodness. There are three modes of nature: modes of goodness, modes of passion and modes of ignorance. Similarly, the ages are also conducted by the three modes of material nature. Just like there are seasonal changes-in our experience in one year sometimes it is summer, sometimes it is winter, sometimes it is spring-similarly, in course of nature's way there are different yugas, millennium. So in the Satya-yuga people are all in the modes of goodness. Therefore, at that time they could concentrate the mind in the Supreme, and meditation was recommended at that time. Kṛṣṇa-'dhyāna' kare loka jñāna-adhikārī. Jñāna-adhikārī means they were quite fit to understand spiritual knowledge. Because without developing the modes of goodness, nobody can understand spiritual knowledge. In the ignorance, the lowest grade of men, they are in ignorance. The ignorance, the symptom of ignorance we have already described in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā. Ignorance means laziness. Laziness. That is ignorance. And passion means active. And goodness means sober. So we cannot find all men in this world of the same quality. Some of them are in goodness; some of them are in passion; some of them are in ignorance. But in this age seventy-five percent or more than that, they are in ignorance. And maybe ten or fifteen percent in passion, and hardly five percent, they are in goodness.

Therefore majority population of this age, they cannot perform meditation or great sacrifices or temple worship. They cannot. Therefore Lord Caitanya has, by His causeless mercy… Of course, it is according to the Vedic injunction. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum [SB 12.3.52]. The same achievement which was obtained in the age of goodness by meditation was achieved in the next age by sacrifices and the next age by temple worship. At the present age it is recommended to achieve that success, that perfection, spiritual perfection by hari-kīrtanāt, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It doesn't require any previous qualification to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Anybody and everybody can join, and by chanting this, the result will be that progressive chanting will help him in cleansing the dust on the mirror of the mind.

The whole trouble in the world is misunderstanding. That's all. Under the spell of this material nature, we are simply misunderstanding. But when we come to the pure state… Just like mirror, when cleansed of all the dust we can see our face nicely, similarly, when the mind is cleared of all material dust then we can see what we are. In ignorance we identify with this body and bodily relationships. And in passion we are very much active for this bodily comfort. And in goodness we can see what we are. So in goodness we can see that "I am not this body." Of course, it is very common thing to understand that "I am not this body," the distinction between a dead man and living man. When a man is dead, the relatives cry, lament, "Oh, my son is gone," "My father is gone," "My wife is gone." But if we think, "Your wife is there lying. Your son is lying there. Why do you say he is gone?" Actually he is gone, but so long he does not go, we think this body as my son, as my daughter. This is ignorance. At the end we can understand, "Oh, this body is not my son," "This body is not my daughter," "This body is not my father," when the end is done. But still, even after that experience, we think that "This body is myself." This is called ignorance. Ahany ahani lokāni gacchanti yama-mandiram. In every moment, every second, we are seeing that body is this matter; the soul, when gone from the body, it has no value. Still, I am thinking that "I shall live in this world eternally, and I shall… Let me enjoy this bodily sense gratification." This is ignorance.

So this ignorance has to be removed if we actually want to be happy and peaceful. Nobody in ignorance can be happy. We have got experience here. Those who are advanced in knowledge, they are comparatively happy in this world, and those who are ignorance, they are not happy. Of course, by the spell of this illusory energy, although he is not happy, he thinks, "I am happy." Just like in the Bowery Row, street, you will see, so many drunkards, they are lying. They are thinking happy, but others, those are passing on the street, they are seeing they are not happy. So this is going on. So this mode of ignorance and passion has to be removed. Unless we remove that, the modes of passion and ignorance, there is no chance of become peaceful and happy. Because in goodness everything is… Just like we have got experience: when the sky is cloudy, we are not very much happy, and as soon as there is sunrise, clear sky, we say, "Oh, today is very nice day." Why? Because the light is there. So when we come to goodness, the light of knowledge is there, and therefore we see, "Oh, it is very nice." But if we stay on that point, "Oh, it is very nice. It is very nice day," that is not all. But you must utilize the very nice day. Otherwise what is very nice day to you? Similarly, knowledge has to be also fully utilized. And what is the full utilization of knowledge? The full utilization of knowledge is to understand God. That is full utilization. So long one does not come to the point of Kṛṣṇa understanding, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, he is more or less in the ignorance.

So perfection of knowledge is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when one knows… Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find,

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

[Bg. 7.19]

"After many, many births' struggle for acquiring knowledge, when one is fully conscious that 'Vāsudeva, Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, is everything,' that is the perfection of knowledge." So that perfection of knowledge was achieved in the age of goodness by meditation, and in the age of Tretā by sacrifice, and by Dvāpara by worship, and in this age this kṛṣṇa-kīrtana.

'kṛṣṇa-padārcana' haya dvāparera dharma

'kṛṣṇa'-varṇe karāya loke kṛṣṇārcana-karma

So in the Dvāpara-yuga, in the next millennium, in the age of passion, Lord Kṛṣṇa was Himself present. And He presented this Bhagavad-gītā. And what did He teach in that Bhagavad-gītā? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. He personally taught the people of the world that one should be a surrendering soul to the Supreme Lord. That will make him happy.

dvāpare bhagavān śyāmaḥ

pīta-vāsā nijāyudhaḥ

śrī-vatsādibhir aṅkaiś ca

lakṣaṇair upalakṣitaḥ

Now, the incarnation of God in the Dvāpara-yuga is the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is pīta-vāsā nijāyudhaḥ. He has got His own wheel, His instrument, and He has many signs on His chest, śrī-vatsa-ādibhiḥ. Kṛṣṇa was accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by signs also. There are many signs on the sole, underneath the sole. There are many signs on His chest. And other characteristic of Kṛṣṇa, incarnation of Kṛṣṇa's presence, they are described in the śāstras, in the scriptures. So learned men, sages, they understood that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Not all. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. Unless one is perfectly in knowledge, even God is present before us, we cannot understand. So this knowledge and this qualification to understand what is possible in the modes of goodness.

namas te vāsudevāya

namaḥ saṅkarṣaṇāya ca

pradyumnāyāniruddhāya

tubhyaṁ bhagavate namaḥ

Now, in the Dvāpara-yuga, just like in the Kali-yuga, this age, the mahā-mantra is Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare; similarly in the Dvāpara-yuga the mantra, this mantra was chanted. What is that? Namas te vāsudevāya: "All obeisances unto You, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva."

namaḥ saṅkarṣaṇāya ca

pradyumnāyāniruddhāya

tubhyaṁ bhagavate namaḥ

With His plenary expansion, first expansion Vāsudeva, Saṇkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, He is offered respect.

'pīta'-varṇa dhari' tabe kailā pravartana

prema-bhakti dilā loke lañā bhakta-gaṇa

Now Lord Caitanya is describing about the incarnation in this age Kali-yuga. He says personally that "In the Kali-yuga, in this age, the complexion of the incarnation is pīta-varṇa, yellow color." 'Pīta'-varṇa dhari' tabe kailā pravartana. And what are His activities? Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He was present, His activities were more or less political. He established the Pāṇḍavas on the throne, and He vanquished the other party, and there were many such instances. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. Formerly the modes was if the king was pious, naturally the citizens were also pious. And that is a fact. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. If the leader is all right, the followers also all right. If the leader is a fool, the followers also fool. So in the days bygone, the kings were made as ideal king, and by his ruling capacity, all the citizens, they become nice. So this was Kṛṣṇa's mission, to establish ideal king of the world, and that was Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. The description of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira you will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how nice he was and how the condition of the world was there. There was, during the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, even there was no severe cold and severe heat. Sometimes at this present age we are disturbed in so many ways. There are diseases, anxieties, and nature's disturbance. But all these things were completely absent during the reign of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. That is described. And so far production is concerned, ample production, everything. So Lord Kṛṣṇa's mission was to establish the pious king to rule over the world. So that was His mission in that incarnation.

Now, in this age the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, His color is, the complexion of the body is described as yellow. And what does He do? Prema-bhakti dilā loke lañā bhakta-gaṇa. His mission is to give directly the love of God. That's all. His method is so nice that one who follows His method, he very quickly, instantly, he develops love of God. And when one develops love of God, he becomes perfect. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. We are hankering after love. We want to love somebody. That is the nature of living entity. But that love is frustrated in every step. The culmination of perfection of love can be realized when we understand, when we try to understand, and really love Kṛṣṇa. That can be achieved by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness was preached by Lord Caitanya. When you become a lover of Kṛṣṇa, then all your loving propensities, all your desires, all your hankerings will be satisfied. And so long we do not understand what is love of Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we will love false things, and at the end we shall be frustrated. That is the going on. At every step we are being frustrated; still, we do not leave that path. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30]. We are repeating the same mistake, same mistake, in every step.

Now, even a love extended, so-called love extended, that nationalism, loving the countrymen, loving the humanity, that is also not perfect. We have got practical experience. In our country, in India, Mahatma Gandhi, he loved his country very nicely. He sacrificed everything, and for thirty-five years he simply struggled for the, I mean to say, independence of his country, of his countrymen. But the result was, at the ultimate end, he was killed by his countrymen. After loving so much his country, the result was that he was killed by his country. So in this material world the love is like that. It is never perfect. It cannot be perfect. So Lord Caitanya, taking compassion on these poor fellows, He taught love of Godhead. If you love Kṛṣṇa, then you will feel pleasure. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that "Every living creature is searching after pleasure, pleasure." Therefore we have presented this small booklet, that Kṛṣṇa is the Reservoir of Pleasure. If you can love Kṛṣṇa, then you will get pleasure. Otherwise, there is no pleasure. You will be frustrated. This is a fact. If you take it, it is nice. If you don't take it, then that is your misfortune.

So Lord Caitanya taught this love of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore one of His first disciples, Rūpa Gosvāmī, when he first met Lord Caitanya at Prayag, Allahabad, he offered his respects by composing one verse in Sanskrit:

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

He said, "My dear Lord Caitanya, You are the most magnanimous personality in this world, most munificent, charitable. You are giving the most nice thing. What is that? Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa." There are many charitable institutions and foundation, they are giving charities to many institution and many function. But here Lord Caitanya's charity, giving free the love of Kṛṣṇa, that was very much appreciated by Rūpa Gosvāmī, and therefore he said, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te, kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. And this love of Kṛṣṇa cannot be bestowed by anyone else except Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa once tried. When He was present Himself in His Bhagavad-gītā, He said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You just give up everything. Just try to love Me. Surrender unto Me, and I shall give you all protection." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam. But foolish people could not understand. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritaḥ [Bg. 9.11]. Because foolish people, they thought that "Kṛṣṇa is one of the human beings. Why should we surrender unto Him?"

So we have got our independence. We may do whatever we like. But if we follow the sādhu, śāstra and guru, that is the way of understanding. That is the way of getting knowledge, to follow the instruction of saintly persons and scriptures and spiritual master. Then it is possible to reach the goal of life. And that was taught by Lord Caitanya. Prema-bhakti dilā loke lañā bhakta-gaṇa. Not only He alone, but always associated by His lieutenants and associates. We have seen the picture. Lord Caitanya is dancing and chanting with His principal associates.

dharma pravartana kare vrajendra-nandana

preme gāya nāce loka kare saṅkīrtana

Now, when He was chanting in His association and He was passing on the road, thousands and thousands of people followed Him, and they also chanted. That time, when He was doing this propagation, there was Muhammadan kingdom, and because the Muhammadans were against Hindu religion, so some of the ministers of the Muhammadan king, they were also afraid that "The Nawab Shah may not be angry that He is doing…" The kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, although it is transcendental, but people, not all people… Those who are simple, they can take, but those who are covered with the material dust, they cannot take it. So the Nawab Shah inquired, the Muhammadan king, his minister, Hindu minister, that "Who is this man? So many thousands of people are following Him, and He is making enchanted all the people by His Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. What is that?" So his minister thought that Nawab Shah was planning something against this movement, so he made it a trifle thing. "No, not many people follow Him. Some sentimental people follow Him, not many." Then Nawab Shah replied, "No, I know many people follow. Don't minimize His strength. So He is not ordinary man." Then minister inquired, "What is your opinion?" "I think He is incarnation of God." So this was… It is written in the Muhammadan history.

So Lord Caitanya demonstrated such mass movement simply by this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So that is His contribution to the people of the world. And India was overflooded with this movement about five hundred years before. And still they have found that thousands and thousands of followers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu… During Caitanya Mahāprabhu's birthday in February there is a procession in Calcutta. Practically the whole population of Calcutta joins that. So here, of course, this movement is started, and people, if they take advantage of this movement, they will be very happy. And this is the only movement for respiritualization of the whole world. And those who are intelligent, they should come forward and cooperate with this movement. We have started this movement in a humble way, but we are inviting cooperation of people who are interested for the peace of the world.

Thank you very much. (end)

661225CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.337-353

New York, December 25, 1966

Prabhupāda:

dvāpare bhagavān śyāmaḥ

pīta-vāsā nijāyudhaḥ

śrī-vatsādibhir aṅkaiś ca

lakṣaṇair upalakṣitaḥ

namas te vāsudevāya

namaḥ saṅkarṣaṇāya ca

pradyumnāyāniruddhāya

tubhyaṁ bhagavate namaḥ

These are some of the mantras for offering respect to Kṛṣṇa. This mantra, you may particularly note down:

namas te vāsudevāya

namaḥ saṅkarṣaṇāya ca

pradyumnāyāniruddhāya

tubhyaṁ bhagavate namaḥ

ei mantre dvāpare kare kṛṣṇārcana

'kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana'-kali-yugera dharma

So in the Dvāpara-yuga, this was the process, kṛṣṇārcana, worshiping Kṛṣṇa, and in the Kali-yuga, this pīta, this yellowish-colored incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, He's to be worshiped by this saṅkīrtana movement. Saṅkīrtanair yajñair. This is also called sacrifice, this saṅkīrtana yajña. There are different kinds of yajña. This is called nāma-yajña, sacrifice of the holy name of the Supreme Lord.

dharma pravartana kare vrajendra-nandana

preme gāya nāce loka kare saṅkīrtana

The process is that the Lord chants and He dances Himself, and people follows similarly. Just like we are painting the picture: the Lord is dancing and everyone is following. And that following can be continued even up to date. God is always there. It is not that Caitanya is not present here. He's always present, and, whenever there is saṅkīrtana, there is this kīrtana by the devotees, sincere devotees, it is said that Lord Caitanya is there, present. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. Śuddha-bhakta, those who are pure devotees. Pure devotees means without any material desire. Those who are pure devotees, those who are determined to go back to Godhead, to Kṛṣṇa, they are called pure devotees. They have lost all interest for any material enjoyment. They are now determined. They are called pure devotees. So this saṅkīrtana movement creates pure devotees, who gradually loses all interest in the material enjoyment.

Now this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as I've already explained to you, that is also cited here:

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

[SB 11.5.32]

That Personality, incarnation of God, who is yellowish color and is accompanied by His associates, confidential associates, He is worshiped by this process of saṅkīrtana in this age of Kali.

āra tin-yuge dhyānādite yei phala haya

kali-yuge kṛṣṇa-nāme sei phala pāya

Āra tina-yuge means this is Kali-yuga, and there are, there were other three yugas: the Satya-yuga, the Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga. There are different processes of realizing God. So Lord Caitanya says, "In other three yugas, what was achieved by meditation, by sacrifice, by temple worship, now that can be achieved in this age by saṅkīrtana. Kalau…"

kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann

asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ

kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya

mukta-bandhaḥ paraṁ vrajet

[SB 12.3.51]

This is a śloka, verse, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in connection with conversation with Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and, when the description of this Kali-yuga was given, Mahārāja Parīkṣit became very sorry that, because he was a pious king, he was thinking always of the welfare of the citizens. So when he heard about the description of the Kali-yuga, he was very much disturbed in his mind. Although he was going to die, still he was so compassionate: "Oh, in the age of Kali, the people will suffer so much."

So, when he was so sorry, so Śukadeva Gosvāmī encouraged him, "Mahārāja, don't be sorry. There is very nice process in the Kali-yuga. In the midst of so many difficulties of this age, there is one boon, and that boon is one can become liberated from this material entanglement altogether simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma…" Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya. It was especially mentioned, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya [SB 12.3.51], simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, one can become… This is the greatest boon in this age. Although there are so many difficulties, full of miseries, increase in the greatest volume… The world is, material world is miserable. Just like cold season, this winter season, today we are feeling most inconvenienced. Similarly, this material world is always miserable. But still, in this age it is most miserable, in this age of Kali. But the boon is, the first-class boon is that even there are so many miserable conditions, in the midst of all those disadvantages, one can become free from all contamination simply by kṛṣṇa…, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya. Simply by this.

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ

tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ

dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ

kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt

[SB 12.3.52]

What was achieved in the Satya-yuga by meditation, what was achieved by offering sacrifices in Tretā-yuga, and what was achieved in the Dvāpara-yuga by worship, that can be achieved in this age by saṅkīrtana yajña.

dhyāyan kṛte yajan yajñais

tretāyāṁ dvāpare 'rcayan

yad āpnoti tad āpnoti

kalau saṅkīrtya keśavam

A similar passage… The two above passages, they are quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Another passage is quoted from Padma Purāṇa. Padma Purāṇa, there are eighteen purāṇas, purāṇam. Six purāṇas are in the modes of goodness, and six purāṇas are in the modes of passion, and six purāṇas are in the modes of ignorance-for different people. Just like in a best institution, there are different classes, different kinds of books of learning, gradual process. Similarly, this Vedic culture is so nice, they don't give one class of literature for all. No. There are so many different literatures because there are so many varieties of people. How can you convince you, convince all classes of people by one literature? No. That is not possible. Now the people are here in your country, they are losing interest in religion because the Bible was given to a certain class of people long, long years before. So people are far advanced in scientific knowledge. So that does not appeal. So they're all… We should always remember that there are always different classes of men, and for different classes… The aim is all the same that, see, "Two plus two equal to four." Nothing. But different classes of men there are. So different class of arithmetic, higher mathematics, middle mathematics, lower mathematics. The mathematical, mathematical principle is the same, "Two plus two…," "One to three to nine." There is no other figure.

So similarly, there are eighteen purāṇas. Those who are in the modes of passion, those who are in the modes of ignorance, they should also have some chance. For them, oh, "You go and you worship this demigod." Because we are, every one of us, hankering for material acquisition. The disease is that we are simply thinking of… Idam adya mayā labdham. "Today I have got so much material possession, and next day I shall have so much, and next day I shall have so much. And next day and next day…," and when next day I shall go away-that's all. Finish. This is material disease. They're always hankering after. So there are different hankerings, there are different persons. So, the demigods, "All right, you worship. You want this thing, you want a beautiful wife? All right, you worship Umā. You want to be very learned man? All right, you worship this Devī-Sarasvatī. Oh, you want to be, get out of your disease? All right, you worship the sun-god." So in this way, there are recommendations.

But in the Bhāgavata, after all these recommendations, the Bhāgavata concludes,

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā

mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena

yajeta paramaṁ puruṣa

[SB 2.3.10]

If you have got any desire, still, you go to Kṛṣṇa. You worship. Kṛṣṇa recommends. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. Even if you go to Kṛṣṇa for asking something material profit, still it is better. Don't go to other demigods. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya devatāḥ [Bg. 7.20]. The foolish persons, they do not know that the demigods, they cannot offer any benediction. They cannot offer. They are not fool. Just like here in this institution, although you are free, you very kindly ask me, "Swamijī, can I take this fruit?" Why? This is etiquette. Similarly, the demigods, they are not fools. Suppose one man worships a demigod and asks some benefit. Oh, demigod will ask the Lord, Supreme Lord. Or, in another sense, the demigods also do not know, because they are also living entities like us. But īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 18.61]. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that this person, this particular man, is wanting something, "All right, give him. Give him." Kṛṣṇa is… This is freedom. There is no argument, "Oh, why Kṛṣṇa has arranged like this?" He arranges out of His causeless mercy. He can say, He can stop asking the individual soul. But He does not do that. Why He shall do? Then there is no meaning of independence. "All right, you want it? I have arranged it. Take it. Take." So He asks the demigod, "All right, he's asking from you? Give him. Give." So this is going on.

So therefore there are different kinds of literature because there are different kinds of people. But the ultimate literature is, the substance of all Vedic literature is the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kṛṣṇe sva-dhāma upagate dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha. It is…, there is a verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. When Kṛṣṇa was present He personally gave this Bhagavad-gītā and all knowledge. So many people took knowledge. There is another gītā, Uddhava-gītā. That was spoken to Uddhava. That is in Bhāgavata; this is in Mahābhārata, Bhagavad-gītā. So there is a question by the Śaunaka Ṛṣi that, after departure of Kṛṣṇa, wherefrom knowledge should be searched? So they recommended this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So in the Padma Purāṇa also there is similar passages. In Bhāgavatam also, there are similar passages. In all Vedic literature, the same thing is there. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]. The last target and the last goal, ultimate goal, is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Bhāgavata says, akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā [SB 2.3.10]. Even if you are this materially desiring, still, you should go to Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa also confirms, bhajate mām ananya bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg. 9.30]. Api cet su-durācāro. One should not ask God. But still, if one asks, he's accepted, because he has come to the point, Kṛṣṇa. That is his good qualification. He's in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So all faults there may be, but when one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, everything is nice. Just like there are so mu…, so much snowfall. As soon as there is rise of sun, everything finished. Everything finished. Kṛṣṇa sūrya sama. Only we have to wait when the sunrise will be there. Then all these disturbances will be at once cleared.

So we have to take to kṛṣṇa-sūrya and everything will be cleared.

kaliṁ sabhājayanty āryā

guṇa-jñāḥ sāra-bhāginaḥ

yatra saṅkīrtanenaiva

sarva-svārtho 'bhilabhyate

Sarva-svārtho 'bhilabhyate. There are nice verse. You see? Here it is said, yatra saṅkīrtanenaiva. This Kali-yuga, this age of Kali, we are condemning so much. But even the demigods, they, I mean to say, highly eulogize this Kali-yuga. Why? Why? Oh, here is a great opportunity. Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, yatra saṅkīrtanena. Yatra means in this Kali-yuga, simply by this saṅkīrtana movement, simply by chanting, sarva-svārtho 'bhilabhyate, all interest is served. Your material interest, your spiritual interest-every interest will be served. Lord Caitanya also said, ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra. Just… Even if you are materially desiring something, that also will be fulfilled by simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is such a nice thing. This is… Therefore we call mahā-mantra. All…

pūrvavat likhi yabe guṇāvatāra-gaṇa

asaṅkhya saṅkhyā tāṅra, nā haya gaṇana

cāri-yugāvatāre ei ta' gaṇana

śuni' bhaṅgi kari' tāṅre puche sanātana

Now here is a very trick. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was politician. He was minister. Now when Lord Caitanya was describing about the incarnations, especially of the incarnation of the Kali-yuga, now he's asking, Sanātana Gosvāmī is asking to Lord Caitanya,

rāja-mantri-sanātana-buddhye bṛhaspati

prabhura kṛpāte puche asaṅkoca-mati

He's asking very frankly because he's very intelligent. He was minister.

'ati kṣudra jīva muñi nīca, nīcācāra

kemane jāniba kalite kon avatāra?'

"My dear Sir, Lord Caitanya, I am the lowest of the lowest. I am very fool number one. So I may inquire from You that how can I understand that this is the incarnation of this age, Kali-yuga?"

prabhu kahe-anyāvatāra śāstra-dvāre jāni

kalite avatāra taiche śāstra-vākye māni

"Oh, why you are in confusion? As other incarnation are to be understood from the indication of the śāstras, similarly, we have to understand from the indication of the śāstra who is incarnation." Sarvajña munira vākya-śāstra-'paramāṇa'.

Now śāstra, the scripture, is the most first-class evidence, sarvajña munira vā…, sarvajña… Because śāstras are written not by ordinary person. Not by Rabindranath Tagore, a sex play. (?) No. (laughs) Śāstras are written by liberated persons. Therefore śāstra, scripture, have got so many advantages and so much respect. So therefore Lord said: sarvajña munira vākya-śāstra-'paramāṇa'. Śāstra paramāṇa. Just like (we) see in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, four hundred thousands of years after there will be avatāra, Kalki, and His father's name, His birthplace, is already mentioned there. This is called śāstra. Five thousand years before Bhāgavata was written, and there is indication that in such and such age, in such and such province, in such and such family, Lord Buddha will appear. That is written there. And five thousand years before, ago, the, the symptoms of Kali-yuga is already written there. And we are experiencing.

In the Bhāgavata you'll find, svīkāra eva hy udhvāhe: "In the Kali-yuga, marriage will be performed simply by agreement." Just see. Another… Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam: "People will think by keeping long hairs they will be very beautiful." It is stated in Bhāgavata. They'll look very beautiful. Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. It is written there if you see. It is not story. Svīkāra eva hy udvāhe. Dāmpatye ratim eva hi: "And husband and wife relation means sex. That's all." If the husband has got sex power, then there will be no divorce. These are all written there. Simply sex life, husband and wife relationship. Simply sex life. Vipratve sūtram eva hi: "And one will be considered a brāhmaṇa simply by this thread." These are all written there. A two-cent-worth thread, you get it…, "Oh, you have got thread. Oh, you are a brāhmaṇa." That's all. This is going on in India. Two-paisa-worth brāhmaṇa. He has all the qualification of less than a caṇḍāla, but, because he has got this nonsense thread, he's considered a brāhmaṇa. So these things are all mentioned. And we have to believe it also that, in the last stage of the Kali-yuga, nobody will understand what is God, what is religion. And there will be no supply of these grains. Now we are getting all these grains. But, as you are, as you are thinking grain is not meant for human being, they are meant for animals, all right, God will stop completely. Then you'll have to live only on the seeds and animal flesh. That is also mentioned. There will be no milk. There will be no sugar. There will be no grain. These things are mentioned. Therefore śāstra, it is called śāstra. Sarvajña. Sarvajña means the śāstra is written by persons who know, who knows the, I mean to say, past, present and future. Everything is clear. Therefore we have got so much respect for scripture. The foolish people say, "Oh, it is also written by man. Why shall I…?" Yes, it is written by man. That's all right. But he's not a man like you. He's liberated man. There are different kinds of men. So don't think all men are like you, all men are like you fools.

So here it is said, sarvajña munira vākya-śāstra-'paramāṇa.' Therefore… Tasmāt śāstra pramāṇa ante. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, that everything should act, should be acted in terms of the śāstra. Just like when you go to post something, you are, you are directed by the postal guide. Śāstra pramāṇa only. So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as Kṛṣṇa has given stress upon the evidence, on the scripture, similarly, Lord Caitanya also is giving stress. The question is very interesting. The question is how one should accept a person or a body as incarnation. Lord Caitanya says that through śāstra, by the evidence of śāstra. So many fools, they are presenting themselves as incarnation. An intelligent person should see whether this fool is mentioned in the śāstra. He's presenting himself as incarnation. Whether his activities are, his characteristics is mentioned in the śāstra? Then accept. Otherwise, don't accept. This will be discussed more.

Thank you very much. (end)

661226CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.353-354

New York, December 26, 1966

Prabhupāda:

sarvajña munira vākya-śāstra-'paramāṇa'

āmā-sabā jīvera haya śāstra-dvārā 'jñāna'

We should always think that we are in the modes of ignorance. We are just trying to make progress from ignorance to goodness and then transcend. This is the process of spiritual realization. Nobody should think that we are perfect. We cannot be. God is… Only God is perfect, and we are all imperfect. Even our so-called liberated stage, we are still imperfect. Therefore one has to take shelter of authority because, constitutionally, we are imperfect. Lord Caitanya says, āmā-sabā jīvera haya śāstra-dvārā 'jñāna'. So therefore, for real knowledge, we have to consult the scriptures, śāstra. Sādhu-śāstra-guru. Sādhu means pious, religious, honest person. Sādhu, whose character is spotless, he's called sādhu. Śāstra means scripture, and guru, guru means spiritual master. They are on the equal level. Why? Because the medium is scripture. Guru is considered to be liberated because he follows the scripture. Sādhu is considered to be honest and saintly because he follows scripture. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. Nobody can become a sādhu if he does not accept the principles of scripture. Nobody can be accepted as guru, or spiritual master, if he does not follow the principles of scripture. This is the test.

tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet

samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham

[MU 1.2.12]

Śrotriyam, śrotriyam means one who has accepted the Vedic literature, the śāstra, scripture, as the guidance, he can be… Not a extravagant upstart, he makes some group and religious principle of his own and become a guru. No, no, he'll not be…

So Lord Caitanya advises… Sanātana Gosvāmī's inquiry is how to know that he, here is a avatāra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the medium is śāstra, and direction is the guru. Śāstra also we cannot understand any book, what to speak of the scripture. Sometimes we find contradiction in the scripture. That is not contradiction; that is my poor fund of knowledge. I cannot understand; therefore assistance of guru, a spiritual master, is required. So far incarnation is concerned, here Lord Caitanya says that we have to see through the śāstra whether a person is incarnation or not. We should not blindly accept anybody as incarnation because there are, nowadays, numberless incarnations.

avatāra nāhi kahe-'āmi avatāra'

muni saba jāni' kare lakṣaṇa-vicāra

This is another significance of incarnation. Incarnation never says that "I am incarnation of God." I have read one book about a big avatāra in India. He was canvassing his students, "Do you now accept me as incarnation? Do you now accept me as incarnation?" And the… Perhaps you know. (laughs) And the disciple was denying, "No." Then, at a time the disciple said, "Yes, I accept you." So this is not avatāra. Here Caitanya Mahāprabhu says avatāra does not canvass that "I am…" Guru does not canvass. Sādhu does not canvass. He automatically, by his qualities, he becomes accepted. Yes.

So here Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, avatāra nāhi kahe-'āmi avatāra'. Actually who is avatāra, incarnation, he'll never say that "I am avatāra." Muni saba jāni' kare lakṣaṇa-vicāra. Muni, those who are thinkers, they are actually in the line, they see the symptoms and, with symptoms, they specify, "Yes, here is a avatāra." The symptoms… How the symptoms are analyzed of avatāra? The symptom is, first symptom is that there is reference in the śāstra, scripture, that in such and such time, such and such personality will come. He will be incarnation of God. Even his father's name, his birthplace, everything is written in the scripture. So we have to identify, lakṣaṇa. Then he'll act like this. He'll come like this, and he'll act like this. So these things we analyze, whether he is actually avatāra. Now, even there are characteristics, somebody does not accept also. Just like Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He never said that "I am avatāra." But from His symptoms, from His characteristics, later on great sages, great philosophers, they decided that He's avatāra. Just like here. Sanātana Gosvāmī's stressed Him, testing, and he's trying to confirm it by Lord Caitanya. Because Lord Caitanya described here that in this Kali-yuga the avatāra, His symptoms are like this: kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra pārṣadam [SB 11.5.32]. He is in the category of Kṛṣṇa; by His complexion, He's non-black. Akṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam. And He's always followed by confidential associates. And people who are intelligent, they worship Him by the process of saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtanair yajñaiḥ kalau yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. Su-medhasaḥ means those persons who are, who have got good brain substance. Not foolish persons. Su-medhasaḥ, a man of great brain substance, they can understand, "Oh, here is…" That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in Mahābhārata, in Upaniṣad, in Purāṇas, about Lord Caitanya's appearance. There are many symptomatic explanation. But still there are many fools, they do not accept.

So accept or no accept, His work, His activities, His characterize, characteristics will be known because God will be known. Just like Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha is accepted as incarnation in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And during the time of Emperor Aśoka, he was patronized, Lord Buddha was patronized, not Buddha, or Buddhism was patronized by Aśoka. So practically the whole of Far East, including India, all over, the Buddhism was broadcast and everyone become Buddhist. Whole of India, practically, became Buddhist during his time. But later on, after Śaṅkarācārya's drive against Buddhism, Buddha-ism… Śaṅkarācārya wanted to establish the difference of Buddhism and Hinduism is that Buddhism, Lord Buddha did not accept Vedic authority. He did not accept Vedic authority. But according to Hindu culture, if somebody does not accept the Vedic authority, then he's not a authority. Vedānta philosophy, there are different parties in India. The Māyā… Generally, two parties: the Māyāvāda philosophers and the Vaiṣṇava philosophers, or the impersonalists and the personalists. Otherwise, there is no difference. Ultimately, the Māyāvādī philosophers they say that God, the Supreme Absolute Truth, is impersonal, and the Vaiṣṇava philosophers, they say in the ultimate end, the Absolute Truth is Person and He is, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. This is little difference, and they stick to their position and they fight. Fight means by philosophical arguments. That is going on since a very long time. But both of them belong to the sanātana Hindu dharma because both of them will talk on the Vedānta philosophy. They'll simply, they can give different interpretation, but they cannot say that "We don't accept Vedānta." Oh, that will…, then it is at once rejected. So one must give an interpretation on the Vedānta philosophy; then he'll be accepted as ācārya. Three things: Vedānta philosophy, Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. One must be able to explain these three books. Then he'll be accepted ācārya. These are the principles.

So very recently… The impersonalists, they also accept avatāra. They accept Kṛṣṇa. Śaṅkarācārya accepted Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Sa bhagavān svayam kṛṣṇa. Specifically… People may misunderstand that Kṛṣṇa may be some other Kṛṣṇa because, as the present followers of Śaṅkarācārya, they are interpreting in that way. But Śaṅkarācārya, just to specify Kṛṣṇa, devakī vāsudeva jātaḥ. This means Kṛṣṇa who appeared Himself as the son of Devakī and Vasudeva, that Kṛṣṇa. That Kṛṣṇa. Just like Śaṅkarācārya has a nice prayer of Kṛṣṇa, the present followers of Śaṅkarācārya, they say… They cannot say that this is not composed by Śaṅkarācārya. It is very famous.

bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ

bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha mate

prāpte sannihite kāle maraṇe

na hi na hi rakṣati ḍukṛñ-karaṇe

So there is a very famous prayer made by Śaṅkara… Śaṅkarācārya has made many prayers about Kṛṣṇa, especially about His Vṛndāvana līlā, he has made. He has worshiped Kṛṣṇa in many ways. And last, this is his last composition of poetry. Bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha mate: "You fools, you mūḍha mate…" Muḍḥa mate means "you fools." He was addressing the whole world, "you fools." Bhaja govindam: "Just become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Just become Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Prāpte sannihite kāle maraṇe na hi na hi rakṣati ḍukṛñ-karaṇe: "You are philosophizing. You are talking on grammar and this way and that way." Because these people, they want to establish impersonalism from Bhagavad-gītā by strength of grammar. Such a nonsense they are. They want to understand God by…, through grammar. God is so cheap that He can be understood through grammar. Therefore especially he specified, prāpte sannihite kāle maraṇe: "When death will catch you, your grammar, ḍukṛñ, prata, this will not save you. You fools. You please become Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious." That was the instruction of Śaṅkarācārya. And he has especially mentioned Bhagavad-gītā and Ganges water. He especially mentions. "A little quantity of Ganges water and a little study of Bhagavad-gītā will save you from many dangerous positions."

So, because the symptom is bhagavān, so even Śaṅkarācārya has accepted. But there are many people, they do not accept… Śrī Yamunācārya, Śrī Yamunācārya, a great devotee, he's supposed to be the spiritual master of Rāmānujācārya. He was a great king, and later on he became a great devotee. He has written his Alavandaraya. Alavandaru… Amongst the Rāmānuja-sampradāya, there are twelve great, I mean to say, ācāryas, and he's one of them. So he has written a very nice verse:

tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ

sattvena sāttvikatayā prabalaiś ca śāstraiḥ

prakhyāta-daiva-paramārtha-vidāṁ mattaiś ca

naivāsura-prakṛtayaḥ prabhavanti boddhum

Now he says, "My dear Lord, those who are asura prakṛtayaḥ…" Asura prakṛtayaḥ means the atheistic demons. Atheists are called demons. In the Vedic literature, those who are atheists, they are called demons, rākṣasas. Just like Rāvaṇa, he was a great scholar in Vedic philosophy. He was son of a brāhmaṇa, and he was very learned. And he materially advanced his kingdom so nice that his capital was called golden. He was so rich. Everything, he was, in every way, in education, in opulence, in power, everything was so great. Only fault was that he was atheist. Therefore he's called rākṣasa, asura. All the asuras that are mentioned in the śāstra, their only fault is that they are atheists. Otherwise, from education point of view, from opulence, they are very much advanced.

So asura prakṛtayaḥ, in the Bhagavad-gītā, also: āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ.

na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ

duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuri bhāvam āśritāḥ

[Bg. 7.15]

As soon as one becomes atheist, oh, it is very difficult to convince him. You see. Therefore our preaching should avoid the atheist class. Of course, if we stop that, then we cannot find who is theist in the… Time is so nice that 99.9% all atheists. So we have to take the risk of talking with atheist also. But generally it is advised that preachers should not talk this atheist class because they'll not…, they simply argue. Their only point is simply argue and waste your time. That's all. They'll never accept, however you may try to convince him with reason and argument, they'll never… Here is a śloka by Yamunācārya. It is, say, about one thousand years before, this was the same condition for the atheist. He says,

tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ

sattvena sāttvikatayā prabalaiś ca śāstraiḥ

prakhyāta-daiva-paramārtha-vidāṁ mattaiś ca

naivāsura-prakṛtayaḥ prabhavanti boddhum

There are different kinds of authorities. First authority is śāstra, authorized śāstra, scripture. There the description of avatāra, the characteristics and his work, they are mentioned there. And prabalaiś ca śāstrair. Prabala means the very powerful. Just like Vedānta philosophy, it is very powerful. Bhagavad-gītā, it is very powerful. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is very powerful. So even we give evidences from these powerful śāstras, not only that, prakhyāta-daiva-paramārtha-vidāṁ mattaiś ca, with the opinion of great stalwarts like prakhyāta, very famous. Who is that? Just like Vyāsadeva. Who can be more famous than Vyāsadeva? He's the compiler of all Vedic literatures in the world, Vyāsadeva. And Nārada, he's greatest ṛṣi, sage. Asita, Devala-there are many. Vasiṣṭha. There are many stalwarts. And especially these twelve person, just like Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Manu, Kapila, Mahārāja Prahlāda, Bhīṣma. There are authorities. So even their evidences in the authorized scriptures, even they are accepted by great stalwarts and sages and munis, still, the asura prakṛti, those who are atheistic persons, they'll never accept. They'll never accept. They'll simply go on arguing. The process is that if… Vedic process is if something is mentioned in the Vedas, and it is accepted by the previous ācāryas, then it is accepted. I have nothing to bother. That's all. This is the proce…, the simple process. Suppose I am a fool number one. That doesn't matter. I may be fool, but if I follow the previous authorized ācāryas, then I am all right. Just like a child, he may be a child, innocent child, but if he catches the hand of his father, then he's all right. He can walk. He can cross the street. This is the Vedic process. Vedic process, research, oh, there is no research in Vedic process. What research, nonsense, you'll do? What sense you have got? You shall research about God? The frog philosophy? There is no research. Research, that is not accepted in Vedic philosophy. You have to accept the authority. That's all.

So here Yamunācārya says, "My dear Lord, tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ…" Oh, just like Kṛṣṇa, His character, His activities. Now His character was certified by Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma was at that time Arjuna's grandfather. So practically he was, in age, Kṛṣṇa's grandfather. Kṛṣṇa's grandfather, Bhīṣma. He was fighting in the battlefield, a great warrior, kṣatriya, a great… He's called pitāmaha, Grandfather Bhīṣma. He's known as Grandfather Bhīṣma. Now his character is spotless. His character… Although he was living as a householder, he was more, more than any sage or any saint. Bhīṣma. The history of Bhīṣma is that he was son of Ganges. So Ganges was his mother, and his father, Mahārāja Śāntanu, after the death of his mother, he wanted to marry again. At that time, Bhīṣma was elderly. He was about twenty years old. So father, instead of getting the son married, he was himself very much anxious to get him married. So he selected a very beautiful girl, but she…, he belonged to a, that girl belonged to a low-caste family. Kṣatriyas could find, marry from anywhere. That is the injunction. They are not within the boundary of caste system. So the girl was a fisherman's daughter. So Mahārāja Śāntanu wanted to marry that girl, and the father was very cunning. He said, "No, no. I cannot offer my daughter to you. You are old man. You have got your son. So I cannot offer." He was bargaining. "No? Why? I shall give your daughter a palace. We shall enjoy so many years." "No. I can offer you my daughter provided if my daughter's son becomes the king after your death. Then I can offer." "Oh, that I cannot agree, because my eldest son is living. That I cannot agree." "Then I…"

So Bhīṣma understood that "My father wants to marry that girl, but the only impediment is that the father of the girl is making a condition that her son should be king, and my father is declining because I am present. I should be king." Oh, he at once approached the father of the girl: "What is your condition, sir?" "This is my condition." "All right, I shall not accept kingdom of my father. Your daughter's son will be king. I agree to this." "Oh, no. You may agree, but your son will again claim, because you are the proprietor, you are the prince." "Oh, you think so? Then I shall not marry. I shall not marry. Is that all right?" So then, he was so… He promised that "I shall never marry in my life. That's all right? Then marry your daughter to my father." He was so pious and so strict. This Bhīṣma was brahmacārī from the very beginning. And Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira performed Rājasūya-yajña. Rājasūya-yajña means one who performs that sacrifice in that assembly, all the princes of the world are invited, and they select him as the emperor of the world. That is called Rājasūya-yajña. So in that yajña, there were all princes present, and Kṛṣṇa was proposed to become the president of that assembly, although He was young man. So Kṛṣṇa had many… Not many, especially two, Śiśupāla and Dantavakra, they were very much against Kṛṣṇa. So they objected: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa cannot be… There are many others." He wanted that he become president. The protest meeting. At that time, Bhīṣma recommended that "Nobody is present here spotless character as Kṛṣṇa." He recommended like that. "Kṛṣṇa, when He was sixteen years old, He was surrounded by girls, but He had never sex desire. I am brahmacārī from my birth. I think I could not be such restrained personality as Kṛṣṇa." He recommended like that. That is mentioned in Mahābhārata. So this is character.

So taṁ sila rūpa caritaiḥ. Rūpa. It is mentioned that Kṛṣṇa, is mention… His… Just like Lord Caitanya's rūpa is mentioned, tviṣā akṛṣṇa: by complexion He's not black. Similarly, everything is mentioned. So Yamunācārya, that "Your character, Your beauty and Your wonderful work, and accepted… You are accepted by great authorities. You are mentioned in śāstras. In spite of all this, those who are atheists, they'll never accept." So the characteristics of avatāra are there in the śāstra. So we should follow that and, in that way, we shall select… That question is being asked by Sanātana Gosvāmī. We discussed this point yesterday and today also, because it is important point, and further we shall discuss tomorrow.

Thank you very much. (end)

661228CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.354-358

New York, December 28, 1966

Prabhupāda:

avatāra nāhi kahe-'āmi avatāra'

muni saba jāni' kare lakṣaṇa-vicāra

So Lord Caitanya says that incarnation, He never advertises Himself that He is avatāra. But experienced munis, those who are liberated souls, those who are expert in Vedic knowledge, they understand that this is avatāra, or incarnation, by the symptoms, as they are stated in the scriptures. In the scripture, the color, the activities, the time and the place and the parents-everything is described about the incarnation. So, so that, just like everything has to be understood by the symptoms, that is the scientific advancement. Just like a drug is tested in the laboratory and the drug, the symptoms and the taste, how it is, how the color changes, how it tastes in the tongue, everything is described there, so scientists proves, understands the genuineness of a particular chemical by testing. Similarly, nobody should be accepted as incarnation. That is foolishness. Incarnation, they are stated in the scriptures. Their symptoms, everything is there, and one should understand from that. The avatāra never advertises. Anyone who advertises himself that "I am incarnation," he should be at once rejected. He should be at once rejected.

yasyāvatāra jñāyante

śarīriṣv aśarīriṇaḥ

tais tair atulyātiśayair

vīryair dehiṣv asaṅgataiḥ

The first thing is that avatāra, incarnation, He hasn't got this material body. The first symptom is… And still, the avatāra appears before us. Because, so far our senses are concerned, we can see the material objects. We can see a stone. We can see, I mean to say, wood. We can see water. We cannot see even air, the finer material things. We cannot see mind. We know that mind is there in every soul, every body. Every one of us has got mind, but we cannot see. We cannot see the sky. So the…, in the material world also, there are so many finer things which we cannot see. And what to speak of spiritual? So that spiritual, Supreme Spirit, when He appears before us, seeable, so that we can see, so that is His mercy. That is His mercy. Because we cannot see even the soul within ourself; we are seeing only the body. So what to speak of the Supreme Spirit? That is not possible. Yasyāvatāra jñāyante śarīriṣv aśarīriṇaḥ. Therefore it is the inconceivable power that the incarnation of God appears before us.

'svarūpa'-lakṣaṇa, āra 'taṭastha-lakṣaṇa'

ei dui lakṣaṇe 'vastu' jāne muni-gaṇa

The symptoms are analyzed in two divisions. Svarūpa-lakṣaṇa means the symptom which (is) always present. That is called svarūpa-lakṣaṇa. And taṭastha-lakṣaṇa, the symptoms which are sometimes present and sometimes not present. They are called… In this way, the experienced sages, they analyze the characteristics of the avatāra, or God-two symptoms. One symptom is always there. As soon as there is God, that constant symptom is there. And there are other symptoms which may appear, sometimes may not appear.

ākṛti, prakṛti, svarūpa-svarūpa-lakṣaṇa

kārya-dvārā jñāna-ei taṭastha-lakṣaṇa

Ākṛti, prakṛti. The form and the activities, all uncommon. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, He married sixteen thousand wives and He divided Himself into sixteen thousand. Kṛṣṇa. This is called ākṛti. This is uncommon. God can expand Himself in any number of forms. We cannot do that. That is the…, symptom of God. Ākṛti, prakṛti. Prakṛti is His nature, supreme nature. As soon as He likes anything to do, He'll do it. There is no impediment. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyat… And He does in such nice way that we cannot conceive how it is being done, nature's way. Ākṛti prakṛti, these are taṭastha lakṣaṇa, uh, svarūpa lakṣaṇa, personal symptoms of God. And kārya-dvārā jñāna-ei taṭastha-lakṣaṇa. And the activities… Just like Kṛṣṇa, when comes as incarnation, His activities and activities of Rāma, or activities of Nṛsiṁha, activities of Vāmana, these activities may differ according to time, according to place, according to the mission. The activities may be different. But Their, Their ākṛti, Their feature, and Their power-extraordinary. We should understand very nicely that incarnation means Their feature and Their nature-uncommon.

There may be difference. Just like Buddha. Buddha's activities and Kṛṣṇa's activities, there is difference. Buddha's activity was different because, according to the place, according to the time, according to the audience, the activities are… Avatāra, incarnation, comes when there is necessity. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. When there is discrepancies in the discharge of dharma… Dharma means the prescribed rules by which one elevates himself to the transcendental life. That is dharma, religion. Why in human society there is religion? The purpose is to elevate himself to the transcendental position. That is religion. Where there is no such aim to raise one from the fallen condition to the liberated state, that is not religion. That is sentiment. Religion means that one should be raised from the fallen condition to the highest elevated condition. Therefore there are so many rules and regulations. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, yad icchantam, yad icchantam brahmacaryaṁ caranti. Yad icchantam. (aside:) Just open the… I think it is in the Eighth Chapter. Eighth Chapter, fifteenth verse. Open it. (pause) Read it.

Devotee: Mām upetya punar janma [Bg. 8.15].

Prabhupāda: No. Then, before that.

Devotee: Ananya cetaḥ…

Prabhupāda: Before that.

Devotee: Oṁ iti…

Prabhupāda: Yad icchantam. The śloka is yad icchantaṁ brahma… You don't find it. Let me. Let me have the book. (pause) Yes, here. Eleventh.

yad akṣaraṁ veda-vido vadanti

viśanti yad yatayo vīta-rāgāḥ

yad icchanto brahmacaryaṁ caranti

tat te padaṁ saṅgraheṇa pravakṣye

Here is the transla… "I shall briefly describe to that state which the knowers of the Vedas call the imperishable, which the ascetics, freed from passion, enter, and desiring which, they lead a life of self-control." Not… Brahmacarya is celibacy. Translation is not here. Celibacy means completely ceasing from sex life. Yad icchanto brahmacarya. Brahmacarya means celibacy. No sex life. Therefore the brahmacarya āśrama is recommended. The first basic principle of religious life, according to Vedic principle, the students are expected to go to the spiritual master's place and learn how to live without any sex life. For twenty-five years or at least for twenty years, the student is trained up in that way. Then he's allowed to enter into the gṛhastha life to marry. So there is a process. Religion means there must be process. It is not simply mental speculation. Yad icchantaṁ brahmacaryaṁ caranti. Yad icchantaṁ brahmacaryaṁ caranti tat te padaṁ saṅgraheṇa pravakśye. These things are described in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So to understand, to elevate oneself from the fallen condition to the highest liberated condition, one has to be trained up, one has to follow the rules and regulations as they are prescribed. Otherwise, simply some recreation, spiritual recreation, talking something-"This is that; this is that," "Neti neti"-and I lead my life like anything… That will not help us. Therefore the taṭastha lakṣaṇa. Therefore we accept anyone and everyone as incarnation, because we are not trained up who is incarnation, to see. And, because we want to be cheated, there are so many cheaters who comes as incarnation and this and that, and the society's going on like that. Not only here-in everywhere, every part of the world. They are not very serious, what is the ultimate aim of spiritual life. Spiritual life and material life is that when you want to enjoy, when we want to be lord of these material resources, that is material life. And when you want to become servant of God, that is spiritual life. They…, there is not much difference between the activities of material life and spiritual life. Only the consciousness has to be changed. When my consciousness is to lord it over the material nature, that is material life, and when my consciousness is to serve Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, here, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is spiritual life. So as there are rules and regulations for accelerating your material possession, material life, similarly, there are rules and regulation for spiritual life also.

So the basic principle is yad icchantaṁ brahmacaryaṁ caranti. One should be very regular. Vīta-rāgāḥ. Viśanti yad, viśanti yad yatayo vīta-rāgāḥ. Vīta-rāgāḥ. Vīta-rāgāḥ means completely separated from materialistic life. Vīta-rāgāḥ. Rāgāḥ means attachment, and vīta means completely freed. Yad akṣaram, yad akṣaraṁ brahma vido vadanti. Brahma-vida. Brahma…, those who are conversant in Vedic literature. Akṣaram. Akṣaram. Yad akṣaram. The God has His representation in three letters, a, u, m, which is sounded vibrated om. There is no difference between oṁkāra and Kṛṣṇa. It is admitted in the Bhagavad-gītā that oṁkāra 'smi. Akṣaram oṁkāro 'smi: "Of all the letters I am the oṁkāra." So Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare and oṁkāra, there is no difference, so far the transcendental sound vibration is concerned. But the objective is different. By oṁkāra one attains impersonal existence in the brahmajyoti, and by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, one attains the spiritual body and he's situated in the spiritual planets. We have many times discussed that there are spiritual planets. That is the difference. So far quality is concerned, both of them are spiritual, oṁkāra or Hare Kṛṣṇa.

So,

bhāgavatārambhe vyāsa maṅgalācaraṇe

'parameśvara' nirūpila ei dui lakṣaṇe

Now how the two different characteristics of God can be analyzed, that is mentioned in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lord Caitanya is referring. Lord Caitanya's mission as preaching was based on, cent percent, on the principles of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Bhagavad-gītā is the basic, I mean to say, preliminary study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore in Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find most of the parallel passages and evidences offered by Lord Caitanya, they are from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā and some of the Purāṇas. Just like Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Padma Purāṇa, they are called sattvika purāṇa, purāṇas in the modes of goodness. There are eighteen purāṇas, six for each quality, modes of the nature. Six, six purāṇas for the person who are in the modes of ignorance, six purāṇas for the person who are in the modes of passion, and six purāṇas for persons who are in the mode of goodness, those who are actually qualified brāhmaṇas. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Mahā-purāṇa. Mahā-purāṇa means the topmost of all the purāṇas. You have seen the review by the Theosophical Society of India of my books. They have stated this very word, Mahā-purāṇa, Bhāgavatam, the Mahā-purāṇa.

So Lord Caitanya gives evidences from the Mahā-purāṇam, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that the Supreme Lord, the Absolute Truth, is analyzed in two characteristics. What are they? The, the personal characteristics and taṭastha characteristics. Taṭastha means they are sometimes manifested and they are not sometimes manifested. So this material world is the taṭastha characteristics, and the spiritual world is the personal characteristics. So our effort is to get out of this taṭastha, or, I mean to say, taṭastha means marginal, marginal characteristics to the permanent characteristics. That is called spiritual elevation. We should not remain in the marginal state, but we should go to the permanent state.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

661229CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.358-359

New York, December 29, 1966

Prabhupāda:

bhāgavatārambhe vyāsa maṅgalācaraṇe

'parameśvara' nirūpila ei dui lakṣaṇe

So we have been discussing about the symptoms, characteristics, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One characteristic is that is eternally constant, or present with Him, and another characteristic is that it is sometimes manifested, sometimes not manifested. These two characteristics are called the superior energy and the inferior energy. Manifestation of the superior energy is always constant, present in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And manifestation of the inferior energy, that is not always present. It is sometimes manifested, sometimes not manifested. Just like we have got also. It is very easy to understand. We have got several energies, personally. And we have got some mean energy also. That is within us. That is not always manifested. Sometimes I commit theft. That is my energy. That is my energy, but it is not always manifested. This is a crude example.

Similarly, everything is there in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The Bhāgavata explains in the beginning of Bhāgavata that everything has its origin from the Supreme Lord. Everything. Whatever you have got. It has, it originates (?) from the Supreme Lord. And that is also confirmed in other Vedic literature. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. Imāni bhūtāni, all these things which are created, there is a source. That is Brahman. That is Brahman. The Vedānta-sūtra also confirms this, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is Brahman? This is explained in one code word: Janmādy asya yataḥ, Brahman is that from whom everything is emanating. That… Brahman is that from whom, or from which, whatever you like, everything is emanated. So that Supreme Source, summum bonum, of everything is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Janmādy asya yato 'nvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. That Supreme Source of everything, what is the nature of that Supreme Source of everything? Now the Bhāgavata says, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca arthesu abhijñaḥ. He is conscious.

First qualification is conscious. The Supreme Source cannot be unconscious. Why? Because we are conscious being. So we are also emanation from the Supreme Lord, the living entities. Some of the living entities are moving, some of the living entities, they do not move. Just like the trees, the hills, the mountains, they have got also their life. So they are not moving. We are moving. Man, human being, cats, dogs and ants, so many there are. So they are conscious. So, unless the Supreme Lord is conscious, the Supreme Source of all generation, wherefrom this consciousness can come? So the philosophy that the Supreme Source is void, how you can maintain? Wherefrom this consciousness comes? They say that consciousness is generated by the combination of matter. Up till now, no scientist has proved that, by combination of chemicals and matter, physical things, one can produce consciousness. So the Bhāgavata very nicely describes that the Supreme Source of everything, He is conscious. Conscious. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca [SB 1.1.1].

Now He is conscious in two ways: anvayāt itarataś ca. Directly and indirectly. Just like we are also conscious. But we are directly conscious. Indirectly, we are not conscious. Indirectly we are not conscious. But God is all-powerful supreme consciousness. Therefore He's directly conscious and indirectly conscious. In the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find that Kṛṣṇa says that vedāhaṁ samatītāni vartamānāni ca bhārata [Bg. 7.26]. "I know everything about atītāni, what is past, everything what is past, and I know what is present, I know what is future." And, on this understanding, Kṛṣṇa says in the Second Chapter, you may remember, that "You, Me, and all these persons who have assembled here, they were individual person in the past, they are individual persons now, and they will continue to be individual person in the future." This is consciousness, anvayāt itarataś ca. Now again, what sort of consciousness? Wherefrom He has got this consciousness? Just like we have got our consciousness from the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Source, and wherefrom the Supreme, or God, He has got His consciousness?

So Bhāgavatam says svarāṭ. Svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means He is independent. His consciousness is not dependent on others' consciousness. Svarāṭ. God, He has got all the knowledge. Yesterday we have been discussing Bhagavān. Bhagavān is full of all knowledge. Wherefrom He got this knowledge? Now our experience is that we go to school, college, and get knowledge. Wherefrom He gets knowledge? The Bhāgavata replies, svarāṭ. He's self-sufficient, full of knowledge. These are the differences. So these qualifications are always present. This is called svarūpa-lakṣaṇa. Unless God is independent, unless God is conscious, indirectly and directly, He cannot be Supreme Source. This is called svarūpa-lakṣaṇa, constantly present. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ.

Now people may argue that in the creation we find Brahmā the first-born living creature, and he has given us the Vedic knowledge. So this, in the creation, because he's the first living creature, then he is svarāṭ. He is also independent. Why God is independent? This living creature, he's first-born. He's independent. Otherwise, how could he give the knowledge of Vedas? So the reply is tene brahma hṛdā. No. He's also dependent. He got the knowledge from the Supreme Lord. How is that? He's the first-born living creature. How he got knowledge from God? Tene brahma hṛdā. Brahmā, the Vedic knowledge, was imparted into the heart of Brahmā. Why? Because God is situated within everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. These things are very nicely described in Bhāgavatam in the beginning. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavaye means Brahma. Kavi means the learned. Kavinaṁ purāṇam anuśāsitāram. In the Bhagavad-gītā. He's the kavinaṁ purāṇam. He's the oldest learned man. Oldest. Purāṇam. Purāṇam means oldest. Then why God is not recognized? Now muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ.

To understand God, even the greatest of the greatest thinkers, philosophers, or sage or saintly person, they are also bewildered. Cannot understand. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamya. So Lord Caitanya is (indistinct) that He has got two characteristics. One characteristic is…, that is always present. What is that? He's independent and full of knowledge and He's conscious. Unconsciousness is not the qualification of God. Voidness cannot be accepted as the qualification of the Supreme. The Supreme must be conscious. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye, tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo yatra trisargo 'mṛṣā [SB 1.1.1]. And yatra, in Him rests the material manifestation. And what is this material manifestation? Tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayam. It is simply exchange of fire, water and earth. Of course, there other things are eight elements, fire, water, earth, ether and air. This is the gross material elements. And the finer material elements are the mind, intelligence and false ego. We have discussed this in the Bhagavad-gītā. So this material manifestation is nothing but a manipulation, or a preparation of these things. Just… Just like we present sometime varieties of foodstuff. Kacaurīs, (indistinct ), purī, and rasagullā, and so many things. But what are these? Varieties of grains and milk, fat, that's all. Similarly, all these varieties, manifestations in the material world, they are… Yatra, yatra, tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo, oh, and yatra trisargo 'mṛṣā.

Amṛṣā. It is false. But it appears to be just like real. Foolish living entities, under the spell of illusory energy, they have accepted this false exchange of material elements as reality. This is called materialism. One who has accepted this false representation of reality, they are called materialists. And one who knows the real position of this material world, he's spiritualist. That is the difference between materialism and spiritualism. So this, this material representation, false representation, are temporary. The Vaiṣṇava philosophy, they do not say false. Why they will say false? God is real. His energy is real. You cannot say material energy as unreal, because God is there, and His energy is there. Just like the fire is there, the heat is there, the temperature is there. You cannot say temperature false. It may be manifested at some time. Or it may not manifest. Just like the temperature of sun is not perceived nowadays because it is due to the (?) cold season. But the temperature is the same, but it is manifested during June-July. It is very strongly, and other seasons, it is not manifested. Similarly, this material energy, you cannot say that it is false. It is false. The Vaiṣṇava philosophy is perfect. As the temperature (indistinct), it is sometimes manifested. And this is called taṭasthā. This characteristic, this symptom of the Supreme Lord, is called taṭasthā. Sometimes manifested, sometimes not manifested. But, so far the superior energy is concerned, that is always manifested. That is explained in the next line. Dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Now that is paraṁ satyam, the Supreme Truth, where there is no such temporary manifestation.

So this is knowledge and ignorance. The ignorant materialistic, they are captivated, durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninas. What is the materialistic point of the…? Now durāśayā. They are thinking to have peace and prosperity in this nonsense. Durāśayā. This is called durāśayā. That will never be fulfilled. The foolish people… That will never be fulfilled. They're trying for that. Durāśayā na te viduḥ. Why they are trying so? Na te viduḥ. They are fools. They do not know. What they do not know? Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim. What is their self-interest, they do not know. And what is that self-interest? Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord. Their self-interest is to go back to home, go back to Godhead. That is their real self-interest. One should be interested. Selfish, this is real selfishness, that I must know what I am, what is the goal of my life. But these people they do not know what is the goal of life. They are trying to adjust things here, but it will never be adjusted because the nature of this material world is like that. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. Trisargo 'mṛṣām. It is a false, or temporary, representation of…

So the common substance is that the Supreme Lord, God, or Kṛṣṇa, has got two…, that He has got many diverse energies; all these diverse energies are, I mean to say, summarized in three division, the spiritual energy, the material energy, and the marginal energy. We are the mar… We are living entities. We are marginal. We are sometimes captivated by the material energy and sometimes we are in spiritual energy. Now our attempt is, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, we are trying to transfer ourself from this temporary energy to the permanent energy. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, mahātmānas tu mām, daivī prakṛtim āśritāḥ. Daivī prakṛti means the superior energy, divine energy. This is also divine energy, but that is directly. This is indirectly. This is temporary. Nothing, without, nothing can exist without being divine because everything is coming out from the Lord. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Therefore the impersonalists, they have taken everything as Brahman. That is their… That is also true. Everything is Brahman. That's right. That's all right. Just like in this store. This whole thing is store. That's all right. But we have to take advantage of the store, not sitting in this, I mean to say, lighted(?)… You have to sit here. If you say, "That is also sitting place. Why not go there? And deliver the lecture from there?" No. We have to utilize here. So you have to take advantage of the best. Everything is energy of Kṛṣṇa. That's all right. But we have to take the advantage of the better energy, superior energy. So na te viduḥ, they do not know how to take advantage of that superior energy. So there are two energies, the superior and inferior, or the spiritual and material. The material energy… This is the definition and the sum and substance of the definition and activities of the supreme summum bonum, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1], the Supreme Source of everything.

So, but the superior energy in which the Supreme Lord is always staying… Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto [Bs. 5.37]. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg. 8.20], puruṣaḥ sa paraḥ pārtha bhaktyā. That puruṣa, that Supreme Lord has to understood bhaktyā, not otherwise. That is stated. Only through Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other way. You cannot understand the Supreme Lord. That Supreme Lord is dhāmnā svena sadā. Sadā means always, eternal. Dhāmnā svena. In His own abode. His own abode. Dhāmnā svena nirasta-kuhakam. Where there is no illusion. Nirasta-kuhaka. Kuhaka means illusion. Just like here we, everything is kuhaka. Everything is made of earth, water, temporary things. Just like a doll. Doll is the… You find, you sometimes find in store, storefront of big mercantile firm, there is nice girl standing with dress. So that is kuhakam, illusion. That is illusion. Those who know, "Oh, it is a doll." Similarly, that is the difference between a man in knowledge and man in ignorance. They are accepting this material doll as reality. That is materialism. And those who are in knowledge, they know, "No, it is doll." The reality is different. So sadā nirasta, there is no, kuhakam… That doll illusion is not there. Sadā nirasta-kuhakam. There, satyaṁ param, and there exists the Supreme Truth.

Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi [SB 1.1.1]. This dhīmahi is Gāyatrī mantra. Those who are brāhmaṇas, who are elevated, they are given this Gāyatrī mantra, oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya dhīmahi. Dhīmahi. That dhīmahi word is used here in the Bhāgavatam. So Bhāgavatam is meant for persons who are already in the qualification of brāhmaṇa. It is not meant for persons who are in the qualification of śūdra. Because this very word suggests, dhīmahi. Dhīmahi is meant for brāhmaṇas, Gāyatrī mantra. So this is to be understood, that God is always, just like real characteristic, spiritual energy. And another characteristic, material energy, that is temporary.

Thank you very much. Any questions? Any question?

Disciple: Yes. What is the difference between karma-yoga and bhakti-yoga?

Prabhupāda: Oh, we have not discussed just now karma-yoga. Anyway, karma-yoga and bhakti-yoga. Karma-yoga is meant… Yoga, first thing, yoga. Yoga means linking, connecting. So any yoga, there are many different kinds of yoga, any yoga means linking oneself with the Supreme. So those who are too much addicted to karma… Karma means work. Just like we see in your New York City. Everyone is busy with karma. Karma means you do something, there is some result and you enjoy or suffer. That is called karma. They are doing business, they are doing so many things. There is result. So karma has an effect. So it may be good or bad. So one has to enjoy or suffer. So those who are too much addicted to this karma, activities, when those activities are done with yoga… Yoga means linking with the Supreme. That is called karma-yoga.

Disciple: Bhakti-yoga, is…?

Prabhupāda: Bhakti-yoga. Karma-yoga is almost the same bhakti-yoga. And bhakti-yoga is direct. Bhakti-yoga is… That, bhaktas, they are not addicted to karma, but they are simply addicted to the service of the Lord. That service of the Lord and ordinary work sometimes appears one and the same. Just like we are also typewriting. They, your mother was asking the other day, "Oh, you have got dictaphone?" "Yes." "Oh, why do you say that materialism bad?" "And we are spiritualizing this. You have produced these material things. We eve spiritualizing." So sometimes ordinary karma and bhakti appears to be the same. But they are not the same. They are not the same. Because everything, the source of emanation; we have nothing to hate from materialism because materialism is the energy of God. Why shall we hate? We have nothing to hate. We don't hate materialism. The materialism… They do not understand what is materialism. Materialism means to forget the source of all this. That is materialism. One who knows the source of everything is God, for him, there is no materialism. Because he utilizes everything for that source. So for a advanced devotee, there is nothing materialism. There is nothing material. Everything is spiritualism. (end)

661231CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.367-84

New York, December 31, 1966

Prabhupāda:

śaktyāveśāvatāra kṛṣṇera asaṅkhya gaṇana

dig-daraśana kari mukhya mukhya jana

Lord Caitanya says that incarnation of opulence… Śaktyāveśa avatāra means incarnation of opulence. We have analyzed the opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So śaktyāveśa avatāra… An incarnation who represents a particular opulence of the Supreme Lord, he is called śaktyāveśa avatāra. So Lord Caitanya says that there are innumerable incarnations like that, of whom only the principal, I mean to say, principal incarnations, they are mentioned herein. And who are they?

'sanakādi', 'nārada', 'pṛthu', 'paraśurāma',

jīva-rūpa 'brahmāra' āveśāvatāra-nāma

Jīva-rūpa 'brahmāra' āveśa. Brahma, the first creature of this universe, he's also considered as one of the śaktyāveśa avatāras.

Now, so far our experience is concerned, Lord Caitanya says there are innumerable. So how we can accept a avatāra, a śaktyāveśa avatāra, whose names are not mentioned herein? Then we have to… As in the beginning, Lord Caitanya says that by the symptoms we can understand that He is śaktyāveśa. By the symptoms and activities and influence. So what is that symptom? Symptom is that eternal and temporary. So avatāra, incarnation, comes to glorify the eternal existence of the Supreme Lord. So any avatāra, any incarnation, he comes to glorify that "There is spiritual kingdom, there is God, and I have come to reclaim you to back to Godhead, back to home." This is the symptom. So therefore, by that symptom, we accept Lord Jesus Christ as śaktyāveśa avatāra, or Hazrat Muhammad, he's also. Because these two religious leaders of the world, they preached about the glorification of the Supreme Lord. And they sacrificed everything for preaching the glories of the Lord. Therefore… And their influence and their followers, there are… These are the symptoms by which we can understand that Jesus Christ and Hazrat Muhammad was, were śaktyāveśa avatāras.

So far Buddha is concerned, he's also considered śaktyāveśa avatāra. He preached this nirvāṇa philosophy. Although he did not speak about God, because it is considered that he was himself God, but the people amongst whom he preached, they were mostly atheistic people; therefore he did not preach about God. But he did not deny also. He simply wanted to make extinction of this present worldly activities. That was, yes… Nirvāṇa. And he represented the sacrifice of renouncement. He…, you may remember that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His six opulences, one opulence is renouncement. So Lord Buddha's life is renouncement. He was prince. He, he was in a very young time. He renounced the world and underwent severe penances. These are the symptoms by which we can understand that he's also śaktyāveśa avatāra. And the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam. Anyone, not only Lord Buddha or others, but anyone, Lord, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, anyone who has got some extraordinary power, uncommon power, he's to be considered vibhu. Śaktyāveśa avatāra, there are two kinds, one directly empowered for particular mission, comes from the transcendental spiritual sky, and others, those who are in this material world, but they have got some specific power, uncommon power, not found in ordinary man. They are called vibhūti. This vibhūti (is) explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ mama tejo-'ṁśa sambhavam. That is out of the opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

sanakādye 'jñāna'-śakti, nārade śakti 'bhakti'

brahmāya 'sṛṣṭi'-śakti, anante 'bhū-dhāraṇa'-śakti

Now, so far the principal śaktyāveśa avatāras are concerned, as mentioned by Lord Caitanya, now, what are the manifestation of opulences in each of these śaktyāveśa avatāras? He says that sanakādye, the Kumāras, the four Kumāras-Sanaka, Sanātana, Sananda, Sanat-kumāra-these four Kumāras, they were vastly learned, and they…, first they preached the philosophical way of understanding the Absolute Truth. Sanakādye. Later on, they become devoted, devotees, and they have got a sampradāya, or party, they are called Nimbārka-sampradāya. Sanakādye 'jñāna'-śakti. Now we have analyzed that the Supreme Lord has the opulence of knowledge, full knowledge. So these four Kumāras-kumāras means unmarried brahmacārīs-they were sons of Brahmā. Because in the beginning Brahmā begot so many sons, and each of them were asked to increase the population. Sanaka, Sananda, Sanātana, they were also requested by their father to increase population, but they refused. They said, "No, we are not going to be entangled in these material affairs. We shall remain kumāras, brahmacārī, and preach the glories of God," by which Brahmā was angry. And while he was angry, from his anger Rudra, Śiva, was produced, and Lord Śiva is therefore supposed to be son of Brahmā.

So these four Kumāras, they represented the knowledge opulence of the Supreme Lord. Nārada, Nārada, he's also śaktyāveśa avatāra. He was, in his previous life, he was a maidservant's son, but by the association of devotees, he rose up to this position, Nārada. Nārada's position is very exalted as devotee. All of the devotees of the, in this material world, more or less, they are all disciples of Nārada. Vyāsadeva is also a disciple of Nārada. Prahlāda Mahārāja-these are big devotees-he's…, he was also a disciple of Nārada. And Dhruva Mahārāja, he was also disciple of Nārada. Vālmīki, he was also disciple of Nārada. So Nārada is the representation of the devotional path of opulence. Brahmāya 'sṛṣṭi'-śakti. And the creative opulence was manifested in Brahmā. Creative.

Anante 'bhū-dhāraṇa'. Ananta, Śeṣaśāyī, what is known as law of gravitation, that is mentioned in the Vedic scriptures as sankarasa, who is supposed to be supporting all these planets in the air. 'Bhu-dhāraṇa'-śakti. 'Bhu-dhāraṇa'-śakti means all the planets are supported by Śeṣaśāyī. It is described in the Vedic literature that He has got many hoods, just like serpent has got hood. And each hood, each planet, all these planets are resting.

śeṣe 'sva-sevana'-śakti, pṛthute pālana'

paraśurāme 'duṣṭa-nāśaka-vīrya-sañcāraṇa'

Śeṣe, Śeṣa-avatāra, He is personally serving the Supreme Lord as Mahā Viṣṇu, Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. You have seen the picture that Viṣṇu is lying on a serpent bed. That serpent bed is supposed to be Śeṣa-avatāra. And pṛthute, Mahārāja, King Pṛthu, he was ideal king. Therefore 'pālana', God has another opulence: maintenance. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That Supreme One is maintaining so many, innumerable eternals. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eka bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). So this maintenance performance, opulence, was invested to Pṛthu Mahārāja. He exhibited extraordinary power, how to maintain the citizens, as king and subjects. Paraśurāme 'duṣṭa-nāśaka-vīrya-sañcāraṇa' Paraśurāma… Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]. Under two, these two missions, the Lord comes, incarnates, descends. And Paraśurāma was supposed to kill the duṣṭa, the wicked kṣatriyas, when they forgot to rule over the world as bona fide kṣatriyas. They…, they…, they were killed twenty-one times, and it is mentioned in the Mahābhārata during that killing process, many kṣatriyas fled from, fled away from India and they settled in other parts of the world, especially in Europe. It is mentioned in the Mahābhārata. So Paraśurāma was especially meant, vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, to kill the miscreants.

So,

jñāna-śakty-ādi-kalayā

yatrāviṣṭo janārdanaḥ

ta āveśā nigadyante

jīvā eva mahattamāḥ

Another definition is given by Sanātana Gosvāmī. This same Sanātana Gosvāmī who is now being taught by Lord Caitanya, he also has written many books. These two brothers, Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, and their nephew, Jīva Gosvāmī, composed many valuable literatures. So Sanātana Gosvāmī has written one book, Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛtam. Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛtam, supplementary to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So in that Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛtam book, he has written,

jñāna-śaktya-ādi-kalayā

yatrāviṣṭo janārdanaḥ

ta āveśā nigadyante

jīvā eva mahattamāḥ

He has defined that these śaktyāveśa avatāra, they are all living entities; they are not on the level of Viṣṇu-tattva. But they have special power and special, I mean to say, opulence to glorify the Supreme Lord.

'vibhūti' kahiye yaiche gītā-ekādaśe

jagat vyāpila kṛṣṇa-śakty-ābhāsāveśe

Now that vibhūti is, is mentioned by Lord Caitanya. That vibhūtimat sattvam, śaktyāveśa, there are many, many… We find in the history so many extraordinary, powerful men come and go. They are called vibhūti of the Supreme Lord.

yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ

śrīmad ūrjitam eva vā

tat tad evāvagaccha tvaṁ

mama tejo-'ṁśa-sambhavam

Anyone extraordinary. You'll be, I mean to…, pleased to learn that in India, the king is considered vibhūtimat sattvam. King. He is also considered as the incarnation of God, king. Because when Sanātana, this Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he resigned from government service… So, when the King, Nawab Shah, Nawab Hussain Shah, came to his house-"What is the matter that my minister Sanātana is not joining office? And he's taking leave under so many pretexts?" So when he personally came to the house of Sanātana Gosvāmī… He was not at that time Gosvāmī. His name was Dabira Khāsa. Khāsa shah. So he was received very well, and when the Nawab Shah said… There was some topics, conversation with the minister and the Nawab. The minister wanted to resign, and Nawab Shah did not like that idea. So at last it was… Nawab Shah said that "If you whimsically, whimsically resign your responsible post, then I shall arrest you." At this order, Sanātana Gosvāmī replied that "If you think I shall be punished, I shall accept it, because you are God's representative. You are God's representative." So this was the idea of king and Nawab. Now, although he was Muhammadan and he was brāhmaṇa, but, so far the respect of a king is concerned, Sanātana Gosvāmī rightly told him that "You are Nawab. You are king. You are not ordinary man. Therefore you are empowered by the Supreme Lord. So anything you punish…" Because king's punishment has to be accepted. And in the Manu-saṁhitā it is said that when king punishes a citizen, he is reduced in his sinful actions so that he may not subjected in his next birth for that sinful reaction if he undergoes the punishment of a king. These are stated there.

So, vibhūtimat…

atha vā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

[Bg. 10.42]

So ekāṁśena, ekāṁśena, this partial, plenary representation of the Supreme Lord, Paramātmā, Viṣṇu, Mahā Viṣṇu, they are also parts and parcels. Viṣṇu parts. Svāṁśa. Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Lord, expands Himself in two ways. One way is Viṣṇu expansion, and the other way is the jīva, these living entities expansion. We are also expansions of the Supreme Lord. Eko bahu śyāma. He alone, He has become so many. And why? What is the purpose of becoming so many? The purpose is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He wants to enjoy Himself with so many. So practically our creation is for enjoying in the company, in the association of the Supreme Lord. But we thought that it is better to become an imitation God and try to lord it over the material nature. That is not possible; therefore we are suffering.

eita kahiluṅ śakty-āveśa-avatāra

bālya-paugaṇḍa-dharmera śunaha vicāra

Now the Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is analyzing the characteristics of God, Kṛṣṇa. Now He has explained about His different incarnations. Now He says, about His ages, how the Lord is old. Lord never becomes old. Ādyaṁ purāṇa puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca [Bs. 5.33]. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that, although He's the oldest personality, ādyam, because He's the original person from whom everything has come out. Everything has generated. So we living entities, we are also sons and grandsons of that Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the Brahma-saṁhitā says although He's the oldest person… In the Bhagavad-gītā He is stated by Arjuna as great-grandfather. Prapitāmahaś ca. You'll find this word in the Bhagavad-gītā. Because Brahmā is addressed as pitāmaha, grandfather. He's the original first creature in this material world, in this universe, and everyone has come from him. Therefore he is called pitāmaha. Pitāmaha means grandfather. And, because he's born also of Viṣṇu, therefore Viṣṇu is prapitāmaha [Bg. 11.39].

So the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead, is the oldest of all, but whenever you'll find, you'll find just like a young man. Ādyaṁ purāṇa puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca [Bs. 5.33]. Nava-yauvanam means just a fresh youth. So that is being explained, explained by Lord Caitanya, the age of… This is another characteristics of God. Kiśora-śekhara-dharmī vrajendra-nandana. Kiśora-śekhara. Kiśora. Kiśora is… Kiśora age is called from eleven years to sixteen years. These teen years, or, in English, what is called? Adolescent? Yes. This, this age… So Kṛṣṇa represents Himself just like a boy from eleven to sixteen years old. Not more than that. Even in the Battle of Kurukṣetra, when He was great-grandfather, still, His feature was just like a young boy.

kiśora-śekhara-dharmī vrajendra-nandana

prakaṭa-līlā karibāre yabe kare mana

Prakaṭa-līlā. Prakaṭa-līlā means… Prakaṭa and aprakaṭa. Just like the sun, at night, we cannot see. This is called aprakaṭa. And when we can see, during daytime, that is called prakaṭa. Sun is already there, in the sky, but at night, by certain arrangement of the planetary system, we cannot see. That is called aprakaṭa. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is always there. So sometimes He is manifested within this material world; sometimes He is not manifested. So when He desires to manifest Himself in this material world, rather, when He descends, then He… Prakaṭa-līlā karibare yabe…

ādau prakaṭa karāya mātā-pitā-bhakta-gaṇe

pāche prakaṭa haya janmādika-līlā-krame

So before His coming, some of His devotees, they come first, just to become His father, become His mother, become His family members, like that. Because He does not do anything which is against the process of this world. A man is born out of his father and mother, so He has to take His birth from a father and mother. So these fathers and mothers were, are first sent. I think in the Bible they call messiahs, or what you have? Similarly, nobody can become the father and mother of God. But, when He manifests Himself in this material world, He shows that "He's My father." Just like Kṛṣṇa accepted father, Vasudeva, Vasudeva as His father and Devakī as His mother. Or His foster-father, Nanda Mahārāja, and His foster-mother, Yaśodā. So they are all devotees. Kṛṣṇa's friend, Kṛṣṇa's father, Kṛṣṇa's everyone, when He displays Himself, they are all devotees. He's the Supreme. Nobody can be father of Kṛṣṇa.

vayaso vividhatve 'pi

sarva-bhakti-rasāśrayaḥ

dharmī kiśora evātra

nitya-līlā-vilāsavān

Nitya-līlā-vilāsavān means eternally He's…, He's manifesting His pastimes. Just like Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-līlā, the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa and His different pastimes in this material world. In the…, on this earth was manifested, that thing is going on, nitya-līlā. As I have several times explained to you that the sun, sunrise and sunset, is going on every moment. Every moment. You inquire by, by communication you'll find in some country, there is always sunrise and some country there is always… Any country, you'll find. Similarly, kṛṣṇa-līlā, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, are going on in some of the universes, in any of… There are innumerable universes. In some of the universes He is there already.

pūtanā-vadhādi yata līlā kṣaṇe kṣaṇe

saba līlā nitya prakaṭa kare anukrame

From His childhood, just on the lap of His mother, He killed the demon Pūtanā. Similarly, such pastimes are going on every moment. Every moment. That is called nitya-līlā. In some of the universes… When the round (?) comes in this universe, it takes so many years. For millions and billions years. Just you can imagine how many millions and trillions of universes are there. Ananta brahmāṇḍa, tāra nāhika gaṇana. Ananta means innumerable universes are there. Nāhika gaṇana: nobody can count.

ananta brahmāṇḍa, tāra nāhika gaṇana

kona līlā kona brahmāṇḍe haya prakaṭana

Some of His pastimes is going on in either of the innumerable brahmāṇḍas.

ei-mata saba līlā-yena gaṅgā-dhāra

se-se līlā prakaṭa kare vrajendra-kumāra

Just like the waves of the Ganges going on, nobody can count. Similarly, all the incarnations of different pastimes in different universes, that is going on.

krame bālya-paugaṇḍa-kaiśoratā-prāpti

rāsa-ādi līlā kare, kaiśore nitya-sthiti

So kṛṣṇa-līlā means beginning from His childhood, up to the age of sixteenth year, when He performed the rāsa-līlā, this is actual kṛṣṇa-līlā. And beyond that līlā, when Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana and came to Dvārakā, that is not kṛṣṇa-līlā; that is Vāsudeva līlā, Kṛṣṇa in His Vāsudeva feature, that līlā. It is stated that Kṛṣṇa never goes out of Goloka Vṛndāvana. When He goes, He goes in His Vāsudeva feature. Kṛṣṇa expands Himself-Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa. Therefore when this is described in the Vaiṣṇava literature, a great literary novelist, Bankimacandra Chatterji, he misunderstood that Kṛṣṇa of Vṛndāvana is different from the Kṛṣṇa of Kurukṣetra or Dvārakā. He has analyzed, Kṛṣṇa-caritra, character of Kṛṣṇa. But in everything, he has very much eulogized.

So we shall discuss tomorrow. Any questions? (end)

670101CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.385-394

New York, January 1, 1967

Prabhupāda:

'nitya-līlā' kṛṣṇera sarva-śāstre kaya

bujhite nā pāre līlā kemane 'nitya' haya

Nitya means eternal. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, appearance and dis…, disappearance, is continuous and eternal. There is no stoppage. Lord Caitanya says, bujhite nā pāre līlā kemane 'nitya' haya. Ordinary persons, common men, cannot understand how kṛṣṇa-līlā, Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance, can be eternal. Generally, we think that Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years before; now He's no longer. So either He's dead or gone. Just like ordinary man takes his birth and stay here for some time and then he goes away-no more, no trace of that particular man's activities. He's lost in the whirlpool of this material ocean. Neither exactly in a similar body, that particular living entity will again come back. Once. This form which you have got, material form, it is just like a bubble in the ocean. It is formed somehow or other according to our past actions and reactions, and it will stay for hundred years at most. Then it will disappear. And there will be no trace where that particular individual soul has gone. Of course, there is account in the books of Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26]. He says, "I know everything." And He's always constant companion. As Supersoul of the individual soul, He knows. But we, the persons of a particular person's relatives, father, mother, brother, all these things-who knows? Nobody can give information. But Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance is not like that, because He's not different from His body. We are, in our conditioned stage, we are different from our body. But Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's body is the same thing. This is to be understood. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda vigraha. His form is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. This material body is not like that. Therefore we cannot understand how kṛṣṇa-līlā is eternal, continuous eternal.

That is being instructed by Lord Caitanya:

dṛṣṭānta diyā kahi tabe loka yadi jāne

kṛṣṇa-līlā-nitya, jyotiścakra-pramāṇe

Jyotiścakra-pramāṇe. Jyotiścakra means orbit of the planets. The, a planet is moving in its orbit continually. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa-līlā is also just like an orbit. He's giving very nice example: orbit of the earth, orbit of the moon, orbit of the sun. The sun is also not fixed up. According to Vedic astronomy, the sun is also moving. We have got information from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literatures, Brahma-saṁhitā. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. The sun is considered to be the eyes of the Supreme Lord, and the sun is the king of all other planets. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Savitā means the sun. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa tejāḥ. Sura-mūrtiḥ. Every planet is dominated by a particular demigod. There is a, a principal living entity who is differently named. Just like this moon planet is called Candraloka because the predominating deity there is called Candra; the sun planet is called Sūryaloka because the predominating deity is called Sūrya. Sūrya, Candra-these are official names, just like "governor." But the particular name is also there. Governor is a particular person. Just like "president." President is a general name, but he has got his particular personal name. Similarly, all these predominating deities of Candraloka and Sūryaloka, they are, these are official names. Anybody who's predominating over the sun planet, he's called Sūrya, but he has got his personal name. That name is Vivasvān. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. Who is that Vivasvān? Vivasvān is the present predominating deity in the sun planet.

This sun planet, according to your modern science, it is fixed. But we cannot understand why sun should be fixed. Every planet has its orbit. So sun must be moving in the orbit. That is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā. He's the king of all planets-rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa tejāḥ. Aśeṣa tejāḥ means inexhaustible temperature. The sun planet has got inexhaustible heat and temperature. That we can experience. Nobody can say what is there that the sun planet is diffusing unlimited temperature and heat for millions and trillions of years, still, it is not exhausted. So this is called aśeṣa. Aśeṣa. There is no end. Just like we are in the fire. Unless we put some fuel, fuel, it is not possible to continue the temperature. But there, the supply is so, so sufficient that there is no end of temperature. Every planet is self-sufficient. That is described in the Īśopaniṣad. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñcit jagatyāṁ jagat… [Īśo mantra 1]. No. Pūrṇam idam, pūrṇam adaḥ, pūrṇaṁ pūrṇāt udacyate pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]. The Supreme Lord is pūrṇa. Pūrṇa means complete. And whatever He creates, that is also complete. The actions and reactions of sun planet to diffuse heat all over the universe is complete. By Lord's grace, by Lord's creative power, energy. That is also inferior energy. This is not superior energy. This is inferior energy. So still it is complete.

So… So He is giving example as the planets, sun planet, moon planet and other planets, are moving in their orbits, similarly, kṛṣṇa-līlā has got a orbit, and the līlā is going on. As the sun is moving or the planets, the earth planet is moving exactly at the same time. Just after twenty-four hours it will be meridian, and at 12 o'clock, just twenty-four hours. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's līlā, exactly after certain millions of years, it will be seen in this planet. Similarly, there are innumerable universes, and it is moving from this, that, this, that… Now, just like kṛṣṇa-līlā, just Kṛṣṇa born at, at the prison house of Kaṁsa… Vasudeva, father, and Devakī, mother. Immediately, as soon as the child is born, the next, the next universe, there is birth. So same very thing. Just like now it is quarter to eight according to sun calculation. Immediately, you'll find some other place quarter to eight. Immediately you'll find quarter to eight in other place. Immediately… So quarter to eight you cannot change. Quarter to eight will exist within this movement of the sun planet or earthly planet. Anywhere, somebody, somewhere must be there quarter to eight. At any time. Even at 12 o'clock at night you inquire, "What is quarter to eight of the sun planet?" you'll have. Is it not a fact? This is called nitya-līlā. How nicely Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described.

So Kṛṣṇa-līlā is always going on like that. Kṛṣṇa's birth, Janmāṣṭamī… We observe Janmāṣṭamī. But that Janmāṣṭamī is going on every moment. Janmāṣṭamī is going on. Kṛṣṇa's nitya-līlā. Kṛṣṇa-līlā-nitya, jyotiścakra-pramāṇe. Jyotiścakre sūrya yena phire rātri-dine. Now here it is also, in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it is said that here sūrya is also on the orbit. Sapta-dvīpāmbudhi laṅghi' phire krame krame. Sapta-dvīpa. Now, according to Vedic calculation, this earth has seven, I mean to say, islands. Just like crossing the sea, we have come to your country from India. The crossing the sea means there are different islands. Now you can calculate the Asia, Europe, America, and, and, how many?

Devotee: Seven.

Prabhupāda: Seven, there are?

Devotee: Six.

Prabhupāda: So that is calculation in Vedic know… Sapta-dvīpa. Sapta means seven. As the sun is coming in the orbit and crossing all the seven islands, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also coming in this universe, that universe, that universe. When He comes into this universe, He, He is seen in that tract of land which is called Vṛndāvana. Therefore that tract of land is so sacred. Lord Caitanya describes by His mission, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad dhāma vṛndāvanam. Ārādhya, the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, is worshipable Deity, and His dhāma, and His headquarters-and His dhāma means headquarters-Vṛndāvana. Therefore Vṛndāvana is so important. When Kṛṣṇa comes… Just like when the sun appears in your country there is a particular city or place… Where it is where the sun first seen? Where it is?

Devotee: Greenwich, Maine.

Prabhupāda: Greenwich.

Devotee: Uh huh.

Prabhupāda: In your country, America?

Devotee: What is that?

Prabhupāda: Where the sun is first seen?

Devotee: Anybody know?

Prabhupāda?: Oh, you cannot say?

Students: Maine.

Prabhupāda: Maine? Just like Maine is the first place where is seen sun, similarly, Vṛndāvana is the place where Kṛṣṇa is seen first. The example is very nice. Sapta-dvīpāmbudhi laṅghi' phire krame krame.

rātri-dine haya ṣaṣṭi-daṇḍa-parimāṇa

tina-sahasra chaya-śata 'pala' tāra māna

Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu is submitting His knowledge in astronomy. Astronomy. And He's dividing the whole day and night into sixty daṇḍas. According to Vedic calculation of time, the whole day and night… Just like, according to Western system, the whole day and night is divided into twenty-four hours, they have divided into still further… Sixty daṇḍas. They are called daṇḍas. Tina-sahasra… Rātri-dine haya ṣaṣṭi-daṇḍa-parimāṇa. The whole day and night is divided into sixty parts. Tina-sahasra chaya-śata 'pala' tāra māna. And these daṇḍas are again subdivided into three hundred and sixty palas. They are called pala. Daṇḍa and pala. Sūryodaya haite ṣaṣṭi-pala-kramodaya. And the sun rises in every sixty pala. We can, we can see sun is rising, but not all of a sudden we can see. But gradually. That gradual, I mean to say, elevation of the sun planet is…, takes sixty pala times. Sei eka daṇḍa, aṣṭa daṇḍe 'prahara' haya. Prahara means three hours, and that is aṣṭa daṇḍa.

eka-dui-tina-cāri prahare asta haya

cāri-prahara rātri gele punaḥ sūryodaya

The whole day is divided into four praharas. So at the end of the day, of the four praharas, the Sūrya, this sun planet sets. Cāri prahara rātri gele… And similarly, four praharas, when passed at night, again the sun planet is seen.

aiche kṛṣṇera līlā-maṇḍala caudda-manvantare

brahmāṇḍa-maṇḍala vyāpi' krame krame phire

Caudda-manvantare. There are fourteen Manus in one day of Brahmā. So kṛṣṇera līlā-maṇḍala caudda manvantare. So in the fourteen maṇḍalas, the, the I mean to…, the orbit of kṛṣṇa-līlā is, I mean to say, circumambulating. So He is…, He is seen in the Manu's life, in the fourteen Manu's life. There are fourteen Manus. In each Manu's life, there are seventy-one catur-yugas, in each Manu's life. In the twenty-eighth catur-yuga, Kṛṣṇa, in the Dvāpara-yuga, appears. There is mathematical calculation. Soayāśata vatsara kṛṣṇera prakaṭa-prakāśa. And when He is in this universe, He remains here for 124 year, 125 years. When Kṛṣṇa was here He was for 125 years. And when He was in the battlefield, His age was about 100 years, almost 100 years. Because, just after finishing the battlefield, He went to Dvārakā, and, after some days, He disappeared. So I think it was more than hundred years when He was fighting as charioteer of Kṛṣṇa. Just imagine, a hundred-years-old man, how many children and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, might have. In those days, the boys were married… Still in India boys are married in early age. The boys and girls were married just after sixteen years, especially in the kṣatriya families. They are very developed because they can eat very nicely, they live very nicely. So their body development is very nice. They can beget children even at fifteen years old-in those days, especially. So Kṛṣṇa had, at that time, great-grandchildren when He was fighting in the Kurukṣetra. He was… He came just to help His friend Arjuna. He did not take part in the fighting; He was charioteer. Now you have seen the Kṛṣṇa's picture. He looks like a twenty-years boy. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanam [Bs. 5.33]. Nava-yauvanam-just a fresh youth. Youthful luster. He's very nice, beautiful. So He is seen like that, kiśora. Kiśora. Just sixteen-years-old boy.

So, tāhā yaiche vraja-pure karilā vilāsa

saoyāśata vatsara kṛṣṇera prakaṭa-prakāśa

tāhā yaiche vraja-pure karilā vilāsa

So within these 125 years, all the pastimes that Kṛṣṇa displayed during His presence, all those things are going on in each and every universe, just like the sun planet is moving from one place to another. This is the idea of Kṛṣṇa-līlā.

alāta-cakra-prāya sei līlā-cakra phire

saba līlā saba brahmāṇḍe krame udaya kare

So saba līlā. And all the activities, they are manifested in either of the so many brahmāṇḍas. So at every second you just divide that 125 years into seconds and all, less than second, what it is? Of course, I do not know… But if you divide in that way, then you can calculate how many universes are there. How many seconds are there in one hour?

Devotee: Three thousand?

Prabhupāda: Three thousand?

Devotee: Three thousand, six hundred.

Prabhupāda: Three thousand, six hundred seconds in one hour. Then what are the twenty-four hours? (laughs) Just see.

Devotee: A pencil and paper…

Prabhupāda: No. No. Just imagine that 360 seconds in one hour, so in one day we have got 24 hours. So 360 into 24, that becomes the seconds in one day. Then you multiply it into 30. That means in one month. Then you multiply it by 12. Then it comes to one year. Such 125. So you can calculate. At least you can imagine who many universes are there-by that calculation of second, and if you go further detail.

So God's creation is wonderful. Nobody can… Everything is unlimited. He's unlimited. His creation is unlimited. His pastimes are unlimited. His forms are unlimited. Everything unlimited. Everything. His incarnations are unlimited. Everything. Just like see, even in your own body, can you count how many hairs are on your body and head? They are unlimited. I am claiming "This is my body," but I do not know how many hairs are there. But you ask Kṛṣṇa, He'll tell you. Especially Howard cannot say how many hairs are there… (laugh) Who can say? Howard cannot say. So this is Kṛṣṇa's creative energy. You see. And He is aloof. All things, all these wonderful things are going on, but He's aloof. He's aloof. Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ.

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ

jagad avyakta-mūrtinā

mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni

nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ

[Bg. 9.4]

These are inconceivable energies. And foolish rascals, they claim that "I am God." You see. God is not so cheap. One must know the science of God, how great is God. We cannot calculate. Those who cheaply take God, "God might be like me, you," just frog philosophy. The same frog philosophy. The frog is calculating the length and breadth of Atlantic Ocean, keeping itself in the well. You see. So similarly, these rascals, they are frogs in the well, and they are calculating the estimation of the length and breadth of Atlantic Ocean and claiming themselves as God.

janma, bālya, paugaṇḍa, kaiśora prakāśa

pūtanā-vadhādi kari' mauṣalānta vilāsa

kona brahmāṇḍe kona līlāra haya avasthāna

tāte līlā 'nitya' kahe āgama-purāṇa

So Lord Caitanya says, "Just like the time calculation of the sun is always present in the orbit of this earthly planet, similarly, in the orbit of Kṛṣṇa-līlā, everything is happening in some universe." That is called nitya-līlā. Because it is happening eternally and continually, in either of innumerable planets, which we cannot calculate, therefore His pastimes, appearance and disappearance are all eternal. We are not worshiper of a dead thing. Just like if a foolish person says at night, "Oh, sun is finished." How? "I cannot see. Because I don't see in the sky, it is finished." Similarly, the foolish person thinks, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is…, I cannot see; therefore He's finished." This is foolish calculation. Now, from the description of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we can understand that Kṛṣṇa is not dead and gone. He's present always and every time, everywhere. And if we are sincerely in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that Kṛṣṇa is always with us, He gives us protection, His mercy is there. Everything is there. With this conviction, we should continue Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not a manufactured, false identification, but it is fact, and we have to follow great personalities like Lord Caitanya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who actually established the science of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇāya… As Rūpa Gosvāmī, he, he prayed Lord Caitanya:

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

"Oh, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You because You are so magnanimous that You are distributing the love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted, when He, when He was present, that 'You love Me, surrender unto Me. Sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66].' Now people misunderstood. But Your process of preaching Kṛṣṇa philosophy is so nice, by the saṅkīrtana movement, that everyone can understand the Kṛṣṇa philosophy very easily. Therefore You are the most magnanimous incarnation, and I offer my respectful obeisances unto You."

Thank you very much. (end)

670102CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.391-405

New York, January 2, 1967

Prabhupāda:

aiche kṛṣṇera līlā-maṇḍala caudda-manvantare

brahmāṇḍa-maṇḍala vyāpi' krame krame phire

So we have already discussed how kṛṣṇa-līlā, or the pastimes, different manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes during one hundred and twenty-five years, beginning from His birth up to the disappearance, as many pastimes there are, they are being manifested in some of the universe, out of the innumerable universes. So God is never dead. Kṛṣṇa is never dead, as some of the modern philosophers, they are putting forward the philosophy of "God is dead." God is dead for those who are following the owl philosophy. Owl has never seen sun, or it does not like to see the sun. Therefore the owl says, "There is no sun." Similarly, the atheistic philosophy is… There are so many logic. Just like the owl philosophy, the frog philosophy, the camel philosophy and the dog philosophy, the hog philosophy-there are so many philosophies. So only the persons who are, who have got two hands and two legs, but they are counted amongst the animals. And therefore they cannot think of the eternal, blissful existence of the Supreme Lord at all times.

So premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. If one takes to this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and develops love of Godhead, then he can see God at every moment, in every step, in every thing. He's not, for a single moment, is out of the sight of God. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, teṣu te mayi. The devotee who has love, who has developed love for God, he's also seeing God at every moment. Similarly, God is also seeing him at every moment. They are not separated. So simple process. This hari-kīrtana, this is the simple process recommended in this age, and if we sincerely do it without any offense and with faith, then seeing of God is not difficult for a devotee.

So,

kona brahmāṇḍe kona līlāra haya avasthāna

tāte līlā 'nitya' kahe āgama-purāṇa

So similarly, in some of the brahmāṇḍas, or universes, there is already present Kṛṣṇa-līlā; Kṛṣṇa is there.

There is another Bengali verse, very nicely:

adya 'pi akāri līlā gaura-rāya

kona kona bhagavane dekhibāre pāya

Lord Caitanya's pastimes going on, still going on, but some of the fortunate devotees, they can see. Anything, God's pastimes, that is perceivable through devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Only way. This is the process. No other process. No amount of speculation, no amount of academic education, no amount of philosophical discussion can…, one can… It is confirmed in the Vedic literature: nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhya, na bahunā śrutena. Na ayam ātmā… This self-realization is not possible. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhya, simply by discussion, nobody can arrive. Nobody can understand what is self-realization, what is Supreme Soul, the Absolute Truth. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena, na medhayā. Medhayā means one who is, who has got very good brain substance, he also cannot. Simply by agitating the brain, brain substance, one cannot understand. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhya, na bahunā śrutena, na medhayā. Śrutena, one who is highly educated, very good scholar, he also cannot understand. Then, what is the pro…? Janena saba puruṣe tena labhya: a person to whom God reveals Himself, he can understand. So we have to wait for that and for God's mercy. We have to be engaged in loving, transcendental service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then He'll reveal.

goloka, gokula-dhāma-'vibhu' kṛṣṇa-sama

kṛṣṇecchāya brahmāṇḍa-gaṇe tāhāra saṅkrama

[Cc. Madhya 20.396]

Now, gokula, gokula dhāma-'vibhu' kṛṣṇa-sama. Because the Lord is absolute, therefore His name, His fame, His qualities, His form, His associates, His paraphernalia-everything absolute, nondifferent. God and God's name, nondifferent. God and God's place, nondifferent. And for that reason, when Kṛṣṇa comes, the Absolute, the Vṛndāvana, the place where He descends, that is nondifferent. Actually you can see that, that Vṛndāvana-dhāma, that place is a small spot of land, say about eighty-four miles area, but any person, and however atheistic he may be, and however nonsense he may be, if he goes to that place, he'll feel Kṛṣṇa's presence. Still. Still, simply by going there, he'll at once change his mind that "Here is God." He'll accept it. Still. If you like, you can go to India and you can see, make an experiment. So, although Vṛndāvana is a, is a place for the personalists, now all the impersonalists school of India, they're making their āśrama at Vṛndāvana because they have failed to achieve the sense of God anywhere, they are coming to Vṛndāvana. It is such a nice place. Here Lord Caitanya says that goloka, gokula-dhāma-'vibhu' kṛṣṇa-sama. Just like Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, similarly, His place is also unlimited. It is not limited by the material laws. Similarly, His name is unlimited. When you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, the Hare Kṛṣṇa, this name, the holy name, has got unlimited potency. Simply you have to realize it. Even God is present before us, we cannot realize it. When Kṛṣṇa was present before us on this earth, not that all people of the world or all people of India could recognize. Only few people-the Pāṇḍavas and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, inhabitants of Dvārakā, some of them could understand. So it requires training only. Otherwise, the unlimited God can be seen even within this limited sphere of material existence.

ataeva goloka-sthāne nitya vihāra

brahmāṇḍa-gaṇe krame prākaṭya tāhāra

So when Kṛṣṇa or God comes, He's not out of His eternal abode, because absolute. Whenever, wherever God is present, His absolute abode is also present there. Just like it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati: [Bg. 18.61] "The Supreme Lord is situated as Supersoul in everyone's heart." Now suppose there is a dog or there is hog. So there is also God. So does it mean that God is living with a dog or God is living with a hog? No. For Him, even within the heart of a hog, even within the heart of a dog, there is Vaikuṇṭha. The same thing. These are the inconceivable energies of the Supreme Lord. Similarly, a God's pure devotee, wherever he may be, he lives at Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana is not limited or God is not so limited that He is under the boundary of certain limitation. No. They can… God and God's devotees, wherever they are, the same transcendental abode, God's place, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is manifested there. So in each and every brahmāṇḍa, or universe, wherever Kṛṣṇa is there, there is Goloka Vṛndāvana there. Brahmāṇḍa-gaṇe krame prākaṭya.

vraje kṛṣṇa-sarvaiśvarya-prakāśe 'pūrṇatama'

purī-dvaye, paravyome-'pūrṇatara', 'pūrṇa'

Now God's manifestation, fullest manifestation, is at Vṛndāvana. Fullest manifestation. Full freedom. In Kṛṣṇa, when He's at Vṛndāvana, He has full freedom. Now there was a question: When rāsa-līlā…, Kṛṣṇa performed rāsa-līlā. So Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he questioned. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was hearing the description of rāsa-līlā from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. So he cleared out one question which is generally discussed about the character of Kṛṣṇa because He enjoyed these rāsa-līlā pastimes at dead of night, He played on His flute and all the gopīs of Vṛndāvana, they came into the forest and they had the rāsa dance. So Mahārāja Parīkṣit, or King Parīkṣit, inquired to his teacher, Śukadeva Goswami, that Kṛṣṇa is on this earth, He appeared on this earth for paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharma saṁsthāpanārthāya… Dharma saṁsthāpanārthāya [Bg. 4.8], just to establish the process of religiosity. And India at least, still, the Vedic principle is that a, a lady or a girl who is especially married, or unmarried, she cannot mix with any other men. So that is against religious principles. So this question was raised that these girls who were already married, how they went to Kṛṣṇa for dancing with Him, and how Kṛṣṇa allowed them to dance with Him, because against religious principles. This question was raised by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Of course, you cannot imagine that a girl going to a friend and dancing with him, that is not against religious principles. But according to Vedic principles, this is irreligious.

So this was questioned by Mahārāja Parīkṣit to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied in many ways, but the summary is that "How this can be impure?" That is, "By chanting Kṛṣṇa's name, one becomes pure, how dancing with Kṛṣṇa can be impure?" And he gave that example, tejīyasāṁ na doṣāyet. One who is powerful, to…, for him there is no question of contamination. Just like the sun. He gave the example, the sun. Sun is so powerful that sunshine is touching all contaminated place, but sun is not contaminated. Rather, by the sunshine it is sterilized. Contaminated place becomes sterilized. As a crude example in the material world. Similarly, in God's association there is no question of irreligiosity. If there is ecstasy, intense love for God, there is no question of contamination. So contamination is considered within the material world. In the spiritual world, there is no contamination. And actually, when the gopīs went to Kṛṣṇa, they approached there in their spiritual bodies, not with material bodies. Because it is stated in the Bhāgavata that when the gopīs left their house, their husbands saw that the wife is sleeping on the same bed. So Kṛṣṇa, I mean to say, danced with the gopīs, not with their, in their material bodies, but in their spiritual bodies. These are the descriptions are there. So Kṛṣṇa is always pure, always pure, perfect. So sarvaiśvarya-prakāśe. There is pūrṇatama, the fullest expression of God. Now this connection of Kṛṣṇa and with the gopīs, apparently it is abominable, but in the spiritual sense, it is the highest, highest perfectional stage of love of Godhead. So this world is perverted reflection. There… There is such psychological things that a married woman wants to mix with his, with her friend, or a married man wants to mix with another. Wherefrom this idea comes, this psychological…? It comes from God. In God there is. But there, it is in perfect order. Here it is contaminated. Here, it is contaminated. So we should not imitate the perfect thing in the contaminated place.

So we have to rectify ourself. Unless we approach to the spiritual stage… That is the process. Just like a diseased man, he cannot imitate the healthy man. A healthy man eats as he likes, but a diseased man, if he eats as he likes, he'll die. Death is sure. So he has to be restricted, not the healthy man. So if you want really happiness, if you want really freedom, and if you really want everything is reality, then you have to transfer yourself to the spiritual world, in association with Kṛṣṇa. That is the whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And for that purpose, just like a student for getting a degree in the university, he, I mean to say, tolerates all kinds of inconveniences-"Never mind. Let me pass and go away"-similarly, we have to make use, the best use of this bad bargain, this material body, and continue in Kṛṣṇa consciousness just to achieve the highest perfection of life, freedom, love. This is the process. And if we imitate… The same example. If we, in diseased state, if we imitate a healthy man's activities, then death is sure. Death is sure. Nobody can say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with so many girls. Oh, let me enjoy also." You cannot, because you are in diseased condition. If you do that, then you continue your diseased life and you'll die.

So for us, so long we are conditioned by this material nature, we have to live under regulation, under restriction, and as soon as we are free from this material entanglement, when we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, even in perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness here you'll have that transcendental nature. Just like several times I have cited one śloka from Yamunācārya. Yamunācārya was a great king. Later on, he became a great devotee. He has written his life's experience in one verse. Yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor: "So long my mind and attention is absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness," tadavadhi, "since then," tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame, "sex life, as soon as I remember about that, it becomes very nasty thing for me." This is the experience. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also… Sex life is there in Kṛṣṇa, not exactly like this, but there is a, I mean to say, unification of embracing, kissing, everything is there, but there is no pregnancy, there is no abortion. That is the perfection. So that we cannot do here. Therefore we have to avoid. Yes. We have to avoid. The perfection… Kṛṣṇa mixed with so many girls, but there was not a single case. And Bhīṣmadeva certified that "If I had been among such beautiful young girls…" Because Bhīṣma was famous as brahmacārī. "So I think I could not protect myself, but Kṛṣṇa is so nice that He, He was always…" Kṛṣṇa is all-perfect. It is because the girls wanted Kṛṣṇa as their husband; therefore Kṛṣṇa accepted them. Kṛṣṇa did not, I mean to say, need the assistance of any other person or girl or boy or anything for His… He's fully satisfied. He's God. He's full perfect.

So His pastimes are manifest in different way, and in Vṛndāvana His fullness is exhibited. That is described here by Lord Caitanya. Vraje kṛṣṇa-sarvaiśvarya-pūrṇe prakāśa. There is no restrictions. He is fully manifested there. Purī-dvaye, paravyome-'pūrṇatara', 'pūrṇa'. Purī-dvaye means Mathurā purī and Dvārakā pura. Mathurā purī… As there… As in this universe there is Mathurā purī and Dvārakā purī, similarly, in the transcendental abode of Kṛṣṇa, there is Mathurā purī, Dvārakā purī. They are represented here. So India there is Mathurā purī and Dvārakā purī. They are… In Mathurā purī and Dvārakā purī, in these two places, Kṛṣṇa's fullness is not manifested. But His fullness is manifested at Vṛndāvana.

ei kṛṣṇa-vraje 'pūrṇatama' bhagavān

āra saba svarūpa-'pūrṇatara' 'pūrṇa' nāma

This subject matter is very confidential, but still, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is describing to Sanātana Gosvāmī, and we are trying to take advantage of this. But a little advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is little difficult for others, how Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, manifests Himself fully and manifests Himself less than full. These consideration are there. But let us try to understand as far as possible.

saṅkṣepe kahiluṅ kṛṣṇera svarūpa-vicāra

'ananta' kahite nāre ihāra vistāra

Now Lord Caitanya is summarizing about Kṛṣṇa's, I mean to say, līlā, pastimes. Saṅkṣepe. They are all, whatever, which I have already spoken to you, that is only summary of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. Otherwise, ananta kahite nāre ihāra vistāra. Ananta… The Śeṣa incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, He's called Ananta. Ananta means unlimited. So it is said that Ananta is describing about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes for unlimited years and eternally; still it is not yet finished.

ananta svarūpa kṛṣṇera nāhika gaṇana

śākhā-candra-nyāye kari dig-daraśana

So far the forms of Kṛṣṇa are concerned, they're also unlimited. Śākhā-candra-nyāye kari dig-daraśana. So śākhā-candra-nyāye. There is a logic, śākhā-candra logic. What is that? That the sun, uh, moon, at night, is far, far away, but one is pointing out that we can see the moon through the branches of the tree. So there is a location. So through that location one can see the moon. Similarly, although kṛṣṇa-līlā and Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's forms, no human being can describe, still, as far as possible, Lord Caitanya says, this śākhā-candra logic: just like the branch of a tree is far away from the moon, still, one can see it by perspective view through the branches of the tree.

ihā yei śune, paḍe, sei bhāgyavān

kṛṣṇera svarūpa-tattvera haya kichu jñāna

Now here is Lord Caitanya's order. Whether we do understand or not understand, if we simply submissively give aural reception to these messages of Kṛṣṇa, then gradually we shall understand the whole philosophy and science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the summary. You may not understand at the present moment about the extensive constitutional position and philosophy of Kṛṣṇa. Still, if we submissively give aural reception to these messages, as it is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta by Lord Caitanya, that will help us-Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. This hearing process is very nice. That is recommended by Lord Caitanya. Simply by hearing. We do not require to be very highly educated or very good scholar in Vedānta philosophy. Whatever you are, you remain in your place. That doesn't matter. Simply try to hear, and by hearing everything will be… Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Because the process is that we cannot understand God or we cannot see God unless He reveals. So this revelation will come if we submissively hear. We may not understand, but simply by hearing, we can achieve that stage of life.

Thank you very much. (end)

760817CC.HYD

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.395

Hyderabad, August 17, 1976

Prabhupāda: Oṁ namo bhāgavate vāsudevāya, oṁ namo bhāgavate vāsudevāya, om namo bhāgavate vāsudevāya. This is from Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Twenty.

kona brahmāṇḍe kona līlāra haya avasthāna

tāte līlā 'nitya' kahe āgama-purāṇa

Āgama-purāṇa means Vedic literature. Āgama, "which is coming from higher plane," not manufactured here. Āgama-purāṇa. And Purāṇa means the old history of the world, Purāṇa. Purāṇa, some of the modern scholars, they take everything as mythology, imagination. That is not fact. They're real history. Purāṇa. Purāṇa means very old. Nityaḥ śāśvato yaṁ purāṇo [Bg. 2.20]. In Hindi it is called Purāṇa. Purāṇa means old. The Purāṇas means the old history, not only of this world, but of the whole universe. Purāṇa is also Vedic evidence. Purāṇa is not ordinary thing. Therefore here it is said, āgama-purāṇa. Vedic literatures. Śrīla Madhvācārya has accepted the Vedic literatures-four Vedas, Vedānta-sūtra, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata. They're all Vedic literature. So here it is said, kono brahmāṇḍe. (aside:) Come here. This room is very nice. Yes. Although it is not very big, but very comfortable. Dakṣina, dakṣina-rāja.

So,

kona brahmāṇḍe kona līlāra haya avasthāna

tāte līlā 'nitya' kahe āgama-purāṇa

Nitya-līlā. Nitya-līlā means everlasting pastimes. Our līlā, material, that is not nitya-līlā. Whatever I'm acting by this body, it is not nitya; it is temporary. I am the son of such and such family, I am such and such important person, my name is such and such, my position is such and such-these are not nitya. This is temporary. As soon as the body is finished, everything is finished. Then another līlā: I am such and such dog, I am such and such this and that. With the change of body, our līlā is finished. Therefore ours is not nitya-līlā. But Kṛṣṇa's, Bhagavān's activities, they are nitya-līlā. That is the difference. Nitya means eternal. Kṛṣṇa's Vṛndāvana līlā is going on. It is nitya-līlā. Just like what is the time now? Quarter to eight. This quarter to eight is a crude example of the sun. It is going on. It is not that quarter to eight here, but when it will be eight, in some other place it is quarter to eight. Somewhere the sun is rising and setting within this regulation. Now suppose in Hyderabad it is quarter to eight and say it is in the eastern side.

Mahāṁsa: Central India.

Prabhupāda: Central India. So the sun will pass. It will be eight. But the sun will go somewhere where it is quarter to eight. Is it not? Somewhere the sun will pass and it is quarter to eight. That quarter to eight is also permanent. Somewhere there will be, must be quarter to eight. This is crude example. This example is given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu to explain what is the meaning of nitya-līlā.

So this is material example. And material, everything is temporary. Still we find some similarity of nitya-līlā. And what to speak of spiritual. Spiritual, it is clearly said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. So kono brahmāṇḍe kona līlāra haya avasthāna. Just like we are opening the temple. This is also nitya-līlā. In some brahmāṇḍa there is this opening ceremony of temple. When tomorrow we shall open, day after tomorrow it is opened. But day after tomorrow in some brahmāṇḍa it is being opened. This is nitya-līlā. Some other brahmāṇḍa, again it is finished; in another brahmāṇḍa it is being opened. In another brahmāṇḍa it is being opened. There is no end. This is called nitya-līlā. In some brahmāṇḍa Kṛṣṇa is born, Janmāṣṭamī. It is finished here. In other brahmāṇḍa, again Janmāṣṭamī. Every moment. This is pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. Kona brahmāṇḍe kona līlāra haya avasthāna. There must be some… The same example: quarter to eight is somewhere. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's līlā, it is eternal. Somewhere it is going on. And you have no experience of one brahmāṇḍa, what to speak of innumerable brahmāṇḍas.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu was requested by one of His devotees that "Sir, You have so kindly come. Please liberate all the living entities of this brahmāṇḍa, and You take them with You to Vaikuṇṭha. And if You think that they're so sinful they cannot be taken away, then please give all their sinful actions to me. I shall suffer. You take them." This is (not) Vaiṣṇava's philosophy, that "You suffer. I'll go to Vaikuṇṭha." That is not Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava philosophy is that "I take your all sinful activities. Let me suffer here. You go to Vaikuṇṭha." This is Vaiṣṇava. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "Suppose I take all the living entities to Vaikuṇṭha. Do you think that the māyā's business will be stopped? No. This brahmāṇḍa is one of the mustard seeds in the bag of mustard seeds." In the bag of mustard seeds, can anybody count how many mustard seeds are there? So here it is called kona brahmāṇḍa. This is one of the brahmāṇḍa, universe. And there are so many universes that is just like this one seed of mustard. One grain of mustard seed, and there is a bag of mustard seeds. That is kona brahmāṇḍe. So in each brahmāṇḍa Kṛṣṇa's līlā is going on. Now you count. This is Kṛṣṇa. They become very cheaply God, Kṛṣṇa, but they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they take it so cheaply, that "Anyone can become God. Anyone can become Kṛṣṇa." Mūḍha. Māyayā-apahṛta-jñānāḥ. These rascals they say like that. But they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti mām…

[Bg. 7.3]

They do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ [Bs. 5.48]. And they're coming out… Just like within our breathing there are so many things, particles, or germs are coming, similarly, with the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu, so many universes are coming. This is Bhagavān. By breathing period innumerable universes are created. Not that they create something jugglery and become Bhagavān. Our conception of Bhagavān from the śāstra is different.

So Kṛṣṇa's creation of this brahmāṇḍa and His pastimes, they are going on, nitya-līlā. Kona kona bhagavān ei dekhi bare paya. The līlā is going on constantly, but one who is fortunate enough, he can see how līlā is… Kona brahmāṇḍe kona līlā haya avasthāna, tāte līlā 'nitya' kahe āgama-purāṇa. It is not that Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja Goswami is manufacturing some idea. No. He says, kahe āgama-purāṇa. "I do not manufacture anything." That is not ācārya. Ācārya does not manufacture anything concocted. He quotes from the Vedic literature. Āgama-purāṇa. That is the qualification. So,

goloka, gokula-dhāma-'vibhu' kṛṣṇa-sama

kṛṣṇecchāya brahmāṇḍa-gaṇe tāhāra saṅkrama

[Cc. Madhya 20.396]

So Kṛṣṇa-līlā is going on in the spiritual world, but by Kṛṣṇa's desire that spiritual world also comes down in this material world. Just like a big man, he lives in his palace, but if he likes he can go anywhere, and he has the same facility of his palace by arrangement. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes within this material world, He has all the paraphernalia of his Goloka Vṛndāvana līlā. As such this Vṛndāvana is as good as the original Vṛndāvana. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa, tanaya tad-dhāmaṁ vṛndāvanam. This Vṛndāvana is not ordinary place; it is the same Goloka Vṛndāvana. By Kṛṣṇa's omnipotency the same Vṛndāvana is duplicated. It is possible. That is called nitya-līlā. Wherever He likes, He can bring in Vṛndāvana and He can have His pastimes. So this temple, do not think that it is Hyderabad place. No. It is Goloka Vṛndāvana. You should be very careful. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa, tanaya tad-dhāmaṁ vṛndāvanam. As Kṛṣṇa is worshipable, similarly His place is also worshipable. Not that His place is different from Him. No. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-sṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau *. As the worship of the Deity is important, similarly, śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-sṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārj anādau *. To keep the temple very cleansed, very attractive, that is also Deity worship. Those who are here working, they should keep this temple as clean as possible. Then Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Kṛṣṇa's body-this temple. Do not think it otherwise. Temple should be worshiped in that way. Therefore I ask you not to come with shoes. Even the temple is not opened, it is still Kṛṣṇa's temple. It is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-sṛṅgāra **. You should always remember that. The temple management very nicely means to render service to Kṛṣṇa.

So we are going to open this temple. Those who are in charge, they must take care of the temple. Cleanliness. Tan-mandira-mārjanādau. The more we have got men, engage them. And do not think that temple cleaning and Deity worshiping are different. Do not be envious, that "This person has been given the in charge of decorating the Deity, and I have (been) given to wash the temple where there are not Deity." No. It is the same thing. There is no difference. It is spiritual. In spiritual… Just like either you worship Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet or you offer a garland to Kṛṣṇa on His head, it is the same thing. It is no such thing as "This is head, this is tail." No. This is absolute conception of… So Bhagavān, His līlā, His form, His pastimes, His place, they're all Bhagavān. Even higher, those who are highly elevated devotees, they do not see even this material world different from Bhagavān. Idaṁ hi viśvaṁ bhagavān ivetara. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Nārada Muni says. The whole universe is Bhagavān, although it appears different from Him. Bhagavān ivetara. So actually everything is Bhagavān, but it is not this Māyāvāda philosophy, that because everything is Bhagavān, there is no Bhagavān. No. Everything is Bhagavān, and still Bhagavān is there. Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam [Bg. 9.4]. Māyā, a person is there. Otherwise, there is no use of the word māyā. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Vaiṣṇava philosophy is that this material world is expansion of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And the Māyāvāda philosophy is that because God has become everything, there is no more God. Nirviśeṣa. That is called nirviśeṣa-without understanding the beauty.

In this way, try to understand Kṛṣṇa and His paraphernalia, His form, His name, His quality, everything. There are so many things to understand about Kṛṣṇa. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The materialistic persons, they will think that "These people are wasting time. They are doing nothing." But the agnostic, the material person, he does not know anything. Because here is the study of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is so unlimited, what one life one can understand? It requires many lives. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyante [Bg. 7.19]. It is not so easy thing that we have understood immediately Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, after many, many births if one is fortunate, he can understand Kṛṣṇa. So don't lose a single moment. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa, āgama-purāṇa, from śāstra. Don't manufacture. Here it is said, tāte līlā 'nitya' kahe āgama-purāṇa, from śāstra. Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi pañcaratriki vidhiṁ vinā [Brs. 1.2.101], you have to understand Kṛṣṇa from the śāstra. Śruti means veda, smṛti means the history, the corollaries, just like Bhagavad-gītā, Rāmayana, Mahābharata. Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi, without reference to the Vedic literature, the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is simply disturbance. So you should always refer to the śāstras. The śāstras are there by Kṛṣṇa's grace. It is now available in the English language. Be always engaged in studying, in rendering service, understanding the philosophy, then life will be successful. Thank you very much. (end)

670103CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.1-10

New York, January 3, 1967

Prabhupāda:

agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā

hīnārthādhika-sādhakam

śrī-caitanyaṁ likhāmy asya

mādhuryaiśvarya-śīkaram

Agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā. So the author of this Caitanya-caritāmṛta is offering his respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya. So he says, agaty-eka-gatiṁ natvā. Agaty, persons who have fallen, who have no hope for reaching the supreme destination, for them Lord Caitanya is the only hope. In this age, it is stated in authoritative scriptures, in this age the people are unfortunate. Of course, they are very much proud of advancing. From spiritual point of view, the people of this age, Kali-yuga, they are unfortunate. Their description is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Chapter, First Canto, that people are short-living, their duration of life is very short, and they are very slow in the matter of spiritual realization. The human form of life is especially meant for spiritual realization, but they have forgotten that aim of life. They are very much serious about maintaining about the necessities of this body, which he's not. And if somebody's interested to have some taste of spiritual realization, they are misdirected.

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ (sabhya)

kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ

mandāḥ sumanda-matayo

manda-bhāgyā…

[SB 1.1.10]

And they are unfortunate; upadrutāḥ, and always disturbed by so many things.

So this is the position of the present-day population, and the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he says that Lord Caitanya is the only hope for these people. Why? Because spiritual realization is not an ordinary subject matter. But He has given us the shortcut. He's so kind to the people of the world that simply He has introduced this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. By simple chanting of this transcendental vibration the people of this age will make exact progress in the matter of spiritual realization. Therefore this reference is there, agaty-eka-gatim. Those who are hopeless about their spiritual realization, Lord Caitanya is the only one hope. So hīnārthādhika-sādhakam śrī-caitanyaṁ likhāmy asya. So "I am just offering my respect to Lord Śrī Caitanya. I am trying to describe about His transcendental activities and instructions and philosophy."

Now,

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda

jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

This is the process of offering respect to Lord Caitanya. What is that? Lord Caitanya is always presented with five transcendental entourage. He is Himself present, and His next expansion, Nityānanda, and His incarnation, Advaita, and His internal potency, Gadādhara, and His marginal potency, Śrī Śrīvāsa… So pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇam. He is Kṛṣṇa, but He is present in this age with His five associates. Pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam. But although He is Kṛṣṇa, He presents Himself as a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam. Bhaktāvatāram bhaktākhyam. And incarnation of devotee, Advaita, and bhaktākhyam. These five associates are always with Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. So to offer Kṛṣṇa Caitanya means to offer with His associates. Sa-ghoṣṭi. This is the process.

Now Kṛṣṇa's…, about the position of Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, he has already described. The first proposition is sambandha. Sambandha means we have to understand our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Just like if we want to make some relationship with a friend, then we must know about him, what he is. So we are going to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, so we must know what is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa he has described shortly, that He is personally like this, His incarnations are like this, and there are so many incarnations, and He is existing in this way, He manifests Himself in this material world in this way. As far as possible he has given description about Kṛṣṇa. Now, about Kṛṣṇa's abode… Kṛṣṇa means not only Kṛṣṇa. Nāma dhāma guṇa līlā parikara vaisiṣṭha. Kṛṣṇa means Kṛṣṇa Himself, His name, His place, nāma dhāma, His quality, then His entourage, then His pastime. All these things Kṛṣṇa means. Because we are not impersonalists, simply understanding Brahman we are satisfied… The impersonalists are satisfied simply understanding that He is Brahman. But the Vaiṣṇava, they are not satisfied simply by knowing Brahman. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ means he's already Brahman, but he forgot himself. He thought himself that "I am matter." That is illusion. So every living entity, by constitutional position he is Brahman, but his forgetfulness-he thinks that "I am something of this matter." So brahma-bhūtaḥ, when one becomes spiritually realized that he is not anything of this material world, he is spirit soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ, this is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. So long he does not understand that he is spiritual entity, he is jīva-bhūtaḥ. That is called jīva-bhūtaḥ. And when he understands that he is nothing of this material world, he belongs to the spiritual world and his position is spiritual identity, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. That is described in Bhagavad-gītā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. Prasannātmā means he becomes immediately enlivened: "I don't belong to this. Why I am identifying myself with these all miseries of material world? I belong to the part and parcel of the Supreme, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1], eternal, blissful knowledge." So he becomes prasannātmā. Prasannātmā means joyful, spiritually enlivened.

So this is the first stage of Brahman realization. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that this Brahman realization, people take so much, I mean to say, undertaking of austerity, penance and… But by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, He says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. At once one becomes cleansed of the dust accumulated on the mind. Because everything is misconception. I am thinking matter. Actually I am not. This is misconception. So by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, the first installment of benefit is that one becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ. He at once becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ. And prasannātmā. Prasannātmā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. Next stage is prasannātmā. Ātmā. He becomes engladdened: "Oh, I am not this matter." Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same thing He says: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. This bhava-mahā-dāvāgni… This world is compared with forest fire. It is going on. The fire is going on. So for a realized soul, the fire is at once extinguished. One who is realized soul, that he's not this matter, the fire of this material existence at once extinguished. So Lord Caitanya gave us this opportunity, and the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, he's saying that agaty-eka-gatim. Those who have fallen, for them Lord Caitanya is the only hope.

sarva svarūpera dhāma-paravyoma-dhāme

pṛthak pṛthak vaikuṇṭha saba nāhika gaṇane

Now Lord Caitanya describes about the kingdom of God, or the spiritual sky. He says… He has already explained to you about different kinds of expansions: prābhava, vaibhava, vilāsa, prakāśa. You may remember it. So there are innumerable expansions. Eko bahu śyāma: "The one Supreme Lord has become so many." The same example: the original candle, and from that candle, you can expand millions and millions candles. Similarly, the original Personality of Godhead is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and He has expanded in so many ways. Now, Lord Caitanya says, all the expanded plenary manifestation of Kṛṣṇa has got a separate abode. Each and every one of them has got a separate abode. Sarva rūpera dhāma-paravyoma-dhāme. And where they are? That is in the paravyoma. Paravyoma means… Vyoma means sky, and para means transcendental, beyond this sky. This sky is called material sky, and beyond this there is paravyoma, spiritual sky. They have no information. The material scientists, they have no information. What information they have got? They cannot reach even the moon planet, what to speak of others. It is far, far away. Whatever… We can see the sky just like a pot, and that is the covering of this universe. And if you can penetrate that covering-that space is also many, many times longer than this outer space-then you'll find the spiritual sky. That is not possible for any material scientist to find out where the spiritual sky is. But you can understand from authoritative scriptures and from authorities like Lord Caitanya. He says that for each of the expansions of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, there is a separate, I mean to say, planet into the, in the, I mean to say, spiritual sky. Pṛthak pṛthak vaikuṇṭha nāhika gaṇane. Pṛthak pṛthak. Each of them has got a separate Vaikuṇṭha planet, but how many planets are there nobody can count. Nāhika tara gaṇane.

So some estimate? The Lord says,

śata, sahasra, ayuta, lakṣa, koṭī-yojana

eka eka vaikuṇṭhera vistāra varṇana

There is no question of voidness or impersonalist. He says that all those Vaikuṇṭha planets are so big that some of them, hundreds, some, millions and millions of miles, I mean to say, area. What is called? Round. Eka vaikuṇṭhera vistāra varṇana. Vistāra means very much expanded.

saba vaikuṇṭha-vyāpaka, ānanda-cinmaya

pāriṣada-ṣaḍaiśvarya-pūrṇa saba haya

And each and every Vaikuṇṭha planet, there are living entities, not that they are vacant. But all of them are ānanda. They are all made of sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1], eternity and bliss and full of knowledge. The land is also eternal, blissful and full of knowledge; the inhabitants are also eternal, blissful and full of knowledge; and the presiding Deity expansion of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, He is also eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. This is called absolute. Here in the material world we have got difference. I am spirit soul, but there is difference between me and my body; there is difference between me and this material world. But there, everything is spiritual. Therefore there is no difference. The impersonalists, they cannot understand. Because everything is spiritual, they think that there is no variegatedness. But from this description of Caitanya-caritāmṛta and other scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, we can understand that the spiritual sky is exactly like this, but that is spiritual and this is material.

ananta vaikuṇṭha eka eka deśe yāra

sei paravyoma-dhāmera ke karu vistāra

Now, so far the spiritual sky is concerned, there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets, and nobody can measure how great those Vaikuṇṭha planets are. Therefore how great that space of spiritual sky is, nobody can calculate.

ananta vaikuṇṭha-paravyoma yāra dala-śreṇī

sarvopari kṛṣṇaloka 'karṇikāra' gaṇi

Now, all these planets… Just like in a stem there are so many branches and flowers, take it for granted it is something like that. And the topmost flower… Just like if you take a rose flower, there are so many leaves, and on the topmost there is the nice flower, so the topmost planet in the spiritual sky, that is called Kṛṣṇaloka. Karṇikāra. That is just like… The shape of the Kṛṣṇaloka is just like a lotus flower.

ei-mata ṣaḍ-aiśvarya, sthāna, avatāra

brahmā, śiva anta nā pāya-jīva kon chāra

The Lord says, "So what these ordinary living entities with teeny brain, they can calculate about Lord's opulence?" These are opulences of the Supreme Lord. He says, brahmā śiva. Brahmā. Brahmā is considered to be the highest of the living entities, and Śiva, Lord Śiva, he is also considered very high-grade demigod. So Lord Caitanya says that even Brahmā and Śiva cannot calculate, and what to speak of these ordinary human beings. They cannot understand it. It is not possible. Ei-mata ṣaḍ-aiśvarya. Nobody can calculate the six opulences of Kṛṣṇa. We have discussed the six opulences: wealth, riches and strength and fame and knowledge and beauty and renunciation. Nobody can calculate.

So he's giving a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

ko vetti bhūman bhagavan parātman

yogeśvarotīr bhavatas trilokyām

kva vā kathaṁ vā kati vā kadeti

vistārayan krīḍasi yoga-māyām

He, bhūman: "O the great, O the Supreme Personality of Godhead, O the Supersoul, O the master of mysticism, how You are acting tri-bhuvane, tri-bhuvane, within the three worlds?" Three world means that in the materially there is lower planet and middle planets and upper planets, these three worlds. So "How You are acting within these three worlds, and how You are utilizing Your internal potency, yogamāyā, extending Yourself in so many expansions, plenary expansions? Who can understand You? Nobody can understand You." You may say if nobody can understand, what is the use of discussing such things? That is the qualification of the devotees. In spite of their inability to understand His supremacy, the expansion, the extension of the Supreme Lord, still, by discussing about the Supreme Lord, hearing and chanting, they take transcendental pleasure. It is not that anybody can understand Kṛṣṇa, but still, it is a transcendental pleasure to try to understand. Not that we shall be able to understand Kṛṣṇa fully; it is not in our power. But still, bodhayantaḥ parasparam, tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. Mahātmā, those who are great souls, in their society, in their spiritual society of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by discussing about Kṛṣṇa in terms of the Vedic literature and authoritative literature, they enjoy transcendentally. This is transcendental pleasure. (end)

670104CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.13-49

New York, January 4, 1967

Prabhupāda: …Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

nāntaṁ vidāmy aham amī munayo agrajās te

māyā-balasya puruṣasya kuto 'varā ye

gāyan guṇān daśa-śatānana ādi-devaḥ

śeṣo 'dhunāpi samavasyati nāsya pāram

This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This was recited by Brahmā. The purpose of this verse is… Brahmā says that "Although I am Brahmā, and before me all the great sages, everyone, has tried to know the Supreme Lord in complete, but nobody could understand where is the end of the unlimited potencies of the Supreme Lord."

seho rahu-sarvajña-śiromaṇi śrī-kṛṣṇa

nija-guṇera anta nā pāñā hayena satṛṣṇa

Even Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, He does not know how unlimited is His potency. Lord Caitanya says that. He also does not know.

seha rahu-vraje yabe kṛṣṇa avatāra

tāṅra caritra vicārite mana nā pāya pāra

prākṛtāprākṛta sṛṣṭi kaila eka-kṣaṇe

aśeṣa-vaikuṇṭhājāṇḍa svasvanātha-sane

In this way, the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, by His plenary expansions, He is doing unlimited activities, transcendental.

So for a living entity, a small living entity like us, we cannot know. The only thing is that, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ, tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca [Bg. 9.14]. The subject matter is so nice that the devotees who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the transcendental loving service, they like. And in the association of pure devotees these topics become palatable. There are many instances in the Bhāgavata also. When Śaunakādi Ṛṣi, sages headed by Śaunaka Muni, was hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by Sūta Gosvāmī, they also uttered this, vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma. "You are reciting about the glories of the Supreme Lord, His activities, so please continue. We are not yet satisfied. The subject matter is so nice that we want to more and more…" Svādu svādu pade pade. As you go on hearing and as you become purified… There is a very practical example: the sugar candy. Sugar candy is, by nature it is very sweet. But if you give it to a patient who is jaundiced, if you give, he will taste it, that he'll say that it is bitter. It is bitter. You will have practical exam… If you ask him what is the taste, he'll say bitter. Everyone knows that sugar candy is very sweet, but if you give to a patient suffering from jaundice, he'll say it is bitter. Similarly, the kṛṣṇa-kathā, the Lord's name, fame, quality, entourage, all these things are very sweet. To whom? Those who are liberated from this jaundice of materialism. For them it is very sweet. So as you feel sweetness of this Kṛṣṇa-kathā, you should know that you are becoming liberated from this material entanglement. The same thing: sugar candy is the only medicine for jaundice. Those who are suffering from jaundice, they are prescribed by physician to take sugar candy water in the morning. And by drinking that sugar candy water, gradually he feels the sweetness of sugar candy. That is the test that he is getting free from the disease. So similarly, Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or anything where the topics of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is discussed, if you feel it is interesting, that means you are getting out of the jaundice of this material disease. Yes. This is the test. If you don't feel interested, then you must know that the jaundice of material disease is there. So this is the test. The more you feel kṛṣṇa-kathā, the topics of Kṛṣṇa, tasteful, the more you'll know that you are getting free from the jaundice of material disease.

e-mata anyatra nāhi śuniye adbhuta

yāhāra śravaṇe citta haya avadhūta

'kṛṣṇa-vatsair asaṅkhyātaiḥ'-śukadeva-vāṇī

kṛṣṇa-saṅge kata gopa-saṅkhyā nāhi jāni

Gopa. Kṛṣṇa, you know, in His abode, He is just like a sixteen-years-old boy, and His main pastime is to take the cows in the pasturing ground with His friends, boyfriends, and play with them. This is Kṛṣṇa's day's business. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī has written a very nice verse, that these boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa, in their past lives they had accumulated heaps of pious activities. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11]. Sākaṁ vijahruḥ. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā. Now, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is writing. These boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa, they are playing with whom? They are playing with the Supreme Absolute Truth, who is considered as impersonal by the great sages. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma… Brahma-sukha. Brahma, transcendental Brahman realization. The reservoir of Brahman realization is here, Kṛṣṇa. So these boys who are playing with this Kṛṣṇa, He is the reservoir of that Brahman realization. Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. Dāsyaṁ gatānām, those who have accepted the Supreme Lord as master, that means devotees, for them this Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. For the impersonalists He is Supreme Brahman, and for the personalists He is Supreme Lord. And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa. And those who are under the spell of materialism, for them He is ordinary boy. Māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11]. With Him these boys, who had accumulated millions and millions births of pious activities, now they have got the opportunity of playing with Kṛṣṇa face to face just like ordinary boys play. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa is very much fond of playing with His young boyfriends. That is mentioned in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Surabhīr abhipālayantam, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam [Bs. 5.29]. So these things are explained here also.

eka eka gopa kare ye vatsa cāraṇa

koṭi, arbuda, śaṇkha, padma, tāhāra gaṇana

Now there are so many friends, cowherd boys, nobody can count. Nobody… Unlimited, everything unlimited. They have unlimited number of cows, unlimited number of boyfriends, everything unlimited.

vetra, veṇu dala, śṛṅga, vastra, alaṅkāra,

gopa-gaṇera yata, tāra nāhi lekhā-pāra

Now these cowherds boys, they have got a cane in the hand, vetra. And each of them has got a flute also. Vetra veṇu dala. And a lotus flower, and a śṛṅgara, a horn. Śṛṅgara vastra, and very nicely dressed. And full of ornaments. Just like Kṛṣṇa is dressed, similarly, His friends, cowherd boys, they are also dressed. In the spiritual world, when you go, you'll not be able to understand who is Kṛṣṇa and who is not Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is like Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, in the Vaikuṇṭha planets everyone is like Viṣṇu. That is called sayujya-mukti. The living entities, when they enter into the spiritual planets, they become as good as Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu-there is no difference-because it is absolute world. Here the difference is there. The impersonalists, they cannot understand that even in individuality there is no difference. As soon as they think of individuality, oh, they think that there is a difference. Then what is liberation? Yes. And actually there is no difference. The difference is only that Kṛṣṇa's personality and others' personalities, they are conscious that "Kṛṣṇa is our object of love." That's it. The center is Kṛṣṇa. In this way the individual boys and girls and Kṛṣṇa, everyone is enjoying spiritual bliss.

sabe hailā caturbhuja vaikuṇṭhera pati

pṛthak pṛthak brahmāṇḍera brahmā kare stuti

eka kṛṣṇa-deha haite sabāra prakāśe

kṣaṇeke sabāi sei śarīre praveśe

Now, these, all these cowherd boys and everything, cows and everything, they are all expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. It is spiritual. Just like we are expansion of Kṛṣṇa's marginal energy and the matter is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's inferior material energy, similarly, in the spiritual world all those things-Kṛṣṇa, the cowherd boys, the cows, and everything-they are also expansion of His spiritual energy.

eka kṛṣṇa-deha haite sabāra prakāśe

kṣaṇeke sabāi sei śarīre praveśe

ihā dekhi' brahmā hailā mohita, vismita

stuti kari' ei pāche karilā niścita

Brahmā, he was bewildered. When Kṛṣṇa came on this planet, Brahmā… Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Brahmā was astonished and Indra was astonished: "How is that my Lord Kṛṣṇa has come at Vṛndāvana as a cowherd boy?" So they came to Vṛndāvana to test. So all… So Brahmā, by his… He has got so much power. He had kidnapped all the cows and the boys of Kṛṣṇa. And when he came back he saw Kṛṣṇa is playing with the same cows and boys again. Then he could understand that "This boy is Kṛṣṇa." Then he offered his prayer and begged pardon from Him that "I misunderstood." In this way there are many narrations in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Here Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is referring to that incident.

ihā dekhi' brahmā hailā mohita, vismita

stuti kari' ei pāche karilā niścita

So he was astonished, and then, after prayer, he was satisfied.

ye kahe-'kṛṣṇera vaibhava muñi saba jānon'

se jānuka-kāya-mane muñi ei mānoṅ

So Brahmā admitted that "If anybody says that 'I know Kṛṣṇa. I know the Supreme Personality of Godhead in detail,' so maybe he may know, but so far I am concerned, I do not know." The purport is that Brahmā is the first creature in this universe. He is the first living entity. He accepts his inability to understand about Kṛṣṇa, and what to speak of others? What to speak of the commentator who says that "This is not Kṛṣṇa; this is something else."

ei ye tomāra ananta vaibhavāmṛta-sindhu

mora vāṅ-mano-gamya nahe eka bindu

Brahmā admitted that "Your activities, Your pastimes, everything of You, it is not possible even to taste or to understand even a particle of it." The very verse recited here,

jānanta eva jānantu

kiṁ bahūktyā na me prabho

manaso vapuṣo vāco

vaibhavaṁ tava gocaraḥ

Nobody can understand how great is Kṛṣṇa.

kṛṣṇera mahimā rahu-kebā tāra jñātā

vṛndāvana-sthānera dekha āścarya vibhutā

That is described, the glories of Kṛṣṇa-nobody can understand. Similarly, vṛndāvana-sthānera āścarya vibhutā. Similarly, the land which is known as Vṛndāvana, it has also got unlimited potency. Still, as I have several times mentioned, if you go to Vṛndāvana you'll find unlimited potency of spiritual atmosphere still. And therefore Lord Caitanya recommended that ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ tad dhāma vṛndāvanam: "As Lord Kṛṣṇa is worshipable, similarly His place, Vṛndāvana, is as good as Kṛṣṇa. It is also worshipable." And actually, still in India, if you go to Vṛndāvana, you'll see so many saints and sages are still there. They are worshiping Vṛndāvana-dhāma.

apāra aiśvarya kṛṣṇera-nāhika gaṇana

śākhā-candra-nyāye kari dig-daraśana

aiśvarya kahite sphurila aiśvarya-sāgara

manendriya ḍubilā, prabhu ha-ilā phāṅpara

bhāgavatera ei śloka paḍilā āpane

artha āsvādite sukhe karena vyākhyāne

Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's attitude was… When He was speaking of Kṛṣṇa He sometimes became in trance, and He became sometimes unconscious. That was His… Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation is that He is Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is trying to understand Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa's devotee. That is His feature. These are very complicated things, but that is the position of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So when He used to speak something of Kṛṣṇa, He sometimes became unconscious.

brahmā viṣṇu hara-ei sṛṣṭyādi-īśvara

tine ājñākārī kṛṣṇera kṛṣṇa-adhīśvara

So… So far the demigods are concerned, Brahmā is the chief. Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara, they are ājñākārī. They are under the order of Kṛṣṇa: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara.

e sāmānya tryadhīśvarera śuna artha āra

jagat-kāraṇa tina puruṣāvatāra

Then there are three puruṣa-avatāras, we have already discussed. Jagat… For material creation there are three puruṣa incarnations.

mahā-viṣṇu, padmanābha, kṣīrodaka-svāmī

ei tina-sthūla-sūkṣma-sarva-antaryāmī

And those three incarnations are called Mahā-Viṣṇu, Padmanābha, Padmanābha Viṣṇu. Padmanābha means from His navel there is a stem of lotus flower, and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu… Ei tina-sthūla-sūkṣma-sarva-antaryāmī.

ei tina-sarvāśraya jagat-īśvara

eho saba kalā-aṁśa kṛṣṇa-adhīśvara

So all these incarnations are plenary parts of Kṛṣṇa. And this is confirmed in Brahma-saṁhitā:

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.48]

So Govinda, the Supreme Lord, the cause of all causes, His plenary portions are these three Viṣṇus.

ei artha-madhyama, śuna 'gūḍha' artha āra

tina āvāsa-sthāna kṛṣṇera śāstre khyāti yāra

Now, Kṛṣṇa abode, the planet which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana, that has three divisions. As we have got replica on this earth, there is Vṛndāvana, Mathurā, and Dvārakā. Dvārakā is in Gujarat, and Mathurā and Vṛndāvana is in U.P., Uttar Pradesh, near Delhi. And Dvārakā is about three hundred miles or more than that from Delhi. So these are replicas of the original Kṛṣṇaloka.

'antaḥpura'-goloka-śrī-vṛndāvana

yāhāṅ nitya-sthiti mātā-pitā-bandhu-gaṇa

madhuraiśvarya-mādhurya-kṛpādi-bhāṇḍāra

yogamāyā dāsī yāhāṅ rāsādi līlā-sāra

So out of these three places, Vṛndāvana-dhāma is the most important. That is the confidential home of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a businessman might have many places for his business activities, but his home is different from all this business. He may live in the countryside in a cottage, but he may be a very big businessman. Similarly Kṛṣṇa, although He's all-powerful, He lives at Vṛndāvana in the gardenlike city. Not city; a tract of land. A small city is there now. They have named Vṛndāvana. But Vṛndāvana's not that small city. It is a tract of land about eighty-four miles. So it is full of gardens and full of nice places. Anywhere you go, you will find something wonderful to see. There are many trees and fruits and flowers, many varieties of birds, and the cranes on the Yamunā side. Each and every place is remembering Kṛṣṇa. If you go there you'll find that "Kṛṣṇa is… Somewhere He was playing. I must find out." It is such nice place. So Vṛndāvana is the most confidential part of Kṛṣṇa's abode.

tāra tale paravyoma-'viṣṇuloka'-nāma

nārāyaṇa-ādi ananta svarūpera dhāma

So in the spiritual world, that Vṛndāvana planet is the highest planet, and below that planet there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets which are called Viṣṇuloka.

tāra tale paravyoma-'viṣṇuloka'-nāma

nārāyaṇa-ādi ananta svarūpera dhāma

And the presiding Deity, predominating Deity in those planets is called Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Generally, Nārāyaṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but from authentic scripture we understand that Nārāyaṇa is expansion of Kṛṣṇa.

'madhyama-āvāsa' kṛṣṇera-ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-bhāṇḍāra

ananta svarūpe yāhāṅ karena vihāra

Although Kṛṣṇa is two-handed and, I mean to say, busy with His flute-playing, but we do not know, many do not know, that He is, has expanded as Nārāyaṇa and Viṣṇu. He is the predominating Deity all over the spiritual world.

ananta vaikuṇṭha yāhāṅ bhāṇḍāra-koṭhari

pāriṣada-gaṇe ṣaḍ-aiśvarye āche bhari'

And in each and every planet there are innumerable devotees. He's surrounded by the innumerable devotees. And He's reciting evidences, verse from Brahma-saṁhitā:

goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya

devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu

te te prabhāva-nicayā vihitāś ca yena

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.43]

His own personal planet is Goloka Vṛndāvana, and below that planet there are many other, innumerable planets which are known as Vaikuṇṭha. And below that spiritual world there is material world. And between material world and spiritual world there is another space, which is called Śivaloka. And below that Śivaloka is this Devī-dhāma. This material is called Devī-dhāma. Durgā. The presiding deity of this Devī-dhāma is Durgā. He's giving evidences from many authentic Vedic literatures. One of them is Brahma-saṁhitā. Then He's giving another evidence from Padma Purāṇa, the existence of spiritual planets. In Indian spiritual society the evidences are given from Vedic literature. Then it is accepted, not that mental speculationist's theory, "I think this. I think that…" No. Just the same example I have several times cited before you, that the law court, they give evidences from the lawbook, sections from the lawbook. Similarly, the process is whenever we speak something transcendental subject, if we can pick up evidences from Vedic literatures… There are many authentic Vedic literatures. They are accepted by the spiritual societies. And one's learning is proved if he can give evidences from these Vedic literatures. Similarly Lord Caitanya, whatever He is speaking, He's giving immediately references from Vedic literature. So, so far the existence of the spiritual world and different planets, spiritual planets, Vaikuṇṭha and Kṛṣṇaloka, one may think… Of course, those who have no knowledge, they may think that these are all stories. No, they are not stories. They are actual facts, and Lord Caitanya is giving evidences from Brahma-saṁhitā, from Padma Purāṇa, and similar other Vedic literatures.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

670105CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.49-61

New York, January 5, 1967

Prabhupāda:

goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya

devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu

te te prabhāva-nicayā vihitāś ca yena

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.43]

The Brahma-saṁhitā, this Brahma-saṁhitā was compiled by Brahmā. It is very old book. It was picked up by Lord Caitanya from South India. When He was traveling in South India, in a temple He found this book, handwritten, very old. Formerly there was no press. If anyone wanted some book, he would have to copy it from others. That was the system. The books were not available just like nowadays we have got printed, thousands and thousands copies. That was not available. So two books were collected by Caitanya Mahāprabhu from South India.

One book is named Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. That book was written by one of the devotees, very great devotee, Bilvamaṅgala. His life is very interesting. He was too much prostitute-hunter. In one incidence his kept prostitute gave him instruction, "Oh, you have got so much attraction for this skinny body. If you would have such attraction for Kṛṣṇa, I do not know what you have done." Oh, at once he became, "Yes." This is called reference to the context. Because he, that gentleman, in his previous life he cultivated Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the highest degree, but somehow or other, it was stopped. And as soon as the same thing was pointed out, he began again from that point. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even if we do not perform the whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever we do, that remains in asset. That is never lost. So this Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, from that prostitute's house he became a saintly man. So he wrote a very nice book, Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta. Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta means "pleasing to the ear." Anything about Kṛṣṇa is pleasing to the ear. So he wrote a voluminous book, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. That book was collected by Lord Caitanya. And along with that book, this Brahma-saṁhitā was collected.

So in this Brahma-saṁhitā this verse appears. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43]. The supreme planet in the spiritual sky is called Goloka Vṛndāvana, and all other planets, either in the spiritual world or in the material world… All the universes, they are all in just like strata. So goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43]. Underneath that goloka-nāmni there are different planetary spheres or systems. Devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu. Devī-dhāma. This is called Devī-dhāma. This material world called Devī-dhāma. Above this there is Maheśa-dhāma, Śivaloka. Devī-maheśa-hari-dhāma. Hari-dhāma means these Vaikuṇṭhas. Devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu. In all those systems of different kinds of planets, teṣu teṣu, te te prabhāva-nicayā vihitas ca yena [Bs. 5.43]. Every planet, every spiritual atmosphere or material atmosphere, they have got some particular specially, every, every planet. So that is designed by Kṛṣṇa. Te te prabhāva-nicayā. Every planet has specific influence or specific… Just like in the moon planet the specific feature is that it gives you cold light. Moon planet is never hot. Similarly, in sun planet, it supplies you heat. You cannot expect from any other planet heat or any other planet this coolness. They are designed by the Supreme Lord, everything nicely. Te te prabhāva-nicayā. That speciality is designed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Govinda: He is reservoir of pleasure. So everything designed by Him is full of pleasure, and it is full of perfection. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. Ādi-puruṣam means the supreme, original personality. Tam ahaṁ bhajāmi: "I worship Him." Yes. That is the instruction. "I do not worship anyone; I worship Kṛṣṇa." That's all right. The Brahmā says.

So we also coming from the same disciplic succession, to worship Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā. Then from Brahmā, Nārada learned how to worship Kṛṣṇa. From Nārada learned Vyāsadeva how to worship Kṛṣṇa. From Vyāsadeva learned Madhvācārya how to worship Kṛṣṇa. Then from Madhvācārya learned Mādhavendra Purī. Similarly, the disciplic succession is coming, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then His disciplic succession-Svarūpa Dāmodara, Ṣaḍ-gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣana, Viśvanātha Cakravartī. In this way there is a disciplic succession beginning from Lord Brahmā. But that Brahmā instructed, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **: "I worship the Supreme Original Personality of Godhead, Govindam." The Govinda-bhajan is the prime factor for all worshiping endeavors. Even Śaṅkarācārya, who was impersonalist, at the last stage of his life he advised everyone,

bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha-mate

prāpte sannihite kāle na hi na hi rakṣati ḍukṛñ-karaṇe

He advised, "You fools, you are talking about philosophical speculation, grammatical meaning, and eschewing. Oh, these are all nonsense. You cannot save yourself by doing this. When there will be death, Govinda can save you. The Govinda can save you from falling down. So bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha-mate. You foolish persons, you just worship Govinda." So there are from Śaṅkara…(?) Śaṅkarācārya is supposed to be the incarnation of Lord Śiva. So he also advised Govinda-bhajan, Brahmā also advised Govinda-bhajan, and we are also under the same principle, following the footprints of those ācāryas. We are also advising the Govinda-bhajan. So Govinda-bhajan, it is coming from time immemorial. It is not a new thing. So one should profit if he engages himself in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Govinda-bhajan.

In the Padma-Purāṇa also there is such references. It is said there,

pradhāna-parama-vyomnor

antare virajā nadī

vedāṅga-sveda-janitais

toyaiḥ prasrāvitā śubhā

tasyāḥ pāre paravyoma

tripād-bhūtaṁ sanātanam

amṛtaṁ śāśvataṁ nityam

anantaṁ paramaṁ padam

Now, there is material world, this material world is within the mahat-tattva compass. You have seen the picture, mahat-tattva compass. And that mahat-tattva is full with water. This is called Causal Ocean. And beyond that Causal Ocean, there is spiritual world. It is stated, tasyāḥ pāre paravyoma. Paravyoma means spiritual sky. And tripād-bhūtam. Tripād-bhūtaṁ sanātanam. Tripād-bhūtam means this material manifestation is only one-fourth energy of the Supreme Lord. This inferior energy is only one-fourth manifestation of the energy. The three-fourths manifestation of energy (is) in the spiritual world, and that is sanātanam. That is not subjected to creation and annihilation as this material world is subjected to that creation and annihilation. That is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā. All Vedic literatures, they say the same thing. So we have to learn from authorized sources, and we can be informed perfectly about parāvara, para and avara. Avara means this inferior nature, and para means superior nature. Parāvaras te.

tāra tale 'bāhyāvāsa' virajāra pāra

ananta brahmāṇḍa yāhāṅ koṭhari apāra

Now, after this spiritual world, this material world, that is full of innumerable universes. 'Devī-dhāma' nāma tāra, jīva yāra vāsī. Now, this material world is called Devī-dhāma. And jīva, jīva means conditioned soul. In this Devī-dhāma, the conditioned soul… There are two kinds of souls: conditioned and liberated, nitya-baddha, nitya-mukta. Just like we are, similarly, there are living entities in the spiritual sky also, but they are liberated. They never become conditioned. We are conditioned. We do not know from when, but we are conditioned. So jīva yāra vāsī. In this material world, we conditioned, we are residents. But in the spiritual world the residents are all liberated souls. Jagal-lakṣmī rakhi' rahe yāhāṅ māyā dāsī.

'devī-dhāma' nāma tāra, jīva yāra vāsī

jagal-lakṣmī rakhi' rahe yāhāṅ māyā dāsī

Ei tina dhāmera haya kṛṣṇa adhīśvara. Ei tina dhāma. Tina dhāma, what is that three systems? This Devī-dhāma, the Maheśa-dhāma and Hari-dhāma. Hari-dhāma, the spiritual world, and Maheśa-dhāma, in between… This Maheśa-dhāma is the destination of nirvāṇa. The nirvāṇa philosophy, the Buddha philosophy, that is between this Devī-dhāma and Hari-dhāma, Maheśa-dhāma, in between. They are liberated also, but not in the spiritual world, in the marginal place, which is called nirvāṇa. Their material existence is finished, but their spiritual development is not there. So finishing material existence is not all. Just like one man is suffering from fever, and the fever subsides. That is not health. Fever subsides. That's all right. Fever has subsided. But healthy life is when he will work as a healthy man. Simply saying, "No, no more fever," no more fever, lying down on the bed, is the nirvāṇa stage. No more fever. There is no fever, but he is not competent to get up from the bed and work. So that is called nirvāṇa. The fever is finished. That is called nirvāṇa. So when material existence is finished, that is nirvāṇa. But you have to go further. You have to develop further. Then your real, constitutional life as spirit soul will be manifested. So that is bhakti-mārga. That activity is healthy life after nirvāṇa. So those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have already passed this material existence and nirvāṇa stage. They are in healthy activities, provided he is actually engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So ei tina dhāmera haya kṛṣṇa adhīśvara.

Now, these tina dhāma, three systems of existence, the material world and the marginal place, Maheśa-dhāma and the spiritual sky… So in the Bhagavad-gītā you have learned that yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. That dhāma word is used there. Dhāma means place. Everything, Kṛṣṇa is proprietor of all places. But that does not mean that we should remain in this because this is also Kṛṣṇa's place. No. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Tenth Chapter, you will find that Kṛṣṇa says, dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi: "Amongst the all kinds of cheating professions, I am gambling." Kṛṣṇa says that "Amongst all kinds of cheating business, I am gambling." Gambling… There is in gambling… It requires some expert brain, how to play gamble. So that expertness, that part of expert endeavor, is Kṛṣṇa. So we should not think, "Oh, because Kṛṣṇa is gambling also, so let us engage and devote in gambling." No. Kṛṣṇa is everything. Kṛṣṇa is everything, but we have to select favorably, not unfavorably. Svalpaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Without Brahman, without Kṛṣṇa, nothing can exist. Everything existing on His energy. The same example can be given that every department is government department. Therefore, if a prisoner says, "Yes, I am in government department," that sort of knowledge is not very good. "Because prison department is also criminal department, is also government department, so instead of becoming in the university department, let me go to the criminal department." That is not congenial. We have to select. Kṛṣṇa is everything. So Kṛṣṇa says that every dhāma, every place, belongs to Him, but yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: [Bg. 15.6] "There is an eternal dhāma, where going nobody comes back. That is My supreme dhāma."

So we have to associate with the Supreme. Kṛṣṇa is everything, but we have to associate with the Supreme, the best. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Goloka…

ei tina dhāmera haya kṛṣṇa adhīśvara

goloka-paravyoma-prakṛtira para

So that Goloka, that spiritual sky, is beyond this material manifestation.

cic-chakti-vibhūti-dhāma-tripād-aiśvarya-nāma

māyika vibhūti-eka-pāda abhidhāna

tripād-vibhūter dhāmatvāt

tripād-bhūtaṁ hi tat padam

vibhūtir māyikī sarvā

proktā pādātmikā yataḥ

Because Kṛṣṇa's energy is manifested here, māyikā… Māyikā means like illusory, imitation, perverted. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham [Bg. 15.1]. Here the tree, the original tree, is presented also, but how it is presented? Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham: "The root is upward, and the branches are downward." I think you may remember. Several times we have discussed. So how the root is upward and branches are downward? Have you seen any tree? Yes. We have seen. Where? In the reservoir of water or in a reflection you see the real tree is upwards, but the reflection is downwards. Therefore this material world is reflection. It is not real. Just day before yesterday I was pointing out the reflection of the sun from this side. So that reflection is playing. It is giving light, everything. But it is reflection, imitation. It has no value. Similarly, all this material world, it appears very nice, as if everything is all right, but nothing is all right. It is simply a temporary illusion. Therefore it is called māyikā. It is not the real thing. The real thing is there in the spiritual world. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says if you return to that real, I mean to say, abode, then you will have…, you haven't got to come back again to take birth in this material body. Yad dhāma gatva na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama. Na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candro na pāvakaḥ [Bg. 15.6]. This is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "There is no need of sun. There is no need of moon. There is no need of electricity." These things are there.

tripāda-vibhūti kṛṣṇera-vākya-agocara

eka-pāda vibhūtira śunaha vistāra

Now Lord Caitanya says that the whole energy of Kṛṣṇa is divided into two. The inferior energy is manifested. That is one-fourth energy. And the superior energy manifested in the spiritual world, that is three-fourths. Now, just try to understand one-fourth first; then you will understand three-fourths. Lord Caitanya says that tripāda-vibhūti kṛṣṇera-vākya-agocara: "It is very difficult to describe the three-fourth energy. Let us try to understand one-fourth energy first of all." Eka-pāda vibhūtira śunaha vistāra. And what is that one-fourth energy?

ananta brahmāṇḍera yata brahmā-rudra-gaṇa

cira-loka-pāla-śabde tāhāra gaṇana

There are innumerable universes, and each universe contains one Brahmā, one Śiva, one sun, one moon, one Indra, like that, officers just like. So there are innumerable universes, so innumerable Brahmā, innumerable Rudra, innumerable suns, innumerable moons, everything innumerable. But each brahmāṇḍa contains one each. So how it happens? It is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So Lord Caitanya is reciting that story.

eka-dina dvārakāte kṛṣṇa dekhibāre

brahmā āilā-dvāra-pāla jānāila kṛṣṇere

One day, when Kṛṣṇa was king at Dvārakā, with sixteen thousand queens, so one day Brahmā of this universe came to see Him. Brahmā āilā-dvāra-pāla jānāila kṛṣṇere. And as… The same etiquette was there also. This is also coming by paramparā. Just like a big man or a big officer, he has got his doorman; you have to present your card. I do not know what is the system here, but in India that is the system. You have to send your card, and the if doorman takes away that card and the permission comes, then you can go in and see. Similarly, when Brahmā came, he sent his card, informed the doorman, "Please inform Kṛṣṇa that I have come to see Him."

kṛṣṇa kahena-'kon brahmā, ki nāma tāhāra?'

dvārī āsi' brahmāre puche āra bāra

As soon as the doorman told Kṛṣṇa that "Brahmā has come to see You," Kṛṣṇa at once replied, "Oh, which Brahmā? Which Brahmā has come to see Me?" So,

vismita hañā brahmā dvārike kahilā

'kaha giyā sanaka-pitā caturmukha āilā'

When the doorman inquired that "Which Brahmā you are, sir?" so he replied… He was astonished: "Which Brahmā? Oh, I am so powerful. I have got four heads. I have created this gorgeous universe, and under me there are so many demigods. How is that? 'Which Brahmā?' So all right, Kṛṣṇa has asked. Tell Him that…," kaha giyā sanaka-pitā caturmukha āilā, that "Tell Kṛṣṇa that I am four-headed Brahmā. I am the father of Sanaka-Sanātana." Sanaka-Sanātana, he is giving his identification as father of Sanaka-Sanātana because this Sanaka-Sanātana appeared to be greater than Brahmā. Although these four Kumāras were sons of Brahmā-Sanaka, Sanat-kumāra, Sananda and Sanātana, these four Kumāras-they were so elevated that when their father requested-at that time there was no population-so, that "You get yourself married and increase population. I want population now to fill up this vacant position of this material world, universe." So they refused: "Father, we ere not going to marry. We are going to be entangled." So they remained kumāra. So they became very famous, great devotees of Lord from very childhood. So therefore Brahmā is very intelligent. He is the first creature of this universe. So maybe Kṛṣṇa forget that who is catur-mukha Brahmā. So he is giving identification that "Tell Kṛṣṇa that the father of these Sanaka-Sanātana." Because Kṛṣṇa cannot forget His these pure devotees like Sanaka-Sanātana. So this is the example, that the father is giving identification with the credit of the son. The sons were more creditable than the father because they were great devotees.

We shall explain tomorrow. Any questions? Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

670106CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 21.62-67

New York, January 6, 1966

Prabhupāda:

kṛṣṇe jānāñā dvārī brahmāre lañā gelā

kṛṣṇera caraṇe brahmā daṇḍavat kailā

So we have been discussing, yesterday, Brahmā visiting Kṛṣṇa as four-headed Brahmā. He was little proud that "I am the original, first creature of the universe. I have got four heads, four hands." The material nature, the influence of material nature, is like that. Even Brahmā, who is supposed to be in full knowledge of Vedic literature… He is the father of Vedic literatures. He handed over the Vedas to Nārada. Still, that ahaṅkāra, "I am something," is there even in Brahmā, and what to speak of ordinary living entities like us? This material conception of life is like that, "I am" and "mine." Ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Ahaṁ mameti. "I am something, supreme," and "It is mine." This is the material disease.

So these things are sometimes executed by great īśvaras, controller, like Brahmā, like Śiva. They sometimes exhibit material frailties. They are not fallible in that way, but they teach us by their behavior that even personalities of the most exalted position, they are also sometimes subjected to the spell of illusory energy. The idea is that we should be very careful. Nobody should think that he is beyond the range of material energy. At any time we can fall down. But if we stick to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa as our protector, and take shelter unto His lotus feet sincerely, then even if we fall down sometimes, not intentionally, but accidentally-because we are practiced to so many bad things, so it may be possible that even I take full care, still, the influence is so strong, I may fall down-Kṛṣṇa excuses such kind of falldown. Excuses. But if we intentionally think, "Oh, because I am in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because I am engaged in devotional service, oh, I can do any nonsense and Kṛṣṇa will excuse me," no. Not like that. Kṛṣṇa will excuse you provided you do not do anything intentionally wrong. Generally, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, they have-I have already explained to you-they have got all these twenty-six qualifications. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we see the twenty-six qualification in full present, that means he is perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If those qualities are not present, that means there is still, I mean to say, a touch of contamination of material nature. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12].

So far those who are in not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their material academic qualification has no value, no value, however M.A., Ph.D. he may be. Why? Mano-rathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. Because the materialist without Kṛṣṇa consciousness… That is a materialist. One who has no conception of God, or Kṛṣṇa, and his proper relationship with Him, one who does not know the science of God, he is called materialist. Materialist does not mean something extraordinary (?) personality. One who does not know about Kṛṣṇa, he is materialist. And one who makes progress in the science of Kṛṣṇa under regulation and under principles, they are called spiritualists. So materialists, the disease is that harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā mano-rathena asati dhāvato bahiḥ [SB 5.18.12]. Unless we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, we shall hover over the mental plane. We find so many philosophers, doctors of philosophy, they can go on speculating, mental plane, manaḥ, but actually they are asat. Their activities will be seen in materialistic. There is no spiritualistic realization.

So more or less degree, this material conception is everywhere. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān. Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān. Beginning from the lowest planet up to the Brahmaloka, they are all affected. So similarly Brahmā, he thought himself, "Oh, how great I am that in my jurisdiction Kṛṣṇa, my Lord, has come, and He is playing like a boy, cowherds boy. How great I am. Kṛṣṇa has come just like a cowherd boy." You see? Therefore he… Kṛṣṇe jānāñā dvārī brahmāre lañā gelā. Kṛṣṇa inquired, "Which Brahmā has come?" Now the doorman takes him inside, and he enters Kṛṣṇa's room, offers his respect. Kṛṣṇera caraṇe brahmā daṇḍavat kailā. Now, if Kṛṣṇa is ordinary person, as the foolish rascals think, that avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā: [Bg. 9.11] "The foolish rascals deride at Me as ordinary man," how it is possible that Brahmā is offering his respect to Kṛṣṇa? If you think that "These are all stories…" Not stories. Do you think Caitanya Mahāprabhu is speaking some stories, some fabricated stories, to get His followers? Do you think like that? No. Lord Caitanya, such a great devotee… Apart from His feature of incarnation, take Him as a great devotee, learned. He was vastly learned, and nobody could surpass Him in His learning in those days. He defeated… When He was a sixteen-years-old boy, He defeated the greatest scholar, Keśava Kāśmīrī. His name was Keśava. He came to Navadvīpa from Kashmir to talk with scholars. Formerly, as nowadays you have got-what is called?-champion, champion. What is the meaning of champion?

Devotee: Best.

Prabhupāda: Best. Just like in sporting, there are champions in chessboard playing champion or so many departmental champion. This is coming from long, long ago. So similarly, there were champions of scholars. Just like in modern days a sportsman will challenge, and if he is victorious all over the world… Similarly, in those days there were competition of the great learned scholars, champions. So this Keśava Kāśmīrī… At least India, that was the system even five hundred years before. So Keśava Kāśmīrī, he was a paṇḍita.

Now, India was united on the strength of religious culture and Sanskrit language. All over India the lingua franca, or the language, common language, at least for the scholars, not for the common man… The common man could speak any language-Hindi, Parsi, or Bengali, Oriya, Telegu, so many. There are so many languages. In every district you will find some language. But that was not taken into consideration. When education is concerned, every student all over India, they would take education in Sanskrit. Sanskrit language was the… So our present government, they have introduced a state language as Hindi. There are so many protests and so many quarrels. They would have done better if they would have introduced Sanskrit language as it was previously. So the Sanskrit language was one, and the culture was Vedic. Therefore there was no disunion. Every part of the country in India, the same system. He may be a Bengali, he may be a Maharastrian, he may be a Gujarati, or he may be Oriya-there were so many provinces-but the culture was the same. Another unity was that sacred places were distributed all over India. Just like Gayā, a sacred place, it is situated in Bihar. And sacred place, Benares, it is situated in Uttar Pradesh. Vṛndāvana is situated on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Similarly, Kashmir, and Punjab also; in South India, Rāmeśvaram; in Himalayan province, Haridwar. In this way all these provinces were distributed, and still it is going on. The provincialism is amongst the educated circle. So far the mass of people are concerned, they don't know what is province. They travel from one province to another. They don't require any visa. They don't require any passport. So that was very nice.

So this Sanskrit scholar, Keśava Kāśmīrī, he came from Kashmir to challenge the learned scholars in other parts of the country. There were four celebrated places where highly educated scholars were there. One was at Benares. Benares still, it is considered to be the center of Sanskrit scholars place. Similarly Navadvīpa, where Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born. And in Bihar there was a place, Darbhanga. That is also a scholarly. So Benares, and Berhampur (?), Berhampur in East Bengal near Dacca. So some of the places in India, they are very famous for learned scholars. Still they are continuing. So Sanskrit scholars would come in such celebrated places, and they would challenge for arguing on the śāstras. So the rule was that two parties will argue, and the defeated party will become the disciple of the victorious party. That was the system. So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was sixteen years old, this Keśava Kāśmīrī came to Navadvīpa to challenge. In other places he was victorious. He became champion. And then, at last, he came to Bengal, Navadvīpa. So that scholarly discussion will take place.

Now notice is already given that "Keśava Kāśmīrī has come here," and he had an umbrella, and the four sides was covered with gold, and the one side is remaining. As soon as he becomes victorious in Navadvīpa, that side also will be covered with gold. So the people of Navadvīpa, learned scholars, they first of all thought that Nimāi Paṇḍita… Caitanya Mahāprabhu was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita because He was boy, sixteen-years-old boy, very learned scholar, especially in logic He was very learned scholar, logician. He was so… Even in His sixth year, with His class friends He will establish one theory; again He will cut it; again He will establish; again He will cut it; again the same, in His own way. He was so learned scholar, logician. So the elderly scholars of Navadvīpa, they designed that "This Nimāi Paṇḍita should be forwarded first to talk with Keśava Kāśmīrī because He is a boy. But He is a very nice boy. He is a very learned boy. If He becomes victorious, then our Navadvīpa will be glorified, that 'Keśava Kāśmīrī was defeated by a sixteen-years-old boy in Navadvīpa.' And if Nimāi Paṇḍita is defeated, then we shall go forward. We shall say, 'Oh, you have defeated a boy. Let us…, come to us.' So we get second chance." So that was the plan, Bengali plan, second chance: first chance, second chance. So it was arranged like that, that Lord Caitanya, Nimāi Paṇḍita, would talk, would discuss with Keśava Kāśmīrī.

So one evening… Still during summer season on the Ganges side in the evening there are so many ladies and gentlemen, especially gentlemen. Ladies do not come. Nowadays come. Formerly they did not come out. So they came for strolling. And Nimāi Paṇḍita, although He was sixteen years old, He had many students. So formerly the system was that as soon as a boy becomes little grown up and learned, he will also teach some students. Catuṣpāthī. So although all the students were of the same age, still, Nimāi Paṇḍita was chief of them. So He was discussing with His own students on the bank of the Ganges. So Keśava Kāśmīrī came there for strolling, and he understood that "Oh, here is a boy, Nimāi Paṇḍita. He is to talk with me. So what this boy will talk with me?" He thought like that. So when he came before the assembly of the students, he talked with Nimāi that "Are You Nimāi Paṇḍita?" "Yes, sir. Who are you?" "I am Keśava Kāśmīrī." "Oh. Come on, come on. Sit down." The introduction was there. They sat down. And then Nimāi Paṇḍita requested, "So, I have heard that you are a very vastly learned scholar, and from your feature also I can understand, so best thing will be that you compose some poetry in praising Ganges." Because they were on the bank of the Ganges, and it is a Hindu system… Ganges water is considered very sacred, and there are many prayers of Ganges. Patita-dharaṇī gaṅge. Patita-dharaṇī gaṅge. Ganges is the shelter for all the fallen souls. She can deliver. Śaṅkarācārya had composed many poems on the Ganges. There are many poetry on the Ganges. So Keśava Kāśmīrī was very learned scholar. Without any hesitation, he began to compose Sanskrit verses in praising Ganges. So he composed about one hundred verses immediately while talking.

So out of the one hundred verses, on the sixty-fourth verse Lord Caitanya pointed out, "Will you kindly explain this line? I am little in difficulty to understand." What is that? There was a word, bhavānī-bhartā. Bhavānī-bhartā. Bhavānī… Means "husband of Bhavānī." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu pointed out that Bhavānī… "Bhava means Lord Śiva, and bhavānī means Lord Śiva's wife, and bhartā means husband. So this bhavānī word itself indicates that she is the wife of Lord Śiva, and why you have stated again bhartā, again 'husband'?" This is called dvirukti-doṣa (?). Sanskrit language is very scholarly language, reformed. You cannot deviate even a line, even a letter in the sense, in the poetry, in the writing. There are all regulation, strict regulation, grammatical and metric and so many things. So nobody can surpass, not that… Just like nowadays we write poetry-one line is three hundred miles, one hundred, (chuckles) and only one mile. That sort of poetry will not be allowed in Sanskrit. You cannot adjust three hundred miles and one mile. No. It must be very symmetrical. That is Sanskrit language.

So the Paṇḍita, Kāśmīrī Paṇḍita, became surprised. The Kāśmīrī Paṇḍita became surprised: "How is that? This boy understood? He was a student of grammar, and He is pointing out literary defects?" Oh, he became very much, much surprised. Then he admitted. He was learned scholar. He admitted his fault and he said, "How is that? I have heard that You are student of grammar, and You are pointing out defects in literary construction?" "No. Yes. Yes, sir. I am a student of grammar. But I have heard it from great scholars like you. Of course, I do not know, but I have heard it." He very submissively replied that "I am not scholar, but I have heard it from scholars that this is the technique (?)." He could understand that "He is a very clever student." And there were many others. He pointed out defects. He thought in the beginning, "Oh, He is asking to compose some poetries. I shall show Him how can I compose poetry, hundreds." He did not care so much that He will point out so many defects in them. But when he saw it, he became sorry. And then the students, Lord Caitanya's students, as it is usual, they began to laugh. Caitanya Mahāprabhu at once told them, "Don't laugh in that way." So this Keśava Kāśmīrī went to his home, and he was a devotee of Goddess Sarasvatī. He prayed that "Mother, I was never defeated in such a way. What offense I have made unto your lotus feet that I am defeated before a boy?" So then Goddess Sarasvatī presented herself in dream and informed that "This boy is not ordinary boy. You are fortunate that you are defeated before Him. Best thing will be that you go and surrender unto Him, and you'll be profit." So this Keśava Kāśmīrī became a student of Lord Caitanya.

So these puffed-up things are going on in every field of activities. But Lord Kṛṣṇa is always greater than everyone. So here Brahmā is asking,

kṛṣṇa mānya-pūjā kari' tāṅre praśna kaila

'ki lāgi' tomāra ihāṅ āgamana haila?'

As he offered his respect to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa received him, "Oh, welcome, Brahmā. I am very glad to see you. What is the special message that you have, all of a sudden you come here?" So,

brahmā kahe-'tāhā pāche kariba nivedana

eka saṁśaya mane haya, karaha chedana

"Yes, Sir, I shall speak for what for I have come here. But I have got some doubts. First of all, You kindly clear these doubts." Then what is that doubt? Eka saṁśaya mane haya, karaha chedana.

'kon brahmā?' puchile tumi kon abhiprāye?

āmā ba-i jagate āra kon brahmā haye?'

"So You have asked, 'Which Brahmā?' Sir, I am surprised. Is there any other Brahmā than myself in this world?"

śuni' hāsi' kṛṣṇa tabe karilena dhyāne

asaṅkhya brahmāra gaṇa āilā tata-kṣaṇe

"Kṛṣṇa smiled. 'Oh, yes, there are so many Brahmās. I am calling them.' " So innumerable Brahmās appeared before Kṛṣṇa.

daśa-biśa-śata-sahasra-ayuta-lakṣa-vadana

koṭy-arbuda mukha kāro, nā yāya gaṇana

So unlimited. He had four faces, four heads, and then many Brahmās came with hundred thousands of faces. That was exhibited by Kṛṣṇa.

So this instruction is that we speak of God as unlimited, but when He makes some manifestation of unlimitedness, we take it in a different way. But actually that is not the fact. If God has unlimited potency, He can do anything and everything. That is unlimitedness. We should not restrict God with our speculative mind, that "How is that? Oh, four-headed Brahmā, then thousand-headed Brahmā? How it is possible?" Yes. If Kṛṣṇa likes, if God likes, He can make millions-of-headed Brahmā. Otherwise there is no meaning of unlimited. He can show anything and everything. We should accept.

So these things are going on. We shall discuss later on, tomorrow. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Any questions? (end)

670107CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.5

New York, January 7, 1967

Prabhupāda:

kṛṣṇa bhakti abhidheya sarva śāstre kaya

ataeva muni-gaṇa kariyāche niścaya

So we have just studied the constitutional position of Kṛṣṇa by His original standing as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His different expansions, incarnations, and how He is situated as the supreme controller of the spiritual and material manifestation. So far, as far as possible, we have studied through the grace of Lord Caitanya. And even up to the prime, primal living entity within this material world, namely Brahmā… Brahmā is considered to be the supreme. He is also living entity like us, but he is supreme powerful within this material universe. Just like within this state, President Johnson is the supreme powerful, but he is a man like us, a living entity, but he has got supreme power. Similarly, Brahmā is a living entity like us, but by his meritorious and devotional service to the Lord, he is exalted as the supreme personality within this material world. But he is not Supreme Personality of Godhead. Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra sab… [Cc. Ādi 5.142]. And only Kṛṣṇa is the master, and everyone is servant, however great he may be.

So even Kṛṣṇa's expansion, Viṣṇu, He is also subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. The greatest manifestation of Viṣṇu is the Mahā-Viṣṇu who is lying on the Causal Ocean of material creation, wherefrom the material universes are emanating by His breathing process. Such a gigantic and huge, I mean to say, form of Viṣṇu with four hands, He is also stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā,

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya

jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ

viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo

govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.48]

"I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, whose plenary parts of the portion is Mahā-Viṣṇu." And what is that Mahā-Viṣṇu? "In whose breathing period all these universes are coming and being annihilated." That is the process of His breathing. Just like with our breathing we are extricating so many germs and again we are taking so many germs, similarly, the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu is He is exhaling so many universes and again inhaling so many universes. That Mahā-Viṣṇu is also the plenary expansion of Kṛṣṇa.

So we are going to have our relationship with that Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then how that can be achieved? That is now being explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and that is called, the process of executing the service by which we can attain to that point, is called abhidheya. Abhidheya means execution of duties, execution of duties, or execution of obligation-not duty: obligation. Duty you sometimes may avoid, and you may be excused, but obligation we cannot. Obligation means you have to. Because you are meant for that, if you do not do that, then you will be in difficulty. Our obligation as living entities… We are part and parcel of the Supreme. Just like the hand. At once I feel some itching sensation here, so at once the hand comes without asking for it. It is so made psychologically and mechanically and whatever you may say. At once I feel some itching; at once the hand comes-obligation. It is obligation. Similarly, we are part and parcel of the Supreme. We have got obligation to serve Kṛṣṇa. If we are not doing that… That means if the hand is cut off from this body, there is no obligation. The hand which is cut off from this body, that hand will not come to cure my itching. That means it is fallen. His business is finished. Similarly, if we do not… Just like if the hand does not work the obligation which it has-to serve this body-then it is to be understood the paralyzed or diseased, infected. And doctor sometimes advise, "Cut it off. If you want to save your other parts of the body, then cut it off." Similarly, these conditioned souls, they are now conditioned, or in one way they are cut off from the original, I mean to say, relationship, forgetful. So if we want… If this hand wants to remain in healthy state, it is the duty of the hand to fulfill the obligation of the hand's duty, and then it remains very healthy condition.

So our duty is to serve God. There is no other duty. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching, that "You have no other duty, anything. That is all false illusion. If you have selected any other duty than to serve Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are foolish. You are doing something wrong, which is not for your interest." This is the teaching of Lord Caitanya and the Bhāgavata also. So if somebody may argue, "Oh, if I completely engage myself in the service of Kṛṣṇa, then what to do? How I shall live in this material world? Who will take care of my maintenance?" that is our foolishness. If you serve an ordinary person here, you get your maintenance; you get your wages, dollars. You are so foolish that you are going to serve Kṛṣṇa and He is not going to maintain you? Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham [Bg. 9.22]. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I personally take charge of his maintenance." Why don't you believe it? Practically you can see. That means faithlessness. There is no reason. Suppose I am serving some master here, so-called master, and he is at once paying me wages-"Take your wages"-twenty-five dollars, ten dollars or whatever it may be, at once paying. And I am going to serve the Supreme, and there is no maintenance for me? Oh, what a foolishness. This is called forgetful. This is called spell of māyā. Māyā will dictate, "Oh, you are going to serve Kṛṣṇa? How you'll maintain yourself, you foolish. Don't go there. Don't go to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society. It is cheating." No, it is not cheating. It is actual fact. Yes. It is not cheating. But if you want to gratify your senses, oh, there is no scope. Then go to hell. Then go to hell. But if you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, there is every arrangement for you. There is every arrangement for you. If you want to cheat Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will also cheat you. Dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi. Kṛṣṇa has said in His vibhūti-yogam that "Amongst all cheating process, I am gambling. I am gambling." There is cheating process. Wherefrom this cheating process comes? There is cheating process in Kṛṣṇa also because He is the origin of everything. Whatever there is, even cheating process, thieving process, what is condemned in this world, that is also there in Kṛṣṇa, but that is without any contamination. That is difference. When He cheats, it becomes worshipable. Kṛṣṇa wanted to cheat Dronācārya. That is a fact in the Mahābhārata. He advised Arjuna, "Just go," asked Yudhiṣṭhira that "Just go and tell lie to Dronācārya that 'Your son is dead.' " Don't you think Kṛṣṇa is trying to cheat? So there is cheating. Everything is there, but that is in full. God is good; therefore His cheating is good, His thieving is good. Everything is absolute. Unless you cannot understand this Absolute Truth, there is no understanding of Kṛṣṇa. There is no understanding of Kṛṣṇa.

So here it is said, abhidheya. How to make progress in that execution of devotional service, that is being taught. So,

śrutir mātā pṛṣṭā diśati bhavad-ārādhana-vidhiṁ

yathā mātur vāṇī smṛtir api tathā vakti bhaginī

purāṇādyā ye vā sahajani nivahās te tad-anugā

ataḥ satyaṁ jñātaṁ murahara bhavān eva śaraṇam

One great sage, a learned sage, after finishing all kinds of Vedic literature… There are two kinds of Vedic literature. One is called śruti, and the other is called smṛti. Śruti means the original Vedic injunction which is coming through disciplic succession beginning from Kṛṣṇa down to this day. There are certain axiomatic truths which is called Vedic injunction. The axiomatic truth, as I have given you several times example that cow dung is pure… Now, your reason is, "Oh, you say the Vedic injunction that if you touch stool of any animal you have to take your bath, purify yourself. And the Vedic injunction says cow dung is pure. Oh, this is contradictory." No. Not contradictory. This is injunction. People are actually accepting this, no argument, and they are benefited by it. So axiomatic truth. How it is truth? You may not have sufficient intelligence, but if you go deep into the matter you will find it is all truth: "Yes, it is all right." That is called Vedic injunction. So you cannot argue. You have to accept as it is. You cannot interpret. What education we have got, what intelligence, that we can interpret on Vedic injunction? No. It should be accepted as it is. That is called Vedic injunction. This is called śruti. You have to simply hear and act accordingly. That is called Vedic. And smṛti. Smṛti means if you are learned scholar in the Vedic injunction, if you have heard from the bona fide souls, and if you are convinced, then if you write something, that is smṛti. You cannot write nonsense. You have to write something which corroborates with the Vedic injunction. That is called smṛti. You cannot manufacture anything. You should always remember that "I am a tiny brain here, so I have to receive knowledge from superior sources." Then whatever knowledge you have received, if you can expand that in your, by your, I mean to say, capacity, that is called smṛti.

So there are two different kinds of Vedic literature. One section is called śruti, originally coming. Just like this Caitanya-caritāmṛta. This is a book written by Kṛṣṇa dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. It is called smṛti. Why? Everything written here is corroborating the Vedic literature. There is nothing, suggestion, "I am a philosopher. I am a speculator. I think this will be like this" Here you'll see in every step he is quoting from Vedas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is quoting. This is the topics between Sanātana Gosvāmī… This is the Vedic way. Now that sage, a great sage, he is giving his conclusion that śrutir mātā pṛṣṭā diśati bhavad-ārādhana-vidhim: "I have inquired so many Vedic literature. Now I am in conclusion that worshiping the Supreme Lord, that is the injunction of the…, nothing more. Nothing more." The whole idea is… And that is confirmed by Bhagavad-gītā also. Kṛṣṇa says in the Fifteenth Chapter you will find. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. What is the purpose of Veda? The purpose of Veda is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That's all. If you can understand to some extent Kṛṣṇa, then your all Vedic studies finished. No more taking trouble. So we have to follow.

Now, here the great sage says that "I have consulted all the Vedic process, all the Vedic literature, and I see that bhagavad-ārādhana-vidhi: the only injunction is that, to worship the Supreme Lord." And similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed by the Lord, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: [Bg. 15.15] "By Vedic study means I. One has to understand Me. That's all." If you try to understand Kṛṣṇa as far as possible, through the reliable sources, through the bona fide sources, then your Vedic study is going on in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tepus tapas…

aho bata śva-paco 'to 'pi garīyān

yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam

tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur āryā

brahmānūcur nāma…

[SB 3.33.7]

The Bhāgavata says that aho bata śvapaco 'to 'pi garīyān. There is classification of human society. Śvapaca means those dog-eaters. There are many animal eaters, but the dog-eaters, they are condemned, śvapaca, in the society, in the human society. But the Bhāgavata says, "Oh, a dog-eater, but if he vibrates the transcendental sound of God's name, oh, he is glorified. Never mind that he previously was a dog-eating man. That doesn't matter." The Bhāgavata confirms it. Aho bata śvapaca 'to 'pi gāriyān: "Even the dog-eater becomes glorified." How? Yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam: "In whose tongue is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." Never mind what you are. That chanting has made him all purified. You see. Aho bata śvapaca 'to 'pi gāriyān yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam, tepus tapas te [SB 3.33.7]. "Oh, how is that? He was… Just a few days before he was eating dog. And because he is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, he has become purified?" At least Hindu society, they are hesitant. Oh, the reply is, "You do not know." Tepus tapas te: [SB 3.33.7] "In their previous life they had already undergone many severe penances prescribed in your Vedas." Sasnur āryā: "Oh, he is not dog-eater. He belongs to the āryā, the advancing Aryan society." These are the injunctions.

So any way, some way or other, if one takes to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes at once purified, at once. Never mind what he is. There may be classification in the social convention: he is big, he is small, he is brāhmaṇa, he is śūdra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never says that "I am a brāhmaṇa," "I am a kṣatriya." Nāhaṁ vipra na ca nara-patiḥ: "I am neither a brāhmaṇa nor a kṣatriya nor a vaiśya and anything of this material designation." "Then what You are?" Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: [Cc. Madhya 13.80] "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is our transcendental… So as soon as we take to this, then everything is all right. But we have to take it very seriously. That is called abhidheya. With all seriousness… Then everything is all right. It is such a nice thing. Everything is all right.

Yathā mātur vāṇī. Now śruti, this Vedic, vedo mātā. Vedo mātā. Veda is called mother. Why? But this mother gives birth the second birth. We have… Several times we have discussed in this hall that first birth is given by this material father and second birth is by the spiritual master. The spiritual master is the father, and the Veda is the mother. So when a person is called dvija, second birth, when he goes to the spiritual master and takes lessons from Veda… This upana… The sacred thread is called upanayana… Upanayana means to bring him nearer. Upa means nearer, and nayana means bringing. To take a fallen soul nearer, that is called upanayana. And when the spiritual master sees that he is quite competent to come near to God, he recognizes him and he gives him sacred thread. That is called brāhmaṇa. That is the symbol that he has approached an ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. How one is understood that he knows spiritual science? That means who has a spiritual master. These things are there.

Śrutir mātā. Śrutir mātā. Smṛtir api tathā vakti bhaginī. Now, I have… We have divided the Vedic literature into two. The knowledge which is coming in disciplic succession, that knowledge is mother, and this knowledge, by memory, with reference to the context of Vedic literature, if you sometimes write, that literature is the sister. That is compared with sister. One is with the mother, and the other is the sister. Purāṇādyā ye vā sahaja nivahās te tad-anugā. So all these Purāṇas, they are called śruti. There are eighteen Purāṇas, the Mahābhārata, the Rāmāyaṇa, and there are so many, Vedānta-sūtra… They are called… Upaniṣad is Veda; it is śruti. That is the gist of Vedic knowledge. But Purāṇas, they are called smṛti. So this śruti smṛtir, according to Indian theistic scholarship, there are two kinds of literature: śruti smṛti. So there was another devotee of Kṛṣṇa. He has written another nice song. He says, śrutim apare smṛtim apare bhārata manye bhava-bhītāḥ. Well, people are taking shelter of the Vedic literature who have become afraid of this conditional life. What is the end of Vedic literature? Just to get oneself liberated from this material entanglement. So he says that "People, those who are afraid of this material life, material entanglement, let them worship śruti, Veda, or smṛti, or Mahābhārata. Let them be engaged in that way." Śrutim apare smṛtim itare bhāratam anye bhajantu bhava-bhītāḥ. "Then? What is that?" "Now, I am not going to do that." "What you are going to do?" Aham iha nandaṁ vande yasyālinde paraṁ brahma: "I shall worship Nanda Mahārāja." "Why? You have left all Veda and Purāṇas, everything. Why you are going to worship Nanda Mahārāja?" "Because he has captivated the Supreme Lord playing as a crawling child in his courtyard. So I shall worship Nanda. Nanda Mahārāja is so great that God is obliged to come to him to play as a child and crawling in his courtyard. So I shall… Nanda Mahārāja." So if you approach such a devotee who can bring God to crawl in his courtyard, that is all perfection.

Thank you. Any question? (end)

670108CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.6

New York, January 8, 1967

Prabhupāda:

śrutir mātā pṛṣṭā diśati bhavad-ārādhana-vidhiṁ

yathā mātur vāṇī smṛtir api tathā vakti bhaginī

purāṇādyā ye vā sahaja nivahās te tad anugā

ataḥ satyaṁ jñātaṁ murahara bhavān eva śaraṇam

So this learned sage, by his experience he is saying that after studying all Vedic literature, and all Upaniṣads, Vedānta, Purāṇam, four Vedas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, volumes of literature, so the conclusion is that, "O my dear Lord," bhavān eva śaraṇam, "You are the only ultimate shelter." This is the last stage of knowledge, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. "After struggling for many, many births to acquire knowledge…" So when one comes to this point-bhavān eva śaraṇam, "You are the ultimate shelter"-that is the perfection of knowledge. Our editor has written very nice article, "Kṛṣṇa, the End of Knowledge." Yes. When you come to Kṛṣṇa point, then everything is knowledge, knowable. Of course, so far our knowledge is concerned… But so far Kṛṣṇa is concerned, He is unlimited. Nobody can know Him. But at least to that point, if we can reach… That is also very difficult. Simply to reach to that point, there are the struggle. So many scholars, so many still, coming to the nearest point, still, they say, "Oh, not Kṛṣṇa, not Kṛṣṇa. It is impersonal. It is impersonal." So this knowledge is acquired by the grace of the Supreme Lord, by the association of pure devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ, one can attain this qualification. And if some way or other, either by faith or by knowledge or by association or by accident, if one comes to this point, that "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme, is the ultimate goal," then his life is perfect.

advaya-jñāna-tattva kṛṣṇa-svayaṁ bhagavān

'svarūpa-śakti' rūpe tāṅra haya avasthāna

Now, Lord Caitanya says that Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, advaya-jñāna-tattva, who is Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, svayaṁ bhagavān, the Supreme Personality… The Absolute Truth in the ultimate is a person. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will see in the Eleventh Chapter that Kṛṣṇa was requested by Arjuna to show His universal form, because for ordinary persons, that universal form is…, the gigantic universal form is supposed to be… That is God. But they do not know. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto [Bg. 9.11]. They do not know that this universal form is only an offshoot of Kṛṣṇa. They do not know. Less intelligent class of men, they think impersonal form or the universal form or even the four-handed Viṣṇu form… They consider that they are greater. But in the Eleventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā you will find that Kṛṣṇa, by the request of Arjuna, assumed His universal form, viśvarūpa. Now, after seeing the viśvarūpa Arjuna was afraid. He was in friendly relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and when he saw His viśvarūpa, he became too much perturbed in his mind: "Oh, what mistake I have done. I took Kṛṣṇa as my friend, and I do not know how much offenses I have committed. Friendly relation, there are sometimes very slackened languages and used sometimes calling, 'You, Kṛṣṇa,' sometimes…, so many things. Friendly relations are very relaxation relation." So he thought that "I have committed so much offenses to Kṛṣṇa," and he begged pardon. "Out of my impudence, out of my ignorance, I have done so many things. Please excuse just like a father excuses his son, just like a friend excuses his friend, just like husband excuses wife or the wife excuses." These things are there.

Then again he asked Kṛṣṇa to assume His four-handed Nārāyaṇa-rūpa. So Kṛṣṇa also showed him the Nārāyaṇa four-handed rūpa. And then again Kṛṣṇa transformed Himself again into that two-handed Śyāmasundara with flute, and as it is, He transformed Himself. Now, the question is: If Kṛṣṇa is ordinary person, just like some foolish commentators say, "Not to Kṛṣṇa," then how could He assume this viśvarūpa and the Nārāyaṇa-rūpa? Can an ordinary person assume that rūpa, that form? It is not possible. Therefore the answer in the Bhagavad-gītā is avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā [Bg. 9.11]. There is stated, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ: "They do not know." Now, Arjuna wanted to confirm this paraṁ bhāvam, that the less intelligent class of men who are fond of the universal form or the Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa form, and there are so many innumerable forms… Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam. Kṛṣṇa has ananta-rūpa. But the ultimate, supreme form is Kṛṣṇa. They do not know. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. Ajānantaḥ means they do not know that paraṁ bhāva. So here the same thing is confirmed by Lord Caitanya, that He says, advaya-jñāna-tattva kṛṣṇa-svayaṁ bhagavān.

So the Absolute Truth, the ultimate stage of realizing Absolute Truth, is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Brahman realization, Paramātmā realization, they are not perfect realization of the Absolute Truth. Partial realization. Brahman realization means realization of the Absolute Truth in eternity. That's all. Paramātmā realization of the Absolute Truth is realization of eternity and knowledge. And Kṛṣṇa realization means full realization of the Absolute Truth, means eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Without Kṛṣṇa knowledge we cannot be blissful. But by nature we are blissful. In the Brahma-sūtra, in the Vedānta-sūtra, it is stated, ānandamayo abhyāsāt. Every living entity, Brahman… Living entities, they are Brahman, and Kṛṣṇa is also Parabrahman. So Brahman and Parabrahman, both of them are by nature joyful. They want joy, enjoyment. So our joyfulness is in connection with Kṛṣṇa, just like fire and the sparks of fire. The sparks of fire, so long manifested with the fire, it is beautiful. And as soon as the sparks of fire falls down from the original fire, oh, it is extinguished, no more beautiful. So we are in the same relationship with Kṛṣṇa. He is the complete whole; we are parts and parcels. Just like the complete whole fire and the sparks of fire. When the fire and the sparks are displayed, it looks very nice. Both of them enjoy. And when the spark… Of course, fire has unlimited potency to produce sparks. But the sparks, when is out of the fire, fireplace, then it loses its identity, and this is called conditioned life. We are in that conditioned life. We are fire, sparks of fire. But because we are in material contamination, therefore we have become conditioned.

So knowledge means to understand… Beginning of knowledge is to understand one's constitutional position. That knowledge is imparted in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā, that "You are not this body. You are spirit spark."

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

So you are spark, spiritual spark. You are simply changing dress. That is your conditioned stage. So Lord Caitanya says, advaya-jñāna-tattva kṛṣṇa-svayaṁ bhagavān. Svayaṁ bhagavān, the Absolute Truth… 'Svarūpa śakti' rūpe tāṅra haya avasthāna: "He is situated in His internal potency." Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says,

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya…

[Bg. 4.7]

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ

vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām

sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā

[Bg. 4.8]

Ātma-māyayā, internal potency. He is situated in the spiritual world by internal potency. And this is, this material world, His external potency. Therefore, although external potency is also Kṛṣṇa's potency-it is not different from Kṛṣṇa-but Kṛṣṇa is not here in the external potency. Kṛṣṇa is in the internal potency, although this potency is not different. Therefore it is inferior. It is inferior energy, it is called. And this, this is explained very nicely in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat avyakta-mūrtinā: [Bg. 9.4] "By Me the whole spiritual and material world is manifested." Tatam idam. How it is manifested? Just like the sun and sunshine. Sunshine is manifested all over the universe, and sun is the central point. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the central point, and His shining brahmajyoti is diffused all over. And the part of that brahmajyoti, when it is, I mean to say, covered by the cloud of mahat-tattva, that is called material existence. So we are in this darkness. So Kṛṣṇa says, Lord Cai… So his place is in the internal potency. 'Svarūpa-śakti' rūpe tāṅra haya avasthāna. He is situated there in His internal potency.

svāṁśa-vibhinnāṁśa-rūpe hañā vistāra

ananta vaikuṇṭha-brahmāṇḍe karena vihāra

Now, then Kṛṣṇa, He expands Himself. Eko bahu śyāma. That is the Vedic version: "One is expanding into many." And how that many is manifested? That is explained here, that svāṁśa, vibhinnāṁśa. He expands Himself as person, Himself, and as parts. As person, Himself, that expansion is called Viṣṇu-tattva. And the vibhinnāṁśa, separated expansion, we are, living entities. We are also expansion. The expansion of Viṣṇu-tattva is just like Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, all the incarnation, all Viṣṇu-tattva, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha. There are so many thousands and millions of expansions, svāṁśa, personal self and separated self. We are also Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel expansion; therefore we have got intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

svāṁśa-vibhinnāṁśa-rūpe hañā vistāra

ananta vaikuṇṭha-brahmāṇḍe karena vihāra

So Kṛṣṇa is both in the spiritual world and the material world. Because we represent Kṛṣṇa, we are in this brahmāṇḍa conditioned. But there are many living entities who are eternally liberated. They never come to this. How it is, that? Just like the ocean and the rivers. In river, in the river, you will find fishes, and in the ocean you will find fishes. But the… Sometimes it may be that the fishes of the river may go to the ocean, but the fishes of the ocean never comes to the river. Never comes to the river. There is no place for them. This is a crude example. Similarly… And as the ocean is far, far greater than the river-thousands of rivers cannot be compared with the, I mean to say, measurement of the ocean-similarly, thousands and millions of this material world cannot be compared with the spiritual world. The spiritual world is so great that millions of material world taken together, it can be dropped into the spiritual world. It is such great. Therefore material world is called one-fourth manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. And the spiritual world is called three-fourth manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy.

svāṁśa-vibhinnāṁśa-rūpe hañā vistāra

ananta vaikuṇṭha-brahmāṇḍe karena vihāra

svāṁśa-vistāra-catur-vyūha avatāra-gaṇa

vibhinnāṁśa jīva-tāṅra śaktite gaṇana

Now, svāṁśa, His personal expansion, is catur-vyūha. The first expansion is catur-vyūha. Svayaṁ rūpa, svayaṁ prakāśa. Svayam rūpa, the personal self, Kṛṣṇa. And when He begins to expand, the next immediate expansion is Balarāma, Baladeva. And from Baladeva, catur-vyūha, four expansion. Kāya-vyūha. He is guarding, vyūha, guarding. What are those expansion? Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Vāsudeva, these expansion, catur-vyūha. And from Saṅkarṣaṇa, all kinds of incarnations… From Saṅkarṣaṇa, all kinds of incarnation comes. In this way we have already discussed to some extent in the previous chapter. Vibhinnāṁśa jīva-tāṅra śaktite gaṇana. And the separated expansions, the living entities, they are counted as a different energy of the Supreme Lord. Just like there is difference between the heat and the fire. Fire is with heat, but heat is, although has got the fire's qualification, it is not fire. Heat you can touch, but fire you cannot touch. Just like there is some distinction. But there is no distinction also because fire is also hot and heat is also hot. But still, there is distinction between fire and heat. So heat, what is the position of heat? Heat is energy of fire. Similarly, although we are expansion of the Supreme Lord, we jīvas, living entities, we are just like heat, not fire. Fire is Kṛṣṇa.

So,

sei vibhinnāṁśa jīva-dui ta' prakāra

eka-'nitya-mukta', eka-'nitya saṁsāra'

Now, this energy manifested as the living entities, they are also two kinds. What are they? Eka-nitya-mukta. One class of living entities, they are eternally liberated. Just like the fishes in the ocean. Take the ocean as the place of liberation. Sometimes the example is given that as the rivers glide down to the ocean and the water is become one… That's all right. That oneness… This is impersonal conception. Everyone goes and mixes as every river goes down to the ocean, and there is no more distinction which is the river water and which is the ocean water. They become one. That is the monistic philosophy. But Vaiṣṇava philosophy goes farther, that "Why you are satisfied with the water? Why don't you see within the water?" Within the water you will find there are big, big fishes and aquatic animals. They keep their separate identity, and they enjoy in the ocean. The foolish persons, they are satisfied that "I am in the ocean now." That is the less intelligence. Go deep into the ocean and see what is going there. Similarly, those who are satisfied simply by merging into the spiritual existence, impersonalists, they are less intelligent. They have no intelligence to see that within the ocean there is individual expansion, individual life, and they are enjoying. Similarly, in the spiritual sky there is individuality. That individuality is there. And that individuality is reciprocated between Kṛṣṇa and the individual souls. They are called nitya-mukta, eternally liberated. And the other class, who are just like in the river fishes, they are called nitya-baddha. Their, I mean to say, limited sphere in the river or in the pond or in the well… The frog philosophy. They are expanding themselves, frogs: "How much great is Atlantic Ocean?" So they are called conditioned soul. Those who are in this material world, although they are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord energy, but because they are conditioned in this material contamination, they are called, I mean to say, conditioned, conditioned by the laws of nature.

So the whole process is… To understand these thing means that why should we remain conditioned under the laws of material nature? Let us try to go back to the ocean and become as big. That should be the philosophy of your life.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

670109CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.11-15

New York, January 9, 1967

Prabhupāda:

'nitya-mukta'-nitya kṛṣṇa-caraṇe unmukha

'kṛṣṇa-pāriṣada' nāma, bhuñje sevā-sukha

Yesterday we have been discussing two kinds of living entities. One class, nitya-mukta, eternally liberated, they never come to this material world. They are eternally liberated. And another class, just like we are, conditioned. We are eternally conditioned. Eternally conditioned means we do not know when we have been conditioned like this. It is not possible to trace out the history. Because living entity, by nature, he is not conditioned. But actually we see that we are conditioned, and there is no possibility to trace out the history. Many, many Brahmā's life… Not only one Brahmā's, there are so many Brahmās changed, and we are conditioned. So therefore we are called eternally conditioned.

Now this… What is the difference between the two? Those who are eternally free, liberated, they are godly. They are always ready to render transcendental loving service to the Lord. They are satisfied in that way. Just like mother is satisfied simply by loving child, or friend is satisfied simply by loving. Of course, that sort of love is not possible in this material world, but there are some rare instances. At least we can get an idea that… Similarly, the eternal liberated souls, they are satisfied simply by loving Kṛṣṇa. That is their satisfaction. Everyone wants to love. That is natural propensity. Everyone. When there is no loving object, then in this material world we sometimes love cats and dogs. You see? Because I must love somebody. If I don't find any suitable person lovable, then I turn my love to some hobby, to some animal, like that, because the love is there. So this is dormant. Our love for Kṛṣṇa is dormant. It is within us, but because we have no information of Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are reposing our love to something which is frustration. That is not the object of love. Therefore we are frustrated. So many instances we have got, we did not describe. But here in this material world, love is 99.9% all frustration, because the love is not reposed to the proper place. The proper place is Kṛṣṇa. If we love Kṛṣṇa, then we can love everyone. Just like if we pour water on the root of the tree then the other parts of the tree, leaves and flowers and fruits and branches, automatically… So if we learn to love Kṛṣṇa, then we can perfectly love others.

So those who are eternally liberated, they love Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are perfect in the spiritual world. 'Nitya-mukta'-nitya kṛṣṇa-caraṇe unmukha, 'kṛṣṇa-pāriṣada' nāma. They are all associates. The Supreme Lord is person, and His innumerable lovers, living entities, they are also individual persons. Love means there is person, individual. Without individual person, there is no question of love. When I, when the word "love" is used, there must be two lovers. Then the word is applicable, love. If there is no person, love is not with the air. There must be person. So the Supreme Lord is person, and the lovers, the living entities, they are also persons. They forget who is God, who is not God, but the central focus is in Kṛṣṇa. Everyone loves Kṛṣṇa. Without seeing Kṛṣṇa they are mad. This is the position in the spiritual world. Simply love Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Bhuñje sevā-sukha. And by loving, as we have got a little perverted experience of love affairs, so just imagine when that love is pure and true, how much pleasure there is. So that thing is there in the spiritual world, pure love. And object is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are so much in bliss… That is bliss. That is bliss, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1], eternal love with knowledge that "Here is Kṛṣṇa," and ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). That is perfect stage, lovable object eternal, lover eternal, with knowledge, with eternal life. That is there. In the spiritual world this is going on. They're all in bliss.

Now, so far we are concerned, the conditioned soul, 'nitya-bandha'-kṛṣṇa haite nitya-bahirmukha: our business is to hate Kṛṣṇa, that's all. "What is God? Huh! God. The foolish people are assembled speaking of God." Nitya. They are… Naturally, they are haters of God in this conditioned life. Just the opposite. In the spiritual world, they are by nature… By nature, we are lover of God, but here, being illusioned, we think God as our enemy and we don't like God. We like this māyā. So

'nitya-bandha'-kṛṣṇa haite nitya-bahirmukha

'nitya-saṁsāra', bhuñje narakādi duḥkha

Therefore because they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and they are averse to Kṛṣṇa, therefore the result is that perpetually they are entangled in this material world, in the pangs… Material world means threefold miseries. Plus… So long… What is word? Principally we have got fourfold changing: birth, death, old age and disease. And these fourfold changes are always mixed with threefold miseries. So it is sevenfold miserable condition, and those who are in ignorance, they do not understand this miserable condition. They think, "We are all right." And when the sense comes that "We are not all right; we are in miserable condition," that is the, I mean to say, state of inquiries about Brahman. That is called brahma-jijñāsā.

So generally people are so much ignorant that they cannot understand their miserable condition. This is called saṁsāra. Saṁsāra means entanglement in these miserable conditions of material existence. And bhuñje narakādi duḥkha. By miserable condition we want to compensate this miserable condition. But due to our ignorance we become more and more miserable and, narakādi-duḥkha, the hellish life. Nānā yoni brahman kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare, tāra janma adho pāte yāya. We are circumambulating various types of species of life and eating all sorts of nasty things, and this is the condition of material existence. Narakādi duḥkha. Narakādi duḥkha means hellish condition. But we do not understand. This is our ignorance. Hellish condition.

sei doṣe māyā-piśāci daṇḍa kare tāre

ādhyātmikādi tāpa-traya tāre jāri' māre

So on account of this ignorance we are under the control of this material nature. Actually, due to our forgetfulness, due to our averseness to Kṛṣṇa, we are under the condition of this material nature. This is the sum and substance: due to our averseness. We don't like. Sei doṣe māyā-piśāci daṇḍa kare tāre. Daṇḍa kare tāre means "give him punishment." You have not seen… Perhaps… You had been in India. You have seen the Devī picture, picture of Goddess Durgā. She has got a…, what is called? Trisura, like this. Trident? Yes. This trident, she has got in her hand a trident. And a asura, a demonic person, is struggling with lion, and the goddess is piercing that trident on the chest of that demon. This figure is there. That is called Durgā. Have you seen that picture? That one lion has attacked that demon, and the lion is the carrier of Devī, Goddess Durgā. She rides on lion. Just like we ride on horse, Devī, she rides on lion. And the lion has attacked that demon. And demon is also very strong, fighting with the lion, and the mother, Goddess Durgā, she has caught the demon by the hair and piercing the trident on the chest, and the lion has attacked. So this is our position. We are thinking like the demon. Now, this lion is the symbol of rajo-guṇa. Rajo-guṇa. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. Rajo-guṇa means we are full of lust and anger. When there is excess of rajo-guṇa, then we are full of lust and anger. And when there is sattva-guṇa, then there is knowledge. And when there is tamo-guṇa, neither anger nor lust nor knowledge, simply just like the Bowery Road. You see? Lying down on the street. This is the sign of ignorance, tamo-guṇa, yes. So this is going on.

So the demons… Demons means their characteristic: to challenge the existence of God. And therefore this prakṛti, nature, is piercing, the trident. The trident means threefold miseries: miseries pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind… Just like yesterday night you had some trouble due to the body. So sometimes mind: "Oh, today I am not very good mood. There is something wrong." The body is all right, but the mind is not all right. This is called ādhyātmika. Then adhibhautika. Adhibhautika means miseries offered by other living entities. Just like at night, bedbugs. (laughter) (laughs) So, very nice situation, whole night there is no sleep. Why? Now there is adhibhautika. Adhibhautika. Or some enemy. This is… There are… These are all miseries, but we forget. And adhidaivika. Adhidaivika. Just like heavy snowfall, severe cold, severe heat, earthquake, famine, war. These are adhidaivika, forced by you by superior power. Nobody wants war, but it is forced. These are called adhidaivika miseries. So three kinds. Here it is stated, ādhyātmikādi tapa-traya tāre. So we are under the control of this material nature, and that trident is pierced on my chest. How can I understand? Now this trident I am experiencing every moment. These three kinds of miseries are there. Either this or that or three or two or one-must be there. Must be there. So those who are, I mean to say, enlightened, they can understand that we are miserable. We are in a miserable condition. And those who are not enlightened, in ignorance, they think, "Oh, this is all right. Don't care for it."

But actually we are in miserable condition.

kāma-krodhera dāsa hañā tāra lāthi khāya

bhramite bhramite yadi sādhu-vaidya pāya

Very nice. In this way we are being kicked up. The freedom of football. The football is kicked from this party and thrown to the other party. The other party kicks and it comes. The football thinks… If the football thinks that "I am in freedom movement," so what is that freedom? Kicked from this party to that party and that… So here the same thing is said, kāma-krodhera dāsa hañā tāra lāthi khāya. Just like the football players-the football is under the kicking method of two parties-similarly, we are under the kicking method of two things, lust and anger. We are lusty, and when our lust is not fulfilled, then we become kicked by anger. Two things. Just like the football is kicked by this party and that party, similarly, our position is we are being kicked sometimes by lust and sometimes by anger. So we are going on leading our life in this way.

kāma-krodhera dāsa hañā tāra lāthi khāya

bhramite bhramite yadi sādhu-saṅga pāya

Now, in this way we are passing our life, but if by chance we get association of a saintly person…

tāṅra upadeśa-mantre piśāci palāya

kṛṣṇa-bhakti pāya, tabe kṛṣṇa-nikaṭa yāya

If by chance we get association of a pure devotee, then by his mercy this illusion becomes over. Tāṅra upadeśa, by his instructions. Sādhu-saṅga means tasmād satsu sajjeta buddhimān. Therefore it is advised that everyone should seek association of saintly persons. And by saintly person's instruction, this ghost of ignorance will be removed. Tāṅra mantre. Just like you have seen ghostly haunted persons? In India there are so many cases. So there are chanter also. What is called, enchanter or…? Those who are, if he can make treatment a ghostly…

Devotees: Magician? Medium?

Prabhupāda: Not magician.

Devotee: Medium.

Prabhupāda: Not medium. Enchanter I think you call.

Devotee: A sorcerer.

Prabhupāda: A sorcerer, yes. So they chant some hymns and the ghosts go away. Similarly, if we chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, then the ghost of māyā by which we are being kicked from this side to that side, that will be over. Tāṅra mantre. If the instruction is received from a saintly person, sādhu, then this illusion of being kicked up from this side to that side by lust and anger under the spell of this material energy will be over. Tāṅra upadeśa-mantre piśāci palāya.

Then? What is next? Kṛṣṇa-bhakti pāya, tabe kṛṣṇa-nikaṭa yāya. Then his beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins from there. If by chance, in this way… Just like the football is being kicked. Some way or other, if he goes out of the line the kicking is stopped. Similarly, we also, if we get the shelter and association of a bona fide saintly person, then this business of being kicked by lust and anger is stopped by his instruction, by his advice. Santa chindanti asya mano-vyāsaṅgam ukti. The whole trouble is in the mind. Mind. Just like there is a knot. So knot is to be cut or it is to be opened. So this mental knot with this material attraction is cut by the instruction of saintly persons. The cutting weapon is instruction. Therefore one should take advantage of the instruction of saintly persons so that the knot of material attachment may be cut and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness may begin, so that his path of liberation is open.

Thank you very much. (end)

670110CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.14-20

New York, January 10, 1967

Prabhupāda:

kāma-krodhera dāsa hañā tāra lāthi khāya

bhramite bhramite yadi sādhu-vaidya pāya

So we, the conditioned soul, is just like being kicked up by the material energy from this way to that way. That is our position. And the kicking is by lust and anger. Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa [Bg. 7.27]. We have got two things here in the conditioned life. We desire something, and if the desire is not fulfilled, then we become angry. So in this way we are traveling, or, I mean to say, transmigrating from one body to another. This can be stopped. This process can be stopped. How? Bhramite bhramite yadi sādhu-vaidya pāya. In this way we are being kicked up by māyā. But if by chance we get the shelter of a good physician… Good physician means a bona fide spiritual master. Then, by his advice, just like a patient is cured by following the instruction of a bona fide physician, similarly, this disease of being kicked up from one body to another, this could be stopped by the instruction of a bona fide sādhu, saintly person, or spiritual master or śāstra, scripture. So the scriptures and the saintly persons and the spiritual master, they are on the same level. Because a sādhu who is a saintly person, he would not place anything which is not sanctioned by the scripture. Similarly, a bona fide spiritual master means he is following the footprints of the previous ācāryas. Therefore he is bona fide. So scripture is the medium through which we have to get our experience and knowledge through the explanation of sādhu, saintly persons and spiritual master.

So there is a very nice verse quoted from Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu:

kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās

teṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ

utsṛjyaitān atha yadu-pate sāmprataṁ labdha-buddhis

tvām āyātaḥ śaraṇam abhayaṁ māṁ niyuṅkṣvātma-dāsye

A devotee is praying to the Lord that "My dear Lord, I have experienced that I came to enjoy this material world, but actually I am being kicked up." "By whom you are kicked up?" Kāmādīnām. Kāma, krodha, lobha. There are six good friends. We have accepted them as good friends, but they are not good friends. What are they? The lust and the anger and the avarice and greediness. So many things. So to serve the material world… To enjoy the material world, not serve. We don't wish to serve; we want to enjoy. But actually we become servants of all these principles, kāma, krodha, lobha, bhaya. We are servant of fearfulness, we are servant of malice, we are servant of lust, we are servant of anger, although we are thinking that "I am master." So one who has come to the senses that "I am acting here as servant… I'm servant of my society, I am servant of my family, I am servant of my senses, I am servant of my…" So many things I have created. Up to death I am servant of dog, I'm servant of cat, and so many things I have become servant. But I am thinking, "I am master." This is called māyā. So one who comes to the senses, he can understand that "I am not master; I am servant because I am constitutionally servant. I am subservient to the Supreme. I am expansion of Kṛṣṇa." Why? Because Kṛṣṇa meant that there would be so many expansions and "They would like to love Me, and I'll be enjoyer." Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Suppose I keep some friends. Suppose I create some disciples. What is the idea? The idea is that we shall enjoy reciprocally. My disciples and we shall talk about Kṛṣṇa, and we shall eat together and we shall chant together. This is the idea. Now if some of the disciples become overrule, then it becomes a very precarious condition for me. Similarly, God expanded Himself as the living entities for enjoyment, reciprocal, not that God's own enjoyment. When there is question of enjoyment, all the parties who participate in a particular type of enjoyment, they enjoy. So the perfection of enjoyment-when God desired that "I should expand Myself so that I can enjoy." So His enjoyment is not deficient, but if we want not to enjoy with God but we want to enjoy in a different way, that is my misfortune.

So originally, as Lord Caitanya has explained in the very beginning, you may remember, that the constitutional position of the living entity is to serve. This point we have explained several times. So we cannot change that position. If you don't serve Kṛṣṇa, then you have to serve māyā. That position is there. So here in this material world we are rendering service to these-kāma, krodha, lobha. We are servant of lust, we are servant of anger, we are servant of avarice, we are servant of so many things. So kāmādīnāṁ katidhā na katidhā. And servant, when one becomes servant, he has to execute anything which the masters order. Suppose one is serving some big man, he says that "You do this. I want." Now, to satisfy him one has to act according to his desire, which he may not like. Suppose one says that "You go and tell this lie. It is required by me." Now, because I am in service… Even great personalities like Bhīṣma, such a great personality, he could not join with the Pāṇḍava's party because he became a servant of the Kurus. So servitude is such a thing. A servant means a dog's qualification. In the Bhāgavata it is stated that… Because the higher caste… The caste system, higher means the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, they'll never become servant of anyone. Therefore they are higher. The śūdras, they accept service of others. So that was the stricture. And in the śāstra the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas, the higher castes, and the vaiśyas, they would never serve. Now there is injunction in the Bhāgavata: if a brāhmaṇa is in trouble he can become, he can take the profession of a vaiśya, but never take the profession of a dog. They never serve. Because as soon as one becomes servant, his independence is lost. So our independence… We can keep only our independence when we become servant of God, because there is no injustice.

So here it is said that kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās. Durnideśāḥ. Of course, you are my master, that's all right; whatever you order, I have to carry out. But sometimes the master orders that "You do this," which I should not do. We have got practical experience in our life. Sometimes we do something which is not to be done, but being carried away by lust we do so many nonsense things. So we are servant of this lust and anger. So one who is in sense, he says like this, that "I have served this kāma, krodha, but the result is that they are not satisfied." This material world, if you go on serving anyone and if you ask the master, "Are you well served?" he'll never say that "I am." Rather, even a master is satisfied, he will not frankly say, "No, I am satisfied." This is the nature. So the devotee says, "Now, because I see that I have to serve only, so I have given up the service of this māyā. I have given up the service of māyā." Utsṛjyaitān. "Utsṛjya, the service of māyā I have now given up." Then what you want to do? Utsṛjyaitān atha yadu-pate sāmprataṁ labdha-buddhiḥ. "Now, just presently I am little bit intelligent." "What is that? You are resigning your service?" "Yes." "Oh, that is not very good intelligence. How you'll provide yourself? No." "Yes." Tvām āyā: "I have come to You, my Lord." Tvām āyātaḥ: "I have approached You because You are śaraṇam abhayam, You are a perfect master. There is no fear of my being dismissed." Śaraṇam abhayaṁ tvām āyātaḥ māṁ niyuṅkṣvātma-dāsye: "Now please give me an appointment in Your service." This is the perfection of service. We have to give up the service of the māyā and take an appointment from Kṛṣṇa. Then that is our perfection. The service is there; just change the account. Just change the account from this service to that service. If you want to dominate, if you want to exploit the resources of nature-that is materialism or material civilization-then you become more and more servant of nature. But if you give up all these propensities and just submit, surrender to Kṛṣṇa and take an appointment from Kṛṣṇa, then you'll be happy. This is the position.

So, sādhu-vaidya, sādhu, saintly person, or a spiritual master or the scripture, what do they advise? As it has been stated, by the instruction of saintly person, by the instruction of spiritual master, one gets out of this kicking problem. And what is that instruction? The instruction is very simple: that you give up the service of this sense gratification. You just engage yourself to the service of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You simply change the consciousness. Now your consciousness is absorbed in varieties of sense gratification. You stop this. You just apply your senses unto the service of the Supreme Lord. This is called devotional service, bhakti, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is simple process. Just we have to change. The activities are the same. Bhakti means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Nirmalam. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Hṛṣīka means senses, and hṛṣīkeśa means Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is the master of your senses. Just like actually… Suppose this house. So we are now occupying this house. We are supposed to be the master of this house, but actually we are not the master of the house. The master is the landlord. But again, if you go further, the landlord is also not actually master. The master is the state. The supreme master is God. So we have to take shelter of the supreme master.

kṛṣṇa-bhakti haya abhidheya-pradhāna

bhakti-mukha-nirīkṣaka karma-yoga-jñāna

Now, there are different process of self-realization. Just like fruitive activities, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga. So many, there are different… But they are simply steps. They are not themselves final. One who is unable to engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for them these different steps are prescribed, not for the person who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because if he… If one does not engage himself in the service of Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he may not like for so many reasons: for social reason, for political reason, for religious reason, for many other reasons. Although we find that it is very nice process, but still, there are some impediments which restrict us not to follow this principle. Now, one who cannot follow this principle, for them these different process are prescribed so that some day in the future he can have this opportunity of becoming a servant of Kṛṣṇa. Because that is the final goal.

So here Lord Caitanya says that kṛṣṇa-bhakti haya abhidheya-pradhāna. For self-realization, if you want to realize yourself or if you want to get out of these material clutches, then the main function is to become in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be engaged in the service of the Lord directly. And bhakti-mukha-nirīkṣaka karma-yoga-jñāna. And other processes, they're also admitted, but they are dependent on this process. That means if by karma-yoga, when you acquire knowledge, then that is another step forward. Then by jñāna-yoga, when you are able to meditate, by jñāna-yoga you can understand the Supersoul and your soul. And when you understand also that by the individual soul the Supersoul has to be seen by meditation or focus, that is called dhyāna-yoga. Then when you understand Supersoul, then go further. You can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anyway, all these processes… Yoga means just like a staircase. You cover the staircases under certain rules and regulation, but the highest top, topmost place, is that Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ultimately you have to reach that point. So any other process, that is dependent on the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is direct method. It is not dependent on any such method. A person who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he does not require to perform dhyāna-yoga or haṭha-yoga or karma-yoga or jñāna-yoga. Automatically, everything will come out. Just like if you get ten thousand dollar, then your business for one thousand dollar is automatically served. But if you have got one thousand dollar, the business of ten thousand dollars cannot be served. So kṛṣṇa-bhakti, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is full. Lord Caitanya therefore said, kṛṣṇa-bhakti haya abhidheya-pradhāna. Amongst all other processes for self-realization, this is the chief. Bhakti-mukha-nirīkṣaka karma-yoga-jñāna. And other processes, just like karma-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, jñāna-yoga, they are dependent on Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

ei saba sādhanera ati tuccha bala

kṛṣṇa-bhakti vinā tāhā dite nāre phala

Now, it is clearly explained that if you simply prosecute the other system of yoga, then you'll never be able to reach to the final goal. Therefore it is tenth leg. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti vinā, unless you add to it Kṛṣṇa-bhakti… Plus… Karma-yoga means karma, your working capacity, plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness; your speculative capacity plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness; your meditating capacity plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When you make a plus, then it becomes successful. Kṛṣṇa consciousness minus karma or Kṛṣṇa consciousness minus knowledge, that will never be able to give you the desired result.

Now He's quoting one passage from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (sings verse):

naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ

na śobhate jñānam amala alam…

naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ

na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam

kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare

na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam

Now, the Bhāgavata instructs that even a person in high status of knowledge cannot get success without being taken shelter of acyuta-bhāva. Acyuta. Acyuta means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Acyuta. So Acyutānanda means one who takes pleasure in Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Acyuta. Acyuta means infallible, who never falls. That is the difference between… Kṛṣṇa is Brahman. We are also Brahman, but we are not acyuta. We are cyuta. Cyuta means falling down. We have got the tendency of falling down. Kṛṣṇa never falls down; therefore His name is Acyuta. So acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ jñānam amalam. If you go on speculating on knowledge, but if that knowledge is minus Kṛṣṇa, then na śobhate. It will… It is not very nice thing because it will not give you the desired result. So Bhāgavata says even a man advanced in knowledge, he cannot get the desired result without acyuta-bhāva. Acyuta-bhāva means… Acyuta means Kṛṣṇa, and bhāva means His relationship, sentiment. Bhāva actually means sentiment, Kṛṣṇa sentiment. Kṛṣṇa sentiment means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now, if a person in advanced knowledge, he cannot get the desired result, then what to speak of others who are hovering on these material activities? So material activities, if you want to make success of your any activity, then make it plus Kṛṣṇa, plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then it will be all perfect. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not prohibit anybody to…, for his particular occupation. They simply ask and request all that you make it plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your success is guaranteed. If you make it plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness… That is required.

Then another quotation is,

tapasvino dāna-parā yaśasvino

manasvino mantra-vidaḥ sumaṅgalāḥ

kṣemaṁ na vindanti vinā yad-arpaṇaṁ

tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ

Tapasvinaḥ. There are many ascetics taking severe penance for perfection, tapasvinaḥ. Tapasvino dāna-parā. Dāna-parā means there are many persons who are munificent, making charity, dāna-parā. And yaśasvinaḥ: there are many persons who are very famous. Tapasvino dāna-parā yaśa…, manasvinaḥ. Manasvinaḥ means mental speculators, philosophers, thinking, high thinkers, great thinkers. So these are worldly, great men. Who? One who performs great penance, one who is very charitably disposed, one who is very famous, one who is very mentally advanced, he can think nice things, writes philosophical thesis, write nice poetry. Manasvinaḥ. These are the products of great mind. Manasvino mantra-vidaḥ. Mantra-vidaḥ means the chanters of Vedic hymns. Mantra-vidaḥ sumaṅgalāḥ. These things are all nice, auspicious. These things are all… But kṣemaṁ na vindanti vinā yad-arpaṇam. But these things cannot… By these things you cannot alone have success unless it is not offered to the Supreme Lord. Your good qualification should be engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. Then you get the desired result. And our Howard's mother has written very nicely that if you talk of Kṛṣṇa, then you enjoy yourself, and you give enjoyment to many others. And if you talk of man (mammon?), then you can create some, I mean to say… What is the exact word she has used? Noise. You can create some noise for some time.

So if you are a good writer, if you are a good thinker, then just think of Kṛṣṇa and write. Then it will please you and it will please all others. Our Back to Godhead is for that purpose. And if you write some fiction, you can please some men and create some noise for some time in the world, but it will be useless after some time. Just like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Five thousand years before it was written; it is still giving light. It is because it is Kṛṣṇa-kathā. And within your experience, so many nice novelists and poets came and gone. Nobody cares for them. So you can create noise. Very nice word she has used-I'm very pleased-that by writing such things you can create a noise in the world for some time, but it will mix in the…, it will go in the oblivion. So everything should be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the perfection of everything.

Thank you very much. (end)

670111CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.21-28

New York, January 11, 1967

Prabhupāda:

kevala jñāna 'mukti' dite nāre bhakti vine

kṛṣṇonmukhe sei mukti haya jñāna vinā

Mukti, liberation… The impersonalists think that simply by cultivating knowledge that "I am not matter; I am spirit," or "I am one with the Supreme Spirit; I am now… Out of ignorance, I am thinking different, but when I am fully elevated to the platform of knowledge, then I become liberated." But the…, there is no answer that "Why you have become conditioned?" The impersonalists think that "I am one with the Supreme. Now, due to my ignorance, I have forgotten that I am the Supreme." Because they do not recognize the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so they think that impersonal conception of the spirit soul: "I am now… Out of ignorance, I am thinking matter, but as soon as my ignorance is over, I shall become one with the Supreme." So this is the theory of the impersonalists. But they… They cannot give any answer that "Why you have become under the influence of ignorance? If you are the Supreme, then what is the cause that you have become conditioned? Then the Supreme will become conditioned under the material nature. Then how one can become the Supreme? Supreme cannot be conditioned." So there is no answer for this question from the impersonalists' school. But real fact is that the Supreme never falls down. The part and parcel of the Supreme, they fall down-some of them; not all. So therefore the living entities, they are different from the Supreme. They are one in quality with the Supreme, but not in quantity.

So Lord Caitanya says that "Simply by thinking that 'I am not this matter; I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I am Brahman,' that will not help you to get liberation." The real fact is that the individual living entities, they are part and parcel of the Supreme, but somehow or other, they wanted separation from the Supreme and wanted to lord it over the material nature. Therefore they are entangled. That is the real fact. And as such, we find from the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord asked that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Just surrender." So therefore, unless there is surrender of the individual soul to the Supreme, there is no question of liberation. There is no question of liberation. You can cultivate knowledge that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," but that will not help for your liberation. Because real thing is that you have or we have rebelled against the supremacy of the Supreme Lord. That is the attitude, everywhere we can see actually. Everyone is: "Oh, what is God? What is God?" especially in this age. So this impersonalism is another type of atheism, and this impersonal theory of the Absolute Truth has converted practically the major portion of the world into atheism. So therefore Lord Caitanya says that simply by cultivation of knowledge that "I am not this matter. I am not this matter. I am spirit soul," that will not help.

Now He gives again evidence from scriptures. Every step, whatever He says, He gives some evidence from authoritative scripture. Mostly He gives evidence from Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because for the Vaiṣṇava school these two books are sufficient for acquiring knowledge. So far Vedānta-sūtra is concerned, Bhāgavata is Vedānta-sūtra itself. Bhāgavata is the natural commentary on the, on the Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore one who has sufficient knowledge in Bhāgavata, he has automatically sufficient knowledge in Vedānta-sūtra. According to Vedic system, one must have sufficient knowledge in Vedānta-sūtra. Then he'll be considered as learned in spiritual science. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, although the Vaiṣṇavas, they have got their commentaries on Vedānta-sūtra, but this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya, they did not make any commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra because they belonged to the disciplic succession of Vyāsadeva. So Vyāsadeva is the spiritual master. So the later ācāryas, they did not think it proper that whatever the… Because their spiritual master has had already made a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra, "Oh, that is sufficient. Why should we do again?" These are some of the etiquette. Anyway, the Vedānta-sūtra… And Bhāgavata is natural commentary on Vedānta-sūtra, and Lord Caitanya therefore gives evidence from the Bhāgavata generally and Purāṇas also, and Mahābhārata and every, I mean to say, Upaniṣad. They are all authorities. But especially He gives evidences from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now, so far, in confirmation of this statement that knowledge, cultivation of knowledge, is not sufficient to give one liberation-one must take to devotional service. Devotional service past knowledge is just like gold with flavor. Yes. So, of course, those who are engaged in devotional service, their knowledge automatically comes. They are not fools. Those who are actually, seriously in devotional service, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they will not lack in knowledge because you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that the Lord says that,

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

[Bg. 10.10]

Those who are engaged in transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, for them knowledge automatically comes from within because Kṛṣṇa is within us. So a sincere soul in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will not lack in knowledge. And in the Vedic literature also it is confirmed:

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

[ŚU 6.23]

The Vedic knowledge, revelation, to whom it is revealed? It is revealed to a person who has unflinching faith and love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead as well as to the spiritual master. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. As much he has got faith in the Supreme, similarly he has faith in the spiritual master. Such a person gets revelation of the Vedic knowledge from within. So those who are actually serious in engaging themselves in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service, for them knowledge is secondary. Knowledge automatically revealed to them. And those who do not take to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service, simply indulge in dry speculation, for them liberation is not possible. Not possible.

So Lord Caitanya gives one evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Tenth Canto:

śreyaḥ-sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho

kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye

teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate

nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām

Real knowledge means to understand the last word of the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and surrender unto Him, after knowledge. As it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: [Bg. 7.19] "After many, many births, one who is actually in knowledge, he surrenders." So Śrīmad-Bhāgavata practically confirms the same, that śreyaḥ-sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho. Any person who does not take to the devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply indulge in dry speculation, kliśyanti, takes trouble… Kliśyanti means "takes trouble"; ye, "persons." Kevala-bodha-lab…, simply to understand that "This is not matter, this is not spirit, this is not…," like that, and that there is no separate Supersoul, only one soul is there, and this conception of individual soul is misunderstanding, ignorance-in this way, there are volumes of books of, by Śaṅkarācārya especially, and later on, his disciples. They are very, very learned scholars, undoubtedly. By their scholastic jugglery they want to cover the Supreme Personality of God. They do not want to cover; they think that they are advanced. But Kṛṣṇa covers Himself so that they may not understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not want. Kṛṣṇa wants that one should surrender and take to devotional service. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ: [Bg. 7.25] "I do not reveal Myself to everyone, one and all. No. I cover Myself." So these impersonalists, due to their, I mean to say, less intelligence, or misfortune, they cannot see Kṛṣṇa. So therefore, for them this remark is here that śreyaḥ-sṛtim, that "Actually what is auspicious, devotional service, if somebody gives that path away and takes to simply dry speculation, simply to understand…" Because jñāna means to understand what is the difference between matter and spirit. So they, of course, indulge in that process of knowledge. But simply by that speculation the result is that teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate. The trouble which they accept for discriminating matter from spirit… There is trouble. You have to see so many Vedic literatures, and you have to understand the instruction of Upaniṣads and logic, and so many things there are to, I mean to say, back your understanding. So teṣām kleśala eva… Their, their profit is that the trouble which they accept for studying so many Vedic literatures to prove that the Absolute Truth is not person, that trouble is their profit and nothing more. Kleśala eva, teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate: "They do not get any other profit except that troublesome business." That's all. Teṣāṁ kleśala eva śiṣyate. How it is? The example is, nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām: "Just like husking the grain to take out the skin." Now, there are many grains which are skin over. So there is process of taking out the skin out of the grain. So if the grain is already taken out, only the skins are left. Then, if you husk on it and beat to get out the grains, so there is no possibility to get any grains from them because the grain is already taken out. So that is the trouble. Simply, I mean, beating the skin is no good. We must have some concrete result. That concrete result is one who is directly engaged in the transcendental service, loving service of the Supreme Lord. That is recommended.

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

[Bg. 7.14]

So the same thing is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter, that the Lord says that… This is also another influence of māyā, illusion. Just like under the spell of illusion we are thinking that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am king," "I am big man," "I am poor man"-so many we have got-and this is all due to this body, bodily conception. It has no actual standing. It is all…, they are all designations. Similarly, the last snare of māyā is to, I mean to say, induce one to think that "I am God." Just like we are under the spell of illusion. We are thinking, "I am this and that, this and that." So after many, many years' cultivation of knowledge, if one comes to the conclusion that "I am God. There is no other second God. I am God," so that is also another spell of illusion. So the Bhagavad-gītā says that daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. One is trying to get out of the clutches of the illusory energy, but it is very difficult. Up to the last point the māyā, illusion, will offer you something so that she will baffle your endeavor to get out of her clutches. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. Then how to get out of her hands? Mām eva prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti… Only process is just you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, and māyā will not any more interfere with your business.

So therefore surrender is the only process by which you can get out of the clutches of māyā.

'kṛṣṇa-nitya-dāsa'-jīva tāhā bhuli' gela

ei doṣe māyā tāra galāya bāndhila

Just like we become…, sometimes we take a pet dog with shackles on the neck, similarly we are under the spell…, we are pet dogs of the illusory energy, with shackles. You see? So why? Now, 'kṛṣṇa-nitya-dāsa'-jīva tāhā bhuli' gela: "That the living entity is eternally servitor of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, that he has forgotten." That he has forgotten. Therefore… [break] …galāya bāndhila. Just like the dog is shackled on the…, we are in that way shackled.

tāte kṛṣṇa bhaje, kare gurura sevana

māyā-jāla chuṭe, pāya kṛṣṇera caraṇa

Therefore, if one agrees to serve Kṛṣṇa under the direction of spiritual master, follows the instruction of spiritual master, and engages himself in the service of the Supreme Lord, māyā-jāla chuṭe, pāya kṛṣṇera caraṇa, then he can get out of this network of illusory energy and pāya kṛṣṇera caraṇa, and he can get the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

cāri varṇāśramī yadi kṛṣṇa nāhi bhaje

svakarma karite se raurave paḍi' maje

Cāri varṇa. Cāri varṇa means four castes, four division of human society: the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriya, the vaiśyas and the śūdras. They have got their specific duties. One who is brāhmaṇa, he has got his specific duty. Culture, cultivation of knowledge is their first and foremost duty. Similarly, kṣatriya, he has got his specific duty. The fore and foremost is to establish good administration in the state. And vaiśya, he has got also specific duty. What is that? Cow protection and agriculture. That is the duty of vaiśya. And the śūdras, they have no responsibility. Therefore they serve these three higher class: the intelligent class, engaged in cultivation of knowledge; the administrator class, who are engaged in good government; and the mercantile, class who are looking to the productive side of the society. So this is natural. There is no denying the fact. In every society there is a natural division. A certain class of men, they are intelligent class, a certain class of men, they are, take part in politics, and a certain class of men, they delight in doing business. And there are certain classes-they do not do anything; simply by serving, they maintain themselves. So these four classes are there.

So according to Vedic civilization, these four classes are also recommended to serve the Supreme Lord, Supreme Lord. With their professional occupation, they want, they have to, they have to serve the Supreme Lord. That is the injunction of the Vedic literatures.

cāri varṇāśramī yadi kṛṣṇa nāhi bhaje

svakarma karite se raurave paḍi' maje

Therefore Lord Caitanya says that suppose an intelligent brāhmaṇa, he's very learned scholar and great philosopher, big thinker… Everything is all right. But he has no relationship in the matter of rendering service to the Supreme Lord. That is minus. That means learned scholar minus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Similarly, a learned politician, able administrator, minus Kṛṣṇa consciousness… Similarly, a successful businessman minus Kṛṣṇa consciousness… Or the śūdras… Anyone, if he is minus Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the result is that svakarma karite se raurave paḍi' maje: "By doing, by executing his specific duty, he's going to hell." Hell. It is fact. He's thinking that "I am doing my duty," but he's going to hell. So this is a version of Lord Caitanya Maha… He, even if he does his duty very nicely, still, he's going to hell. Raurave paḍi' maje. Raurave means hell.

And again He gives evidence from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

mukha-bāhūru-pādebhyaḥ

puruṣasyāśramaiḥ saha

catvāro jajñire varṇā

guṇair viprādayaḥ pṛthak

ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād-

ātma-prabhavam īśvaram

na bhajanty avajānanti

sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Eleventh Canto, these two verses are there. What is that? Mukha-bāhūru-pādebhyaḥ puruṣasyāśramaiḥ saha. Now, according to Vedic conception of social life, there are four divisions of social order and four divisions of spiritual order. The four divisions of social order is the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra; and spiritual order is the sannyāsī, vānaprastha, gṛhastha and brahmacārī. To become a brahmacārī means to make advance in spiritual life. And the social order is there, the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas. So it is called varṇāśrama-dharma. Actually, "Hindu," there is no such word as "Hindu" religion. We don't find in the Vedic scripture. Hindu religion… This "Hindu" word is given by the Muhammadans. They, they, they generally pronounce i as h. They… So there is river in the west, western side of India. There is river, Indus, Indus River. So Indus River the Muhammadans used to call "Hindus." From "Hindus" it has come to Hindustan, "the place of the Hindus." So Hindu, Hindu religion is a modern term given by the foreigners. Actually the Indians, bhāratīya, they, their religion is varṇāśrama-dharma, religion of four castes and four spiritual orders, four spiritual orders and four social orders. The persons who follow these four orders of social status and four orders of spiritual advancement, they are called varṇāśrama. So Hindu religion is a miscalculation. Really, they are called varṇāśrama-dharma. That is the Vedic term.

Thank you very much. (end)

670115CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.27-31

New York, January 15, 1967

Prabhupāda: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto. It is very nicely compared with the body of the Supreme Lord and our situation in that partic…, body, in different positions. Now, this verse says that the highly intellectual class of men, they are situated on the mouth of the Supreme Lord. The intellectual persons are considered the mouth of the Supreme Lord. And the next, the administrators, or the protector class of men… Not administrators; practically protector… Kṣatriya means protector. Protector class of men, they are considered to be the arms of the Supreme Lord. And the productive class of men, they are considered as the waist of the Supreme Lord. And the laborer class of men, they are considered to be the legs of the Supreme Lord. So anyone in this society, or in this human society or material world, they must have some situation. There is some positive position of everyone in the body of the Supreme Lord.

So this comparison means that just like our head, our arms, our waist and legs, they're all important, being constitutional parts of the body, similarly, every one of us are important in consideration, being the parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. But the conclusion is that ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād-ātma-prabhavam īśvaram, na bhajanti. Now some of us are the arms of the Supreme Lord, some of us the mouth of the Supreme Lord-any part of the body we are situated-but if we don't work according to our positive situation, then the result is ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād-ātma-prabhavam īśvaram. One who does not serve according to his position, then sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ, he falls down from that position, and this falldown is this material body. It is very nice example. We have got a particular position in the body of the Supreme Lord. Just consider the viśva-mūrti, the gigantic universal form of the Lord. And we are situated in different parts of the body of the Supreme Lord. So as parts and parcels of the body, we have got particular duty. If we do not accept that… Just like the hand. If it does not work, then it is in diseased condition. So patanty adhaḥ. Diseased condition means the falldown. So, so long we are not situated in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord, we should consider that we are in diseased condition, paralyzed position. Just the hand, when it is paralyzed, it cannot work, it cannot serve the body, similarly, when we are detached from the service of the Supreme Lord, that is our diseased condition, and to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or to be in devotional service is our positive position. So one should try to be situated in his positive position, and being freed from this diseased condition of sense enjoyment. Just like the paralyzed hand. It is simply… It is called a hand, but it has no function to act as hand. Similarly, without transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord, a so-called intelligent class is simply in name intelligent class. But it is not… He's actually not intelligent, because there is no function. So this is the instruction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

jñānī jīvan-mukta-daśā pāinu kari' māne

vastutaḥ buddhi 'śuddha' nahe kṛṣṇa-bhakti vine

Now, there are many speculators. After some philosophical speculation, they think, "Now I have realized that 'I am the same. I am same God. I am God.' " So this process is called jñāna system. So Lord Caitanya says that these jñānīs, they artificially think that "Now I have realized myself," but actually that is not self-realization. Self-realization is when you actually engage yourself in the service of the Lord. That is your self-realization. Because you are part and parcel, your duty is to serve the whole. If you think yourself, "I am whole," that is wrong conception. That is wrong conception. You are not whole. How you can be whole? So there are so many examples that think ourself that "I am the Supreme. I am the whole." Just the other day I was speaking to you: it is the last snare. We are not whole. We are part and parcel. Just…, just the hand in healthy condition, as part and parcel of the body, is very nice. When the hand is working in his position, that position is very nice. But when it is not working-it is in diseased condition-do you think it is very nice? No. Paralyzed hand, simply in the name it is hand, but it has no function. So that sort of understanding, without actually reinstated in the healthy state of our spiritual life, simply thinking that "I am now spiritually realized; I am the Supreme," this is not pure. So Lord Caitanya says, vastutaḥ buddhi 'śuddha' nahe: "That sort of conception is not purified intelligence. That is still contaminated intelligence."

Then He is giving an evidence again from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas

tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ

patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ

[SB 10.2.32]

This is prayer to the Lord by Brahmā, who says that ye 'ravindākṣa… Kṛṣṇa is sometimes addressed as the lotus-eyed because His eye… He's very beautiful. So anyone who has got his eyes just like petals of the lotus flower, it is considered very beautiful. So He, He's addressed, aravindākṣa, "O the lotus-eyed…" Vimukta-māninaḥ. "Those who are thinking falsely that 'I am now liberated. I have realized myself that I am the same. I am God,' " vimukta-māninaḥ tvayy asta-bhāvāt, "but he has no information of Kṛṣṇa… He's thinking artificially that he is liberated, but he has no information of Kṛṣṇa." Tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: "Therefore, although he has advanced in, to some extent in the spiritual realization path, but because he has not reached up to You, Kṛṣṇa, therefore his intelligence is not yet fully purified. He's still contaminated." In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same thing said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births, one who is actually intelligent, actually in…, wise, in knowledge, he surrenders unto Him. So those who are thinking that "I am now liberated simply by some volumes of philosophical speculation," so Bhāgavata says, "No, your intelligence is not yet purified because you have not yet approached Kṛṣṇa."

So what is the result for such persons? Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32]. They might come to the highest position, because Brahman realization is also very high position. It is not ordinary thing, that "I am not this body. I am Brahman." This realization is not ordinary realization. It is also realized after purification of the mind. But that is also not sufficient. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa, after undergoing severe penances and philosophical research, even though he has risen up to the point of perfection, to the point of perfection, still, patanty adhaḥ, he has the chance of falling down. And that we have seen in many instances. Many sannyāsīns, they were very educated, and they have undergone severe penances, but without Kṛṣṇa realization they fall down. How they fall down? Sometimes they fall down, becomes a victim of a woman. Sometimes they fall down for this philanthropic work. Sometimes they fall down in the matter of opening hospitals. Generally they fall down by becoming a victim, victim of woman, and others, they also become victim of this material nature, become attracted by this social work. So a sannyāsī is supposed to be renounced order. He has nothing to do with this material world. Then why should he come to the social order or philanthropic order? That is his falldown. That is his falldown. He should be situated completely in spiritual order. He has nothing to do. He should simply be engaged in spiritual service, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the perfection of renouncement.

Renounce means… What is renunciation? Renunciation means paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. One is engaged in the material activities, being attracted in it, and when he loses his attraction in this material world-he is attracted by the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa-that is renunciation. By seeing the Supreme, he rejects this. Just like sometimes we also, if we get some better type of foodstuff, then we reject inferior type of foodstuff naturally. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Because, "Oh, it tastes very nice, so let me take this, reject this." Similarly, material attraction is so long…, as long as we are not in touch with Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we are in touch with Kṛṣṇa, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the result will be that we shall lose our material attraction. Those who are falling down from Kṛṣṇa consciousness again to the material attraction, that means they are not serious about advancing in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not ordinary thing. It is very easy. At the same time very, I mean, difficult also. Those who are not attracted by the Kṛṣṇa conscious activities, there is every chance of falling down again in the… Because he has no other alternative. Either he has to serve this way or serve that way. If he is not attracted to serve in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he has to serve in material consciousness. So those who are not fixed up in Kṛṣṇa, however he may be advanced in spiritual realization, that, there is falldown. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Again falls down.

kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra

yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

Kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama. If you are actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is full light, full light. Everything will be seen in its pure perspective. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to know everything as it is. Nothing will be falsely represented to a person who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He knows everything. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa, he gets knowledge, what is what. So kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama. Just like in the sunlight. During night, in darkness, we cannot understand what is what. Suppose in darkness, at night, you go up to the roof of the house and you want to see where is your home. You cannot ascertain. But in the light, when the sun is up, you can see: "Oh, that direction is my house." Similarly, as in the sunlight everything becomes clear for our seeing, similarly, in touch with Kṛṣṇa consciousness everything becomes clear, what it is. So for a Kṛṣṇa consciousness person, these material activities appear to be merely false. Not false, but temporary. But he is eternal. Every living entity is eternal. He's interested with eternal happiness. He's not interested, I mean to say, temporary happiness.

So this is the process of understanding.

kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra,

yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

Just like when, wherever there is sunlight, there cannot be darkness. That is a fact. You cannot say, "Oh, sunlight and darkness, simultaneously they are existing." No. Actually in the open sunlight there cannot be any darkness. Similarly, as soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there cannot be any darkness for understanding what is, this material world is. That means the more you make advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the more you understand the nature of this material world.

Thank you very much. Any questions? I have finished little earlier to ask you. (end)

670116CC.NY

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.31-33

New York, January 16, 1967

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is the original sun; therefore wherever Kṛṣṇa is present there cannot be any ignorance or illusion. Darkness is compared with ignorance, illusion, sleeping, laziness, intoxication, madness; these are all darkness. One who is in the quality of darkness, these things will be visible in his person: too much sleepy, lazy, ignorant. Just opposite, the opposite number of knowledge. So these are called darkness. So if actually one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these qualities will be not visible in his person. This is a test of progressing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra

yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

Yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa: wherever Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. He can be present in His various potencies. He can be present by His name only. Just like we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa-He is present, because His name is not different from Him. That is the absolute sense. In relative sense… Suppose somebody calling me in my apartment, "Swamijī." Swamijī is here. The response cannot be. Just like in telephone. Yesterday Raymond was calling us by phone three thousand miles away. As soon as we took the, I mean to say, hanger, we could immediately hear him. If by material ways we can be touch in so swiftly, just see how much spiritual potency has Kṛṣṇa. Although He's not present before us, He can be present in so many ways. He can be present by His name. Otherwise, all these great ācāryas, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, would not have bothered themselves simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. There is actually presence of Kṛṣṇa. If you take any material thing… Suppose a very nice thing, a rose flower. "Rose flower, rose flower, rose flower"-how long you can chant "rose flower"? Say thrice, four times, ten times, twenty times. Any more, you'll become disgusted. This is the test. But Hare Kṛṣṇa you can chant twenty-four hours, you'll not feel tired. That is the test of absolute and relative.

So relative name and absolute name. Kṛṣṇa, if you always keep Kṛṣṇa in your presence, then where is the possibility of ignorance and delusion? No, there is no possibility. And this is the shortcut way of keeping Kṛṣṇa always with you on your tongue-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma… And if you are rigidly in this chanting process, you must understand that Kṛṣṇa is with you and there is no danger, there is no illusion, there is no māyā. Kṛṣṇa can be present by His fame. Just like we read something, we discuss something about Kṛṣṇa's activities-"Oh, He was present in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. He became the charioteer and He delivered the lectures on Bhagavad…" These discussions, that is also presence of Kṛṣṇa. Then His pastimes. Just like His līlā in Vṛndāvana or with any other devotees. There are many līlās. Then Kṛṣṇa's associates, those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa. If you speak about them, that is also a presence of Kṛṣṇa. If you talk about Nārada Muni, if you talk about Vyāsa Muni, if you talk of Lord Caitanya, if you talk Rūpa Gosvāmī-those who are, I mean to say, unalloyed devotees of Kṛṣṇa-if you discuss about them, then Kṛṣṇa is there. He is present by His name, He is present by His fame, He is present by His pastime, He is present by His associates. Anything in Kṛṣṇa connection, that makes Kṛṣṇa present in that spot. This is actual fact. One has to realize it, that's all.

So we may not… Just like the sun is so many millions miles away but he is…, sun can be present before us by his sunshine, his potency, sun's potency, energy. Similarly, these are all Kṛṣṇa's spiritual energies, and He is compared with the sun because He is the original sun. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. From the spiritual planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana, the glowing effulgence, brahmajyoti, is coming out. How it is coming out? That we can very easily understand. As the sunshine is coming out, emanating incessantly from the sun disc, similarly the real sunshine, brahmajyoti, is coming out of the spiritual planet Goloka Vṛndāvana incessantly. That is called brahmajyoti. Yasya prabhā prabhavato [Bs. 5.40]. And due to that incessant shining, all the shining which you are experiencing, even this lamp, even this electricity, fire, moonshine, sunshine, any shining, that is due to that brahmajyoti. So yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. In that shining, this material world, the spiritual world, they are resting. So impersonalists, they are concerned with the shining, that's all. The difference between the personalists and impersonalists is that impersonalists, they take that shining as final. But the personalists, they take, "No. Kṛṣṇa is final." That is their difference of opinion. Otherwise, both of them in the spiritual realm. And so far Kṛṣṇa is the cause of brahmajyoti, there are many evidences from Vedic literature. In Īśopaniṣad and other Upaniṣads, in Bhagavad-gītā also, the Lord says, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā: "I am the source of brahmajyoti." You'll find in the Fourteenth Chapter, last verse, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ jyoti. Is there any Bhagavad-gītā? You find out Fourteenth Chapter, last verse.

Satsvarūpa: The English?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Satsvarūpa: "For I am the abode of Brahman, immortal, and the imperishable, of eternal law and of absolute good."

Prabhupāda: That's all? So He's the source of brahmajyoti. So if we have such realization that Kṛṣṇa is absolute, and if we realize… It is a question of realization.

Now, when you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, if we chant mechanically, then the effect is different. I have already given you ten kinds of offenses there are in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So mechanical way of chanting is also another offense. So offenseless chanting… Of course in the beginning, neophytes, we are apt to commit so many offenses. But we should be careful that the chanting should be offenseless. Then we shall realize that Kṛṣṇa is present by His name. He is present. You'll realize and you'll have the same effect as you expect by meeting Kṛṣṇa personally. You can see Kṛṣṇa and you can hear Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute, there is no difference between seeing and hearing. That is the absolute sense. People give more stress on the eye: "Oh, can you show me Kṛṣṇa?" Oh, can't you hear Kṛṣṇa? Why do you give…? This is also one sense, that is also another sense. Do you think by seeing you'll understand everything? You are seeing so many things daily. Do you understand? So this is all foolishness, that "Can you show me?" Now we have got so many senses. So perception through any sense, because He is absolute, the same effect. Either you see Him personally or you hear Him. Rather, hearing is better because by seeing you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa is present, all people saw Him, but they could not understand Kṛṣṇa. But one who heard of Kṛṣṇa even five thousand years after, just like we are hearing, we can understand Kṛṣṇa as far as possible. So hearing is most important thing. You'll find in the Thirteenth Chapter, śruti parāyaṇa. Śruti parāyaṇa. Śruti parāyaṇa means one who is very much eager to hear about Kṛṣṇa, he's a very nice qualified man. So hearing is very important thing than seeing or touching or smelling. Hearing is very… Hearing is the, is so important. When all other senses are not acting, sleeping, no other sense is acting, as soon as telephone bell is called, you get up. No other sense will act. So hearing is so perfect. Therefore according to Vedic principle this hearing is very important thing. Hearing. And one who is very much eager to hear about Kṛṣṇa is very expert, because hearing is knowledge.

So if we hear Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa, His name, His fame, then Kṛṣṇa is present before us. And Lord Caitanya is giving another instance:

vilajjamānayā yasya

sthātum īkṣā-pathe 'muyā

vimohitā vikatthante

mamāham iti durdhiyaḥ

In the Bhāgavatam where describing the illusory energy… When Vyāsadeva wrote Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam he, first of all, he meditated himself in bhakti-yoga.

bhakti-yogena manasi

samyak praṇihite 'male

apaśyat puruṣaṁ sākṣāt

māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam

[SB 1.7.4]

Māyā ca yat, yaya sammohito jīva. So this māyā, Kṛṣṇa's māyā, this illusory energy, external energy, also saw. Vyāsadeva saw. He saw Kṛṣṇa, apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. He saw the Supreme Personality as well as His māyā. So māyā, yad-apāśrayam. Māyā cannot come before Kṛṣṇa. Because… Just like the sun. Sunshine, there ignorance or darkness cannot come, cannot approach. So he saw. Vilajjamānayā yasya sthātum īkṣā-pathe amuyā. The māyā is ashamed to come before Kṛṣṇa because she is entrusted with very thankless task. Māyā is entrusted by Kṛṣṇa to take the conditioned souls and take charge of them. And māyā has taken charge of all us conditioned souls, and her task is to punish, simply beating. So that is a very thankless task. She is discharging the duty entrusted to her by Kṛṣṇa, but everyone, especially the transcendentalists, oh, they are hating, "Oh, māyā, māyā, māyā." Nobody will like, transcendentalists, māyā. Either personalist or impersonalist. But she's engaged. Just like police. Police is engaged by the state, but nobody likes police. Everyone will criticize police. Thankless task. Because they, unless they become strict, unless they become red-hot iron (?) they cannot execute their duty. That is their way of punishing. But people do not like them. Nobody likes police. You see. Even a police comes all of a sudden here to sit down here to hear us, we'll suspect, "Oh, he has come with some purpose." (laughs) It is such a thankless task. Similarly, māyā is entrusted with thankless task. She cannot approach Kṛṣṇa, neither she is liked by the conditioned souls.

So here it is said, vilajjamānayā yasya sthātum īkṣā-pathe 'muyā. Why? Vimohitā vikatthante. And illusioned by that māyā, vikatthante, talks like a madman. What is that? Mamāham iti durdhiyaḥ. The foolish conditioned souls are absorbed in two things: "I am," and "mine." "It is my, it is I am." "I am the lord of all I survey," or "This is my country, this is my society, this is my body, this is my son, this is my children, this is my home." This is…, this is the absorption. Although nothing belongs to him-in a moment's notice everything finished-but still he's so much vikatthante. "O my society, my country, my father, my mother." So many, "Mine, mine." Nothing belongs to him, but he says always, "Mine, mine." "My" and "I." This is māyā.

So this māyā cannot approach to a person who is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the version of Lord Caitanya, and with evidences. So if we want to be free from the clutches of māyā, then this is the only path-to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. There is no other means. Because here it is clearly stated, kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama. Just try to understand the argument. Kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama: Kṛṣṇa is just like sun. Māyā andhakāra: and the māyā is just like darkness. It is darkness. So just you cannot imagine where there is sunshine there can be darkness. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is just like sun; how can you imagine that Kṛṣṇa and māyā can exist together? No. That is not possible. If there is māyā, there is no Kṛṣṇa. And if there is Kṛṣṇa, there is no māyā. This is the test. If we are still in māyā, that means I'm out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if I am actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no existence of māyā. And what is the symptom of māyā? Mamāham: "My country, my society, my father, my mother, my wife, my children, my property, my position, my, my, my." There is no end of "my," although nothing belongs to him. This is called māyā.

So the more we make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this "my" consciousness and "I" consciousness will vanish. Just like while eating, the hunger and weakness will vanish. When you are hungry, you have not eaten in three days, we become weak and we become hungry. So this is natural consequence. And as soon as you begin to eat, this weakness will disappear and the hunger will disappear, and satisfaction will come. There is no doubt about it. Similarly, if these two things cannot stand together, māyā and Kṛṣṇa, then if I am in Kṛṣṇa consciousness then there is no question of māyā. It may be that I'm not fully Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That may be. Just like while eating it is not that immediately my hunger is satisfied or immediately I get my lost weakness. Takes little time. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be a gradual process of advancement, but this is the rule. If we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there cannot be any existence of māyā, illusion. That is the test. If I am still in illusion, then I should understand that my business in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not progressing. This is the test.

'kṛṣṇa, tomāra haṅa' yadi bale eka-bāra

māyā-bandha haite kṛṣṇa tāre kare pāra

This is a very nice thing. Why Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not advance? Because due to our lack of surrender. We have got doubts that "Whether Kṛṣṇa consciousness can make me actually advance?" We have got doubts. So long we have got doubts, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not progressing. We should clear all doubts. That is, you have got, everyone has got right to clear doubts. Clear doubts. If you think Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man, then that is doubt. Ordinary. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍha mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. "Foolish persons, they think Me as ordinary man." But He's not. He's God. We should not be, I mean to say, detached from Kṛṣṇa because He's sitting on the lap of Yaśodā. Still He's Kṛṣṇa. There are instances. Therefore we have to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when He was only three months old, oh, very beautiful child… As beautiful child, He's taken care of other ladies and girls. Oh, it is very nice. So Pūtanā, a demoness, she, in the dress of a very nice girl, approached Yaśodāmayī, and she had the desire… Because she was the agent of Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was searching out to kill Kṛṣṇa. So she came with poison in her breast so that she'll take the child, and naturally, the child, they suck breast of lady. And as soon as Kṛṣṇa will suck the breast, and there is poison, it will die. That was his plan. Now Yaśodāmayī, she's very innocent lady. She came: "Oh, Yaśodā, you have got very nice child. Will you kindly give in my lap?" "Yes, yes. Why not? Take." And she at once put the child on the breast and Kṛṣṇa sucked. Kṛṣṇa sucked the poison and Kṛṣṇa sucked the life also. At once the demon fell, a gigantic body, and there was… "Oh, how He is powerful."(?) So He's all-powerful there in the lap of His mother. Yaśodāmayī thought, "Oh! God has saved my child! This demoness, they came to cheat me." Yaśodāmayī does not know that here is God on her lap. This is another māyā. This is called yogamāyā. If Yaśodāmayī understands He is God, then (s)he cannot, I mean to say, bring up the child just like her own child, ordinary child. Therefore she must be in ignorance, that she… Because there is the connection of love only. That's all. So out of love, as somebody forgets what he is or she is, similarly Yaśodāmayī constantly seeing so many wonderful things played by Kṛṣṇa, still she is thinking, "Oh, He is my child. These things are happening by some supernatural power. It is God's grace. It is God's grace that my child is saved." She is simply anxious to save her child. That's all.

So these things are to be studied, to be seen. Therefore unless we hear about Kṛṣṇa perfectly, then we cannot surrender. Therefore hearing is very essential. And kṛṣṇa tomāra… And when, as soon as we surrender unto Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa is very intelligent. He's more intelligent. At least two inches intelligent more. So how far I have surrendered, He knows. Simply artificially saying that "I have become Kṛṣṇa conscious," He can understand. He can understand. But if actually one surrenders, then there is no question of attack of māyā to him. All attack of māyā finished. But the difficulty is that we have got doubts, we do not surrender, we do not understand Kṛṣṇa, and therefore the difficulties always disturbing.

Thank you very much. (end)

670120CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.19-31

San Francisco, January 20, 1967

Prabhupāda: …by Caitanya Mahāprabhu to the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. They were convinced with the arguments and presentation of Lord Caitanya. And from that day, not only the sannyāsīs, but also the people in general, they also became very much admirer of Lord Caitanya. So,

lokera saṅghaṭṭa āise prabhure dekhite

nānā śāstre paṇḍita āise śāstra vicārite

And because He defeated the Māyāvādī philosophers, many other scholars also began to meet Him personally and talk with Him, argue with Him.

So this was going on naturally. Whenever a man becomes prominent, so many others, they come to challenge him. That is natural sequence.

sarva-śāstra khaṇḍi' prabhu bhakti kare sāra

sayuktika vākye mana phirāya sabāra

The speciality of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu was that He used to put very sound arguments, and He used to defeat His opponents in such a way that they were satisfied. They were not inimical. And with the evidence of śāstra. Not that argumentum vaculum. He was putting reasonable arguments and evidences from śāstra, scripture. Sarva-śāstra khaṇḍi' prabhu bhakti kare sāra. And the beauty was that He was defeating all other arguments against devotional service. He was establishing only that God is great, and we are meant for serving Him. On this basis He was arguing and He was defeating others.

upadeśa lañā kare kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana

sarva-loka hāse, gāya, karaye nartana

And the whole city became surcharged with Kṛṣṇa kīrtana. Everyone began to dance and sing Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. They may understand or not understand, but the infection was there that everyone was chanting.

prabhure praṇata haila sannyāsīra gaṇa

ātma-madhye goṣṭhī kare chāḍi' adhyayana

Now, so far the sannyāsīs were concerned, they practically gave up their so-called Vedānta study, and they simply began to discuss on the sublime presentation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and they were enjoying that.

prakāśānandera śiṣya eka tāṅhāra samāna

sabhā-madhye kahe prabhura kariyā sammāna

So after this incidence, one of the chief disciples of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he stood up and began to glorify Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the following words:

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya haya 'sākṣāt nārāyaṇa'

'vyāsa-sūtrera' artha karena ati-manorama

Amongst the Māyāvāda sannyāsīs, the etiquette is to address one another as Nārāyaṇa. They say, "namo nārāyaṇa," "Everyone is Nārāyaṇa." I address you, "namo nārāyaṇa," and you address me, "namo nārāyaṇa." A mutual praising society of Nārāyaṇas. Nārāyaṇa eko āsīt. In the Vedas it is said that only Nārāyaṇa was before creation. So after creation, all these living entities became Nārāyaṇa. This is their philosophy, that "There is no separate Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa has manifested pantheism. Nārāyaṇa has manifested Himself in so many varieties. And the varieties is closed; then again, Nārāyaṇa remains." So this Māyāvāda sannyāsīs, they address one another as "Nārāyaṇa." And Caitanya Mahāprabhu was also a sannyāsī, so he is addressing Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the supreme Nārāyaṇa, as the chief Nārāyaṇa. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). As it is stated in the Kaṭhopaniṣad, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the leader of all other personalities. He's also person, we are also person. But He is leader. Of all living entities, He is the supreme living entity. Of all eternals He is the supreme eternal.

So the disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he addressed Caitanya Mahāprabhu as the chief Nārāyaṇa, sākṣād-nārāyaṇa. "We are all imitation Nārāyaṇa, but You are the chief Nārāyaṇa." Vyāsa-sūtrera artha karena ati-manorama. "And Caitanya's Mahāprabhu's special qualification is that He presents Vedānta-sūtra in such a nice way that it is wonderful."

upaniṣadera karena mukhyārtha vyākhyāna

śuniyā paṇḍita-lokera juḍāya mana-kāṇa

"And He presents the import of Upaniṣad in such a way that everyone becomes pleased by hearing His explanation."

sūtra-upaniṣadera mukhyārtha chāḍiyā

ācārya 'kalpanā' kare āgraha kariyā

"So long Śaṅkarācārya, he has imagined some meaning, and therefore that is not so pleasing as much as Caitanya Mahāprabhu's interpretation." Not interpretation; "direct explanation."

ācārya-kalpita artha ye paṇḍita śune

mukhe 'haya' 'haya' kare, hṛdaya nā māne

"So we belong to this Māyāvādī sect. Although we hear the Śārīraka-bhāṣya of Śaṅkarācārya and we say, 'Yes, yes,' but actually, it does not appeal to us."

There is the important point of Māyāvādī philosophers. Every one of them, they say that "I am God," but actually he thinks within himself that "What kind of God I am?" That is the position. But for argument's sake they will play so many things in support of their views, but actually, any sane man will think that "What kind of God I am? I cannot defend myself from the slightest attack of this material nature, and still I claim…" But they cannot admit frankly. They think like that. That is being admitted here by the chief disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, that "Although we say, 'Yes, this is…,' but it does not appeal to our mind." He is frankly saying.

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-vākya dṛḍha satya māni

kali-kāle sannyāse 'saṁsāra' nāhi jini

Now he says that "What Lord Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, has said, that is very nice. And we simply accept this sannyāsa order. Oh, that will not help us. Simply by accepting, changing the garment, colored garment, and without understanding anything properly or dealing properly, that is not the way for salvation." Because according to Śaṅkarācārya, anyone who accepts sannyāsa, he becomes immediately Nārāyaṇa, God. He immediately becomes God. So that is being refuted by one of the disciples, that "This is nonsense, that simply by accepting and changing the garment I become God. This is not…" Actually, one has to understand things as they are. So therefore, the explanation as given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that is right.

harer nāma-ślokera yei karilā vyākhyāna

sei satya sukhadārtha parama pramāṇa

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has explained before them that "My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a fool. Therefore he has asked Me the 'Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " So "This explanation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very nice."

bhakti vinā mukti nahe, bhāgavate kaya

kali-kāle nāmābhāse sukhe mukti haya

So far salvation is concerned, nobody can be liberated without bhakti, without devotional service. Bhakti vinā, without devotion, or without love of Godhead, without attaining… That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So long one is not a surrendered soul to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no question of liberation from this material world. Bhāgavata says, śreyaḥ-sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho. Here's a nice verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is said there that śreyaḥ-sṛtim, the real path of salvation, śreyaḥ-sṛtim, bhaktim, that is devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śreyah-sṛtiṁ bhaktim. Bhaktim udasya te vibho. If somebody gives up the path of devotional service, kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye, and wastes time simply for understanding that "This is not Brahman, this is not Brahman…" That is the way of Māyāvādī philosophers. They scrutinize that "This is māyā and this is Brahman"; therefore they are called Māyāvādīs. Simply, what is not Brahman… They say it is one, but simply they distinguish, "This is māyā, this is Brahman." Why this is māyā? They say, wherefrom the māyā comes? Then it becomes dualism actually. Although they say that "We are monists, one," but they explain that this māyā is illusion. Māyā is temporary, and actually, everything is one. Eko brahma dvitīya nāsti. But the Vaiṣṇava philosophy is that "Yes… It is…" It is called viśiṣṭādvaitavāda. We also say, "Yes, one," but one in variety. There are varieties. We don't say that māyā is something external. Māyā is there. Māyā is there. It is not external. It may be inferior, as it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that material energy, the material nature is inferior. That does not mean infer… Some part of my body is inferior. That does not mean it has no existence. It is not mithyā. They say everything mithyā. Mithyā means false. So inferior part of my body there may be, but it is not false. Similarly, the māyā, māyā is not false. It is temporary.

So the Bhāgavata says, simply to understand "This is not Brahman, this is māyā, this is not Brahman," if you go on speculating and without any interest for devotional service or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then teṣām eṣa kleśala eva śiṣyate. So their advancement in self-realization is simply troublesome. Troublesome. They simply take the trouble of discriminating that "This is māyā, this is Brahman. This is false, this is reality." Because they have no other engagement. For a devotee there are so many engagements, but the Māyāvādī philosopher takes it for granted that these devotees' activities… "They are cooking for Kṛṣṇa or they are offering prasādam to Kṛṣṇa, they are decorating Kṛṣṇa, or they are singing for Kṛṣṇa, glorifying Kṛṣṇa-these are all mayic activities," they say. Because this bhakti-mārga is not appealing to them. They simply want to… Similarly, the bhaktas also say that "You are simply wasting time. Real thing is Kṛṣṇa. Just engage yourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa." They also say, "Kṛṣṇa is also māyā." According to them, Kṛṣṇa is also māyā. And Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā says that they are fools. How? Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā. Mūḍha means "The fools, they minimize Me. They decry at Me." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritaḥ [Bg. 9.11]. "Because I come as incarnation, therefore the fools, they consider…, or they deride at Me." Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto. They do not know the background of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mama bhūta-maheśvaram. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Supreme Lord." They do not know. Who do not know? The Māyāvādīs, they do not know. So therefore their labor of love for discriminating what is māyā and what is not māyā is simply troublesome. Teṣām kleśala eva avaśiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām. Just like the skins of rice, when it is taken, there is no more grain. So the grain is separated from the skin by beating. There is a beating machine in India. That is a crude, original way of separating the grain from the skin. So when the skin is out from the grain, if you simply beat the skin, no more there is grain. So similarly, if you make minus Kṛṣṇa, then the study of Bhagavad-gītā is simply waste of time and labor of love. That's all. "Not Kṛṣṇa." This means, this Māyāvāda philosophy means simply taking trouble. Bhagavad-gītā is all full…, simply Kṛṣṇa. To understand this, it is a science of Kṛṣṇa. And if somebody says, "It is not Kṛṣṇa," then what is that? Simply waste of time and labor. The same thing: the grain is taken out. Simply the skin, enjoy the skin. What is there in the skin?

So this is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that śreyaḥ-sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye. Bodha-labdhaye. They stress on knowledge. What is this knowledge? You can talk on any insignificant thing for many years. That is not knowledge. Just like in the present modern civlization, so many nonsense articles without any utility, or volumes of volumes of books are sold in the market. There is nothing, no substance. Take for this…, newspaper. Especially in your country, volumes of papers in the news. Just after glancing over, it is thrown away. That's all. No more use. Just as The newspaper is published early in the morning, and just in the afternoon it is useless, it is heap of paper only, because there is no substance. Nobody can take any interest. But see Bhagavad-gītā, it is, five thousand years before it was published, and a few pages only, and how much care is being taken after Bhagavad-gītā. Because there is substance. Similarly, if you don't accept the substance, simply if you are busy with the skin… In Bengali it is called cavara nie tanake (?). Cavara means skin. You have seen coconut. The coconut is covered by heavy, what is called, fibers. So if you give up the coconut and simply quarrel with the fibers, what profit is there? There is no profit. Similarly, if you give up God, or Kṛṣṇa, who is the essence of everything, and you make your advancement in scientific knowledge, in physics and chemistry and so many departments of knowledge, so according to Bhāgavata this is simply waste of time. Simply waste of time. But what we'll gain? Kevala-bodha-labdhaye. Suppose you understand in your human form of life the whole constitution of the universe… That is stated in Bible also, that "If somebody understands everything, but not God, then what does he gain?" Similarly, there is another verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that one may be very much expert to count even the atoms of the universe. You smash the universe and grind it into powder, and you just count all the atoms. That is possible . But still, it is not possible to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore who understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he understands everything. Tasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If somebody understand the Supreme Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, he understands everything because He is everything.

So we should not make progress in the negative way, leaving aside… Just like you do not know what you are. You are studying this body. If I do not find out who is the proprietor of the body, who is sitting in the body so that this body is so nice, fresh, and walking and moving… That you do not find. But you simply… You're studying, what is called? Physiological condition, anatomical condition, and metabolism, this or that. There are so many big, big names. But real, the proprietor of the body… The doctors are sitting, analyzing. But as soon as the soul passes, they cannot explain what happened, what happened to this meta…, I mean to say, anatomy and physiology. They stand fools. So this is going on. The essence of the thing, the essence of the manifestation, cosmic manifestation they have missed. They're simply analyzing the outward cover. That's all. That sort of analysis is compared here as simply beating the bush. That's all. (laughter) It has no value.

All right. (end)

670121CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.29

San Francisco, January 21, 1967

Prabhupāda:

…snapanaṁ paraṁ vijāyate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

harer nāma-ślokera yei karilā vyākhyāna

sei satya sukhadārtha parama pramāṇa

So one of the chief disciples of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he very much appreciated Caitanya Mahāprabhu's presentation of Vedānta-sūtra and excellent presentation of harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21], that "In this age there is no other alternative for self-realization than chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare," harer nāma, the holy name of God. So considering the fallen age at the present moment, God is so merciful and kind that He presents Himself as sound, sound vibration, which everyone can produce by his tongue and can hear, and God is present there.

So we have been discussing this… Śreyaḥ sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labhaye. Don't waste your time simply, "What is this? What is that? What is this? What is that?" Just immediately take shelter of the Supreme Lord. That is your immediate necessity. Because we do not know when death will come. So this is an opportunity. Suppose if you do something and if you are given ultimatum, the deadline, that "Within five minutes you must finish," similarly, this spot of life, in the comparison of our eternal life, it is only five minutes. But if five minutes is wasted simply for eating, sleeping, and for a little comfort of this body, and our mission is forgotten, oh, it is simply suicidal for you. Therefore Bhāgavata says, bhaktim udasya. Giving up the devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if one is foolishly simply engaged in understanding "What is this? What is that…?" That will be understood. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam etaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you understand Kṛṣṇa, if you understand the Supreme Absolute Truth, then there will be nothing unknown. Everything will be known because He is everything. Teṣāṁ kleśala eva śiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātainām. Such persons who are simply wasting time, "What is this? What is this? What is this?" their profit is simply labor of love, that's all.

Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. There is another verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto, Second Chapter, twenty-sixth verse. It is said there, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa. God is addressed, Kṛṣṇa is addressed as lotus-eyed. His eyes are very nice, so His another name is Aravinda, Aravinda-akṣa. Akṣa means eyes, and aravinda means lotus flower. So one devotee is praying: ye, persons those; aravindākṣa, O the lotus-eyed God. There are persons who, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta… They are falsely thinking that "I am now liberated. I have become one with God." Falsely thinking. It is just like on some purchasing matter that we have become one with God. Bhāgavata says, "What, fool, you have become one with God? You are being kicked by the laws of nature. Why do you think foolishly that you are one with God?" So ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Vimukta-māninaḥ means they are thinking that "I am now liberated. I have become one with the Supreme." Te, aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Their intelligence is not purified. In other words, it is very gentlemanly said, "Their intelligence is not purified." That means they are in the darkness of knowledge, or grand fool, in other words. So these grand fools, they think that "I have become liberated." They are being kicked every second by the laws of nature; still, they think that "I am liberated."

So such persons… He aravindākṣa, "O the lotus-eyed," āruhya kṛcchreṇa, "to become one with You, they perform severe austerity." That requires, of course… Śaṅkarācārya recommended monism. Oh, nobody can follow his strict principle. So we simply say that "We are follower of Śaṅkarācārya." You cannot approach even the shadow of Śaṅkarācārya. He was so strict and so disciplinary. He would… They are… According to Śaṅkara-sampradāya, everyone must take first of all sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means this renounced order of life. There is no question, those who are enjoying this material life, for them to understand Śaṅkara philosophy. It is another foolishness. Śaṅkara does not recognize anybody who has not accepted sannyāsa. That is his first principle. So Śaṅkara-sampradāya, they perform very austere penance and principles. They take three times bath at least, three times. And no clothing; simply one loincloth, one… And their possession is one loincloth and one wooden waterpot. That's all. Nothing more. And they will lie down on the floor. So their strict, I mean to say, renounced order is very strict. So they perform austerity. So Bhāgavata accepts their austerity. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32]. By their severe penances and austerity they come to the supreme position.

Supreme position means to come to the point of realization of Brahman. Impersonal realization of Brahman, that is not also a joke. It may be impersonal, but that position is very high. That is accepted. That Vaiṣṇavas, or the personalists, they also accept, "Oh, their position is very high." But the difficulty is that Bhāgavata says, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Although they come to the almost nearer, but, anādṛtaḥ patanty adhaḥ. Anādṛta, because they have no shelter. Just like… It is not joke. If you go up by a sputnik some few hundreds and thousands of miles, that is not joke. That is not to be ridiculed. But the danger is that if you do not have shelter, then you come down. If you have no shelter, then what is the use of going up? That shelter is Kṛṣṇa, that supreme abode or Vaikuṇṭhaloka, kingdom of God. So because they have no idea that there is kingdom of God or God is person, you can reach there, you can talk with Him, therefore they have no shelter and their intelligence is not purified, because they have not still completed what is actual knowledge. Actual knowledge, it is stated in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. That is actual knowledge. When he comes to the point of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrenders: "My Lord, I have simply wasted my time in this way. Now I understand vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], You are Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa. You are everything." That is the ultimate end of knowledge. And so long one does not come to this point, it is to be understood that he has no shelter. And because he has no shelter, he has to come down again. Again. Again to the opening of hospitals and giving medicine or so many things philanthropic, what the ordinary men are doing. What is the use of your sannyāsa, renouncing this world? Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Śaṅkarācārya's first principle is, "Give up this material world. This is all false, nonsense. Come to the Brahman platform." So if you go to the Brahman platform, why again you come to this nonsense platform? That means patanty adhaḥ. That means patanty adhaḥ.

There is a very big sannyāsī in India. His name is Karpatri. Karpatriji. So he is very learned scholar. And when he speaks about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he's such a learned scholar, thousands of people will come to hear him. Actually, he's a very great scholar. But he was very much respectable and he had many disciples, very, I mean to say, a man of position, a sannyāsī. Unfortunately he has taken now politics. He's after to take back Pakistan and join it with India. That has become his mission. So he is going to jail even-because political movement. So everything he's doing; now his sannyāsa is finished. Now no more Brahman. Now again India and Pakistan. That's all. So this is sure. Vivekananda came here to preach Hindu religion. Before that he had no idea of philanthropic work. And when he came back to India, "Oh, this is your religion. Oh, so many Indians they are suffering. So many Indians they have no shelter. Oh, give them shelter. Give them hospital." Now he became… And collected fund. Vivekananda started new religion, daridra-nārāyaṇa. Daridra-nārāyaṇa means the poor, poverty-stricken Bowery men, they should be served, not Kṛṣṇa. That is their mission. The Ramakrishna Mission means to serve daridra-nārāyaṇa. "Nārāyaṇa has become daridra." He has invented some words, "Nārāyaṇa has become daridra." You see Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, so opulent. According to Vivekananda, He has become poor now.

So these things are going on. These things are nothing. They are symptoms of falling down, nothing more. They are symptoms of falling down. They cannot do a bit of benefit to the humanity. The laws of nature is so strict that if you have to suffer, nobody can check you. That is realized of Prahlāda Mahārāja. There are so many evidences. Bālasya neha pitarau śaraṇam. So there are children. There are children. Of course, here a different…, but there are many children, they have got their parents, but they are suffering. Actually, children who have got their parents, they take care. But in spite of their parents being present, they are suffering for want of foods, want of proper management. Therefore it is to be understood that father and mother is not actually the, I mean to say, responsible men to take care of children. Then bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nārtasya cāgadam. Ārtasya, those who are suffering, for them, those who are suffering from disease, medicine is not all. Suppose one man is suffering. You give him all treatment and medicine. There are many rich men, they can spend like anything. But does it mean that he'll be cured? No. He may not be cured. He may not be cured. The parents, even in the presence of parents, the children may suffer. Udanvato, nauḥ. And suppose you have got very good, nice ship. Do you mean to say that you'll cross over the Atlantic Ocean safely? Oh, at any moment it can be drowned. There is no guarantee. You have got very nice jet plane, you are going to San Francisco. Oh, there is no guarantee that you shall reach there. So therefore, unless there is God's sanction, all these remedies, all these protection is useless. Useless.

Therefore the best service to the humanity is to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. That will save him. That will save him. Not this little hospital or this little foodstuff. No. That cannot save him. If God neglects one… There is a Bengali, two lines: rakṣe kṛṣṇa māre ke, māre kṛṣṇa rakṣe ke. If Kṛṣṇa, if God wants to kill somebody, oh, nobody can protect him. And if God wants to protect him, oh, nobody can kill him. If God wants to kill him, nobody can protect him. And if God wants to kill him, nobody can protect him. Both ways. One Dr. Ghosh, he told me… Because I was in medical business. He went to see one patient. He explained that "I went to see one patient. He's suffering from pneumonia, and he's so poor man, and he's lying in so unfavorable condition. So our medical science says he would have at once died. But don't see he's dying. He's not dying." I have tested this. One doctor at Gayā, he's a Muhammadan doctor. So I saw that many patients are, I mean to…, surrounding him. So when I saw him I congratulated, "Doctor, you have got very good patients. Your practice is very nice." So his name was Suvahi (?). He's Muhammadan. So, "Sir, it is not my credit. If you want my practical experience, I'll say you that with confidence I prescribe somebody some medicine, it fails. And without any confidence, just to take a chance, I prescribe some medicine, 'Oh, let me see if it…' Oh, it works nicely. So actually, I have no credit."

So that sir, he was honest man to admit, "It is God's grace that so many patients are being cured in my hand, but I say I have no credit." This is really. So we should not take any credit. Everything is under the laws of the Supreme Lord, through the agency of this material external energy. Just like a government is working under different departments, similarly, God is working under His different energies. That's all. He's sitting with you, He's seeing everything, He knows everything. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26]. He knows your past, present, and He knows your mind. As you wanted to do something, He will remind you, "My dear boy, you wanted to do this. Do it. And you wanted to place your hand on the fire. You've forgotten. Just place your hand on the fire and see. Test it." So this is going on. This is nature's law. And they are suffering. They are being kicked by the material nature, still, they have no sense. "I am God. I am God." These fools these rascals have created havoc in the world. Godlessness.

So Bhāgavata says that "They are," in a very polished language, that "their intelligence is not," I mean to say, "pure." Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Buddha means, buddhi means intelligence, and aviśuddha, not purified. Why not purified? Because they have no shelter. So in spite of their so much austerity, penance, Vedānta reading and jugglery of words, they come back again to the hospital. That's all. That is their business. So ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta bhāvād aviśuddha… [SB 10.2.32]. They are simply thinking they are liberated. This is not liberation. Liberation means to have Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is liberation.

'brahma'-śābde kahe 'ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa bhagavān

tāṅre 'nirviśeṣa' sthāpi, 'pūrṇatā' haya hāna

The Brahman, as explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's summarizing, Brahman means the greatest. Greatest means… How we can estimate greatest? "Oh, he is the greatest rich man. He is the greatest strong man. He is greatest man of knowledge. He is greatest the man of beauty. He is greatest man of…" That is God. That's all. You find out any person in this world who is greatest rich man-you won't find. Therefore nobody's God. You find out any man, he is the greatest strong man. There is no such thing. If you find me greatest strong, and after a few days you'll find, "Oh, Bruce is stronger than Swamijī." Then, if you conclude there, you'll find, "Oh, Dvārakādhīśa is stronger than Bruce." You go on. You find stronger and weaker, both. You'll find weaker than you and stronger than you. Even if you find an elephant-he's supposed to be the strongest animal-oḥ, the lion is stronger than him. If you think that lion is very strong, oh, you'll find gorilla is stronger than him. So there is no limit who is the strongest. When you come to the limit… So śāstra says that īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. There are so many īśvaras, gods, that's all right. But the Supreme Lord is Kṛṣṇa because nobody is found greater than Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was actually present and He manifested as ordinary man like us, in the history we find that nobody was greater than Him. At least, we can find out the Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. There is nobody in the world who could speak more than Bhagavad-gītā. Up to date. The man is so much advanced his knowledge, so-called, that they cannot put a literature like Bhagavad-gītā or they can understand fully. Even Dr. Radhakrishnan fails and other fails.

So God means the greatest. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains on that line. Brahman means the greatest, the Supreme. And how we can estimate one's greatness? These are the symptoms of greatness. So how He can be impersonal? If the Brahman is the richest, if the Brahman is the most beautiful, if Brahman is the most learned, then where is the question of impersonality? Can any impersonal thing become learned? Can any impersonal thing can become richest? That is… Who can challenge this explanation? If you say "God is great," then how we estimate God is great? These are the symptoms. He must be great in richness. He must be great in strength. He must be great in beauty. He must be great in knowledge. He must be great in renunciation. These are the symptoms of greatness. How you can deny it? Where is the… Now, if you say, "Our idea of great means the sky," oh, then God creates the sky; therefore sky is not great. God is great. Just like you see the sunlight distributed all over the universe. If you say, "This is greatest," oh, the sun planet is creating the sunlight; therefore sun planet is greatest, not the sunshine. So we are captivated, tribhir guṇamayī, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. We are captivated by the greatness of the three qualities of nature or the energies of God. And we do not approach God. That is our difficulty. We are simply amazed by seeing the wonderful activities of God's energy. That's all. But we do not approach God. Therefore we are less intelligent. One who does not approach God (and) simply is captivated by the display of His energy, they are called śakta. Śakta means appreciating the strength or the energy of God. That's all.

Thank you very much. (end)

670122CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.31-38

San Francisco, January 22, 1967

Prabhupāda: …Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu the disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī is quoting one verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in which it is said that simply for understanding, if you waste your time, but if you do not practically apply yourself, then it is simply a waste of time. There is a very nice story. In our college days in logic class of Professor Purnachandra Sen, he cited a very nice example, that a student approached his teacher and the contract was that he wanted to become a law student, lawyer, and the contracts were that when the student will appear in the court after being duly qualified as lawyer, then he will pay the remuneration of the student. This was the contract between the… So that the teacher may very quickly make him qualified. So teacher agreed, "Yes. I shall make you qualified within one year. So you have to pay me five million dollars," like that, something. So when he was qualified, passed his law examination, he said, "Now you come. You practice in the court." So he said, "No. I am not going to practice." "Then pay me." "How can I pay? If I practice, then I'll pay, but I am not going to practice."

So this kind of law student, that he has learned all laws and he has become lawyer officially by his degree, but he's not going to practice… So similarly, if we simply know what is Brahman and what is not Brahman, but do not practice, it is just like that. It is useless waste of time. If you become a medical man, but if you don't practice as a medical man, then why should you take so much trouble? Similarly, those jñānis and yogis, they do not take to the devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is practical. If you… So far, we are trying to be practically employed in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is our business. We may not be haṭha-yogi or dhyāna-yogi or this yogi or that yogi or a very learned scholar, that we can distinguish and interpret that "Not to Kṛṣṇa but to myself." In this way I can waste my time. But if I do not apply myself (to) the purpose, then what is the use of? That is stated:

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas

tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ

anādṛta-yuṣmad…

[SB 10.2.32]

Such class of men simply trying to understand what is Brahman, what is not Brahman, but practically, he will simply be engaged in material sense enjoyment. He'll not give up anything, even not smoking. Anything will not give up. Everything he'll keep in contact, but he'll discuss very scholarly, "This is not Brahman, this is Brahman." This is simply waste of time. Teṣāṁ kleśala eva śiṣyate.

Therefore such persons who are simply wasting their time in that way, if they think that "I have become liberated." So Bhāgavata says that their intelligence is not purified. They are less intelligent still, because the result of his being qualified is not being utilized. He's not engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The whole thing is that you have to meditate. Then meditate, you have to practice the haṭha-yoga. Haṭha-yoga is the practice for the person who is too much addicted to this body. One who has got very stubborn conviction that "I am this body," for them, such foolish creatures are recommended that "You try to exercise and see what is there within you." Meditation. But one who knows that "I am not this body," he begins immediately that "I am not this body; I am pure soul, and I am part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. So my duty is to serve the Supreme." It is very simple truth. If I am part and parcel of the Supreme, then what is my duty? That you can understand from any example. As we have several times discussed, the part and parcel of my body, these hands, legs, oh they are engaged in service of the whole body. The part and parcel of this body, hand, what is it meant for? It is meant for serving the whole body. Similarly, if I am part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, then what is my duty? My duty is to abide by the orders of the Lord. That is the version of all Vedic scriptures. And Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of all Vedic scripture. It says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You give up all other engagement. Just be surrendered unto Me and be engaged in My service." This is perfection.

So one who does not know this simple fact, then he may go on indulging, wasting his time by meditation, by cultivation of knowledge, by exercise, by pressing nose, or so many things. He is not in the, actually in the factual position. So such persons, in spite of their austerity, in spite of their severe penances… Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Although they realize that "Here is the Absolute Truth," or "Here is the light," or "Here is the essence," but because they do not engage in the devotional service of the Lord, or because they have no shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord, they fall down. Surely they fall down. The same example: you may go very high on a sputnik, ten thousand miles off from this earth, but if you have no shelter there, then naturally, you have to come back again here. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ [SB 10.2.32]. You may go high, very high. That's all right. But if you don't approach the moon planet or the Venus planet, or any other planet for which you started But these people, they are so foolish they are taking simply clap by wandering in the space a few thousand miles. They think, "This is our perfection. Because I have come so high, and 20,000 miles off from the earth planet, and there is clapping, 'Oh, sputnik has gone…' " But where is your result? The result must be you must reach to the moon planet. Then That is minus. Similarly, all these exercises, all this cultivation of knowledge, if they do not reach to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they are sure to come down again to these material activities. They are sure. Because they have no taste for Kṛṣṇa, they have to They will come again for opening hospitals and so on, so many activities, material activities.

Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. This is falldown. Patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. "My dear Lord, because they have neglected Your lotus feet."

'brahma'-śābde kahe 'ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa bhagavān'

tāṅre nirviśeṣa sthāpi, 'pūrṇatā' haya hāna

And Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that… Not Caitanya Mahāprabhu, I'm sorry. That disciple, the chief disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he's repeating what Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained about the Vedānta-sūtra. He also accepts. Yes. Brahman, the great, means He is great in all respect. He is great in richness, He is great in strength, He is great in power, He is great in knowledge, He is great in renouncement. Then He is great. So if a man is the greatest man in richness, greatest man in power, greatest man in fame, greatest man in knowledge, greatest man in beauty, then where is the impersonality? These are all personal qualifications. So Brahman, or the Supreme, or the Absolute Truth, cannot be imperson. Imperson may be a feature, but ultimately He is person.

śruti-purāṇa kahe-kṛṣṇera cic-chakti-vilāsa

tāhā nāhi māni, paṇḍita kare upahāsa

So śruti, śruti means the Vedas. The Vedas clearly say that all these manifestation, they are out of the energy. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. From this fountainhead, from the Supreme Source, the energies. Just like the electric light, it is very brilliant, illuminating. But this is energy emanating from the powerhouse. The powerhouse is person. It is managed by a person, executive engineer or resident engineer. So when you go, the government, United States, externally, ephemerally, it appears imperson, but if you go deep into the matter, you see that there is president, a person. So ultimately, a person, Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, ultimately. That is the evidence from all Vedic scriptures. Tāhā nāhi māni, paṇḍita kare upahāsa. And these impersonalists, they do not accept this personal aspect of the Absolute Truth, and they laugh at the devotees, "Oh, what they are doing? They are less…" They are thinking that the devotees are less intelligent. And the devotees, they are also thinking that less intelligent. But you have to decide who is less intelligent. If you, from the Vedic literature, if you do not accept the decision… And the essence of Vedic literature is Bhagavad, Bhagavad-gītā, and it is clearly stated there. When understood…, Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he clearly accepted Him that paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12], "You are the Supreme Lord, and nobody knows Your personality." So personality is accepted. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says that the verdict of all Vedic literatures is to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

cid-ānanda kṛṣṇa-vigraha 'māyika' kari' māni

ei baḍa 'pāpa'-satya caitanyera vāṇī

Now the disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī is admitting that "God is person, His body is spiritual, but we do not accept it." It is the greatest offense. It is the greatest offense. How it is offense? Suppose you are my friend, and if I say, "Oh, you have no eyes. You have no hand. You have no leg. You have no tongue…" "You have no leg" means you are lame man. "You have no eyes" means you are blind man. "You have no hand" means… That means I am calling you by all ill names. "You are blind. You are lame. You are nonsense. You are rascal." So are they not offenses against the friend? If I say, "You have no eyes," it is gentlemanly speaking that "You are blind." If I directly say, "You are blind," oh, will you be very happy upon me? No. If I say, if "You have no leg…" Suppose if I say if "You have no brain," that means "You are rascal. You are fool." So these impersonalists, they are always, I mean to…, trying to understand how God is eyeless, handless, legless, all less. Simply he has got eyes to see beautiful things. He has got his hands to touch nice things. No. These are offenses. According to Caitanya Mahāprabhu these are great offense against God. So therefore they are, life after life, they are studying this impersonalism, but there is no perfection.

This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. Simply by knowledge is not liberation. Otherwise, why it is stated bahūnāṁ janma? Janma means that is not liberation. If you have again to take birth in material body, that means you are not liberated. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is specifically stated, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. That means after many, many births. So their acceptance of material body will continue. But when he understands that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], when he comes to that point, that "God is everything. Kṛṣṇa is everything," then his perfection is there. Cid-ānanda kṛṣṇa-vigraha māyika kari māni ei baḍa pāpa. This is a great offense, sinful conclusion, that God is imperson.

nātaḥ paraṁ parama yad bhavataḥ svarūpam

ānanda-mātram avikalpam aviddha-varcaḥ

paśyāmi viśva-sṛjam ekam aviśvam ātman

bhūtendriyātmakam adas ta upāśrito 'smi

This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, Ninth Chapter, in which the Lord is prayed by Brahmā, that nātaḥ paraṁ parama yad bhavataḥ svarūpam ānanda-mātram. "The personality which I am now seeing, that is the highest goal, or the topmost understanding of the Absolute Truth." Nātaḥ param. There is no beyond. Even if you are in the consciousness of impersonal Brahman, there is far advanced stage. What is that? Or Paramātmā, the Supersoul understanding. And when you are in the Supersoul understanding you have to go further, because the Supersoul is a reflection, reflection. Of course, there is no difference between the reflection and the substance in the spiritual world. Still, it is reflection. Just like the sun. Sun is on your head, but his reflection can be perceived by everyone standing within this, I mean to say, under the sun. Suppose you are here. The sun is above your head, and you ask other persons who are five thousand miles or five hundred miles away from you, "Where is sun?" he will say that "Sun is on my head." So everyone will say, "Sun is on my head." Similarly, although sun is one, he is perceived that he is in everyone's heart, er, everyone's head. Similarly, the Lord, although He is one, He is situated in Vaikuṇṭha, but He is Brahman. He is the greatest. He is greater than the, far million, million times or unlimited timely greater than sun. Then He is reflected in everyone's heart. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Īśvara, that Supreme Personality of Godhead, is situated in the heart of every living being.

Now, this reflection, although there is no difference between this reflection of the Supreme Lord, Supersoul, and the Supreme Lord, still, He is not Supreme Lord. You have to still go further. You have to search out the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Brahmā said, "Now I am seeing Your personality. So there is nothing beyond this." Nātaḥ paraṁ parama yad bhavataḥ svarūpam. "Now, here it is Your real form or real identity." Bhavataḥ svarūpam. And what is that svarūpam? What is that identity? Ānanda-mātram. It is simply reservoir of pleasure. This is the form of Kṛṣṇa. Form of Kṛṣṇa means there is no shadow of any material contamination. Ānanda-mātram. Ānanda-mātram avikalpam aviddha-varcaḥ. And not that… Suppose we are sometimes happy and next time I am unhappy, but this ānanda is eternal. There is no cessation. Ānanda-mātram. Paśyami viśva-sṛjam ekam aviśvam ātman. "So I am seeing now personally viśva-sṛjam, the creator of the whole manifestation." Viśva-sṛjam, viśvam ātman. "And You are the soul of all manifestation." Bhūtendriyātmakam adas ta upāśrito 'smi. "So You are the original source of all creation, all body, all ātmā, all soul, everything. So I surrender unto You." This is one nice verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

tad vā idaṁ bhuvana-maṅgala maṅgalāya

dhyāne sma no daraśitaṁ ta upāsakānām

tasmai namo bhagavate 'nuvidhema tubhyaṁ

yo 'nādṛto naraka-bhāgbhir asat-prasaṅgaiḥ

Now, Brahmā says that "This form is bhuvana-maṅgalam maṅgalāya. This form, Kṛṣṇa, is meant for all auspicity for everyone." Bhuvana-maṅgalāya dhyāne sma daraśitaṁ ta upāsakānām. "Those who are observing You in meditation…" Meditation means to concentrate the mind only on Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. This is meditation. I do not know Nowadays so many meditators are there, they have no objective. Something they try to think of impersonal, nonmanifested. And that is condemned in Bhagavad-gītā, that kleśādhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām. Those who are trying to meditate upon that impersonal void, they are simply, I mean to say, taking unnecessary trouble. If you want to meditate, just meditate on Kṛṣṇa or the$ Paramātmā, the catur-bhuja Viṣṇu, four-handed Viṣṇu. That is the process of meditation everywhere recommended. So why should we go to the impersonal or voidness of meditation and waste our time? Yes.

Any question? [break] …jya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, that "You give up all nonsensical engagement. Just surrender unto Me." This is the purpose of Vedānta-sūtra, and this is explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And that astonished them; therefore they say that vedomāyā mūrti tumi sākṣād nārāyaṇa: "You are just the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it appears. And You are personified Vedānta. Therefore we criticized You formerly. Please excuse us."

Thank you very much. (end)

670123CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.36-40

San Francisco, January 23, 1967

Prabhupāda:

nātaḥ paraṁ parama sambhavata yad bhavataḥ svarūpam

ānanda-mātram avikalpam aviddha-varcaḥ

paśyāmi viśva-sṛjam ekam aviśvam ātman

bhūtendriyātmakam adas ta upāśrito 'smi

So the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is the ultimate goal. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, "There is nothing more superior than Me." So this statement of Bhagavad-gītā is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by this verse. Ānanda-mātram. In the transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is simply ānandam, blissful. We should note it that this body, our material body, is nirānandam, is without ānanda. We are trying to adjust to have ānanda, or pleasure, by the limited resources of our senses, but actually, there is no ānanda, bliss. It is all miserable. This miserable body is condemned in every, I mean to say, practically, chapter and every śloka, every verse.

Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti [SB 5.5.4]. Generally, people, they are mad, because more or less… Not more or less. Practically every one of us, we are mad. Why mad? Pramattaḥ, this very word is used. Pramattaḥ. Pramattaḥ means mad. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. This material nature's program is such that the conditioned souls who are here, they should live in such a regulated life that ultimately they can go back to home, back to Godhead, because we are sons of the Supreme Lord. We have come here to enjoy material, pramattaḥ svārthe, and we do not know what is our self-interest. We are thinking that "I am this body," and therefore a little sense gratification… Because the body means there are different senses, and if we can gratify the senses we think that we are happy. This is madness. Ṛṣabhādeva says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti [SB 5.5.4]. The only business is sense gratification. He says, na sādhu manye: "This is not very good." Sādhu means good. Just to distinguish between the body of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, and our body, here the body of Kṛṣṇa is said, ānanda-mātram. Ānanda-mātram, simply full of…, reservoir of all pleasures. So because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, we have also ānanda-mātram, simply blissful body we have got. That is called spiritual body. But because we have become mad, we have identified that this material body as "I am." Therefore And material body means sense gratification. There is no other alternative. To enjoy this material body means to gratify the senses.

So this sense gratification means, as it is said by Ṛṣabhādeva, na sādhu manye. "I do not think it is very good." Why? Yata asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ [SB 5.5.4]. If you act irresponsibly, without understanding yourself that you are not this material body, but you are spiritual body, then the result will be continuation of this material body one after another. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Therefore we are all abodha-jātaḥ, born ignorant. Because from the very beginning of our life we know that "I am this body." There is no education in the material world that we are not this body, we are soul. Although there are books of knowledge, just like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but nobody is interested. Therefore they are all mad. They are after the will-o'-the wisp, phantasmagoria, a wrong conception of life. Therefore all their activities are to be considered as defeat. Parābhavas, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. They are born ignorant, and they will continue to be ignorant, and they will be defeated by all their activities. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. So long he is not awakened to inquire "What I am…?" Simply under madness he is going after this bodily sense enjoyment, but he does not know that he is not this body. Therefore all his activities under this wrong conception of life are to be considered as defeat of his human mission of life. Yes. Just like the Supreme Lord is ānanda-mātram: simply ānanda, bliss, transcendental bliss.

Therefore there is another verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ramante yoginaḥ anante [Cc. Madhya 9.29]. Yoginaḥ, those who are actually yogi… Yogi means who are trying to reestablish their link with the Absolute Truth. They are called yogis. There are different types of yogi, but the real purpose of yoga means… The ordinary yoga means to find out the Supersoul within yourself, because Supersoul is there. Ramante yoginaḥ anante. So those who are actually yogis, they are not interested in this bodily sense gratification. They want unlimited blissfulness. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande. Satyānande means that is real happiness, which is never to be broken. That is real… Here, whatever we consider happiness… Actually, there is no happiness. But whatever we think that "This is happiness," oh, that will also break. It will not continue. That will also break. So those who are actually yogi, they also, they also enjoy. But how they are enjoying. Satyānande. Real happiness, ramante yoginaḥ anante. And that is unlimited. There is no end. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande cid-ātmani. Cid-ātmani, in full knowledge and eternity. Cit. Cit means knowledge. Here we do not know what sort of enjoyment we are doing. Cid-ātmani. Iti rāma padenāsau paraṁ brahmābhidhīyate [Cc. Madhya 9.29]. This is the meaning of the word Rāma. We chant daily Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Now, this word Rāma is explained in this way. Rāma means to enjoy life in the Supreme, transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead. That means dovetail your activities with Kṛṣṇa consciousness and you will be able to enjoy life eternally, blissfully. This is the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So in this verse we say, we see that Brahmājī says, paśyāmi viśva-sṛjam ekam aviśvam ātman: "Now, You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are the central point of all manifestation." Visvātman. Bhūtendriyātma, bhūtendriyātmakam adas ta upāśrito 'smi. Bhūtendriya. Now, everything creation… Here we see bhūta, there are so many, multi living entities, and they are enjoying what? Enjoying means with these indriyaḥ, the senses. So bhūtendriyātmakam. So these senses, this body, the spirit of enjoyment, and the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, these are the manifestations. So therefore, upāśrito 'smi. Brahmā says that "I surrender unto me…, unto You."

tad vā idaṁ bhuvana-maṅgala maṅgalāya

dhyāne sma no daraśitaṁ ta upāsakānām

This is the form which is searched after in meditation by persons who are engaged in yoga principle. Tad vā idaṁ bhuvana-maṅgala maṅgalāya dhyāne. Dhyāne means in meditation. Dhyāne sma no daraśitam: "We have seen this, this form." That means the perfection of meditation is, if one is serious about meditation and if he follows the rules and regulation as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, the sitting posture, and the place, and the procedure, and the modes of eating, modes of living… There are so many things. If somebody follows those regulation and meditates according to that, then ultimately he will see the Supreme Personality of Godhead within himself. Therefore Brahmā said that dhyāne, "While I was in meditation I saw this form." He revealed.

This form… How one does see the supreme form of Kṛṣṇa? Simply by the method of service. Otherwise, there is no possibility. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234]. If you be engaged in service attitude, then God will reveal Himself unto you. You cannot see God. You… By your tiny effort you cannot see God. This is not possible. Just like in the midnight, darkness, it is not possible to see the sun. You can see sun when sun itself reveals to you. Sun has got a time, say, 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. in the morning, at once reveals. And as soon as the sun reveals itself, you see yourself, you see the sun, and you see the world. And so long you do not see the sun, you are in darkness, the world is in darkness, and you cannot see. Similarly, without seeing the sun, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you cannot have actually the perfect knowledge of this manifestation of this world. The Vedānta-sūtra, or the Upaniṣad, confirms it: tasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātam bhavanti. One who has understood the Absolute Truth, for him, there is nothing unknowable. Everything becomes revealed to him automatically. He hasn't got to exert separately to understand or to study different departments of knowledge. But if he, by the process, if he is able to see, just like Brahmā has seen, then he knows everything. Dhyāne sma no daraśitaṁ ta upāsakānām tasmai namo bhagavate 'nuvidhema tubhyam: "The same Personality of Godhead whom I saw in my meditation, now I see face to face. I offer my respectful obeisances."

Then he quotes another verse from Bhagavad-gītā, which is narrated as, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. Those who are less intelligent, mūḍha. Mūḍha means… Mūḍha is generally called the ass. Mūḍha. So you can translate it that "less intelligent class of men." Avajānanti mām. When Kṛṣṇa was present… When Kṛṣṇa was present five thousand years before, not that everyone could see Him, because they had no such eye. Suppose if President Johnson comes before us immediately, but if you have no acquaitance, if you have no information of the feature of President Johnson or something, even if he is present we cannot see. We'll think, "Oh, he may be an ordinary gentleman. As others come, he has also come." Similarly, unless we know about Kṛṣṇa by the symptoms… There are two mistakes: to understand God as common man or to accept a common man as God. Both things are mistake. So one has to understand. That understanding is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. God Himself, Kṛṣṇa Himself, is describing about Himself, so there is no difficulty. But unfortunately, we have developed such material consciousness that even God describes Himself, even we see God face to face, because we have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we cannot see. Therefore we cannot see. So avajānanti māṁ mūḍha. Those who cannot see, they are described here as mūḍha. Mūḍha means foolish or less intelligent class men. So avajānanti māṁ mūḍha mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa says, "Because I am here amongst the human being as a man, therefore those who are less intelligent, they are deriding at Me." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam paraṁ bhāvam ajānanta [Bg. 9.11]. "Why they deride? Because they do not know what is My background." Paraṁ bhāvam. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanta, sarva-bhūta-maheśvaram. "They do not know that I am the Supreme Lord, and situated in everyone's heart. Because they do not know, therefore they deride at Me."

tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān

saṁsāreṣu narādhamān

kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān

āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu

[Bg. 16.19]

So if anyone derides the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then… That means we must have impetus to know. But one who has no such impetus, he is called demon, or asura. So asura, one who does not want to understand the position of God, for them, Kṛṣṇa says that tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān. Dviṣataḥ means there is a class who are always envious of God. As soon as you speak something about God, they become fire: "Oh, what is this God nonsense?" So they are dviṣataḥ. Dviṣataḥ means envious. They cannot even tolerate the name of God. "Don't talk of God." So it is not now individually infection; it is now worldwide. And therefore, the result is that the Communist party is developing all over the world due to this godlessness. And we have got experience, personal experience, in our selling our books, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I have seen many gentlemen, as teachers and educationists. As soon as he sees Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, "Oh, it is about God. Oh, we cannot purchase. We cannot purchase. Because it is God, therefore we have no connection with it. We cannot purchase." Such is the mentality. So that, by that such mentality, godless mentality, atheistic mentality, the people of the world, they are not happy. But still, they are fools. Because they are fools, they'll not take to God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But it is our duty to canvass, to request.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu's one disciple, Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he took up a nice principle: dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi. His principle was that he would go to a gentleman, taking a straw in the mouth. According to Indian system, if you take a straw in your mouth, and if you go to see somebody, he'll understand, "He is coming to me with most humble manner," so he'll receive you. "He's surrendered soul." So he will at least say, "Oh, what do you want to say?" So dante nidhāya. This is the sign. If you want to go to some big man, and if you take one straw in your mouth, he'll accept. He will receive you. That is the system. So dante nidhāya tṛṇakam. So Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says that "I have taken the straw in my mouth." Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya. "And I am falling down at your feet." Padayor nipatya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāham. "And I am flattering you in hundreds and thousands ways." Why? Why you are so humble? What is the intention? Kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi: "I want to say something. Please hear." "All right. Say it. What is that?" He sādhava, "Oh, you are very learned man and you are very honest man." He sādhava sakalam eva vihāya dūrād. "For the time being, so long I shall speak, whatever you have learned, please set aside. Please set aside." Sakalam eva vihāya dūrād caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: "Kindly hear for some time about the topics which Caitanya Mahāprabhu has presented before you." We are servant of Lord Caitanya. So, in the disciplic succession we are trying to present. The Caitanya Mahāprabhu's topic is yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] "Whoever you meet, please try to convince him about Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So in order to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says that "I have taken straw in my mouth and I am falling down to your feet and I am flattering you in so many ways. Kindly, for the time being, you forget whatever you have learned. Please try to hear about the Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This should be the preaching method. Because you cannot enforce. You cannot enforce. The atheistic party, the godless civilization is so strong. So you are not weak. You are protected by the Supreme. But our mission is not to fight, but our mission is to convince. So this is the method to be accepted by devotees, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to preach the philosophy in the world.

Thank you very much. (end)

670124CC.SF

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 25.40-50

San Francisco, January 24, 1967

Prabhupāda:

…saṁsāreṣu narādhamān

kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān

āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu

This is a verse from Bhagavad-gītā, that those who are deriding upon God, "God, there is no God; I am God," they are called asuras. Asuras, atheists, or demons. The demons… The Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa personally says that tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān [Bg. 16.19]. Those who are such envious upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the result is that they are thrown into perpetual ignorance, and born life after life where they cannot understand what is God. Because they want to forget God, therefore God puts them into such condition that they will never be able to understand what is God. This is the version from Bhagavad-gītā by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

That means the condition of the atheists are always abominable. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān saṁsāreṣu narādhamān [Bg. 16.19]. Saṁsāreṣu. Saṁsāra means this material entanglement. This is called saṁsāra. And narādhama. They are called the lowest of the human kind, because human life is especially meant for God realization, self-realization. So instead of realizing oneself and the Supreme Self, if one derides, doesn't want to understand what is God, what is God consciousness, what is Kṛṣṇa, he is to be understood as the lowest of the mankind, narādhama. Adhama means lowest. Or, in other words, he is an animal in the form of a man. Narādhameṣu. And birth after birth, such atheist is put into the species of life where there is no chance of understanding God. There are different species, we have discussed. Even in human society there are some species or class, that it is not possible for them to understand what is God at all. Not even the idea. Generally, even the aborigines, they have got some sense of God. Whenever they find something extraordinary, just like lightening, or a great hill, or a great tree, they offer their respect. So that is sense of God. Sense of God is there in everyone's heart. Unless he is an animal, everyone heart there is. Artificially, we try to drive away this obedience. But there are other Even in the civilized society, there are persons, they are put into such a circumstances that they will never be able to understand what is God consciousness or what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are so misfortunate. And as soon as one becomes godless or forgetful (of) his eternal relationship with God, then his life is immediately condemned.

sūtrera pariṇāma-vāda tāhā nā māniyā

vivarta-vāda sthāpe vyāsa bhrānta baliyā

ei ta' kalpita arthamane nāhi bhāya

śāstra chāḍi kukalpanā pāṣaṇḍe bujhāya

So that disciple of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī admitted that godlessness in Vedānta-sūtra is not the purpose. Actually, by misinterpreting the Vedānta-sūtra they want to establish that "There is no God; we are God." So after explanation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at least there was one convert amongst all the sannyāsīs, and he was glorifying Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Eta sei kare kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana. And while he was glorifying Lord Caitanya, automatically he began to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Śuni' prakāśānanda kichu kahena vacana. When his disciple was glorifying Lord Caitanya and His process of teaching, his spiritual master, Prakāśānanda, said like this: ācāryera āgraha-advaita-vāda sthāpite. He admitted… Ācārya means Śaṅkarācārya. He means here Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya wanted that there is only one Brahman and we are also Brahman, but he wanted his philosophy of monism. Dualism, God and living entity separate, they do not admit. They admit that God and living entity the same. It is simply for the time being covered, which is called māyā. Māyāvāda philosophy. So the Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī also admitted that because Śaṅkarācārya wanted to establish his philosophy of monism, therefore he had to cover the real meaning of Vedānta-sūtra.

Tāte sūtrārtha vyākhyā kare anya rīte jani. Anya rīte, in a different interpretation. He was a very learned scholar. If a scholar likes to present something in a different way… Just like an expert lawyer, he can get out of the entanglement of law by jugglery of words and interpretation, he is called a big lawyer, similarly, there are philosophers who can put different theories and not admit the existence of God. So Śaṅkarācārya's real purpose was no existence of God, because he had a very thankless task. He was dealing with the persons who are Buddhists. They did not believe anything except matter. So for them, to establish that there is God, it is very difficult. Therefore he adopted this means that "There is no separate God. We are all God. You are God, I am God." And a demonic person, if he is addressed, "Oh, you are God," oh, he becomes very happy because he does not become responsible to any higher authority. He becomes God. He can do anything. He can perform any nonsense. Nobody is going to punish him. It is very nice theory, that "I have become God. Because I have no more…" Suppose you yourself become the government of United States. Then you can do anything. It is very nice. "I am everything: I am president, I am secretary, I am everything. Therefore who is going to check me? I can do any nonsense." This is the basic principle of godlessness-to avoid the higher authority. Just like already in your country, that class of youngsters who are defying any authority. Not only in your country-in other countries also-that has become a fashion, to defy authorities. So this godlessness is also like that, to defy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no practically difference between Buddha philosophy and Śaṅkara's philosophy. Buddha philosophy says that the matter is everything. Beyond matter there is nothing, everything void, and the combination of matter is the source of our miseries. So you make a dismantlement of the matter, nirvāṇa-there will be no more miseries. And Śaṅkara's philosophy says that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. It is little, little farther advanced, admitting the spirit, but he says that spirit is impersonal. "There is no God. It is impersonal." So practically the same thing: ultimately, it is void or there is no God.

But Vedānta philosophy does not say that. Vedānta philosophy, from the very beginning it asserts that athāto brahma jijñāsā, "Now it is the time for discussing on the Absolute Truth." And what is that Absolute Truth? Janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] "Absolute Truth is the summum bonum substance from which everything emanates."

yei grantha-kartā cāhe sva-mata sthāpite

śāstrera sahaja artha nahe tāṅhā haite

This is the secret of modern fashionable interpretation. If you want to establish… Suppose you have got some conviction, and if you want to establish it by evidence of an approved literature… An approved literature. Just like Gandhi. Gandhi wanted to establish nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā. He was a… He is known to be a great student of Bhagavad-gītā, but he was not at all. His political theory was that he wanted to conquer over the enemies by nonviolence method. Nonviolent noncooperation, that was his, I mean to say, theory. He wanted to get away all kinds of nonviolence from the world, all kinds of violence from the world. So he wanted to prove from Bhagavad-gītā nonviolence. But how you can prove nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā? Because Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken in the violent battlefield. But because he wanted to prove nonviolence, therefore he says, "Oh, these Pāṇḍavas means this. This Kṛṣṇa means this. This chariot means this. These Kurus means this. Dharmakṣetra means this. Kurukṣetra means this." He has invented and manufactured so many rascal meaning that it is very difficult… He said that dharmakṣetre… In the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā there is the verse, dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ [Bg. 1.1]. Now the very word yuyutsavaḥ means persons who are desiring to fight with one another. Now, how you can prove nonviolence? But he extracts some meaning: "These Pāṇḍava means five senses and the Kurukṣetra means this body." In this way, his interpretation.

Therefore, all different interpretation… The Vedic literature, either take Bhāgavata or Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, or any Upaniṣad, the meaning is very clear. It is sheer foolishness to understand that "The meaning is vague, now I am clearing. I am a great scholar. I can interpret in a different way." So… As if Vyāsadeva left the meaning to be cleared by some rascal. You see? He was not himself competent to clear the meaning, but he left the work to be done by some rascal. That is their interpretation. But actually it is not. In every śloka, if you know Sanskrit, you'll see the meaning is clear. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ [Bg. 1.1]. There was actual some fight between the two cousin groups, and they fought at the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. That Kurukṣetra is still existing. If you go to India that… There is a railway station, Kurukṣetra. It is about 150 miles from Delhi. And people go there for pilgrimage. Therefore it is dharmakṣetra, a place of religious rites. And in the Vedas, Sāma-Veda, I think… I don't exactly remember. But one of the Vedas it is written that kurukṣetre dharma yajayet. In the Kurukṣetra, that place, if anyone wants to perform religious rites, he should go to Kurukṣetra and perform there. It will have better effect. This is the indication in the Vedic literatures. Therefore Kurukṣetra is still accepted. Those who travel, wander in pilgrimages, they go to Kurukṣetra still. The system is going on. If there is a lunar eclipse, they go to Kurukṣetra to make some charities. So Kurukṣetra is accepted from the very, very long period in the Vedic age as the place of pilgrimage. So it is stated there, dharmakṣetra. How can I interpret that this Kurukṣetra means this body? In which dictionary he finds this meaning? But people are so foolish, because Mahatma Gandhi has interpreted, "Oh, it is right." So this is going on.

So, yei grantha-kartā cāhe sva-mata… If anyone wants to establish his own foolish theory, he takes advantage of popular book and tries to explain in his own way. So in other words it is clear that Śaṅkarācārya, he wanted to establish this theory of monism, and therefore he has explained Vedānta-sūtra in his own way, but that is not the actual explanation. What Lord Caitanya said, that is real explanation. All of them admitted. And this Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he also admitted. Bhagavattā mānile advaita nā yāya sthāpana. Now, they wanted to establish the theory of monism, no difference between living entity and God, one; there is no separate God. Then, if admit, if it is admitted that God is the source of everything, then you have to accept duality. Because the source of everything and the everything emanated-duality.

tāte sūtrārtha vyākhyā kare anya rīte

'bhagavattā' mānile 'advaita' nā yāya sthāpana

ataeva saba śāstra karaye khaṇḍana

Because the whole aim was to get away the existence of God, therefore all the Vedic literature was…, were interpreted by Śaṅkarācārya in his own way. Still it is going on. That process is still going on. Although there are many, I mean to say, explanation of Vedānta-sūtra by the Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas. Just like Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya… Every Vaiṣṇava sampradāya has his own explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. Don't understand Vedantist means the monopoly by Śaṅkara sampradāya. No. But people in general, they understand Vedantist means Śaṅkara sampradāya. Because the devotee class, they do not give much importance to Vedānta. Because they read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is accepted by the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, especially by the sect of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as the real explanation of Vedānta; therefore they do not give any other explanation of Vedānta than Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And because the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya does not give very much importance to Vedānta-sūtra-because the explanation is there, they are reading actually Vedānta-sūtra-people misunderstand that the Vedantist, followers of Vedānta, is the Śaṅkara sampradāya, not this Vaiṣṇava sampradāya. That is their misunderstanding.

Actually, any sampradāya, either the Śaṅkara sampradāya or Vedānta-sampradāya, if they have no standing on the Vedānta-sūtra, they are not recognized. They are (not) recognized. In… The Indian system is, in the spiritual society, that if you have got any sampradāya, particular, then you must present your explanation of Vedānta-sūtra how do you understand Vedānta-sūtra. On the basis of that understanding you will be recognized. So the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, they are also Vedantists. And because Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, they are concerned with the bhakti, bhakti, I mean to say, cult, therefore our society, the Vaiṣṇavas, they were pleased to give me this title, Bhaktivedanta, that "You will explain the Vedānta-sūtra." So this Bhaktivedanta title was especially offered to me, and I do not know why. That's all.

So that Vedānta means bhakti, devotional service. That is the Vaiṣṇava philosophy. And Vedānta means, for the Śaṅkara sampradāya, that "There is no God. I am God." Mīmāṁsaka kahe īśvara haya karmera aṅga. You know there are six kinds of philosophies in India: the mīmāṁsaka philosophy; and Sāṅkhya philosophy; and nyāya-nyāya means logic-nyāya philosophy; then Māyāvāda philosophy; then Patañjali, yoga system, Patanjali philosophy; and at last, this Vedānta philosophy. So there are six kinds of philosophers. Out of them, only the Vedānta philosophy is compiled by Vyāsadeva. So it is considered that Vedānta philosophy only establishes the existence of God. All other philosophies, they do not admit the existence of God. They are atheistic philosophies. Mīmāṁsaka. Mīmāṁsaka means they have decided that "There is no necessity of worshiping God. If there is any God, all right, you do your duty nicely, and He will be obliged to award you the required result. Then there is no question of flattering Him." That is mīmāṁsaka philosophy. Just like in government, there are so many departments. So you need not to flatter him, but you do your duty, you pay your tax, you abide by the laws, then everything will be right. You need not worship any person. That is their philosophy, mīmāṁsa karma-mīmāṁsa. Everyone is… Under the spell of karma, everyone is suffering or enjoying as the result of his past deeds. So the karma-mīmāṁsaka philosopher says, "There is no necessity of worshiping God. You do your duty." Just like some moralists say that "What is the use of God, God, Hare Kṛṣṇa? Just do your duty." But he does not know that what is his duty. The duty is only to worship God, and nothing more. That is the duty. All other duties are māyā's spell only. There is no other duty. Because this human life is meant for that duty. The animals cannot execute that duty. Only the human being. Therefore our only duty is to understand God and engage ourself in that way. So these different kinds of philosophies are there. We shall gradually discuss.

Thank you very much. (end)

Śrī Īśopaniṣad Lectures

700427IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad Invocation Lecture Excerpt

Los Angeles, April 27, 1970

Prabhupāda: There is complete facility because pūrṇam, whatever is done by Kṛṣṇa, that is complete. You cannot find out any flaw in it. His potencies are so complete that svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Just like a child, if you laugh, immediately crying response. So these things are not to be learned. Svābhāvikī, automatically. Similarly, because Kṛṣṇa, or God, is complete, whatever He does, it is complete. You cannot find out any flaw. You cannot say, "Oh, why God has done this?" Just like sometimes some foolish persons, they say, "Why God has made somebody poor and somebody rich?" This is most foolish question. Yes. If God has done it, then it is complete. There is no flaw. Just like if the state orders somebody to be murdered, to be killed, that is complete. You cannot find out any law, er, any flaw. That is complete execution of the law. So if we cannot find out in man-made laws, how we can find out a fault in God-made laws? That is not possible.

So if you want to get out of this entanglement, there is complete arrangement, facility, complete facility. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam [Bg. 10.10]. There is another verse, that "Those who are engaged in devotional service," Kṛṣṇa says, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham [Bg. 9.22], "I take personal charge for their maintenance." This is complete arrangement. Just look to the karmī world. Now, so far we are concerned, we have to pay installment, two thousand dollars for this house, and we have to spend another two thousand dollars for our maintenance. So four thousand, five thousand dollars we are spending. Can any karmī depend like that? Take practical example. Can they depend for paying five thousand dollars bills without any arrangement? They will have no sleep at night. And we are freely moving, because we are sure that Kṛṣṇa will provide, and He is providing. Go anywhere in the karmī's world. Find out such nice place, just like our temple. There is none. Whole Los Angeles city, you cannot find. Such beautiful faces, such bright faces, you cannot find anywhere. So this is complete facility. If you want to take advantage of your life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is complete facility. Come to the practical point. There is no theoretical. It is practical, experimented.

So therefore there is complete facility for the small complete units. We are complete units, small. God is great and we are small. So small… Just like a big machine, and there is a small screw. So the complete facility, completeness of that small screw, is to become fitted in the particular place. Then it has got value. And if it is out of touch of the machine, falls down, it has no value. So complete facility is there. Just yourself dovetail into that hole and the screw is placed there, oh, it has value. When a screw is lost, you have to purchase from the store at the cost of two dollars. And when it is fallen down, it is not even worth one cent. The same screw. [break] So we are complete units so long we are attached to Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise useless.

ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād

ātma-prabhavam īśvaram

na bhajanty (avajānanti)

sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ

Why India is fallen down? Because the so-called rascals, they are claiming that "I am brāhmaṇa." But what is our occupation, sir? "Oh, I am serving as a coolie." Is that brāhmaṇa's business? Actually I have seen, India, a person, telawalaji (?), born of a brāhmaṇa family, and he's pulling hand cart with great labor. And some foolish person also offering respect, and he is offering blessings while drawing the cart. (laughter) I have seen it. You see? These things are going on. He does not know that "Now I am fallen. Why should I claim as brāhmaṇa? I am cheating."

So one should keep in his own position. If you want to become a brāhmaṇa, then you keep your position as the mouth of the Lord. Simply if you take thread ceremony and become something else, no, then you don't take the advantage, facility. Mouth of the Lord is when Kṛṣṇa speaks from His mouth. He spoke the Bhagavad-gītā from His mouth. So if you keep yourself to the business of His mouth, then you have to preach. Then you are a brāhmaṇa. Mukha-bāhūru-pāda-jāḥ. As we have got divisions in this body-this mouth, the arm, the belly, and the leg-similarly, the gigantic body of Kṛṣṇa, virāṭ-puruṣa, His mouth is these brāhmaṇas, His arms are the kṣatriyas, His belly is the vaiśyas, and the legs are the śūdras. Or the brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. So they have got different position in the different parts of the body of the whole, complete whole. So if you keep to your position and act like that, take the facility, then you are complete. Otherwise, like the screw, you are thrown away. You have no value.

So here it is stated, "There is complete facility for the small complete units, namely the living being, to realize the complete." To realize the complete, what is my relationship with the complete. "And all forms of incompleteness are experienced only on account of incomplete knowledge of the complete." We are thinking that "I am equal to God. I am God." This is incomplete knowledge. But if you know that "I am part and parcel of God," that is complete knowledge. The Māyāvādī philosophers, the atheists, they are claiming that "Who is God? I am God." That is incomplete knowledge. "The human form of life is a complete manifestation of the consciousness." Now, this complete consciousness you can revive in this human form of life. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand. So if you don't take the facility, then you are ātma-hanaḥ janāḥ. You are killing yourself, committing suicide. As it is said, ātmā andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ. After death, pretyābhi… Pretya means after death. So don't be ātma-hano janāḥ. Utilize your life in complete facility. That is our business.

Thank you. (end)

700428IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad Invocation Lecture

Los Angeles, April 28, 1970

Gargamuni: It's on page twelve, almost in the middle. The second paragraph. "The universe has its own time, fixed by the energy of the complete whole, and when that time is complete, this temporary manifestation will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the complete."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything in this material world, it has got a fixed time. And within that fixed time there are six kinds of changes. First birth, then growth, then to stay, then to produce by-product, then dwindling, then vanish. This is the law of material nature. This flower takes birth, just like a bud, then grows, then stays for two, three days, then it produces a seed, by-product, then dries up gradually, then finish. (aside:) You sit down like this. So this is called ṣaḍ-vikāra, six kinds of changes. So you cannot stop this by your so-called material science. No. This is avidyā. People are trying to save themselves, and sometimes talking foolishly that by scientific knowledge man will be immortal. You cannot stop the process of the material laws. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. The process of material nature, which is composed of three qualities-sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa… Tri-guṇa. Another meaning of guṇa is rope. Just like you have seen rope, they're twisted in three process. First of all thin rope, then three of them, they are rolled, then again three of them rolled, then again three. It becomes very strong. So these three qualities, sattva, raja, tamo-guṇa, they are mixed up. Again they produce some by-product, again mixed up, again mixed up. In this way eighty-one times they're twisted. So guṇamayī māyā, binding you more and more. So you cannot get out of this binding of this material world. Binding. So therefore it is called apavarga. This process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness means nullifying the pavarga process.

Yesterday I was explaining what is this pavarga to Gargamuni. This pavarga means the line of the alphabet pa. You know, those who have studied this devanāgarī. There are devanāgarī alphabets, ka kha ga gha na ca cha ja jha na. In this way five set, one line. Then come the fifth set, comes pa pha va bha ma. So this pavarga means pa. First of all pa. Pa means parava, defeat. Everyone is trying, struggling very hard to survive, but defeated. First pavarga. Pa means parava. And then pha. Pha means foaming. Just like horse, when working very hard, you'll find some foams coming out of the mouth, we sometimes also, when we are very tired after working very hard, the tongue becomes dry and some foam comes. So everyone is working very hard for sense gratification, but defeated. The pa, pha, and va. Va means this bondage. So first pa, second pha, the bondage third, then va, bha. Bha means beating, fearfulness. And then ma. Ma means mrtyu, or death. So this Kṛṣṇa conscious process is apavarga, apa. A means none. Pavarga, these are the symptoms of this material world. And when you add this word a, apavarga, that means it is nullified.

So… (aside:) You can sit down. This apavarga-vartmani. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the path of apavarga, nullifying these pavargas.

satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido

bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ

taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani

śraddhā (ratir) bhaktir anukramiṣyati

[SB 3.25.25]

Satāṁ prasaṅgān. This discussion, this is called satāṁ prasaṅgān, discussion. Just like there are many conferences, assembly, they have got different types of talks. Just like we were discussing last week, śrotavyādīni rājendra… [SB 2.1.2], apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Discussion. Those who are blind for self-realization, they do not take care, they have got many things to discuss. But so far Kṛṣṇa conscious people are concerned, their subject matter of discussion is one: apavarga-vartmani, the path of disintegration. How it is happen? Satāṁ prasaṅgān. When you form this society, Kṛṣṇa conscious society, and you discuss about this apavarga from the authoritative literature, just we are doing, then it becomes relishable. You cannot discuss all these thing with a storekeeper. That will be not relishable. Satāṁ prasaṅgān, amongst the devotees. If you take this Īśopaniṣad and you ask one butcher or a man like that, "Come on. We shall discuss," he'll throw away. The other day we were coming on this Venice Boulevard. Gargamuni gave one card to a boy. You remember? (laughs) He immediately threw away. They have no taste. So you cannot discuss all this transcendental knowledge with these demons. Satāṁ prasaṅgān. Therefore you have to discuss… Therefore we are opening so many centers, that people may take advantage of his society. Because anywhere else he'll not have the opportunity. His life is being spoiled. The modern civilization is like that. It is a killing civilization, ātma-hā. Ātma-hano janāḥ. All these people are killing themselves because they do not know what is life; simply like animal or living. The animal does not know what is life, but he is under the laws of nature, evolution, going on. But when you get this human form of life, there is responsibility. You have to chalk out. Here is a chance you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious and make your life solve all problems. If not, then again go to the cycle of birth and death again, 8,400,000. It will take many, many millions of years again to come back. Just like the sunshine you will see after twelve hours, twenty-four hours, morning. Everything is a process. Process. So if you lose this opportunity of elevating yourself, then again you come to the process. Nature's law is very strong. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī [Bg. 7.14]. The sooner you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Such person is able to overcome this process of material nature.

So here it is said the universe has its own time, fixed by the energy of the complete whole. Universe is also big gigantic body, material body. That's all. Just like your body; everything is relative. Modern science, the law of relativity. An atom, a small particle, small ant, so it has got a relative life, you have got relative life. Similarly this gigantic body, it may be many millions of years this universe will exist, but it will not exist forever. That is a fact. Because it is very gigantic, therefore it may remain for some millions of years, but it will end. That is the law of nature. And when that time is complete, this temporary manifestation will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the complete, the supreme complete. When your time will be complete, no more, sir, in this body. Nobody can check. The arrangement is so strong. You cannot say, "Let me remain." Actually it happens. When I was in India, Allahabad, one of our, an old friend, he was very rich man. So he was dying. So he was requesting the doctor, "Can you not give me at least four years to live? I have got some plan, you see. I could not finish it." You see. Āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ. This is demonic. Everyone thinks that "Oh, I have to do this. I have to do this." No. The doctors or doctors' fathers or his father, no scientist can check. "Oh, no, sir. No four years. Not even four minutes. You have to go immediately." This is the law. So before that moment comes, one should be very dexterous to realize Kṛṣṇa conscious. Tūrṇam yateta. Tūrṇam means very swiftly, very quickly you should realize Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anu… Next, before the death, next death comes, you must finish your business. That is intelligence. Otherwise defeat.

Thank you. (end)

681030IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 1

Los Angeles, October 30, 1968

(incomplete lecture)

Prabhupāda: Open the page. Read.

Devotee: Page eighteen. Page eighteen. "The root of sin is deliberate disobedience to the laws of nature through not recognizing the proprietorship of the Lord; disobedience to the laws of nature, or disobedience to the order of the Lord of a human, to the human being. On the other hand, if one is sober and knows the laws of nature, without being influenced by unnecessary attachment or abhorrence, he is sure to be recognized again by the Lord and thus become eligible for going back to Godhead, back to the eternal home." [Īśo mantra 1]

Prabhupāda: Hmm. So the natural law, without being influenced by unnecessary attachment, or abhorrence. There is no need of attachment for this material world; neither there is need of abhorrence. That is īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Suppose we are sitting in this temple. So, of course, for temple we should have attachment. Ordinary home, or ordinary house, temple… We must explain. The temple is transcendental. According to Vedic civilization, to live in the forest is residential quarter in goodness, to live in the forest. Therefore, formerly, great sages and saintly persons, they used to go to the forest and live there. And the government would give them protection. The king's duty was to supply them food. What sort of food? The king used to give them in charity cows, nice cows. So they would take little milk, and whatever fruits are available in the forest, that was sufficient for them. And the king would sometimes hunt ferocious animals so that they may not disturb. But actually, they do not disturb saintly persons still. So to live in the forest is in the mode of goodness, and to live in the city, or town, is…, is in the mode of passion, and to live in slaughterhouse and brothel and drunkards, these are the residential quarter in ignorance. And to live in the temple is transcendental, above goodness, pure goodness. In the material world goodness is sometimes mixed up with ignorance and passion, but in the spiritual world there is pure goodness-no contamination or tinges of passion and ignorance. Therefore it is called śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva. Śabdam, sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam: "That pure goodness is called Vasudeva, and in that pure goodness one can realize God." Therefore God's name is Vāsudeva, "produced from Vasudeva." Vasudeva is the father of Vāsudeva.

So unless we come to the standard of pure goodness, without any tinge of passion and ignorance, it is not possible, God realization. Therefore bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167], jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Jñāna is the platform of goodness, and karma is the platform of passion and ignorance. So bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ [Cc. Madhya 19.167], without any material desires, devoid of, freed from all kinds of material desire and uncovered by ignorance, passion and goodness. Goodness also. To become very good man in this world, that does not mean that he is freed from this material contamination. He's contaminated by the goodness quality. Just like Arjuna. He wanted to be very good man. Kṛṣṇa said, "Now fight." He said, "Oh, how can I fight? Oh, they are my brothers, they are my grandfathers. No, no, no. Better I shall beg. I don't want this kingdom." So this is material goodness. People appreciate very much: "Oh, just see. Arjuna is giving up claim on the kingdom." But what Kṛṣṇa replied? Kṛṣṇa said, "Wherefrom you got this foolish idea?" Kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam, anārya-juṣṭam: "This is for non-Aryans, not for Aryans." So this so-called goodness, so-called gentlemanliness, has no value in the spiritual world. Spiritual world-complete love of God, without any attachment for this… So Arjuna, this goodness, means attachment for his family. That's all. He was becoming a good man. Why? Because there is attachment for his family, for his grandfather, for his brother, nephews. So, so long there is attachment for this material world, either in the form of goodness or passion or ignorance, they're all the same. In the transcendental platform… Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that in this material world, the divisions that "This is good, and this is bad," they are simply mental concoction. The same example: the stool dried up is good, and the wet is not good. Stool is stool. That's all. For a devotee, this is stool. Either it may be dried up or moist, it doesn't matter. So those who are in ignorance and passion, they're little moist, and those who are in goodness, they're dried up. But after all, it is stool. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. There is no consideration of this goodness or badness. You have to give up all material attachment. And abhorrence. Abhorrence is also another negative attachment. "I don't like this." That means I have attachment for this "don't like." You see? [break] A devotee is simply attached to the service of the Lord and… (end)

700429IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 1

Los Angeles, April 29, 1970

Gargamuni: (chants Mantra One, transliteration, etc.)

īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ

yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat

tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā

mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam

[Īśo mantra 1]

"Translation: Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one must not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong."

Prabhupāda: Now, here is a statement that everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. What you are, inanimate or animate?

Devotees: Animate.

Prabhupāda: Animate. Do you think you are controlled or not controlled?

Devotees: Controlled.

Prabhupāda: Is there any person here who is not controlled?

Devotees: No.

Prabhupāda: Or anywhere within this universe who is not controlled? Can anyone say that "I am not controlled"? Nobody can say. So if you are controlled, then why you are going to declare yourself that "I am uncontrolled. I am independent. I am God"? Why this nonsense? If you are controlled… Is God, does it mean that He is controlled? They are claiming that "I am God." Is there any meaning? If I am controlled, then how I can become God? This is commonsense affair. Therefore this Māyāvādī philosophy that "Everyone is God. I am God; you are God…," Just like the other, who was speaking, that Meher Baba's… Yes. That he was speaking, "I am God, you are God." So God is never controlled. If somebody is controlled, immediately he is not God. This is simple definition, that God is not controlled. If somebody claims that he is God, then first of all question "Whether you are controlled or not controlled?" Common sense. Nobody can say that he's not controlled. I have seen a rascal, he has got a society and he is preaching this, that "I am God." But one day I saw him, he had some toothache, and he was doing, "ohhh." (laughter) So I questioned him that "You claim that you are God, and now you are simply under the control of toothache. So what kind of God you are?" (laughter) You see. So these societies, those who are claiming that "I am God. You are God. Everyone God"-God has become so cheap that everyone is God-you immediately should know he's a rascal number one. Immediately. As soon as he says, "I am God," you must know that "Here is a rascal number one."

So nobody is uncontrolled. Now, so many big, big planets, huge planets… This earth planet is only… It's a minute, small planet, and still, you'll see, on this planet there are so big oceans like Atlantic and Pacific, and so big mountains, and what to speak of your skyscraper buildings. With all this load it is floating in the air just like a swab of cotton. Who is controlling? Can you float even a small piece of grain in the space? You can say "Law of gravity" and so many other things, but you cannot utilize it. Or you can put it in… Your machine, airplane, is running on the space-but so long the machine is working. As soon as your petrol is finished, immediately it will fall down. Immediately. But these big, big planets… This is only one of the small. The sun planet is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. So that is also… We can see the sun is floating in one corner of this big space. So how you can say that it is not controlled, it is floating out of its own self? No. The answer is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "I enter into this material planets, and then I keep it floating." Gām āviśya aham [Bg. 15.13], dhārayāmy aham ojasā. Dhārayāmy aham ojasā. Something mak… Just like you float this airplane; so somebody has entered within it, that driver or pilot. So actually, he is keeping this airplane floating, not the machine. This is simple truth. So if you take this analogy, then this planet is floating, there must be somebody entering here. Somebody must have entered. So Kṛṣṇa says, "I have entered." So what is the difficulty to understand how it is keeping floating? The analogy is there. Everyone can understand that this big airplane is floating in the sky because the pilot has entered within it. Similarly, if this planet is floating, then somebody, either you or somebody, God, has entered it. And that answer is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "I enter into these planets and therefore I keep them floating." That is our answer. And the scientists, they say the law of gravitation… How far it is true…

But we have to take knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. Our process is that. We don't accept any other process of knowledge. Our knowledge is to receive the knowledge from the authority, and that is fact. That is first-class knowledge. If you get one authority who can speak on the subject matter, and if you take that knowledge, that is perfect. There are three kinds of processes to receive knowledge. The first: we believe direct sense perception, pratyakṣa. Just like somebody says, "Can you show me God?" That means they are Pratyakṣavādi. They want to see everything direct, experience everything directly. This class of men says that "Can you show me God?" But this is not first-class knowledge. Suppose you ask me, "Can you show me God?" I say, "Yes, I can show you God." "Show me." "I'll show you. So this is God." Will you believe it? Suppose you are asking me, "Can you show me God?" I say, "Yes, I can show you." "What is that God?" "Here is God," I say. So will you accept it that this microphone is God? What is the answer? Huh? Why no?

Viṣṇujana: Doesn't have the qualifications.

Prabhupāda: No. If you ask me, "Can you show me God," I show anything, whatever I like, "Yes, here it is, God…" Or why God? Suppose you go to a store. So you ask something, "Can you give me gold?" He'll give you a scrap of iron: "Yes, here it is gold. Take it." So what you will say? What will be the answer? Huh? If you ask… You go to a storekeeper. You do not know where to purchase gold, but you are in need of some gold, and you go to a storekeeper and ask him, "Have you got gold in stock?" So he'll immediately understand that here is a rascal number one, because he has come to purchase gold in a store, ordinary store. If one has to purchase gold, he must go where gold is sold. But he has come to ordinary store to purchase; therefore he's a first-class rascal. So therefore he'll try to cheat him: "Here is a gold." He gives a piece of iron. Then what he will say? He will accept that iron as gold? Huh? Why no? He does not know what is gold, and he has gone to a store to purchase it, and he gives him one piece of iron, "Here is gold." So he'll purchase it. He'll be cheated. Similarly, those rascals who say that "Can you show me God?" so they must know what is God; otherwise he'll be cheated. That is being done.

So if you want to purchase gold, at least you must have some preliminary knowledge what is gold. Characteristics. Just like in the chemical laboratory, they test. Suppose in the pharmacy or… This is the government law, that whatever you accept some chemicals or some drug, you must test it, and the testing characteristics are stated there. Just like soda bicarb: the color is like this, the constitution is like this, the reaction is like this, the taste is like this. So a chemist in the laboratory corroborate the characteristic, then accept it, "Yes, it is soda bicarb." Similarly, if you want to know God, of if you want to see God, then first thing is that you must know what is the characteristics of God. Otherwise, if you go to another rascal and you ask him, "Can you show me God," and he shows you something nonsense, you accept it God, is that very nice thing? This is going on. "I want to see God." What qualification you have got to see God? He does not consider his qualification that "Whether I can see God?"

So we do not teach such cheap things. That is our program. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not to present something nonsense and present something cheap. If you want to see God just face to face, not fiction, then you must follow the rules and regulation, you must chant, you must purify yourself. Then gradually, svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. You must wait. The time will come. When you are purified, you'll see God. Not that immediately, in your present position. But God is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, even in your present position He is present, arcā-vigraha. He's open to be seen by everyone, whether he knows and whether he does not know what is God. This arcā-vigraha is not idol; it is not imagination. They are… The knowledge is received from the superior ācāryas. Brahma-saṁhitā: veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam [Bs. 5.30]. The description is there. So God realization, if you follow that… Immediately, by your blunt senses, either God, His form, His name, His quality, His paraphernalia cannot be perceived. The present senses are blunt. Therefore in the present situation or the civilization they have become godless, because naturally they have no power to understand God, neither they are guided by some persons who can make them understand what is God. Therefore people are becoming godless, atheist. But if you read all these Vedic literatures under superior guidance, if you follow the rules and regulation, then svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. God will be revealed unto you. You cannot see God or understand God by your own endeavor. You have to surrender to the process by which God can be known. Then He will be revealed. Otherwise not. He is supreme controller. You are being controlled. So how you can control God? "Oh, God, please come here. I will see You." No, no. God is not so cheap thing that by your order God will come and become seen by you. No. That is not possible. You must always know that "He's the supreme controller and I am also controlled. So if I can please God by my service, then He'll reveal to me." That is the process of knowing God.

Thank you very much. (end)

700430IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 1

Los Angeles, April 30, 1970

Prabhupāda: (chants mantras) Who will explain? Karandhara Prabhu, you will explain? First or second. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (pause) Which one?

Karandhara: Second verse?

Prabhupāda: Yes, any one, if you can… Whatever you have realized, you can say without seeing the book. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Yes…

Karandhara: Everything animate or inanimate in this world is controlled and owned by Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is described that there are two types of energies of Kṛṣṇa, parā prakṛti and aparā prakṛti, the superior energy and the inferior energy. The inferior energy is made up of the gross elements, earth, air, fire, water, and the subtle energy or the subtle material elements are the sky…, excuse me, mind, intelligence and false ego. These make up the parā prakṛti, or the inferior energy of the Lord. But the living entities, they are the superior energy of the Lord. They are aparā prakṛti; henceforth, due to their illusion, their misconception, they are trying to lord it over the parā prakṛti, uh, uh, aparā prakṛti, the inferior energy of the Lord. And they have become entangled. They have become covered by the gross elements. So when one is realizing who the source of the energies, of all these energies are…, who are the proprietor, who are the controller of the energy, then by the Lord's mercy, the Lord being the controller of all these energies, that entity can become free from the covering, from the influence of the material energy, and can resume his natural constitutional position as superior energy and function on that platform in realization of both energies and his relationship with the supreme energy of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. One should not…, one should only accept that which is set aside for him that which is needed. The lusty desire to gain more, for acquiring more-this lust, this perversion, this misunderstanding is exactly what enamors the living entity, parā prakṛti, in the inferior energy, aparā prakṛti. So when one can come to this understanding, that everything is controlled, everything is owned by the Supreme Lord, and that he has no proprietorship, then he can give up this false (conception) of "mine" and "I" and realize that the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, He is the controller, He is the owner, and can once again regain his natural, blissful state, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1].

Prabhupāda: Why a living entity is superior energy? Can anyone explain? Why living…? Yes? Stand up.

Devotee: Well, it is stated that the living entity, or the jīva soul, belongs to the jīva-tattva, that categoristic…, falls into that categoristic of the Lord's energy. He is… Spark…

Prabhupāda: No, the question is why the living entity is called superior energy? That is the question. The material, matter-earth, water, air, fire, sky-the inferior energy; and why the living is called superior energy? Who can explain? Yes? Stand up.

Devotee: Well, the individual living entities are all part and parcel of the Supreme Lord…

Prabhupāda: The part and parcel, this material energy also, part and parcel. Because energy…

Devotee: It's separated. Material energy's separated, whereas the superior energy…

Prabhupāda: Separated, and this also, living entities also separated. In this sense. One sense, nothing is separated; but at the same time, separated. But the question is why the living entity's called superior energy?

Devotee: The living entities are conscious and the material energy's not.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is also one of the reasons. Living entity's conscious, whereas the material energy is not conscious. This is one of the… Yes?

Devotee: The living entity is also eternal, unchanging, whereas the material energy is subject to change repeatedly.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is also. And the most important is that living entity is superior in this sense, that the living entity can control over the material energy. Just like in this temple, all this paraphernalia which you have got, this is made of matter-earth, water, fire, water, and fire, air. But the living entity has molded for this purpose. And it can utilize the material energy, just like modern scientists, they are utilizing… Just like you American people, this land of America, before your coming from European countries, it was vacant land. The people who lived here, they could not utilize. But you have developed by your intelligence a very nice country with industry, with nice roads. So this is superior energy, that the living entity can have some control over the material energy. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. The, the importance of this material world is due to the living entities. This Los Angeles City is valuable so long the living entities are there. The body's valuable so long the living entity, soul, is there. Therefore it is superior. But that superiority is being misused. That is conditioned life. We are conditioned because our superior position than the matter, we are misusing. How we are misusing? We have forgotten that, although I am superior energy than the matter, but still, I am subordinate to God. That he is forgetting. The modern civilization, they do not care for God because people are superior than matter. They are simply trying to exploit matter in different way. But they are forgetting that we, either we may be American or Russian or China or India, we are all subordinate to God. This is the mistake. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. They have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, and they want to enjoy this material world. This is their disease. Now our duty is to invoke their Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "You are superior." That's all right. But you are subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. You cannot enjoy, but you can… Just like we have decorated this temple not for our sense gratification. What is the difference between our students and ordinary man? They are also decorating their apartment very nicely. We are also doing the same. But the purpose is different. We are doing the same, but the purpose is different. We are doing it for Kṛṣṇa, and they are doing their for their… So our superiority is that either I am trying for decorating my personal apartment, I am trying to decorate this temple-my superiority is there because I am utilizing matter for my purpose. But when it is utilized, his intelligence is applied to utilized this matter for Kṛṣṇa, then his life is successful. The superior intelligence should be utilized for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇārthe akhila-ceṣṭā. Then your life is successful. Then the same superior energy, if you apply it for your sense gratification, you'll be entangled and anxiety. And then you'll have to change your body, one after another. That is going on.

So the superior, supreme controller, is Kṛṣṇa, either on this inferior energy or superior energy. That is going on. So superior energy means that we can control over the material world. Not completely. That is also under condition. But we have got some control over this material world. But Kṛṣṇa has control over us also. We cannot do anything out of our own whims. Just like we are manufacturing this nice microphone with intelligence. Just like you American people, you are manufacturing so many nice things, and why other people, they cannot manufacture? What is the reason? You are also superior energy, and before you, the Red Indians, they are also superior energy. The animal, he's also superior energy. The cow, for example, that is also living entity, superior energy, and a man, he's also living entity, superior energy. But the man is sending the cow to the slaughterhouse. It is helpless, and the man is powerful. How this distinction? How this distinction? That distinction is due to the superior controller, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has given man superior intelligence, superior intelligence… In the Bhagavad-gītā, Fifteenth Chapter, fifteenth verse, you'll find that sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo: [Bg. 15.15] "I am sitting within the heart of everyone." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. "One can memorize or forget on account of Me." Therefore the superior energy is giving intelligence to the human form of body that "You do this." "You do this" means not whimsically. He wanted to do it, but sometimes he forgets, and Kṛṣṇa reminds, "You wanted to do this. You can do this. Here is an opportunity." So although I have got superior intelligence, that is also controlled by Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa gives you intelligence, then you can manufacture this nice microphone; otherwise, you cannot. Therefore īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. In every sphere of life, there is control of Kṛṣṇa. Yat kiñcit jagatyām. Anything which is going on within this world, jagat… Jagat means this world, which is making progress. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Therefore we shall have to voluntarily accept His superiority and accept only prasādam, whatever He kindly allows, "You can take this." "All right, Sir." That's all. You cannot encroach upon others. That is superior control. But the people are encroaching; therefore they are becoming entangled. If they accept what is offered by Kṛṣṇa, then there is no trouble. But if they encroach, then there is trouble.

So you read every śloka, every mantra. Whenever you get time, you read the purport, you read the meaning. The whole philosophy is there. Now you are growing. There will be so many questions, so many philosophers. But our philosophy is so sound and solid, that we can meet any philosopher of the world, any philosopher. But you have to learn it. The books are there, your intelligence is there, the guidance is there. Because you are preaching, sometimes we have to meet opposing elements. So if you cannot answer properly, that will be disqualification. So every one of you should learn this philosophy. As soon as you are able to, I mean to say, guide yourself, or save yourself from the attack of the opposing element, then you'll know that you are making progress. Otherwise… Of course, there are different stages of devotional life. But so far we are concerned, we have to preach. That is the second platform of devotional life. In the second platform, not only to love God, but to make friendship with devotees who is loving God. That is society. Our Society is devotees. We should not only practice to love God, but we should make friendship and love the devotees also. And then those who are innocent, those who do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, we shall preach. And those who are atheist, against God, we shall avoid. So this is second stage. And on the highest stage, of course, there is no… He is paramahaṁsa. So that, don't try to imitate paramahaṁsa. That is very topmost stage of devotional life. Even if you are on this topmost stage, when you are preacher you have come to the second platform, this stage. So you have to raise yourself from the lower stage to the second stage, and if you are in the highest stage, even then you have come to the second stage for preaching work. So preaching work, four vision. Īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca: God, Kṛṣṇa; His devotee; innocent; and the atheist. So we are concerned with three: with God, the devotees and the innocent. To love God, to make friendship with devotees and to teach the innocent. And those who are atheist, against God, avoid. Don't talk. Useless waste of time. Whatever he wants: "All right, sir, you are very great." That's all right. Don't talk with them. Simply waste of time. But if one is inquisitive… Just like this child, he wants to learn. As I say, "Oh, offer your obeisances," he does it. Oh, he should be taken care, very much developed. But that is also one of the offenses, out of the ten offenses. One who is disinclined to understand what is this chanting, you should not bother yourself to convince him. That's all. Just like in hospital, especially in, in the warfield, there are many wounded soldiers are coming. But the doctors see that the soldier which has got the chance of living, take care more for them. And the soldier which is immediately going to die, they do not take care much. Because it is useless; he'll not live. Similarly the atheist, the atheist will have to suffer. They'll have to meet God in the form of death in so many ways. So by suffering, suffering, suffering, suffering, suffering, when a day will come that he'll understand God, at that time, preaching to him is better. So you do not expect that our preaching will be appeal to everyone. It will be useful for the devotees, for the innocent. Not for the atheist.

So try to understand the philosophy very nicely, because you are going to preach. So many opposing elements will come. So you have to defend yourself. The more you can defend yourself from the opposing elements, the more you are advancing. You should know… That is the test. That is the test. Because you are preacher, so you have to test yourself, how you are making advance. Don't be self-complacent: "Oh, I am very…, I have advanced very much." Your advancement will be tested when you can meet opposing elements. Not that when the opposing elements come, "Oh, let him talk with Guru Mahārāja, or spiritual master." Why? What for you are being taught? So you should be very careful to understand the philosophy. Otherwise, you are not making progress. Progress means you shall defend yourself from the opposing elements. That is required.

Thank you. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

700502IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 1

Los Angeles, May 2, 1970

(Prabhupāda and devotees chant Invocation and Mantras 1-14)

oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ

pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate

pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya

pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate

[Īśo Invocation]

īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ

yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat

tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā

mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam

kurvann eveha karmāṇi

jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ

evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti

na karma lipyate nare

asuryā nāma te lokā

andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ

tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti

ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ

anejad ekaṁ manaso javīyo

nainad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat

tad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat

tasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti

tad ejati tan naijati

tad dūre tad v antike

tad antar asya sarvasya

tad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ

yas tu sarvāṇi bhūtāny

ātmany evānupaśyati

sarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṁ

tato na vijugupsate

yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāny

ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ

tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka

ekatvam anupaśyataḥ

sa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṇam

asnāviram śuddham apāpa-viddham

kavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūr

yāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ

andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti

ye 'vidyām upāsate

tato bhūya iva te tamo

ya u vidyāyām ratāḥ

anyad evāhur vidyayā-

nyad āhur avidyayā

iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ

ye nas tad vicacakṣire

vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yas

tad vedobhayaṁ saha

avidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā

vidyayāmṛtam aśnute

andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti

ye 'sambhūtim upāsate

tato bhūya iva te tamo

ya u sambhūtyām ratāḥ

anyad evāhuḥ sambhavād

anyad āhur asambhavāt

iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ

ye nas tad vicacakṣire

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Read.

Gargamuni: Fourteen.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: The last sentence. "This point is confirmed by the Bhagavad-gītā in the Seventh Chapter, where parā and aparā prakṛti are discussed. The elements of nature-earth, fire, water, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego-all belong to the inferior, or material, energy of the Lord, whereas the living being, the organic energy, is the superior energy, the parā prakṛti of the Lord. Both the prakṛtis, or energies, are emanations from the Lord, and ultimately He is the controller of everything that exists. There is nothing in this universe which does not belong either to the parā or aparā prakṛti, and therefore everything is under the…"

Prabhupāda: "…proprietary right of the Supreme Being." So here, in the Īśopaniṣad also, the same thing is explained, that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Whatever we are seeing, animate or inanimate, there is control of the Supreme Lord. The same thing is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that His energies are working. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said, just like fire staying in one place distributes its heat and light… Eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā. Agni, agni means fire. Fire is… Just like the sun. Sun is also fire, very high temperature fire. So it is staying in one place, but it is distributing its light and heat all over the universe. Eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner jyotsnā yathā vistāriṇī tathaiva parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Similarly, two energies from the Supreme Lord is being distributed all over the creation. One kind of energy is called material energy, and the other kind of energy is called the spiritual energy. So in this world, in this temporary material world, the spiritual energy is there. That is prominent. But it is covered by the material energy. Just like there is sunshine-sunshine, nobody can check-but it is sometimes covered by cloud. When it is covered by the cloud, the sunshine is dim. The more it is covered… Just like in Western countries, in the northern countries, it is very much covered. Practically, there is no sunshine. In London I saw the sunshine is very rare. At ten o'clock it is early in the morning, and at half past three again evening, so long I was there. So this covering of the sunshine is temporary. Actually, sunshine cannot be covered. The whole sunshine cannot be covered. That is not possible. An insignificant portion of the sunshine may be covered, or is covered sometimes by the cloud. Similarly, this material world is an insignificant portion of the spiritual world, covered by this material energy. That's all. And what is the position of material energy? The material energy is also another form of the spiritual energy. That means absence of spiritual activity, that is material. That's all. Just like what is this cloud? This cloud is another transformation of the sunshine. The sunshine evaporates water from the sea, and the cloud is formed. Therefore sunshine is the cause of the cloud. Similarly, this material energy is also caused by the Supreme Lord because it is His energy.

So two energies are working in this material world: the spiritual energy and the material energy. The material energy means these eight kinds of material elements. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ: [Bg. 7.4] earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, and ego. These are all material. And similarly, finer, finer, finer, finer, and grosser, grosser, grosser. Just like water is finer than the earth, then fire is finer than the water, then air is finer than the fire, then sky, or ether, is finer than the air. Similarly, intelligence is finer than the ether, or mind is finer than the ether. The mind… You know, I have given several times example: the speed of mind. Many thousands of miles within a second you can go. So the finer it becomes, it is powerful. Similarly, ultimately, when you come to the spiritual part, finer, from which everything is emanating, oh, that is very powerful. That spiritual energy. That is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that spiritual energy? That spiritual energy is this living entity. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā [Bg. 7.5]. Kṛṣṇa says, "These are material energies. Beyond this there is another, spiritual energy." Apareyam. Aparā means inferior. Apareyam. "All these described material elements, they are inferior energy. And beyond this there is superior energy, My dear Arjuna." What is that? Jīva-bhūta mahā-bāho: "These living entities." They are also energy. We living entities, we are also energy, but superior energy. How superior? Because yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. The superior energy is controlling the inferior energy. Matter has no power. The big airplane, nice machine, is flying in the sky, made of material things. But unless the spiritual energy, pilot, is there, it is useless. It is useless. Thousands of years the jet plane will stand on the airport; it will not be flying unless the small particle spiritual energy, that pilot, comes and touches it. So what is the difficulty to understand God? So plain thing, that if this huge machine… There are so many huge machineries, they cannot move without the touch of the spiritual energy, a human being or a living being. How can you expect that this whole material energy is working out of automatically or without any control? How you can put your arguments in that way? That is not possible.

Therefore less intelligent class of men, they cannot understand how this material energy is being controlled by the Supreme Lord. The godless men, those who are of opinions that this material energy is working automatically, they are fools. That is the explanation of Īśopaniṣad. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Everything is being controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And therefore, because He is the supreme controller, therefore He is the supreme proprietor. We can see in our practical experience, the man who controls the whole establishment, he is proprietor, or the president. Similarly, if it is being controlled by some superior person, then He is God. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. Kṛṣṇa says, "Under My superintendence, this material energy is working, and all these animate and inanimate objects are being produced."

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ

sūyate sa-carācaram

hetunanena kaunteya

jagad viparivartate

[Bg. 9.10]

So unless there is some living force, energy, behind any material manifestation, it cannot work. If we simply understand this fact, that everywhere there is control of the Supreme Lord, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to understand things as it is. That's all.

Thank you very much. (end)

700503IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 1

Los Angeles, May 3, 1970

Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Ādi-puruṣam, the original Personality of Godhead. So, when we speak of Govinda, Govinda is not alone. Just like when we speak of king, it is to be understood that king is not alone. He has got many other followers, secretaries, ministers, soldiers-whole state. Similarly, when we speak of Govindam, behind Govinda, with Govinda, all living entities, all creation, everything… Govindam. So you can st… [break]

Gargamuni: (reading:) "It is also wrong to consider that simply by becoming a vegetarian one can save himself from transgressing the laws of nature. Vegetables also have life. One life is meant to feed another living being, and that is the law of nature. One should not be proud of being a strict vegetarian. The point is to recognize the Supreme Lord. The animals have no developed consciousness to recognize the Lord, but a human being…"

Prabhupāda: That is the main point. Just like there are the Buddhists, they are also vegetarian. According to Buddhist principle… Nowadays everything has deteriorated, but Lord Buddha's propaganda was to make the rascals at least to stop animal-killing. Ahiṁsā paramo dharma. Lord Buddha's appearance is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and many Vedic literatures. Sura-dviṣām. He came to cheat the demons. The demons… He made such a policy that the demons were cheated. How he has cheated? The demons, they are against God. They don't believe in God. So Lord Buddha propagated, "Yes, there is no God. But what I say, you follow." "Yes, sir." But he is God. This is cheating. Yes. They do not believe in God, but they believe in Buddha, and Buddha is God. Keśava-dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. So that is the difference between a demon and a devotee. A devotee sees that how Kṛṣṇa, Keśava, is cheating these rascals. The devotee can understand. But the demons, they think, "Oh, we have got a nice leader. He does not believe in God." (laughter) You see? Sammohāya sura-dviṣām [SB 1.3.24]. The exact Sanskrit word is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You have seen, those who have read: sammohāya, for bewildering sura-dviṣām. Sura-dviṣām means persons who are envious of the Vaiṣṇavas. The atheist class, demons, they are always envious of the devotees. That is the law of nature. You see this father. Father became an enemy of a five-years-old son. What was his fault? He was a devotee. That's all. Innocent boy. Simply he was, I mean to say, attracted with chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The father himself, he became a staunch enemy: "Kill this boy." So if a father can become enemy, what to speak of others. So you should always expect that as soon as you become a devotee, the whole world becomes your enemy. That's all. But you have to deal with them, because you are appointed servants of God. Your mission is to enlighten them. So you cannot be. Just like Lord Nityānanda, He was injured, but still He delivered Jagāi-Mādhāi. That should be your principle. Sometimes we have to cheat, sometimes we have to be injured-so many things. The only device is how people can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is our mission. Some way or other these rascals should be converted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, either this way or that way.

So Lord Buddha, he cheated the demons. Why he cheated? Sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam. He was very compassionate. God is always sympathetic to all living entities because everyone is His son. So these rascals were killing unrestrictedly, simply animal-killing… And if you say, "Oh, why you are animal-killing?" they will immediately say, "Oh, it is in the Vedas: paśavo vadhāya sṛṣṭa." The animal killing is there in the Vedas, but what the purpose? That is to test the Vedic mantra. An animal will be put into the fire, and by Vedic mantra he'll be rejuvenated. That is sacrifice, animal sacrifice. Not that for eating purpose. Therefore in this age of Kali, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has forbidden any kind of yajña because there is no, I mean to say, expert brāhmaṇa who can chant the mantras and make experiment of the Vedic mantras that "Here is coming out." That is… Before performing yajña, how the mantra is potent, that was tested by sacrificing animal and again giving new life. Then it is to be understood that the priests who were chanting that mantra, that is right. That was a test. Not for animal-killing. But these rascals, for eating animals they cited, "Here, there is animal-killing." Just like in Calcutta… You have been in Calcutta? And there is a street, College Street. Now it is differently named. I think it is named Vidhan Raya (?). Just like… Anyway, so there are some slaughterhouses. So slaughterhouses means the Hindus, they do not purchase meat from Muslims' shop. That is impure. (laughter) The same thing: stool this side and that side. They are eating meat, and Hindu shop is pure, Muslim shop is impure. These are mental concoction. Religion is going on like that. Therefore… Therefore fighting: "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." Nobody knows religion. You see? They have given up religion, these rascals. There is no religion. The real religion is this, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which teaches how to love God. That's all. That is religion. Any religion, it doesn't matter whether Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion, if you are developing love of God, then you are perfect in your religion. That is the test.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharma

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yayātmā suprasīdati

[SB 1.2.6]

This is Bhāgavata religion. That is first-class religion. What is that? Yataḥ, by executing the religious principles, if you develop your love for the Supreme, who is beyond expression of your words and beyond the activities of your mind… Adhokṣaja. This very word is used, adhokṣaja: where your material senses cannot approach. And what kind of that love? Ahaitukī, without any cause. "O Lord, I love You, God, because You supply me so many nice things. You are order-supplier." No. Not that sort of love. Without any exchange. That is taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "Whatever You do…" Āśliṣya vā pada-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām [Cc. Antya 20.47]. "Either You trample me under Your feet or You embrace me… What You like. You make me brokenhearted by not seeing You-that doesn't matter. Still You are my worshipable Lord." That is love. "From God's side, He may do whatever He likes. I don't want anything in exchange." That is love. That sort of love Kṛṣṇa wants. Therefore He was so much fond of the gopīs. In the gopīs' love there was no question of business propaganda-"Give me this, then I love You." (chuckles) No. That is pure love. That is unalloyed love. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means without being checked. No impediment. If you want to love God, there is nothing throughout the whole world which can check you. Simply you have to develop your eagerness: "Kṛṣṇa, I want You." That's all. Then there is no question of checking. In any condition you'll increase your love, increase your love. Ahaituky apra… And why this? Yayātmā suprasīdati. If you attain that state, then you will feel fully satisfied. Otherwise not. Otherwise not. If you can develop your love for God or Kṛṣṇa without being checked, without any cause, then you will feel fully satisfied. Otherwise not. It is for your interest. And… It is not for God's interest that He wants you. It is for your interest. If you do otherwise, you will never be happy. This is the only way. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66].

Therefore here it is stated, simply to become vegetarian is not the last word. There are many vegetarians. The monkey is vegetarian. He's naked and lives in a jungle. Just like there are so many so-called sages, that "I live naked. I live in the jungle. I have given up the society." So monkey is doing that. Huh? (laughter) Naked, vegetarian, no home. But the rascal has got at least two dozen wives. That is monkey. So it is called markaṭa-vairāgya. He has become a sannyāsī, vairāgī, and, but, so much thing, but privately he has got so many connections. That is called markaṭa-vairāgya, monkey's renunciation. Monkey has renounced, naked, but at heart there is sense gratification. So markaṭa-vairāgya is no good. So simply to become vegetarian is no good. You must develop love of Godhead. That is real thing.

Thank you very much. (end)

700504IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 1

Los Angeles, May 4, 1970

Gargamuni: "In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord directly states that He accepts the vegetable foodstuffs from the hands of a pure devotee. Therefore a human being should not only become a strict vegetarian, but he should also become a devotee of the Lord and offer to the Lord all his food and only then partake of the prasādam, or mercy of God. Such a devotee can properly discharge the duty of human life. Those who do not do so are eating only sins and thus will be subjected to the different types of distress which are the result of the various sins."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fourth Chapter: yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Our, this conditioned life is so situated that in every step we are committing some sins. In every step, without knowing, ignorance, because we, we are born ignorant. Therefore Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abhodha-jātaḥ. Abodha-jātaḥ. Abodha-jāta means every living entity is born fools. Therefore there are so many educational institutions. If the man born… May be in very high family or in high nation, but he is a fool. Otherwise, what is the necessity of so many educational institution? It is a fact. So that foolishness, when it is come to light… That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. This foolishness will continue so long as he does not come to the platform of understanding self-realization. Otherwise, all these universities and institution for imparting knowledge, they are continuation of that same ignorance and foolishness. Unless one comes to the point of understanding, "What I am, what is God, what is this world, what is my relationship…?" Unless these questions come into one's heart, and there is no proper answer, he continues to be foolish like animal, and he is subjected to different species of life, transmigration from one body to another. This is ignorance.

So this is a very risky civilization. I may feel very comfortable that "I am a spiritual master," or you may think very comfortable, "I am born of a very rich nation, American," but this status of my life is temporary. I will have to change. I'll have to change. So if I do not change for the better, then my life is very risky. Suppose a healthy man, if he is in the society of contamination, is it not his life is very risky? He may be contaminated and infected by disease any moment. So this ignorance should be dissipated. Here it is said that such a devotee can properly discharge his duty of human life. Those who do not do so are eating only sins. Bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpaṁ ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt [Bg. 3.13]. Anyone who is cooking for himself… The difference of cooking here in this temple and in ordinary house is that in ordinary house they're cooking sins. The cooking, it appears that the same, "These people are also cooking," but this cooking and that cooking is different. Here there is no sin, because it is being cooked for Kṛṣṇa. Yajñārthe. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra. Beyond this field of activities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everything with the laws of nature. Generally, you are being implicated in sinful activities, generally. And those who are little more cautious, they avoid sinful activities, they are pious activities. But even there is pious activities, he is implicated. This I have explained several times, that if a man is pious, he has to take his birth in rich family, janmaiśvarya-śruta [SB 1.8.26], in very aristocratic family, rich family. He may become next life very learned scholar, very beautiful. These are the results of pious activities. But pious or impious, you have to enter into the womb of some mother. That tribulation is very severe. That we have forgotten. That we have forgotten. Either you take birth in a very rich family, aristocratic family, or you take birth in the animal womb, so the pangs of birth, death, disease and old age will continue.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to make a solution of these four things: birth, death, old age, and disease. So if we act sinfully and if we eat sinfully, then this life of birth, death, old age, will continue. Otherwise, you can make a solution, and as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. "After leaving this body," tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti, "he does not take birth again in this material world." Then where does he go? He's finished? Just like voidist? No. Mām eti: "He comes to Me." Mām eti. "He comes to Me." And what is the benefit of going there, to You?

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

"To come back to Me, that is the highest perfection of life. He does not come to this miserable world." So we should be careful not to eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, prasādam. That should be determination. We cannot purchase things from the market and eat. No. That is not possible. We cannot eat. We can simply eat such things which are offered to the Deity, Kṛṣṇa. That is yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ. Even if we have committed some sin, by eating this prasādam we counteract it. Mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Yajña-śiṣṭa. Aśiṣṭa means the remnants of foodstuff after offering yajña. If one eats, then mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Because our life is sinful, so we become, I mean to say, freed from the sinful activities. How it is? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: [Bg. 18.66] "If you surrender unto Me, then I'll give you protection from all sinful reactions." So if you make it a vow that "I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," that means it is a surrender. You surrender to Kṛṣṇa, that "My dear Lord, I shall not eat anything which is not offered to You." That's vow. That vow is surrender. And because there is surrender, you are protected from the sinful reaction.

All right. All right. Now you can… (end)

700506IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 2-4

Los Angeles, May 6, 1970

(devotees chant Invocation and first two mantras)

Prabhupāda: Again from the beginning. (devotees repeat) Again. (devotees repeat) This is very important verse. Evaṁ tvayi nānyathe…, nānyathā ato asti na karma lipyate nare. If you know it that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, in this way if you live for hundreds of years and do your duties, there will be no reaction. The very thing is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg. 3.9]. Except working for Kṛṣṇa, any work will bind you, good or bad. If you do good work, you'll have to enjoy, so-called enjoyment. And if you do bad work, then you have to suffer. But if you work for Kṛṣṇa, there is no such reaction. Na karma lipyate nare All right. Then next verse. (devotees repeat word for word)

asuryā nāma te lokā

andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ

tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti

ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ

(repeats) Now you try it. (devotees chant) Yes. Again.

Devotees: Asuryā nāma te loka…

Prabhupāda: The first word is asuryā. This y-ā. Asuryā.

Devotees:

asuryā nāma te lokā

andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ

tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti

ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ

Prabhupāda: "The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance." (Prabhupāda leads devotees in śloka) Now repeat again. Thank you. Again from the beginning. (devotees chant Invocation and verses 1-3) Thank you. [break] Again.

Devotees:

anejad ekaṁ manaso javīyo

nainad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat

tad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat

tasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti

Prabhupāda: "The Personality of Godhead, although fixed in His abode, is more swift than the mind and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place, He has control over those who supply the air, rain. He surpasses all in excellence." This is also confirmed in Brahma-saṁhitā: goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Kṛṣṇa, although He is always in Goloka Vṛndāvana, He has nothing to do. He is simply enjoying in the company of His associates, the gopīs and the cowherds boy, His mother, His father. Free, completely free. And those who are associates, they are still more free. Because when the associates are in danger, Kṛṣṇa has got some anxiety how to save them, but the associates, they have no anxiety. "Oh, there is Kṛṣṇa." Just see. (chuckles) The associates, they have no anxiety. Any, anything happening, you will read in the Kṛṣṇa book-so many dangers. The boys, along with Kṛṣṇa, they used to go every day with their calves and cows and play in the forest on the bank of the Yamunā, and Kaṁsa will send some demon to destroy them. So you have seen, you will see also pictures. So they'll enjoy simply because they are so much confident. That is spiritual life. Avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana. This strong faith, that "Any dangerous condition, Kṛṣṇa will save me," this is surrender.

There are six phases of surrender. The first thing is that we should accept which is favorable for devotional service; we shall reject anything which is unfavorable to devotional service. And the next is that to introduce oneself with the associates of the Lord. Just like Kṛṣṇa has got so many associates, you can… That will, of course… Not artificially. When you are advanced you'll understand what is your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Then if you introduce yourself with that association, then the next stage is confidence that "Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." Actually, He is giving protection to everyone. That is a fact. But in māyā we think that we are protecting ourself, we are feeding ourself. No. That's not the fact.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

[Bg. 3.27]

To the devotees, Kṛṣṇa takes charge Himself, and to the ordinary living entities, the charge is taken by māyā. Māyā is also Kṛṣṇa's agent. Just like good citizens, they are taken care of by the government directly, and the criminals, they are taken care of by the government through the prison department, through the criminal department. They are also taken care of. In the prison house the government takes care that the prisoners not in uncomfortable-they get sufficient food; if they're diseased they give hospital treatment-every care is there, but under punishment. Similarly, we in this material world, there is care certainly, but in, in a punishment way. If you do this, then slap. If you do this, then kick. If you do this, then this… This is going on. This is called threefold miseries. But under the spell of māyā we are thinking that this kicking of māyā, this slapping of māyā, this thrashing of māyā is very nice. You see? This is called māyā. And as soon as you get into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa takes care of you. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ [Bg. 18.66]. Kṛṣṇa, as soon as you surrender, Kṛṣṇa's immediate word is, "I take care of you. I save you from all, from all sinful reaction." There are heaps of sinful reaction in our life, for so many life after life in this material world. And as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, immediately Kṛṣṇa takes care of you and He manages how to adjust all the sinful reactions. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mā śucaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, "Don't hesitate." If you think that "Oh, I have committed so many sinful activities. How Kṛṣṇa will save me?" No. Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. He can save you. Your business is to surrender unto Him, and without any reservation dedicate your life for His service, and thus you'll become saved.

Now kindly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant. (kīrtana) (end)

700505IP.LA

Śrī-Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 3

Los Angeles, May 5, 1970

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is lion to the demons, and He's a lamb to the devotees. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. So the atheist, they say that "We have not seen Kṛṣṇa." Yes. You'll see Kṛṣṇa as lion when He'll ultimately come and capture you, "Ow!" (laughter) That is death. Atheist will see Kṛṣṇa as death, and theist, devotee, will see Kṛṣṇa as lover. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nama om bhagavate vāsudevāya. (aside:) You sit down properly, back side. Yes. (chants Īśopaniṣad 1-10 with devotees) Anyone can explain the third verse? Kurvann eveha karmāṇi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ. Who will explain, please stand up. Nobody? (laughs) How is that? Huh? Yes?

Devotee (1): (explaining text 2) This explains that the human form of life is meant for realizing our spiritual nature.

Prabhupāda: No, I wanted that śloka, kurvann eva. That is 2, yes. That's all right. So anyone will explain this,

kurvann eveha karmāṇi

jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ

evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti

na karma lipyate nare

So you should try to read the explanation, these word meanings. So kurvann eveha karmāṇi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ. Samāḥ means years. You can live hundreds of years if you understand the philosophy of life. Otherwise, what is the use of living? The trees are also living for five hundred years, for thousands years. There is one tree in San Francisco… What is that wood?

Devotee (1): Redwood.

Prabhupāda: Redwood. No. There is some wood, I forget. Crossing bridge. Anyway, they told me that this tree is standing for seven thousand years. So the trees are also living, and you are also living. You are trying to live. Whenever there is question of death, you resist. That means you do not want to die. That is natural sequence. So here it is said that why should you live? Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, ke lāgi āche, āchi…: "Why I am living? I could not achieve love of Godhead. Then what is the use of my living?" He's lamenting. Narottama dāsa kena na lāgilā māriyā. Kena vā ahcaya prāṇa kichuka lāgiyā (?). He said, "Why I am living? What is the purpose of my living? What is the ultimate happiness?" (end)

700507IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 5

Los Angeles, May 7, 1970

Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Where is Hayagrīva prabhu? Oh, that's all right. So you have to construct a temple there like this.

Hayagrīva: By August, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Hayagrīva: By August, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. So you like this? This chandelier? Śrī gurave prāṇa sadece goura sampad setuce (?). This is, this is a song by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. He says that one who has dedicated his life for Lord Caitanya, he sees everything belongs to Lord Caitanya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now mantra. (devotees chant Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 5) Thank you. "The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but he is very near as well. He is within everything and again He is outside of everything." This is the process of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He walks and does not walk. Just like crude example I give you, that the sun and, at noontime, it is on your head and somebody walking eastern side or western side, he also sees the sun is also walking with him. Long ago, about forty years ago, when I was householder, my second son, he was four years old. He was walking with me, and he said, "Oh, father, why the moon is coming with us?" This is very intelligent. Yes. So similarly, if a material object can walk so swift… You have seen. You are going on aeroplane or train, you'll see the moon or sun is going with you. So how it is not possible that Kṛṣṇa cannot walk? Although He's situated… But you ask your friend, "Where is the sun? Where is the moon?" He'll say, "Oh, it is on my head." Similarly, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Kṛṣṇa, although He is in Vṛndāvana, Goloka Vṛndāvana, enjoying pastimes with the associates, He is everywhere, according to the position, shape, form, activities. Everywhere. Therefore it is said here that Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He does not go from His abode. He is fully enjoying. But at the same time, everywhere He is. Everywhere walking. Just like we offer foodstuff. So do not think that Kṛṣṇa is not accepting. Kṛṣṇa is accepting, because He can spread His hand immediately if you offer something with devotion. Tayā bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi. Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone offering Me, offering Me something with faith and love, I eat." People may ask, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is far away, in Goloka Vṛndāvana. How He eats? How He takes?" Oh, that is God. Yes, He eats. Yes, He takes. He walks; He does not walk. Immediately comes. But you must have the qualification to call Him. If you are actually a devotee, immediately Kṛṣṇa is present. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu challenged devotee Prahlāda, "Where is your God? Do you think…?" The Prahlāda was looking to the column. "Oh, do you think your God is here? All right." He immediately broke. "Ahh!" Kṛṣṇa came. That is Kṛṣṇa.

So this is explained here. This is Vedic mantra. This is the proof, Veda mantra. Why we are attached to Veda mantra? Veda mantra is the proof of everything. Whatever is said in the Vedas, that is fact. Unless you take some axiomatic truth in that way, you cannot make progress. Just like in geometry there are so many axiomatic truths, we have to accept it. "A point has no length, no breadth." "Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another." These are axiomatic truths. Similarly the Vedas, they are truth. We have to accept. Just like I've given example in my book: The conchshell is the bone of an animal. So Vedic injunction is if you touch the bone of an animal, immediately you become impure and you have to take your bath. But here is a bone which is used in the Deity room. But you cannot argue, "Oh, you said that bone is impure. As soon as you touch it, you become impure. And you are putting into the Deity room?" No argument. You have to accept it. This is Veda. You cannot argue. Similarly, spiritual master's order, you have to accept. There is no argument. In this way you can make progress. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya tinete kariyā aikya. If we argue… Na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Things which are inconceivable by you, you cannot argue. Then it will be a failure. You have to accept that axiomatic truth. It is not dogmatic. It is not dogmatic in this sense, because our predecessor ācāryas, they accepted. What you are that you are arguing? So that is the proof. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā. If you argue, there is no conclusion. The argument will go on. You put some argument; I put some argument. That is not the process. Śrutayo vibhinnā. Scriptures, in different countries, different circumstances, different scriptures, they're also different. Then tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And so far philosophical speculation is concerned, one philosopher is putting some theory, another philosopher putting some theory-there is contradiction. And unless you defy another philosopher, you cannot be a famous philosopher. That is the way of philosophical…

Then where, how to get real information? That is stated, that dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. The secret of religious process is lying in the cave or within the heart. So how to realize it? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. You have to follow great personalities. Therefore we are trying to follow Lord Kṛṣṇa or Lord Caitanya. That is perfection. You have to take evidences from the Vedas. You have to follow the instruction. The success is sure. That's all.

Thank you very much. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

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Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 6

Los Angeles, May 8, 1970

Prabhupāda: "A person who sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord and sees all entities as His parts and parcels and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything, nor any being." This is the stage of mahā-bhāgavata. In devotional service there are three stages. In the beginning it is called neophyte stage, beginners. The beginners are concentrated in the Deity worship. That is very important thing, to purify.

arcāyām eva haraye

(pūjāṁ) yas tu śraddhayehate

na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu

sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ

Prākṛtaḥ means, from material platform, one is coming to the spiritual platform at that stage one is taught or trained to worship the Deity with great faith and devotion under regulative principle. But in the neophyte stage, na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, he, the neophyte devotee, cannot understand who is highly elevated or devotee or what is his interest with other people. He cannot discriminate. Na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. That neophyte devotee is almost material. Then next stage is to make friendship, to love God, and to make friendship with devotees, and to be merciful to the innocent and to reject the atheist. Four classes of men. You have to offer all your love for Kṛṣṇa and you have to make friendship with the devotees of Kṛṣṇa. And those who are innocent, just preach this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and try to attract them to Kṛṣṇa. And another class, atheists, don't go there. Don't try there. Hopeless. Not hopeless. For a person who is not very much elevated, for him it is hopeless.

But when one is on the higher stage of devotional service, that system is explained here:

yas tu sarvāṇi bhūtāny

ātmany evānupaśyati

sarva bhūteṣu cātmānaṁ

tato na vijugupsate

He has no discrimination who is devotee, who is nondevotee, who is atheist or theist, or who is… In this way, he sees everyone, the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. And everyone is engaged… One who is suffering, he's also engaged, because… Just like the prisoner. The prisoner, he's also serving the government-by force. Therefore one who is elevated, even those who are in abominable stage of life, the mahā-bhāgavata sees, "Oh, he's also obeying." Actually, it is obeying. The prisoners, they are obeying the government, although by force; but they're obeying. Similarly, those who are materialists, they are also obeying. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, this philosophy, that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. A living entity's eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa, either he admits or not admits. That doesn't matter. He's a servant. Just like any citizen is law abider or subservient to the state. He may say that "I don't care for the state," but by the police, by the military, he'll be forced to accept. So one is being forced to accept Kṛṣṇa as the master, and the other is voluntarily offering service. That is the difference. But nobody's free from the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy that eternal servant. Either you accept or not accept, you are servant. You are never equal or greater than God.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose, that people should be taught that "You are eternal servant of God. Don't falsely claim that you are God. You don't care for God. You have to care." Just like this Hiraṇyakaśipu. He didn't care for God, but God came and, at the time of his last moment. You see? Similarly, God is visible to atheist as death and to the theist as lover. That is the difference. Everyone sees God. Nobody can say, "I do not see God." Everyone sees God. But one sees as death, and one sees as lover. That is the difference.

Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

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Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 7

Los Angeles, May 9, 1970

Prabhupāda:

yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāny

ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ

tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka

ekatvam anupaśyataḥ

[Īśo 7]

"One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What is there as illusion or anxiety for him?" This realization is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are different kinds of realization, but ekatvam, a qualitatively oneness, is always there. The brahmavādi, impersonalist, they think that we are cent percent one with the Lord or the Supreme Absolute Truth, but that is not a fact. If one is cent percent one with the Supreme Lord, then how he has come under the control of māyā? This question, they cannot answer.

So real identity is in the Vedic literature we find that just like the fire, big fire, and the sparks of the fire, they are of the same quality, but the small spark, when he goes out of the fire and falls elsewhere, then, at that time, its fiery quality becomes covered. So this covering becomes manifest according to different qualities. Just like the fire. If a fire spark, if it drops on the water, then it is, it assumes completely extinguished. Similarly, the living entity, although qualitatively the fire, with God, when it contacts the modes of ignorance, his spiritual quality becomes almost extinct. When he is on the land, not on the water, then there is something, heat. Similarly, when the living entity is in the rajo-guṇa, the quality of passion, there is some hope. And when the living entity is in goodness… Just like the same spark, if it drops on the grass, dry grass, then the same spark of fire ignites another fire, another blazing fire. Similarly, if one is in goodness, then he can create a spiritual association. Just like the same example, that the small spark of fire, if it falls in favorable circumstances, or in dry grass, then it can ignite fire.

So one has to come, therefore, to the platform of goodness in this material world. If one does not come to the platform of goodness… The platform of goodness is the brahminical qualification. That we are preaching. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to bring some men on the platform of goodness. The world requires it now. The world is need of some brāhmaṇas, qualified brāhmaṇas. Not that… You are being trained up to become qualified brāhmaṇas. So be always careful that you may not contact the quality of passion and ignorance. Passion and ignorance will induce you… Kāma lobha, lust and greediness. That is the sign of passion and ignorance. And when you are in goodness, then you can see things as they are. Then you can see yourself, that you are not matter; you are spirit soul. And if you make further advance, then you understand that "I am eternal part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, the fiery spark." So that ekatvam anupaśyataḥ, in this verse, ekatvam, that qualitatively one, not quantitatively. You are one with God qualitatively. You cannot be equal with God quantitatively. That ekatvam.

Thank you. Go on. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

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Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 7

Los Angeles, May 10, 1970

Prabhupāda: Now this verse, verse number 7,

yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāni

ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ

tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka

ekatvam anupaśyataḥ

[Īśo 7]

This is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ekatvam anupaśyataḥ. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person sees oneness; all living entities, they see one. Just like fire and the sparks, although there are different types of illuminating properties, the whole thing is seen as one. Similarly, these diversities in unity. Diversities means the expansion of different energies of Kṛṣṇa. That is diversity. Otherwise, the one: Kṛṣṇa, only Kṛṣṇa. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ tathaiva akhilaṁ jagat. The whole universe, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śakti… Parasya, the Supreme Brahman, Parameśvara, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1], His energy.

The example is just like fire. Fire has got many energies, especially heat and light. Wherever there is fire, there is heat and there is light. Now this heat is not different from the fire, and the light is not different from the fire, but still heat and light is not fire. The… From the fire, there is heat. So if you are heated, if you are getting warmth from the fire, fireplace, that does not mean you are sitting on the fire. But at the same time, that warmth of the fire, the heat of the fire, is not different from the fire. In this way you have to understand the whole universe. Nothing is different from Kṛṣṇa, but still, Kṛṣṇa is not everywhere. This philosophy… Therefore this very word is used here, vijānataḥ. Vijānataḥ means one who knows, knower of things, how they are manifested. When one understands that things are manifested in this system exactly like the fire, heat and light… Fire is the original cause of heat and light. Similarly, whatever we see within this universe, within material world and spiritual world, the spiritual world is expansion of Kṛṣṇa's internal energy, and this material world is Kṛṣṇa's expansion of external energy, and we living entities, we are expansion of marginal energy. So three energies. He has got multi-energies. All the multi-energies grouped in three headings: antaraṅga-zakti, bahiraṅga-śakti, taṭastha-śakti. Antaraṅga-śakti means internal energy, bahiraṅga śakti means external energy, and taṭastha-śakti means these living entities. We are śakti; we are energy. We are not the energetic. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that because the energies are not outside Brahman, therefore they're all the same. This is monism. Our Vaiṣṇava philosophy is that energy (is) simultaneously one and different. When you perceive heat, we understand, "Oh, there is fire." But that does not mean that because I am getting some heat, I am on the fire. Try to understand this philosophy. Therefore here it is said vijānataḥ.

So their ekatvam, Māyāvāda philosophy's ekatvam, oneness, and our ekatvam of oneness-a little different. They say that the energy's false; the Brahman is real. Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā. We say that because Brahman is truth, therefore His energy's also truth. That is the difference between Vaiṣṇava philosophy and Māyāvāda philosophy. We cannot say that energy is false. Energy is temporary; this external energy is temporary, not false. Although… Suppose we have got some trouble. There are so many kinds of troubles pertaining to the body, mind, external affairs. But that trouble comes and goes. But when the trouble is there, it is true. We feel the consequence. We cannot say it is false. The Māyāvādī philosophers say that it is false. But when he's troubled, why he's so much disturbed? So that is not false. Therefore this very word is used: vijānataḥ, "one who knows." Perfect knowledge must be there, vijānataḥ. When one is actual knower of the things, tatra ko mohaḥ, then there is no illusion. Illusion is for him who does not know things. But one who knows, there is no illusion. Tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka. No lamentation. When you are perfectly in conviction that there is nothing except Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa's energy, the same, then there is no moha-moha means illusion-and śoka.

Moha and śoka, this is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. We were very much anxious to get things which you haven't got. That is kāṅkṣati, hankering after. And when things are lost, we lament. But if we know that Kṛṣṇa is the central point, so anything received, gained, profited, that is Kṛṣṇa's desire. Kṛṣṇa has given; accept it. And if it is taken away by Kṛṣṇa, then what is the lamentation? Kṛṣṇa liked to take it away from me. Oh, why should I lament? Because ekatvam, the supreme one, He's the cause of all causes. He's taking; He's also giving. So when you have got something, engage it in Kṛṣṇa's service. And we have no, nothing to offer Kṛṣṇa, then whatever you get, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam [Bg. 9.26], Kṛṣṇa is satisfied in every way. This is the meaning of vijānataḥ. One must be in the full knowledge. Then there will be no more lamentation and no more hankering. That is the stage of spiritual platform.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati ne kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu…

[Bg. 18.54]

Then you can see everyone on the same platform, that everyone is a spiritual spark. Na vijugupsate. Then you do not say, "Oh, he's lower; he's higher. He's intelligent; he is fool." That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. Paṇḍitāḥ means learned. He's vijānataḥ, one who knows. So in the Vedic literature you won't find something different in Bhagavad-gītā and some things different in Īśopaniṣad or something is different in the Vedas. No. They are the same things explained in different languages in different scriptures. But one has to know the art, how to understand them.

Thank you very much. (end)

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Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 8

Los Angeles, May 11, 1970

(Prabhupāda and devotees chant Invocation and verses 1-7)

Prabhupāda: Again, from the beginning. (devotees repeat) Thank you very much. [break]

Apāpa-viddham [Īśo 8]. This is most important part of this verse. No sin can pollute Kṛṣṇa. There is nothing sinful for Kṛṣṇa. How it is? The example is given generally, just like the sun. There is no contamination for the sun. There is no possibility of the sun being contaminated, or the sun being dark. This is a material thing. So how Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, He can be contaminated by any kind of sinful action? God is good. There cannot be any sinful action. Sometimes less intelligent class of men, they criticize Kṛṣṇa, "Why Kṛṣṇa did it?" Yes, Kṛṣṇa is God. He can do anything, whatever He likes. Your laws cannot restrict Kṛṣṇa. You may… For you there may be so many restrictive laws, but for Kṛṣṇa there is no restrictive law. He can surpass all restrictive regulations. This question was put to Parīkṣit Mahārāja after rasa-līlā that "Kṛṣṇa came to establish the principles of moral and religious life. How He enjoyed the company of so many young girls who were not…? They were wives of other persons. So how it is so?" So the answer was given that Kṛṣṇa cannot be contaminated. Rather, anything comes to Kṛṣṇa, even with contaminated mind, becomes purified. The same example: the sun cannot be contaminated, but anything contaminated, if you put into the sunshine, it becomes purified. So you approach Kṛṣṇa with any desire… Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā [SB 2.3.10]. The gopīs… Of course, that is not this material thing. Still, as young girls, they were captivated by the beauty of Kṛṣṇa. So they approached Kṛṣṇa with a view to accept Him as parmour. But actually, they became purified.

So some way or other, if we can develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then immediately we become purified. That is the process. Kṛṣṇa gives chance to everyone. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was thinking of Kṛṣṇa. He was also Kṛṣṇa conscious, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, how shall I find out Kṛṣṇa? I shall kill Him." That was his business. That is the asuric mentality. Āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. But he also became purified. He got salvation. The same example again: somehow or other, if you come to the sunlight, you become purified and you get warmth. Not that sun becomes contaminated by you. No. That is not possible. Sun is so powerful that even you are contaminated… You cannot contaminate the sun. Tejīyasāṁ na doṣāya [SB 10.33.29]. When one is very powerful, there is no contamination. Therefore here it is said, apāpa-viddhaṁ śuddham. Always purified, Kṛṣṇa. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā when Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the supreme pure." Pavitraṁ paramam.

So same thing is here. The Vedic literature is not contradictory. Whatever you find in Brahma-saṁhitā, the same thing you'll find in Īśopaniṣad, the same thing you'll find Bhagavad-gītā, same thing you'll find in other Vedic literature. It is our misunderstanding that we, sometimes we cannot understand. Otherwise, it is always the same truth spoken everywhere.

Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant. (kīrtana) (end)

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Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 8

Los Angeles, May 12, 1970

Prabhupāda: (chants verse, etc)

sa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṇam

asnāviraṁ śuddham apāpa-viddham

kavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūr

yāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ

[Īśo 8]

So this verse, you'll read what is important. "Such person must know in fact the greatest of all, who is unembodied, omniscient…" That is the distinction between God and ourself. We are embodied. This body is different from me; therefore when I leave this body, this body becomes "Dust thou art, dust thou…" That thou means this body. I am not dust. I am spirit soul. So Kṛṣṇa is not embodied. He has no difference between His body and His soul. His soul and body, the same. He does not change His body, because He hasn't got material body. And because He does not change body, He remembers everything. We change body; therefore we do not remember what had happened in our last birth. We have forgotten who was… Just like even in sleep, when we forget our body, we forget our all, I mean to say, environments. While sleeping or dreaming, you are in a dreamland. You don't remember even that you have got this body. Every day, every night, this is being experienced. Because this body, I'm not body. The body becomes tired. It sleeps or it is inactive. But as I am, I work, I dream, I go somewhere, I fly, or I go, I create another kingdom, another body, another environment. This we experience every day, every night. It is not difficult to understand. Similarly, in every life, we create a different environment. In this life I may think I am Indian. You may think you are American. Or next life, a different position. Next life, I may not be American, or I may not be Indian. And if I, even I, I become American, I may not be a man. I may be a cow or bull. Then I am sent to the slaughterhouse. You see? This is going on. This is the problem. Always changing bodies. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. It is serious position. We should very…, take this life very seriously, that "I'm changing my body life after life. I have no fixed position. I do not know where I am put within these 8,400,000 species of life. So I must make a solution." And that solution is… Kṛṣṇa says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ: [Bg. 8.15] "If anyone, some way or other, by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he comes to Me, he hasn't got any more to go back and accept a material body." He gets the same body as Kṛṣṇa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1].

So we should very seriously execute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Without any deviation, very seriously. We should not be neglectful, that this is fashion or something imposed. No. This is the most important function. Human life is meant simply for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has no other business. But unfortunately we have created so many engagements so that we forget Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is called māyā. This is called māyā. We are forgetting our real business. We are engaged in different, so many businesses. Misleaders. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31]. The rascal, blind leaders are leading to hell. Te 'pīśa tantryām uru-dāmni-baddhāḥ. All of them are tied up by the stringent rules and regulations of the material nature. And they have become leader. They do not like any authority. This is called māyā. This is called māyā. They are being misled; still they are following that. This is called māyā.

So try, some way or other, you have come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. So catch Him very tightly. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. If you catch very tightly Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then māyā will not be able to do any harm.

Thank you very much. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

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Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 9

Los Angeles, May 13, 1970

Prabhupāda: (chanting with devotees:)

andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśantiye

ye 'vidyām upāsate

tato bhūya iva te tamo

ya u vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ

[Īśo 9]

"Those who are engaged in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the so-called culture of knowledge."

So there are two kinds of education: material education and spiritual education, brahma-vidyā and jaḍa-vidyā. Jaḍa-vidyā means material education. Jaḍa. Jaḍa means "which cannot move," matter. And spiritual education… Spirit can move. Our body is combination of spirit and matter. So long the spirit is there, this body is moving. Just like coat-pant is moving so long a man wears it. It appears that the coat is moving, the pant is moving, but actually the living entity is moving, and the covering, the dress, appears to be moving. Similarly, this body is moving because the spirit soul is moving. This is only… Just like a vehicle. A motorcar is moving; that means the driver is moving. So foolish people will think that the motorcar is moving. Motorcar does not move. In spite of all mechanical arrangement, it cannot move. That is the wrong way of education. People who are thinking that this material nature is working, moving and manifesting so many wonderful things… Just like in the seaside we see the waves are moving. But the waves are not moving; the air moving it. But air is not moving. In this way, you go back, back, back, what is the ultimate cause, then you'll find Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes. That is called philosophy, to search out the ultimate cause.

So here it is said, andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye avidyām upāsate. Avidyā means those who are captivated by the external movements, they are, they are worshiping avidyā, nescience, which will not help him. The modern civilization is engaged… There are big, big institutions for technology, how a motorcar can move, how aeroplane can move. So many machinery they're manufacturing. But they are… There is no educational institution how the mover, the spirit soul, is moving. That is… That is called avidyā, nescience. The actual mover is not being studied, but the external movement is being studied. Big, big institution, universities, there are. As I told you the other day, when I lectured in the Massachusetts Technological College, so I inquired that "Where is that technology to study the mover?" But they have no such arrangement. They could not answer satisfactorily. So that is avidyā. So here, in the Īśopaniṣad, it is said, andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye avidyām upāsate. Those who are engaged only in material advancement of education, the result will be that they will go to the darkest region of existence, andhaṁ tamaḥ. It is very dangerous position that at the present moment there is no arrangement in any state, all over the world, about spiritual education. It is pushing the human society to the darkest region of existence. Actually, it is happening so. In… In your country, your rich country, you have got nice educational system, so many universities, but what class of men you are producing? The students are coming to become hippies. Why?

So leaders should think over it, that "What we are producing, in spite of so many educational institutions?" That is hinted here, that because you are worshiping avidyā… That is not knowledge. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung very nicely: jaḍa-vidyā saba māyāra vaibhava. Jaḍa-vidyā. Jaḍa-vidyā means this material education. He says they are expansion of this māyā. Jaḍa vidyā. Jaḍa vidyā sa māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. The more we shall advance in this material education, the more we will be hampered to understand what is God. And at last we shall declare, "God is dead. I am God. You are God," this, all this nonsense. That is hinted here: andhaṁ tamaḥ. Andham means darkness. There are two kinds of darkness. If you remain in ignorance, that is also darkness, and if you remain actually in darkness, where there is no sunlight, there is no electric light, that is also darkness. So avidyām upāsate. Another, tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ. So these materialists, they are certainly being pushed in the darkness, but there is another class, who are so-called philosopher, mental speculators, religionists, yogis. They are going still more in the darkness, because they are defying Kṛṣṇa. They are posed as if culturing spiritual knowledge, but because they have no information of Kṛṣṇa, or God, their advancement of education is also more dangerous. More dangerous. Because they are misleading people. The yoga system, the so-called yoga, not the real yoga system… The so-called yoga system, they are preaching, misleading people that "You meditate and you'll understand that you are God." By meditation, one becomes God. (chuckles) You see. So Kṛṣṇa never meditated. Neither He had any chance of meditation, because from the very beginning of His appearance, Kaṁsa was prepared to kill Him. Then He was transferred by His father to the house of Nanda-Yaśodā. There also, when He was sleeping, a baby, three-months-old baby, the Pūtanā demon attacked. So Kṛṣṇa had no chance to meditate to become God. He is God from the very beginning. That is God. God is God and dog is dog. That is the law of identity.

So these are all nonsense, that "You become still, you become silent, and you become God." Oh, how I can become silent? Is there any possibility of becoming silent? No. There is no such possibility. "You become desireless." So how I can become desireless? These are all bluffs. We cannot be desireless. We cannot be silent. But our desires, our activities, have to be purified. That is real knowledge. That is real knowledge. We shall desire only to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is purification of desire. Not that desireless. That is not possible. How I can be desireless? How I can be silent? That is also not possible. For a second, I cannot be silent. So then our activities should be engaged, dovetailed, in Kṛṣṇa's service. This is real knowledge, that "I, as living entity, I have all these things, activities, desires, loving propensity. Everything is there. But that is being misguided." We do not know where to place all these things. That is avidyā. So this Īśopaniṣad teaches us that we should be very careful. We should not be very much advanced… We may be advanced. That doesn't matter. We don't say that you don't advance in material education. You advance, but, at the same time, you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is our propaganda. We don't say that you don't, you do not manufacture motorcar or you do not manufacture these so many machines. We don't say. But we say, "All right, you have manufactured this machine. Employ it in Kṛṣṇa's service." That is our proposal. We don't say stop it. We don't say that you have, don't have any sex life. But we say, "Yes, you have sex life-for Kṛṣṇa. You produce Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Hundred times you have sex life." But don't create cats and dogs. That is our proposal.

So education, education required, but if education is wrongly diverted, it is very, very dangerous. That is the purport of this verse.

andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti

ye vidyām upāsate

tato bhūya iva te tamo

ya u vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ

So-called education has no value.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

700514IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 9-10

Los Angeles, May 14, 1970

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant. Oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ. (chants with devotees) Loudly. (chants Mantras 1-10) "The wise have explained to us that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge, and it is said that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience."

So yesterday we have explained to some extent what is the culture of nescience and what is the culture of knowledge. Culture of knowledge means spiritual knowledge. That is real knowledge. And advancement of knowledge for comforts or to protect this material body, that is the culture of nescience. Because however you may try to protect this body, its natural course will take place. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9]. You cannot relieve this body from repeated birth and death, and while manifested, disease and old age. So people are very much busy for culturing knowledge of this body, although they are seeing every moment that this body is decaying. The death of the body was registered when it was born. That's a fact. So you cannot stop the natural course of this body. You must meet the process of the body, namely, birth, death, old age, and disease.

So Bhāgavata says, therefore, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. This body is made of three primary elements: mucus, bile, and air. That is the Vedic version and Āyurvedic treatment. This body is a bag of mucus, bile, and air. In old age the air circulation becomes disturbed; therefore old man becomes rheumatic, so many bodily ailments. So Bhāgavata says, "One who has accepted this combination of bile, mucus, and air as self, he is an ass." Yes. Actually, this is the fact. If we accept this combination of bile, mucus, and air as myself… So intelligent person, a very great philosopher, very great scientist, does it mean that he's a combination of bile, mucus and air? No. This is the mistake. He's different from this bile or mucus or air. He's soul. And according to his karma, he's exhibiting, manifesting his talent. So they do not understand this karma, the law of karma. Why we find so many different personalities? If it is a combination of bile, mucus, and air, why they are not similar? So they do not cultivate this knowledge. Why there are dissimilarities? One man is born millionaires; another man is born, he cannot even have full meals twice a day, although he's struggling very hard. Why this discrimination? Why one is put into such favorable condition? Why the other is not? So there is law of karma, the individuality.

So this is knowledge. Therefore the Īśopaniṣad says that anyad evāhur vidyayā anyad āhur avidyayā. Those who are in ignorance, they are cultivating a different type of advancement of knowledge, and those who are actually in knowledge, they are cultivating in a different way. Ordinary people, they do not like our activities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are surprised. Gargamuni was telling me yesterday evening that people ask, "Where do you get so much money? You are purchasing so many cars and big church property and maintaining fifty, sixty men daily and enjoying. What is this?" (laughter) So they are surprised. And we are surprised why these rascals are working so hard simply for filling the belly. So Bhagavad-gītā says, yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgrati saṁyamī. We are seeing that these people are sleeping, and they are seeing we are wasting our time. This is opposite view. Why? Because their line of action is different, our line of action are different. Now, it is to be decided by an intelligent man whose actions are actually right.

These things are very nicely discussed in Vedic literature. There is another… Just like this is Īśopaniṣad. Similarly, there is another Upaniṣad, Garga Upaniṣad. So that is the talk between husband and wife, very learned. The husband is teaching the wife. Etad viditvā yaḥ prayāti sa eva brāhmaṇa gargi. Etad aviditvā yaḥ prayāti sa eva kṛpanā. This real culture of knowledge, one who… Everyone takes birth and everyone will die. There is no difference of opinion about it. We shall die and they shall die. They can say that "You are thinking of birth, death, old age and disease. So do you mean to say that because you are cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge, you will be free from these four principles of nature's onslaught?" No. That is not the fact. The fact is, the Garga Upaniṣad says, etad viditvā yaḥ prayāti. One who quits this body after knowing what he is, sa eva brāhmaṇa, he is brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa… We are offering you the sacred thread. Why? Just you try to understand what is the mystery of life. That is brāhmaṇa. Vijānataḥ. We have read in this verse, vijānataḥ. One who quits this body after knowing things as they are, he is brāhmaṇa. And etad aviditvā yaḥ prayāti… And one who quits this body without knowing the mystery of life, he's a kṛpaṇā. Kṛpaṇā means miser. Just like if you get one million dollars and you could not utilize it, simply you see that "Oh, I have got this bank balance," you are happy simply by seeing it, then you are kṛpaṇā. You do not know how to utilize. And one who has got one million dollars and utilizing it and making millions and millions dollars, he is intelligent. Similarly, this body is invaluable. One who is utilizing it for culture of spiritual knowledge, he is brāhmaṇa. That is the difference between brāhmaṇa and kṛpaṇā. And one who is utilizing this body like cats and dogs for sense gratification, he is miser. He does not know how to utilize one million dollars. Everyone does not know. But it is the duty of the father, duty of the state, duty of the teachers to educate from the very beginning. Bhāgavata says that one should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a teacher, one should not become a king unless they are able to elevate their dependents to this spiritual knowledge, which can save him from repeated birth and death.

Thank you. (end)

700515IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 10

Los Angeles, May 15, 1970

(Prabhupāda chants first ten verses with devotees)

Prabhupāda: So this verse is very important.

anyad evāhur vidyayā

anyad āhur avidyayā

iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ

ye nas tad vicacakṣire

[Īśo 10]

So here is one word, iti śuśruma. Śuśruma means heard. The word meaning is there. "It is heard." In the Vedic disciplic succession, it is never said, "It is experienced." That is the secret of Vedic understanding. No student will… Just like people are now engaged in researching what is there in the moon planet. So this is material policy, to try to understand things by his own experience. Pratyakṣa, direct, experimental knowledge. The Vedic understanding is different. It is śruti. Śruti means to hear from authoritative source. That is real knowledge. Just like I have given many times this example that if you want to know your father by experimental knowledge, is it possible? Not possible. Then how to know my father? By hearing from the authority, mother. That's all. Simple thing. Similarly, things which are beyond our experimental knowledge you should not try to understand by your imperfect senses. That is not possible. If you cannot know your material father by experimental knowledge, how you can know the Supreme Father by experimental knowledge? The original father… The father of the father, father, father, you go on searching father, and the original father is Kṛṣṇa. So if you cannot understand your material father, the next generation, by experimental knowledge, how you can know God, or Kṛṣṇa, by experimental knowledge? Can you answer this, anyone?

So people are searching what is God. And searching, searching, searching, and they fail. They say, "Oh, there is no God. I am God." Finished. You see? This is not possible. Here it is said, iti śuśruma. This is Vedic knowledge. Heard, śuśruma. Wherefrom śuśruma? From the storekeeper? No. Dhīrāṇāṁ śuśruma. Iti śuśruma dhīrāṇām. What is dhīrāṇām? From the sober sect. Not this fanatic sect, but the sober sect, dhīra. Dhīra means whose senses are not agitated by material influence, or svāmī, or gosvāmī. He is called dhīra. There are different kinds of agitation. The first agitating agent is the mind, then the another agitating agent is this tongue. Another agitating agent is our speaking power. Vāco-vega krodha-vega. Another agitation is when we become angry. When we become angry, we forget. We do any nonsense due to the agitation of anger. When we speak in anger, we speak so many nonsense things. Vāco-vegaṁ krodha-vegaṁ manasa-vegaṁ jihvā-vegam. Jihvā-vegam, agitation of the jihvā, tongue. Don't you see? For the agitation of the tongue so many advertisement: "Oh, here is this liquor," "Here is this chicken," "Here is this beef." What for? To satisfy the agitation of the tongue. Does it mean that without beef, without chicken, without liquor, we cannot live? Is it a fact? It is not a fact. For living, we have got so many nice things. God has, Kṛṣṇa has given-īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]-for human being. You can take these grains, these fruits, the nice things, the milk. The milk is produced hugely. It is not for the cow itself, who is producing the milk; it is for human being. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. That is the allotment. God's allotment is, "You, Mr. or Miss Cow, or Mrs. Cow, although you are producing milk, you cannot drink it. It is for the human being. Better. Better animal. Not that… What you will do by drinking milk?" No animal… Of course, in infant stage every animal living (drinks) mother's milk. That is nature's… But so far the cow's milk is concerned, that is specifically meant for the human being. So tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. What is ordained by Kṛṣṇa, or God, you take it. But we have got the agitation of the tongue. Why shall I be satisfied simply taking grains, milk, and vegetables, and fruits? Let me maintain hundreds of slaughterhouse and kill these animals. After taking their milk, although she becomes my mother, for my tongue agitation let them be killed. You see?

So this is not… You haven't got to hear from such nonsense, but you have to hear from the dhīrāṇām, those who have controlled their senses. That is the gosvāmī, or svāmī. One who has six kinds of control: control of the mind, control of the tongue, control of anger, control of speaking, control of the genital, and control of the belly. Six kinds of agitating agents: the mind, the tongue, the belly, the genital, the speaking… So one who has control over these six things, he is called dhīrāṇām. Dhīra. Hara eva (?) dhīra. Just like in Kumāra-sambhava. There is a nice poetry made by a great poet, Kālidāsa. It is called Kumāra-sambhava. This Kumāra-sambhava, we had our prescribed books in our intermediate I.A. class, Kumāra-sambhava. Kumāra-sambhava, the fact of the Kumāra-sambhava is that when Pārvatī suicided herself in the Dakṣa-yajña, then Lord Śiva was very angry. He left this world. That's a Dakṣa-yajña story. You might have heard from Bhāgavatam. So he was engaged in meditation, and there was fight between the demons and the demigods. They wanted a very nice general. So it was concluded that with the semina of Lord Śiva, if a son is born, then he'll be able to fight this great fight between the demons. So Lord Śiva was in meditation, completely naked. So this Pārvatī was sent to worship the Śiva-liṅga just to agitate him for sex. But he was not agitated. He was still silent. So that particular instance is given by Kālidāsa, "Here is a dhīra." Dhīra. He is naked. A young girl is worshiping the genital, touching it; still he's not agitated. So that is the example of being dhīra. Dhīra means there may be causes for agitation, but one shall not be agitated. That is called dhīra. In spite of presence of the agent of agitating… Just like there is a very nice foodstuff, but still, my tongue should not be agitated. There is a very nice girl or boy, still, I shall not be agitated sexually. In this way, when you are able to control the six agitating elements, then you become dhīra. Dhīra. Not that he had, Lord Śiva had no sexual potency, but he was dhīra. That is the example. Just like Kṛṣṇa danced with so many girls, but there was no sex appetite. That is called dhīra.

So you have to hear from such person, dhīra. Here it is stated, iti śuśruma dhīrāṇām. Dhīrāṇām. Then your knowledge will be perfect. If you hear from adhīrāṇām, those who are not controlled, then it is useless knowledge. But here it is in the Vedic version of Īśopaniṣad, iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ ye nas tad vicacakṣire. So the student has approached the spiritual master and he says that "We have heard like this. Now it may be kindly explained." So teacher or the spiritual master is not inventing something. The same old thing. Just like the Bhagavad-gītā, the old thing is being explained again by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna. So we have no, nothing to research. Everything is there. Simply we have to hear from a person who is dhīra, who is not agitated by the six kinds of agitating agents. That is the process of Vedic knowledge.

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti (te jñānaṁ)

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 4.34]

So always remember that we have to learn from a person who is dhīra, who has control over these agitating agents.

Thank you. (end)

700516IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 11

Los Angeles, May 16, 1970

Prabhupāda: "Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality." [Īśo 11]

So people do not understand what is immortality. They think that it is a vague idea, because no knowledge… So many things… We are very proud of our advancement of knowledge. So many things we do not know, and it is not possible to know even, by our modern experimental knowledge. It is not possible. Therefore, if you want real knowledge, then you go to knowledge. Vedas means knowledge. These Vedas means knowledge. Vetti veda vido jñāne. Veda, Veda means knowledge. So if you want real knowledge, then you have to take shelter of these Vedas, Vedic literature, just like Īśopaniṣad. There are 108 Upaniṣads, out of which, nine are very important. Out of that nine, this Īśopaniṣad stands first, then Taittirīya Upaniṣad, Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad, Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad. So the Upaniṣad… Upa, upa means nearing. So this knowledge will take you nearer to Kṛṣṇa. And amongst the learned society, ācāryas, the śruti-pramāṇa… Evidence is śruti. Śruti means these Vedas. They are not experimental knowledge. They are not knowledge established by the research work of contaminated, conditioned soul. Contaminated, conditioned soul, their senses are imperfect. They cannot see things as they are. Simply they theorize, "It may be like that." So much they can say. So "It may be like that," that is no knowledge. Knowledge definite. There is no mistake. Conditioned souls, they commit mistake, they are illusioned, they cheat… Cheating means one who does not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā but he is writing commentary on Bhagavad-gītā. This is cheating, cheating the public. Somebody has got some name, a scholar, and he takes advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā, and he writes some comment. And they claim that anyone can give his own opinion. But that is not the process. You cannot give any opinion. Suppose I am a preacher of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. How I can give opinion on medical science? That is ludicrous. I can give opinion in my jurisdiction-that's all right-but if somebody asks me opinion about some medical treatment or some legal implication, so what can I do? Similarly, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12].

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad jñānam

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 4.34]

Tattva-darśinaḥ means one who has seen, one who has realized the Absolute Truth. So you have to go there.

So avidyā mṛtyum. If you do not go, then you remain in darkness. It is… Vedic injunction is gacchet. This is a verb, form of verb, which says "must." It is not that "Oh, I may accept a spiritual master; I may not. There are books. I shall learn it." No. Therefore the injunction is gacchet. Gacchet means "must go," not that alternative, may go or may not go. No. "Must go." Tad-vijñānārtham, in order to understand that knowledge, that science, you must go. Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12]. Otherwise you remain in avidyā. Vidyām avidyām ca: two sides, darkness and light. So you must know two things: what is māyā and what is Kṛṣṇa. Then your knowledge is perfect. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is so nice that somehow or other, if you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then your all business finished. You automatically will learn what is māyā if you have got full surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence from within. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151], Caitanya-caritāmṛta. "By the mercy of spiritual master and by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, one enters into this devotional service." How is that? The mercy is parallel line. If you have not found out a spiritual master, but if you are sincere, then Kṛṣṇa will take you to a bona fide spiritual master. And if you get a bona fide spiritual master, then he will take you to Kṛṣṇa. So both things parallel. If you are sincere… Kṛṣṇa is always sitting within your heart, caitya-guru, the spiritual master within the heart. That spiritual master within the heart manifests himself externally as spiritual master. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ *. Sākṣāt, directly, directly representative of Kṛṣṇa. This is the verdict of all śāstras. Samasta. Samasta means all śāstra. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva *. And it is not only stated, but it is accepted as such by all great sadbhiḥ, devotees.

So vidyā and avidyā. We should learn what is vidyā and avidyā. Avidyā means this materialistic knowledge. That is avidyā. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, jaḍa vidyā sab māyāra vaibhava: "Advancement of material knowledge means advancement of māyā's jurisdiction." The more you become implicated in material knowledge, entangled, you…, less you can understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People, those who are supposed to be very advanced in material knowledge, they think, "Eh, what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?" They have no attraction. Just like some of our Indian boys sometimes come. They have come here to learn technology. So sometimes they question. They are surprised that… They have rejected these things, and they have come here to learn technology. So when they see that Swamijī introduced the things which they have rejected in India, so they are surprised.

So I also came for that purpose, because our modern India has rejected spiritual knowledge. They are thinking that if they can imitate Westernized technology, then they will be happy. This is māyā. They do not see that those who are advanced three hundred times more than us in technology, what they have got? They do not see that. India cannot advance in technology like America or Europe at least for three hundred years more, because in these Western countries they have taken this business since a very long time, but Indian culture, beginning from the creation, is spiritual culture. Vyāsadeva… Just see Vyāsadeva. He is the original guru, spiritual master, of Vedic knowledge. How he was living? In a cottage in Badarikāśrama. But just see his knowledge. He has written so many Purāṇas, and Bhāgavata-Purāṇa is one of them. The Vedānta philosophy, Mahābhārata, each and every verse if you study, you can study for the whole life. Similarly, in some book he has written 100,000's of verses, not less than 20,000, 25,000 verses. And each verse is so full of meaning that one has to learn it throughout his whole life. This is Vedic culture. There is no comparison of knowledge, not only in spiritual knowledge, in other department also-in astronomy, in mathematics. It is not that in the olden age there were no aeroplanes. We get so many information from Purāṇas. Their aeroplane was so strong and so, I mean to say, speedy, they could easily reach other planets. Arjuna went to the heavenly planet. So material knowledge, advancement, is not that there was no advancement of material knowledge in the Vedic age. It was there, but they did not take much care of it. They were interested for spiritual knowledge. It is not that material knowledge was not there. It was there. The opulence… That opulence you cannot compare now. Gold, jewels, full-every city, every individual person, and what to speak of kings and rich men. So avidyā and vidyā. So one should know side by side what is vidyā and what is avidyā.

So avidyāya, if we advance in avidyā, or material science, then we have to repeat this birth and death, birth and… And there is no guarantee where I shall get my next birth. That is not in your hand. You cannot dictate. Now you are happy American, but after quitting this body you cannot dictate, "Please give me again an American body." No. That is not possible. You may get an American body, but you may get the American animal's body. Then you are meant for slaughterhouse. So this material knowledge, this nationalism, this socialism, they are simply spoiling time. Real knowledge is the Vedic knowledge and the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. That is real knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyante [Bg. 7.19]. Therefore one who is in real knowledge, after many, many births, he comes to Kṛṣṇa and surrenders unto Him, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: [Bg. 7.19] "Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, You are everything."

So that knowledge we are trying to distribute freely, without any charges. So our mission is very great. You should be conscious of this responsibility. We are giving this supermost thing to the human society. So you try yourself to understand thoroughly and distribute. That will make you very much, I mean to say, dear to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmād manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ: "Anyone who is preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge, oh, nobody is dearer than him to Me." So if you want to be very dear to Kṛṣṇa quickly, so you preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very nicely.

Thank you very much. (end)

700518IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Mantra 13-15

Los Angeles, May 18, 1970

Prabhupāda: Everyone feeling all right?

Devotees: Yes, Prabhupāda. Jaya!

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Page 65, Mantra 13. (chants mantra etc.)

anyad evāhuḥ sambhavād

anyad āhur asambhavāt

iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ

ye nas tad vicacakṣire

[Iso 13]

Then Mantra 14, (page) 72. (devotees chant mantra etc.)

sambhūtiṁ ca vināśaṁ ca

yas tad vedobhayaṁ saha

vināśena mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā

sambhūtyāmṛtam aśnute

[Iso 14]

Fifteen.

hiraṇmayena pātreṇa

satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham

tat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṇu

satya-dharmāya dṛṣṭaye

"O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee."

Here is Vedic evidence. This Īśopaniṣad is Veda, part of the Yajur Veda. So here it is said, hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasya apihitam mukham. Just like the sun. There is, in the sun planet, there is a predominating Deity whose name is Vivasvān. We get it, this information we get from Bhagavad-gītā. Vivasvān manave prāha. So in every planet there is a predominating Deity. Just like in your this planet, if not Deity, somebody like president there is. Formerly, there was only one king on this planet, up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. One king was. There was only one flag ruling over this whole planet. Similarly, in every planet there is a predominating Deity. So here it is said that the supreme predominating Deity is Kṛṣṇa, in the spiritual, in the topmost planet in the spiritual sky. This is material sky. In the material sky this is one of the universes. There are millions and trillions of universes. And within this universe there are millions and trillions of planets. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. Jagad-aṇḍa. Jagad-aṇḍa means universe. Aṇḍa: just like an egg, this whole universe. So koṭi. Koṭi means hundreds and thousands. So in the brahmajyoti there are hundreds and thousands of these universes, and within this universe there are hundreds and thousands and thousands, unlimited number of Vaikuṇṭhas, planets. Each Vaikuṇṭha planet is predominated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Except in the Kṛṣṇa planet, all other Vaikuṇṭha planets, they are predominated by Nārāyaṇa, and each Nārāyaṇa has got different names, some of which we know. Like just we utter Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Saṅkarṣaṇa… We have got twenty-four names only, but there are many others. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33].

So these planets are covered by the brahmajyoti effulgence. So here it is prayed that hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasya apihitam. Apihitam means covered. Just like you cannot see the sun globe on account of this dazzling sunshine, similarly, the Kṛṣṇa planet, here you have the picture. From the Kṛṣṇa planet the effulgence is coming out. So one has to penetrate this effulgence. That is being prayed here. Hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasya. The real Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, His planet is covered by the Brahman effulgence. So the devotee is praying, "Kindly move it. Wind it so that I can see You really." So brahmajyoti, the Māyāvāda philosophers, they do not know that beyond brahmajyoti there is anything. Here is the Vedic evidence, that the brahmajyoti is just like golden effulgence. Hiraṇmayena pātreṇa. This is covering the real face of the Supreme Lord. Tat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṇu. So, "You are sustainer, You are maintainer. Kindly uncover this so that we can see You actually, Your face."

The idea is that Kṛṣṇa planet or the Vaikuṇṭha planets, they are beyond this Brahman effulgence, and those who are devotees, they are permitted to enter into these spiritual planets. Those who are not devotees, simply jñānīs or demons… The jñānīs and demons, they are offered the same place. The jñānīs… Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ [SB 10.2.32]. They practice severe austerities, penances, to enter into the Brahman effulgence. But the demons, simply by becoming enemy of Kṛṣṇa, they immediately get that place. The demons who are killed by Kṛṣṇa, they are immediately transferred to this Brahman effulgence. So just imagine, the place which is given to the enemies of Kṛṣṇa, is that very covetable thing? Suppose if somebody comes who is my enemy, I give him some place, and somebody, my intimate friend, I give him some other place. Similarly, this Brahman effulgence is not at all covetable. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda, he has composed a verse, that Brahman… Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalya means the Brahman effulgence, simply spiritual light. So kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. He says that this Brahman effulgence is just like hell. For a devotee, this Brahman… The jñānīs who are trying to merge into the Brahman effulgence, for devotee it is stated as hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5). And tri-daśa-pūr means the planets of the demigods within this material world. People are very much anxious to go into the heavenly planet. That is called tri-daśa-pūr or tri-daśa-pūr, the residential quarters of the demigods. And for a devotee it is understood as will-o'-the-wisp, ākāśa-puṣpāyate. And durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. And the yogis, they are trying to control the senses, which are considered as venomous serpents, the senses. That's a fact. So the bhakta says that "We are not afraid of the senses." Why? Protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate. Because we have extracted the poison teeth. The senses has got a poison teeth. As soon as you indulge in sense gratification, immediately you become degraded. Immediately. So it is just like a venomous serpent. As soon as touches you, little biting, finished your life. So it is like that. Durdānta-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī, indriya. But these venomous snakes, if their poison teeth is taken away, then it may be fearful for the boys and children. But if an elderly person knows that his poison teeth has been taken away, nobody's afraid of it. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that we take away the poison teeth of the senses. So that even Kṛṣṇa conscious persons are allowed for sense gratification, the poison teeth is broken. So therefore they are not gliding down to the hellish condition of life. So in this way, either the karmīs or the jñānīs or the yogis, they are always… They are, every one of them, trying to elevate. And above them is the devotees.

So devotee's place is the highest because by devotion only you can understand what is God. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55], Kṛṣṇa says. He does not say that "By karma one can understand Me." He does not say that "By jñāna one can understand Me." He does not say that "By yoga one can understand Me." He clearly says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: [Bg. 18.55] "Simply by devotional service one can understand Me." Yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. Knowing Him as He is, that is bhakti. So except devotional service, there is no possibility of understanding the Absolute Truth. Any other process means covered. Just like the… You understand the sun planet from here. You are seeing the sun planet, that's a fact, but that does not mean you know what is actually the sun planet is, because you have no access to approach there. You may speculate, that's all. Speculation means the blind man seeing the elephant. Somebody thought, "Oh, it is just like a pillar." Yes. Big, big legs. Somebody understood the trunk. Somebody understood the ears, elephant. There is a story, some blind men studying the elephant. So they were giving different conclusions. Somebody: "The elephant is just like a pillar." Somebody says, "Elephant is just like big boat." Somebody is… Somebody is… But actually what is elephant, if you have no eyes to see, you can go on speculating. Therefore it is here said that pūṣann apāvṛṇu. "Please uncover the covering. Then I can see You."

So that seeing power is the bhakta's, the devotee's, because Kṛṣṇa certifies, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. Those who have developed love of Godhead by that ointment, prema, ointment… Just like sometimes… In India it is very… They have got some… What is called? Surma? Ungent, surma. Yes. If you apply that surma your sight becomes bright immediately. So if you smear your eyes with love of Godhead, then you will see God always. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Yes. So devotion. So this is the way of understanding God. By service, by enhancing love… This love can be increased only by service. Otherwise there is no possibility. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234]. The more you increase your service spirit, the more you increase your dormant love of God. And as soon as you are in the perfectional stage of love of God, you see God always, every moment. Twenty-four hours you can see.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Prabhupāda. (end)

710708IP.LA

Śrī Īśopaniṣad Lecture Excerpt

Los Angeles, July 8, 1971

Prabhupāda: …spiritual. Otherwise, how he speaks of? These things are there in the Vedic literatures. Sa aikṣata: "He glanced over, and there was creation." In Bhagavad-gītā also it is said that mayādhyakṣena prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. So Kṛṣṇa's, or God's, position is always transcendental. Therefore those who are impersonalists, they are not attracted with the variegatedness of this material life. They want to make it void, because they have no information of the spiritual variegatedness. But this Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he became attracted with the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are not variegatedness of this material world. It is completely spiritual. And to discuss about Kṛṣṇa or to hear about Kṛṣṇa, to chant about Kṛṣṇa, to glorify about Kṛṣṇa-everything spiritual. So if you are engaged twenty-four hours in this business you are not in this material world. You are in the spiritual world.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. [break]

Prabhupāda: Formerly the spiritual master, the disciplic succession, there are two ways. One is called śaukra and another is called sautra. Śaukra means succession from the seminal. Just like son. Son is born by the semina, and the disciple is born by Vedic knowledge. So the one familywise is called śaukra. Śukra means semina, coming from the śukra, and the other is sautra, by hearing. So spiritual master… In India still there are gotras. Gotras means coming from that great sage. Just like our family belongs to the Gautama gotra. Gautama Ṛṣi, from him the familywise gotra, and similarly disciplic succession is also gotra. There is no difference between putra and chatra. Putra means son, and chatra means disciple. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, putrāṁś ca śiṣyāṁś ca; they are equally treated. Both of them equally eligible for hereditary rites from the person, either he is son or disciple. So Brahmā distributed knowledge to some… Practically everyone was his son because he was the first living creature. So later on, disciples also, son's son. So in this way Brahmā distributed this Vedic knowledge, some to the sons, some to the… Vyāsadeva also, he distributed knowledge, some to his sons, some to his disciples. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So that is the process of disseminating Vedic knowledge. Then?

Karandhara: (reading:)"The Lord being pūrṇam, or all-perfect, there is no chance of His being subjected to the laws of material nature, while the living entities and the inanimate objects are all controlled by the laws of nature and thus ultimately by the potency of the Lord. The Īśopaniṣad is a part of the Yajur Veda."

Prabhupāda: There are four Vedas-Sāma Veda, Yajur Veda, Ṛg Veda, and Atharva Veda. Originally there was one Veda, but later on, Vyāsadeva divided them into four. So Yajur Veda is one of the Vedas, and the Īśopaniṣad is stated there. All the Upaniṣads are stated in the different kinds of Vedas. Therefore Upaniṣad is accepted as Vedic study. Go on.

Karandhara: "The Īśopaniṣad is a part of the Yajur Veda, and as such, it contains information as to the proprietorship of all things that exist within the universe."

Prabhupāda: Just like evidence. Evidence… (aside:) Now you can sit down. Evidence, whenever we want to give evidence… Just like in law court, the evidence, you have to cite the section or the preamble of the laws. Similarly, in our human civilization this evidence is Vedas. If you find something stated in the Vedas, that you have to accept. That's all. Axiomatic truth. And because the Vedas were particularly studied by the brāhmaṇas, high-class qualified brāhmaṇas, therefore they are also accepted as authority. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was at Purī, the king of that place, Mahārāja Pratāparudra, he inquired from Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, "Oh, what is your opinion about this Caitanya who has come here?" He said that "He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So the king immediately accepted it. King said, "Oh, He is Supreme Personality of Godhead?" So he accepted immediately, just like… There is no question of experimenting. Because an authority like Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya is stating, a brāhmaṇa and… He was very learned scholar. You know Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya's name. So because he said that "He is Supreme Personality…" He did not ask any storekeeper, but he asked a learned brāhmaṇa who knows things. So similarly, we have to accept in that way. In each and every case, if we want to research, it is not possible, because our senses are blunt senses. What you can do? Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. The śāstra says that "Things which are beyond your conception, beyond your mental speculation"-avāṅ-manasā gocaraḥ-"neither you can express by words, neither you can think of." Avāṅ-manasā gocaraḥ.

So such things it is useless, try to understand by arguments. That is simply nonsense. You can, of course, inquire, but that inquiry is not challenge. If you inquire from your spiritual master by challenge, then it is your misfortune. You have to inquire from the spiritual master-that is indicated-sevayā, by service, by making him satisfied. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. First of all you have to surrender, and then you have to please him by service. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If you can please him, then naturally Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon you. That is the injunction. So this praśna… First of all you should find out somebody where you can surrender. If there is duplicity in surrender, that is useless. First of all see whether you can surrender there; then accept him spiritual master and then please him by your service and inquiry. That is Vedic principle.

Thank you very much. (end)

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā Lectures

681105BS.LA

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Verse 29

Los Angeles, November 5, 1968

Prabhupāda:

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.29]

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is the cause of all causes. He is in the cintāmaṇi-dhāma." Cintāmaṇi-dhāma means the place which is not made of earth and stone, but they are made of touchstone. Most probably you have heard the name of touchstone. Touchstone can turn iron into gold. So the Lord's abode is made of touchstone, cintāmaṇi. There are houses… As we have got our experience here in this world that houses are made of bricks, there, in the transcendental world, the houses are made of this cintāmaṇi stone, touchstone. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa [Bs. 5.29]. There are also trees, but those trees are not like this tree. The trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa. Here you can take one kind of fruit from one tree, but there, from the trees you can ask anything, and you get it because those trees are all spiritual. That is the difference between matter and spirit. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa lakṣā-vṛteṣu [Bs. 5.29]. Such kind of trees, there are many, not one or two. All the places are covered by all those trees. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam. And the Lord is very much fond of cowherding. And the cows there, they are called surabhīs. Surabhī cow means you can milk as many times and as much as you like. Surabhīr abhipālayantam. And lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ [Bs. 5.29]. And the Lord is always surrounded by the goddesses of fortune, lakṣmī-sahasra-śata, not one or two, but hundreds and thousands, hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, they are always serving the Lord. And in this way, eternally, blissfully, the Lord is staying in His abode, which is called cintāmaṇi-dhāma. (aside:) Now, how to stop this? (end)

710726BS.NY

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Verse 32

New York, July 26, 1971

Prabhupāda:

aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti

paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti

ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.32]

(aside:) Why not sit comfortably? Please. There is ample space in the front. You can move. So Govinda, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti. Aṅgāni, aṅgāni means the limbs of the body. Just like hands, legs, ear, nose, they're different parts of our body. The distinction between this material body and spiritual body is that just like this hand is made for particular purpose-you can pick up something, you can touch something, but you cannot taste something. If you want to taste something, then the hand will bring that food to your mouth and will touch your tongue. Then you can know that it is bitter or sweet. But simply by touching the hand it is not possible to understand what is the nature of that particular… Therefore God's body is described here that aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti. Each and every part of the body has got the capacity for other parts of the body. Just like if you want to eat, we have to taste it through the tongue, through the mouth, but Kṛṣṇa, or God, if He simply sees only, He can eat, simply by seeing. This is spiritual body. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti, paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti [Bs. 5.32]. In another sense, this whole cosmic manifestation is also the body of God; therefore you cannot hide anything from God's vision. In the Brahma…, the same Brahma-saṁhitā, it is said that yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. Savitā. Savitā means the sun, the sun-god, or the sun planet, is the eye, one eye of God. And the other eye is the moon. So He can see all things, what is happening within this universe-in daytime with His eye called the sun, and at night with moon. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed. Kṛṣṇa says, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the sunshine and the moonshine." So people who deny existence of God, they say that "Can you show me God?" You are seeing God. Why you are denying? God says that "I am the sunshine. I am the moonshine." And who has not seen the sunshine and moonshine? Everyone has seen. As soon as there is morning, there is sunshine. So if sunshine is God, then you have seen God. Why do you deny? You cannot deny. Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: [Bg. 7.8] "I am the taste of the water." So who has not tasted water? We are drinking, daily, gallons of water. We are thirsty, and the good taste which quench our thirst, that is Kṛṣṇa.

So you have to see God, or Kṛṣṇa, in this way. Then you'll advance, make advance. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to see in everything, Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we see living entity… Never mind whether he's a human being or animal or insect or bird or plant or aquatic; they're all living entities. In the sea, there are nine hundred thousand species of living entities. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. These are the statements in the Vedic scriptures. Exactly stated: jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. It does not say ten hundred thousand; it says nine hundred thousand. Exact calculation. Now bring any biologist to calculate how many species are there in the water. They cannot say. But here, in the Padma Purāṇa, Vedic literature, you get exact information how many species of living entities are there within the water. Everyone knows that there are living entities, full of living entities. We are catching fish, but small fishes. We have not seen. Even if we have seen the biggest fish, that is, whale… Sometimes they are as big as one big ship. But there are other fishes, we get information, they are called timiṅgila. The big fish, the whale fish, and timiṅgila means there is another big fish which swallows this timiṅgila, this whale just like anything. These informations are there. And in Calcutta Museum, in our childhood-it may be still existing-we saw one skeleton of a fish that is bigger than this room, a skeleton. It is hanging on the ceiling. So there are very, very big, big fishes. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. You get immediately information, without being a biologist, scientist, you can get information. The Darwin's theory, in most perfection, there is in the Padma Purāṇa: jīva-jatiṣu. The evolutionary theory is there. But Darwin is missing the real point: Who is, who is evolving? He's missing the spirit soul. He cannot explain. That is imperfect.

But in the Vedic scripture you have got perfect knowledge, how a living entity is developing different types of body. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. First of all, nine lakhs' species of living entities within water. In the water, the living seeds are there. The other day I was showing our other devotees how from the stone the grass is coming. There is a crack in the stone, and the grass is coming out. How it is? Nobody has gone to put some seeds within the cracking of the stone. How the grass is coming? The grass is coming because the water penetrates within the crack, and as soon as it gets in touch with the earth, it sprouts. That means within water there are seeds of living entities. Some of them fall down from the higher planetary system. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: kṣine puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti [Bg. 9.21]. As soon as their period of enjoyment is finished, they are again brought down on this earthly planet. Just like in your country the immigration-every country-the immigration department, if somebody has come, he has got a visa for six months or one year, or something like that. As soon as it is finished, immediately the immigration department notifies: "Please get out. Please get out." Similarly, in other planets also, there are higher planetary systems where material comforts are many thousand times better than in your USA. Your United States is considered to have the best facilities, comfortable materialistic way of life. That is the calculation outside. So supposing that you have got the best facilities for material enjoyment. In higher planetary system there are many thousand times better facilities. You can go there. The living entities are therefore called sarva-gataḥ. A living entity can go anywhere he likes, but he requires qualification. Any country, when one is admitted, he must have visa, he must have passport, he must have required money to stay in a foreign country. So many rules and regulations are there. Similarly, in the higher planetary system also, where you get ten thousand years of duration of life, and their one year is far, far greater than ours. That is scientific.

So these, this material world is also the virāṭ-rūpa, universal form, of the Lord. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti [Bs. 5.32]. I'm just trying to explain what is the body of the Supreme Lord. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna was shown the virāṭ-rūpa, the universal form of the Lord. Now why Arjuna wanted to see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa? The reason is that Arjuna knew it very well… Because in the Tenth chapter Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa that paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: [Bg. 10.12] "You are the Supreme Lord, paraṁ brahma, and pavitra, the purest." So Kṛṣṇa…, Arjuna knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, and still, in the Eleventh Chapter he requested Kṛṣṇa that "If You'll kindly show me Your universal form." Try to understand. Arjuna knew it very well that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. Why he wanted to examine Kṛṣṇa? Not for himself, but for others. Because Arjuna knew it very well that in future so many false Gods would appear: "I am God." So before accepting anyone as God, imitating Kṛṣṇa, one should inquire from him "Whether you can lift a hill? Whether you can show the universal form? Whether you can kill such and such demons? Then I shall accept." That is intelligence. Don't accept a foolish man, declaring himself as God, and you accept also God. God is not so cheap. You should know what is God. These descriptions are there. No more, no man, no living entity is greater than God. Therefore God is said: "God is great." Great means nobody can be greater than Him, nobody can be equal to Him. That is greatness. Six opulences. That is analytical study what is God.

So these things are being taught from authoritative scripture and…, what is God, what is our relationship with Him, and what is our function in that relationship. We should know it. Unless we try to know it, simply we waste our time in frivolous activities, that is not proper utilization of human form of life. We are simply requesting people that "You don't waste your valuable time." Our time is so valuable. It has been calculated by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita was a great politician, prime minister, in India, about three thousand years ago, when Candragupta was the emperor. It was about contemporary to Alexander the Great in the Greek history. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita was there. He was a great diplomat. He has calculated the value of our life. He says… It is very practical. Anyone can calculate.

āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi

na labhya svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ

na cet nirarthakaṁ (nītiḥ)

kā ca hānis tato 'dhikā

He says, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa. Even one moment of your life cannot be returned even you spend millions of dollars. One of our friends in India, he was at that time fifty-four years old, but he was dying. So he was requesting the doctor, "Doctor, kindly give some medicine so that I may live for another four years. I have got so many things to do." Just see, the crazy fellow. You see. This is called ignorance. He does not know that "What to call…, what to say of four years, the doctor cannot give me four minutes prolongation of life." When the life is ended, it is ended. Nobody can… Any medicine, any physical, physiological treatment will not help. That is not possible. You have got a duration of life, say, fifty years, sixty years, seventy years-a hundred years, utmost. You cannot increase it by paying money. What to speak of four years; you cannot increase four seconds. So just try to understand how much our life is valuable. A second of our life we cannot purchase by paying millions of dollars. And if that second is wasted without any utilization, then how much money we are losing. This is the calculation.

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is only to remind people that "Please do not waste your time, valuable time, life. Utilize it. This is the opportunity to make a solution of all the problems of life." There is means, there are ways, how to do it. That we are describing. Yesterday we discussed tapasā, by austerity; brahmacaryeṇa, by celibacy; śamena, by controlling the mind; damena, by controlling the senses; tyāgena, by giving in charity your money. That is called tyāga. Suppose you have got millions of dollars. Don't keep it. So long it is within your jurisdiction, spend it for Kṛṣṇa. Yes. That is the proper utilization. Because actually the money is not yours, because you cannot carry this money with your death. As soon as you quit this body, or death, so your money and everything, what you collected with this body, with the finishing of this body, everything is finished. But you go. You are spirit soul. You transmigrate to another body. So your money which you earned previously, in your previous body, that you do not know where it is kept, or how it is being spent up. During your lifetime, you may make very nice deed, how the money should be spent by your sons or by your heirs, but now, suppose you left in your last life ten thousand millions of dollars somewhere, but you have nothing, no claim for that money. Therefore so long it is in your hand, spend it. Tyāgena, tyāgena. Spend for good purpose, not for… This money, if you spend for bad purposes, then you become entangled. If you spend for good purposes, then you get good return. That's a fact.

These things are very nicely, clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. This dhana, charity-the Bhagavad-gītā says there are three kinds of charities. One charity is in the mode of goodness, one charity is in the mode of passion, and one charity is in the mode of ignorance. So mode of goodness charity means you should know where charity is to be given. Dātavyam: here charity is to be given. So where charity is given? First-class charity, in goodness? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, yad karoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi dadāsi yat, tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam: [Bg. 9.27] "Whatever you are eating, whatever you are undergoing, austerity, whatever you are doing, whatever you are giving in charity, give it to Me." Kṛṣṇa's not in want of money, because He's the original proprietor of everything, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. But still He's asking from you money. Just like Kṛṣṇa went to beg something from Bali Mahārāja in the shape of a Vāmana, a dwarf brāhmaṇa. So He is the sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He's the proprietor of all the planets. And still He's saying that dadāsi yat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam: "Whatever you are giving in charity, please give it to Me." Why? It is for your interest, because the sooner you return Kṛṣṇa's money to Kṛṣṇa, you are better situated. In, in, of course, it will not be very palatable to hear, but actually we are all thieves. We have stolen God's property. That is material life. Anyone who has got anything without sense of God, it is to be understood that he has stolen the property. If you very cool-headed think over this matter, that you are… If we do not understand God, if we do not understand whose property we are using, and if you come to the real knowledge: without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever we possess, that is stolen property, stolen property… Stena eva saḥ ucyate [Bg. 3.12]. It is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā. If one does not expend his money for yajña, then he is to be understood… Just like there is many, many instances… Just like you have earned so much money. If you hide income tax, then you are criminal. You can say, "I have earned money. Why shall I pay income tax, government?" No. You must pay. And there is a limit, that if you have earned so much money, practically the whole money will be taken as income tax, super tax. So as everything you earn, it is the property of the government, similarly, why not everything, whatever you got, it is Kṛṣṇa's or God's? Is it very difficult to understand? Actually it is so. Suppose you have constructed a very nice building. So the building requires so many stone, wood, earth. Wherefrom you have got it? You have not produced the wood. It is God's property. You have not produced the metal; you have taken it from the mine. That is God's property. The earth, also, the bricks also, which you have made you have simply given your labor. That labor is also God's property, because you work with your hand, but it is not your hand; it is God's hand. If it is your hand, then when it is paralyzed, you cannot use it. When the power of using your energy of the hand is withdrawn by God, you cannot work.

So these are the things to be studied in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't be frivolous. Don't waste your time. This is the greatest opportunity, human form of life. We have to understand all these things. They are mentioned in the authoritative books, Vedic knowledge. Just we are reading, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, before you. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī's recommending that prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. Real atonement is to be thoughtful, sober, think over… That is called meditation. You think over whether your body, or if you are something else, transcendental to body, what is God. So if you want to know all this knowledge, then you have to practice austerity, tapasya. And the beginning of tapasya is brahmacarya. I've explained yesterday: brahmacarya, celibacy, or restricted sex life. Not unrestricted. That's not good. Then you forget yourself. This material attraction is sex life. Not only human society-in animal society, in bird society, everywhere. You have seen the sparrows, the pigeons, they're having sex life three hundred times daily, you see, although they are very vegetarian. Yes. And the lion is not vegetarian, but it has got sex life only once in a year. So it is not the question of vegetarian or nonvegetarian. It is the question of understanding higher standard of knowledge. When one comes to the standard of high elevated knowledge, naturally he becomes vegetarian. Because paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. Paṇḍita means one who is very highly learned, paṇḍita. Sama-darśinaḥ. Sama-darśinaḥ means he does not distinguish between a man, learned man…

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

A paṇḍita is sama-darśī. He sees equally, who? A very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa; and a elephant; and a dog; and a cow. How he's sama-darśī? How his vision is equal to all of them? Because he does not see the body; he sees the soul. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. He sees the Brahman, spark, that "Here is a dog, but it is also a living entity. By his past karma, he has become a dog. And here is a learned scholar. He's also living spark. But he has got this nice opportunity for his past karma." So he does not see the body. He sees the spirit soul, spark. So when one comes to that position, he does not make any distinction between this living entity to that living entity.

So our proposition: If you inquire, "Then why you restrict, "No meat-eating'?" The answer is that actually we do not make any distinction between the meat-eaters and the vegetable eaters, because the cow or the goat or the lamb has got life, and the grass, it has also got life. But we follow the Vedic instruction. What is that? Now, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ yat kiñcit jagatyāṁ jagat, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā: [Īśo mantra 1] everything is the property of the Supreme Lord, and you can enjoy whatever is allotted to you. Mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam. You cannot touch others' body, others' property. You cannot touch. That is Vedic life. So in all scriptures it is stated that man should live on fruits and vegetables. Their teeth are made in that way. They can eat very easily and digest. Although jīvo jīvasya jīvanam: one has to live by eating another living entity. Jīvo jīvasya… That is nature's law. So the vegetarian also eating another living entity. And the meat-eater, they're also eating another… But there is discretion. Discretion means that these things are made for human being. Just like fruits, flowers, vegetables, rice, grains, milk-the animals do not come to claim that "I shall eat this." No. It is meant for man. Just like milk. Milk is an animal product. It is the blood of the cow changed only. But the milk is not drunk by the cow. She is delivering the milk, but she's not taking, because it is not allotted for it. By nature's way. So you have to take. Milk is made for man, so you take the milk. Let her live and supply you milk continually. Why should you kill? Follow nature's law. Then you'll be happy. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā [Īśo mantra 1]. Whatever is allotted to you, take. You live comfortably. So our, in temple, in this temple, we take fruits, flowers, milk because they're allotted, and Kṛṣṇa says: patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You give Me meat." Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me fruits, flowers, vegetables, milk." So we prepare nice preparations out of these things, we offer it to Kṛṣṇa, and we take it. If Kṛṣṇa would have said that "Give Me eggs and meat," then we would have given and eaten it. But because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, we do not take anything which is not accepted by Kṛṣṇa.

So in this way, this is called śama dama. We have to learn this art of elevation. Tapasya. That is called austerity, regulative principle; brahmacaryeṇa, by celibacy, or by restricted sex life; śamena, by controlling the mind; damena, by controlling the senses; tyāgena, by giving charity. The charity… Charitable disposition of mind is there in everyone's heart, but one does not know how to make the best use of charity. Best use of… Not only charity-whatever you spend, you must spend for Kṛṣṇa. That is the best way of spending. You are not loser. Just like you are spending for Kṛṣṇa, earning for Kṛṣṇa. Suppose we are offering nice dishes to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He keeps it as it is: you eat. It is for you. But simply by offering to Kṛṣṇa you become Kṛṣṇa's devotee. That's all. For nothing. You don't spend anything, not a farthing even. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's, but if you offer it to Kṛṣṇa, you elevate. That's all.

Thank you very much. (end)

720814BS.LA

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Verse 32 Excerpt

Los Angeles, August 14, 1972

Prabhupāda: Man is made after God. We are imitation of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not imitation of us. The atheist class, they think that "They have painted a form of God according to one's own feature of the body." What is called? Anthropomorphism. But that is not the fact. Here in this material world we are getting different types of forms of body, 8,400,000's. When we get this human form of body, it is just imitation of Kṛṣṇa's body. Kṛṣṇa has got two hands; we have got two hands. Kṛṣṇa has got two legs; we have got two legs. But the difference of this body and Kṛṣṇa's body is stated in this verse: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti [Bs. 5.32]. Here, with our hands, we can catch something but we cannot walk. But Kṛṣṇa can walk with His hands. Or with our legs we can simply walk, but we cannot catch something. But Kṛṣṇa can catch also. With our eyes we can see, but we cannot eat. But Kṛṣṇa can see with His eyes and eat also and hear also. That is the explanation of this verse. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti: [Bs. 5.32] "Each and every limb has got the function of the other limbs." That is called Absolute. He is not dependent. He is not dependent. Just like if we have lost our sight, we become dependent; no more we can see. But Kṛṣṇa can see with His hand, with His leg. Try to understand. Therefore He is Absolute. This is the meaning of Absolute. Everything is complete. Pūrṇam adaḥ. Pūrṇa means complete. So atheist will say that "You offer foodstuff. Where Kṛṣṇa eats? The foodstuff is still there." But they do not know that simply by seeing, Kṛṣṇa can eat. And because He is complete, He eats and again keeps the thing complete. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Iso Invocation]. He can take everything complete, again it remains complete. Just like when we take food, we finish it. No more. But Kṛṣṇa can eat; at the same time, the things may remain as it is. Otherwise where is the difference between ourself and Kṛṣṇa? That is the difference.

aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti

paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti

[Bs. 5.32]

Why it is so? Ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya. Vigraha, His form is not like our form. When in the Vedas it is stated, "formless," that means His form is not like our form-not that He is formless. The form is of different quality.

aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti

paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti

ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya

[Bs. 5.32]

These are possible when the body is made of ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. This body is material. It is not ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. The material body is different from the spiritual body. That they do not know. So when the Vedas says nirākāra, "formless," that means He has no material form; He has got spiritual form. That spiritual form means full of bliss, ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Vedānta-sūtra. By nature ānandamaya. There is nothing nirānanda. That is spiritual world, always full of bliss, full of knowledge, and eternity. That is spiritual. You live eternally and full of knowledge. Here so many things we do not know. It is full of ignorance, this body, and full of miseries. Moment after moment, we are, due to this body, we are always in miserable condition, threefold miseries-adhyātmika, adhibhautika… So people do not try to understand this philosophy, but in the Vedic literature, each and every line, there is philosophy. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitā.

So this is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa says that janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9], "My appearance, disappearance, and activities, they are all transcendental," so how it is transcendental? Because His body is different from us. The bodily limbs are different from us. The activities of the body are different from us. And because He is full with all potency, in spite of all these transcendental qualities, He can present Himself as one of us. And those who are rascals, they think that "Kṛṣṇa is like us." Because He presents Himself as one of us by His omnipotency, the fools take him as one of us. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā [Bg. 9.11]. Muḍḥā means rascals, foolish people. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ: "They do not know the transcendental nature of Me." This is transcendental nature, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti. This is explained by Brahmā. Brahma-saṁhitā means… Brahmā is the first living creature appeared in this universe, and after his realization, he is offering prayer. Realization means you should write, every one of you, what is your realization. What for this Back to Godhead is? You write your realization, what you have realized about Kṛṣṇa. That is required. It is not passive. Always you should be active. Whenever you find time, you write. Never mind, two lines, four lines, but you write your realization. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, writing or offering prayers, glories. This is one of the function of the Vaiṣṇava. You are hearing, but you have to write also. Then write means smaraṇam, remembering what you have heard from your spiritual master, from the scripture. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ: [SB 7.5.23] about Viṣṇu, not for others. Don't write any nonsense thing for any nonsense man. Useless waste of time. Viṣṇu. Write about Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa. This is cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Hear, write, remember, try to understand. Don't be dull, dull-headed. Very intelligent. Without being very intelligent, nobody can have full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is for the most intelligent man. So that intelligence will come if you try to understand Kṛṣṇa. We have got so many books. Always try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then you are liberated. Simply by… You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa in full. He is unlimited; our knowledge is limited. But as far as you can, try to understand Kṛṣṇa. These are the items.

Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti [Bs. 5.32]. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam [Bs. 5.30]. He is engaged in playing on flute. It is not artists' painting that Kṛṣṇa is painted as a very nice, beautiful young boy and He has got a flute. No. These are Vedic statement.

aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti

paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti

ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.32]

Now, the ārati, begin. (end)

710719BS.NY

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Verse 33

New York, July 19, 1971

Prabhupāda:

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.33]

So advaita. Advaita means without duality. Advaita acyuta, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's expansion. Kṛṣṇa's expansion: Baladeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. Then Nārāyaṇa, then Mahā-Viṣṇu, Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu-innumerable expansions. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Each and every form, Kṛṣṇa's, they are without any duality. Just like I and my photograph, that is my expansion, but it is not one; it is dual. What service you can take from me, you cannot take the service from the photograph. Therefore it is not advaita; it is dvaita, duality. You may have millions of photographs, but each one of them, they're different. But Kṛṣṇa, He has got millions of forms, they're one. That is the difference. Advaitam acyutam. Acyutam means one who does not fall down. Because he has expanded in so many forms, it does not mean the potency of Kṛṣṇa has decreased. The same thing you chant in the Īśopaniṣad: pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Iso Invocation]. Kṛṣṇa is so full, pūrṇa. Pūrṇa means complete. If you take complete Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa, still, He is Kṛṣṇa. That you cannot understand in the materialistic condition, because if I have got one rupee or one dollar, if I take that one dollar, then it becomes zero. But Kṛṣṇa is so complete you go on taking Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, still, Kṛṣṇa is complete. Advaita acyuta. Acyuta means does not diminish or does not fall.

Advaitam acyutam anādi. Anādi means which has no beginning. Because we have got this material body we have got a beginning. You may ask somebody, "What is your birthday?" That means beginning. Anything material, it has got a beginning and end. Anything which has got beginning has got end also, and change also. So Kṛṣṇa has no beginning, there is no end, and there is no change. Try to understand. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta means unlimited. Unlimited forms, Kṛṣṇa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam. He's the original, oldest person. Because ādyaṁ, original. Just like if you find out in your family who is the original man, so as far as you can count, you go a hundred years, two hundred years back, find out who is the origin of your family members, so that man must be Purāṇa. Purāṇa means very old. Kṛṣṇa, being the original person, ādi-puruṣam… Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. Ādi means original. So you do not think that he might have become very, very old. Because our material conception… Sometimes we paint picture: "God is the original person. Then He must be very old. He must have grown so much white, gray hairs." No. The Vedic knowledge says, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam [Bs. 5.33]. The oldest man, but nava-yauvanaṁ ca, always just like a young man, sixteen to twenty years old. That is called nava-yauvana. When a man or woman comes to sixteen years, that is the beginning of youthful life. So sixteen to twenty years, this is very nice-in full energy. And that is the time for growth, intelligence. Unfortunately, we spoil this period, so we become less intelligent, life becomes shorter. If we spoil this period, then our life will be shortened. And if we keep this period complete celibacy, brahmacārī, then you can live up to hundred years. So this period is very nice. It is called nava-yauvana, just new youthful life. So Kṛṣṇa you'll find all new, always new youthful. You'll never find Kṛṣṇa's picture as old. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca.

Then again, it is said, vedeṣu durlabha. (aside:) What is that sound? Vedeṣu durlabham. Vede means in the Vedic literature, if you make research work how Kṛṣṇa is, then it will be very difficult. Then you come to the impersonal only. Vedeṣu durlabham. You have to go beyond the Vedas. What is that? Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. Kṛṣṇa is available through His confidential devotee. Not that if anyone has studied very nicely all Vedic literatures he'll understand Kṛṣṇa. No. Maybe, but it is very difficult. Kṛṣṇa can be delivered by His devotee, ātma-bhaktau. Therefore you have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's devotee. That is paramparā system. If you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, if you want to have Kṛṣṇa… Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung a very nice song. He's praying to a Vaiṣṇava, vaiṣṇava ṭhākura tomāra kukkura bhuliyā jānaha more: "Sir, Vaiṣṇava, you are Ṭhākura. You are as good as Kṛṣṇa, or God. Kindly accept me as your dog." Vaiṣṇava ṭhākura tomāra kukkura bhuliyā jāna… Kukkura means dog. Just like dog follows the master very faithfully. We have to learn something from the dog. The dog also is a teacher: how to become faithful to the master. That teaching we can have even from the dog. He is very satisfied. Whatever food you give, he'll not protest. Still, he'll remain faithful. There are so many good qualifications of a dog. So therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, vaiṣṇava ṭhākura tomāra kukkura bhuliyā jānaha more: "Kindly accept me as your dog. I shall serve you faithfully." Why? Kṛṣṇa se tomāra kṛṣṇa dite pāra: "Because Kṛṣṇa is yours, you can deliver Kṛṣṇa." Very nice song. "Kṛṣṇa is yours. By your devotional service, you have made Kṛṣṇa your property; so you can deliver Kṛṣṇa to me. Therefore I want to follow you as faithfully as a dog." Vedeṣu durlabham. This is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā: vedeṣu durlabha. If you study independently all the Vedas… Veda is the source of knowledge. So vedeṣu durlabha, it will be difficult. But if we approach Kṛṣṇa's devotee, then it will be very easy. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau.

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvenaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.33]

This is the next śloka. The record is aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti [Bs. 5.32]. Next śloka is this, advaitam acyutam anādim. You can repeat. Advaita. I say, you say. (devotees repeat:)

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(sings:)

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.33]

Thank you very much. (end)

710727BS.NY

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Verse 33

New York, July 27, 1971

Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. This verse, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti [Bs. 5.32], we have explained. Next verse is advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. There are thirty-six verses in this record. You have chanted only three verses, three or four. So the next verse is,

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.33]

Kṛṣṇa, He has got multiforms. We are also Kṛṣṇa's forms, vibhinnāṁśa. There are two categories of forms, Kṛṣṇa's: viṣṇu-tattva and jīva-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva, a Kṛṣṇa person, and jīva-tattva, separated personalities. So the jīvas, they are also Kṛṣṇa's forms, vibhinnāṁśa. They are called vibhinnāṁśa. Just imagine the living entities, innumerable forms there are. That is conditioned living entities. Whatever we see within this material world, that is only a fragment part of all the living entities. The major portion of the living entities, they are in the spiritual world. They are called nitya-mukta, ever-liberated. And we, in this material world, we are nitya-baddha, ever-conditioned. Besides that, Kṛṣṇa has got Viṣṇu tattva form, personal. Viṣṇu tattva form means that one form is as powerful as the other form. In the vibhinnāṁśa form, we are not as powerful as Kṛṣṇa. But there are forms of Kṛṣṇa who are as powerful as Kṛṣṇa. Dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya [Bs. 5.46]. Just like you take this candle and you light on another candle, another candle-but all these candles are of the same power, although the original candle is there. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and there are innumerable other forms of Godhead also. But they are as good as Kṛṣṇa. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Iso Invocation]. The potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so great that if another Godhead is expanded, both of them are of the same potency. Therefore it is advaita acyuta. Acyuta means who never falls. Living entities, although they are forms of Kṛṣṇa, they fall down. Just like our present condition is fallen condition. We are in the matter. But the personal expansions, they never fall in the matter. Therefore another name of God, or Kṛṣṇa, is Acyuta. Acyuta means never falls.

Advaita acyuta anādi. Our beginning is from God, but God has no beginning. Anādi. Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam, although the forms are many millions and trillions. Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam, ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam. Ādyam, original. Therefore the oldest person. Kṛṣṇa, God is the original person; therefore the oldest person. Still nava-yauvanaṁ ca. But still He's always youth, youthful. Vedeṣu durlabha. To search out Kṛṣṇa by academic education, by mental speculation, by pursuits of different types of knowledge is not possible. Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam nava-yauvanam, vedeṣu durlabha. You cannot find out Kṛṣṇa by simply academic education. Adurlabha ātma-bhaktau. But He is available from His devotee. If you approach a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he can deliver you Kṛṣṇa like anything: "Here is Kṛṣṇa. Take." Kṛṣṇa is so nice. He becomes a doll in the hands of devotee. He agrees. Just like before mother Yaśodā He was trembling. Mother Yaśodā showed Him the cane.

So this is Kṛṣṇa's merciful pastime, that He becomes very easily available to the devotees. Otherwise it is very difficult to find out where is Kṛṣṇa, how is Kṛṣṇa. So our process is therefore to go through the devotees, not directly. Directly one cannot understand what Kṛṣṇa… Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs. 5.33]. We worship Govinda, the original Personality of Godhead. That is our business.

Now you can begin. (end)

730906BS.STO

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Verse 33

Stockholm, September 6, 1973, Upsala University

Prabhupāda: I'll sing from Vedic literature the description of the spiritual world. (chants verses from the Brahma-saṁhitā with devotees) So there are about thirty-five verse like this in the Brahma-saṁhitā describing the tran… [break] …place of the Lord. It takes time. I have cited about a dozen only. Let me try to explain some of them. Because I have already taken much time. So one verse in these we find:

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.33]

The Lord is one, without a second, advaita. Acyuta: the Lord never falls down. The distinction between Lord and ourself… We are also eternal living entities, and the Lord is also eternal. He's also a living entity, a person, just like us, but His name is Acyuta. He never falls from His position. But we living entities, sometimes we fall down. Just our material condition of life. This is our falldown. Therefore He's called advaitam acyutam anādim. And He has no beginning. He is the beginning of everything. The creation is from Him, but He has no creator. So advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. And He has got multi-forms. He can expand Himself. The one expansion is that īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. He has expanded Himself to live with you within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām. Not only that; another place it is described, eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. One portion of the Lord… That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. Jagat means this material world. That is being maintained by one of His plenary portions, which is called Paramātmā. Or Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṇu, or Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. So one portion of His plenary portion, He is within the material world. A material world means within the universe. Aṇḍāntara-stham. Aṇḍa, brahmāṇḍa means this universe. This is not only one universe, but there are many millions of universes. So He's there. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. And aṇḍāntara-stham: He is within the universe. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham: [Bs. 5.35] and He is within the atom also. Just, just imagine expansion of God. So advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Although He's the oldest of all, you'll find Kṛṣṇa always a young man. He's, from His face, we'll find a young boy, twenty to twenty-five years. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Vedeṣu durlabham. If you want to search out God by studying Vedas, it will be very difficult. Adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. But He's very easily available from His devotee. This is the description.

Then, in another place,

ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis

tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ

goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto…

[Bs. 5.37]

The Lord… Everything is not material. That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. His form is eternity, blissful and full of knowledge. So all His paraphernalia in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, that is His expansion of that quality, eternity, blissfulness and knowledge. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis. His gopīs, His consorts, His father, His mother, His friends, His trees, His flowers, His calves and cows-everything is spiritual, expansion from Him. Everything… The… We are also expansion from Him. We are marginal potency. And this is spiritual potency. So everything is expansion. Therefore the Vedic literatures say, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: "Everything is Brahman." We are now combination of two energies, marginal energy and the external energy. But in the spiritual world, everything is only spiritual energy. So we are constitutionally spiritual energy. Somehow or other we have been entangled with this material energy. So if we try in this human form of life, we can get out of this material energy and again go back to the spiritual energy. That is the opportunity. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37].

Another śloka is to explain: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti [Bs. 5.32]. The spiritual body is equally qualified for doing everything. Just like with our hand, we can touch only. We cannot do… Or we can pick up something. But by simply having hand, or with the hand, we cannot eat. For eating we shall have to use this mouth, we have to use the stomach. But in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa, about Him is described: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti [Bs. 5.32]. Each and every limb of Kṛṣṇa has got the potency of other limbs. He can eat by His eyes. He can hear from His eyes. And anything, all the parts of the limbs, because they are spiritual, you can use it for any purpose. This is not understandable in this material condition of life, but it is possible. These things are there.

aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti

paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti

ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.32]

So His spiritual world, this, His planet, is described that cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. In His planet, there are many trees, many palaces, but they're all spiritual. Cintāmaṇi means spiritual. The houses, they're made of touchstone. Just like here the houses are made of bricks and wood; there the houses are also spiritual. The touchstone… It is described in the śāstra that if there is any touchstone in this material world, the touchstone can turn the iron into gold. So anyway, the houses… There are houses also. Big, big palaces, like here. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. And the trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means where you can get fruit, one kind of fruit from one tree, but there, any fruit you want, you can get any tree. That is spiritual world. Prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means that. And surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. And Kṛṣṇa is very fond of tending cows. And what are those cows? Surabhī. Surabhī means you can take as much milk as you like and as many times as you like. Here in this material world you have got cows, but you can take milk, limited quantity. And also once or twice. That is the difference.

In this way, if you read Brahma-saṁhitā, you'll get complete description of the spiritual world, the spiritual entities, the Supreme Lord, His associates. His country, His pastimes, everything, very nicely described. And if we become attached to such place, then we can try, we can try, we can prepare ourself for going back to home, back to Godhead. That is the perfection of life. That is the mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Verse 34

San Francisco, September 13, 1968

680913BS.SF

Prabhupāda: (singing)

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

Chant!

Devotees: (singing) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Prabhupāda: (singing) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Devotees: (singing) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Prabhupāda: (singing) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Devotees: (singing) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Prabhupāda: This prayer for Govinda is from Brahma-saṁhitā. It is very old literature, and nobody can say when it was spoken, but it is understood that these verses were written by Brahmā, and when Lord Caitanya was traveling in South India He picked up this book from a temple, hand-written, and He delivered to His devotees. So, it is very authorized book. In this book the description of Kṛṣṇa is very vivid, vividly given. There His place, His activities, His form, everything is there nicely given. So, this, this verse, it is, it is not first verse. This is the 34th verse of the Fifth Chapter. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam. That, that place, cintāmaṇi … Cintāmaṇi, a stone. In the transcendental world the, as we have got experience here, the houses are made of bricks, there the houses are made of cintāmaṇi stone. The cintāmaṇi stone is…, of course there is no exact translation, but it is understood it is something like touchstone. Touchstone means the stone which if it touches a iron, it transforms into gold.

So, the abode of Kṛṣṇa is described that there are houses, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu. Prakara means house. And cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa, and that the trees are desire trees. What is that desire tree? Just like here in, in this material world, a tree is meant for delivering a particular fruit or flower, but desire tree means whatever you desire you get immediately delivered from the tree. That is called, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu, kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa means whatever you like, whatever you will. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu. Such trees are not one. Just like here in your country, as soon as you go outside the city there are hundreds and thousands of trees, there is neither fruit nor flower, but they are meant for fuel or some other purposes. But there, there are many millions of trees which are all desire trees. Whatever you want, it is present there. The tree will supply immediately. Prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu. And surabhīr abhipālayantam. Kṛṣṇa is engaged in, as, a cowherds boy. He is herding cows. What sort of cows? Surabhiḥ. Surabhiḥ means that cow supplies you milk as much as you like, and as many times you can, you like, you can draw milk from that cow. Immense supply of milk, surabhīr abhipālayantam. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam, and the Lord is worshiped by many hundreds, thousands of goddess of fortune. The gopīs, here you see the picture. That is a little sample only. But in the transcendental kingdom the Lord is always served with all great respect and obeisances and devotion, many thousands of goddess of fortune. That goddess of fortune means they are most beautiful, and everything is complete, that such a place and such abode and such activities are described about Kṛṣṇa.

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

And that Personality of Godhead, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, is the original person. As in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, "Who is Brahman? What is Brahman? What is the Absolute Truth?" (break)

Devotees: (singing) …tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Prabhupāda: So, the description is that Govinda is very fond of playing on flute, venum. Venum means flute. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ. His eyes are just like lotus petals. Very beautiful eyes. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam. And He likes peacock feather, peacock feather on the head. So you will find Kṛṣṇa always with peacock feather. He wears a very valuable helmet, helmet on His head, but you will find one peacock feather. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam, and His complexion of the body is blackish, just like new clouds. He is not that complexion light; He is blackish, Kṛṣṇa, and…, but He is so beautiful, all-attractive. Here, of course, in this material world, blackish we do not like; we want fair complexion. But Kṛṣṇa, the original person, He is blackish, but not blackish like this. Kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham. His beauty is surpassing many millions of Cupids. You have heard the name of Cupid. He is a very enchanting person, loving person, but here it is descibed, kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ. If you assemble millions of Cupids in one place, still it can not be compared with the beauty of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam, always playing on flute. (singing)

veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ

barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam

kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

Devotees: (singing) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Prabhupāda: (singing) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Devotees: (singing) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Prabhupāda: So just imagine the position of the Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Everyone is worshiping somebody. Somebody is worshiping his wife, somebody is worship…, worshiping his husband, somebody is worshiping the leader of the country, somebody is worshiping something, something, something. And if anyone has nothing, then somebody is worshiping a dog, a cat. But we are worshiping the original person, Kṛṣṇa. Just see our position. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. We are not flattering ordinary things. We have captured the original. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. And why not? He is so…

Devotees: (all shout simultaneously, enthusiastically) Jaya, hari bol!

Prabhupāda: He is so beautiful. (laughter) Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ. And calling us, by playing on His flute, nice flute. When He was playing His flute, all the gopīs, they would give up all their family duties, everything, and go off to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa. Their fathers, their brothers, their husbands, who will call them, "Where you are going? It is dead of night!" "No, we are going to Kṛṣṇa."

Devotees: (laughter) Jaya, hari bol!

Prabhupāda: So, Kṛṣṇa is so nice. Just to attract us, that you want love, here, at Vṛndāvana, He appears at Vṛndāvana, in Vṛndāvana, and shows His līlā, His activities, just to attract us. How lovable object! You are trying to find out something lovable. You are being frustrated. Here is something complete, if you love, you will become complete. And this Govinda can be achieved simply by love. You don't require any other qualification. He is so great, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the proprietor of everything, but what does He want from you? In the Bhagavad-gītā He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. We can worship Kṛṣṇa with a little flower, with a little fruit, a little water, that's all. How universal it is! A little flower, a little fruit, a little water can be collected by any poor man. You don't require to earn many thousands of dollars to worship Kṛṣṇa. Why Kṛṣṇa will ask you, you contribute dollars, or millions of rupees? No. He is full in Himself. He has got everything, complete. So He is not beggar. But, He is beggar. In what sense? He is begging your love. Therefore He says that patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. He is not beggar from you a little flower, a little fruit, but Kṛṣṇa said, "If something should be given to Me. Please try to give Me something, because that is the token of love. You are taking so many things from Me. I am supplying you light, I am supplying air, I am supplying you water, I am supplying you life, food, everything. You can not reciprocate something for Me? I am asking you simply a little water, little flower, a little leaf." So, what does He want? He wants yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. He wants simply bhakti, or love, pure love. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ. And because a devotee is lover of Kṛṣṇa, brings these things in love and devotion, therefore Kṛṣṇa says, aham aśnāmi: "I get that and eat that."

Devotees: Jaya, hari bol!

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa worship is not very costly affair. Simply you have to decide that "I shall love only Kṛṣṇa." And if you love only Kṛṣṇa, then you will actually love everything. If you love…, because you are loving the root. Just like if you supply foodstuff to your stomach, then you supply foodstuff all the parts of your body. This is the method. The Bhāgavata describes this method.

yathā taror mūla-niṣecanena

}tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ

prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇāṁ

tatha (iva) sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā

[SB 4.31.14]

Just like, taror mūla-niṣecanena, if you supply water on the root of the tree, the water is immediately transferred to the branches, to the leaves, to the flowers, to the fruits-everywhere. Everyone knows it. It is scientific. But if you supply water to one leaf, or thousand leaves, it does not mean that other leaves are also getting the benefit. So, at the present moment, people are captivated for human welfare activities. Oh, what human welfare activities they will do? It is not in your power. You can do something, but very limited. There are living entities, they are not only human beings. There are 8,400,000's of living entities, and the human living entities they are only minute portion. They are only 400,000's these, only. Other living entities, they are eight million. That is not very difficult to understand. If you take a census of the living entities in the city of San Francisco, then the census of the human being residing in this city, they will be very, a small number in comparison to the birds, bests, aquatics, ants, and so many other living entities, so many other living entities. So, suppose a portion of human living entity you serve, then what is the value of service? What is the value of that service?

Therefore, the Bhāgavata says, just like watering the root of the tree you can serve all the leaves, flowers, branches, and everything of the tree, just by supplying foodstuff to your stomach you can serve all the limbs of your body, similarly, simply by loving Kṛṣṇa you can learn how to love everyone. If you don't love Kṛṣṇa, and if you love the whole universe, it is still imperfect. Imperfect. And, because we are not loving Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are sectarian. Just like, take for example your country, or any country, it doesn't matter. I am giving example, I am not attacking anybody, I am giving example. You love your countrymen. That's very nice, but why don't you love the cows of your country? As it… It is also living entity. They are also born in this country. Have they not right to live? Oh, you know in argument, in logic, you will accept, "Yes." But because we do not love Kṛṣṇa, therefore there is partiality, that one section of the living entities should be loved, and the another section of the living entities should be sent to the slaughterhouse. Why this defect? This defect is due to your lack of loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you try to love Kṛṣṇa, then you will see, "Oh, the cows are my brothers, oh, the black people are my brothers, the white people are my brothers, the ants are my brothers, the dogs are my brothers, the trees are my brother, everyone my brother." That is universal brotherhood. If you simply talk of universal brotherhood, and you do not love Kṛṣṇa, hah, then it is useless. (laughter) It is useless. Therefore, actually it is happening. They are proclaiming peace and prosperity, and they are fighting in the United Nations. But where is the peace? Then where is the prosperity? Because lacking love of Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very urgent necessity for the human society. They should learn how to love Kṛṣṇa. Then everything will be adjusted, very easily. It is not utopian theory; it is practical. There are many instances, and those who are following, the students in, in our society, ask them how they love others, how they love everyone, because they are…, they are trying to love Kṛṣṇa. So govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. Therefore our process is, try to love the original person. And as soon as you become an expert lover… You will find in, in our Back to Godhead there is a picture that a hunter, after being initiated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is loving even the ants. Those who have seen our Kṛṣṇa pictures. Have you got Back to Godhead here? You can show picture?

The story is, the hunter, a hunter was killing in the forest many animals, because hunter's business is to kill. So, I am speaking very shortly. The story and the picture you will find in Back to Godhead recently published. And Nārada, because he is Vaiṣṇava, he is lover of Kṛṣṇa, when he was passing on the path in the forest, he saw that many half-dead animals are in torture, flapping. So, he was very kind. "Oh, who has done this mischief, these poor animals?" So he searched out the hunter, and he went there. The hunter asked me, "Oh, why you are disturbing my business?" So Nārada said, "My dear hunter, I have come to beg something from you." So hunter thought that "This mendicant is a beggar, so he might have come to me to beg some skins, or deer skin or tiger skin." So he said, "All right, please, let me do my business. I shall give you skins, whatever you like." Nārada said, "No, no, I don't want anything from you. I have come to request you something." "What is that?" "How, if you are killing animals, why don't you kill them all at once? Why you are killing them half, and giving them so much torture?" "Oh," he said that "I have been educated in that way. I have been trained in that way killing of animals by my father. I take pleasure in it." So Nārada said, "So my request to you is that if you want to kill animals, please kill them immediately. Don't kill half. This is very great sinful." Then he inquired, "What is the sin?" He said that "You are killing so many animals, so you are accumulating sins." Then he explained everything, so he became little softened, and he inquired that "How to get out of these sinful activities?" That Nārada said that "If you follow my instruction, then you can get free from these sinful activities." "Now, what I will have to do?" He said that "First of all break your bow, then I shall tell you." "Oh, if I break my bow, then my business instrument is gone." "No, don't be afraid." "Then how shall I eat?" "Oh, I shall send you food." So then he agreed: "If you solve my food problem, then I will follow you." So Nārada said, "Yes, I shall send you all kinds of food. You give up this business, and come with me." So the hunter and his wife went with Nārada, and Nārada fixed them a place on the bank of the Ganges at Prayāga, and he said that "You sit down here and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. I shall send you all food that you require." "All right sir. Don't forget (laughter), because I have given up my business." (laughter)

So next day it was advertised in the village that the hunter has become a Vaiṣṇava, a bare-headed boy (laughter), Vaiṣṇava. (laughter) So, in the, in India it is the system that if anyone goes to a temple or to a saintly person, the ladies especially, and they take some grains in hand, at least one palmful, and contributes. So, ten, twenty, fifty people are coming, and it becomes sufficient for the temple-keepers. That is the system in India still. Still there are many hundreds and thousands of temples in India, and India is advertised as poverty-stricken, but all these temples are being maintain…, maintained by the people from the morsel of their food, still. They contribute. If a sannyāsī goes to the house of a householder, he will never be refused. At least he should be given a little rice, little flour. That is the system. So, so many people are coming to see them, how they have become Vaiṣṇava, saintly person, and contributing, somebody flour, somebody dahl, somebody rice, somebody fruit. "Oh," they thought. "Oh, why Nārada is sending so much? We are only two persons, husband and wife, and he is sending more than twenty person foodstuffs, daily." So, he was convinced that "If I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, I will not starve. Nārada will send everything, that's all."

So, gradually by chanting they became very highly advanced spiritually. So one day Nārada said to his friend Parvata, "My dear Parvata, I have got a disciple in Prayāga. He was hunter, and I have initiated him to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Let us go and see how he is doing." So, two friends are coming there, and it is the system that the disciple, by seeing the spiritual master, should immediately offer obeisances and receive him very nicely. So when he was going to receive from distant place Nārada, he saw some ants were on the feet, and he was trying to remove them so that they may not die, pressure of his foot… (break)

Prabhupāda: (singing) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Devotees: (singing) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Devotees: Jaya. (end)

710731BS.NY

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Verse 35

New York, July 31, 1971

Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ

yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antaḥ

aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.35]

Eko 'py asau, that Govinda by His one expansion of plenary portion, eko 'py asau, that expansion is meant for creating this material world. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Not one universe, but billions of universes. As you see within this universe, there are millions and trillions of planets. Similarly, there are millions and trillions of universes. Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. So in each universe, Govinda enters, then it becomes developed. Just like the matter created by the male and female, the jīva soul enters and then the body develops. Similarly, this material… Matter has no power of developing. Govinda enters into the matter, and therefore the universe develops. It is very easy to understand. Simply matter, combination of matter, cannot produce any development. Govinda. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi koṭiṣ… Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham, so Govinda is, the atomic theory that combination of atom, paramāṇu vāda is this material world, but we say that within the atom there is Govinda. Aṇor aṇīyan mahato mahīyān. Govinda is greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest. That is Govinda. Aṇḍānta…

We cannot imagine, we cannot see even atoms with your naked eyes. Unless six atoms combine together, you cannot see. One atom we cannot see. Paramāṇu, aṇu paramāṇu. If six paramāṇu combines in, one becomes atom. There are so minute divisions. So, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs. 5.35]. So we worship… Brahmā says tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. I am worshiping that Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are disciplic succession from Brahmā. Therefore our process is to follow the footsteps of ācāryas. Ācāryopāsanam, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, for making progress in knowledge, one has to worship ācārya, ācāryopāsanam. So by paramparā system we follow. How Govinda enters, that doesn't matter. We do not bother about that thing. That is not our business. How Govinda enters in the atom, that is not our business. Our ācārya says, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham, He enters. We accept, that's all. Our business is finished. This is Vedic way of understanding. We take knowledge from the authority and do not bother unnecessarily speculating. We don't waste our time in that way. Our time is very valuable. Instead of researching how Govinda enters in the atom, we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, utilize that time. So this line is very nice. Every knowledge is perfect there from the disciplic succession. You take it and be advanced, that's all. We don't bother much.

Just like Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. You know, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was a great scholar, and Māyāvādī scholar, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu made him surrender unto Him. He became Caitanya Mahāprabhu's admirer, follower after being defeated in Vedānta-sūtra, understanding. That story is there in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya became convinced that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. He wrote hundred verses about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, out of two verses are available in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He composed-he was a very learned scholar-he composed one hundred verses about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and handed it over. But in all those verses he admitted that "You are Kṛṣṇa." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, of course He was very much pleased that Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya understood, but because He was playing the part of an ācārya, He, externally He became, "What you have written all these things?" He immediately torn out and throw it away. But the devotees saved only two. That two verses are there.

vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-

śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ

śrī (kṛṣṇa) caitanya mahāprabhu (śarīra-dhāri)

kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye

[Cc. Madhya 6.254]

You'll find that verse that "You are the same Śrī Kṛṣṇa, you have come to teach us vairāgya-vidyā." Vairāgya-vidyā means how to become unattached with this material world. That is called vairāgya-vidyā. Because our, we are accepting different types of body on account of our attachment. Because we are attached to this material world… We want to enjoy. That is illusion. We cannot enjoy, we are simply suffering, but we are accepting it as enjoyment.

Just like these karmīs. It is very distinctly visible wherever you go, so many congested work (?). All buses and cars are running, so many luggages being loaded in the street. Bharam udvahato. Great humbug, you see, great humbug. Prahlāda Mahārāja said māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān [SB 7.9.43], actually they are taking so much trouble for loading these big, big cases, but because they're getting, say $40.00 a day, they say, think, "I am enjoying. I am enjoying." Actually he's working so hard, just like ass or hogs, day and night, but because getting some money and with that money because he is gratifying his senses, he thinks "I am happy." This is illusion. Illusion. He does not know what is real happiness for a second. The illusory material world happiness means sex life, that's all. How long does it stay? Say for minutes. But they're working so hard. This is called illusion. Actually he is being killed, but he thinks that "I am enjoying." This is illusion. Opposite.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja was very much sympathetic that "I am simply anxious for these rascals who have created a humbug civilization for temporary happiness," māyā-sukhāya. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān [SB 7.9.43]. They have created ugra karma. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, ugra karma. Huge factory, day and night melting iron, and they are working, working. The special technologies, getting some money, they're happy. They do not know how they're wasting their valuable life. This is called māyā. Why so much work? Why you are working so hard? Do you think if you'll get hundred dollars per day you can eat more capātīs than myself? (laughter). Rascal does not know that he will eat the same number of capātīs, four or five or six, but he'll work so hard. So we are the best intelligent class. We don't work, but we get our capātīs. (laughter) Let the rascal work, but we get our capātīs. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhan [SB 7.9.43].

So people sometimes envy us. Gargamuni was telling in Los Angeles that this, some dealers, neighboring dealers, they were asking, "How you get money? You are living in such a nice place and you are eating so nice. Where you get money?" They are envious. So I told Gargamuni that why don't you ask them to come and join? You also eat and dance. Why you are working so hard? That will, they'll not do. This is māyā. This is māyā. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "The whole country or the city, whole men, let them in, let them come here. I shall provide them with food." But they will not do.

So māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān [SB 7.9.43]. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī is recommending that happiness, material happiness also, is due to pious activities. Unless you are pious, you cannot be happy, even materially. And if you simply commit sins, Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed-you will read in the Nectar of Devotion-that distress is due to ignorance, simply ignorance. The distress and happiness… Actually you can see those who are not educated fairly, they cannot get any good job. Therefore it is, his distress is due to less, poor fund of knowledge. So actually our distress is due to ignorance and in ignorance only, we commit sinful activities. Therefore our topics began that, prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. We are trying to remove the ignorance of the people, therefore we are giving the best service to the human society. We are simply trying to remove the ignorance. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], we are trying to polish or cleanse the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. As soon as the heart is cleansed, the heart that… Now I am indifferently conscious. I am thinking that "I am American," "I am Indian," or "I am this," "I am that." "I have to work, I have got business." So many you have created. But, our process is, our process is to cleanse the heart. That you are nothing of this, you are simply eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. You engage yourself as eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and become happy. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Because we are ignorant of our constitutional position we have created all these problems.

Actually there is no problem. Exactly the same example, just like at night in dream we create so many problems, but actually there is no problem. But dreaming, that I am in such and such position, I am being harassed, somebody is taking my money, somebody is pinching me, so many things. I am in the front of tiger, there is ghost, there is so many things. So these problems, actually there is no problem, but by dreaming he is creating, mental. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ, Veda says that this puruṣa, the ātmā, the soul has no connection with all these things. So we have created, by material concoction, so many problems. So the whole process is how to cleanse this dreaming condition of life.

That is possible. First of all Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommended that, tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena da… [SB 6.1.13], gradually you have to go. Generally this is the process. First process is those who are grossly ignorant: for them atonement. You have done this mistake, all right you atone for this. But they'll commit again. Therefore the next stage, the karmīs, karmīs are grossly ignorant, unnecessarily working so hard. Karmīs, to get some material result out of it. They are called karmīs. And next prāyaścitta vimarsanam, those who are a little advanced in knowledge, they think that I am making atonement, again committing the same thing. I am getting medicine from the physician, again I am being infected by the same disease. How long this business will go on? When one comes to the discussion within himself, then he's little farther advanced than this, these rascal karmīs. And above them, those who are bhaktas. Karmī, jñānī, bhakta. Yogi comes to the jñānī platform. Karmī, jñānī, yogi and bhakta. So a bhakta can be peaceful, others cannot. The karmīs cannot be peaceful, the jñānīs cannot be peaceful, the yogis cannot be peaceful, only the bhaktas, they can be peaceful. Why? Because everyone except the bhakta, śuddha-bhakta, pure, has desire.

A śuddha-bhakta has no desire. They are simply happy by serving Kṛṣṇa. They do not want to know Kṛṣṇa even, whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not, they don't bother. They want to love Kṛṣṇa, that's all, whatever Kṛṣṇa may be. Not that because Kṛṣṇa is omnipotent, God, all-pervasive, Nārāyaṇa. No, no. In Vṛndāvana they did not know, the cowherds boy, the gopīs, they did not know whether Kṛṣṇa is God or something else, but they were too much inclined to love Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That was their position. They were not Vedantists, they are not yogis, they are not karmīs, village girls, boys. They wanted to see Kṛṣṇa happy, that's all. That is their position. This is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170].

Yogis, jñānīs, they are trying to understand God, but they do not know they are in illusion. They're in illusion. So far karmīs are concerned, they're in illusion, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān [SB 7.9.43]. They're fools and rascals because for illusory happiness for a moment, they are working so hard. Therefore, they are rascal number one. They cannot, how they can have peace? There is no question. And next the jñānīs. Jñānīs, they want to get relief from this hard work of this material world. Brahmā satyaṁ jagan mithyā, they reject this material world. Mithyā, false. We have no, nothing to (indistinct). That is little higher than the karmīs, because the karmīs, they have taken this material world as everything. Here we shall be happy. Their dharma means: how we shall live peacefully here in this material world. Their religion means. I've talked with so many, their religion means to make a peaceful atmosphere within this material world. But the rascals do not know that it has been tried for millions of years for making this world peaceful. It has never happened. And never it will happen. How it will happen?

This place is meant for giving you troubles and miseries. Kṛṣṇa says, the Creator says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15], this is a place simply for suffering and that also temporary. You cannot make an agreement, "All right, let me suffer the three-fold miseries, I will stay here." That also will not be allowed. You cannot stay. You cannot stay. You will be kicked out. You make your good bank balance, skyscraper house, and wife, children, cigarette, wine, liquor, I am living very peaceful. That's all right, but one day comes, please get out. (laughter) "Why? It is my house, I have got bank balance, I have got everything, I have got factory, why shall I get out?" "Yes, you get out. Don't talk, get out." (laughter) That day he sees God. "I did not believe in God, now here is God, making everything finished." Everything finished. Sarva-haraś cāham, Kṛṣṇa says, that "I am God for the demons when I take away everything from them at the time of death." "You do not believe God, all right, here I am. Today I am here. I have come to you to take away everything, whatever you have got. Now get out!" They will see God on that day.

So why not see God, here, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Why you want to see God…? Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlāda's seeing God, and Hiraṇyakaśipu is seeing God by death. And Prahlāda is seeing God, "Oh, here is my Lord." So those who are challenging that whether you can show me God, they will see God, like Hiraṇyakaśipu. Everyone will see God, but one who is sane, one who knows that I am eternally related with Kṛṣṇa, God, He loves me, my duty is to love. He is so much kind, that even I do not, even though I do not love Him, still He gives me food. He gives me fruits, flowers, grains, whatever I want, God is supplying. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. You cannot manufacture. So Kṛṣṇa, God is so kind, that He is supplying food to the atheist also. But the atheist has no knowledge that where from I am getting my foodstuff. That is ignorance. So therefore they are committing so many sinful activities. It is due to ignorance, nothing but ignorance. Atheist means in gross ignorance, that's all. Otherwise any person who is honest, he can see God everywhere, always.

Just like Kṛṣṇa says, try to understand Me, try to under… Try to see Me everywhere. How? Now, first of all He says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya, I am the taste of the water. So when you are thirsty, you require a glass of water, drink it, and when you feel happy you understand that this quenching power of this water is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa realization. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ [Bg. 7.8]. So as soon as there is sunrise, you see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says "I am the sunshine, I am the moonshine." So why don't you try to see Kṛṣṇa? In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, there is a big list. Just like Kṛṣṇa says "I am the Lion amongst the animals." Because He took the shape of a lion, Hiraṇyakaśipu, eternal shape. I am the banyan Tree, so many thing. Kṛṣṇa has described in the Bhagavad-gītā. So in the beginning, if one is not fortunate enough to see Kṛṣṇa, although He is sitting in this temple, let him see Kṛṣṇa in this way. If he's not fortunate to come here and to see Kṛṣṇa, take prasādam, and dance in ecstasy, then let his unfortunate condition be diminished by seeing Kṛṣṇa in water, in sunshine, in moonshine, in this and that.

Kṛṣṇa is visible, but Kṛṣṇa is visible to the devotees. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25], I am not exposed to everyone, yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ, covered by the curtain of yoga-māyā. But those who have developed love of Kṛṣṇa, for them, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. One who has developed love of Kṛṣṇa, he can see Kṛṣṇa within his heart twenty-four hours. So it is very nice proposition, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Please take to it. We are canvassing. We are sending our devotees to the street, begging, "Please come to our temple, be Kṛṣṇa conscious." That is our business. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted it. Go door to door, even at the risk of life, and ask these rascals to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Māyā-sukhāya, because they're, they're thinking, "Oh, we are very happy." Illusion. The happiness will be finished within a second. As soon as death will come, finished. But one can say that "Death will come to you also." "Yes, that's all right." "Then why do you distinguish my death and your death?" "Yes, because you do not know where you are going, but I know where I am going, that is the difference." How do you know? Kṛṣṇa says. What does He say? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti. One who has understood Kṛṣṇa, one has served Kṛṣṇa sincerely and seriously, he is not going to come again to take any material body. Then where does he go? Oh, mām eti, he comes to Me.

So how you can go to Kṛṣṇa unless you have got a body like Kṛṣṇa? Yes, that is the position. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1], īśvara (indistinct). Just like you cannot enter into fire without being fire. Similarly, next life for the devotees is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, eternal body, blissful life, dancing with Kṛṣṇa in rasa dance. You have seen the picture. Like the gopīs, like the cowherd boys. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11]. Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that these boys who are playing with Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ, for many millions of years they simply accumulated pious results of their activities. The Bhagavad-gītā also says, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam, one he, one who is simply free from all reaction of sinful life, yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpam. How it is possible? Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Those who are simply engaged in pious activities, the sinful activity cannot touch them. That is natural. If you are engaged in some type of activities, you are not engaged in other activities, you cannot do. Similarly, if you simply engage yourself in pious activities, the reaction of sinful activities cannot touch you. Yeṣāṁ anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām te, such persons, dvandva-moha-nirmuktā, they're released from the duality, bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. So you are engaged in that business. There is no scope of sinful reaction in your life, provided you follow the four principles. No intoxication, no meat eating, no illicit sex, no gambling. These four items and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, sixteen rounds. Is it very difficult? And here is Kṛṣṇa's certificate. So do it, rigidly, and be happy. Thank you very much. (devotees pay obeisances)

Devotee: We've got a great desire to distribute Back to Godhead magazines. We've got such a great desire. We want to distribute a lot of Back to Godheads more and more Back to Godheads.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Devotee: We wonder, perhaps you could advise us.

Prabhupāda: So, so what do you want? That desire is nice, that's all. Either you distribute or not distribute, keep that desire, that's all. (laughter) (sound of package being opened) What is this, coconut? Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. (end)

681109BS.LA

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Lecture

Los Angeles, November 9, 1968

Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Govindam, Lord Kṛṣṇa, ādi-puruṣa, the original person. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that Brahman… athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is Brahman? In this human form of life this is the business, to understand what is Brahman. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja says that apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām.

śrotavyādīni rājendra

nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ

apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ

gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām

[SB 2.1.2]

Question and answer. Everywhere life means questions and answers. So those who are not interested or do not know what is the aim of life, they have got questions and answers only for sense gratification. That's all. They have no more any questions or answers. Whole field of questioning and answering is sense gratification. That's all. But the human life is not meant for that purpose. Animals, they are… Morning… Just like birds, just early in the morning, they began to chirp, "Where is food? Where is…? Where we have to go? Where we have to find out some food?" That is their business. The animals also. But human form of life, does it mean it is meant like that, that they should simply be involved in questions and answers for sense gratification? No. Therefore Vedānta-sūtra says, brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā, atha: "After this, after the evolutionary process of lower than human being, when we have come, we have got this body, human form of body, the business is brahma-jijñāsā," jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That is the Bhāgavata. But there is no education. There are so many universities, they are going on simply how to advance the method of sense gratification. That's all. There is no education. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The human form of life should be specially engaged for understanding what is Brahman. Otherwise it is simply spoiled.

Śaṅkarācārya says… He was a sannyāsī. Sannyāsīs's business is to travel all over the world, or as far as he can, and enlighten people about Brahman. That is sannyāsīs' business. So Śaṅkarācārya is lamenting, bālasya tāvad kriyā-saktaḥ: "Oh, what I see? I see the boys are engaged in playing." Bālasya tāvad kriyāsaktas taruṇas tāvad taruṇī-raktaḥ: "Young boys, they are after young girls. That is their business. Boys are playing. Young boys are after young girls." And vṛddhas tāvad cinta-magnaḥ: "And those who are old, they are absorbed in thought, 'Oh, what I have done? I could not do this. I have…' " Vṛddhas tāvad cinta-magnaḥ, taruṇī, parame brahmaṇi ko 'pi na lagnaḥ: "Nobody is interested with the Paraṁbrahman. Oh, what nonsense society it is." He analyzed the whole population-boys, youths, old men-and he saw nobody is, no rascal is interested with Brahman. So that is the position. But it is meant for Brahma-jijñāsā. This is the defect of material civilization. The human form of life is being spoiled, simply spoiled. And they are… Māyā is dictating, "Oh, you are making so much advancement. Thank you." What advancement you have made, sir? Bhagavad-gītā says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. Your problem is birth, death, old age and disease. What you have made for these four problems? What solution you have got? Your scientific advancement? Is there any solution of controlling birth? They have invented so many contraceptive methods. Still, in every minute, there is three human increasing. Where is your birth control? You cannot control. So birth… Similarly, death. So many medicines, so many scientific research, this thing, that thing, they have invented. And what you have done? You have stopped death? "No, sir." Then? Birth, death, old age. What your scientific advancement of knowledge has done to stop old age? Everyone is trying to keep his youth by cosmetic, pomade, lipstick, but nature will not allow him. It is becoming flappy. (laughter) You see? One Marwari gentleman, he, in Calcutta, he spent eighty lakhs of rupees, or eighty-thousand, for changing his gland into monkey gland for increasing his sex life. These things are going on. The monkeys, they have got very good sex life. One monkey has got at least thirty wives, and anywhere, he is very enjoying sex life. Markaṭa. So the science has discovered the monkey's gland is very strong for sex life. So kill them, you take out the gland and insert into man's… This is going on in medical science. So old age. They are doing… Science means they are trying to counteract the incapability, incapabilities of old age, but they are still failure. There are so many old men dying.

So janma, mṛtyu, jarā, and vyādhi, and disease. You are counteracting one disease; another disease is coming out. They complain that "India is poor. There are so many diseases," but here there are so many cancer. So you cannot stop this, the nature's way. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9]. Your only business is to find out Brahman. That is your business. Nature has given you sufficient means to live very comfortably everywhere. If you get a piece of land and one cow, your whole economic question is solved. You haven't got to go fifty miles for working. There is no necessity. Wherever you are living, take little land and keep one cow. Your economic question is solved. So nature has given you all facilities.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍha ātmā

kartāham iti manyate

[Bg. 3.27]

Everything is being supplied by the order of Kṛṣṇa because prakṛti is working, nature is working… How it is working? Mayādhyakṣeṇa [Bg. 9.10]. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa carācaram. "Under My order," Kṛṣṇa says. Prakṛti, nature, is not working blindly. You see? It has got its master, Kṛṣṇa.

So this life is meant for brahma-jijñāsā, inquiring, "What is Brahman?" Instead of inquiring Brahman, they are trying to kill Brahman. "There is no soul. There is no Supersoul. It is nature automatically becoming this." These nonsense things are being pushed within the, this rubbish brain of the human society. They cannot explain. They cannot give right understanding. Still, they will say, "I am scientist. I am philosopher. I am this. I am that." But your business… What is your business? Now, direct people wrongly, to go to hell. So this is not life. Life is athāto brahma jijñāsā: "This human form of life is meant for inquiring Brahman." And if you engage yourself in this Brahman business, for Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, rest assured, Kṛṣṇa will take care of you. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: [Bg. 10.10] "I take care personally for their necessities of life." Ordinarily, Kṛṣṇa, or God, is taking care of everyone even if he's not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and those who are coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what to speak of them? Special care by Kṛṣṇa. Rest assured. Engage yourself rigidly to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Be happy. That is our program.

Thank you. (end)

710728BS.NY

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Lecture

New York, July 28, 1971

Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi *. We are worshiping the original person, ādi-puruṣam. Original person… As we are all persons, our origin is also a person. We should always understand this. Ādi-puruṣam. The same example. Unless my forefather was a person, how his son, his son, his son-I am the last-we are persons? So the original father, the supreme father, or God, or Kṛṣṇa, must be a person, not imperson. We should always remember. Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi *.

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is recommending that either you go through this austerity process, brahmacarya, śama, dama, titikṣa dhana, satya, śauca, yama, niyama [Bg. 18.42], so many items… Either you go through this process to come to the platform of your spiritual understanding, or kecid, those who are fortunate, kecid kevalayā bhaktyā, the same result is open. Sometimes other people, the so-called yogis, jñānīs, karmīs, or followers of religious, ritualistic ceremonies, they think, "How it is possible that these Hare Kṛṣṇa people have become so quickly self-realized simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, without undergoing so many processes?" That is the gift of Lord Caitanya. Caitanya, Lord Caitanya seeing, or Lord Kṛṣṇa… Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa-the same person. Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Person; Lord Caitanya is the same Supreme Person, but He's teaching us how to approach the Supreme Person. Just like sometimes my disciple is massaging my body, I take his hand and show him: "Do like this." Actually I am not massaging, but I am teaching him. It is not that I am massaging him. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes as a devotee, Lord Caitanya, He shows the way how to approach Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. Lord Caitanya was worshiped by Rūpa Gosvāmī as the greatest munificent personality or incarnation because He was distributing kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa, very easily, so that this system was acceptable even by a child. So easy-by simply chanting and dancing. Here, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says kecid. Kecid means some fortunate person. It is not for all. For general people, one has to undergo the regular process of austerity, but one who knows, or one who is fortunate to have the mercy of Lord Caitanya and His disciplic succession, such person, kecid, someone…

And in the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu [Bg. 7.3]. Out of many thousands, hundreds of thousands men, manuṣyāṇām,… Especially it is said manuṣyāṇāṁ. Manuṣya means human being. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. God realization is not meant for the animals or persons who are almost animals, or animals in the shape of human beings. Animals. At the present moment, in the shape of human beings, the population is animals, assembly of animals, because they do not know beyond the animal propensities. The animal propensities… The animal is busy all day. The bird or any beast, rising early in the morning, they are busy: "Where there is some food? Where there is some sex? How to defend?" Then, at night, "How to take shelter and sleep?" They have got their own arrangement. In the morning they know that "In that tree there are some fruits. Let us go there." So they fly. Āhāra: eating. As we go to office… In your, this New York City, thousands of people are coming from other islands by the ferry boat, waiting for the bus, going to the office. What is the purpose? The purpose is, "Where is food?" The birds are also going. You have made ferry boat and nice-so many not nice-very nice. It is crowded always. But you have to come. For your bread, you have to go fifty miles, forty miles. But the birds are free to fly from tree to another tree without any bus, without any ferry boat.

So the problem-eating, sleeping, mating-these problems are there amongst the living entities other than human being. Other than human being, they're many. If you take a census of the living entities in different categories, how many human beings are there in this city, how many sparrows are there, how many pigeons are there, how many dogs are there, how many trees are there, how many insects are there-they're all living entities-the number of other-than-human-being will be far, far greater. The votes will be smaller in number. If the municipality, city, or the government said, "Everyone can vote, all living entities," then your vote will be lost, because you are very small in number. Other living entities, they are very great. Even from the holes of your room, many thousands of ants will come. They are also living entities. Why don't you, why do you say that they are not living entities? They are living en… They are also eating; you are also eating. They're also sleeping; you are also sleeping. They're also mating; you are also mating. They're also defending. The small ants, they are defending. They enter into the hole of your room. You do not know where the ants live, but they defend. You cannot capture them.

So these policies-eating, sleeping, mating and defending-they're in all living entities. That is the, mean, the general law for every living entity. So if you are simply engaged in this eating, sleeping, mating and defending, then what is the difference? That is the defect of modern civilization. If you think that "We have very scientifically running on, so many slaughterhouses, eating purposes," so that is not advancement of civilization. The, in that sense, a tiger is better situated. He hasn't got to keep a slaughterhouse. By nature, he has got nails and jaws: immediately attack and finish. So these things are not advancement of civilization. Real civilization is how to understand your relationship with God, the supreme father. That is real civilization. You may learn it through any process. It doesn't matter. You learn your relationship with the supreme father through this Christianity. That's all right. Or through Vedic process. That's all right. Or Muhammadan, Koran process, that's all right. But you learn it. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not that we are out to make Christians Hindus, or Hindus Christian, or Muhammadan… No. Our propaganda is not that. Our propaganda is that "You are human being. Your business is to understand your relationship with God." That's all. You learn it. Anywhere you learn it, but you learn it. Otherwise you are simply wasting your time by animal propensities.

So you are nobody's enemy; you are everyone's friend, because you are showing the right way. Try to love Kṛṣṇa, or God. That's all. If you have got any own process, do it. Otherwise, please come to us. Learn it. Why one should grudge? Nīcād apy uttamāṁ strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that you have to catch up the right thing from any source. It doesn't matter. He gives example: viṣād api amṛtaṁ grāhyam. If there is a pitcher of poison, but if there is some nectarine over the pitcher, you catch it, take it out. Don't take the poison, but take the nectarine. Amedhyād api kāñcana. If you find that in a filthy place there is some gold, take it out. You are not to take the filthy stool, but you take the gold. Nīcād apy uttamāṁ vidyām. Nīcā. According to Vedic system, education has to be taken from high class, intellectual person like the brāhmaṇas. But if you find that a person who is not a brāhmaṇa-he's less than a brāhmaṇa, or even lower caste-but if he has got some nice education, just accept him as your teacher and learn. Not that "Because he's lowborn or not brāhmaṇa, I shall not take the education from him." The point is that you have to take the education. And strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api. In India still the marriage takes place in equal family. The boy and the girl must be equally rich, equally cultured, equally educated. Equality. They find out. Even by horoscope, they test whether their astronomical calculations are also equal, so that after marriage they may not be unhappy. So many things, they are taken care of by the parents, and the marriage takes place. It is not that in youthful age the boy and girl mixes and… No. There are so many. But these things are now gone. So the point is that they were calculating especially to accept a girl from a family, they must be equal. But Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that if a girl is well qualified, strī-ratna… Strī-ratna means… Ratna means jewel. If a girl is just like jewel, very qualified, even she is born in low family, accept her. Nīcād apy uttamāṁ vidyāṁ strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api. Duṣkulād api means born of low family. Never mind. Don't care for her parentage. If she's qualified, accept her. There are many instances. Similarly, if you are serious about understanding God, don't consider that "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "Why shall I go this? Why shall I hear from Swamijī?" If you are serious about understanding God, to love God, then here is the nicest process. That is practical. There is no question of grudging, "Oh, why shall I go there? They are following some Hindu, Vedic scripture." No. There is no question of Vedic scripture. We, our business is how to love God. That's all. Just like many students come here to take higher education. As there is no consideration that "Why shall I go to America or Germany? They are different people. Oh, I don't take higher education." No. Everyone goes. Similarly, if there is nice process to understand God, to approach God, you should take it. Don't be grudging. Take it. You'll be benefited. Kevalayā bhaktyā.

So kecid. Not all. Someone who is intelligent, bhagavān, fortunate, they take to this process, kevalayā bhaktyā. Our process is kevalayā bhaktyā. Kevalayā means pure devotional service. No other adulteration or amalgamation. No. Simply to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is the program. From early morning at four o'clock til night, ten a.m., p.m., they are all engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. This is called kevalayā. They have no other business. So this process is recommended for all. That is the perfection of all religious process. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharma yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. That is first-class religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharma. Paro means transcendental. There are two things: parā and aparā, superior and inferior, material and transcendental. There are material dharmas, religious process. For some material gain, generally, people go to church, go to temple, some material gain. Just like in your church you pray, "God, give us our daily bread." Your daily bread is a material gain. So these gain is already settled up. You'll get your bread. Just like the birds or beast, they are getting their bread without going to the church. They do not go to the church for asking God, "Give us our daily bread." The bread is there in the tree. They go and take as much bread as they like. Similarly, your bread is also settled up, either you go to the church or do not go to the church. That is not a problem. Nobody is dying on the street out of starvation. When you find somebody is lying dead on the footpath, the cause is some might have shot him down or by some other means he's killed. But you no, you'll not find either a bird or a beast or an ant or human being died of starvation. Never. The food is already there. Don't bother. If you have to bother, if you have to tax your brain, just do it for Kṛṣṇa, for God. That is proper utilization of your time. Bread is already there. There is no scarcity of bread in the kingdom of God. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ [SB 1.5.18]. The Bhāgavata says one should try for that thing which is not available by traveling all over the universe. What is that? This is kevalayā bhaktyā, simple pure devotion. That is wanting. Nothing is scarcity. Everything is complete by the grace of God for everyone. Just like even in jail the government supplies sufficient food. But why people come into the jail? Because they are not honest. Dishonest, criminal. Food is outside jail, inside jail. But what is the difference outside and inside? Inside jail, the men are criminals. Outside jail, they are not criminals; they are lawful. Similarly there is spiritual world and material world, and everywhere God is providing food, either in the spiritual world or material world, for everyone. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The Vedas says that one person, Supreme Person, is supplying food to this many living entities, bahūnām. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. So for fulfillment of your material desires, you need not go to God. That is, that arrangement is already there.

But because we are foolish, we think… Not only think. Sometimes we are put into difficulty by the laws of nature, starvation. Just like if you eat more and then next two days you cannot eat; you have to starve. Similarly the difficulty in this material world is that we take more than what we need; therefore we have created problems. Otherwise there is sufficient supply from God's side. There is no scarcity, no problem. We have created problems. Just like in your country sometimes I have heard that you throw away grains, thousands of tons of grains, in the water. That means you have enough food. But there are countries who are starving. So it could be adjusted by sending this food. Instead of throwing in the water, they could be sent to the starving countries. But people will not do that. The point is from God's arrangement, there is enough food within this planet. There is enough land, enough food-producing prospect. But we have arranged in such a way that in one part the people are suffering, and one part, they are throwing the grains in the water. This is not God's arrangement. This is our arrangement. Therefore the problems are created by men. Now the so-called politician, they create problems. Otherwise, by nature's ways, by God's way, everything is complete.

pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ

pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate

pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya

pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate

[Iso Invocation]

This is Vedic song. God is complete. His creation is complete. His arrangement is complete. Simply we are creating disturbance. Therefore the real education to stop this disturbance is to make people Kṛṣṇa conscious, God conscious. Then all problems will be solved. Otherwise, by passing resolution in the United Nations it is not possible.

You do not know how to solve the problems. That is being discussed. Here Śukadeva Gosvāmī, in right place, he says kevalayā bhaktyā. Simply by pure devotional service, kevalayā, only. Kecid kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. And who can do, kecid, that kecid, that person, who is that person? That is not ordinary person. That is vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, one who is devotee to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Vasudeva means Kṛṣṇa. Vasudeva, not others, not demigod parāyaṇāḥ. Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. Demigod parāyaṇāḥ, it cannot do that. Therefore it is particularly mentioned, vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ: whose business is only to satisfy Lord Vasudeva, or Kṛṣṇa. Such person. They can solve all the problems simply by taking to pure unalloyed devotional service. Kevalayā bhaktyā. Aghaṁ dhunvanti. We create trouble for our sinful activities. Just like I have already explained: there is enough food, but I gather more food, I stock it to make business so that when there is less supply the price will increase, and I shall sell at that time. This is my process. This is going on as economic development. There is grain. By God's arrangement, sufficient grain. But I am a man. I have got some influence. I have got some money, and I go to the bank: "Sir, I want to purchase one hundred thousand, millions of dollars' worth of wheat. So I have got ten thousand dollars. Please give me loan." Bank gives him loan. He purchases. He stocks it somewhere. Nobody knows. The price is increased. There is scarcity. Actually there is no scarcity, but it is the so-called economic law, man-made law, that creates scarcity. From God's side, there is no scarcity. Sufficient supply-more than what you need. But how this man can be checked from this evil propensity, to gather money and stock unnecessarily? In India, in 1942, they created artificial famine by this process. Big men, they collected rice. The rice was selling at six rupees per mound. All of a sudden, within a week, it came to fifty rupees per mound. I have seen it. No rice was available in the market. People were hungry. They were purchasing. But the beauty is one American gentleman was present at that time. He remarked that "People are starving in this way. In our country, there would have been revolution." Yes. But the people of India are so trained that in spite of creating this artificial famine, they did not commit any theft, stealing others' property. They died peacefully. Of course, this is a single instance. But the thing is that problems are not created by God. They are created by us. Just like in the… One, my German Godbrother, he said that during the First World War… Perhaps some of you know. The politicians created war and there was war. So people went to church. People means all women, because men were all in the active field. So they prayed, "My brother may come back. My husband may come back. My son may come back." But nobody came back, and they all became atheists: "Oh, there is no God." But the thing is that God does not say that "You create war, create problem and for solution of the problem you come to Me." No, you have created your problems; you have to take the result.

But still, one who takes to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, or God, his problem are solved. That's a fact. Here it is stated, kecid kevalayā bhaktyā. Somebody. Who? Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. Those who are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Vasudeva means Kṛṣṇa. Nārāyaṇa parāyaṇa, vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, these words are there in the Vedic language. In another place you'll find,

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ

janayati āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

[SB 1.2.7]

If you apply your devotional service to Vasudeva, vāsudeve bhagavati… Vasudeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavati. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ [SB 1.2.7]. If you apply, if you engage yourself in devotional service to Vasudeva, then the result will be janayaty āśu. Āśu means very soon, without delay; janayaty, generated. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. Vairāgyam means knowledge by which one becomes detached from this material allurement. That is called vairāgya. Simply by employing yourself in devotional service you get the highest knowledge. That is vairāgya. Without vairāgyam… Jñānaṁ ca. Jñāna and vairāgya. Jñāna means knowledge, and vairāgya means detachment. This is required in this human form of life. As soon as you get right knowledge, that "I am spirit soul. I am not anything of this material world. Somehow or other I have been in contact with this material world, and because I have desired to enjoy this material world in different capacities, therefore I am transmigrating from one type of body to another type, and I do now know since when this system began. But is still going on," this is called knowledge. To understand one's constitutional position and how he's suffering in this material world, that is called knowledge. Now that perfection of knowledge comes when one becomes vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ.

Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births, sufferings and cultivation of knowledge, when one comes to the right point, at that time he becomes vāsudeva parāyaṇāḥ. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. One who understands "Vasudeva is everything; He is the cause of everything," sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1], sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ, that kind of mahātmā… You were asking yesterday about some mahātmā's instruction. But we are talking of this mahātmā who is vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. He is perfect mahātmā. So the mahātmā, as it is said… It is kevalayā bhaktyā, kecid kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. Similarly, vāsudeva parāyaṇāḥ means vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. One who has known perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa, Vasudeva, is the source of everything, sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ, such kind of mahātmā is very rare. You can find out so-called mahātmās with great beard, mustaches and… But that is different mahātmā. That is not mahātmā. They are sometimes durātmā, because they want to encroach on the rightful position of Kṛṣṇa. They want to become one with Kṛṣṇa. Suppose if there is servant in your office, and if he tries to occupy your seat, would you like him, if you understand that your, "This servant is trying to occupy my seat"? Similarly, any living entity who is trying to become God, he's not very much liked by God. He cannot become God, but this very endeavor, to become God, to become a competitor of God, is not very much liked. That person is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā as dviṣataḥ, envious. Tān aham dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram andhā yoniṣu [Bg. 16.19]. Such persons, envious persons, are put into the hellish condition of life. They are envious of God's position. They want to occupy high position in this material world, and when they are frustrated, they think "Now I shall occupy the position of God." But that will be also frustrated. Nobody can become God. God is God, and living entity's living entity. He's supreme, He's infinite; we are infinitesimal. Our position is to serve God. That is our perfect position. That will make us happy. Not otherwise. Not by imitating how to become God. That is impossible. How you can become God? Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ [Bs. 5.48]. There are innumerable universes, and within the breathing period of Mahā-Viṣṇu so many universes are coming out by exhaling. And when He inhales, so many universes are dissolved within His body. So how we can become God? God is not so cheap.

Therefore sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ, on who is actually advanced in knowledge, mahātmā, who has accepted Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme… Here it is also said that kecid kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, aghaṁ dhunvanti. They exterminate all kinds of resultant reaction of sinful activity. Aghaṁ dhunvanti. How it is? Now Kṛṣṇa, Vasudeva, personally says also that "You surrender unto Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "You give up everything, all other occupation. You simply surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo. So this aghaṁ dhunvanti, He destroys all kinds of resultant activities of sinful life. Not he does; it is done by Kṛṣṇa. He says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo: "I'll help you. I will release you from all kinds of reaction. You simply surrender." Therefore vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, one who is devotee, and simply engaged in devotional service, aghaṁ dhunvanti, immediately He causes disappearance of all sinful action. How? The example is given: aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena, wholesale, immediately. How? Nihārām iva bhāskaraḥ. Just like fog is immediately, I mean to say, moved, simply by sunrise. Sunrise. Just like this is night, darkness. In the morning, as soon as there will be sunrise, there will be no more darkness. Immediately all thousands and millions of miles of darkness immediately moved. So try to make Kṛṣṇa sūrya, the sun, Kṛṣṇa, rise in your heart, and everything will be solved.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Devotee: May I ask a question? When you were speaking, you started to ask…, you started to check all the people who are hoarding those grains, that economic procedure to produce famine. What is the way to check them? Is to keep them…?

Prabhupāda: To make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. If he knows that "These grains belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Why I am throwing it? There are so many living entities. They are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Let me distribute," that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But he is thinking, "It is mine. These grains are mine. I am the proprietor." This is due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If he knows that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, then he'll not misuse it. What is your question?

Devotee: If I have got a lot of foodstuffs, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I wish to distribute, but I'm afraid it will go bad, how could I distribute very quickly, very quickly? I want to distribute it all. I've gotten a lot of foodstuffs. I want to give it up. Can I offer…

Prabhupāda: You don't find? You don't find men to distribute…

Devotee: Sometimes I get crates of lettuce. Could I offer a whole crate at once, and give a crate away to another Salvation Army, that they can give it away?

Prabhupāda: That is all right. Some way or other it should be distributed. It should not be wasted. Yes?

Guest: How do you feel about… Rabindranath Tagore?

Prabhupāda: Hmmh?

Guest: How do you feel about Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian poet, writer?

Prabhupāda: I don't follow.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: How do you feel about Rabindranath Tagore, the poet?

Prabhupāda: (laughs) So you want my right answer? The answer is that anyone who has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he has no good qualification. Or he's a fool, in simple word. So we have to test whether one has got Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. If one has no God consciousness, then according to Bhāgavata: harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12]. Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they cannot have any good qualification. Why? Manorathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. Because they are, they have no God consciousness means they do not know what is God; therefore their consciousness is either on the bodily platform or mental platform or intellectual platform. God consciousness is on the spiritual platform. So those who are in the bodily platform, they're trying to satisfy the senses. And those who are on the mental platform, they're writing poetries and philosophical speculation to satisfy the mind. Similarly, there is intellectual platform. But soul is above intellect.

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur

indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir

buddhes tu ya saḥ eva paraḥ

[Bg. 3.42]

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that first of all you have got bodily conception: "I am this body." Generally people are in bodily concept of life. Therefore body means the senses. They want to satisfy the senses. And then mental platform, they are satisfying the mind by philosophical speculation or some poetry. So Rabindra…, Rabindranath Tagore, he belongs to the mental platform. So one has to transcend the bodily platform, mental platform, intellectual platform and come to the simple spiritual platform. That is kevalayā. Kevalayā means simply, without any adulteration of bodily, mental and intellectual activities. That is pure devotional service. So Rabindranath Tagore belonged to the mental platform-a little bit higher than persons who are on the bodily platform. But perfection of life comes when one comes to the spiritual platform. That we are giving directly, Kṛṣṇa. Immediately. That is the difference between Rabindranath Tagore and our activities.

Thank you. (end)

730103BS.BOM

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Lecture

Bombay, January 3, 1973

(devotees chant Brahma-saṁhitā verses)

Devotees: …govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. So Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. These verses, Brahma-saṁhitā, it was composed by Lord Brahmā. Therefore in the Vedic literature, this, this is called Saṁhitā. Saṁhitā means part of the Vedic literature. So Lord Brahmā is describing about Kṛṣṇa. There are some foolish question that "Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago. How He became God?" Actually that is not the fact. In the Brahma-saṁhitā, Brahmā is describing means from the very creation. Brahmā is the first creature of this universe. So he has explained about Kṛṣṇa by his experience, by his realization.

In the Vedānta-sūtra, Kṛṣṇa is described, janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] the Supreme Person from whom everything has emanated. So that Kṛṣṇa has confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2]. Devānām means in the beginning there was Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. And Kṛṣṇa is ādi of these devas also. Aham ādir hi devānām. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo: "Everything has emanated from Me."

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitaḥ

[Bg. 10.8]

So Kṛṣṇa is the ādi-puruṣa. In… Arjuna also confirms. After understanding Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna also confirms:

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān

puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam

[Bg. 10.12]

Ādyam: the original person. Just like in our genealogical table, in each family, there is a person who is the origin of the family-then his son, his son, his grandsons, great-grandson. In this way, family expands. Similarly, this creation is from Kṛṣṇa. In the Catuh-ślokī Bhāgavata also, aham eva āsam agre: [SB 2.9.33/34/35/36] "I was present before the creation." Even Śaṅkarācārya, who is impersonalist, he also says, nārāyaṇaḥ paro avyaktād: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, He is beyond this material creation." Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktād. Avyaktād aṇḍa-sambhavaḥ. From the avyakta, nonmanifested material mahat-tattva, this material creation has been, become possible. Before the material creation, beyond the material creation, there is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the Brahma-saṁhitā, Lord Brahmā is describing Kṛṣṇa in each verse: govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Govindam ādi-puruṣam. He's the original person.

Kṛṣṇa also says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti, asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. There is no more parā-tattva, superior source, except Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore…, we are trying to place before the civilized human society that the ādi-puruṣa, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are searching after God. There are so many societies-theological society, theosophical society-they are searching after God. But here is God. Why don't you take reference from the Vedic literature? God's reference is there in the Vedic literatures, and God Himself appeared, and He explained Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. And God is accepted, not (only) now, even when Kṛṣṇa was present, five thousand years ago, all great sages, saintly persons, great ṛṣis, they also accepted. Nārada, Devala, Vyāsa. When Arjuna, in the Bhagavad-gītā… It is explained in the Tenth Chapter. You know, all, Kṛṣṇa as paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. He, he is addressing Kṛṣṇa as person, bhavān. This bhavān śabda, this word is used, "person," not imperson. Bhavān. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam [Bg. 10.12]. He's not imperson. Puruṣam. Puruṣam means person. Not female also. Puruṣam means male. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Śāśvatam, original; ādyam, the first. So in this way. And Arjuna has also given reference that all the great sages… At that time, Vyāsadeva… Vyāsadeva is still present. So "Vyāsadeva accepts You, Nārada accepts You, and Asita, Devala, big, big, great sages accepts You. You are personally speaking, and I have realized that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not manufactured, as nowadays it has become a fashion to manufacture God by votes. No. God is never manufactured. God is God. Not by mystic power one becomes God or by so-called meditation or magical arts. No. God is God. Nobody can become God. Asamaurdhva. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is described as asama urdhva prapitāmaha ca [Bg. 11.39]. In the Eleventh Chapter, you'll find these words. Because Brahmā is considered… He's called pitāmaha, because the father of the father. If you search out the genealogical table of this universe, especially of the human society, then you go on searching. I am begotten by my father; my father is begotten by his father, his father, his father, his father-you go on. Then ultimately, if you have so much patience to make research, the, you can get from the śāstras, you can get. So the original father of this universe is Lord Brahmā; therefore he is addressed as Pitāmaha. But the father of Brahmā also, Brahmā, is also there: Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. The Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is expansion of Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the original Viṣṇu, and Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is expansion of Saṅkarṣaṇa. Saṅkarṣaṇa is expansion of Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa is expansion of another Saṅkarṣaṇa, and that Saṅkarṣaṇa is expansion of Baladeva. And Baladeva is expansion of Kṛṣṇa. You'll find in the śāstras. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. It is not that some artist has manufactured a fashionable Kṛṣṇa, and we worship that. No. Kṛṣṇa's the original person. We find it, description, in the Saṁhitās, in the Vedas, in the Ṛg Veda: oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. And the explanation of Vedānta-sūtra, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there it is explained: janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Because Vedānta-sūtra begins with this aphorism: janmādy asya yataḥ.

So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the original explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. So in the Vedānta-sūtra, explanation of Vedānta-sūtra, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is said,

janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ

tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yatra sūrayaḥ

[SB 1.1.1]

These descriptions are there. So ādi-kavi, ādi-kavi means Brahmā. Brahmā, Ādi-kavi. So tene brahma. Brahmā means śabda-brahman, Vedic literature. So He instructed or imparted in the heart of Brahmā. Because when the creation was there, Brahmā was the only person, living entity, in the beginning. So the question may be that "How Brahmā learned Vedic knowledge?" That is explained: tene brahma… Brahmā. Brahmā means Vedic literature. Śabda-brahman. The information, the description of God is also Brahman. Brahman is absolute. There is no difference between Brahman and the literature which is describing Brahman. The same thing: just like Bhagavad-gītā and Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. Bhagavad-gītā is also Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise why this book is worshiped since so, for so long time, since five thousand years, unless the Bhagavad-gītā is Kṛṣṇa? There are so many literatures, books, are published nowadays. After one year, two years, three years-finished. Nobody cares for it. Nobody cares for it. Nobody reads for… Any literature you take in the history of the world, no literature can exist for five thousand years, repeatedly being read by many, many scholars, religionists and philosophers, all. Why? Because it is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa… There is no difference between Bhagavad-gītā and Bhagavān. Śabda-brahman. So Bhagavad-gītā should not be taken as ordinary literature, that one can comment on it by so-called ABCD knowledge. No. That is not possible. The fools and rascals, they try to comment on the Bhagavad-gītā by their ABCD scholarship. That is not possible. It is śabda-brahman. It will be revealed to the person who has devotion to Kṛṣṇa. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve… These are the Vedic instructions.

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

[ŚU 6.23]

They become revealed. Therefore Vedic literatures are called revealed. It is not that I can understand by your ABCD knowledge; I can purchase one Bhagavad-gītā, and because I have grammatical knowledge, I can understand. No. Vedeṣu durlabha. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, vedeṣu durlabha. You go on studying all Vedic literature by your literary capacity or scholarship-durlabha. It is not possible. Vedeṣu durlabha. Therefore there are so many persons, they are trying to interpret Bhagavad-gītā by their so-called scholarship, but nobody cares for them. They cannot turn even one person, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is a challenge. In your Bombay there are so many persons, they are explaining Bhagavad-gītā for so many years, but they could not turn even a single person a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is our challenge. But this Bhagavad-gītā, now it is being explained as it is, and thousands and thousands of Europeans and Americans, whose forefathers or family never knew the name of Kṛṣṇa, they are becoming devotees. This is the secret of success. But these foolish people, they do not know. They think that by interpreting Bhagavad-gītā by their so-called rascaldom knowledge, they can reveal Bhagavad-gītā. That is not possible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is not exposed to these foolish and rascals. Kṛṣṇa is never exposed. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya [Bg. 7.25]. He's not so cheap thing that He'll be understood by these fools and rascals. It is not possible. Kṛṣṇa says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samā… [Bg. 7.25].

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

So if we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then we have to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. Kṛṣṇa says. And Kṛṣṇa says, bhakto 'si priyo 'si rahasyam etad uttamam [Bg. 4.3]. Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, "This science of God, Bhagavad-gītā, kṛṣṇa-tattva…" Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: yei kṛṣṇa-tattva vetta sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. Guru does not become. Guru is not so cheap thing. One must know what is kṛṣṇa-tattva. One must know what is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says also,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

Nobody knows Kṛṣṇa. They may speculate by their so-called scholarship, ABCD knowledge, but Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is not there. They cannot turn even a single man to become a Kṛṣṇa devotee. That is not possible. They can be fool. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: śva-viḍ-varāha-uṣṭra kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. The, one who is not devotee, he is described as a paśuḥ, as an animal. And such animal is eulogized, glorified, by another animal. What are they? Now, dogs, camels, asses and hogs. Śva-viḍ-varāha-uṣṭra kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. These description is there. Therefore if we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, we have to follow these mahājana. Just like Brahmā. Brahmā is the original. There are… Who is mahājana? Mahājana. In India, a mahājana is accepted who can give you loan, money. He's called mahājana. Not that, that all. It is, it is a perverted word. But mahājana means a, one who is pure devotee of the Lord. Mahātmā means who is pure devotee of the Lord. Sādhu means who is a devotee-not these street beggars. Sādhu. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi… [Bg. 9.30]. Who are they? Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ.

api cet su-durācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ…

[Bg. 9.30]

He's sādhu. Even if we find some discrepancies in the life of a devotee… Just like these European, Americans. They're devotees. They are pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. How? They have no other desire. They simply want to satisfy their spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are pure devotees. They have no other business. They have sacrificed everything. They are coming from rich family, rich nation, educated, everything. There is no scarcity in their country. Everything's complete. But still, for Kṛṣṇa they have forsaken everything. That is pure devotion.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanam bhaktir uttamām

[Brs. 1.1.11]

Those who are trying to catch up here something, catch up here something, they have been described by Caitanya Mahāprabhu as khara jati abata (?). Khara jati abata. The kha… One, one of the devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Mukunda, he was very, mean, confidential devotee. His class friend also, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's. So he was going sometimes here, sometimes there, sometimes here, sometimes there. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very angry upon him, and gave him the title khara jati abata. Khara jati abata: "Don't allow him to come here." He became so strict. So he was very sorry. "Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said not to come in His meeting." So he was asking other devotees that "I shall not be allowed?" So, "We can…, how we can allow you? Caitanya Mahāprabhu has forbidden." "So will you ask if there will be any time so that I can again come back?" So some devotee inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "Mukunda is very sorry. You asked not to come. But he's asking whether there will be any day in future when he'll be allowed to come again." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "After three thousands of births. After three thousands of births, he'll be allowed to come in." So when Mukunda inquired, "Did you inquire from Caitanya Mahāprabhu this question?" he said, "Yes, but He has said after your three thousands of repeated births, you'll be allowed." So he began to dance. He began to dance. "Oh, then I'll be allowed some day. Never mind, three thousand births. Never mind three thousand births." So when this, this, this was informed to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "He's dancing now because You have, You'll allow him to come in after three thousands of births," so Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very pleased and asked him to bring him immediately. (laughter)

So if we want to actually learn this… Just like there must be eka niṣṭha. Bhajanti mām ananya-bhāk. That is the qualification. [break] …Kṛṣṇa. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, it is very easy. Don't divert your attention to anything. "No, I, I worship this demigod, I worship that demigod, I…" Then your knowledge is gone. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ [Bg. 7.20]. Anya-devatāḥ: "other demigods." Devatāḥ is Kṛṣṇa, but others, they're demigods.

ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya

yāre yaiche nācāya se taiche kare nṛtya

[Cc. Ādi 5.142]

God is one, Kṛṣṇa. Ekam evādvitīyam. All others, they are servants. This is our conclusion. This is śāstric conclusion. Eka brahma dvitīya… Brahman cannot be two. Param brahman. Paraṁ brahma paramaṁ bhavān. Therefore Arjuna has addressed Him as bhavān, "Yourself." Not that "You have got many competitors." Just like we are, we find nowadays, in one street another God; another God, in another street, another god; another street, or another city, there are so many Gods. No. God is one. Ekam eva advitīya. And that is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if we want to learn about Kṛṣṇa, then we have to follow the path of mahājanas, great personalities. Just like Brahmā is presenting Brahma-saṁhitā, describing; Vyāsadeva is presenting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Bhagavān, Himself, is describing Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. So where is the difficulty to understand Bhagavad-gītā or Bhagavān? We don't find any difficulty. Where is the difficulty? The mahājana is there, the śāstra is there, the guru is there, the Veda is there. And why should we make research after God? What is this nonsense? Everything is there. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. The purpose of Vedas is to know Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about Brahman. Brahman. So there is no need of searching out God. You can simply try to digest whatever is already there. The Bhagavad-gītā is there. All the ācāryas, they have accepted. They have written commentation on Bhagavad-gītā with reference to the Vedic knowledge. The Absolute-kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam-is accepted everywhere by all ācāryas. Why you are searching after God? I do not know. So this Bhagavad-gītā and this Brahma-saṁhitā, and the description is about Kṛṣṇa, and His abode:

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.33]

Advaita. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam. He has got ananta-rūpam. There is no limit. He has got so many. Because each, in each and every brahmāṇḍa, there is Kṛṣṇa avatāra. Kṛṣṇa avatāra… Just like in this brahmāṇḍa there was Kṛṣṇa avatāra in, five thousand years ago, similarly Kṛṣṇa avatāra is going on just like… The same example, as I have given you many times, that the sun, sun, sun planet is there in the sky, but sun is visible when he is in our front. Otherwise sun is there. Similarly Kṛṣṇa is always there, but when He descends, incarnates, He becomes visible to us, exactly like the sun. At the present moment, it is night. Sun is not visible. But in due course of time, say, after eight hours or ten hours, in the morning, the sun will be visible. Similarly there is scheduled time when Kṛṣṇa becomes visible on this planet, on this universe. And there are, there are innumerable universes. They…, therefore He's called nitya-līlā. Nitya-līlā means eternal pastimes. Kṛṣṇa is born as Yaśodā, Devakī-nandana. Immediately He begins to grow. But that birth is taking another planet, another universe. Just like six-thirty, sunshine… It is now visible on this planet, or on this city, but again six-thirty, again, in another city, six-thirty in another city, six-thirty another city. It is not very difficult to understand. That six-thirty's continuing. That seven-thirty's continuing. That eight-thirty's continuing. Every minute and second is continuing. Simply you have to know where it is. You immediately try to know by phoning the other city, other, on the other country, you'll know that this six-thirty, or seven-thirty or twelve-thirty or the set up or rising of the sun is continually going on, here or there. Similarly Kṛṣṇa's appearance, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, everything is continually going on: sometimes in this universe, sometimes in another universe, sometimes another universe. In this way it is going on. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's līlā is called nitya-līlā. Nitya-līlā, eternal. It is not for the time when Kṛṣṇa appeared. That nitya-līlā, as we have seen within this planet, Kṛṣṇa, that will come again. Just like we saw the sun in the daytime. Now it is not visible, but in due course of time, again we shall see; next morning we shall see sun. Similarly, we shall see again Kṛṣṇa, and that rotation takes place according to Vedic calculation after forty-three crores of years. That is the explanation we get from Vedic śāstra.

So Kṛṣṇa's līlā, it is not an invented, we are worshiping Kṛṣṇa as something imaginary, some artistic picture. No. It is nitya-līlā. Kṛṣṇa is fact. Govindam ādi-puruṣam. He's ādi. Advaitam acyutam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam. Purāṇa-puruṣam. The oldest man. Purāṇa means oldest. Oldest, Purāṇa-puruṣam. Puruṣam means person. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca. But whenever you'll see Kṛṣṇa, He's just a perfect young boy, nava-yauvanaṁ ca. You'll never see Kṛṣṇa's picture as He has become old, He has grown some big, big beard and… No. Kṛṣṇa, you'll never see. Kṛṣṇa is just like a twenty-years-old young boy. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. He is not to be found in the Vedas. There is, but we miss. In the Ṛg Veda, in the Atharva Veda, Kṛṣṇa is there. Vedeṣu durla… But the ordinary man cannot find. Just like the people, they're reading Bhagavad-gītā, but they do not understand Kṛṣṇa. There are so many people; they are very proud of reading Bhagavad-gītā daily, but they do not understand Kṛṣṇa. The only thing is, they're missing Kṛṣṇa. Except Kṛṣṇa, all rubbish thing they are talking. This is their vision. Because vedeṣu durlabha. For the rubbish person, rascal person, Kṛṣṇa is durlabha. Adurlabha ātma-bhaktau. But Kṛṣṇa is available, Kṛṣṇa has to be seen from the Kṛṣṇa's devotee. Not from others. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna that "I am again explaining to you this Bhagavad-gītā because bhakto 'si priyo 'si rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam [Bg. 4.3]. There is a very nice mystery in this Bhagavad-gītā, and that will be understood by you because you are My devotee. You are My very dear." So in order to understand Kṛṣṇa, one has to first of all become a great devotee, dear friend of Kṛṣṇa. Then he can understand. Otherwise, vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33].

So this Brahma-saṁhitā describes about Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā is mahājana. I've already told you: mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. So in the śāstras, twelve mahājanas are accepted:

svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ

kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ

prahlādo janako bhīṣmo

balir vaiyāsakir vayam

[SB 6.3.20]

This was explained by Yamarāja to his servants, that these are mahājanas. Who? Svayambhūr, Brahmā. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ. And Śambhuḥ, Lord Śiva. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kumāraḥ. The Kumāras, the four Kumāras; Kapila, Kapiladeva, Lord Kapila. Manu, Svāyambhuva Manu. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, accepted this: imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāhur [Bg. 4.1]. This Manu. So in this way, we have to approach the right person, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2], who is coming in the line of Brahmā, who is coming in the line of Lord Śiva, in the line of Nārada. In this way, we have to accept a guru from the disciplic succession which is called paramparā, guru-paramparā. Then we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise not. Now so many people are explaining Bhagavad-gītā. If you ask him, "Who is your guru?" he has no guru. He's himself guru. So you, what he can understand Bhagavad-gītā? It is not possible. So try to understand Bhagavad-gītā from the bona fide person and follow the principles, rules and regulation, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. [break]…

Your question is meant for persons who are too much bodily conscious. One who is thinking that "I am this body," for him, this yoga system is prescribed, so that he can control the senses. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. By controlling the senses… Because we are disturbed by our senses. So there is process, how to come to the platform of prāṇāyāma. You have to find out a secluded place, and you should sit down there alone in perpendicular stature, you cannot close your eyes fully, half, then you'll have to see the tip of the nose. In this way, you have to concentrate your mind on Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. This is prāṇāyāma. So… But actually when one becomes already attracted to Kṛṣṇa by devotional service, then the prāṇāyāma process is already there. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gata antarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

[Bg. 6.47]

The real fact is to concentrate your mind upon Kṛṣṇa.

So these boys, they have been trained up. This ārotik, this arcana, this distribution of literature, reading Kṛṣṇa books, hearing about Kṛṣṇa-that means they are not allowed to think anything else except Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. They are… The prāṇāyāma process, you can do it for one hours, two hours or, say, one day, two days, but this, this prāṇāyāma process, who are always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is natural. You cannot think. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor [SB 9.4.18]. If you simply engage your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, that is perpetual prāṇāyāma. Not for one hour, two hour, or a minute.

Indian man: But some yogis say that…

Prabhupāda: Some yogi may say whatever he likes, but what Kṛṣṇa says, we have to accept.

Indian man: In the, in the modern terminology, they say this, this technique of prāṇāyāma…

Prabhupāda: But the modern terminology, that is not, that is not a principle.

Indian man: No, but they say it is a rocket way to God.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Indian man: They say it is a rocket way to God, doing prāṇāyāma.

Prabhupāda: What is it?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A rocket, rocket ship way to God.

Indian man: Rocket.

Prabhupāda: But we don't find so long yogis and prāṇāyāma wallas know anything about God. We have tested so many. They remain the same rascal. I have seen it. They do not… Ask him, any yogis, "What do you know about God?" Ask him. You can ask. You are press reporter. You can ask, "What do you know about God? Describe Him." So what is the rocket? Rocket means you should go immediately. But if you do not know, then what is the use of this rocket? If you do not know what is God, then what is the use of this rocket? Just like they are going to the rocket planet, moon planet. Now the American government stopped announcing this rascaldom. You know that? Yes. So if you actually have got rocket, then you must approach that you must know the thing. But simply waste your money and come back. So any sensible man will not allow this. This is good, prāṇāyāma. Rocket process, it may be. But we don't think that it is rocket process at the present age. Because in the śāstras it is said:

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ

tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ

dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ

kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt

[SB 12.3.52]

Indian reporter: No. They compare it to rocket only because of the two stages that a rocket has to drop. They say by doing prāṇāyāma you'll drop material stages, that you…

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but we have to see practically what he has become. Simply talking will not do.

Indian reporter: Talking. Talking won't do.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Simply talking will not do. That, that… Just, these boys, they did not practice prāṇāyāma system, but bring anyone who knows about God better than him. Bring anyone. Any yogis, bring, and talk with them. They are neophytes. They are simply practicing three or four years. And talk with them. And what he knows about, he knows it will be proved. That is not rocket system. This is rocket system: Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. (laughter) That is not possible. That he cannot find out a secluded place to practice yoga. Where is secluded place in the city? Whole day and night, these cars are going and there is huge sound. Where is secluded place? And, and it is recommended in Bhagavad-gītā, secluded place and sacred place. And he should remain alone. Where is such yogi? Find out. Where is such yogi? He should remain alone, and in a secluded place and a sacred place. And he should not change his āsana. Then he becomes a yogi. These are the preliminary things. But who is practicing these preliminary even? They cannot. Especially in the cities, there are so many yoga societies, but in the, it is stated that it should be practiced in a secluded place. So how it is possible in the city? So if you follow the instruction, it will be very difficult. It is very difficult.

Indian man: For a…

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Not only difficult for us, but five thousand years ago, Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa face to face. Such an exalted personality, and he was a kṣatriya. He said, "Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible to practice this." He said. We have become more than Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna? Do you think? He said. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā. Eh?

Indian man: Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa…

Prabhupāda:

…kṛṣṇa

pramāthi balavad dṛḍham

tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye

vāyor iva su-duṣkaram

[Bg. 6.34]

"Oh, it is not possible." He was frank enough gentleman. "Oh, this is not possible." This is not possible. And these foolish persons, because they want to cheat others, they cheat themselves, they cheat others, they follow this system. It is not possible. It is not possible, frankly speaking. Do we think we are better than Arjuna?

Devotee: In Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna's called Guḍākeśa, or one who has conquered sleep.

Prabhupāda: So this yoga process is there, but it is very, very difficult. Very, very difficult, especially in this age. Therefore in the śāstra it is said, kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum [SB 12.3.52]. The dhyāyato viṣṇu, that is yoga system. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1]. Yoginaḥ, being absorbed in meditation, they see. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā. Mind, being absorbed in the Supreme, they can see. Yaṁ paśyanti yoginaḥ. The yogi sees. That is samādhi. That is. Prāṇāyāma, of course, they controlling the breathing. So these things are very difficult in this age. Therefore śāstra says,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

Three times. When we stress upon some important point, we say three times, "Do it, do it, do it!" It is like that. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. So yoga practice is approved process, but it requires long, long period, time, and the time is not at all suitable in this age. And persons are differently cultured. They are eating everything, they are drinking everything, smoking. And it is not possible. It is not possible. Simply childish. It is not possible. And you can see practically. Just like I have given the example. Bring any so-called yogi, mystic practitioner…

Indian reporter: As you, yourself have said: What is talking? What is lies?

Prabhupāda: What is the use of that persons? Here, the mass of people take. All over the world. Suppose if there is some process, if, and one percent of the whole population, what is the use of such process? So that is very important thing. That is important process also, but it is not possible to be practiced by the present age. This is… [break] …become purified, you understand that Kṛṣṇa is present on your tongue. [break] …waterpot, you put it in the water. So long it is not filled up, it will make some sound. And when it is filled up and goes down, down to hell, then there is no cut, cut, cut.

Indian reporter: Then, as you say…

Prabhupāda: Eh? [break] … that your, this so-called talk will not help you. But that does not mean that in the spiritual life there is no talk. But Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is spirit. So why He's talking Bhagavad-gītā? What is… What do you think of Kṛṣṇa's talking? [break] …nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇa. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇa, rasa-vigraha, caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ.

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś

caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ

pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto

'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

[Cc. Madhya 17.133]

This is nāma. Abhinnatvād nāma-nāminoḥ. There is no difference between the name and the person. Here, in this material world, there is difference between the name and the thing. Just like if I want water, if I simply chant "Water, water, water…" Sometimes some rascals, these, give the example that if we chant "Coca-cola, Coca-cola, Coca-cola…" It is not like that. They do not know, and they, they, they dare to explain this nāma. Such a rascal they are. They do not know what is name. Here is a description of the name: nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vi… This is caitanya. This is not dead stone. This body is dead stone. Caitanya means the living force. That is caitanya. So nāma is caitanya.

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś

caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ

pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto

'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

[Cc. Madhya 17.133]

This name is not ordinary name. This is absolute.

Indian reporter: How is that they say that in some of the mantras they are cakras and all that?

Prabhupāda: Hmmh?

Indian reporter: Some of the mantras…

Prabhupāda: No, no. We have nothing to do with cakra. These cakras are concerned who are in the bodily concept of life. The bhaktas, they do not accept that "I am body." The śata cakra is concerned with this body, not with the soul. Yes. So these, the yoga process is prescribed for them who are too much in con…, bodily concept of life. Otherwise, those who are spiritually advanced, they're, they do not have to practice this yoga. This, simply name, if we follow… Actually, practically, you see… You practically see that all over the world, these boys, how they're advancing simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So this is fact. It is not imagination. How they're advancing, how they're becoming… Now, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam, to make zero [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. They've made everything zero. They don't consider that Americans. Yes. They don't consider that "I am this body. I have to eat flesh, meat and wine; therefore my body will be maintained." They never think like that. This is mukti. Simply talking will not do practically. "I practice yoga and immediately my throat has become dry. Please give me cigarette. Please give me cigarette." There are so many. I have seen.

Indian reporter: So they are not yogis.

Prabhupāda: You will find, if you analyze, you'll find so many. They're, at least, they smoke gañjā. There are so many yogis, I have seen, they smoke gañjā. You have not seen? Gañjā-smoker yogis?

Indian reporter: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Indian man (2): Number of them.

Prabhupāda: Number of them. I do not know, how you have studied. So many rascals, smoking gañjā and talking of yoga.

Devotee: Drinking tea.

Prabhupāda: Taking tea. Taking tea, that is common affair. Big, big jug, tea.

Indian man: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: So see practically. Simply talking will not help. Practically see how this system is perfect. Thousands and thousands, not only one, two. If you travel all over the world and see our temples, you'll find in each and every temple, two hundred, hundred and fifty, fifty-all devotees. All these boys and girls, nice. They, their countrymen, astonished. They ask them, "Are you American?" They ask them. How this transformation has come into existence?

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś

caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ

pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto

'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

[Cc. Madhya 17.133]

It is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. So by chanting Kṛṣṇa means they are associating Kṛṣṇa directly. There is no question of śata cakra, or this cakra. No. It is direct contact with Kṛṣṇa. And if one is in direct contact with Kṛṣṇa, what other method does he require? Everything is… Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim. If you are in direct touch with Kṛṣṇa, then where is the necessity of other tapasya? Everything is finished. Your ultimate goal is obtained. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim. And if you could not touch Kṛṣṇa, then where is this nonsense, yoga and jñāna? They're useless. You could not touch Kṛṣṇa. These things are… Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tathā kim.

Indian reporter: That is why He's called Yogeśvara.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you are in touch with the Yogeśvara, then your all austerities, penances, finished. Now you enjoy life with Yogeśvara. That is the position of the devotees. Ānandamaya.

ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis

tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ

goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ…

[Bs. 5.37]

This is a great science. So we have described all this in our books. They are reading, and public is very much appreciating. All right. (end)

730907BS.STO

Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā, Lecture

Stockholm, September 7, 1973

Prabhupāda: There are about thirty-five verses like this in the Brahma-saṁhitā describing the transcendental… [break] …place of the Lord. It takes time. I have cited about a dozen only. Let me try to explain some of them because I have already taken much time.

So one verse in this we find,

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpaṁ

ādyaṁ purāṇam-puruṣam naya-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.33]

The Lord is one without a second, advaita. Acyuta, the Lord never falls down-the distinction between Lord and ourself. We are also eternal living entities, and the Lord is also eternal. He is also a living entity, a person, just like us. But His name is Acyuta. He never falls down from His position. But we living entities, sometimes we fall down. That's our material condition of life. This is our falldown. Therefore He is called advaitam acyutam aṇadim. And He has no beginning. He is the beginning of everything. The creation is from Him, but He has no creator. So advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. And He has got multiforms. He can expand Himself. The one expansion is that īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. He has expanded Himself to live with you, within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām. Not only that: another place it is described, eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭim [Bs. 5.35]. One portion of the Lord… That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. Jagat means this material world. That is being maintained by one of His plenary portion, which is called Paramātmā or Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu or Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. So one portion of His plenary portion, He is within the material world. Material world means the universe. Aṇḍāntara-stham. Aṇḍa, brahmāṇḍa means this universe. This is not only one universe, but there are many millions of universes. So He is there. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. And aṇḍāntara-stham: He is within the universe. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. And He is within the atom also. Just imagine, expansion of God. So advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Although He is the oldest of all, you will find Kṛṣṇa always a young man. From His face you will find a young boy, twenty to twenty-five years. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Vedeṣu durlabham. If you want to search out God by studying Vedas, it will be very difficult. Adurlabham ātma-bhaktau. But He is very easily available from His devotee. This is the description.

Then in another place,

ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis

tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ

goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhutaḥ…

[Bs. 5.37]

The Lord, every (indistinct) is not material. That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. His form is eternity, blissful, and full of knowledge. So all His paraphernalia in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, that is His expansion of that quality-eternity, blissfulness and knowledge. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ. His gopīs, His consorts, His father, His mother, His friends, His trees, His flowers, His calves and cows-everything is spiritual expansion from Him. Everything… We are also expansion from Him. We are marginal potency, and this is spiritual potency. So everything is expansion. Therefore the Vedic literature says, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: "Everything is Brahman." We are not (?) combination of two energies: marginal energy and the external energy. But in the spiritual world everything is only spiritual energy. So we are constitutionally spiritual energy. Somehow or other, we have been entangled with this material energy. So if we try in this human form of life, we can get out of this material energy and again go back to the spiritual energy. That is the opportunity. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37].

Another śloka I wish to explain: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti [Bs. 5.32]. The spiritual body is equally qualified for doing everything. Just like our hand, we can touch only. We cannot do… Or we can pick up something. But simply having hand… Or with the hand we cannot eat. For eating, we shall have to use this mouth, we have to use the stomach. But in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa, about Him it is described, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti: [Bs. 5.32] "Each and every limb of Kṛṣṇa has got the potency of other limbs." He can eat by His eyes; He can hear from His eyes. Anything. All the parts of the limbs, because they are spiritual, you can use it for any purpose. This is not understandable in this material condition of life, but it is possible. When it is spiritually realized, it is possible. These things are there.

aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti

paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti

ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.32]

So His spiritual world, His planet, is described that cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. In His planet, there are many trees, many palaces, but they are all spiritual. Cintāmaṇi means spiritual. The houses, they are made of touchstone, just like here the houses are made of bricks and wood. There the houses are also spiritual. The touchstone, it is described in the śāstras that if there is any touchstone in this material world, the touchstone can turn iron into gold. So anyway, the houses… There are houses also, big, big palaces like here. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. And the trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means… Here you can get fruit, one kind of fruit from one tree. But there, any fruit you want, you can get, any tree. That is spiritual. Prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means that. And surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. And Kṛṣṇa is very much fond of tending cows. And what are those cows? Surabhī. Surabhī means you can take as much milk as you like, and as many times as you like. Here in this material world you have got cows, but you can take milk, limited quantity, and also once or twice. That is the difference. In this way, if you read Brahma-saṁhitā, you will get complete description of the spiritual world, the spiritual entities, the Supreme Lord, His associates, His country, His pastimes-everything very nicely described. And if we become attached to such place, then we can try. We can try. We can prepare ourself for going back to home, back to Godhead. That is the perfection of life. That is the mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

Festival Lectures

Śrī Gaura-Pūrṇimā, SB 7.9.38

� Māyāpur, March 16, 1976

Lecture-Day after Śrī Gaura-Pūrṇimā

� Hawaii, March 5, 1969

Śrī Rāma-Navamī, Lord Rāmacandra's Appearance Day

� Hawaii, March 27, 1969

Śrī Rāma-Navamī, Lord Rāmacandra's Appearance Day, Cornerstone Laying

� Bombay, April 1, 1974

Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva's Appearance Day

� Boston, May 1, 1969

� Los Angeles, May 27, 1972

� Bombay, May 5, 1974

Guṇḍicā Mārjanam, Cleansing of the Guṇḍicā Temple

� San Francisco, July 4, 1970

Ratha-yātrā Lecture/Address

� San Francisco, July 27, 1969

� San Francisco, July 4, 1970

� San Francisco, July 5, 1970

� San Francisco, June 27, 1971

� San Francisco, June 27, 1971

� Los Angeles, July 1, 1971

� London, July 13, 1972

� London, July 13, 1972

� Philadelphia, July 12, 1975

� New York, July 18, 1976

Janmāṣṭamī, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's Appearance Day

� Montreal, August 16, 1968

� Hamburg, September 4, 1969

� London, August 21, 1973

� Vṛndāvana, August 11, 1974

Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā

� Hamburg, September 5, 1969

� New Vrindaban, September 2, 1972

� London, August 22, 1973

� Hyderabad, August 19, 1976

Rādhāṣṭamī, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's Appearance Day

� Montreal, August 30, 1968

� London, September 5, 1973

His Divine Grace Śrīla Sac-cid-ānanda Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Appearance Day

� London, September 3, 1971

Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī's Appearance Day

� Vṛndāvana, October 19, 1972

His Divine Grace Bhaktiprajñāna Keśava Mahārāja's Disappearance Day

� Seattle, October 21, 1968

Govardhana Pūjā Lecture

� New York, November 4, 1966

His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's Disappearance Day

� Los Angeles, December 9, 1968

� Los Angeles, December 13, 1973

� Bombay, December 22, 1975

� Hyderabad, December 10, 1976

Varāha-dvadaśī, Lord Varāha's Appearance Day

� Los Angeles, February 18, 1970

� Bhuvaneśvara, January 31, 1977

Lord Nityānanda Prabhu's Āvirbhāva Appearance Day

� Los Angeles, January 31, 1969

� Bhuvaneśvara, February 2, 1977

His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's Appearance Day

� Los Angeles, February 7, 1969

� Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971 - SB 6.3.24

� Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971 - Evening

� Atlanta, March 2, 1975

� Māyāpur, February 21, 1976

� Māyāpur, February 8, 1977

Jagannātha Deities Installation

� San Francisco, March 23, 1967

Śrī Śrī Rukmiṇī Dvārakānātha Deity Installation

� Los Angeles, July 16, 1969

Śrī Śrī Rādhā Gokulānanda Deity Installation

� London, August 21, 1973

Śrī Śrī Kāliya Kṛṣṇa Deity Installation

� Lautoka, Fiji, May 2, 1976

Six Gosvāmīs Lecture, Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-govāmy-aṣṭaka

� Los Angeles, November 18, 1968

760316SB.MAY

Śrī Gaura-Pūrṇimā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.38

Māyāpur, March 16, 1976

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "In this way, my Lord, You have appeared in different incarnations-as human beings, as animals, as a great saintly person, as demigods and as a fish and a tortoise. In this way You maintain the whole creation in different planetary systems and kill the demoniac principles in every age. My Lord, You therefore protect the principles of religion. In the age of Kali You do not assert Yourself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore You are known as Tri-yuga, or the Lord who appears in three yugas."

Prabhupāda:

itthaṁ nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatārair

lokān vibhāvayasi haṁsi jagat pratīpān

dharmaṁ mahā-puruṣa pāsi yugānuvṛttaṁ

channaḥ kalau yad abhavas tri-yugo 'tha sa tvam

So here is a very specific statement about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is avatāra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He's channa. Channa means covered, not directly, because He has appeared as a devotee. Avatāra… Rūpa Gosvāmī has found out that He's avatāra of Kṛṣṇa. All the devotees, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Rūpa Gosvāmī, and in the śāstra, and the Upaniṣad, Mahābhārata, in every… Sādhu-śāstra. Avatāra should be confirmed by great devotees, personalities, and must be collaborated with the statement in the śāstra.

So here is another statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The directly, it is stated in the Eleventh Canto, you know,

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prāyair

yajanti hi sumedhsaḥ

[SB 11.5.32]

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, when He was being described before King Nimi by Karabhājana Muni the different incarnation in different millenniums, yuga-dharma-vṛttam… Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also described by Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, yuga-dharma-pālo. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is described here as channaḥ kalau. In the Kali-yuga He's not appearing as other incarnations, not like Nṛsiṁhadeva or many, Vāmanadeva, Lord Rāmacandra. He is appearing as a devotee. Why? Now, this is the most magnanimous avatāra. People are so foolish, they could not understand Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ [Bg. 18.66], they took it: "Who is this person ordering like that, Sarva-dharmān parityajya? What right?" That is our material disease. If somebody is ordered to do something, he protests, "Who are you to order me?" This is the position. God Himself, Kṛṣṇa, what can He say? He orders, the Supreme Person, Supreme Being. He must order. He's the supreme controller. He must order. That is God. But we are so foolish that when God orders that "You do this," we take it otherwise: "Oh, who is this man? He's ordering like that. And sarva-dharmān parityajya, 'giving up everything'? Why shall I give Him?" Sarva-dharmān: "I have created so many dharmas, 'isms.' I shall give it up? Why shall I give it up?" Therefore the same Lord came again as Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Today is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's appearance day, so we must discuss this very thoroughly, that, that Rūpa Gosvāmī understood it. Therefore we have to go through guru. Rūpa Gosvāmī is our guru. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said,

rūpa-raghunātha-pade, hoibe ākuti,

kabe hāma bujhabo, śrī-yugala-pīriti

If we want to understand the transcendental position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then we have to go through guru, guru-paramparā system. Otherwise it is not possible. Rūpa-raghunātha pade hoibe ākuti. Unless we accept this process, unless we submit… This whole process is submission. Kṛṣṇa wants this. Sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. So if you want to approach Kṛṣṇa, you have to become very submissive. And to whom? "Kṛṣṇa is not here. To whom I shall submit?" No. To His devotee, to His representative. The business is submission. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared this day for giving mercy to the fallen souls who are so foolish, they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is personally teaching how to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is this kīrtana. You'll find. You have seen the picture in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya that in Prayag He was engaged in chanting, and Rūpa Gosvāmī is offering his obeisances. That is the first meeting with Rūpa Gosvāmī, and he composed this verse, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te… [Cc. Madhya 19.53].

Devotees: …kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So this is channaḥ-avatāra. He's Kṛṣṇa, He has come to give you kṛṣṇa-prema, but He's acting like a Kṛṣṇa devotee. This is covered. He is not commanding now, "You do this." Yes, He's commanding, "Do this," but in different way. Because people misunderstood, "Oh, who is this person commanding?" Even some so-called rascal scholar, he has said, "It's too much to demand." They have remarked like that. Yes, sophisticated persons, they are thinking like that.

But our process is to submit. Unless we submit, there is no hope of advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching.

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. Ādi 17.31]

If you want to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then you have to take this principle, tṛṇād api sunīcena. You have to become humbler than the grass. Grass, it is lying on the street. Everyone is trampling down. Never protests. In the lawn you are… Everyone is trampling the grass. There is no protest. Taror api sahiṣṇunā. And tolerant than the tree. The tree is giving us so much help. It is giving us fruit, flower, leaves, and when there is scorching heat, shelter also. Sit down underneath. So beneficial, still, we cut. As soon as I like, I cut it down. But there is no protest. The tree does not say, "I have given you so much help, and you are cutting me?" No. Tolerant. Yes. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has selected, taror api sahiṣṇunā. And amāninā mānadena. For oneself one should not expect any respectful position, but he, the devotee, should offer all respect to anyone. Amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31]. If we acquire this qualification, then we can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without any disturbance. This is the qualification.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to teach these principles. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. There is no… Na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt para-tattvaṁ param iha. Para-tattvam, the Supreme Truth, is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Supreme Truth is Kṛṣṇa, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Na caitanyāt kṛṣṇāt para-tattvaṁ param iha, yad advaitaṁ brahmopaniṣadi [Cc. Ādi 1.3]. The Brahman, advaita, monists' Brahman, which is described in the Upaniṣad, yad, that factor, yad advaita brāhmaṇopaniṣadi, Paramātmā, and the Paramātmā, Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān-this is the three features of the Supreme Absolute Truth.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti

bhagavān iti śabdyate

[SB 1.2.11]

The Absolute Truth is one, advaya-jñāna. There is no difference. But He, according to our qualification of understanding the Absolute Truth, He appears as Brahman, impersonal Brahman; He appears as localized Paramātmā, Supersoul; and He appears as the beloved Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, according to the receiver. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante [Bg. 4.11]. That is meant. If you want to understand the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman, you realize that. If you want to realize the Absolute Truth as Paramātmā, everywhere, all-pervading, you can realize Him. And if you want to see Him as the most beloved, then you can also have. That is the meaning of ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. You can realize the Absolute Truth any way. He is prepared to manifest Himself as you desire.

So "as you desire" does not mean… That also, He is present because, here it is stated, nṛ-tiryag-ṛṣi-deva-jhaṣāvatāraiḥ. According to the evolutionary process, so there was water all over the universe. So at that time, daśa-avatāra, keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Similarly, He became tortoise. Then He becomes Nṛsiṁhadeva, He became Vāmanadeva-so many. That is going on, nitya, nitya-līlā. Don't think the avatāra comes only to the human society, nṛ. But He appears amongst the animals, amongst the insects, amongst the trees. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā there is statement, "Among the trees, I am this tree. Among the animals, I am this animal. Among the persons… Among the fighters, I am this, I am this." He's everything, but just to point out a few… In another place He says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg. 7.8]. He is prepared to be appreciated by you in any condition of life if you take His instruction how to realize Him. And if you manufacture your own way, no, that is not possible. That is… Even if you are most ordinary man, still, you can realize Him. There is no difficulty. How? Kṛṣṇa said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: "My dear Arjuna, I am the taste of the water." Now, who does not drink water? Anyone? The animal also drinks water and the human being also drinks water. But the animal cannot understand God, although God is there in the water, and the man can understand because he is human being. Therefore a human being is different from animal. If we remain like animals-we are drinking water, but we are not realizing Kṛṣṇa-then you are animal. This is animals. And if we drink water-everyone drinks water many times-so many times we can remember Kṛṣṇa. And that is the process of devotional… Smaraṇam. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam [SB 7.5.23].

So every time, if you drink water and remember Kṛṣṇa, then you are on the devotional service. Where is the difficulty? But the rascals will not take it. That is the… Where is the difficulty? Everyone drinks water, and as soon as you drink water when you are thirsty, and the taste of the water appeases your thirst, so if you simply remember that "In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that this taste is Kṛṣṇa," then immediately you remember Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you remember Kṛṣṇa, it is devotional service, smaraṇam. Where is the difficulty? Where is the difficulty for becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious? Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the illumination of the moon and the sun." So who does not see the moonshine and the sunshine? In daytime you see the sunshine and at night you see the moonshine. So if you see the sunshine and moonshine and if you remember Kṛṣṇa's instructions that "This sunshine, moonshine, I am," so where is the difficulty?

raso 'ham apsu kaunteya

prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ

praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu

(śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu)

[Bg. 7.8]

Now, if you think, "Eh, I am so learned Vedantist. Why shall I study the sunshine-moonshine and what? I shall chant oṁ." (laughter) "Rascal, this oṁ I am. (laughter) You are so big Vedantist. You chant oṁ, but that I am." Praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Every Vedic mantra is chanted after the vibration of omkara. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūr… This is the Vedic mantra always, every Veda. So either you become Vedantist or ordinary human being-does not know anything-you can realize Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty.

So Kṛṣṇa taught everything for becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, but still, we are so rascal we could not understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa came again: "These rascals failed to understand Me, and now I shall teach how to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa by My personal behavior." That is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by His personal… Don't think that because He's playing the part… Just like somebody is giving massage to my body. So he's not giving properly. So immediately I take his hand and I began to give massage, "Do like this. Do like this." That does not mean I am masseur or I am servant of that person. Similarly, don't forget that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. You are worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and there is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's Deity also. There are some parties, they protest, "Why Caitanya Mahāprabhu's Deity should be placed along with Kṛṣṇa?" But they do not know śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. It is not different.

So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa. It is confirmed by the śāstras. Here it is said, channaḥ kalau yad abhava. In the Kali-yuga, directly He does not appear as the incarnation like Nṛsiṁhadeva or Vāmanadeva or Lord Rāmacandra, yes, but as devotee. So He's the same incarnation, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Abhavat. "Therefore sometimes You are called as tri-yuga." There are four yugas, but He is known… Because in three yugas He appears distinctly, and in the fourth yuga, the Kali-yuga, as devotee, therefore He's called tri-yuga.

So today is the birthday or appearance day of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and this is the birthplace, this Māyāpura, and you are all present here. It is a good fortune. Always remember Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and chant śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda…

Devotees: …śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda.

Prabhupāda: This will make your life perfect. Thank you very much. (end)

690305LE.HAW

Lecture-Day after Śrī Gaura-Pūrṇimā

Hawaii, March 5, 1969

Prabhupāda: Today is the second day of Lord Caitanya's birth ceremony. The Lord has appeared yesterday, 4th March. Not exactly 4th March. It is called, according to Vedic calendar, Gaura pūrṇimā, the full moon day of the month of Phālguna. Phālguna means up to 15th March. From 15th February to 14th March is the month of Phālguna according to Bengali calendar. And on the month of Phālguna, the full moon day, the full moon night is the appearance, or tithi, or occasion, for Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya appeared on the phālguni pūrṇimā. Pūrṇimā means full moon, and phālguni means the month which is called Phālguna, which is calculated from 15th February to 14th March.

So after the appearance of Lord Caitanya, there was great ceremony. All the inhabitants of Navadvīpa, His father, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's father, was not very rich man but was very respectable brāhmaṇa. The brāhmaṇa community, especially in those days, five hundred years ago, the brāhmaṇa community, as a community, they were not very rich because they did not care for material opulence. That is the specific quality of brāhmaṇas. There are four classes of men all over the world. [break] …people, they are interested for success of this human form of life. They are called brāhmaṇas. And the next class of men, they are interested for political power, next important class. First important class is called who are seeking success of the human form of life, and the next class, they are seeking success to become very rich within this material world by political power. Another next class is trying to be successful by material opulence, by earning money, the mercantile community. First class, second class, third class. They are third class. And the fourth-class men, they are called śūdras. That means they have no other ambition than to fill up their belly also. That's all. They have no intelligence to become brāhmaṇa, neither to become kṣatriya, administrator, or to occupy political powers; neither they have energy to become very rich businessmen or industrialists. Therefore they are called fourth-class men.

So that division is there all over the world. Either you name differently, but these four classes of men are there, either in India or in America or Hawaii or Japan or anywhere. If you divide all people, they will…, you will find one class of men: they are not interested with this opulence of material happiness. They are seeking-philosophers, learned scholars, scientists, religionists, reformers. Their business is different. So naturally, the brāhmaṇa class of men, they are not very rich. (baby starts crying) Oh. What happened? [break] …are always, because they do not endeavor for material opulence, apparently they look very poor, but actually, they are rich in knowledge. But people do not care for knowledge, at the present moment at least. They care for material opulence. They think that this life is meant for highest grade of sense gratification. That is the general thinking. In this city, any city you go, they are struggling very hard. Everyone is trying to get very rich, to get monetary power, so that they can satisfy their senses. Just like I hear from my students that this island, Hawaii, is meant for tourists. Tourists means they are all rich class of men. They come here to spend money for sense gratification. That is the way of civilization, the modern civilization: "Earn money at any cost. At the risk of all advancement of life, enjoy." So this is not new thing, but at the present moment in this age, this mentality has increased very improportionately. So when I came to the compound, to the yard of this house, I was very happy to hear the chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, because in this great city of sense gratification, at least in one corner there is the vibration of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Today, of course, we find that our, this small endeavor to preach this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is not very successful, but it has got the potency if the workers try for it. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "If people do not come to hear this philosophy, don't be discouraged. You sit down in a room and try to preach. The four walls will hear you. Don't be disappointed." So there is no cause of disappointment, but this is, today is, very important day, Lord Caitanya's birthday ceremony. At least in India, specially in Nabadwip, there is very, very great ceremony today. Thousands and millions of people are gathering to observe this important ceremony. So ceremony, apart from ceremonial function, let us try to understand the philosophy of Lord Caitanya. So Lord Caitanya thought it… Not thought it. This is a fact, that this sort of life, seek material happiness… Material happiness means sense gratification. That's all. Actually, according to Bhagavad-gītā… Not according to Bhagavad-gītā-that is a fact according to any authoritative statement. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam [Bg. 6.21]. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that sukham ātyantikam. Ātyantikam means the super, superhappiness, ātyantikam-means that which you cannot excel more… That is the final point. That sort of happiness is not possible to achieve… Happiness… First of all, you must understand, happiness means sense gratification, happiness. You can understand it very easily. If I get some nice foodstuff, because I satisfy my taste, palate, I feel happiness, "Oh, very nice food I am eating." Similarly, you take any of your sense organs, when it is satisfied according to the sense object, it is called happiness. So the sum and substance of happiness is to satisfy the senses. But Kṛṣṇa says that sukham ātyantikam. The supermost happiness can be achieved not by these senses, but atīndriya. Atīndriya means transcendental senses. Just like at the present moment our senses are gross material senses. But there is another sense, not another sense, this sense. This is covered sense. Suppose you will try… You will be able to understand. Now, I want to touch some soft place to enjoy the sense of this hand, touch sense. But if the hand is covered with gloves, I cannot enjoy that sense so nicely. You can easily understand. The sense is there, but if it is artificially covered, then even the facility is there, I cannot enjoy the sense perfectly. Similarly, we have got our senses, but our senses are now covered by this material body. So Kṛṣṇa gives us indication in the Bhagavad-gītā that that superhappiness can be achieved by that sense, not this covered sense. Covered sense, you cannot enjoy the happiness superbly. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam [Bg. 6.21]. Atīndriya means transcendental, not this covered sense. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means… We have got consciousness. Everyone is conscious, but that consciousness is covered consciousness.

So we are trying to clear the consciousness without any cover, without any color. Just like there is water, pure water. Take sea water. It is very clear. But if you take clear water and if you color it, then it is colored water. It is not pure water. Or if it is not distilled, if you add some chemical, sugar or salt, then the taste is different. That is not the real taste of water. Just like if you thirsty, if you want water, if I give you some adulterated water, you are not satisfied. If you get clear water, pure water, then your thirst is quenched: "Oh, I am satisfied." Because the taste is there in the clear water, not in the colored water. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says sukham ātyantikaṁ yat [Bg. 6.21]. That superhappiness, super-sense gratification, can be achieved by your transcendental sense, not by these covered sense.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to clear that covered sense or this colored consciousness or adulterated consciousness. Then everything will be there. You cannot kill consciousness. That is not possible. The Buddha philosophy is to stop consciousness, nirvāṇa. According to Buddha's philosophy, this consciousness is production by combination of this matter. This body is combination of matter: earth, water, fire, air, either, and, according to Bhagavad-gītā, further, mind, intelligence, ego. This is combination. They are very finely analyzed by the sāṅkhya philosophy system, by Vedic system, into twenty-four elements. And according to some, twenty-five, and according to some, twenty-six. According to our Vaiṣṇava philosophy, twenty-six. According to Māyāvāda philosophy, this is twenty-five. And according to impersonal philosophy or void philosophy, it is twenty-four. So originally, it is eight. So in this way… Buddha philosophy means that this whole existence of our body or our self is the combination of matter. That is the way of thinking of modern scientists also, that this body is a combination of matter. Under Darwin's theory also, like that, "organic matter, inorganic matter." They are studying evolution of this matter, organic matter. But actually that is not the fact. The fact is that use, individual soul, that is the real fact. And that individual soul is the seed, and upon that seed, this body has developed. According to our Vedic understanding, the body develops on the seed. This is very practical. Why we have got different bodies, different types of bodies? Because the condition of the seed is different. The seed is the spirit soul, and by material contact it is covered by finer body, intelligence, mind, and ego. And according to the quality of that ego, we develop different kinds of this material gross body. Therefore somebody has developed the body in the modes of goodness, because material nature is divided into three qualities: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Somebody has developed body in the modes of passion. Somebody has developed body in the modes of ignorance. But the root is the spirit soul. And the finer cover is desire, ego, intelligence, mind. And the gross cover is this body.

So Buddha philosophy simply takes account of this gross body. They do not take account of the mind, because as soon as they go to the platform of mind, then immediately the question will be "Whose mind? Whose intelligence?" Then you have to come to the spirit soul. But the people for whom this Buddha philosophy was preached, they were not very intelligent class of men. Therefore Lord Buddha did not give them the information of the subtle body or the soul. They were unable. Why they were unable? They were gross materialists. The gross materialists, they are animal-killers, gross materialists. That, these animal-killers, according to Bhāgavata also, they cannot understand finer things. Those who are animal-killers and animal-eaters, they cannot understand finer philosophical matter. Their brain is gross. Therefore they are much inclined to mechanical way of life. Machine. Machine is gross. You see? We therefore forbid our students, not to be meat-eaters, because by refraining yourself from meat-eating, you will have, you will develop finer… Not only refraining from meat-eating. That is one of the conditions. There are other conditions also. But this is one of the condition. Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is understandable by liberated class of men." Liberated class means above the brāhmaṇas. "But those who are killer of the animals…" The killer of the animals are two kinds: one, gross killer, killing cows, goats, chickens, so many, gross killer… Another killer is soul-killer. Soul-killer means those who do not take any care for the soul. They are taking care of this gross body.

So there are different kinds of philosophies in the world, but Lord Caitanya's philosophy is the superphilosophy. Superphilosophy means… Why superphilosophy? Just like Lord Buddha's philosophy is… There is no acknowledgement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or any God. His philosophy is this, the body, this present condition, is a combination of matter. So you dismantle the matter by meditation. You disperse the matter. Let the earth go to the earth. Let the water go to the water. Let the fire go to the fire. Let the ether go to the ether, the air… Because this is combination of earth, water, fire, so disperse it. When go to the total water, total earth, total air, then… Just like you prepare a doll. You take little earth. You take little water. You dry it in the air. Then you, I mean to say, burn it in the fire, and it becomes a doll. You see? That means you take all the help of all these ingredients, and it appears. Similarly, this body has appeared in that way, by combination. So you, if the doll is broken, then, in due course of time, it mixes again. "Dust thou art, dust thou beist." Again mixes with the water, earth, air. There is no… So as soon as it is dismantled and dispersed, there is no more consciousness, or the feeling of happiness or distress. Because we are all concerned with the feelings of consciousness, of happiness and distress. Everyone is embarrassed. Everyone is trying that "I shall become happy in this way." So that means he is feeling distress. So according to Lord Buddha's philosophy, these feelings of happiness, distress, is due to this combination of matter. So you dismantle this matter, material, there will be no more distress, and nirvāṇa-finish. Nirvāṇa means finish.

But, I mean to say, further development, Śaṅkara, he says, "No, matter is not all. This is false. Matter has grown on the platform of spirit." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. And the Vaiṣṇava ācārya said, "Yes, spirit is the basic principle. Matter is false. That's all right. But that spirit is not void. There is spiritual construction. As in the material world there is material construction, in the spiritual world there is spiritual construction." So that spiritual construction is not known to other philosophers than the Vaiṣṇava philosophers. So Lord Caitanya's philosophy, that is the greatest contribution to the world, that these living entities who are hankering after happiness by different process… By material process, by philosophical process, by mental concoction or mental process, they are trying, and Lord Kṛṣṇa also said-they are trying-but that happiness is available when your senses or consciousness are pure. The same philosophy is also Lord Caitanya's philosophy. He says that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. What is the pure consciousness? Kṛṣṇa said that happiness can be achieved in pure consciousness, or when your senses are transcendental. He gave hint. Not only hint, He practically suggested also that "You simply surrender unto Me."

So Lord Caitanya said the same thing. Lord Kṛṣṇa said… As the Supreme Lord, He commended-He has got the commanding power because He is the Supreme God-that "You surrender unto Me." Just like some superior, the teacher or father or king, says "You must do it." But there is force. A state says "You must do it," but if you do not do it, then there is force. Just like this draft board. They are demanding that "You must join. If you don't join, there will be force, and you will be forcibly joined after that." So here, in the Kṛṣṇa's order, because He is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, there is no force. That voluntary. He says that "This is life. You surrender unto Me." But He could force Arjuna to surrender, or anybody, because He is Supreme Lord. But that force He does not apply because He has given us little independence. Therefore, if He forces, then His gift of independence is misused from His side. We are misusing our, that gift of independence, but for that reason, Kṛṣṇa cannot withdraw your independence. Just like you are independent citizen. You are… If somebody misuses that independence, he becomes a criminal, but still, the independence continues. You are criminal. You are punished. Again you are set free. That means you are given again independence. But again if you misuse, then again you are put into prison. Similarly, if the state cannot withdraw your independence, then what is the meaning of this independent country? How God can withdraw the independence He has given to you? That He will not withdraw. It is up to you to use your independence properly. That proper use of independence is to surrender unto… We are suffering, we are manufacturing so many philosophical ways, but actual position is-that is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā-that we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, God. We are not working according to our particular duty. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. It has got a particular duty: to serve the whole body. When it is unable to do it, it is painful, the physician or the surgeon says that "This finger should be amputated. Otherwise it will create disturbance to the whole body." Similarly, we are all part and parcel of the supreme whole, but not surrendering unto Him, misusing our independence, we are giving pain to the Supreme. Therefore He comes, that "You surrender. Don't give Me pain. You just abide by My order. That will give Me pleasure. You will be happy." That state of consciousness, to abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa, is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all.

So Kṛṣṇa comes personally to canvass, that "This is not your proper order of life. You are misusing your independence for sense gratification and wandering through various types of transmigration of bodies, sometimes human body, sometimes dog's body, sometimes cat's body, sometimes demigod's body, sometimes rich body, sometimes poor body." "So you stop this business," Kṛṣṇa says. Sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. "You have manufactured so many duties. That duties means you are manufacturing so many bodies. That's all." Why you have got different types of bodies? We have manufactured it. God has given us facility. I wanted to become such and such. He has given us facilities, "All right, you become such and such." If I want to become a tiger, God will give me all the facilities to become a tiger. He will give me facilities, paws and nails and teeth so that immediately I can capture any animal, and with the instruments which He has provided within my body, I can immediately scratch it into pieces and eat. Similarly, you will find… You see the cranes. They have got big beaks. Why? Because they have to catch fish from within the water, so the beak must be very long. So there is facility. The hog has different mouth because he has to eat stool. So a different kind of body.

So these bodies means we have manufactured according to our different mentality. Kṛṣṇa says that "You stop all this business. Simply you are migrating or transmigrating from one body to another or one planet to another. That will not make you happy. Sarva-dharmān. "You just surrender unto Me. Because you are meant, your original creation is meant, for serving Me." Just like this body. When this body was made in the womb of my mother, it was just like a small pea, and from that pea, different holes came out, then hand came out, leg came out, the fingers came out. Why this finger was created? Because I require the service of the fingers. Suppose if I want to press something, if there was no nail, then I cannot press. It is so nicely manufactured. By my energy, by my desire, and nature supplying me ingredient, it is manufactured. So you are manufacturing different bodies, but our real sense is covered. So that transcendental sense can be discovered when we give up this material sense gratificatory process by creating different kinds of bodies.

So that is the profit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So the people of modern civilization, they have no information about this, how this body is being created. They are simply busy with the present problem. That's all. Present problem is not problem. We are eternal. Our problem is eternal. Therefore the modern age, the people are not very intelligent. They are advertising themselves that they are very much advanced. Actually, they are fools. And "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." The whole world is full of ignorant. Therefore we are trying to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness-it is our folly. You see? It is our folly, "the cry in the wilderness." But we cannot stop this business. You see? They may think that "Why you are nonsense people? You have given up everything. You are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You are fools. You are not enjoying life." They may say like that, but our, because we have nothing to do with them, our business is to satisfy the Supreme. That is my real sense gratification. I have got my senses. As soon as I use it for my satisfaction, it is material. And as soon as I use them for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, it is spiritual. That's all. Try to understand the distinction between material and spiritual. Material means I have to act. Acting means I have to act with my senses, with my desires, with my thinking, feeling, willing, so many things, because that is original. You cannot stop your thinking, feeling, willing, working, because that is your original nature. You are living entities. If you have no thinking, feeling, willing, desire or working, then what is the difference between you and the stone? You are not stone. Some philosopher are trying to make you stone, but that is not possible. You cannot become stone.

So the whole process is to rectify, to purify your senses. And the purified sense means instead of using the senses for this so-called material happiness, one has to utilize the senses for happiness of Kṛṣṇa. That is purified sense. The example, the vivid example, is Arjuna. Arjuna was not willing to fight to satisfy his senses. He thought, "If I do not kill my brother or nephews or my grandfather or my teacher, the other side, that will make me happy. If they are killed, then where is my happiness?" This is material calculation, because he was giving more importance to the material body, what is his brother, what is his grandfather or teacher? He was seeing the material. Just like what is our calculation? I am thinking somebody my friend and another body as my enemy. Why? Because I make distinction on the bodily platform. I say, "American? Oh, they are my friends. Russians? They are my enemies." Why? What is the platform of this distinction? The platform is body. Because one has got the Russian body by some way or other, another bod…, has got American body, I am making distinction. So this distinction is on the material platform. And the spiritual platform, there is no such distinction because it is simply spirit.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva (śvapāke ca)

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

One who is paṇḍita-paṇḍita means learned-he does not make any distinction between a learned brāhmaṇa or a dog or a cat or a cow, because he sees the spirit.

So we have come to that spiritual platform. We have to give up our, this sense gratification process, and that is the teaching of Lord Caitanya. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu practically demonstrated how to adopt that life of pure sense gratification or pure utilization of the senses. He said, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Jīvera svarūpa haya means the real nature of the living entity is eternal servitor, eternal servant of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The same thing, what Kṛṣṇa taught in the Bhagavad-gītā, Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught also in His, this Bhāgavata-dharma teaching, and practically He showed how to do it. That is His special. Lord Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You give up all your material engagements. Simply just surrender unto Me. I shall give you all protection from all reaction of your past sinful activities." Because we are creating our next body in this life. So if we become sinful or if we act only sinful activities, then we get next body, a very lower class of body, even as the germ in the stool. You see? There are so many varieties of bodies. And if we act nicely, piously, then we get better body. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ. Those who are acting, those who are situated on the platform of goodness, they are promoting their existentional status in higher planets. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasaḥ [Bg. 14.18]. And those who are in the modes of passion, they will remain here. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. And those who are very addicted to all abominable habits, they are clearing their way to hellish life. So to abominable life is these four principles. That we are trying to avoid.

So Lord Caitanya's teaching, the sum and substance of His teaching, is to understand that we are eternal servant of God. And if we immediately engage our energy to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, then immediately we are transferred to the spiritual platform. And if we stick to that activities on the spiritual platform, then, as assured by Lord Kṛṣṇa, then, after leaving this body, we go back to Kṛṣṇa, Vṛndāvana, go back to Godhead, back to home. That is our peaceful, eternal peaceful life. We should endeavor for that.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances-break)

Prabhupāda: Where is that girl? [break]

Girl devotee: Why does Kṛṣṇa have an external energy?

Prabhupāda: Why not? First of all say why not? What is your objection?

Girl devotee: Well, if He is pure, everything about Him is pure…

Prabhupāda: He is pure. He is pure, always pure. Suppose you are very nice girl, nice, but because you pass some urine or stool, does it mean that you are bad? Does it mean? Then? The urine may be bad, the stool may be bad, but because you passed urine or stool, you are not bad. Is it clear? Kṛṣṇa has got this external energy. That does not make Kṛṣṇa bad. Try to understand it. If somebody asks, "Oh, you are so nice girl, nice… Why you are passing stool and urine?" Is that any argument? I am just speaking on the argument's sake. Is that any good argument, that "Because we are very good, we shall not pass stool or urine"? Or "Because you are very good, therefore your urine and stool also will be very good"? Is that any argument? So similarly, if Kṛṣṇa has created this external energy, that is for His satisfaction. That's all. But why should you take? If we are confident about Kṛṣṇa's goodness, why should we bother about Kṛṣṇa's stool and urine? Why not directly Kṛṣṇa? Let Kṛṣṇa pass any amount of stool and urine. We have nothing to do with that. You cannot say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is all good. Therefore His urine and stool…" I am… Just try to understand. His urine is also good. That is a different thing. I mean to say, if this is an argument, that "Because Kṛṣṇa is good, He should not pass urine and stool," that is no argument. It is not… External energy is not affecting Kṛṣṇa. The urine and stool is affecting… There are some worms, they are very much attracted with the stool. You see? They are also creatures of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, this material nature, external energy of Kṛṣṇa, is Kṛṣṇa's. There is… Undoubtedly, it is Kṛṣṇa's. But that worm class of living entities, they are attracted by it. You see? So we should not be attracted. That should be our… Because we are not going to be worms of the stool. Kṛṣṇa, if He cannot… There are many arguments. If you ask question, "Why the government has created this criminal department?" Is that valid question? The jail department is criminal department, prison, where citizens are put into jail and given trouble. So if the prisoner says, "Why the American government has created this prison department?" is that valid question? The American government may create prison departments, but why you are interested there? Why you are going there? The real position is: because you are criminal, therefore government has to create such department.

So this material energy is created by Kṛṣṇa because there are some living entities who are not to satisfy Kṛṣṇa but satisfy their senses. For them, it is there. "All right. Your field of activities, here." So it is not Kṛṣṇa's desire. It is fulfill your desire. Because in the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa is supreme, but if you cannot tolerate Kṛṣṇa sup… Even here there are so many: "Why there should be God? I am God. I am God." Are you God? But you have got this mentality, that "I am God." You cannot qualify yourself. You do not know what is God, what is the meaning of God. You are claiming God. Because you do not want to serve God, that is your mentality. So for these last, lowest class of men, there is external energy. [break] …class of men, they will not abide by the laws of the state. They'll repeatedly break it. Therefore, "All right, you go there and do whatever you like." That is not government's intention, that people go there and indulge in unrestricted gambling and there… That Mr. Bhaṭṭācārya told me that sometimes some rich man goes there with all his wealth and stake it, and when he's lost, he fires himself, and the gambling managers puts him down and throws him in the… There is no law for such killing or such homicide or anything. Do whatever you like. You see? So there is a class of men. Just like a liquor shop. Liquor shop is licensed by the government. Does it mean the government is encouraging, that "You become drunkard"? But government is giving this license because there is a class of men who must drink, and they will violate all… Say, "All right. Let them have it."

Similarly, there are two kinds of living entities: nitya-baddha, nitya-mukta, eternally liberated and eternally conditioned. You see? So for the conditioned… They will never agree to abide by God. Therefore, for them, this material world, the external energy: "All right, you do whatever you like. You do according to…" But still, there is canvassing work. Oh, God sends His son to canvass, "Oh, this is not your right engagement. Please come back to home, back to Godhead." Kṛṣṇa comes. God Himself comes. He sends His devotees. He comes as a devotee just to again reclaim, but they are so stubborn, they will not give up this habit. Even in their so-called spiritual cultivation they are thinking that "I am God. I am the mover of the sun. I am the mover of the moon. I am the supreme," in this way. That is the disease. You see? So as for the diseased person, there is a hospital. There is operation is going on. So many severe things are going on. Similarly, for the criminal there is prison department. So it is not the government's desire that there should be hospital or prisonhouse. They can save so much money. But the people want it. A class of men, third-class men, they want this. They want to be diseased. They want to be criminals. So there must be some department for them. Just like Monte Carlo. So this is a facility for the living entities, for the slight independence which has been given by God to them. That's all. So material energy is there not by Kṛṣṇa's own will. You want it; therefore there is. Is that clear? Yes. [break] There will be no more. Is that possible? How many people are coming to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? You see? So therefore it must remain. Why do you grudge? But you be careful. That's all. That is your business. Any other question? [break]

Devotee: …withdraw that independence, can we request Kṛṣṇa to force us to surrender to Him, due to our conditioning?

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can request Him. And He sometimes forces. He puts you in such circumstances that you have no other way than to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Yes. That is special favor. That is special favor. Yes. My spiritual master wanted me to preach, but I did not like it, but he forced me. Yes. That is my practical experience. I had no desire to accept the sannyāsa order and preach, but my spiritual master wanted it. I am not very much inclined, but he forced me. That is also done. That is special favor. When he forced me, at that time, I thought that "What is this? What…? I am committing some mistake or what is that?" I was puzzled. But a little after, I could understand that it is the greatest favor shown to me. You see? So when Kṛṣṇa forces somebody to surrender, that is a great favor. But generally, He does not do so. But He does so to a person who is very sincere to Kṛṣṇa's service but at the same time he has got slight desire for material enjoyment. In that case He does, that "This foolish person does not know that material facility will never make him happy, and he is sincerely seeking My favor. So he is foolish. Therefore whatever resource, little resource he has got for material enjoyment, break it. Then he will have no other alternative than to surrender unto Me." That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, er, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Yasyāham anughṛnāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ sanaiḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that "If I do somebody special favor, then I make him poverty-stricken. I take away all his means of sense enjoyment." You see? That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because here in this material world everyone is trying to be happy by earning more money, by business, by service, by this way or that way. But in special cases Kṛṣṇa makes his business or service unsuccessful. Do you like that? (laughs) At that time he has no other alternative than to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. You see? But sometimes, when we are unsuccessful in our business attempt or earning attempt, we become sorry that "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so cruel upon me that I could not trust in this." But that is His favor, special favor. You should understand like that. Yes. (end)

690327RN.HAW

Śrī Rāma-Navamī,

Lord Rāmacandra's

Appearance Day

Hawaii, March 27, 1969

(kīrtana)

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers)

rāmādi mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu

kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.39]

This is a verse from Brahma-saṁhitā in which the incarnation of Lord Rāmacandra is described. Rāmādi. Not only Rāma, but there are many other, innumerable incarnations. They are compared with the waves of a river. As the waves of the river or the waves of the ocean cannot be counted, similarly, how many incarnations are there of the Supreme Lord it is not possible to count. But out of them, the principal names are mentioned in the śāstras. Therefore it is said rāmādi. Rāmādi means Rāma and also other, many incarnations. And they are existing. Not that one incarnation appeared and it is finished. No. Not like that. Just like Lord Rāmacandra appeared on this planet, say millions of years before. He appeared in the Treta-yuga. Treta-yuga means… We have passed only five thousand years of this age, Kali-yuga. Before that, there was Dvāpara-yuga. Dvāpara-yuga means 800,000 years. And before that, there was Tretā-yuga, which continued for twelve hundred thousands of years. That means at least two million years before Lord Rāmacandra appeared on this planet.

So now Lord Rāmacandra appeared in Ayodhyā. There is a place in Ayodhyā, in northern India. There He appeared. As Kṛṣṇa appeared in Mathurā… That is also northern India. And Mathurā is about ninety miles down southward from New Delhi. You have heard the name of New Delhi, the capital of India. So Ayodhyā is also situated about five hundred miles northeast of New Delhi. So Lord Rāmacandra appeared on this day. Today is called Śrī Rāma Naumi. On the ninth day of the moon Lord Rāmacandra appeared. His father was the king of Ayodhyā, and he had three wives. So out of… No. He had two wives. So out of two wives he got four sons. Rāmacandra is the eldest son. The life and activities of Lord Rāmacandra is… [break] …in a book which is called Rāmāyaṇa. You have heard the name of Rāmāyaṇa. Rāmāyaṇa is also accepted as history. Vedic literatures are histories also. The Purāṇas, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Mahābhārata, and Rāmāyaṇa, they are counted amongst the history. The history of Rāmacandra is that His father wanted to retire. Daśaratha, Mahārāja Daśaratha. And he decided to enthrone Lord Rāmacandra and retire. So everything was settled, but just one day before, his youngest wife turned the whole thing into different way. Sometimes Mahārāja Daśaratha was suffering from what is called whitlow, some trouble in the finger? And this queen served him very nicely, and he was pleased. And he said, "My dear Śarmiṣṭhā, if you want some benediction from me, I can give you." And she replied that "I shall ask you for the benediction when I require it. Not now." So just one day before Lord Rāmacandra's coronation, she approached her husband Mahārāja Daśaratha and reminded him, "My dear husband, you promised to give me some benediction, and I told you that I shall ask you when I require it." Mahārāja Daśaratha said, "Yes, I remember. You want some benediction just now?" She said, "Yes." "And what is that?" She said that "Rāmacandra cannot be seated on the throne. My son should be coronated, Bhārata." He was surprised. It is a big demand. So he said, "All right. That will be done. Your son." Because formerly, the kings… Not only formerly, even up to date, there are many kṣatriya kings in India. They have more than one wife. And they are, naturally, there is rivalry between different wives. So the same thing. Human psychology is the same. Even two million years ago the same mentality was there, and she asked that "My son should be the king, not Rāmacandra." Rāmacandra happened to be the son of Kauśalyā, the elder queen.

So Mahārāja Daśaratha agreed and called for Rāmacandra. "My dear boy, your…" She asked also that… She was very diplomatic. She wanted that Rāmacandra go to forest for fourteen years. The idea was political, that "The king may agree to install my son just now. Now, after a few days, this Rāmacandra may come with His army, and there may be some difficulty to continue the kingdom." So she wanted that Rāmacandra should go to the forest and He should not come back till the end of fourteen years from this day. So Mahārāja Daśaratha agreed. Because he was kṣatriya. Just see the promise. A kṣatriya never goes back from the promise, never refuses any challenge. If a kṣatriya is challenged by somebody, that "I want to fight with you," oh, he cannot refuse. This is kṣatriya spirit. He cannot say that "I am now busy." Suppose somebody comes to you, that "I want to fight with you." You may say, "What nonsense fight? I have no time. We are in the temple." But a kṣatriya cannot deny that. A kṣatriya at once must accept. "Oh, yes. Come on." And the weapon should be, if he has no sword or weapon, he should be supplied weapon and fight. This is kṣatriya spirit. They were highly charitable and chivalrous and keeping promise and with a great tendency for ruling over. They shall rule over. Administrators. Their business is…

There are different prescription for different classes of men for their livelihood. The brāhmaṇas, they can pull on their livelihood by six ways. Paṭhana paṭhana yājana yājana dāna pratigraha. Six. And they must be qualified with twelve high qualities. We have many times discussed. Out of that qualification, truthfulness is the first item for a brāhmaṇa. A kṣatriya may speak lies. That is allowed, because he has to be diplomat, politician. But a brāhmaṇa, oh, he's not allowed to speak lie. This is the system, caste system or varṇāśrama system. Everyone was trained. Because these four classes of men are required in a society. For proper upkeep of society, one class of men must be very intelligent, highly qualified, with all good qualities. They must be trained in that way, ideal character so that people can see and follow them. Therefore brāhmaṇas were taken to so much respect because they're ideal character, learned, and godly, knows the science, spiritual science. Therefore they're held in high estimation and topmost of the society. The next, the administrator, administrative class, kṣatriyas. They are trained how to kill. The kṣatriyas were allowed to hunt in the forest to learn the art of killing because that was necessity for the kṣatriyas. Kṣatriya, if he… If the king, if he finds somebody is doing wrong, he can immediately chop off his head if he likes. The king was so powerful. And it is not that if there was some war, it is not that the president or the king shall sit down comfortably at home and ordinary soldiers will go and lay down their life. No. Formerly, the king or the head of the state, he should first of all go there in the fight. You see in the picture, the chief men of the fighting in the Kurukṣetra, both sides, they were arrayed, this side, that side, with their chariot. Not that the head man, the chief man, or the commander is taking shelter back side, protecting himself, and poor soldiers are (chuckles) thrown into the fighting. No. These were kṣatriya spirit. And it is necessary that a class of men should be trained up in that way, kṣatriya, fighting men. In India, because this training was there since a very long time, so there is no difficulty in recruiting soldiers there. There is a class of men, they are very much forward in fighting still. They are called… Just like the Gurkhas, the Nepalese. You have heard the name of Nepal. Still a small state, independent state. They are not within India. Between China and India. The whole Nepal population, they are kṣatriyas. Oh, they are very good fighters. Similarly, the Sikhs, the Jātas. There are classes. So they're always forward for fighting. And you'll be surprised that the British Empire was voluntarily liquidated because they lost India. The Britishers, they understood that because we are now losing India, there is no more possibility to keep our eastern empire. Therefore they liquidated. Why? Actually, the whole British Empire were being administered or managed by Indian soldiers, these Sikhs and Gurkhas. They extended their empire. After taking their position with India, they extended British Empire in the Middle East and Far East simply by these Sikhs and Gurkha soldiers. They got supremacy on the Burma and everywhere.

So there is necessity of a class of fighting men. You are finding in your country difficulty in recruiting because the recruiting process is wrong. You are recruiting from persons… You are training persons just like śūdras, and you want them to fight. How they can fight? It is not possible. So as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa karma vibhāgaśaḥ… [Bg. 4.13]. Lord Kṛṣṇa said that "The four classes or orders of the society, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, is planned by Me according to work and quality." So this kṣatriya quality men is also required, the brāhmaṇa quality of men is also required, the mercantile community, they are also required, and the laborer class, they are also required. Of course, laborer class, they do not require any training. Laborer class means one who cannot do anything, neither become brāhmaṇa, nor become kṣatriya, nor become vaiśya. That means the last balance of the population, they are called laborer class, śūdra. Śūdra means one who has no training. Śūdra has no saṁskāra. Saṁskāra means training. Everyone is accepted as śūdra by birth. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Janmanā means by birth. By birth, everyone is born a śūdra, a fourth-class man. It is to be accepted, and actually so. Just like a child, innocent child, what does he know? He has to be trained. Either you train him as a brāhmaṇa or train him as a kṣatriya or train him as a vaiśya. Or otherwise, he is śūdra already, born śūdra. Śūdra has no training. Everyone, the basic principle, basic foreground, everyone, it is accepted śūdra. Now, if you train him as a brāhmaṇa, then he becomes a brāhmaṇa. If you train him as a kṣatriya, then he becomes a kṣatriya. If you train him as a vaiśya… So I think this is, this system is very scientific so that if you want help of a really intelligent man or God realized man, it is ready, the brāhmaṇa class. Just like if you require the help of a lawyer, we have got so many lawyers. If you require the help of medical man… Because there are trained men. Similarly, the society requires to train a certain class of men to become brāhmaṇas. Just like we are training the Kṛṣṇa conscious. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is meant for the brāhmaṇas. They are not meant for fighting because they are not being trained for fighting. They have been trained for becoming brāhmaṇas. Who is brāhmaṇa? Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇa. The four divisions are described like this. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ, everyone is born śūdra. That is accepted. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Now if you train him, never mind in which family he's born, you have to train him. Just like boys are sent to school for being trained. So everyone is accepted as śūdra, but you now train him. He goes to the guru-gṛha.

Guru-gṛha means teacher's house. Formerly, for being trained, there was no such big scale school and colleges. Every village… Still, fifty years before in India, in every village there was a small school conducted by the brāhmaṇa, and the village children would be trained up there. So he was sent for training. And there was no school fee. The boys will go there, and on behalf of the teacher or spiritual master, they will go, brahmacārī, door to door, and beg and bring forth alms, rice, dahl, grains, and everything. That was the system. There was no school fee. There was no problem how to send a boy to the school. Saṁskāra. Now he's trained up. The teacher sees the psychology of the boy, in which way he should be trained. Either he should be trained as a vaiśya or he should be trained as a kṣatriya. So everyone was trained like that, but generally, the son of a kṣatriya… Just like Mahārāja Rāmacandra or Arjuna, from the very beginning they were trained as kṣatriya. Naturally, if somebody is the son of a medical man his father trains him to become a medical man in future. That is the natural tendency. If the boy is different altogether that is another question, but naturally, that is the tendency. So a kṣatriya's son was trained as kṣatriya. A brāhmaṇa's son was trained as a brāhmaṇa and a vaiśya's son was trained as a vaiśya, and śūdra had no training. So gradually this became a caste system. Brāhmaṇa's son became brāhmaṇa. Because formerly, the training was there. But when it is vitiated, although a person born in the family of a brāhmaṇa, he is doing the work of a śūdra. So according to Vedic scripture, one is classified according to his work and quality, not by birth. That is the classification of śāstra. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. Guṇa means quality and karma means work. One must be qualified for the work and he must actually work. Then he is counted classified into that, I mean to say, category. Just like if you are simply trained or educated as a lawyer, and if you are not practicing in the court, nobody comes to you to consult as a lawyer. Nobody cares for you. You must be practicing also. Similarly, to become a brāhmaṇa means first of all, he must know what is Brahman and he must be actually situated in the activities of Brahman. So devotional service are activities of Brahman. Activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means activities in Brahman. Brāhme carati iti brahmā brahmacārī. Carati means acts. Actually, he acts in life, applies the principles of brāhmaṇa in his life, he is called brahmacārī. So these were the trainings.

So just see how the training was, that a kṣatriya cannot refuse his promise. So Mahārāja Daśaratha, he fulfilled the promise of his youngest wife and asked his son, eldest son Rāmacandra, "My dear boy, You'll have to go to forest for fourteen years. That is the desire of Your youngest mother. And I promised that I shall fulfill her promise, uh, request. So please accept." Rāmacandra said, "Yes father, I am ready." Just see. This is the quality. Out of the six opulences of God, this is one quality.

aiśvaryasya samāgrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

ṣaṇṇāṁ bhāgam itīṅganā

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

How one becomes God? God is not manufactured by vote. There are definition who is God. God must be the proprietor of all the riches. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya. Samāgra means all. Nobody can compete with Him. Here, in this world, material world, I am rich man, and there is another rich man who can compete with me. There is another rich man who can compete with him. But nobody can compete with God in richness. That is one qualification of God. Nobody can say that "I am richer than God." You can say "I am richer than Ford or Rockefeller" or this or that. You can say. But nobody can say that "I am richer than God." Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat asti kiñcid dhanañjaya. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Dhanañjaya is a name of Arjuna, and Kṛṣṇa said that, "My dear Arjuna, there is nobody greater than Me." So if anyone claims that he is God, he must prove by practical example that nobody is richer than him. That is the first. But unfortunately, we are accepting so many Gods. A rascal in the street, he also claims that "I am God."

So similarly, the other qualification, nobody can be stronger than God, nobody can be wiser than God, nobody can be more beautiful than God, and nobody can be more renouncer than God. So here Rāmacandra, Lord Rāmacandra exhibited the quality how He renounced the whole kingdom simply on the order of His father, His obedience to father. He could have argued with His father, "My dear father, you, simply for keeping your promise and actuated by the dictation of a woman, you are doing this. Let us stop it. Everyone is expecting that tomorrow My coronation will be there, and they love Me so much." Because He… Just like Kṛṣṇa was so much loved, similarly, Lord Rāmacandra was the life of the people. They were very much expecting that Rāmacandra was going to be enthroned tomorrow. So how they were celebrating, how they were decorating the whole city. Everything. He never argued. He accepted immediately: "Yes, father. I am ready."

So then one of the brothers, Lakṣmaṇa, He also requested Rāmacandra, "My dear brother, You also take Me. I am Your constant companion. I must go with You." So He said, "That's Your wish. Voluntarily, if You want to come, You can come with Me." Then Sītā, His wife, young wife, She also said, "I'll go with You." Rāmacandra requested His wife, "Oh, you cannot go with Me. It is very difficult. You are a king's daughter, and you are brought up in so nice way, and you are so beautiful. You cannot go. You cannot take the trouble of living in the forest." So she said, "Oh, I am Your wife. Married wife. So I must go even if You go to hell." This is ideal wife. She could have refused: "Oh, Your father has ordered to go to forest. You can go. I shall go to my father's house or I shall remain here." No. This is ideal wife. She must be prepared to accept any circumstances of the husband. Not that when the husband is rich the wife is very faithful, and when he has come down to be poor or he's going to forest the wife gives up his company. No. Wife means better half. She must abide. Just like, it is said, just like a shadow follows the reality, similarly, the wife is the shadow of the husband. Wherever the husband goes, she must go. Whatever the husband wants, she must carry out. Of course, in this country this interpretation is taken differently, that wife is made a slave. But actually, it is not so. When Sītā was kidnapped in the jungle, Rāmacandra expected that, that she was beautiful, she was young, and "We shall be in open jungle. It may be some demons may come," and actually it so happened. So for Sītā, Lord Rāmacandra massacred the whole family of Rāvaṇa. Only for Sītā. So as the husband, so the wife. The wife was so faithful that she could not remain alone. She must accompany the husband even in the forest. And the husband was so faithful that, "Oh, my wife has been kidnapped." So He massacred the whole family of Rāvaṇa.

So these are ideal history how… Rāmacandra, Lord Rāmacandra appeared on this world to educate or to place ideal example of a king. How the king should be. Therefore when there is good government… The example is given, Rāma-rājya. Rāma-rājya. It is the kingdom of Lord Rāma. Because everyone was happy, everyone. There are so many instances in the life of Rāmacandra. One brāhmaṇa… Not brāhmaṇa exactly. Somebody came to Rāmacandra. Because at that time there was no court like this, that you have to go to a court and apply with stamp fee. Then your judgment will be delivered after six years. It is not like that. Anyone who has got some complaint, he should… The king used to sit in the open audience, and the citizens were allowed to approach the king and place their complaints. Because there was no complaint practically. Everyone was happy. Very minor complaint. So somebody came to Rāmacandra, and he charged Rāmacandra, "My dear king, my son has died. How is that, in the presence of his father, son can die? There must be something wrong in Your government." Just see. The charge is "Why my son has died before my death? This is unnatural." So there was nothing unnatural. The king was responsible even for severe cold, severe heat. That we get from history of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is stated. So the kings were so much responsible. They were always thinking of the happiness of the citizens, and the citizens were also so nice. One citizen approached Lord Rāmacandra and His next assistant, His brother, Lakṣmaṇa, informed Him that "He is a brāhmaṇa. You were absent on Your tour for, I think for a fortnight or a month, and this brāhmaṇa has not eaten even a drop of water during Your absence." Why? "Because he comes here to see You, darśana." Just like we come here in the temple to see the Deity. So Lord Rāmacandra was present personally. So he used to come. After seeing Rāmacandra, offering his obeisances, then he would go home and take something, his breakfast. That was his vow. And because he could not see for a fortnight or a month Lord Rāmacandra because He was out on political tour, he did not eat even. Just see. The citizens were similar to the king. So at that time, there was a statue of Rāmacandra which was being worshiped in the family from Mahārāja Ikṣvāku. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, the son of Manu, happens to be the forefather of the family in which Rāmacandra appeared. So he was devotee of Lord Rāma, and he was worshiping the statue of Lord Rāma. So that statue was being worshiped by the family one after another. But when Rāmacandra was actually present He kept that statue in the closet of the room, and when this brāhmaṇa approached and Rāmacandra was informed by Lakṣmaṇa that he is so steady and strong in his vow, so Rāmacandra ordered that he may be delivered that statue so that in My absence he can offer respect to the statue and do with this. That form, I mean to say, statue, or arca of Rāmacandra is still existing in South India. It is being worshiped from that time.

So these were the dealings of Rāmacandra. Then He, His younger brother Lakṣmaṇa and His wife went to the forest, and His wife was kidnapped by the diplomacy of the demon Rāvaṇa, and there was fight between Rāma and Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was very, materialistically, he was very strong. But the thing is for fighting with Rāvaṇa, Rāmacandra did not come back to His kingdom and take His army. No. He did not come back because He was ordered to live in the forest. So He organized army with the jungle animals, the monkeys. The monkeys. He fought with Rāvaṇa, an organized materialist, with the monkeys. You have seen the picture. And He constructed a bridge between India's last point to the other side. Ceylon is considered to be the kingdom of Rāvaṇa. So there was a bridge, and the stones were floating.

So there are so many historical incidences in the life of Rāmacandra, and we should remember, because if we remember why we are observing today fasting for Rāmacandra… There were many kings like Rāmacandra. Because the kings were trained in that way. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was also as good as Rāmacandra, and Mahārāja Parikṣit was as good. There were many such kings. But we are not concerned because He was a king. He is the King of all kings, parameśvara. Because He is God, therefore we are observing today. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. So He is not original form of God. The original form of God is Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa expands Himself in various other forms. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta-rūpam means millions and millions. The Manu is also incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So in one day of Brahmā there are fourteen Manus. So Brahmā lives for one hundred years. Just see how many incarnation of Manus are there even for one Brahmā, and there are innumerable Brahmās also. So, as stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that nobody can count how many incarnations are there, but some of the chief incarnations are mentioned, and Lord Rāmacandra is one of them. So Lord Rāmacandra, He killed Rāvaṇa and He installed his brother. His brother was devotee, Vibhīṣaṇa. So He did not go to conquer Ceylon, because He was emperor. He went to punish that culprit Rāvaṇa, and He installed his younger brother Vibhīṣaṇa in that… And He came back with Sītā, and again He was installed after fourteen years, and His brother was so faithful that so long His eldest brother was away, Rāmacandra requested Him that "Your mother wants that You should be king, and I also wish that in My absence You should be king." Bharata, He was so faithful brother, He replied, "No. You are king. So long You are living, nobody can be king. So I cannot be king." Then He requested, "At least You administer." Because after the departure of Lord Rāmacandra, Mahārāja Daśaratha died out of the shock because Rāmacandra was very pet son, eldest son. He was going to be king, and by his order He was sent to the forest. The father could not tolerate the shock. He died.

So Rāmacandra's life, God's activities, pastimes, if we hear, that means we are associating with Rāmacandra. There is no difference between His form, His name, His pastimes, and Himself. He's absolute. Therefore either you chant the holy name of Rāma or you see the statue of Rāma or you talk of His pastimes, transcendental pastimes, everything, that means you are associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we take advantage of these days when the incarnation of God appears or disappears, and we try to associate with Him. By His association we become purified. Our process is purification. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means simply we are purifying our consciousness. From the birth, as I have explained, everyone is śūdra. Śūdra means one who laments. That is called śūdra. For a slight loss or slight inconvenience, one who laments, he is called śūdra. And brāhmaṇa means one who tolerates. A śūdra has no toleration. So kalau śūdra sambhava. Kalau means… This age is called Kali. So it is the statement of the śāstras that in this age the whole population is śūdra. And formerly also, by his birth, everyone was considered śūdra, but there was training, saṁskāra. At the present moment, there is no saṁskāra, there is no training. The training is only for earning livelihood. No other training. How one can earn money and enjoy senses-that is the training at the present moment. But actually, to make successful the human life or the mission of human life, the Vedic culture is very nice. And by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by adopting the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you can revive that cultural life, sublime life. If not wholesale, if there are a few people trained up in this line, and they become ideal examples to the society, immense benefit can be derived from their examples of life. What is time? [break] (kīrtana) (end)

740401CS.BOM

Śrī Rāma-Navamī, Lord Rāmacandra's Appearance Day,

Cornerstone Laying

Bombay, April 1, 1974

Prabhupāda: …Rāma-Navamī, the birthday of Lord Rāmacandra Bhagavān. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is mentioned,

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu

kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.39]

Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, is the ādi-puruṣa, original Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat [Bg. 7.7]. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg. 10.8]. In other śāstras also, like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is said, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. There are many expansions of Kṛṣṇa, but the original person, kṛṣṇas tu…, ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. So He is existing with His expansions. Lord Rāmacandra is also one of the expansions. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. All these expansions are existing eternally. There is no inferiority or superiority. All the expansions are of the same potency, same power. The example is given like this candle. One candle is now burned and you can get another candle burned, you can get third candle burned, ignite. But all the candles are of the same power. The difference is that one you can call the original candle and the others you can call the second candle, the third candle, the fourth candle. But so far the candle's power is concerned, there is no difference. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Iso Invocation]. Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, can expand Himself, eko bahu syāma, in millions and trillions of forms, but all of them are of the same potency. But the potencies are sometimes exhibited according to the time and circumstance.

So on this auspicious day of appearance day of Lord Rāmacandra, we are taking this opportunity of foundation of the cornerstone of our temple in this Bombay center. And it is very kind of Mrs. Nair, A.B. Nair, that she has given us this chance along with her husband. So, so far we are concerned, we are preachers. We are preaching all over the world. We don't require any palatial building or very comfortable apartment. But because it is a preaching center, in order to invite respectable persons, we require nice building, nice temple. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, our predecessor ācārya, he left his ministership, government post and became a mendicant. He was living underneath a tree every night. Not permanently underneath a tree: tonight one tree, next night another tree. But when he was approached by King Mānsiṅgh, the commander-in-chief of Emperor Akbar… In those days rich men, big men, they were God conscious, and they wanted to do something for God's service. So King Mānsiṅgh approached Rūpa Gosvāmī if he could do any service. So Rūpa Gosvāmī, he was living under the tree, so what service he expected from King Mānsiṅgh? He said that "If you want to do some service, do it for Kṛṣṇa." So he advised him to construct a temple at Vṛndāvana.

Those who have visited Vṛndāvana, that temple is still existing in broken state. It was seven story. The four stories have been broken by Aurangzeb. But whatever three stories are still remaining, if we want to construct such type of temple, it will require at least four crores of rupees, not less than that. So in South India also, there are many big, big temples. It is not possible to construct such temples at the present moment. It is very expensive. But in our country, all the kings and rich men, they were interested in constructing temple. At the present moment, the tendency is practically absent. In big, big cities, development, improvement is going on, but very few people are constructing temple. This tendency of godlessness is increasing all over the world. In European countries also, America, first when I visited one county… It is known as Butler. So Butler County, it is a very small county. Still immediately I saw there are about half a dozen churches, very big, big churches. They were very old churches. In America also and England, there are many churches. But people have lost interest. They are no more going to the churches. And the churches are now for sale. We have purchased one or two of them.

So this is the position of the human society, not only in India but in other parts of the world. They are gradually losing the interest in God consciousness. This is not very good sign. So our, this present movement is to invoke the dormant God consciousness all over the world. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means God consciousness. When I started this mission, registered this name, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, some of our friends said that "Why don't you make it 'International Society for God Consciousness?'" (end)

690501NA.BOS

Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī

Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva's

Appearance Day

Boston, May 1, 1969

Prabhupāda: …just like Janmāṣṭamī and Nandotsava. Yesterday you had some festival? No. That's all. So Nṛsiṁhadeva has appeared to convince the atheist (laughter) that there is no God. This is a lying propaganda that nobody has seen God. Everyone has seen God. The devotee sees within his heart, in the temple, and everywhere. And the atheist sees when he's… when the clock, the handles in the clock are over. You see? Prahlāda Mahārāja was seeing always, constantly Nṛsiṁhadeva. Mahābhāgavata. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. Those who have developed love of God, prema, premāñjana-cchurita… When one's eyes are anointed with the, what is called?

Viṣṇujana: Salve.

Satsvarūpa: Ointment.

Prabhupāda: No, no. There is a technical name. Kajal?

Brahmānanda: Make-up?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: Mascara?

Prabhupāda: Huh? Anyway, the ointment which is applied to the eyes for clear vision. So when the ointment of love of Godhead will be applied in our eyes, then with these eyes we shall be able to see God. God is not invisible. Simply just like a man with cataract or any other eye disease, he cannot see. That does not mean the things are not existing. He cannot see. God is there, but because my eyes are not competent to see God, therefore I deny God. God is there everywhere.

So in the material condition of our life, our eyes are blunt. Not only eyes, every sense. Especially eyes. Because we are very proud of our eyes, and we say, "Can you show me God?" You see. But he does not think that whether his eyes are competent to see God. That is atheism. He does not consider his position, "In what position I am." Even one cannot see a big man like President Nixon, and he wants to see God without qualification. That is not possible. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "I am not exposed to everyone. There is a curtain of yogamāyā." The yogamāyā will not allow to see God. Just like we have our condition that if anyone wants to see here in the temple, we ask him that "First of all take your shoes." Just like a little condition. Similarly, to see God, there must be some condition. That condition is that unless you become a lover of God, God is not exposed to you. Otherwise God is there, always. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu [Bs. 5.38]. Sadaiva means always. Not that simply when we come to the temple we see God. No. God is always visible to the devotee. Sadaiva. Sadā. Sadā means always, twenty-four hours. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The same example which I gave you, that the woman who has got a lover, and she's very busy in her duties, but she is always thinking of the lover, "When I shall meet him." This is an example given by Rūpa Gosvāmī that her mind is always engaged in the form or the activities of the lover. If that is materially possible, when you develop your love of Godhead, at that time you'll see God everywhere, always, twenty-four hours. That was the position of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was seeing always God, Kṛṣṇa, but his father was not seeing because he was atheist. He was asking, challenging, "Where is your God? You are talking of so many times God. All right, I shall teach you a lesson today." So he took his sword and wanted to kill his own son. Atheist is so unkind, cruel, that he is prepared to kill his own son, beloved son, five years old. That is atheism. And theism, the father who tortured him so much. So after the death of his father, he's praying to Nṛsiṁhadeva, "Please excuse my father." This is theism. So that is the difference between Kṛṣṇa consciousness and ordinary consciousness. They're very kind, everyone. Vāñcha kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca. You utter this prayer, krpa-sindhubhya eva ca. Vaiṣṇava is the ocean of mercy. There is no end. As you cannot, I mean to say, draw all the waters from the ocean, it is not possible. Similarly, a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, ocean of mercy. You can draw from it as much mercy as you like; still, it is full.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is the symbolic representation of Vaiṣṇava. So try to be not imitator, but follower. Don't try to imitate: "Oh, Prahlāda Mahārāja was thrown into boiling oil. Let me try, fall into the boiling oil." No. That is imitation. Just first of all you become like Prahlāda Mahārāja, then that will be possible. Don't try to make experimental. (laughter) That is not good. But follow, try to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Mahājanas, great personalities, what they have done, you cannot imitate them. You have to follow them. You have to follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, but you cannot imitate them. Then you'll fall down. Anusaraṇa. Not anukaraṇa. Anukaraṇa means imitation; but anusaraṇa, follow. So what Prahlāda Mahārāja did, that we have to follow his example. His example was that in spite of continuous torturing by his father, he never forgot Kṛṣṇa. This we have to follow. In spite of all kinds of inconveniences and torture by the atheist class of men, we shall never forget Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There were many examples. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was tortured. So he was crucified, but he never agreed that there is no God. So that should be our motto. This is following. Either you be Christian or be Hindu or be any, but be God conscious. Kṛṣṇa conscious means God conscious. And in any circumstances do not forget. That is called śaraṇāgati. That is surrender.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is protected by Nṛsiṁhadeva, and… Now, it is a fact that an atheist like Hiraṇyakaśipu, who denied the existence of God, so he was shown God at his last stage of life. Yes. So the atheist will see God, but when he will see, his life is finished. That means death. Atheist will see God in the form of death. And theist, Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee, will see God twenty-four hours within his heart. That is the difference. Nobody can avoid death. So atheist will see God. If he denies God, but he will see God in the form of death. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that every moment our things are being taken away by time. It is not difficult to understand. Just like my age, seventy-four years, seventy-five, that means seventy-four years from my whole duration of life is already taken away. Therefore everyone of you should think that every moment, whatever asset you have got, the most valuable asset is the life, duration of life. That is being taken away. That is the law of nature. And the last taking away is death. So Kṛṣṇa says that mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham [Bg. 10.34]. Mṛtyu, death, takes away everything. Your education, title, M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C., your bank balance, millions of dollars, your good name, your house, your family, your friends, your country-all taken away. All taken away. So for atheist, this is God. When He'll take away everything, he'll understand, "Yes, there is God." Yes. Just like a civil disobedient person, when he's arrested and he's put into the bars and given severe punishment, then he understands, "Yes, there is government. There is government." So government is there. For a nice citizen, government is there. He's taking all advantage offered by the government and he's obeying the laws of the government. No trouble. But one who says "I don't care for the government. I am free. I shall become naked…" Just like that John Lennon. (chuckling) He exposed himself naked, and government stopped immediately, that "You cannot do this."

So things are going like that. Atheist class of men, they're declaring themselves free, no God, and that is all nonsense-mūḍha. They have been described as mūḍha. First-class fool. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhā prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Study Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there. Those who are narādhama, lowest of the mankind. As the lowest of the mankind is atheist, similarly, the highest of the mankind is Kṛṣṇa conscious. So try to be the highest kind of mankind. The world is suffering for want of highest kind of mankind. And be an example. So you'll learn this lesson in this day of the advent of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (kīrtana-chanting Nṛsiṁha prayers) (end)

720527SB.LA

Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī

Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva's Appearance Day

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.22-34

Los Angeles, May 27, 1972

Prabhupāda: So today, appearance day of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared on this Nṛsiṁha Cāturdaśī on account of His devotee, Prahlāda. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, abhyutthānam adharmasya [Bg. 4.7]. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtāṁ, sambhavāmi yuge yuge [Bg. 4.8]. The Lord appears with two purposes. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām: just to give protection and rescue the devotees, and to kill the demons, vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. So Prahlāda Mahārāja, five-years-old boy, his only fault was that he was Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That was his only fault. And the father was so unkind to a child, even five years old. He could not excuse, "Oh, let this boy do whatever, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." No. The demons are so much against God consciousness that even at his home he would not allow his own child to become God conscious. This is demoniac civili… So you'll find many critics, many enemies, because you are making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So the demons are always against this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is the whole history. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified. What was his fault? He was preaching God consciousness, that's all. This society is so cruel. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured in so many ways. The torturing methods, I think you will find as you will see in today's picture, how Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured.

So one day, Hiraṇyakaśipu… After all, he was his son. Affection was there. So one day, Hiraṇyakaśipu asked the boy,

prahrādānūcyatāṁ tāta

svadhītaṁ kiñcid uttamaṁ

kālenaitāvatāyuṣman

yad aśikṣād guror bhavān

[SB 7.5.22]

So he asked his son, "My dear son, what you have learned? The best thing, what you have learned from your teachers, so you kindly let me know." So Prahlāda Mahārāja informed that "I have learned like this." What is that?

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau

bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā

kriyeta bhagavaty addhā

tan manye 'dhītam uttamam

[SB 7.5.23-24]

Tan manye 'dhītam uttamam: one who is engaged in the matter of hearing about Viṣṇu, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ. We are engaged in hearing and talking and chanting about so many things non-Viṣṇu. Just like you'll find thousands of, millions of different types of magazines sold in your country, in all countries. Some of the magazines are sex literature, some cinema literature, some this literature, that… So many different types. There is one paper I have seen, "Diabetes Literature." There are many patients of diabetes, so they have formed a society, "Diabetic Society." I have seen it. (laughter) And there are many diabetic patients, they are being hoaxed, that "You pay two dollars per year, and you get all information how to protect yourself from diabetes disease." So in America two dollars is nothing, but it is collecting millions and millions of dollars, Diabetic Society. Diabetic magazine. So that sort of hearing and chanting is not needed. We are not interested in all these magazines, because we are followers of Prahlāda Mahārāja. He's our ācārya. He's guru. Prahlāda Mahārāja's guru is Nārada, and Nārada is also our guru. Nārada is guru of Vyāsadeva. So we are a branch, but the original guru is Nārada, Brahma-sampradāya. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is also a disciple of Nārada Muni.

So he teaches that śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. We have to hear and talk and chant about Viṣṇu. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. To remember Him always, to worship His lotus feet, pāda-sevanam. Arcanam, temple worship, to keep the Deity nicely worshiped, offer foodstuff, ārati, this is called arcanaṁ. Vandanam, offering prayers. Just like we offer prayer, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. These are prayers. There are so many prayers. Keśava-dhṛta buddha-śarīra, keṣava-dhṛta narahari-rūpa. These are all prayers. This is also part of devotional service.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam…

[SB 7.5.23]

Arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam. To be always in service of the Lord, dāsyaṁ; sakhyam, to make friendship with Him, to consider Kṛṣṇa as your friend. He says… Even if I do not say that He's my friend, He says, "I am friend of everyone." Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 5.29]. He's friend of everyone. We don't want His friendship, but He wants our friendship. He wants us to go back to home, Godhead; we don't want. So He is more anxious to take us, exactly like the father is more affectionate than the son. That's a fact. So He's the supreme father. So He wants that we may be happy, and therefore He comes to show us. He sends His representative, son. He leaves behind Him books so that we may go back to home, back to Godhead. So, sakhyam. He's always sitting with me, within my heart. I am in the heart, and Paramātmā is also within the heart as friend to give me advice that "Why you are bothering in this material world? Please come back to home, back to Me." This is going on. Sakhyam ātma-nivedanam. Ātma-nivedanam means fully surrendered. So there are examples of devotees who, sarvātma-nivedanam. Just like Bali Mahārāja. He gave everything to Kṛṣṇa, even his body, everything, whatever, his kingdom, money, everything.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā. All these items means hearing. Hearing about Viṣṇu, chanting about Kṛṣṇa, giving everything to Viṣṇu, offering prayers to Viṣṇu, offering arcana, temple worship, Viṣṇu. In this way Prahlāda Mahārāja summarizes that "Anyone who is doing like this, everything about Viṣṇu…" iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā, "this nine kinds of different devotional services," kriyeta bhagavatay addhā, "directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead," tan manye 'dhītam uttamam, "I think he is the best learned man in the world. He is the most learned." Tan manye 'dhītam. "He has studied everything very nicely." Actually, that is the fact. Jñāna, knowledge Knowledge means to know Kṛṣṇa, God, and the Vedic injunction is, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If you understand the Supreme Lord, then you understand everything. You haven't got to study differently different subject matters. Just like we sometimes talk of science, of astronomy, economics, politics. We talk sometimes. But we are not going to, or we didn't study all the subject matter separately. But in course of our studying Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we know something of everything. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, tan manye adhītam uttamam: "One who is engaged in these nine kinds of devotional services directly…" So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends, kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye 'dhītam uttamam.

niśamyaitat suta-vaco

hiraṇyakaśipus tadā

guru-putraṁ cedaṁ ruṣā

prasphuritādharaḥ

As soon as he heard, "Oh, what this nonsense boy is speaking?" he became so angry that sphuritādharaḥ. When one becomes angry, his lips vi…, I mean to say, jumps. What is called? Quiver, yes. So he became so angry that it is said, sphuritādharaḥ. (He) immediately called his teacher. He's king… Because he thought, "The rascal teachers, they have taught him like this. I have entrusted the boy to the teachers, to brāhmaṇas, and they have taught this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So call him. Otherwise, how is that this small boy, five years old only, he's talking just like a great saint? So call his teacher!"

brahma-bandho kim etat

te vipakṣaṁ śrayatāsatā

asāraṁ grāhito bālo

mām anādṛtya durmate

Hiraṇyakaśipu became bitterest enemy of Viṣṇu because his brother Hiranyakṣa, he was killed by Viṣṇu taking the shape of Varāha. You know the story. Since then, Hiraṇyakaśipu was bitterest enemy. "Oh, He has, Viṣṇu has killed my brother. So He is my greatest enemy." So he won't hear anything about Viṣṇu. Any Viṣṇu devotee, he will punish him, even his own son. That was his policy. So he immediately called him, the teachers, and addressed him,

brahma-bandho kim etat te

vipakṣam śrayatāsatā

asāraṁ grāhito bālo

mām anādṛtya durmate

So here… Teachers are generally brāhmaṇas. Not generally. To become teacher is the business of the brāhmaṇas. Brāhmaṇa means they have got six kinds of… Everyone must have livelihood. This material world is that you must work; otherwise you cannot get your livelihood. That is the law, whatever you may be. So the brāhmaṇas' means of livelihood, six things: paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha. Paṭhana means he must be a very learned scholar, study the Vedic literature, and must teach others also. That is brāhmaṇa's business. And in that way, whatever the disciples bring, that is his income. No salary, no contract, that "If you pay me hundred dollars or five hundred dollars weekly, then I can teach you." No. There is no such contract. Teaching is free. It is the business of a brāhmaṇa to give free education to everyone. Now, it is the… Just like in our institution, I am your teacher, but there is no such contract that you have to pay me. But you pay me more than anything. So paṭhana pāṭhana, that is the means of livelihood of brāhmaṇa. And kṣatriya, they are kings. They can levy tax of the citizens because they are giving protection from being hurt by others. Kṣatriya means one who gives protection (to) a man being hurt by others. That is the real root meaning. Kṣatriya. And vaiśya means they should, kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyam, they should engage themselves in producing foodstuff, foodgrains, kṛṣi, protect cows. Especially gorakṣya. As the king is meant for giving protection to the man, similarly, a vaiśya is supposed to give protection to the cows, or they keep cows and produce milk products. They are vaiśya. And śūdra, simply service. So these are the different types of employment of different kinds of social order. And a king, the king has to see that everyone is employed. Not that hundreds of people are unemployed, and government has to give welfare, subsidy. Not like that. The king's duty is that everyone is independently earning his livelihood. That is king's duty.

So here the teachers are addressed here brahma-bandho. Brahma-bandho means a person who is born by a brāhmaṇa father but is not acting as a brāhmaṇa. He's called brahma-bandho, dvīja-bandhu. Dvīja-bandhu, one who is born of a, actually born of a brāhmaṇa father, but he's not acting as a brāhmaṇa. So Hiraṇyakaśipu addressed the teachers brahma-bandho, not brāhmaṇa. "Because you are untrustworthy. I gave you, I entrusted you with my son to be taught, and you have taught him this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So against my will…" He says practically, brahma-bandho kim etat te vipakṣaṁ śrayatāsatā: "I entrusted my child for being educated by you, and you have instigated him to speak in favor of my enemy, Viṣṇu? Viṣṇu is my enemy. How is that?" Asāraṁ grāhito bālo mām anādṛtya durmate. "This rascal boy, he does not care for me, and he has learned this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you have taught him. How is that?"

santi hy asādhavo loke

durmaitrāś chadma-veśiṇaḥ

teṣāṁ udety aghaṁ kāle

rogaḥ pātakinām iva

"So I think these demigods who are followers of Viṣṇu, they are coming in disguise and poisoning my son by teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you did not take care of him. So what is this?"

Then the teachers replied,

na mat-praṇītaṁ na para-praṇītaṁ

suto vadaty eṣa tavendra-śatro

naisargikīyaṁ matir asya rājan

niyaccha manyuṁ kad adāḥ sma mā naḥ

They said, "My dear King, don't think we have taught him like this. It is not… I know, it is not our duty to teach him against your will. But his Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not due to our teaching; neither somebody is coming in disguise and teaching him." Na mat-praṇītaṁ na para-praṇītam. "He is neither taught by us, nor by anyone else." Suto vadaty eṣa tavendra-śatro. Indra-śatro. The enemy… The Hiraṇyakaśipu is the enemy of the demigods; therefore he is addressed as Indra-śatro. As he addressed the brāhmaṇa, brahma-bandho, so they retaliated also, that "You are enemy of the demigods." Naisargikīyam, "By nature he is doing that. We try to forbid him. We try to stop him chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but still he's doing." Matir asya rājan niyaccha manyuṁ kad adāḥ sma mā. "You don't be angry upon us. We never did it." So… "He is, by his own nature he chants, he preaches, he's doing all this."

guruṇaivaṁ pratiprokto

bhūya āhāsuraḥ sutaṁ

na ced guru-mukhīyaṁ te

kuto 'bhadrāsatī matiḥ

Then he again asked his son, "Now I understand that your teacher has not taught you all these things. You rascal, where you have learned all this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" (laughter) Abhadra. Kuto abhadrāsatī matiḥ: "Wherefrom you got this rascal wisdom? Tell me." So this is the position, you see. Even father becomes enemy.

Now, Prahlāda Mahārāja is replying. Prahlāda Mahārāja is replying,

matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā

mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām

adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ

punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām

[SB 7.5.30]

"My dear father, don't be afraid. It is not a thing to be taught." Matir na kṛṣṇe. "Nobody can become Kṛṣṇa conscious," matir na kṛṣṇe parato, "being taught by others," matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā, "or by mental speculation or thinking oneself," mitho 'bhipadyeta, "or by making conference meeting, religious meeting, conference." No. Three things. One thing is to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness by speculative method, self-realization. Just like so many people are very much interested that "Why shall I go to a guru? I can realize myself. I shall meditate." So that is called svataḥ. And parataḥ means by others' instruction. And mitho, mitho means by assembly. So who? Now, gṛha-vratānām. If one is gṛha-vratā… There are two things: gṛhastha and gṛha-vratā, or gṛhamedhi. "So those who are gṛha-vratā…" because he is pointing out his father's position, that he's gṛha-vratā. He has no other business. He simply wants to get money, hiraṇya. Hiraṇya means gold, and kaśipu, a nice apartment. That's all. So he says that gṛha-vratānām, "If one makes it his point to remain in a comfortable home life, for him, either by speculation or by teaching or by meeting, he'll never develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Gṛha-vratānām. Then what is their position? Now, adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamiṣram: "They are unable to control their senses, and as such, they are entering into the darkest region of material existence." Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām: [SB 7.5.30] "Their only business is chewing the chewed." They have no other ways. Gṛha-vratānām, those who want to be happy materially, actually they are chewing the chewed. Material happiness means sex life, ultimate, utmost, topmost happiness. So people are simply trying to, how to utilize this sex life in so many ways, in pictures and in… I do not wish to discuss. In dancing, in club, in so many ways. Because they cannot control the senses. The same thing, same thing, the same sex life in different way. Sometimes a naked dance, sometimes in this way, sometimes in that way. Therefore it is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām. I have heard that some people go to Florida and they spend fifty thousand dollars per week for organizing naked dance. So naked woman he has seen so many times, but still he spends more money to see it in a different way. That is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30], "chewing the chewed."

So persons who are too much attached to sense gratification, and they have made it their conclusion that "We shall be happy within our family life or this social life…" Vidyāpati sings, tātala saikate vāri-bindu sama suto-mita-ramanī-samāj(?). Our society means… Society, friendship, and love. There must be woman, must be children, suto-mita-ramanī-samāje. So there is some pleasure, undoubtedly. Otherwise, why people are working so hard to stick to this position? Vidyāpati sings that tātala saikate vāri-bindu sama suto-mita-ramanī-samāj(?). There is undoubtedly some pleasure, but that pleasure is so insignificant that it can be compared: a drop of water on the desert. Desert, if you want to utilize desert to make it a garden or productive field, you have to pour water. The whole ocean water you have to pour there. Now, if somebody says, "All right, you want water. Now take this one drop water," then what it will do? Similarly, our heart is hankering after so many things. We are hankering… Actually we are hankering after Kṛṣṇa, but we do not know. We are trying to satisfy our hankering in so many ways in material life. Actually we are hankering after Kṛṣṇa. Just like a small child, it is crying. It cannot express, but it is wanting the mother's breast feeding. So you cannot stop him crying unless it is transferred to the mother. Similarly, actually we love Kṛṣṇa. That is a fact. Because we love Kṛṣṇa… Therefore you, who did not hear even the name of Kṛṣṇa, say, four or five years ago, why you after so much Kṛṣṇa? This is the proof, that actually we are after Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being accepted in Western countries by the younger generation. Why? Because every one of us, we love Kṛṣṇa. But it is now covered by māyā. We have to simply take out the covering, māyā; then we are Kṛṣṇa conscious.

That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta,

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti 'sādhya' kabhu naya

śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

That Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not an artificial thing, that we are making some propaganda on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, publishing some books, magazines, and our preachers are going place to place. No, there are so many propaganda is going on. But they are not so effective. And our, what means we have got to make propaganda? We simply make this propaganda, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." That's all. Of course, we do sincerely. So if we propagate sincerely and seriously, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has ordered, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa' upadeśa… [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. We must be sincere. Then, if we canvass, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," it will be effective. It will be effective. The business is not very serious or very difficult. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'… "Anyone you meet, you simply request him about hearing about Kṛṣṇa." So… But if one is so much covered by materialistic enjoyment, it takes little time. It takes little time. Otherwise, automatically there is love for Kṛṣṇa, and śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte…

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, śravaṇam. If we hear about Kṛṣṇa constantly, through realized souls, not professional-if we hear, satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido [SB 3.25.25]-then automatically, our dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness come out. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, therefore, that "Those who are determined to become happy within this material world, they cannot be raised to Kṛṣṇa consciousness either by personal teaching or by making conference or by mental speculation." That is not possible, because he is determined. So our duty is that we should know that in the materialistic way of life we shall never be happy. This is called knowledge. And vairāgya. So this vairāgya and knowledge is not so easy. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram: it is not possible. That means he assures his father, "Don't be worried. You will never be Kṛṣṇa conscious. (laughter) Because your only aim is to stick to home and money and women. Therefore rest assured, you'll not be … It is not that a person like you will be raised to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Then? How you have done? The next question should be: Why they are sticking to this materialistic way of life?

That is answered by Prahlāda, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. "These persons, those who are so much materially attached, they do not know the ultimate goal of life is Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu." That is actually the ultimate goal of life. We are here in this material world, forgetting Kṛṣṇa, to enjoy, to lord it over the material nature. Everyone is trying to become the lord, master of material… That is struggle. Nobody can become lord or master of this material world. But that struggle to become master, they are taking it happiness. They are taking it happiness. That is the nature of persons who are influenced by the modes of passion. They'll work hard, and that will, they will take it is very good, pleasing. Because they do not know that the… Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31]. They are hoping against hope to become happy within this material world. That is the whole history. Take the history, any history, modern history. There are so many empires: the Roman Empire, the Carthaginian Empire, the Greek Empire, the British Empire recently, Hitler's Nazism, and so many. For some time they become very powerful. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu, he's now very powerful. He's thinking, "Nobody can…" Now today he'll be killed. Keśava-dhṛta narahari rūpa is coming. So this demonic civilization will never be successful. That's a fact. But they are so fool, they do not see even historical evidences. So many empires failed. The Roman Empire failed, the British Empire failed. Still, somebody is trying to create another empire, another, different empire. Just like your President Nixon, he's trying to influence all other nations under his control. Why? Of course, I should not speak all these things. There may be criticism. But that is the way, going on. That is the way. We can understand. We can understand politics, economics, everything, but we do not bother about. But our aim is that this way of life, to increase materially happiness, it will never be successful. That is our conclusion. We are not fools that we have given up everything for advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because we know that this, this way we shall never be happy. It is not possible.

That is explained by Prahlāda Mahārāja. These rascal people who are so much materially attached… Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ

tayāpahṛta-cetasāṁ

vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ

samādhau na nigacchati

[Bg. 2.44]

Those who are too much attached, bhoga, material enjoyment, aiśvarya, material opulence … Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ tayāpahṛta-cetasām. Persons whose heart has been misled by this kind of civilization, they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore to become too much materially opulent is a disqualification for attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is a disqualification. Because they don't care. Just like in our temple, not very rich men, they are coming, because they (say,) "What is this nonsense, Kṛṣṇa consciousness? We have got everything. These boys, they haven't got to eat anything; therefore they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa on the street. That's all." They think like that. "They're needy. All right, they are needy. Give them some money." That's all. They don't like to take anything from us because the same business, matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā. They'll never understand, because their aim is gṛha-vratānām. They want to be happy… Although they are seeing there is no happiness, they never can be happy, still… This is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvanānām [SB 7.5.30], chewing the chewed. One, the sugarcane, is chewed by somebody. It is thrown away. And if somebody else comes and chew it again, what juice he will have it? So punaḥ punaś carvita… Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ [SB 7.5.31]. Durāśayā ye durāśayā viṣaya vāsī (reads Sanskrit commentary) tantraya kāraṇaṁ te hi viṣṇuṁ na viduḥ. Tatra hetu svasminn eva arthe puruṣartha yeṣāṁ teṣāṁ gatiṁ grāmyaṁ. Na tu te 'pi guru pati syāt viṣṇu jñāsyasi tatra bhak bahir viṣaye bahavo yeṣāṁ te bahir arthas tann eva guru tena mantra śīlaṁ yeṣāṁ te.

So one who is fixed up in this conclusion, that "We shall become happy with this materialistic way of life," they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And they do not know also that our ultimate goal of life is Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. Then why it is so? Now, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ [SB 7.5.31]. They have become blind. They are blind themselves, and they are also led by blind leaders. The leaders, at the present moment, leaders, they say that "Why you are going to church? Why you are going to temple? If you want your bread…" Just like in Christian religion you go to church, "O God, give us our daily bread." But the atheist class, they are propagating, "For bread, why you are going to church? You make industry, you make business, and you get bread." But actually… We were just talking that there are so many unemployment. Our Karandhara prabhu was… No. Who was talking? Śyāmasundara. Śyāmasundara said that the computer… What is called, computer? It can do thousands of men's business. So they have discovered this machine. That means thousands of men will be unemployed. That is actually happening in your country due to so many machines. Now, take for example, formerly… You have seen the picture, Kṛṣṇa, Vṛndāvana picture, Kṛṣṇa's father transferring Kṛṣṇa. They were going on bullock carts, no motorcar. You have seen the picture. So formerly, transport was bullock carts. The cows and the bulls, the bulls were employed for agricultural purpose, for drawing the carts. So there was no necessity of motorcar. Now you have got motor, motor-tractor. You don't want the bullocks. Therefore kill them. How you can utilize them? Therefore you must have slaughterhouse to kill them. And as soon as you kill them, then you have to eat them. So this is the, I mean to say, entanglement. If you kill, then you become responsible for being killed. The subtle laws…

Therefore, without knowing our ultimate goal of life is Viṣṇu, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum… [SB 7.5.31]. That is our interest. The human form of life is offered by nature after so much evolutionary process. Just to understand Viṣṇu, God, this is the only business. But instead of attending our real business, we are trying to be happy in other ways. Then you can say that "If we are engaged in real business, then how the economic question will be solved? We have to work." That's all right, you work. But work simple. Why you have invented so much botheration? Work is there. If you have cows and if you have got land, then you till the land, get grains, and there is milk, there is fruit, there is flower. Anywhere, you can live peacefully. Whole economic question is solved. And because we have forgotten, we have missed the real point, that our life is meant for God-realization. We are simply increasing botheration. Punaḥ punaś carvita. Adānta-gobhir viṣatāṁ tamisram. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. The leaders are blind; we are also blind. So they are advising that "If you want to solve your economic problem, why you are going to church? Why you are going to temple? Come here, increase business, industry. Take loan and start business." That's all. This is going on. But actually, the more we are trying to mislead this people… Because they are thinking it is all right. They are… That the social condition is becoming more and more grave. That's a fact. We are trying to solve one problem, but many other problems are coming because we do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Because we are missing the real point.

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31]. These rascals, they are thinking that by so-called economic development, by exploiting material resources, we shall be happy. That is not possible. The best example your country has given. You have exploited the material resources, and other countries are also following, but where is the happiness? Instead of happiness, there is "hippyness." (laughter) So still, they have no eyes to see that "Where we are going?" Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram punaḥ punaś carvita-carvanānām [SB 7.5.30]. Because we cannot control our senses, we are driving, we are being pushed towards the darkest region of material existence, very hard to leave. Darkest region means that we are going to become animals next life. Because this is animalistic civilization. Nature gave us the opportunity to realize God, but God-realization is meant for human being. The human being, if he does not realize God, he's simply engaged in animalistic way of life-eating, sleeping, mating-then nature will call, "All right, sir, again become animal." Punar mūṣiko bhava: "Again become a mouse." You know this story? Punar mūṣiko bhava. There is a story. There is a very nice story. One rat, mouse, he came to a saintly person. Everyone comes to saintly person for some blessing, you see. Real blessing they don't want. Some material blessing. Real blessing, Kṛṣṇa, they don't want. If you give him some blessing that "You become very rich man and…" These… they'll be very much pleased. are all very well, this. So this mouse also came and begged the saintly person, "Sir, I am in difficulty. If you give me some blessing?"

"What is that?"

"The cat chases after me always. I'm very unhappy."

"So what do you want?"

"Now, if you make me a cat, then I can get relief from this."

"All right, you become cat." So he became cat.

So after few days, again he comes. "Sir, again I am in trouble."

"What is that?"

"The dog is chasing me." (laughter) Don't laugh, hear seriously. "Dog is chasing me."

"All right, then, what do you want?"

"Now, make me a tiger."

"All right, you become a tiger."

So when he became a tiger he was staring on the saintly person like this.

So he asked, "Why you are staring upon me? You want to eat me?"

"Yes."

So he again curses, punar mūṣiko bhava: "Again you become mouse. Again you become mouse."

So that is our position. We are advanced in civilization. Now we want to kill God. So we are again going to be uncivilized, to remain in the forest and to remain naked. Actually, they are practicing that: nature's life. So again they are going to be aborigines. And that is being practiced. They are going to the forest, they remain naked. So actually, punar mūṣiko bhava: "Again become mouse." Civilized human being means God conscious, happy life, no trouble, no enviousness, everything happy, no hard labor. Why hard labor? Everything is there. You just employ your little intelligence, you get sufficient food by grains, by fruits, by flowers, milk. There is no difficulty if we remain in our own way. So that is the difficulty, that we do not know that our ultimate goal of life is God-realization. Then God has got all arrangement. You cannot produce fruits and grains in factory. They are given by God. Why? That "You eat them and be Kṛṣṇa conscious, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." But we don't want that. We want slaughterhouse, unnecessarily. Actually, if you go to the store… There are so many stores. How many stores are selling only meat? It is not possible. Ninety-nine percent fruits, vegetables, grains you are taking, and maybe a little percentage of meat. So why you cannot give up this little percentage? If you think that meat is very palatable, why don't you live on meat? Russia is also trying like that. That has become the fashion. In Moscow, it was very difficult to find out nice grains. With great difficulty Śyāmasundara used to spend two hours daily to secure these things.

So this is the problem. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ duraṣśayā ye bahir-artha māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31]. They are trying to be happy by the arrangement of these material activities. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām. They do not know that the material nature is so strong that you cannot get out of it unless you are prepared to suffer more and more. If you take to natural life and live peacefully and take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is your real life. And if you simply increase botheration and problems, then you'll have to suffer. That is the position of modern civilization. Actually, superficially we see that material advancement of material science, people have got so many machines, so many facilities. But actually, they are in trouble. Just like I gave you one example: the computer machine. It can work for thousands of men. So thousands of men means the thousands of men must be unemployed. And especially in your country, they are taking advantage of this machine because the salary is If you want to pay to the worker, a big, big salary. So they want to save. They are taking machine, and they think they will save money, so many workers. But the workers are becoming unemployed. The government has to give them welfare. The government will tax. That's all. (laughter.) Government will not give money, welfare, from government's pocket. The government will increase your taxation. So you are…, you stop payment by importing some machine, now you have to pay that money to the government. This is called entanglement. This is a crude example. I don't say that you stop all this business, but the material world is like that. You want to solve something; instead of solving, you'll create so many problems. This is material life. Because our life is not meant for solving problems and creating problems. Our life is meant for understanding God. Then everything is all right. But that you have given up.

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ

durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ

andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās

te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ

[SB 7.5.31]

They do not know that you cannot go an inch beyond the stringent laws of material nature. That is not possible.

Then the next question is that how… People are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then, they are misled by blind leaders. So how, what is the solution? That is Prahlāda Mahārāja saying,

naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ

spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ

mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ

niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat

[SB 7.5.32]

Therefore one has to take shelter of a pure devotee. That is the only solution. He says, naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅgrhim. The beginning was that "They are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Then how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious if that is the solution? Then Prahlāda Mahārāja says, naiṣāṁ matis tāvad: "So long one does not approach a pure devotee," mahīyasāṁ niṣkiñcanānām, "great personalities, who has no more any material interest," niṣkiñcana, "and takes the dust of his lotus feet on the head…" Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim: "So long one does not approach such personality, there is no possibility of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious." Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim. As soon as one approaches the pure devotee and takes the dust of his lotus feet and puts it on his head, immediately, anartha apagamaḥ, he'll be freed from all this nonsense. That means he'll forget this idea that "Materially we can advance." This is the process. So we have to approach a niṣkiñcana, who has nothing to do with this material world. His only ambition is to serve more Kṛṣṇa. And if somebody approaches him and takes the dust of his lotus feet, then he can understand. Mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat. (aside:) Our time is over? All right.

So in this way Prahlāda Mahārāja talked with his father, and the father became more angry. Instead of taking the lesson … Mūrkhāya upadeśa hi prakopāya na śāntaye. If you teach lesson to a foolish person, he'll be simply angry. He'll not take your lesson. How it is so? Payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam. If you keep a snake and if you want to make friendly behavior with him, that, "My dear snake, don't bite any more. I'll give you milk and banana. You eat here and stay here nicely," he'll not… His poison will increase, and one day he will… There is a story in the Hitopadeśa: one day, one… The same thing. So payaḥ-pānaṁ bhujaṅgānāṁ kevalaṁ viṣa-vardhanam. So these are lessons, stories. So his father, Hiranyakasipu, became more and more angry. So one day… Because after all, son and father… The son was simple boy. So one day he said, "Prahlāda, I shall now kill you. I shall see how your Kṛṣṇa saves you." So immediately, Prahlāda was seeing to the pillars of the hall. He was king. So Hiraṇyakaśipu asked him, "Is your God, Kṛṣṇa, in the pillar?" He said, "Yes, sir. Yes, my father, He is there." So immediately, with anger he broke the pillar and Nṛsiṁhadeva came out.

Now we can honor Him. (end)

740505NA.BOM

Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī

Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva's Appearance Day

Bombay, May 5, 1974

Prabhupāda: …boys who have played the Prahlāda-caritra, Hiraṇyakaśipu-vadha. Today is the appearance day of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. It is called Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī. So I am so pleased that within such a short time these boys have nicely learned how to play, and especially I have to thank Mr. Hiraṇyakaśipu. (applause) (laughs) Mr. Hiraṇyakaśipu has played his part very nicely.

So this is very instructive struggle between the atheist and the theist. This story of Prahlāda Mahārāja is eternally true. There is always a struggle between the atheist and the theist. If a person becomes God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, so he will find many enemies. Because the world is full of demons. What to speak of the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, even Kṛṣṇa, when He personally came, He had to kill so many demons. There was His maternal uncle, His mother's brother, very keenly related. Still, he wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa. As soon as any son was born to Devakī, immediately he killed, because he did not know who will be Kṛṣṇa. The prediction was that the eighth child of his sister will kill Kaṁsa. So he began to kill all the children. At last, Kṛṣṇa came. But he could not kill Kṛṣṇa. He was killed by Kṛṣṇa.

So nobody can kill God. The demons, godless society, they simply want to kill God. But actually, God is never killed, but the demon is killed by God. That is the law of nature. This is the instruction from Prahlāda Mahārāja's life. We can understand that as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham [Bg. 10.34]. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that "I am also death in the shape of taking away everything, whatever you possess." We are very much proud of possessing material things, material acquisition, but when Kṛṣṇa comes… Just like Mahārāja, Prahlāda Mahārāja saw Hiraṇyakaśipu. His father also saw Nṛsiṁhadeva. This Hiraṇyakaśipu was very clever as the materialists, scientists, are very clever. Cleverly they are inventing so many things. What is the idea? The idea is "We shall live forever and enjoy sense gratification more and more." This is called atheistic advancement of civilization. So Hiraṇyakaśipu was typical materialist. Hiraṇya means gold, and kaśipu means soft bed, cushion. So materialist persons, they are very much fond of gold and enjoying sex. That is their business. So Hiraṇyakaśipu is the typical example of this materialistic person. And Prahlāda Mahārāja, prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa āhlāda. Āhlāda means transcendental bliss. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Living entities' real identification is prahlāda, blissfulness. But on account of material association, we are in miserable condition of life. So… (aside:) Stop these children.

So this Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to become immortal, and he underwent penances, severe penances, so much so, the whole universe became trembled. So that Brahmā, Lord Brahmā, had to come to pacify him, "What do you want?" So he wanted to become immortal. Lord Brahmā said that "Although I have got very long duration of life,…" The duration of life of Brahmājī is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam arhad yad brahmaṇo viduḥ [Bg. 8.17]. Sahasra-yuga, one group of yugas-Satya, Treta, Dvāpara, Kali-it becomes about forty-three lakhs of years. And multiply these forty-three lakhs of years by one thousand, that duration of time is Brahma's twelve hours, one day. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam arhad yad brahmaṇo viduḥ. So that Brahmā who lives for millions of trillions of years-still, he has to die. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu-darśanam [Bg. 13.9]. Wherever you go within this material world, either in the Brahmaloka or in the Patala-loka, you have to die. That is the problem. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "Real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, old age and disease." Just try to… So Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to solve these in a materialstic way, but that is not possible. So in a negative way he wanted that "I shall not die on the (indistinct).

His eternal servant. So he remains a humble servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he has no danger. Even if he has danger, he will be saved. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]. Kaunteya pratijānīhi: "Arjuna, you can declare it all over the world that anyone who has taken shelter at My lotus feet, become devotee, he will never be vanquisher." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ [Bg. 18.66]. So these are the assurances. But the atheist class of men like Hiraṇyakaśipu cannot understand this. That is the defect. They challenge always God. The dissension between the father and the son was that the son was believer in God, Kṛṣṇa, and the father was not. So at the end the father saw what is God in the form of death. At that time he could not save him. So that is the difference between theist and atheist. The atheist always challenges, "Where is God? Can you show me?" Well, you will see. Not now. Just at the maturation of your all sinful activities, when death will come, you will see Him. This is going on.

So it is very instructive lesson, Prahlāda Mahārāja. Now it is getting late. Otherwise, I would have recited some of the verses recited by Śrī Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of our gurus. There are twelve gurus, or mahājana.

svayaṁbhur nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ

kaumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ

prahlādo janako bhīṣmo

balir vaiyāsakhir vayam

[SB 6.3.20]

Actually, if we want to make progress in spiritual life, we have to follow the mahājanas, the great personalities. They are mentioned in the śāstras. Without father and mother, he became manifest. Therefore his name is Svayambhu. Without father and mother, he became manifest. Therefore his name is Svayambhu. Of course, his father is Nārāyaṇa, but not in the usual way. Therefore his name is Svayambhu. Nārada. Nārada Muni is also one of the mahājanas. And Śambhu, Lord Śiva. Kapila, Kapiladeva, the son of Devahūti. Svayaṁbhur nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ kapilo manuḥ [SB 6.3.20]. And Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja is our guru in the disciplic succession. So mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. We cannot chalk out what is the path of religion. It is very difficult to find out because there are many different scriptures and there are many philosophers. Nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. Each philosopher has got different opinion. So how to get real path of religious way? That is recommended in the śāstra that mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. You have to follow the footsteps of great personalities. And Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of them.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja was born in a demon's family. His father was a demon. Prahlāda Mahārāja used to address his father as Asura-varya, "the best of the demons." You have seen… He was patting his son, "My dear son, do like this, do like that. Tell me what you have learned the best thing." So Prahlāda Mahārāja said, tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. He didn't, never said, "My dear father." "My dear the best of the demons." Tat sādhu manye. "I think that is very nice." What is that? Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham āndha-kupaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta [SB 7.5.5]. "That this worldly life, materialistic life, is self-killing just like a dark well. So one should give it up and go to the forest and take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. That is the best way of life." So his father became very angry. So the atheist and the theist, they will never agree. But theist also never will submit to the atheist. This is the principle. Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into so many troubles by his father, but he never forgot chanting namo bhagavate vāsudevāya namaḥ. He never forgot.

So we should take lessons from this story that even in dangerous position, we should not be forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will save us. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā,

yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ

manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ

yasmin sthite guruṇāpi

duḥkhena na vicālyate

[Bg. 6.20-23]

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that if one gets Kṛṣṇa consciousness, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ, aparaṁ lābhaṁ, any other benefit or gain is never considered. This is so nice. We are hankering after getting this, that, this, that, this, that, so many things. Dehi, dehi, dehi, dehi. But as soon as you get Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you will be satisfied. As Dhruva Mahārāja said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was offered all benediction: "My dear Prahlāda, whatever you like, you can ask." He never asked anything. But he was so kind. That is the example of a Vaiṣṇava son in the family. Despite so much troubles given by his father, still, he begged from Narasiṁhadeva, "My Lord, my father has committed so many offenses. Kindly give him liberation." He did not ask anything for himself. So Narahari, Nṛsiṁhadeva, immediately said, "Why do you speak of your father? Your father's father, his father, fourteen generations-all liberated because a son like you is in this family." So this is the benefit. If a son becomes a pure Vaiṣṇava, devotee, he can deliver fourteen generation. That is a special prerogative because he is born in a certain family. So what we can give service to the family, nation, materially? If we become devotee, we can give best service to the nation, to the family, to the humanity. That is the philosophy.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is preaching this philosophy that "You take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness; your life will be perfect." And the method is very simple. It can be…, there is no secrecy. Just like this evening I was talking with a boy. He has got a mantra, very secret. But we say have no secret mantra. Our mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, is open to everyone. Why it should be secret? If by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra we can approach God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, why it should remain secret? It should be distributed like anything so that everyone can go. So there is no secrecy. A secret mantra we don't approve. It must be very open. There is no secret. The śāstra never says that mantra can be secret.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

In this age of Kali… Kali means the age of quarrel, age of misunderstanding, age of disagreement. So in this age it is very difficult to come to the right conclusion by philosophy and other methods. Therefore in the śāstra it has been openly declared,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

Three times. Three times means yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā. There are many other things: meditation, sacrifices, worship in the temple. So in this age all these things are impossible to be performed, but even a child can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. That is proved here. Whenever there is Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, even the child can take part, old man can take part. So this is the only method for God realization. There is no expenditure, but the gain is very, very great. That was the teaching of Śrī Prahlāda Mahārāja, and we are following his footsteps. Let us stick to his principle, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186], and thus become more and more advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much. (end)

700704LE.SF

Guṇḍicā Mārjanam

Cleansing of the Guṇḍicā Temple, Lecture

(the day before Ratha-yātrā)

San Francisco, July 4, 1970

Devotees: All glories to Prabhupāda! Jāyate Prabhupāda! Jaya!

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi with Indian woman, chuckles) All right. Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no space for the… So we require bigger space. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Oh, Govinda dāsī has come? (chuckles) When you have arrived?

Govinda dāsī: About one o'clock.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That's nice. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. You can keep it… That's all right. So Lord Caitanya's sampradāya. (laughter) That is my joy, that we have now a sampradāya, a party of Lord Caitanya in the Western country. That is my success. That's all. I have no value-insignificant-but somehow or other you cooperated, and you are still cooperating, and you are still cooperating as Lord Caitanya's sampradāya. That is my life. Thank you very much. (begins playing kartāls, ecstatic kīrtana follows)

It is working? (taps microphone) Huh? No. So just one day before Ratha-yātrā there is a festival in Jagannātha Purī which is called Guṇḍicā-mārjana. Guṇḍicā-mārjana. From the Jagannātha temple, about two miles away there is another temple house, not exactly temple, where the Deity Jagannātha goes during this Rathayātrā festival, from the temple to that Gundica house. And then the deities remain there for one week and then comes back. And during that one week there are many festivals. As I told you in this morning, this Jagannātha, He's proceeding toward Vṛndāvana. Rādhārāṇī is inviting Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, after His childhood, pauganda-līlā, He was called by His father, His real father. Practically, He was called for killing Kaṁsa, His maternal uncle, who was giving trouble to the whole Yadu dynasty, and everyone was waiting for Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa appeared, and immediately He was transferred to a friend's house by His father. Vasudeva is kṣatriya, and Nanda Mahārāja is a vaiśya. Kṣatriya business is royal family, and vaiśya, they are agriculturalists, traders, krsi-go-raksya, and protection of cows. These three business, livelihood of the vaiśya. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam [Bg. 18.44]. Kṛṣi means agriculture, and go-rakṣya, cow protection. This is Vedic civilization. A section of people, they are engaged in different activities. Not that a man is working as a carpenter and he's called, "Come on. You have to go to Vietnam to fight." This is not very scientific. He has been trained up as a carpenter, and now he's called to fight. That is not perfect division of… The fighting is required, but there must be a class fully trained up for fighting. That is kṣatriya. There must be a class of men simply for cultivation of spiritual knowledge. There must be a class fully for business, cow protection, agriculture. That is also required. Nothing is neglected. Just like in our body there are four parts; the mouth, the arms, the belly, and the legs. So everything is required for proper upkeep of the body. Not that you ask the mouth to walk or ask the leg to eat. How it is that? The modern civilization is defective. They do not know how to maintain society. There is therefore no peace. Especially there is want of brain. Crazy. Just like throughout the whole body, the head is the most important part of the body. If you cut your hands, you can live, but if you cut your head, you cannot live. Then whole thing is gone. Similarly, at the present moment the society is headless, a dead body, or head cracked, crazy. There is head, nonsense head. Nonsense head. What is the use of nonsense head? Therefore there is a great necessity of creating a class who will act as brain and head. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious movement.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: The whole human society is suffering for want of good brain. [break] …created a nonsense democracy. A carpenter is called to fight? A cow slaughterer is called to preside over the meeting? What is this? One must be fit for the business. If you want to make one king, he must be just like royal, ideas, always thinking of the welfare of the citizens. Just like Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. The whole business was how the people will be happy. When Parīkṣit Mahārāja was born, the child, it is the Vedic system as soon as a child is born, immediately expert brāhmaṇas, astrologers, are called. Automatically, they… That is called jāta-kriyā. There is a function. There are ten kinds of functions. From the point of begetting a child up to the point of death, there are saṁskāras, or reformatory process. By that process a human being is made perfect. That is called daśa-vidha-saṁskāra, ten kinds of processes. This upanayana, this initiation, offering the sacred thread, that is also out of those ten processes. The beginning of the process is called garbhādhāna, begetting a child. It is not sex enjoyment; it is a process by which you produce nice child. If you produce nice children, then the world is peaceful. But if you produce cats and dogs, how can you expect peace and prosperity? Therefore that is a process, garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. In this way the Vedic system is the perfect process for creating civilized human being. So that is another chapter. Our present meeting is concerned with the Ratha-yātrā.

So Kṛṣṇa, He is born of a kṣatriya father. He is not born, but He appeared as the son. God is never born. Unborn. Therefore the Māyāvādī philosophers, they mistake to know Kṛṣṇa. They think that Kṛṣṇa is born, then how He can be God? But actually, Kṛṣṇa was not born from the womb of His mother. He appeared in four hands before His mother, and the mother was afraid that "My brother Kaṁsa, was awaiting to kill God, and now God is here in four hands. Immediately he'll kill." The mother forgets that "My son, if He's God, how He can be killed?" But the mother's affection is always like that. Just like Kṛṣṇa, when He was going to attack a demon as a boy, Yaśodā-mā, mother Yaśodā, would ask her husband Nanda Mahārāja, "Why do you allow this boy to go out? Why don't you lock Him?" So that is mother's affection. The mother, Yaśodā mother, she does not know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then her motherly affection will be checked. Therefore she was, by yoga-māyā, she was always covered. Although Kṛṣṇa playing child just like a common child, at the same time showing that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was eating clay. Some friends complained to mother Yaśodā that, "You gave Him nice foodstuff, and He is eating clay." So mother called Him: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, You are eating clay?" Kṛṣṇa said, "No, mother. They're all liars." (laughter) "Oh, Your elder brother Balarāma is also saying." "Oh, He is angry upon Me. He is angry upon Me; therefore He is also speaking lie." Then the boys still stressed, "No, mother. He has eaten clay. We have seen." So mother said, "All right. Open Your mouth. I'll see." So Kṛṣṇa opened His mouth, and she saw the whole material cosmic manifestation. Not only Yaśodā, thousands of Yaśodā and thousands of planets, sun, moons, and everything saw. Mother's thought, "Must be something jugglery. All right. Forget. Don't do it again." (laughter)

This is Kṛṣṇa, that He is playing the part of a perfect child. Mother Yaśodā ordering, "Open Your mouth. I want to see." "Yes, mother. Just see." And when she saw His mouth, oh, the mother couldn't adjust(?). That is God, that He is, by being obliged by the devotee, He is playing the part of a child, at the same time maintaining His supremacy as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that by mystic power one becomes God. No. God is God always. When on the lap of His mother He is God. And when His mother… On the lap of His mother, Pūtanā came to kill Him. So Kṛṣṇa sucked her breast and life also, but gave him (her) the position of mother because Kṛṣṇa is so good that He did not take the bad side. Kṛṣṇa, how can He be envious? He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone is His part and parcel; therefore He cannot be envious to anyone. He is always kind of everyone. So this incident, that Kṛṣṇa… Pūtanā came to kill Him by smearing poison on her breast. She thought that "The child will suck my breast and immediately die." The child sucked the breast as well as her life. But Kṛṣṇa thought that "This demon, although came to Me with a purpose to kill Me, but I have been used as her child, and she has become My mother, so she must get the position of My mother." This is Kṛṣṇa's kindness.

So try to understand Kṛṣṇa philosophy very nicely, what is God. There are so many fictitious rogues, rascals, they are presenting themselves God. Try to understand what is God. Don't be misled. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. There is no other God except Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mām ekam, "Only unto Me surrender." And He has proved Himself that He is God. There are many so-called Gods, but they have not proved that they are God. No. God is one, and that is Kṛṣṇa. So this Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He was called by His father… People generally did not know that Kṛṣṇa is Vasudeva's son, but later on it was disclosed by talkings one after another. Then, when the fact was disclosed, then Kamsa arranged for a wrestling match, and Kṛṣṇa was called to fight. That you will read in our Kṛṣṇa book. It's a long story. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa went to His father's house, and He came to Kurukṣetra in the chariot. This is Ratha-yātrā. And Rādhārāṇī and the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, their only business was… After Kṛṣṇa departed from Vṛndāvana to Mathurā and He never returned… Once He returned. So mother Yaśodā, the cowherd boys and the gopīs, they lost their life and vital force. So they were simply crying and weeping. That was their business. So Kṛṣṇa sent sometimes Uddhava to pacify them, that "I am coming very soon after finishing My business." So when they got this opportunity that "Kṛṣṇa has come to Kurukṣetra with His brother, sister, father. So let us go and see…" So they went to Kurukṣetra to see Kṛṣṇa. Whenever they got some opportunity, they wanted to see. Just like these cowherds boys, when there was Battle of Kurukṣetra near Delhi… Vṛndāvana is not far away from Delhi. It is about ninety miles. So they went to see Kṛṣṇa in the charioteer fighting dress. They were astonished. They thought that "Kṛṣṇa is our friend, cowherd boy. How is that, He is in the chariot fighting?" So they became astonished. So this is the pastimes of Vṛndāvana. So similarly, when the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana went to see Lord Kṛṣṇa, Jagannātha… Kṛṣṇa means Jagannātha. Jagat. Jagat means this world, and nātha means master, or proprietor. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: [Bg. 5.29] "I am the proprietor of all the planets." Therefore He is Jagannātha. Jagannātha means the proprietor of all the world, all the planets. So the Vṛndāvana inhabitants went to see Kṛṣṇa because their life was Kṛṣṇa. They did not know anything except Kṛṣṇa. So that was the opportunity. So it was the request of Rādhārāṇī to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the same Kṛṣṇa; I am the same Rādhārāṇī. We are meeting, but We are not meeting in the same place. Here You are, just like a royal king with chariots, with soldiers, with Your ministers, secretaries. And there in Vṛndāvana You were a cowherd boy, and We used to meet in the jungles, in the bushes. So I want to take You there. Then I will be happy."

So that sentiment was expressed by Lord Caitanya, because Lord Caitanya's worship was in the mood of Rādhārāṇī. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api pura deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau [Cc. Ādi 1.5]. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa philosophy. It is the sublime philosophy and, I mean to say, culture. If you are fort… Those who are fortunate, they have come to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Their life is successful. No doubt about it. So this philosophy, that Kṛṣṇa… Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir. The love affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, what is this? Is this a play like the young girl and young boy? Of course. It is just like that. It appears, and actually it is so. But it is not this play of this material world of a young boy and a young girl. No. It is the pastime of the Supreme Lord with His āhlādinī potency. Āhlādinī. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir āhlādinī-śaktir. Just like in this material world there are three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Similarly, in the spiritual world there are three, I mean to say, potencies. These qualities are also potencies. Samvit, sandinī, and what is the other? Samvit, sandini…ahlādinī. Samvit, sandinī, āhlādinī. So the āhlādinī potency is Kṛṣṇa. This has been very much scholarly discussed by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. Jīva Gosvāmī presents these love affairs of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā very philosophically. His first question is that Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman. Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman. That is accepted by Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma, paraṁ brahma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. Paraṁ Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. Now, in this material world there are different features of sense gratification. Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa, whether they are a loving affairs or pastimes of this world? That is his question. Just like here young boys and young girls meet together, they try to enjoy life. Whether Kṛṣṇa's līlā, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with the gopīs, is the same thing? No. That is the philosophical presentation. He gives the reason that Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman, but here in this material world we see that parama-brahma, to become attached to Paraṁ Brahman or to realize Paraṁ Brahman, a person, an intelligent person, gives up everything within this world. That is the philosophy of Lord, I mean to…Śaṅkarācārya. He says that this world is false. Paraṁ Brahman is… Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. So cultivate yourself to realize Paraṁ Brahman. And his process is sannyāsa. Give up, renounce this world.

So Jīva Gosvāmī puts forward this philosophy that if for Paraṁ Brahman realization one has to give up everything material, how Paraṁ Brahman can enjoy something material? This is the question. If for realizing Paraṁ Brahman one has to give up everything material… And practically we are seeing that. Just like Śaṅkarācārya. Their renunciation, their austerity is very, very severe. Śaṅkarācārya will not accept anybody as eligible for advancing in spiritual culture without having accepted the renounced order of life, sannyāsa. First accept sannyāsa, then talk of Absolute Truth. That is Śaṅkara-sampradāya. We Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya, our process is little different. Although we have nothing to do with this material world, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya gives facility that we can make the best use of this material world. That is the difference between the Śaṅkara philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Śaṅkara philosophy says that this world is false. We Vaiṣṇava philosophers, we say no. This world is not false because it is emanation from the real, the absolute real. How it can be false? It has got its proper use. One who does not know its proper use, for them it is false. They are after something false. But those who know the value of this world… Hari-sambhandhi-vastunaḥ. Everything has got some connection with the Supreme Lord. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Everything is in connection or has relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is our philosophy. We don't say that this speaker, microphone, is false. Why it is false? The microphone is produced out of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. This matter, this iron, or this wood, that is a production of Kṛṣṇa's energy. If Kṛṣṇa is true, Absolute Truth, then His energy is also true. And anything produced of His energy, that is also truth. But as the energy is utilized for the energetic, similarly anything produced by Kṛṣṇa's energy should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. That is our philosophy. So we don't say that false. We say reality. Therefore in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we accept everything, but accept everything for service of Kṛṣṇa. Nothing for my sense gratification. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We do not say that "This world is false. Give up." Why? The, our ācāryas, Rūpa Gosvāmī says,

anāsaktasya viṣayān

yathārham upayuñjataḥ

nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe

yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate

You should not be attached with Kṛṣṇa's property. The karmīs are attached to the Kṛṣṇa's property. They are trying to steal, unlawfully enjoy, Kṛṣṇa's property. That is karmī. And the jñānīs, so-called jñānīs, out of ignorance trying to renounce Kṛṣṇa's property. The jñānīs, they are very much proud that they are advanced in knowledge and renouncing, but if somebody asks, "Sir, what you are renouncing?" "This world." "All right. When this world became your property that you are renouncing? When this world became your property?" You renounce something which you possess, but if you do not possess something, what is the meaning of your renouncement? You came here empty-handed, you live here for some time and go away. So in the beginning you are not proprietor, and when you go away you are not proprietor. Then what is the meaning of your renouncement? That is the defect. So we don't renounce. We think, we see that everything is given by Kṛṣṇa to us. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā [Īśo mantra 1]. Now, I… Nothing belongs to me, everything Kṛṣṇa's. Even my body, that is also Kṛṣṇa's. My mind, that is also Kṛṣṇa's. My thoughts, my speech, whatever I create, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa philosophy, and actually, that is the fact.

So this Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā is a part of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because Lord Caitanya preached this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement within five hundred years. Of course, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new thing. From Bhagavad-gītā we understand it is five thousand years old, and from Bhagavad-gītā we also understand that it is five million years old. But in the modern age this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, was started by Lord Caitanya, and this Ratha-yātrā is part of this movement. Therefore we have introduced this Ratha-yātrā festival in our society. And the boys and the girls, they are taking it very nicely, and it will go on. So the Lord Caitanya was taking the part of Rādhārāṇī, when Rādhārāṇī requested Kṛṣṇa to come to Vṛndāvana. So when Lord Caitanya was before the Ratha-yātrā, He was thinking that "I am taking Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvana." That is His ecstasy. "I am taking Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvana."

So that function is observed yearly, and Kṛṣṇa, Jagannātha, goes to that Gundica. So today is Guṇḍicā-mārjana day. So Lord Caitanya personally used to wash the whole temple along with His assistants. Hundreds of… At that time there was no hose pipe, but people used to bring water in big, big waterpots. So when Lord Caitanya wanted to wash the Guṇḍīca Mandir, the king of Jagannātha Purī, Mahārāja Pratāparudra… He was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. So it was his open order to his officers that whenever Caitanya Mahāprabhu will ask for anything, it must be immediately supplied. So during this time about… In those days there was no railway facilities five hundred years ago. So people used to go on foot from, especially from Bengal. And because He was staying in Orissa, there were many Oriyan-Gauḍīya. Practically Lord Caitanya's followers are the Bengalis and the Oriyas. They are generally. Because Lord Caitanya appeared in Bengal and resided, He made His residence in Orissa. Naturally, the people of these two provinces became His devotees in large number. And still, in Orissa there are many devotees, as there are in Bengal. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was patronized or… Mahārāja Pratāparudra was very powerful king. He did not allow the Mohammedans to enter into Orissa. He was so powerful. At that time whole India was occupied by the Pathans, but they could not enter in Orissa and South India. So Mahārāja Pratāparudra was very powerful king, and at the same time he was a devotee of Lord Caitanya. So his open order was that whenever and whatever Caitanya Mahāprabhu will ask anything, it must be supplied. So on this day Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to wash that Guṇḍīca Mandir with hundreds of His followers. And they were ordered to bring water from the nearest tank. There is one tank. If you go sometimes to Jagannātha Purī, you'll see that place. So from that tank hundreds of waterpots were brought, and first of all it was… What is called? Sweeping. The sweeping process is first of all taken. And He wanted to see all the devotees, "How much dust you have gathered." He'll see personally. "Let Me see what is the amount of your dust you have gathered by sweep… [break] Then I will understand that you worked very hard." So then after it is very finely, twice. First of all, once swept, then second time. Not even a small particle grain should remain. That was His order. [break]

Chant. Chant. (kīrtana) (prema-dhvanī) Within this room, there is no facility for dancing. So on the Ratha-yātrā day we will have good facility for dancing. (devotees shout "Jaya! Hari bol!") Oh, prasādam? Thank you. (Prabhupāda takes some prasādam, then devotees chant as he leaves the temple) (end)

690727RY.SF

Ratha-yātrā Lecture at

The Family Dog Auditorium

San Francisco, July 27, 1969

Prabhupāda: My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for joining us on this Rathayātrā ceremony. I am going to sing now an Indian song, and then I shall explain it. Even if you don't understand the language of the song, still, if you kindly hear patiently, the sound vibration will act. The song is (sings)

śrī-kṛṣṇa caitanya prabhu doyā koro more

tomā binā ke doyālu jagat-saṁsāre (etc.)

The author's name is Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He is singing. He had many songs. We are gradually translating them into English, and we will have them in our paper, Back to Godhead. The purport of this song is, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu, doyā koro more: "My dear Lord Caitanya, please be merciful upon me."

śrī-kṛṣṇa caitanya prabhu doyā koro more

tomā binā ke doyālu jagat-saṁsāre

"I do not find anyone as merciful as You are." Yes. Śrī Caitanya Prabhu… You have seen the picture of Lord Caitanya. Yes, it is on the altar, Lord Caitanya dancing. He, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared as a devotee. You have heard the name of Bhagavad-gītā. In that Bhagavad-gītā the last instruction is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is asking everyone, "My dear sons, God is higher." That is accepted in every religion. Especially in your Christian religion, God is the supreme father. In the Vedas also it is said,

nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām

eko bahūnāṁ (yo) vidadhāti kāmān

(Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13)

The Supreme Absolute, He is also a living entity like us, just like your father, this material father from whom you have got this body, he is also a person, and you are also a person. You are son of your father. Similarly, although you cannot see God, we can understand from the version of the Vedas and authoritative scriptures if God is father, then He must be a person. He must be a person because I am person. We have to study by analogy, by our reason, our intelligence. Just like you have got experience in this life that "My father is a person. I am also a person." Although the relation is "I am his son; he is my father," but both of us are persons. None of us is imperson. That is nonsense. How my father can become imperson if I am person? This is nonsense.

Therefore those who are impersonalists, their knowledge is not yet perfect. They do not know actually what is the situation of their father. The supreme father is a person. It is confirmed in the Vedas, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "He is the supreme eternal of all eternals." We are all eternal. Each living entity, they are all eternal. Death means the end of this body. We are dying at every moment as our bodies change. So this death means death of this body, not of the spirit soul. Spirit soul is eternal. God is eternal, and I am His son, you are His son. You are also eternal. But just like particle of gold is still gold, similarly, the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, he is also God. It is said that we are partly God, and He is the Supreme God. That is stated in the Vedas, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: "He is the supreme eternal amongst all the eternal, and He is the supreme living creature amongst all living creatures." Supreme, that is the difference. The quality of God, the quality of me and you, is the same. Just like a small portion of the ocean water-if you analyze chemically you will find the same chemical composition. Similarly, as living entity you have got all the qualities of God in minute portion. Therefore He is Supreme. Because we have got all the qualities of God in very minute portions. So He is Supreme. We are subordinate.

Therefore in the Vedas it is said that the living entities are maintained by the Supreme Lord. That you can understand by your practical experience. There are millions and trillions of living creatures. The human society is only a small portion of this. If you take a portion of a drop of the Pacific Ocean, how many aquatics are there? There are 900,000 species of aquatics. So there are 8,400,000 species of living creatures, and all of them are being maintained by God, the Supreme Lord. We are also being maintained, but because we have become advanced in knowledge, therefore the result is we have forgotten God. This is the result of our education. The more we become advanced in so-called knowledge, you forget your relationship with God. Actually, that is not knowledge. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, "Those who are atheists, those who are godless, their knowledge is already taken away by māyā. They are so-called men of knowledge, wise men. Actually they are fools, rascals, those who are atheistic." This is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā. "Those who are lowest of the mankind…" Nara means man and adhama means lowest. The lowest grade of man denies the existence of God. So as we are forgetting our eternal relationship with God, so we are gradually degraded to the lowest position of living creatures. Our knowledge has no value. Anyone who is atheist, who has no knowledge of God, he has no good qualifications. These are the statements from the scriptures.

Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu, doyā koro more. So in this age we ask the mercy of Lord Caitanya because we have all forgotten what is our relationship with God. But we have got the dormant love for God. Just like a son and father-the son may forget, he may become a crazy fellow and go out of home, but that does not mean that his relationship with the father is broken. No. That is not possible. Even if I am a crazy fellow, when the father dies the sons have still the right to inherit the property of the father. The relationship is so strong. Similarly, we may try to forget God due to our craziness, but the relationship cannot be broken, and still God is so kind, He comes Himself, He sends His bona fide servants, He sends his son. In so many ways He is always canvassing, "My dear sons, do not suffer in this abominable condition of material existence. Come back to Me. Come back to home. You enjoy life, eternal life, and blissful life, and life of knowledge." That is God's business. Therefore He is all-merciful. In spite of our being disobedient, in spite of our forgetting, he does not forget. He says, "Whenever there is discrepancy in religious processes, and when there is predominance of irreligiosity…" What is religion and what is irreligion? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, "I come to establish religion," and again He says, "Give up all sorts of irreligion." That means surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Any other religion is not religion. That is bogus. We have concocted so many religious principles, but real religion is which teaches to surrender to God, to love God. That is real religion. And we are teaching that. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is no sectarian movement. We don't say that this is Christian religion or Hindu religion or Mohammedan religion or Buddhist religion. These religions develop in different parts of the world under different conditions. That is simply giving some idea of our relationship with God. But real religion is which teaches how to love God. That is real religion. The first-class religion is that if by following such religious principles you develop your dormant love of God. Then it is first class. And what kind of development? Without any reason. It is not that you go to love God because He supplies bread: "O God, give us our daily bread." No. No exchange. There is no reason why I should ask. "God is great; I am His part and parcel; it is my duty to love Him." When you develop this consciousness, this is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So try to understand this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not a new thing. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy was taught five thousand years ago. Not only five thousand years-Bhagavad-gītā is the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and although it was five thousand years ago in our memorable history, but in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that it was spoken some millions of years ago to the sun-god. So apart from that reference, Bhagavad-gītā is eternal because it teaches what is your relationship with God, what is your eternal duty to God, and what is the ultimate end of life. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, and the last instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā is that one has to give up all sorts of rascaldom or concocted religion. Simply one has to surrender to God. That is religion. We have developed this human form of life after passing through many millions of lower grades of life, and similarly we have to now develop this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, love of God. If you will take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, then we have volumes of books to convince you what is your relationship with God, what is your duty, what is your ultimate goal of life-these things are all very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. But unfortunately, so-called scholars and so-called wise men misinterpret the whole thing. That is why the Lord appeared as Lord Caitanya five hundred years ago to establish the correct principles of Bhagavad-gītā, and He showed that even if you do not understand the processes of religion, you simply chant

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

And it is practical. Just like when we were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, all the members who were assembled here were joining in, but when I am now talking about philosophy, some are leaving. It is very practical to see. The Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is so enchanting that anyone can take part in any condition. And if he continues to chant, gradually he develops his dormant love of God. His heart will be cleansed of all dirty things, and gradually he will be freed from the material concept of life, and he will be joyful, and he will see everyone as sons of God, and then he will begin his loving transcendental service to Kṛṣṇa.

So our only request is that you try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is very simple. We are requesting everyone to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and take prasādam. When you are tired of chanting, the prasādam is ready. Immediately you can take prasādam. And if you dance, then all of the bodily exercise is Kṛṣṇized, and all of the attempts of the yoga processes are attained by this simple process. So chant, dance, take prasādam. Even if you do not hear at first this philosophy, it will act, and you will be elevated to the highest platform of perfection.

Thank you very much. (end)

700704AR.SF

Ratha-yātrā Arrival Lecture and Press Conference

San Francisco, July 4, 1970

(ecstatic kīrtana, prema-dhvanī)

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Madhudviṣa: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta will now deliver a brief message in regarding the Ratha-yātrā festival, following which the members of the press will present their questions to His Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for your kindly receiving me to serve you. This Ratha-yātrā festival is part of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started by Lord Kṛṣṇa five thousand years ago in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Perhaps all of you know the famous book of knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā. In that Bhagavad-gītā, Ninth Chapter, last verse, it is said there, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], mām evaiṣyasi kaunteya. In that verse it was assured by (the) Lord that "You always think of Me." Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. "Become My devotee." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. "Just worship Me. In this way you will come to Me." Mām evaiṣyasi.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to utilize to the best possible means this human form of life. We are coming to this human form of life in the evolutionary process from aquatics to reptiles, to plants and trees, then birds and beasts, then human form of life. Out of that human form of life, there are many uncivilized form of life, just above the monkeys. But those who are civilized… Civilized means those who are following the instruction of the Vedas, varṇāśrama-dharma. The human society (is) divided into four varṇas and four āśramas. The four varṇas are social division, namely the student life, the householder life, the retired life, and renounced life. These four divisions of social life and four divisions of spiritual life-brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha…, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra-in this way there are eight divisions. These eight divisions of human society are very scientifically adopted. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. This civilized division of human society is so perfect that one can gradually, from the aquatic life, can go back to home, back to Godhead.

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Prabhupāda: So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the greatest boon to the human form of life. When Lord Kṛṣṇa was present, He advised this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement in the shape of Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, there are many scholars, academic scholars of Bhagavad-gītā, but because they do not come in the disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa, they misinterpret the real sense of Bhagavad-gītā and mislead the whole human society to the darkest region of ignorance.

So when Kṛṣṇa was present, once upon a time there was a lunar…, solar eclipse. At that time Kṛṣṇa, with His elder brother and sister… His elder brother's name was Balarāma and His younger sister's name was Subhadra. This Subhadra was also wife of Arjuna. So these three brothers and sisters in a chariot came from Dvārakā to Kurukṣetra. At that time the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana… Vṛndāvana… Kṛṣṇa's childhood was spent at Vṛndāvana under the care of His foster father Nanda Mahārāja. So when Kṛṣṇa went to His real father, Vasudeva, at Dvārakā, and came back to Kurukṣetra on this occasion of solar eclipse, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, who were suffering too much out of separation from Kṛṣṇa, they came to see Him. And at that time His beloved Rādhārāṇī was too much afflicted. She said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are the same Kṛṣṇa, I am the same Rādhārāṇī. But the place is different, Kurukṣetra. It is not Vṛndāvana. Therefore I wish that You come with Me to Vṛndāvana and let Us enjoy Our previous life." This is the ecstasy of the residents of Vṛndāvana.

Lord Caitanya, when He appeared, He took sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four years, and by His mother's request He was living at Jagannātha Purī. So every year He was taking part in this car festival of Jagannātha. This Jagannātha Deity was established by one King Indradyumna about more than three thousand years ago. This temple is very old. Even in some literatures of your Christian religion I find that Lord Jesus Christ also went to this Jagannātha temple and lived there for sometimes. Of course, how far it is true, that is to be judged by you, but I have read this information in a Christian book, Aquarian Gospel. So if we take this incidence that Lord Jesus Christ also went to Jagannātha temple, then from historical point of view it is two thousand years old. But it is, according to our calculation, it is more than three thousand years old. So this Indradyumna king, he asked Viśvakarma to carve the deity of Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadra. And there was a time limit. Viśvakarma made an agreement that "Unless I finish the deity's carving very nicely, you cannot see me." So door was closed, and the king was very much anxious to see the temple is established very soon. So he forcibly opened the door, and he saw that the deities were half finished. The Deity Jagannātha as you see, it appears half finished. The king decided, "Never mind it is half finished. I shall install these deities in the temple." Since then, the three deities Jagannātha, Balarāma and Subhadra are being worshiped in India, Jagannātha Purī. Perhaps you know. And the car festival takes place every year, and millions of people go there to participate in that cart, car festival.

So because we have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in your country, this car festival and Lord Caitanya's taking part in this is one of the paraphernalia of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And because it revives our consciousness about Kṛṣṇa, it is an easy process for reviving mass Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore if you participate in these car festivals, as it is stated in the scriptures, rathe ca vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā punar janma na vidyate… If you kindly see these Jagannātha deities riding on these cars and in procession, and as Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in front of this car, then according to our Vedic scripture, if you participate in this festival, in your next life you'll go to back, back to home, back to Godhead.

Devotees: (roar) Jaya! All glories to Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: So at least I'll request you to come and see this car festival. There is no expenditure, but it is simply joyful. You haven't got to pay anything. You simply come, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dance with us, and when you are tired we shall give you nice prasādam. So on behalf of Kṛṣṇa conscious society I invite you, all boys, girls, ladies, and gentlemen, to take part in this car festival, and I thank you very much.

Madhudviṣa: Now His Divine Grace will answer questions from the members of the press.

Pressman: Prabhupāda, hi. Why do you think…

Prabhupāda: You can sit down.

Pressman: Why do you think a growing number of young Americans are attracted to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?

Prabhupāda: It is very interesting question. Our, this body is combination of matter and spirit. So we have got some temporary necessities of this body. That is called material necessities. So far your country is concerned, your country is opulent. They have got all supplies of the necessities of the body. Now after this, there is another urge, which is described in the Vedānta-sūtra as brahma-jijñāsā, inquiring about the Supreme Absolute Truth. When one is above material poverty or material necessities of life, the next question is-that is natural-about spiritual. Because we are combination of matter and spirit, so that spiritual inquiry is there. Therefore generally, these boys and girls, they looked to some Indian swami to give them some enlightenment. Unfortunately, perhaps before me all the swamis who came here, they did not give them the right information. Perhaps they did not know it. So I am giving, delivering, the right message of spiritual life, Bhagavad-gītā. It is not manufactured by me or concocted by me. It is the old story, five thousand years. Why five thousands years? If we accept the statement of Bhagavad-gītā, this book of knowledge was first discussed with the sun-god some millions of years ago, so it is not a new thing. But in due course of time, sometimes it becomes covered. So Lord Caitanya, five hundred years ago, He wanted to give the spiritual knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the whole world, and He has ordered to every Indian that anyone who has taken birth as a human being in India should preach this transcendental knowledge throughout the whole world. So perhaps previously…, means somebody have preached this Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge, but since 1965 or '66, since I started this movement from New York, generally all the boys and girls, younger section, they are very much kind upon me, and they are coming to me. And I am very glad to have them. I am just training them to the right spiritual standard of life and I am happy they are abiding by them.

Devotees: All glories to Prabhupāda!

Pressman: Prabhupāda, do you have any advice for ordinary Americans?

Prabhupāda: This is open for everyone, not ordinary or extraordinary. Anyone can come and chant with us and take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Unfortunately, the elderly people, they do not think that it is necessary. That is the difficulty. Rather, we invite not only these boys and girls-their fathers, their grandfathers. Let all of them come and scrutinizingly study this philosophy. We have got hundreds of books. It is the, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is understandable even by the child and even by the greatest philosopher of the day. Recently I had some talks with Dr. Stahl on this high level understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if philosophers, scientists, thinkers, they come to me, we can convince them how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is important for the whole human society. Yes.

Madhudviṣa: Any other questions?

Pressman: Do you know…

Prabhupāda: Call, call that gentleman. (pause)

Devotees: Haribol! Prabhupāda! Mercy! Mercy, Prabhupāda!

Pressman: Do you know how many followers there are in the United States now?

Prabhupāda: Unlimited. (devotees roar) Some of them admit and some of them do not admit. That's all. (laughter) Everyone is eternally servant of God, but some of them admit and some of them do not admit. That is the difficulty. But anyone who does not admit, he is servant of somebody. That is a fact. He cannot be master. Everyone is servant. But one who knows that "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa," his life is perfect. That's all. Please try to understand this point that everyone is servant. Even your president is servant of the nation. So nobody can say that "I am no one's servant." He is servant, but he does not know that actually he is the servant of the Supreme Lord. That is his ignorance. We are just eradicating this ignorance, that "You are servant, but you admit that you are servant of God. That will make your life successful." That's all. Therefore I say that there are unlimited followers. Some of them admit and some of them do not admit. That is the difficulty. But if anyone comes to me, I shall make him to admit.

Yes. (devotees roar) Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all, anyone? Finish?

Madhudviṣa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Have saṅkīrtana. Or let us go?

Madhudviṣa: We can have a more… All right. Begin kīrtana. (end)

700705RY.SF

Ratha-yātrā

San Francisco, July 5, 1970

Prabhupāda: My dear boys and girls, those who have come here, I welcome you on behalf of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared five hundred years ago, and He introduced this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Ratha-yātrā is one of the item of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Jagannātha, just try to understand Jagannātha. Jagat means the moving world. Gacchati iti jagat, Sanskrit word, gacchati means which is moving. So all these planets, this universe, even the sun, everything is moving, as we are moving… We are, of course, animate. Even inanimate things are moving. Your motorcar moving, your machine is moving, but they are moving under the control of some animate object. But animate objects moving, some of the animate objects are standstill, just like trees, but ultimately they are also moving in this sense: that one species of life is being transmigrated to another species of life. Therefore it is called jagat. Jagat means moving. And Jagat-nātha, nātha means the proprietor, master, proprietor. So Jagannātha means the proprietor or the master of all these movements, He is Jagannātha. And Balabhadra, Balarāma, bala means strength and rāma means enjoyment. So Balarāma means who gives you spiritual strength for enjoying eternal blissful life, He is Balarāma. And Subhadrā, su means auspicious and bhadra means well-being. Subhadrā, Jagannātha and Balarāma combined together are present before you to reclaim you all from your miserable condition of life. That is the purport of this Ratha-yātrā Festival. [break] If anyone sees on the cart Jagannātha, Subhadrā, and Baladeva, then he does not take birth again in this material world. Ratheja vamanaṁ dṛṣṭa

So I shall not take much of your time, you are tired. But some of the important things I may inform you, that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a religious type; it is a great culture. It is a great culture for spiritual emancipation. Try to understand that we are in this world-not only we are; everything is combination of matter and spirit. Just like your body, this body is matter; but within this body, you, the spirit soul, is encaged or embodied. So anywhere you see, the tree… There are so many species of life, every species, every individual living entity is combination of spirit and matter. When the spirit is out of this body, then the body is matter only. Just like in your Bible also it is said, "Dust thou art, dust thou be-est." That dust is this body but not this spirit soul. So in this material world we are part and parcel of God, Jagannātha, and we are under the auspicious protection of Subhadrā, and we have got, I mean to say, implicitly the spiritual strength. In the Vedic literature you will find, nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyo. Bala, bala means this Balarāma, the spiritual strength. The spiritual realization can be achieved by the grace of Lord Balarāma.

So this human form of life is meant for spiritual realization. Please try to understand that this human form of life is a chance to get out of this material entanglement. In other than human life-animal life, trees life, beast life, birds life, aquatic life-there are so many, 8,400,000 species of life. Out of that, this human form of life is a boon wherein you can get out of this material entanglement and, being freed from this material entanglement, you can enter into the spiritual world, the kingdom of God. Yad gatvā na nivartante [Bg. 15.6]. And if you go there, then you haven't got to come back in this material world, which is called duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. It is the place of miseries as well as temporary. Even if we accept this place, miserable place, you will not be allowed to live here for long. You will have to quit this stage. Therefore it is called aśāśvatam. This is our position. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself says that this is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. So the human form of life should endeavor how to get out of it.

In this country especially, in all other countries also, the younger generation are not very satisfied. In your country, they say that the frustrated community, the confused community, the hippies. But I have got all sympathy for these frustrated community, everywhere. They should be frustrated. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life should feel frustration. If he does not feel frustration, then it is animal life. The symptom of human life is that he should be very much pessimistic, not optimistic, of this material world. Then there is path of liberation. And if we think that we are very much happy here, that is called illusion, māyā. Nobody is actually happy here. But if anyone wrongly thinks that he is happy, that is called māyā, illusion.

So my request to you, those who are feeling frustration, confused, this is a good qualification. Good qualification in this sense: that those who are feeling frustration and confused, they are disgusted with this materialistic way of life. That is a good qualification for spiritual advancement. But if you are not properly guided, then that will be another frustration. That will be another frustration. To save you from that frustration, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has come to your country, Lord Caitanya's movement. A great devotee, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he sings, patita-pāvana-hetu tava avatāra: "My dear Lord, Your incarnation is to reclaim all kinds of fallen souls." Mo sama patita prabhu nā paibe āra. "But I am the most fallen. Therefore, my claim is first. Because You have advented Yourself to claim all fallen souls, I am the most fallen; therefore You take care of me first."

So actually, who is a fallen soul? Fallen soul means anyone who has taken birth in this material world, he is a fallen soul, never mind what he is. He may be Brahmā or he may be an insignificant ant. Anyone who is within this material world. Because our constitutional position is spirit soul. Spirit means ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), by nature joyful, that is spirit. So because we have been put into some awkward position of this material existence, therefore we are… Although constitutionally we are joyful, we do not find anything joyful. Try to understand this point. In this material world, because we have been encaged with this material body, although our endeavor is to become joyful, on account of this encagement of this material body, we are not joyful.

So in the Vedic literatures, the whole Vedas, there are four Vedas originally-Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva-and from that Vedas, four Vedas, there are so many Upaniṣads, hundred-and-eight Upaniṣads. And the cream of the Upaniṣads is the Vedānta-sūtra. And the Vedānta-sūtra is very clearly explained by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So this Vedic literature is giving us the help and the clue how we can get out of this miserable condition of life. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the essence or cream of all these Vedic literature. In the Bhagavad-gītā, you will find that vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. By studying all the Vedic literature, you will have to find out Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is so kind, rather Kṛṣṇa's incarnation, Lord Caitanya, is so kind that He is giving you Kṛṣṇa in the form of His name. Nāma rūpe kṛṣṇa avatāra. So this Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, practically you can see also, Kṛṣṇa, this name Kṛṣṇa and the original Supreme Personality of Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent. If you simply chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then you are associating constantly with Kṛṣṇa. That is a fact.

So my request to you, those who are feeling frustration or confused, please take to this maha-mantra, chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. When I was coming, I was waiting there to see the procession, so many boys and girls, they are not within our Kṛṣṇa conscious group, they are outsiders, but they are also chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very feelingly. I was very much satisfied. Therefore my request is, I have specially come to you. I was not very feeling well to come here. But because I have come to San Francisco, I must give you the message. It is very important message. Those of you who are feeling frustration and confused, kindly take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that's all. You… There is no expenditure, there is no loss. We are not charging anything. It is not a business, that we are asking you to pay something because I am giving this information. No. It is freely distributed. You please chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra twenty-four hours. You can work, you can walk, and at the same time chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

So this Ratha-yātrā Festival is a mass movement for enlightening people to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got many other festivities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got Janmāṣṭamī, Śrī Rāma-navamī, Dola-yātrā, Jhulana-yātrā. So there are twelve months, but we have got twenty-four festivals as big as this Ratha-yātrā Festival. So if you kindly take to them, then as advised by Lord Caitanya, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31], you will always be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and there will be no scope of your frustration and confusion. For this purpose especially, I came in this meeting, that you kindly accept this humble instruction that wherever you may be, in whatever position, in whatever condition, you kindly chant these sixteen names [everyone chants], Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Chant again, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Again, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Thank you very much. (end)

710627RY.SF

Ratha-yātrā

San Francisco, June 27, 1971

Prabhupāda: When our eyes are anointed with love of God, we can see Him everywhere. That is the injunction of the śāstras. We have to develop our seeing power by developing love of Godhead. Premāñjana-cchurita bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. When one is sufficiently developed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can see the Lord every moment within his heart and everywhere, wherever he goes. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an attempt to teach people how to see God, how to see Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can be seen if we practice. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg. 7.8]. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the taste of the water.'' Every one of us, we drink water everyday, not only one, twice, thrice or more than that. So as soon as we drink water, if we think that the taste of the water is Kṛṣṇa, immediately we become Kṛṣṇa conscious. To become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not very difficult job. Simply we have to practice it. Just like this is an example how to practice to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Whenever you drink water, as soon as you are satiated, your thirst is quenched, immediately you think that this thirsting, the quenching power is Kṛṣṇa. Prabhāsmi śaśi sūryayoḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the sunshine. I am the moonshine.'' So during daytime, every one of us seeing the sunshine. As soon as you see sunshine, immediately you can remember Kṛṣṇa, "Here is Kṛṣṇa.'' As soon as you see moonshine at night, immediately you can remember, "Here is Kṛṣṇa.'' In this way, if you practice, there are many instances, many examples given in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Seventh Chapter, if you read them carefully, how to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then at that time, when you are mature in love of Kṛṣṇa, you will see Kṛṣṇa everywhere. Nobody has to help you to see Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa will be revealed before you, by your devotion, by your love. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234]. Kṛṣṇa, when one is in service mood, when one understands that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, or God,'' then Kṛṣṇa help you how to see Him.

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

[Bg. 10.10]

Kṛṣṇa says, those who are constantly, twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service… Just like these students, the member of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society, you'll find them twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is the, I mean to say, significance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are always engaged. This Ratha-yatra ceremony is one of the item, so that at least, one day, all of you will be able to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is only practice, and if you practice throughout your whole life, then at the time of death, if you can fortunately remember Kṛṣṇa, your life is successful. That practice is required. yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. We have to give up this body, that is certain. But at the time of death, if we remember Kṛṣṇa, immediately you are transferred to the abode of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but still Kṛṣṇa has got a special abode, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. You can understand that our body, body means the senses, and above the senses there is the mind, which is very subtle, which is controlling the senses, and above the mind there is intelligence, and above the intelligence there is soul. We have no information, but if we practice this bhakti-yoga system, gradually we understand what I am. I am not this body. This, generally even big, big scholars, big, big philosophers, scientists, they are also in the concept of this body. Everyone is thinking, "I am the body,'' but that is mistake. We are not this body. Just I explain. Body means the senses, but the senses are controlled by the mind, and the mind is controlled by the intelligence, and the intelligence is controlled by the soul. That you do not know. There is no educational system throughout the whole world how to understand the existence of soul, which is the prime necessity of understanding for the human being. A human being is not meant for wasting his time like animals, simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is animal life. The extra intelligence of human beings should be utilized how to understand "I am… What I am? I am a spirit soul.'' If we understand that "I am spirit soul,"' that this bodily concept of life, which has played havoc in this world… On the bodily concept of life I am thinking "I am Indian,'' you are thinking "American,'' he's thinking something, something. But we are all one. We are spirit soul. We are all eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, Jagannātha.

So today is a very nice, auspicious day. On this day Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He was present on this earth, He attended a solar eclipse ceremony at Kurukṣetra, and Kṛṣṇa, along with His brother Balarāma, and Subhadra, sister, came to visit the Kurukṣetra field. That Kurukṣetra land is still present in India. If someday you'll go to India you'll find that Kurukṣetra land is there. So this Ratha-yatra ceremony is performed in commemoration of Kṛṣṇa's visiting Kurukṣetra with His brother and sister. So Lord Jagannātha, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was in ecstasy. He was in the mood of loving spirit like Rādhārāṇī, so He was thinking, "Kṛṣṇa, please come back again to Vṛndāvana.'' So He was dancing before the Ratha-yatra, and you will understand, if you read some of the books published by you…, published by our society. One of the book is known as Teachings of Lord Caitanya. It is very important book. If you want to learn this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we have got enough books. You can scientifically and philosophically study. But if you have no inclination to study, if you simply take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, gradually everything will be revealed unto you, and you will understand your relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

I thank you very much for participating in this ceremony. Now let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and proceed with Jagannātha Swami. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

710627R2.SF

Ratha-yātrā

San Francisco, June 27, 1971

Prabhupāda: Jagannātha svāmī nayana-pathagāmī bhavatu me. (crowd repeats) Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. (crowd repeats) Thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this great Ratha-yatra festival. I have already explained what is this Ratha-yatra festival. It is in commemoration of a grand visit by Lord Kṛṣṇa along with His elder brother, Balarāma, and His younger sister, Subhadrā, in a solar eclipse ceremony at Kurukṣetra. This occasion is the subject matter of this Ratha-yatra festival. Apart from these historical references in the matter of Ratha-yatra festival, there is another spiritual meaning, that the Lord is situated in everyone's heart, and this body is just like ratha, or car. He is sitting in everyone's heart. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart.'' Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: [Bg. 15.15] "I am giving everyone the intelligence as well as I am taking away the intelligence from everyone.'' This double work is being done by the Supersoul. In one side He is helping how to realize self, how to realize God, and other side He is helping also to forget God. How is it that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as paramātmā, is doing this double work? The sense is that if we want to forget God, God will help us in such a way that we'll forget God life after life. But if we want to reestablish our relationship with God, from within He will help us in every way.

This human form of life is a chance for God realization. Without God realization, our life is frustrated. We being part and parcel of God, it is our duty to understand our relationship with God and act accordingly, and then our ultimate goal of life is achieved. The ultimate goal of life is to attain eternal life, full of knowledge and bliss, sac-cid-ānanda vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Sat means eternal, ānanda means bliss and cit means knowledge. This body is just the opposite. It is not sat. This body is temporary. It is not eternal. This body is full of ignorance. There is practically no knowledge. We do not know, after closing our eyes, we do not know what is happening before our eyes. So our knowledge is always imperfect. And this life is also miserable. It is not at all blissful. Every step, there are three kinds of miserable condition: ādhyātmika, adhibautika, adhidaivika. Ādhyātmika means miseries pertaining to the body and the mind. Adhibautika means miserable condition offered by other living entities. And adhidaivika, natural disturbances. So either of these three, or at least one or two, there must be always present. This is the material condition of life. But as spirit soul, we are sac-cid-ānanda vigraha, part and parcel of sac-cid-ānanda vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Sat means eternal, cit means knowledge and bliss, and ānanda means blissfulness.

So if we want to have eternal life, full of knowledge and blissfulness, then we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the greatest welfare activities in the human society. We are giving information to every man, without any discrimination of cast, creed, or color, that every human being especially, not only human being, all living entities, including the animals, beasts, birds, trees, aquatics-everyone-they can achieve to the highest perfection of life by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But especially the extra intelligence of the human being can be utilized to realize Kṛṣṇa. If we don't do that, we are missing a great opportunity. So our request to everyone is to understand this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If anyone wants to understand this philosophy through philosophical angle of vision or scientific angle of vision, we have got immense volumes of books. You can read and try to understand what is this great movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But you can also, without reading books, without taking any trouble, if you simply agree to chant this mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you get the same result. Even a child can join. Actually we have experienced that a child, a dog, an animal, everyone takes part in this movement. During the Lord Caitanya's movement, when He passed through a great forest known as Jharikhaṇḍa… Central India there is a great forest. Along with Him, the tigers, the elephants, the deers, everyone danced and chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is so nice, and it is so spiritual, the very vibration will immediately enthuse your ecstasy in spiritual consciousness.

Please, therefore, take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. There is no loss. There is no expenditure. We don't charge anything. We have arranged this Ratha-yatra festival by begging from door to door. Although we have no means, but still we are executing this function for the benefit of the people in general. Please take advantage of this spiritual movement and make your life blissful and perfect. If you miss this opportunity, you do not know what you are going to have next life. Do not think that there is no next life. Next life, every moment we are changing our body. You know that when your body was a baby, that body was very small. Now that body is no longer there. When you were a boy there was another body. That body is no longer there. Now you are young man there is another body, and when you'll become old man like me, you'll have another body. This means that we are changing bodies in every moment, every second, imperceptibly, but I, the spirit soul, exist in all circumstances. Therefore it is natural to conclude that after leaving this body I shall have another body. That's a fact. That is Vedic truth. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya [Bg. 2.22]. The example is given that as we change our dresses; similarly, we are changing our dresses from one body to another. We have changed dresses as aquatic animals, as many fishes and aquatic animals as there are in the sea, then we are change bodies as creepers, plants and trees for many, many years. Then we change our bodies in the insect life, reptiles life, then we are change our bodies in three…, thirty hundreds of thousands of beasts, then we have got this human form of life. That is also an evolution through many uncivilized form of human life. Now this civilized form of human life, with higher intelligence and consciousness, it is meant for God realization. It is not meant for utilizing as the animals waste their time simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is not our business. That is part of our business so far the body is concerned. But as spirit soul, our main business is to understand what I am, wherefrom I have come, where I shall go, why I am under the tribulation of threefold miseries of material condition. These questions must be answered. If we do not question, just like live like animal… The animal cannot question, neither they can understand the answer, but the human form of life they can question and understand the answer also. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is called brahma-jijñāsā, inquiring about the Supreme. So that is our prerogative. Please take chance of this human body and try to understand yourself and cleanse your heart from the dirty things by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

710701LE.LA

Ratha-yātrā

Los Angeles, July 1, 1971

Prabhupāda: Veṇum means flute. Kvāṇantam, playing on flute. So this Kṛṣṇa's flute is not our imagination. It is in the Vedic literature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is, He likes to play on flute. Just like here in this material world also, there are many boys who like to play on flute. Wherefrom this flute-playing idea came? That answer is given in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. All ideas, everything is coming from Him, from Kṛṣṇa. Unless there is in Kṛṣṇa, there cannot be anything in this material world. Janmādy asya yataḥ. Just like janma, your, somebody's birth from father or mother. So the symptoms of the father and mother, the facial expressions, even a spot in the face, everything becomes manifested in the child. So you can study what is God by studying yourself. That is Māyāvāda philosophy. They take it in a different way that "I am God, reflection." God, they say, God reflection. No. We are reflection. God is not our reflection; we are God's reflection.

So if we actually meditate upon our own constitution, then why we should conclude that God is impersonal? I am person. I am individual. I have got my individual opinion. I do not agree with others. Why? Because I am individual. You do not agree with me, I do not agree with you. Why? Because we are all individuals. So why God should be not individual? He is also individual. That is the statement in the Vedas.

nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām

eko bahūnāṁ (yo) vidadhāti kāmān

(Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13)

Nitya, nitya means eternal. We are eternal form. We change our body. We don't die. As we are changing daily, every moment changing body, so the final change means accept another body. This is also accepting another body, but imperceptibly. The change is so quick. Just like in the cinema spool there are so many pictures changing, but it is changing so quickly that we are seeing one picture moving. So that is our ignorance. But actually there are thousands of pictures changing in a moment, and you see that one picture is moving. Why do you not study in this way? Similarly, every second, our body is changing, just like spool, one after another, one after another, one after another. But I am… The spirit soul is there, just like the cinema spool is changing, but the seer is there. That is one, although the pictures are changing. Similarly, we are nitya. Nitya means eternal. And we are nitya. Then why God should be dead? They say, "God is dead." And what is foolishness? You are part and parcel of God, you are living, you are existing, and why the original soul should be dead?

So these are our foolishness. Meditation means to think over all this subject matter very intelligently, not like a rascal, that "If I am person, why God should be imperson? If I am eternal, why God should be dead?" This is meditation, to study diligently. If I have got an instinct to love others, so why God shall not, God will not have this instinct to love others? If I have got attraction for the opposite sex, why God should not have? Why He should not be attracted by Rādhārāṇī? Very simple truth. And why Rādhārāṇī should not be attracted by Kṛṣṇa? But the difference is: here everything is false. False means the attraction is not real attraction. But there the attraction is real. Here I am attracted with a boy, with a girl-after six months, finished. Because there are so many defects, therefore the attraction does not exist. It is all defective. This body is false, false in the sense it is an imitation. Just like you see one idol in the dress shop, very nice girl standing, but it is a false; similarly, this body made of material elements is not our real body. False. Similarly, the girl's body is false. Therefore, because false, the so-called love and attraction is also false. Therefore our so-called love breaks. There is no love here. It cannot be. There cannot be any love. This is… That tendency is there, but due to this material contamination, lust is going on in the name of love. Actually it is lust.

So we should discriminate between lust and love. Love cannot be accepted unless it is reposed in Kṛṣṇa. That is love. And all other, everything, that is lust. It appears to be similar, but love and lust, there is so much difference of value. Just like gold and iron. Gold and iron. Real love is gold, and the so-called love, or lust, is iron. How you can evaluate gold and iron on the same level? It is not possible. So you have to learn real love. That is how to love Kṛṣṇa. Our whole process is training people how to love Kṛṣṇa. Just like this temple. For Kṛṣṇa we are all engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, nice throne, Kṛṣṇa nicely dressed. But the atheist will say, "These people are foolish. They have taken a brass idol, and they are engaged." That is false. Actually, we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. We are dressing Kṛṣṇa directly. We are offering flower, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has kindly accepted the arca-mūrti incarnation to be handled by me. Otherwise just like Arjuna saw the virata-mūrti, the universal form of Kṛṣṇa. He was tremble; he was afraid. He requested Kṛṣṇa, "Please become again just like my friend. This is very fearful." Yes.

So Kṛṣṇa, because He is all-powerful, Parabrahman… Parabrahman means the bigger than the biggest and the smaller than the smallest. Aṇor aṇīyāṁ mahato mahīyān. Aṇu. Aṇu means particle. We have got idea, atom. Kṛṣṇa can enter into the atom also. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu cayāntara-stham. Paramāṇu means atom. Kṛṣṇa can become so big that many universes can be put into his mouth. Just like Yaśodā-mā, mother Yaśodā. He (she) wanted to check, "Whether You have eaten dirt? Show me Your face, mouth." As soon as Kṛṣṇa opened mouth, "Oh," Yaśodā-mā said, "all the universes are within." So Yaśodā-mā, out of affection, she thought, "Oh, this is something puzzling. All right, close your…" (laughter) That's all. That is God. He… "Mother, you want to see whether there is some dirt within My mouth? You see the whole universal dirts are within Me." That is called mahato mahīyān. Within that mouth, He exhibited all the universes. How it is possible? Yes, it is possible. Just like in the globe we see the whole world. Here is America, here is Russia, here this, here this. That is possible. It is a process only, to understand the process. Similarly, to understand God, it requires a process. You have to know the process, a secret process. That is bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Kṛṣṇa says, only through devotional service you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, to understand God, Kṛṣṇa, is not very difficult. It is very easy. He becomes revealed to the devotees.

So there is no difficulty. Simply we have to become sincere devotee. Our service must be very sincere and authentic under the direction of authority. Then you will understand God. There is no difficulty. Teṣām aham anukampārtham. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, teṣām evānukampārtham [Bg. 10.11]. Teṣām. Teṣām means not ordinary person. Those who are devotees, sincere devotees, to show them a special favor… God is kind to everyone, but He is specially kind to His devotees. That is His special. He is kind to everyone. Otherwise how everyone is eating? Nobody is starving. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Eka, that one eternal being, He is supplying everyone's necessities. And the plural number of eternals, they are dependent on that one. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.

So we have to study Vedas through authoritative sources. We have to follow the rules and regulations. Then, in this life, we shall be able to understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, you are liberated immediately. There is no doubt about it. Because without being liberated, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad anantaram. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that first of all you have to become liberated. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ, identification with Brahman. That is liberation. Now we are identifying with this matter, material elements. Everyone is illusioned. "I am this body; therefore I am American." "Therefore I am Indian." "Therefore I am this." "Therefore I am that." Everyone. This is called jīva-bhūtaḥ, ignorance. And as soon as one becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ, he understands. Prasannātmā. "Oh, I am neither American nor this, nor that. I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is brahma-bhūtaḥ, simply to change the consciousness. At the present moment our consciousness is material. I am identifying with matter. The same thing, consciousness, when changed, you identify with Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's interest, then you are liberated.

Thank you. [break] Is that all right? Or if there is any question, you can make question. Yes.

Devotee: Prabhupāda, can you explain a little more about Ratha-yātrā? Anyone who takes part in Ratha-yātrā, are they liberated?

Prabhupāda: Certainly.

Devotee: Does that mean they will not take birth again?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, provided they take it seriously. Otherwise, if they keep their mentality differently, then according to mind, one has to get a body. But… Just like so many boys. They come here in the beginning out of curiosity, but gradually, they get the chance of becoming devotee. Similarly, if they take the chance, then they will be liberated. They come out of curiosity, but if they take it seriously, then they will be liberated. Just like hospital is meant for curing disease. So one should take the treatment. If he simply goes and visits the hospital and thinks "Now I am cured," how it can be done? Hospital is a… Suppose if I advertise that "Anyone who comes to this hospital, he will be cured of his disease," that's a fact. But if he thinks that "I have come here. Now I am going," then how he will be cured? To see Jagannātha on the Ratha-yātrā, his way for liberation is open, but if he comes back again and entangles himself, then? One goes to the doctor. He gives injection. The disease is cured. But again he comes back and does the same thing so that he develops this disease again. So whose fault it is? This is called hasti-snāna. Hasti-snāna. The elephant takes bath very nicely, and as soon as comes on the bank of the river or the lake, he takes dust and throws it over body again. If we do that, then we shall remains always dirty. You go, take bath, cleanse, but don't take dirt again. That is not going on. They become immediately mukta, liberated, but they come, again becomes entangled. If it is a fact seeing Jagannātha is mukta, that's all… He becomes mukta. But if he again comes to māyā, then who can check him? Just like you are all on the path of liberation, but if you again come back to māyā, then where is your liberation? Why Jagannātha in the ratha here? If somebody comes here and sees his path for liberation is open… Now he should protect himself. Just like disease, fever is subsided. Now one should be careful not to relapse the fever. That care is in my hand, everyone's hands. And if you become prone to be relapsed again, then again the same thing. Just like in Christian church they confess. Of course, that is the injunction. That's all right. After confessing, the sins are excused. That's a fact. But if he comes back, again commits the same, then where is the effect? But they are happy in that way. They are… "After one week, I shall go to the church and confess my sins. Then everything will be neutralized." This is all right. Suppose on Sunday you become free from all contamination of your sinful activities. And Monday you again do the same thing. So you become again contaminated. And, say, on Tuesday if you die, then you are dying with sins. Is it not? Then what is your condition? If the God or Christ excused you of your sinful life, that's all right. But when you come back, you don't commit again sin. Then you are all right. But we have taken it as a business that we go to Sunday, neutralize our sins, and come back again and do the same thing. So from logical point of view, suppose you do the same sinful activities, and if you die immediately, then you die with sinful activities, go to hell. What benefit you derive by confessing in the church? This business is going on. "Now I have seen Jagannātha. My liberation is guaranteed. Now I can do anything." That's all. This mentality. This mentality will not give you liberation. You have seen Jagannātha, your sinful activities are now neutralized, but don't commit again. Now make progress. Then your liberation is guaranteed. Is it clear?

Nāmnāṁ balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. In every initiation we teach this, that chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, once chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, is sufficient to make us pure from all sinful activities, reaction. But if we commit sin again in the hope that "Because I am chanting, this will be neutralized," that is the greatest sin. So one side, you should chant always Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra so that you may not fall down; another side, you should be careful: "Now no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating." In this way, if you carefully make progress, then your liberation is guaranteed. Just like doctor. If you go to a doctor for treatment of a disease, he gives you medicine; at the same time, he prohibits you, "Don't do this." So you take medicine and don't do this. Follow this instruction. You are cured, guaranteed. But if you don't follow the "don't do this," and don't take the medicine regularly, then how you can expect cure? It may be, but it will take long time. But if you want quick, take it seriously. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. In six months he saw God, in six months. That is possible. You follow? (aside:) Stop. I shall say. So if we don't follow the regulative principle and the instruction, then our liberation will be delayed. Otherwise it is guaranteed.

Devotee: How do you develop this seriousness if you find that you are always frivolous?

Prabhupāda: Seriousness? If you become serious then you become, develop seriousness. If you are fickle, then how you can develop seriousness? Therefore the injunction is: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. You should be very serious to abide by the orders of the spiritual master. Then you are serious. If you think that "Spiritual master is a man like me. Why shall I follow his instructions so strictly?" then you are not serious. Then what is the use of your being initiated? This is seriousness. And we are singing daily, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. What is the meaning of this?

Karandhara: "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one receives the mercy of Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: So if you don't follow the spiritual master, then how you can get his mercy? Mercy is always there, but if you don't take it, then what spiritual master or his father will do? You have to take it. That is seriousness. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura said that "The order of my spiritual master is my life. I do not know whether I get liberation or not. That is not my business. My business is to carry out the order of my spiritual master." Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura said. If one is serious on this point, then he is serious. First of all we have to approach a spiritual master who is actually a spiritual master, and then, if we carry the orders of spiritual master, then everything is guaranteed. The same example: First of all you find out a right physician, and you put yourself under his treatment, follow his instruction, and the disease is cured. But if you go to a false physician or if you are false, then the result will not take place.

So ārati will be performed now?

Karandhara: About forty-five minutes.

Prabhupāda: So I can go?

Karandhara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

720713RY.LON

Ratha-yātrā

London, July 13, 1972

Prabhupāda:

…nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for you coming here and participating in this great movement known as Hare Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana movement. This saṅkīrtana movement was started five hundred years ago by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in India, in the state West Bengal, in the district of Nadia. His mission was that this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or God consciousness, should be spread all over the world. As many town and villages as there are on the surface of the globe, this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement would be spread all over. His prediction is now being carried out by some of the devotees. And you may kindly take advantage of this movement.

The purpose of this movement is to cleanse the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. We have created so many problems in our life simply on the platform of misunderstanding. Therefore this movement is meant for cleansing the misunderstanding of the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. What is that misunderstanding? The misunderstanding is that we are accepting this material body as the self. We are all living entities, spirit souls, encaged in this material body. We are transmigrating from one body to another. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and this human form of life is the greatest opportunity for self-realization. Self-realization means to know that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. I am part and parcel of God." You have… Most of you must have read Bhagavad-gītā. In the Fifteenth Chapter it is said that the living entities are part and parcel of God. God is by nature joyful. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said about the Supreme Absolute Truth, as ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), by nature joyful. Therefore, as we are part and parcel of God, our aim of life is joy. We are searching after that joyfulness within this material world, but that is not possible. Just like a fish, if it is taken from the water and put on the land, in any condition the fish will never feel joyfulness. Similarly, we are spirit souls. Somehow or other, we have come in contact with this material world. Therefore in this material world we cannot have joyfulness. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. This material world is not befitting our spiritual self. Spiritual self requires spiritual joy. That is beyond these material senses. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for clearing or cleansing or purifying the senses. As soon as we purify our senses, then actually we can enjoy our spiritual sense enjoyment.

In the material covering, the senses are not properly being used. The enjoyment which you are now having, it is simply a perverted reflection of our spiritual self. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for purifying our senses. In the Vedic literatures it is said, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When we become free from the designation, at that time we become spiritually purified. At the present moment, on account of our ignorance, or in ignorance of our self-realization, we are thinking in relationship with this body. I am born in India, so I am thinking, "I am Indian." You are born in England; therefore you are thinking Englishmen. Or other is thinking some other thing. But actually, we are neither Indian, nor Englishmen, nor Japanese, or nor German. We are spirit soul, part and parcel of God. Therefore that is self-realization. Unless we realize our self, all activities that we are enacting, this is meant for our defeat.

Therefore, practically we see that in spite of advancement of education, in spite of economic development, in spite of so many philosophical speculations, we are in the same problematic atmosphere. That is the defect of the present civilization, because they do not know what we are. We are spirit soul. So we must realize. That is… If we want to realize, everything explained in the Vedic literature, which is summarized in the Vedānta-sūtra and later on in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And five thousand years, the Lord Himself, Lord Kṛṣṇa, spoke the philosophy or the knowledge in the Bhagavad-gītā. We are publishing all these literatures translated into English. If you want to read them, if you want to understand this scientific, spiritual movement through your scientific knowledge, philosophical speculation, we have got dozens of books. You can read them and you can understand them. Otherwise, it is very simple method. You can simply chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. It is only sixteen words:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

So there is no expenditure. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, there is no loss on your part, neither we are charging anything. We are distributing this mahā-mantra free of charges, and anyone can chant. There is no difficulty. We are spreading this movement all over the world. Not only in your country-whole of America, whole of Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand. Everywhere. We have got one hundred branches all over the world. And there is no difficulty. Even in Africa, the Africans are also chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

So our only request is that in whatever condition you may be, it doesn't matter, please try to chant these sixteen words if it is possible, whenever you have got time. You have got enough time. You can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra when you are walking on the street, when you are traveling in the bus, or when you are sitting alone. There is no loss, but the gain is very great. Therefore our only request is that you take this mahā-mantra,

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

And we shall periodically remind you by such functions as we are holding today, the Ratha-yātrā festival. This Ratha-yātrā festival is very old. At least for 5,000 years. Lord Kṛṣṇa along with His elder brother Balabhadra, or Balarāma, and His sister Subhadrā came in a chariot from Dvārakā to Kurukṣetra. We are commemorating this arrival of Lord Kṛṣṇa with His family on this chariot. This function is held in Jagannātha Purī. Mostly you know. In India it is a great festival. And we are introducing this festival in the Western countries along with Hare Kṛṣṇa movement because the original progenitor of this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, namely Lord Caitanya, He took very much active part in this Ratha-yātrā festival. So following His footsteps, we are also introducing this Ratha-yātrā festival in the Western countries. Simultaneously as it is being observed in London, it is being held in San Francisco, Buffalo, and…

Devotees: Melbourne, Tokyo.

Prabhupāda: Melbourne, Tokyo, and many other places. And India also, in Calcutta also. So this festival, taking part in these festivals means a step forward for our self-realization. Rathe ca vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā punar janma na vidyate. Simply by seeing the Lord on the chariot, one makes advancement for stopping the repetition of birth and death.

So I am very glad that you have taken so much trouble to come here. Now will you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra along with the devotees and take part in honoring the prasādam? The prasādam is also one of the programs. Our Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is standing on three principal things: chanting, dancing, and eating prasādam. It is not very difficult. It is very enjoyable to chant, dance, and take prasādam. And if you like, you can hear a little philosophy of this movement. Or even if you do not understand the philosophy, even you do not read the books, simply if you take part in these three things, chanting, dancing, and taking part in eating the prasādam, your life will gradually progress in spiritual advancement of life. And if you continue this, then some day will come, even in this life it may come, that you will understand what is Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, then after leaving this body you go back to home, back to Godhead, directly (?). This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā… Lord Kṛṣṇa says,

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

[Bg. 4.9]

Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's appearance, Kṛṣṇa's disappearance, Kṛṣṇa's activities. This Rathayātrā is one of the activities of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore to take part in the Rathayātrā festival means to associate with Kṛṣṇa directly. So in this way, if we associate with Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's qualities, Kṛṣṇa's form, then, gradually, we transcend this material existence. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. If we simply try to understand about Kṛṣṇa's movement, then the result is, Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ: we have to give up this body. But if we give up this body after being elevated into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Then, after giving up this body, you haven't got to accept another material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Then where shall I go? Kṛṣṇa says, mām eti: "He comes to Me."

There is planet beyond this material sky. There is another sky. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paras tasmāt tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg. 8.20]. There is another sky, which is eternal. This sky is temporary. Just like your body, my body, or anything in this material world, they are temporary. They have got a date of birth, and they grow, they stay, they produce some by-products, then dwindle, and then vanishes. That is material nature. But there is another nature, which is called spiritual nature. Even when everything is annihilated, that nature stands. So that spiritual nature, or spiritual sky, is described in the Vedic literature, in the Upaniṣads, that there is no need of sunshine, there is no need of moonshine, there is no need of electricity. That is another sky. So our only business is to transfer ourself from this sky to that sky, that illuminating sky. That is the Vedic injunction. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaya: "Don't remain in this darkness, in this world of darkness. Come to the world of light." So this movement is very important movement. We are trying to educate people how to transfer one from this world of darkness to the world of light, which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. So I am very much thankful to you that you have given me your time. So we have got our books; our devotees are preaching. Take advantage of this opportunity and make your life successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol! (end)

720713R2.LON

Ratha-yātrā

London, July 13, 1972

Revatīnandana: The spiritual master who has founded this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement will address in just a few minutes. Then we'll begin the procession to Trafalgar Square.

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this festival, Ratha-yātrā festival. This festival is coming down since five thousand years when Lord Kṛṣṇa, along with His elder brother Balarāma and His younger sister Subhadrā, all together in a chariot came from Dvārakā to Kurukṣetra. Kurukṣetra is still existing, and the Dvārakā, the city, is also still existing. So according to Vedic culture, when there is eclipse, lunar eclipse, people take bath in sacred rivers. So especially they go to Kurukṣetra, a pilgrimage. So Kṛṣṇa along with His family members, brother and sister, came to Kurukṣetra, and receiving this news, the gopīs and inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, where Lord Kṛṣṇa lived in His childhood, they came to see Him. So amongst the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was the chief. And when she saw Kṛṣṇa in Kurukṣetra in all opulence, She said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are also here; I am also here. But We are missing Vṛndāvana. So I wish that You come along with Me again in Vṛndāvana and We enjoy in the forest of Vṛndāvana."

These feelings of separation was preached by Lord Caitanya. So this Ratha-yātrā festival is still observed in Jagannath Purī in India. And five hundred years ago Lord Caitanya participated in this festival, and He was in the mode of separation as if Rādhārāṇī was taking back Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvana. So this Ratha-yātrā festival is a feeling festival for the Vaiṣṇavas. Lord Caitanya taught us how to feel separation of God. Lord Caitanya never taught us that He had seen God, but He felt the separation of God very severely. Similarly, His next disciples, the Sad-Gosvāmīs, they also prosecuted their devotional service by separational feelings.

he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-suno kutaḥ

śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ

ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

So this Ratha-yātrā festival is very nice, feelings festival for the Vaiṣṇava. And anyone who is participating in this festival, he'll gradually develop his dormant love for Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much for your kindness.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! Jaya! (end)

750712RY.PHI

Ratha-yātrā

Philadelphia, July 12, 1975

Prabhupāda: Ladies and gentlemen, first of all I wish to thank you, the inhabitants of this great city, Philadelphia. You are so kind, enthusiastic, in taking part in this movement. So I am very much obliged to you. I am especially obliged to the American boys and girls who are helping me so much in spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the Western countries. I was ordered by my spiritual master to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Western countries. So in 1965 I first came in New York. Then in 1966 this society was regularly registered in New York, and from 1967 this movement is regularly going on in America, Europe, Canada, and south of Pacific Ocean, Australia, and throughout the whole world.

So I may inform you little about this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa, this word, means all-attractive. Kṛṣṇa is attractive to every living entities, not only human being, even the animals, birds, bees, trees, flowers, fruits, water. That is the picture of Vṛndāvana. This is material world. We have no experience of the spiritual world. But we can get an glimpse idea, what is spirit and what is matter. Just try to understand the difference between a living man and a dead body. The dead body means as soon as the living force within the body is gone, then it is dead matter, useless. And so long the living force is there, the body is very important. So as we experience in this body, there is something as dead matter and something as living force, similarly, there are two worlds: the material world and the spiritual world. We living entities, every one of us, we belong to the spiritual world. We do not belong to the material world. Some way or other, we are now in contact with this material world and material body, and the business is that although we are eternal living force, on account of our contact with this material body, we have to take four tribulations: birth, death, disease and old age. That we have to undergo. In this material world we are getting one type of body, and it is ended at a certain stage. Just like any material thing. You take, for example, of your dress. You are dressed with a certain type of garment, but when it is worn out, no more usable, then you throw it, you get another dress. So this material body is the dress of the spirit living force. But because we are attached to this material world, we want to enjoy this material world, we get different types of body. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā as a machine. Actually it is machine, this body. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmāyān sarva-bhūtāni

yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

[Bg. 18.61]

So we living entity, we desire. "Man proposes; God disposes." God is very kind. Whatever you desire, He will fulfill. Although He says that "This kind of material desires will never satisfy you," but we want. Therefore God supplies us, Kṛṣṇa, different types of body to fulfill our different desires. This is called material, conditional life. This body, change of body according to desire, is called evolutionary process. By evolution we come to the human form of body through many other millions bodies. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. We pass through 900,000 species of form in the water. Similarly, two million forms as plants, trees. In this way, by nature's way, nature brings us into this human form of life just to develop or awaken our consciousness. Nature gives us the chance, "Now what do you want to do? Now you have got developed consciousness. Now you again want to go to the evolutionary process, or you want to go to the higher planetary system, or you want to go to God, Kṛṣṇa, or you want to remain here?" These options are there. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṛn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni

mad-yājīno 'pi yānti mām

[Bg. 9.25]

Now make your selection. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can go. If you want to remain here, in the middle planetary system, you can do so. And if you want to go to the lower planetary system, that you can do. And if you want to go to God, Kṛṣṇa, that also you can do. It is up to your option. Therefore, what is the difference between this material world, maybe in the higher planetary system or in the lower planetary system, and what is the spiritual world? The spiritual world means there is no material consumption. Everything is spirit, as I told you. The trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water, the animals-everything is spiritual. So there is no annihilation. It is eternal. So if you want to go to that spiritual world, then you can have this opportunity now in this human form of life, and if you want to remain in this material world, you can do so.

So our movement is that "Why not stop this material, conditional life, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease?" This is intelligence. "Why should we remain in this material body and undergo repetition change of body? Let us have our original, spiritual body." That is wanted. That is intelligence. The human life is therefore meant, as it is stated in the Vedānta philosophy, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now this life is meant for enquiring about the Absolute Truth." So that is required. That is human intelligence. And if we spoil our life like the animals… They are also eating; we are also eating. They are also sleeping; we are also sleeping. They are also having sex intercourse; we are also having sex intercourse. They are also defending; we are also defending. These four principles are common to the human being and to the animal. The special advantage of human being is that if he likes, he can stop this repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to Godhead. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to educate people about this science, how to go back to home, back to Godhead. It is not a so-called religious movement. Of course, anything which has connection with God, you can take it as religious movement. But it is very scientific movement. For the big scientists, philosophers, thinkers, they should try to understand this movement. We have got fifty-seven books for convincing the philosophers, scientists. If you want to know the value of this movement through science, philosophy, we have got enough ingredients to supply you. Otherwise, it is simple, very simple. Simply chant this mantra,

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Then everything will be manifest to you. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means cleansing the core of your heart. Because our heart or mind or consciousness is now covered with so many dirty things. So if we chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then these dirty things will be cleansed. Then we shall be able to see "What I am, what is my position, what is my goal of life, what I have to do." This is human consideration. The dogs, cats, they cannot do that. But a human being, they can do it very nicely.

So on account of this, you will find that these young men, not only from your country but in other countries also, in Africa, in Australia, in Canada, in Europe, in Asia-everywhere-as soon as they are understanding this philosophy, they are joining this movement. And it is not very difficult. We don't charge anything for selling Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We are chanting everywhere. That you saw, this Ratha-yātrā. Now, our only means is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And these thousands of men are following simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So you can understand what is the potency of this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We do not pay anything, you ladies and gentlemen, to follow us. But we simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So it is very potential. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, he has sung, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is not anything material. Therefore you will never feel tired chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You see practically. You go on chanting twenty-four hours; you will never feel tired. Therefore it is said, golokera prema-dhana. This chanting vibration is coming from the spiritual world. Just like you receive material sound vibration in the radios or television from distant place, there is another machine which can receive the vibration in the spiritual world. So that vibration is Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-saṅkīrtana,

rati nā janmilo kene tāy

"Oh, I am so unfortunate that I did not get any attachment for chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." Saṁsāra-dāvānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale. The saṁsāra, this material world, is very uncomfortable place. Everyone is always full of anxiety. However rich you may be, however powerful you may be, but the anxiety must be there. You can understand, your president Nixon, how much anxiety he had when all people wanted him to come down. So this material world means in whichever position you may be situated, it doesn't matter. It is full of anxiety. This is called blazing fire, always burning the heart. So if you want to get relief from this uncomfortable position of anxiety, then you must take to this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is our request. You can try for it and you will see the practical result. It will not cost you anything; there is no loss about it.

So our only request is, with folded hands and begging you, so many flatterings, we simply request… Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ pādayor nipatya. This is our process. We are not very violent pushing. Now, you see our procession came, so many, for three hours. There was no violence. And the police department of your country, they very much appreciate because they have got experience whenever there is some procession, there is violence. "Window-breaking crowd," they say. But these people are not win-breaking crowd. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement… You have already accepted it, this movement, your so many young men. So we request. This is another occasion to invite you. So our only request is that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and you will feel very much happy. There will be no anxiety. And then you can do your work. It doesn't matter what you are doing. But chanting of this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will make you more and more happy, free from material anxieties, and if we continue this process, then everything will be clearly understood about spiritual life, and very easily we shall be able to go back to home, back to Godhead.

Now, this occasion I may explain little bit. Here you see Jagannātha and Balarāma and Subhadrā. They are Kṛṣṇa and His elder brother and His sister, Subhadrā. There is a place in India about ninety miles north of Delhi. You have heard the name of New Delhi. The place is named Kurukṣetra. It is accepted as the holy place, pilgrimage. People still gather there, especially during the eclipse, solar and lunar eclipse. So there was once, five thousand years ago, there was a solar eclipse, and all people, from all parts of India, they came to Kurukṣetra, and Kṛṣṇa at that time was prince at Dvārakā, He also came with His elder brother and sister. Kṛṣṇa in His childhood, He was raised as the foster son of Mahārāja Nanda and mother Yaśodā in Vṛndāvana. Then, when He was grown up… You will find this history in the Kṛṣṇa book. So the incidence is that Kṛṣṇa was the beloved personality in Vṛndāvana. So when He left Vṛndāvana, all the people there, they were very, very unhappy. So when Kṛṣṇa came to Kurukṣetra from Dvārakā with His brother and sister, these people in Vṛndāvana, they got news that Kṛṣṇa is coming there. Vṛndāvana is about the same distance. Kurukṣetra is greater distance. Anyway, they came to see Kṛṣṇa out of their love. And the most beloved personality, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, She was requesting Kṛṣṇa that "You are the same Kṛṣṇa. I am the same Rādhārāṇī. But the place is not the same. You are here in Kurukṣetra in royal opulence, and we are coming from the village. So if You again please come to Vṛndāvana." This was Rādhārāṇī's request. And it is very ecstatic feeling. Those who are advanced devotee, they can enjoy.

So we observe this incidence annually in as many places in the Western countries. At the present moment we hold this ceremony in London, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, and where else? Buffalo, Melbourne, yes. So this is a very feeling festival. So I thank you very much. You have come here. And try to understand our philosophy. You are all educated boys and girls. We have got fifty-seven books. Try to read, and try to understand. And take it very seriously, and you will be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

760718RY.NY

Ratha-yātrā

New York, July 18, 1976

Prabhupāda: …served five thousand years ago at Kurukṣetra. In India there is still that place, Kurukṣetra, and religious men go there especially on the occasion of solar eclipse. So recently there was solar eclipse. Still, many millions of Indian population gathered there. Those who have gone to India might have seen this holy place, Kurukṣetra. There is a railway station also of the name Kurukṣetra, and it is a vast field. The Battle of Kurukṣetra took place also during Lord Kṛṣṇa's time, and the Bhagavad-gītā is the product in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So this ceremony…, Kṛṣṇa, with His elder brother Balarāma and His younger sister Subhadrā, visited in this chariot at Kurukṣetra, and we are observing this festival. Formerly one king of the name Indradyumna, he started the temple of Jagannātha in Orissa at Purī. Perhaps some of you who have gone there, they know there is a very, very old temple, according to modern calculation, not less than two thousand years old. There is the Jagannātha Deity. The King was very much anxious to establish a temple of Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadrā, but there was a contract between the sculptor and the King that the sculptor would go on working in closed door and the King should not disturb him. But when many days passed the King felt, "What this worker is doing?" So he forcefully opened the door, and he saw that the sculptor could not finish the Deity. So this form of Jagannātha, Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadrā, was unfinished. They were going under construction, carving, but the King forcibly opened the door. Therefore the King said, "I shall worship this unfinished Deity. Never mind." So this Jagannātha you see in this form because King Indradyumna wanted to worship Him in that form.

So this is devotee's willing. Kṛṣṇa accepts everyone's devotional service if it is offered with love and affection. He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Kṛṣṇa said "Anyone who offers Me a little flower, a little water, a little fruit, with love and affection, I eat them, I accept them." So if something offered by you to Kṛṣṇa is accepted by Him, then you should know that your life is successful. So there is no question of offering God so many things very gorgeously prepared, but you can offer a little flower, a little fruit and little water with love and affection. That means even the poorest man in the world can worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no hindrance. Ahaituky apratihatā. Devotional service cannot be checked by any material condition. If anyone wants to worship God, he can do in any condition of life. There is no restriction. There is no restriction of cast and creed or country or nation. Anyone can worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to his means, and our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a propagation to teach people how to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is our mission, because without relationship with God, without reviving our eternal affinity with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we cannot be happy. The Vedic injunction is sarve sukhino bhavantu: "Everyone become happy." We are actually struggling for existence to become happy, but we do not know how to become happy.

So this science was taught five thousand years ago by God Himself. He advented in India. That does not mean He advented for India's benefit. He claims… Actually that is God's claim, that He is the father of all living entities.

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yaḥ

tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir

aham bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

God is father, supreme father of everyone. If we simply study this verse from the Bhagavad-gītā, that the mother nature is the mother of all living entities and God is the supreme father of everyone… We can study these two lines very carefully. On the earth we can see so many living entities are coming out, beginning from the grass, then so many insects, reptiles, big trees, then animals, birds, beasts, then human beings. They are all coming from the earth, and they are living at the expense of earth. The earth is supplying food to everyone. As the mother gives life or maintains the child by the milk of her breast, similarly, the earth mother is maintaining all different types of living entities. There are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and the earth, mother earth is supplying food. There are thousands of elephants in the African jungle, they are also being supplied with food. And within your room in a hole there are thousands of ants, they are also being supplied food by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the philosophy is that we should not be disturbed by the so-called theory of over-population. If God can feed elephants, why he cannot feed you? You do not eat like the elephant. So this theory, that there is a shortage of food or overpopulation, we do not accept it. God is so powerful that He can feed everyone without any difficulty. Simply we are mismanaging. Otherwise there is no difficulty.

So under the circumstances we propose that every one of you become God conscious. The paragraph which I was mentioning, that we see the mother, mother earth, and we see the children in different forms… Then we must accept that there is father. Because without father there is no possibility of mother begetting children. If you simply understand this philosophy of father, mother and children, then you can very easily understand that there is God, the supreme father. There is no difficulty. But if you do not become reasonable as human being, if you remain as animal like cats and dogs… The dogs cannot understand that there is the supreme father, God, but a human being can understand. He has got intelligence. So with this advanced intelligence, if we do not understand about the existence of God, our relationship with Him and what is our duty in that relationship, then our, this human form of life will be spoiled. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is checking the human society from spoiling the human form of life. This human form of life, by the evolutionary process we have got after millions and millions of years, and if we spoil this life eating, sleeping, mating and defending like the cats and dog without any sense of God, then our life is spoiled. So please do not take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement as any sectarian movement. It is the science of God. Try to understand the science of God. We have got so many… (man yelling in background) What is that?

Rādhā-vallabha: It's a crazy boy.

Prabhupāda: All right. Either you accept it directly or you try to understand through philosophy and science. We have got so many books. So kindly take advantage of this movement and impartially try to understand what is the purpose of this movement, why we are distributing so many literatures. Soberly and with calm head, try to understand this movement and be happy. That is our only mission.

Thank you very much. (end)

680816JM.MON

Janmāṣṭamī

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's

Appearance Day Lecture

Montreal, August 16, 1968

Devotees: govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

Prabhupāda:

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.29]

(repeats govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi and devotees respond)

veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ

barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda sundarāṅgam

kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.30]

(govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi)

ālola-candraka-lasad vanamālyavaṁsi

ratnāṅgadam praṇaya-keli-kalā-vilāsam

śyāmaṁ tribhaṅga-lalitaṁ niyata-prakāśaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.31]

(govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi)

aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti

paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti

ānanda-cin-māyā-saduj-jvala-vigrahasya

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.32]

(govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi)

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.33]

(govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi)

panthāstu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānāṁ

so 'pyasti yat prapada-sīmny-avicintya-tattve

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi)

So today, the birth appearance ceremony of Lord Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says,

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

[Bg. 4.9]

"My dear Arjuna, any person who simply tries to understand about My transcendental birth or appearance and disappearance and activities, janma karma…" The Personality of Godhead is not niṣkriya, without activities. So anyone who can understand that what kind of activities the Lord has and what kind of birth He accepts, simply by understanding these two things one gets wonderful result. What is that? Tyaktvā deham. By quitting this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], he does not take any more birth in this material world. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti. Some of us may think that punar janma naiti means he becomes vanquished. No. Punar janma naiti, but mām eti, "He does not come to this material world, but he comes to Me." Mām eti. Mām eti means, then… [break] …abode where we can go. Simply by understanding the nature of His appearance and activities.

So today is that auspicious day, Janmāṣṭamī, when Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago in India, Mathurā. Those who are Indian ladies and gentlemen present, they know very well where is Mathurā. It is about ninety miles south of New Delhi. Mathurā is still existing and it is eternally existing. Kṛṣṇa appeared in Mathurā in His maternal uncle's house in a very precarious condition. That birthplace, Lord Kṛṣṇa's birthplace, is now maintained very nicely. One who goes to India, they see. So anyway, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared on this planet five thousand years ago. Now Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. Divyam means "not ordinary." It should not be understood just like we take our birth. Kṛṣṇa does not take his birth like us. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are speaking that formerly You spoke this yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god. That means it is millions and trillions years ago You spoke. How can I believe it?" Because Kṛṣṇa was contemporary to Arjuna, so he was thinking that "Kṛṣṇa is my friend, is my cousin brother. How it is possible that He spoke this Bhagavad-gītā yoga to sun-god?" So what was the reply? The reply was this, that "You also appear many, many times; I also appear many, many times. The difference is that I can remember. You cannot remember."

That is the difference between God and ordinary living creature, that we are also taking birth after birth. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and so long we are in this material world, we are cycling round this birth after birth. So Kṛṣṇa's birth is not like that. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. Tattvataḥ means in truth. Not superficially. Scientifically, one who knows, he can get immediately liberation. And how one can understand the same truths? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvan yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. Again the same thing, tattvataḥ, in truth. If anyone wants to know God, or Kṛṣṇa, in truth, not superficially, then he has to undertake the process of devotional service. Bhaktyā. In another place Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. "Any person who gives Me a little fruit, little flower, little water, but with devotion, bhaktyā…" That is the only qualification. So Kṛṣṇa says, tayā bhaktyā upāhṛtam aṣnāmi. "Because he brings it with devotion and faith and love, I eat." Kṛṣṇa eats. We are offering in the temple prasādam. So He eats because He says "I eat." How you can say that He does not eat? Some gentleman asked me that "Swamijī, you offer prasādam in the temple, but do you think Kṛṣṇa or God eats?" I answered, "Yes, why not? He says, 'I eat.' How you can say He does not eat? But you do not know how He eats." Due to poor fund of knowledge, you think that God does not eat. But eat…, His eating process is different. That is answered in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Brahma-saṁhitā, it is said aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti [Bs. 5.32]. God's senses, Kṛṣṇa's senses are as powerful as other senses. Just like I can see with my eyes, but Kṛṣṇa can eat also with His eyes. That is… Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti. Just like…

There is many examples. Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, the first creation is that Garbhośāyī (Garbhodakaśāyī) Viṣṇu lying on the ocean and Brahmā was created from His navel. There was a lotus stem grown from the abdomen of the Lord, and Brahmā was born. Now Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, was just sitting. But as we understand that if we beget child, we require the cooperation of wife, but here we see that wife was sitting, but He begot Brahmā from the navel. This is called sarva-śaktimān. He does not require anyone's help. He can beget child. Not exactly as we beget child. Therefore janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. He is within your heart, He is everywhere, so He can appear from everywhere. Just like sun rises from the eastern side. It does not mean that eastern side is the mother of sun. We simply see that sun is rising from the eastern side. In this way, if we try to understand in truth, then we can understand what is God. Superficially, if we try to understand by our experimental knowledge, then it is not possible to understand God.

panthāstu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānāṁ

so 'pyasti yat prapada-sīmny-avicintya-tattve

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

The Brahma-saṁhitā said that if one starts on the chariot of air and makes progress on the speed of mind, still one cannot understand what is God. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. He cannot be understood simply by studying Vedas. Traiguṇya viṣayā vedaḥ nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. One has to transcend the position of Vedas also. Then one can understand what is God or what is Kṛṣṇa.

So that process is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvan yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. So this bhakti, devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, is so nice. And under that bhakti category, this Janmāṣṭamī… Of course, this Janmāṣṭamī ceremony is observed by all Hindus. Irrespective of becoming Vaiṣṇava or not, this ceremony is observed in India every home. Just like in your Western countries the Christmas is observed in every home, similarly Janmāṣṭamī is observed in every home. Today is a great ceremonial day. So our program is, at twelve o'clock night the Lord will take birth and we shall receive Him. And just now it is ten o'clock. For two hours our program will continue in kīrtana. Kīrtana means sometimes chanting with music, and sometimes speaking. Both of them are kīrtana. Kīrtayati iti kīrtanam. Whenever we glorify the Lord, that is called kīrtana. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam reading is also kīrtana. Abhavad vaiyāsakī kīrtane. Vaiyāsakī, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he achieved the highest perfection, liberation, simply by reciting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrī-viṣṇu-śravane parīkṣit. Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he simply heard. There are nine processes of devotional service. Śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. Chanting, hearing. First hearing, then chanting. Without hearing, nobody can chant. Śravanaṁ kīrtanam. And what sort of śravanaṁ kīrtanam? Viṣṇoḥ, of Viṣṇu. Not anything else.

śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātmā-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

These are nine processes of devotional service, of which śravanam, hearing, is most important. Without hearing, nobody can understand the science of God. Therefore the Vedic mantras are called śruti. Śruti means it is to be heard. It is not to be experimented in the laboratory. It is simply to be heard. Therefore it is called śruti. So śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam. Vandanam, offering prayer. We also offer prayer. The other religious sect, just like the Christians, they offer prayer; the Muhammadans, they offer prayer. So prayer, offering prayer is also one of the items of bhakti. Chanting, hearing, meditating, offering prayers, arcanam, worshiping the Deity in the temple, all of them are together devotional service. So out of the nine… If you can execute all the nine, it is very good. But it is not possible. So even if you can execute one item, you become perfect. It is so nice. Śrī viṣṇu śravane parīkṣit. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he simply executed the function of hearing, he got perfection. Similarly, abhavad vaiyāsakī kīrtane. Vaiyāsakī means Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply glorified the Lord. Prahlādaḥ smarane. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was simply meditating. There are many examples. Simply by following one principle of this devotional service, they got the highest perfectional life, liberation, back to home, back to Godhead.

So we shall invite today to speak about Kṛṣṇa from our students, as well as all the members who are present here. So I shall request Janārdana to speak something about his realization of Kṛṣṇa. (pause) All right. Let him speak.

Janārdana:

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

Kṛṣṇa, we know, is the ultimate Supreme Personality of Godhead. The name Kṛṣṇa has a meaning. The meaning of the name Kṛṣṇa is "the supreme attractive." Whatever there is that holds any attraction, that attraction is given by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa explains this Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. So in our life in this material world, we have so many different attractions which we are pursuing in order to build what we think will be our happiness. All this attraction is the attraction of Kṛṣṇa's inferior energy. Kṛṣṇa's māyā holds a great attraction for all the conditioned souls. And by following this attraction of Kṛṣṇa's māyā, they are continuing in the circle of birth and death. We are born into this world because we desire to enjoy something, so Kṛṣṇa provides us with a body that is suitable for that enjoyment, and He provides us also the objects of the enjoyment that we desire. However, also to remind us of our highest possible potential, that of the spiritual, unconditioned existence, we have along with these material enjoyments various kinds of suffering. These material enjoyments, although they are temporarily real, come to an end, and then there is feeling of bereavement and regret.

So we are now enjoying the māyā of Kṛṣṇa's external potency in our ordinary life. Unless we realize the personality of Kṛṣṇa Himself… We must have personal realization, personal contact with Lord Kṛṣṇa. So long as we are enjoying these objects of our senses and thinking that these objects belong to us, and so long as we don't know to whom all these objects belong, to whom belongs the land, the money, the foods that we eat, the clothes that we wear, our families-so long as we do not know to whom all these belong, then we are enjoying in a state of ignorance. Factually we are being thieves. We cannot be happy in such a condition. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He provides us with all these objects of enjoyment, as we like them. But we can achieve a far happier state, not only for ourselves but for the whole human kind, if we realize that Kṛṣṇa, who is the supreme source of all the attractive objects that we are enjoying, is a person who is ready to receive as His loving servants the moment we want to surrender all our false ideas of ownership and come back to the spiritual platform.

So Lord Kṛṣṇa for this reason has appeared. He wants to call the conditioned souls back to Godhead. He wants us to realize that He is the source of the whole universe, He is the owner of the universe, He is the supreme enjoyer, the supreme knower of everything, and that we are always welcome to associate with Him by the grace of His devotees, by the grace of a spiritual master. And so He has appeared, and we are now celebrating the Janmāṣṭamī day, the day when Lord Kṛṣṇa came to this conditioned plane out of His own transcendental power, with His full spiritual potency, in order to reveal the supreme nature of sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1], eternal knowledge, consciousness, and bliss, to all the conditioned souls so that they might be attracted to Him, and so that they might come out of the miseries of material existence and of ignorance. At this particular time in the world it is very much necessary that all people hear about Kṛṣṇa and that they should become attracted to chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa, to hearing about Kṛṣṇa's wonderful pastimes. So that by this exquisite attraction for Kṛṣṇa they might forget their lower desires, which are now leading everybody to a hellish condition of life in which it seems inevitable there are going to be wars and pestilences and starvation, diseases, all kinds of social injustice. All these things are unavoidable so long as the world at large does not understand who owns everything, who owns the land, who owns the money, who owns the food. So long as they don't understand that Kṛṣṇa is the owner and enjoyer of everything, so long as they don't understand that it is the highest enjoyment for the living soul to serve Kṛṣṇa, it is the perfect harmony in this condition to serve Kṛṣṇa, so long there will be fighting due to ignorance and deluded cross purposes.

This International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement is meant for spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the whole world so that people might realize their spiritual existence, and so that the whole atmosphere of the world can become spiritualized by chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa. So we welcome everybody who comes to this temple to inquire about how to make your life perfect by tuning in to the desires of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. You'll find that this is such a pleasant proposition, that all insignificant lower desires will be forgotten. There will not be any need for unnecessary fighting among the people of the world if they can only understand the spiritual plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The way to realize Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very simple. Simply chant

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Chant this mahā-mantra under the guidance of the spiritual master and the results will be very quick. Thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: Gaurasundara?

Gaurasundara:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

So this mantra is another form of obeisance to the spiritual master, and the meaning is that I, who was standing in darkness with my eyes sealed, now offer my obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has forced me to open my eyes. He has forced me to open my eyes with this torchlight of knowledge which he is bearing. So therefore my spiritual master is my master. He can give me this actual knowledge of my position, my position as an existing entity. And that perfection of understanding my position is understanding Kṛṣṇa, or the supremely perfect entity. Kṛṣṇa is perfect existence, the perfect being, and as such, His existence is the greatest certainty of all. In one syllogism or one comparison that I can give, I could say that how can a shadow of my hand exist unless my hand exists? The point is how can these individual entities exist except as the shadow of the perfect entity, God? Of course, we can understand from the Bhagavad-gītā or Vedic literatures that living entities are atomic particles of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such they reflect the potencies of that Supreme Person.

So because Kṛṣṇa has personality and because Kṛṣṇa has individuality, we have individuality. Kṛṣṇa's existence, because He is perfect, is the most certain. Imperfect existence has no meaning. Our existence has no meaning except as reference, in reference to Kṛṣṇa's existence. We haven't even got the power to conserve our own existence. Or in other words, we can't understand how we're existing. We can understand in some deluded manner that we're feeding our bodies and so on. We can have some sort of knowledge of ritual. But we don't actually know what we are and what the ritual is, why we're performing it.

So getting beneath the actual ritual of daily life by this process of revealed or transcendental ritual taught by the spiritual master, then we can realize the real…

Prabhupāda: (in background:) Pradyumna. After he speaks they may…

Gaurasundara: …importance or the real striking features of our own existence. Again I want to come back to this point. Kṛṣṇa's existence is the most certain. Sometimes people have the idea that they can debate whether Kṛṣṇa exists or not. They can do that as long as they want to close their own eyes or keep their own brains, their own minds clouded by so many extraneous factors. Actually, Kṛṣṇa's existence is the most certain. We can go through many so-called proofs or logical proofs. Simply because that fact is already established, I might give one or two. We can understand in our mundane logic that if something exists, that there's some reason for its existence, and similarly, if something does not exist, that there's some reason for that. Just as we can say something exists… For example, a harmonium exists because somebody has made that harmonium. A circle exists on the wall because somebody has drawn that circle on the wall. But on the other hand, a square circle does not exist because that existence would involve a contradiction or that would be absurd.

So for anything which exists there must be a reason, and for anything which does not exist, then there is a reason why it does not exist. Now Kṛṣṇa's existence therefore is most certain because any reason which could deny Kṛṣṇa's existence is impossible to be found. Kṛṣṇa means He is the all-inclusive entity. Therefore any reason which could prevent Kṛṣṇa's existence would have to be either external to His own divine nature or in His own nature. Nothing can be outside of Kṛṣṇa's all-inclusiveness. Therefore no external agent can prevent Kṛṣṇa's existence. And it is again self-contradictory to attribute any imperfection to the perfect being. Therefore the conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa necessarily exists because no one can prevent His existence.

By definition, God is the perfect entity. So just as we've seen that existence of Kṛṣṇa cannot be checked… And actually nobody can prove that Kṛṣṇa does not exist, neither can they prevent Him from existing. This is sort of an indirect way to prod you to think about the position that you're in now. People become very proud because they have some material opulence or material knowledge, and they tend to think that they are self-sufficient. But actually, we're dependent on so many things. For example, we are just taking it for granted that our bodies will remain unmutilated by various forces in nature, when actually at any moment the bodies could be totally destroyed. And, even granted that our bodies will be with us for some time in operable condition, this field of our activities has many laws which we're dependent upon. Just as the other day we were discussing the law of gravity. This idea of laws in nature necessarily implies the existence of the lawmaker. And this can be demonstrated very easily in many, many ways. We'll take the law of gravity again. If some object in nature which has no consciousness behaves in a regulated manner, then it's obvious that it's under the control of a law. We call it a law. For example, if an apple drops from a tree, the apple is obeying the law of gravity. The apple does not know the law of gravity; therefore that law is being enforced by some superior entity. In our dealings in society, people know laws. Still, they don't obey them. They have to be forced to obey the laws, and still, people disobey the law. But the laws of nature are so perfectly enforced that nobody can disobey. Just a little thought will make this a little bit more clear to anyone. So there are twofold implications, namely the law proceeds from lawmaker, law enforcement proceeds from law enforcer. Man has tried so hard to establish law and order. Law and order is already there in this existence which he's now facing. I think that we don't need to consider any more on these points just now. The main point or the main information which we're considering now is that by understanding Kṛṣṇa's existence, understanding Kṛṣṇa's appearance before the perception of ourselves, that we can terminate this material existence which we now face. This life we're now conscious of through these bodies which were born… Now these bodies were very small. They develop into impressive size. The bodies will dwindle and the bodies will be gone ultimately, lost. But all these living entities here in the room will go on existing. This process of birth and death we should understand. And we should especially understand how Kṛṣṇa appears before us who are trapped by birth and death. If we understand that Kṛṣṇa's appearance is not like ours, because He's perfect and because He's appearing for our benefit, then we may be able to reach out and grab hold of the lifeline that can… [break] …of our own suicidal bogs.

So anyway, everybody has been coming here knows that we're recommending, simply associate with us, chant with us and listen to the teachings of our spiritual master. Put questions to us. Any question. And at this point I'd also like to invite questions. Is there any question?

Prabhupāda: Let him speak. Mukunda.

Gaurasundara: Mukunda prabhu will speak now.

Mukunda: Let me offer my respectful obeisances to our spiritual master, Swami Bhaktivedanta, who is dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter unto His lotus feet. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is intended to make a solution to our everyday problems. It's not a kind of place where people just come because there's some religious rites being performed. But everyone in this age is thinking that "I am free," and actually I am not free. I am very bound up. We're strictly bound up by the stringent laws of nature. In every status of life I have to serve somebody or something or my own body. In every status of life I have to serve my wife or I have to serve my children, I have to serve my pet, I have to serve my work, my boss, my associates. If I'm very wealthy, very elevated, or very beautiful physically, I am born in an aristocratic family, I always have to serve somebody. If nothing else, one has to serve one's own stomach. I have to eat. I have to get food. I have to serve my stomach. So I am not free at all. I have to do these things. There's no way I can stop. If I don't eat, I will die.

So our natural position as a living entity is that we have to serve something. Every living entity has to serve. That's our natural position. If something is wrong with my hand and I want to be cured, I don't grab onto some foodstuffs or some medicine, some herbs, and squeeze it with the hand and think that this hand is going to be cured. I take the medicine or the food through my mouth, and then it circulates through the digestive system and through the veins and finally comes to the hand and can work its cure. So the hand, unless it's serving its source, then it's useless. The servant must serve its master or the part must serve the whole. And our relationship with God is the same. Just like the hand is made out of bile, blood and air, flesh and bone, as all the body is. So similarly we're made out of spirit. Qualitatively the same as Kṛṣṇa, but quantitatively many millions of times less. Qualitatively the same, quantitatively different. Fragmental portion. So if we fragmental portions, separated parts and parcels, can serve the source or the whole, then we can be cured of this material disease which is rampant nowadays. And this is possible only by mercy. By mercy alone we can transcend this material existence and know that I am part and parcel of the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, or God, and I can erase all of my karma and situate myself in pure consciousness. But this consciousness cannot be purified unless there is mercy. And in this age, Kali-yuga, as we know, mercy is diminished to being almost nonexistent. And Kali-yuga is just beginning.

So if we can get some information about what I am, what is my position, and what is God and how am I related to God, what is this world, then we're very fortunate. So by the mercy of the spiritual master we can free ourselves from these stringent laws of nature, and these unbreakable bonds. And only in this way. We can't free ourselves superficially or by our own mental invention. We can't sit, just go out and sit and think and free ourselves from this material existence. We must be subject to our own body, bodily discomforts and our own mind, and we must be subject to the actions upon us of other living entities, and we must be subject to the laws of nature, to providence, to pestilence, famine, catastrophe. But if we can accept and hear submissively this teaching of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā from the bona fide spiritual master, then we are free immediately. We are in Vaikuṇṭha.

So we're very shocked and astonished that so many people are coming to the West, to the United States, and posing as holy men and simply making business, charging money, and giving somebody some magical formula whereby they can become God in half of a year. And so many people who are sincere seekers are being deluded, and this is very unfortunate. There is said to be two classes of men. One class of men is satisfied with his existence. He goes from one pleasure to another. From the cinema to the restaurant to sports, from one to the other. "I can't wait to finish one to go to the next," and still he's saying, "I'm happy. I'm satisfied." And there's another class of men that is not satisfied. These men are searching, that there is always something on his mind. He is thinking, "There must be something behind all of this. That I can look at all of this as a unified whole." So this first class of men will not want to take to spiritual knowledge, but the person who is inquisitive and is not satisfied with this material life, he can hear this knowledge submissively and derive great benefit from it. The symptom of the human being is that he is not satisfied. He's disgusted, he's searching. The symptom of animal life is that he is satisfied taking everything, "That's very nice. Everything is fine." Like a hog, hog eating stool. He's thinking, "Oh, it's very nice." But the human being will not accept such awful things. The human being has the chance to get out of this shackle of continued, repeated births and deaths.

So simply by hearing the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, and the names of Kṛṣṇa diligently, submissively, and from a bona fide source, we can immediately get some relief from this material existence. Just like when we were chanting here you could feel some ecstasy. Well, this ecstasy goes unlimitedly and infinitely, eternally, if one takes to it. It's not as if you reach some point of enlightenment and then you're enlightened. No. But it's always eternal, ever increasing. Just like the relationship between ourselves and our spiritual master is eternal and ever increasing, our relationship with God is the same. So please try to realize that this is a very serious movement, and we're not asking you to sign up or pay us anything, but simply to sincerely try it and you'll immediately feel some benefit. Thank you.

Prabhupāda: Yamunā? Yamunā.

Yamunā:

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhutale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

I am offering my repeated, humble obeisances unto my spiritual preceptor, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. Please try to understand that everything that we are learning here in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is received through the ears. And unless one does not listen submissively, one cannot hear transcendental message. This is the opening of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It states that at the reading of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, the forest of Naimiśāraṇya, many sages were present, and it was so quiet that the dropping of a pin could be heard on the sand. So the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be received submissively. Our spiritual preceptor has brought Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the Western world, in the hopes that the people here will sincerely take to this process of practicing bhakti-yoga, or the yoga of devotional service and love unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This is not a sect. This is for people of the world who understand one premise, that "I am not this body; I am pure spirit soul," that this body is simply a dress. Just like you wear clothes. But what is it that keeps you alive that is eternal? This is spirit soul. This is so simple that even a child at the age of five years can understand this. If it's from a bona fide source, he can understand this.

We are requesting to you that you please come to the practices of Bhāgavata. Come to kīrtana. By chanting

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

you at once are elevated into the spiritual platform, and our contaminated material senses may become purified simply because of this association of the names of God. These names are absolute. They are not material. If you chant "water, water, water, water," your thirst will not be quenched. But if you cry "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa," you may find your position in this world, where you came from, why are you here, what are you doing, where are you going. These questions man must answer, or he's not making use of his ability of man. He's simply living an animal life, eating, sleeping, mating, defending. It does not matter if you are man, you are woman, you are a child, you are Indian, you are American. You simply must ask these questions. And when one comes upon a bona fide source one must take advantage of that source and not pass it up. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or the practice of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, are open to all, and we invite you to please come. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Feel the sublime ecstasy. Thank you very much. Are there any questions?

Prabhupāda: Pradyumna? So Hans, you can speak.

Haṁsadūta: There are so many religions. There's Hindu, there's Christian, there's Jewish, Muhammadan, so many things. And people are professing, "Oh, I'm Christian. I'm Hindu. I'm Jewish." So many things. But this religion is not so cheap. This religion is not simply something I can take up, take it, "Oh, now I think I should be Christian. That's very nice. Or maybe I'll become Hindu." No. You see these boys and girls, they're not Hindus, they're not Christians, they're not Jews. What are they? You see the spiritual master. He's not Hindu. You may be thinking, "Oh, he's from India. And these American or these Canadian boys and girls, they've taken some fad. They like these Indian things." No, it's not like that at all. This is not religion. According to Sanskrit definition, religion means that quality of the living entity which after everything is removed… Oh, you can lose all your money, you can lose your family, you can lose your nationality, but when everything is removed, that religion remains. So what is that? What is that quality that's common to every living entity? What is that? Just like fire. What is… [break] (end)

690904JM.HAM

Janmāṣṭamī

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's Appearance Day Lecture

Hamburg, September 4, 1969

See 690827IN.HAM in Initiations section.

730821JM.LON

Janmāṣṭamī

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's Appearance Day Lecture

London, August 21, 1973

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) His Excellency, the High Commissioner; ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating in this ceremony, Janmāṣṭamī, advent of Kṛṣṇa. The subject matter I've been ordered to speak on is advent of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

[Bg. 4.9]

This fact, that we can achieve such a stage of life when we can stop our birth and death… Sa 'mṛtatvāya kalpate. This morning, I was explaining this verse:

yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete

puruṣaṁ puruṣarsabha

sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīraṁ

so 'mṛtatvāya kalpate

Amrtatva means immortality. So the modern civilization, they have no idea, either the great philosopher, great politician or great scientist, that it is possible to attain the stage of immortality. Amṛtatva. We are all amṛta. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, na jāyate na mrīyate vā kadācin. We living entities, we never die, never take birth. Nityaḥ śāśvato yaṁ, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. Every one of us, we are eternal, nityaḥ śāśvato; Purāṇa, the oldest. And after annihilation of this body, we do not die. Na hanyate. The body is finished, but I have to accept another body. Tathā dehāntara prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā [Bg. 2.13].

This simple thing, at the present moment, they are lacking knowledge, that we, all living entities, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are eternal, we are blissful, and we are cognizant. Kṛṣṇa is described in the Vedic śāstras:

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. God, Kṛṣṇa, when I speak Kṛṣṇa, that means God. If there is any important name… God, it is sometimes said God has no name. That's a fact. But God's name is given by His activities. Just like Kṛṣṇa accepted the sonhood of Mahārāja Nanda, or Yaśodāmāyī, or Devakī, or Vasudeva. Vasudeva and Devakī were Kṛṣṇa's real father and mother. Nobody is real father and mother of Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa is the original father of everyone. But when Kṛṣṇa comes here, advents, He accepts some devotees as His father, as His mother. Kṛṣṇa is the original, ādi-puruṣaṁ. Ādyaṁ Purāṇa-puruṣam nava-yauvanaṁ ca [Bs. 5.33]. He is the original person. Then must be very old? No. Adyam purāṇa puruṣam nava-yauvanam ca. Always fresh youth. That is Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, you have seen the picture, He's just like a boy of twenty years or, at most, twenty-four years old. But at that time, He had great-grandchildren. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa is always youth. Navayauvanam ca. These are the statements of Vedic literatures.

advaitam acyutam anādiṁ ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlābhaṁ adurlābhaṁ ātmā-bhaktau

[Bs. 5.33]

So, to understand Kṛṣṇa, simply if we read as a formality the Vedic literature, it will be very difficult to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Vedesu durlābhaṁ. Although all the Vedas are meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo. Aham eva vedyo. What is the use of studying Vedas if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa? Because the ultimate goal of education means to understand the Supreme Lord, the supreme father, the supreme cause. As it is said in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Brahma-jijñāsā, to discuss about the Supreme Absolute Truth, Brahman. What is that Brahman? Janmādy asya yataḥ. That Brahman means wherefrom everything emanates. So science, philosophy, means to find out the ultimate cause of everything. That we are getting from the śāstras, Vedic literature, that Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

Cause of all causes. Just like try to understand. I am caused by my father. My father is caused by his father. He is caused by his father, his father… Go on searching, then you'll ultimately come to somebody who is the cause. But He has no cause. Anādir ādir govindaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. I may be cause of my son, but I am also result of the cause, my father. But the śāstra says that anādir ādir, He is the original person, but He has no cause. That is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa says that janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. The advent of Kṛṣṇa, it is very important thing. We should try to understand Kṛṣṇa, why He advents, why He comes on this material world, what is His business, what are His activities. If we simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then what is the result? The result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. You get that immortality. The aim of life is to achieve immortality. Amṛtatvāya kalpate.

So in the advent of Kṛṣṇa, we shall try to understand the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa. His Excellency was speaking of peace. The peace formula is there, spoken by Kṛṣṇa. What is that?

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

[Bg. 5.29]

If the politicians, diplomats, they are trying to establish peace in the world… The United Nation is there, and there are many other organizations. They are trying to have real peace and tranquillity, no misunderstanding between man to man, nation to nation. But that is not happening. That is not happening. The defect is that in the root is wrong. Everyone's thinking "It is my country. It is my family. It is my society. It is my property." This "mine" is illusion. In the śāstra it is said, janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This "I and my" philosophy is illusion.

So this illusion means māyā. māyā… If you want to get out of this illusion, māyā, then you have to accept the Kṛṣṇa's formula. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā for guidance if we accept the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Everything is there. Peace is there, prosperity is there. So that is a fact. Unfortunately, we do not accept it. That is our misfortune. Or we misinterpret it. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Kṛṣṇa says that "You always think of Me," man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. "Become My devotee." Mad-yājī, "You worship Me." Māṁ namaskuru, "And offer obeisances unto Me." Is it very difficult task? Here is Kṛṣṇa's Deity. If you think of this Deity, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, is it very difficult? Man-manā. You come into the temple and, just as a devotee, offer your respect to the Deity, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. As far as possible try to worship the Deity, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Kṛṣṇa does not want your whole property. Kṛṣṇa is open to the poorest man for being worshiped. What He is asking? He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: "With devotion, if a person offers Me a little leaf, a little fruit, a little water, I accept it." Kṛṣṇa is not hungry, but Kṛṣṇa wants to make you devotee. That is the main point. Yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. That is the main principle. If you offer Kṛṣṇa little things… Kṛṣṇa is not hungry; Kṛṣṇa is providing food for everyone. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. But Kṛṣṇa wants your love, your devotion. Therefore He is begging little patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. There is no difficulty in understanding Kṛṣṇa and to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But we'll not do that; that is our disease. Otherwise, it is not difficult at all. And as soon as we become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, we understand the whole situation. Our philosophy, Bhāgavata philosophy, is also communism because we consider Kṛṣṇa the supreme father, and all living entities, they are all sons of Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa says that He is the proprietor of all planets, sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. Therefore whatever there is, either in the sky or in the water or in the land, they're all Kṛṣṇa's property. And because we are all sons of Kṛṣṇa, therefore every one of us has the right to use (the) father's property. But we should not encroach upon others. This is the formula of peace. Mā gṛdha kasya svidhanam, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Everything belongs to God. You are sons of God. You have got the right to use father's property, but do not take more than you need. That is punishable. These things are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Stena eva sa ucyate [Bg. 3.12], in the Bhagavad-gītā, "he's a thief." If anyone takes more than he needs, then he's a thief. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg. 3.9]. If for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa… Yajña means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Yajñeśvara. So you act for Kṛṣṇa, you take prasāda Kṛṣṇa. That what we are teaching here. In this temple, we are residing Americans, Indians, Englishmen, Canadians, Africans, different parts of the world. You know that. Not only in this temple, all over the world. [break]

…when we forget this philosophy, that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme father, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme proprietor, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer and Kṛṣṇa is the supreme friend of everyone. When you forget this, then we come into this material world and struggle for existence, fight with one another. This is material life. So you cannot get… The politicians, diplomats, philosophers, they have tried so much, but actually nothing has become fruitful. Just like the United Nations. It was organized after the second great war, and they wanted that peacefully we shall settle everything. But there is no such thing. The fighting is going on between Pakistan and India, between Vietnam and America, and this and that. It is not the process. The process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everyone has to understand this fact, that we are not proprietor. Proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. That's a fact. Just like America. Say two hundred years ago the Americans, the European migrators, they were not proprietor-somebody was proprietor. Before them, somebody was proprietor or it was vacant land. The actual proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. But artificially you are claiming that "It is my property." Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This is called māyā.

So Kṛṣṇa advents for give us lesson. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. Kṛṣṇa says, "My dear Arjuna, I come when there is discrepancies in the process of religious life." Dharmasya glānir bhavati. And what is dharma? The simple definition of dharma is dharmāṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. This is dharma. Dharmāṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Just like what do you mean by law? Law means the word given by the state. You cannot make law at home. That is not possible. Whatever the government gives you, that "You should act like this," that is law. Similarly, dharma means the direction given by God. That is dharma. Simple definition. You create dharma. I have created this dharma, another man creates another dharma; these are not dharma. Therefore, where the Bhagavad-gītā ends, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ [Bg. 18.66], this is dharma-to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Any other dharma, they are not dharma. Otherwise, why Kṛṣṇa asks sarva-dharmān parityajya: "Give up"? He said that dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge: "I advent to establish the principles of religion." And at last He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya. That means the so-called dharmas that we have manufactured, man-made dharmas, they are not dharmas. Dharma means what is given by God. But we have no understanding what is God and what is His word. That is the modern civilization defect. But the order is there, God is there-we won't accept. Where is the possibility of peace? The order is there. Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme, bhagavān uvāca. Vyāsadeva writes bhagavān uvāca. One should know what is bhagavān. Vyāsadeva could have written kṛṣṇa uvāca. No. He says… If one may misunderstand Kṛṣṇa, therefore he writes in every stanza, every verse, śrī bhagavān uvāca. So Bhagavān is there. Bhagavān is speaking. Bhagavān is accepted by all the ācāryas. Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī. Latest, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu also, even Śaṅkarācārya, he also accepts Kṛṣṇa-sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa. So the verdict of the modern ācāryas, and in the past also, Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, everyone accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna, who heard from Kṛṣṇa, after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, he said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣam ādyaṁ śāśvatam [Bg. 10.12].

So everything is there. Especially in India, we have got so much asset for understanding God. Simple thing. Everything is there ready made. But we won't accept. So what is the remedy for such disease? We are searching after peace, but we won't accept anything which is actually giving us peace. This is our disease. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to awaken the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness in everyone's heart. Otherwise, how these Europeans and Americans and other countrymen, they never heard of Kṛṣṇa four or five years ago, how they are taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously? Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everyone's heart. It has to be awakened only. That is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti 'sādhya' kabhu naya

śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

It is awakened. Love for Kṛṣṇa, devotion for Kṛṣṇa, is there within everyone's heart, but he has forgotten. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply meant for awakening that Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the process. Just like when you are sleeping, your, I have to call you loudly-"Mr. such and such, such and such, get up. You have got this business." No other senses will act when you are sleeping. But the ear will act. Therefore, in this age, when people are so fallen they will not hear anything, if we chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he'll be awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is practical.

So actually if we are anxious for peace and tranquillity in society, then we must be very serious to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is our request. Don't take it neglectfully, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This movement can solve all the problems of life, all the problems in the world. Social, political, philosophical, religious, economical-everything can be solved by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, we request those who are leaders-just like His Excellency is present here-you should try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is very scientific, authorized. It is not a mental concoction or sentimental movement. It is most scientific movement. So we are inviting all leaders from all countries: try to understand. If you are sober, if you are actually reasonable, you'll understand that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the sublime movement for the welfare of the whole human society. That's a fact. Anyone may come. We are prepared to discuss this subject matter. Kṛṣṇa bhūliyā jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. We should not…

Our human life, the ultimate goal of human life is to achieve immortality. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], This is our…, we have forgotten this. We are simply leading the life of cats and dogs, without any knowledge that we can achieve that perfection of life when there will be no more birth, no more death. We do not understand even that there is possibility of amṛtatvam. But everything is possible. Amṛtatvam. Nobody wants to die. That's a fact. Nobody wants to become old man, nobody wants to become diseased. This is our natural inclination. Why? Because originally, in our spiritual form, there is no birth, no death, no old age, no disease. So after evolutionary process down from the aquatics, birds, beasts, plants, trees, when you come to this form of human form of body after… Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tād jīva-jātiṣu. This is evolutionary process. We come to the human form of body. Then we should know what is the goal of life. The goal of life is amṛtatvam, to become immortal. That you can become immortal simply by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Kṛṣṇa says. It is a fact. We have to simply understand. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. If you try to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, tattvataḥ, then, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], after giving up this body, you don't accept any more material body. And as soon as you don't accept any material body means you become immortal. Because by nature we are immortal.

So Kṛṣṇa advents, Kṛṣṇa advents to teach us this lesson, that "You are immortal by nature. As spirit soul you are part and parcel of Me. I am as immortal. So you are also immortal. Unnecessarily, you are trying to be happy in this material world."

mamaivāṁso jīva bhūto

jīva-loke sanātanaḥ

manaḥ saṣṭanindriyāni

prakṛti-sthāni karṣati

[Bg. 15.7]

Simply struggle for…, unnecessarily. The best thing is that you have enjoyed sense life in so many varieties of life, as cats, as dogs, as demigods, as tree, as plants, as insect. Now, in this human form of life, don't be captivated by sensuous life. Just try to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of the śāstras. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB 5.5.1]. To work very hard like dogs and hog for sense gratification is not the ambition of human life. Human life is meant for little austerity. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam. We have to purify our existence. That is the mission of human life. Why I shall purify my sattva existence? Brahma-saukhyam tv anantam. Then you get unlimited pleasure, unlimited happiness. That is real pleasure. Ramante yogino 'nante satyānanda-cid-ātmani iti rāma-padenāsau paraṁ brahmābhidhīyate [Cc. Madhya 9.29].

So, at least in India, all the great personalities, saintly persons, sages and ācāryas, they have cultivated this spiritual knowledge so nicely and fully, and we are not taking advantage of it. It is not that those śāstras and directions are meant for the Indians or for the Hindus or for brāhmaṇas. No. It is meant for everyone. Because Kṛṣṇa claims

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yaḥ

tāsāṁ mahad brahma yonir

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

Kṛṣṇa claims that "I am everyone's father." Therefore, He is very much anxious to make us peaceful, happy. Just like the father wants to see his son is well situated and happy; similarly, Kṛṣṇa also wants to see every one of us happy and well-situated. Therefore He comes sometimes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. This is the purpose of Kṛṣṇa's advent. So those who are servants of Kṛṣṇa, devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they should take the mission of Kṛṣṇa. They should take up the mission of Kṛṣṇa. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's version.

āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa

yare dekha, tare kaha, 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. Just try to preach what Kṛṣṇa has said in the Bhagavad-gītā. That is the duty of every Indian. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says.

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari para-upakāra.

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

So Indians, Indians are meant for para-upakāra. Indians are not meant for exploiting others. That is not Indians' business. Indian history is all along for para-upakāra. And formerly, from all parts of the world, used to come to India to learn what is spiritual life. Even Jesus Christ went there. And from China and from other countries. That is history. And we are forgetting our own asset. How much we are callous. Such a great movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is going on all over the world, but our Indians are callous, our government is callous. They do not take. That is our misfortune. But it is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. He says any Indian, bhārata bhūmite manuṣya janma, if he's human being, he must make his life perfect by taking advantage of this Vedic literature and distribute the knowledge all over the world. That is para-upakāra. So India can do. They are actually appreciating. These Europeans, American young men, they are appreciating that how great… I get daily dozens of letter, how they are benefited by this movement. Actually, that is the fact. It is giving the life for the dead man. So I shall specially request the Indians, especially His Excellency, kindly cooperate with this movement, and try to make successful your life and others' life. That is the mission of Kṛṣṇa, advent of Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much. (end)

740811BG.VRN

Janmāṣṭamī

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's Appearance Day

Bhagavad-gītā 7.5 Lecture

Vṛndāvana, August 11, 1974

Nitāi: "Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe."

Prabhupāda:

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ

prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām

jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho

yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

[Bg. 7.5]

So Kṛṣṇa has explained this material world, bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ. Now, this is also nature, prakṛti. There is another nature, prakṛti. Prakṛti means strī-liṅga, woman. Jīva-bhūta, the living entities, are not mentioned in this connection as puruṣa. Not puruṣa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think themselves as puruṣa. The karmīs also, they think they are puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. But Kṛṣṇa does not say that the living entity is puruṣa. He says prakṛti. Prakṛti is always subordinate to the puruṣa. That is the natural way.

In the Manu-saṁhitā it is said that prakṛti, or strī, never deserve to be independent. Na strī svātantryam arhati. So as soon as the living entity is accepted as prakṛti, then it is to be understood that she is under the control of the supreme puruṣa, Puruṣottama. Kṛṣṇa is Puruṣottama. And Kṛṣṇa has been accepted as the puruṣa by Arjuna. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam [Bg. 10.12]. It is not that Kṛṣṇa has become puruṣa now, and before that He was impersonal. No. Kṛṣṇa is puruṣaṁ śāśvatam, eternally He is puruṣa, eternally He is enjoyer. He's never enjoyed. You cannot enjoy Kṛṣṇa, or God, for your sense gratification. That is not possible. He can use you for His sense gratification. That is bhakti-mārga. The bhaktas, they never claim to be puruṣa. They are always subordinate. Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]. This is bhakti-yoga.

So this material energy is inferior, and the spiritual energy, although prakṛti, still, it is superior energy. That is explained. Why superior? Because the spiritual energy, prakṛti, can control over the material energy. There is some tint of puruṣa activities, but actually, living entity is not puruṣa. He's prakṛti. So as the material energy, bhūmir āpaḥ analo vāyuḥ, is controlled by the supreme controller, Kṛṣṇa, similarly, we are also controlled by the supreme controller, Kṛṣṇa. And because Kṛṣṇa is controller both of the material energy and the spiritual energy, He's called the supreme controller. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. In another place Kṛṣṇa says, so far the material energy is concerned, He says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. Mayādhyakṣeṇa: "Under My superintendence, this material energy is working."

In another place, in the Brahma-saṁhitā, it is said, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā [Bs. 5.44]. Durgā-śakti, or external energy, Durgā,… Durgā means the superintendent of the fort. Durgā. Durgā means fort, where you cannot get out or cannot enter very easily. That is called durgā. Dur-gamana. So Durgā means the superintendent deity of this material world. So she is very powerful, Durgā. How much powerful? Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktiḥ. She can create, she can maintain, and she can destroy the whole material energy, whole material cosmic manifestation. She's so powerful. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva [Bs. 5.44]. Still, she is working not independently. Chāyeva. Just like chāya, or reflection, or shadow. Not independently. The material scientists who think that the material energy is working independently, they are mistaken. Material energy cannot work independently. We have got experience. However gorgeous a machine may be, unless there is touch of the spirit soul, the machine cannot work. Similarly, the big machine, cosmic manifestation, everything is going on very nicely, but it is being worked out by the plan of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated by Kṛṣṇa Himself, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10], and similarly it is confirmed by Brahmā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā [Bs. 5.44], yasya hi… Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā, icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā. Sā durgā yasya icchānurūpam api ceṣṭate. Now, not independent. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead desires, she works. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.

So description of this… Kṛṣṇa has proposed in the beginning of this chapter that asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu: [Bg. 7.1] "Without any doubt, as you can understand Me completely, I am describing." Now, here is the description. Kṛṣṇa says that the material energy and the spiritual energy, both of them are different energies of Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedas also it is stated, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate.

na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate

na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate

parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate

svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca

[Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]

The Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has nothing to do Himself because His energies are so complete that simply by His desire, the energies work svābhāvikī, automatically. Just like the energy within a seed. You implant it, put it in, within the earth, put little water, and it fructifies. It becomes a big tree, banyan tree. The energy is so perfect. We can study by ordinary understanding. The banyan tree, one fruit, and there are thousands of seeds within one fruit. And each seed is containing another banyan tree. This is a fact. We can experience. Now, how much energy is there, a small seed. But the energy is so complete that it can produce a big banyan tree. Not only a big banyan tree, many millions of fruits, fig fruits, and each and every fruit there are millions of seeds. Just imagine parāsya śaktiḥ, the energy of the Supreme, how perfect it is. And so perfect… Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. The energy is put there, electric energy or spiritual energy is there, and automatically it becomes perfectly done. Wherever it is… As it is required. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. We, if we try to paint one picture of a banyan tree, it will take so much energy of us and days. Still, it is simply painting. It is not perfect. But Kṛṣṇa's energy is so perfect that within the seed everything is there, and in due course of time it fructifies and comes into nice, perfect tree. This is called Kṛṣṇa's energy.

So both the spiritual energy and material energy, the source is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the conclusion should be that life does not come from matter. Matter comes from life. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Kṛṣṇa is life, and from Him these material energies-earth, water, air, fire, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego-has come. So the huge, gigantic material cosmic manifestation is caused by the supreme life. Not that life has come from matter.

So there are so many theories, but Kṛṣṇa, the supreme life, the supreme being, is the source of everything. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. The, this fact is known to the devotees. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. Kṛṣṇa is the source. Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedānta-sūtra the inquiry is athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is that Absolute Truth, the supreme source of everything? That supreme source is Kṛṣṇa. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the beginning: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ [SB 1.1.1]. Abhijñaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme creator, and He knows everything. Anvaya-vyatirekābhyām, directly and indirectly, both ways. He knows everything. He says also in Bhagavad-gītā, vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26]. He knows everything. Kṛṣṇa, when He was asked by Arjuna that "You say that this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā was taught by You to the sun-god. How can I believe it?" the answer was that "The thing is that both of us, we were present, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten."

That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ordinary living be… He is complete; we are not complete. We are incomplete, fragmental portion of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we must be controlled by Kṛṣṇa. If we do not agree to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa, then we shall be controlled by the material energy, this bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ [Bg. 7.4]. Actually, we are spiritual energy. We should voluntarily agree to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa. That is devotional service. That is devotional service. We are spiritual energy, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Spirit. So if we agree to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa, then we are promoted to the spiritual world. If we agree. Kṛṣṇa does not interfere with your little independence. Yathecchasi tathā kuru [Bg. 18.63]. Kṛṣṇa say to Arjuna, "Whatever you like, you can do." That independence we have got.

So out of that independence we have come to this material world, to enjoy freely. So Kṛṣṇa has given us freedom, "You can enjoy freely." And we are trying to do that. But the result is that we are becoming entangled. We are given the freedom to work in this material world. Everyone is trying to become the master of the material world. Nobody is trying to become the servant. Only we, the Vaiṣṇavas, we are trying to become servant. The karmīs and jñānīs, they do not like to become servant. They criticize us that "You Vaiṣṇavas, you have got slave mentality." Yes, we have got the slave menta… Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. That is our position. What is the use of claiming artificially, "I am master"? If I had been master, then why the fan is required? I am servant of this influence of summer season. Similarly, I shall be servant in the winter season, too much cold.

So we are always servant. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Actual, our constitutional position is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that these foolish persons or rascals, mūḍhāḥ… I am not manufacturing the words "foolish" and "rascal." It is said by Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. He has spoken like that. You'll find. Duṣkṛtinaḥ, always acting sinfully, and mūḍhāḥ, and rascals, ass. Narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind. "Oh, you are…? Kṛṣṇa, You are speaking so much ill of these materialist scientists? There are so many philosophers. They're all narādhamāḥ?" "Yes, they are narādhamāḥ." "But they are educated." "Yes, that is also…" But what kind of education? Māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ: "The result of their education-knowledge has been taken away by māyā." The more one is educated, the more one is atheist.

At the present moment… Of course, education does not mean… Education means to understand. Jñānī. Educate, educated means wise man, educated man, jñānī. The actual jñānī means māṁ prapadyate. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. That is education. The education does not mean to become atheist, "There is no God. I am God, you are God, everyone is God." This is not education. This is ajñāna. The Māyāvādīs, they think that they have become one with God. That is not education. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They are thinking that they have become liberated, but actually, aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ [SB 10.2.32], their intelligence is not purified. Therefore falsely claiming. If one is God, then how he has become dog? This much common sense there is not. God is God; dog is dog. This Dvaitavāda philosophy is perfect. Acintya-bhedābheda, simultaneously one and different. We have got… Because we are spiritual energy, therefore… Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Spirit. Therefore we are in one in quality, but Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Aṇor aṇīyān mahataḥ. He's mahato mahīyān, and we are aṇor aṇīyān. We are smaller than the smallest. This relationship with Kṛṣṇa is perfect. If we had been actually God, then why we are fallen? This is not possible. God is God. He's never… God's name is Acyuta. He never falls down. But jīva-bhūta, jīva, living entities, they are cyuta. They falls down from the spiritual platform to the material platform.

So they may… Although we have fallen in the material platform, but because we are spiritual energy, therefore Kṛṣṇa is describing this living entity as para prakṛti. It is prakṛti. Prakṛti means to be controlled by the puruṣa. This is to be understood. Prakṛti is never controller. The puruṣa is controller. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. So jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. It is parā-prakṛti, superior energy, because it is trying to control over the material energy. Every one of us, we are trying to control over the material energy. The big stone, big hill, they, that is material energy, but the spiritual energy, a human being, is breaking the hill by dynamite. Therefore it is superior energy. It is also energy, but superior energy, because the…, it can control even the biggest mountain. Nowadays, by scientific advancement, they are making so many tunnels within the big, big mountain. Big, big ocean, they are making tunnel. They are drilling oil. Controlling. Therefore superior energy. But that does not mean they have become God. That is mistake. God is different. God is Kṛṣṇa, the supreme controller. He's controller of the material energy and the superior energy. This should be the conclusion. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. And the… Because… That will be explained in the next verse.

Because the superior energy is controlling the material energy… Or trying to control. Not controlling, but trying to control. That is called struggle for existence. Actually, we cannot control the material energy, but we are trying. That endeavor, to try to control over this material energy, is called struggle for existence. Actually, we shall not be controller. We shall not be able to control. That is explained. Therefore, in the material world, we are trying to solve one problem, but we are getting new problems. In the Western countries we see it very easily. Man manufactured the horseless carriage, motorcar, to go very swiftly, but now it is problem is where to park and how to drive the motorcar. In America we have seen. They are increasing different paths, one after another, one after another, one after another. Still, the problem is not solved. Still somewhere you'll find bottleneck. So many accidents. So we cannot actually solve the material problems. That is not possible. Material energy is so strong. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā [Bs. 5.44]. You cannot control over. Because real controller is Kṛṣṇa. We are simply trying to control over the material energy. That will be, never be successful. This is knowledge.

Kṛṣṇa says therefore, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. Mama māyā duratyayā. It is very difficult. But without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, forgetting Kṛṣṇa, we are trying to control over the material energy. That is explained by a Vaiṣṇava poet, very simple language,

kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare

nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

(Prema-vivarta)

As soon as we forget Kṛṣṇa, the supreme controller, and we want to control over the material energy, bhoga vāñchā kare… Bhoga means control over. "I shall control this market. I shall be the head of the market." Everyone is trying that. So kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha. He does not know the real controller is Kṛṣṇa. So kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. This bhoga vāñchā, on account of this bhoga vāñchā, he becomes subjected to the conditions offered by this material nature. Therefore it is said,

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

[Bg. 7.14]

So in the Bhagavad-gītā is…, everything is explained. Either you study in, comparing in the modern scientific and philosophical ways, or as you accept it as it is, the conclusion is the same-Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller. That will be explained later verses. Therefore if you are sensible, if you are actually wise, I mean, if you are actually advanced in knowledge, then you should surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is the conclusion. We have to surrender. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. You have to (be) controlled. You cannot be independent. The more you become independent, you become more and more entangled. Yajñārthe karma, karmaṇi, anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. If you don't act for Yajña, Yajña-puruṣa, Kṛṣṇa, then you'll be entangled. So the best thing is if we become wise… Wise means… Kṛṣṇa says that "This is your position. You have to surrender unto Me. You did not surrender unto Me; therefore you are suffering so much in this material world."

Today is Kṛṣṇa's birthday. He descends to give us instruction. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]. Kṛṣṇa advents Himself… Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. This is dharmasya glāniḥ. What is that? When we forget Kṛṣṇa and try to become the master of the world. This is dharmasya glāniḥ. When we want to become master of Kṛṣṇa, that is dharmasya glāniḥ. So Kṛṣṇa advents Himself. This is, today is the auspicious day of Kṛṣṇa's adventing to kill Kaṁsa and to release Vasudeva. This is Kṛṣṇa. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya… Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. Vasudeva, His father, was arrested, put into the prison house. To release him from the prison house, and to kill the Kaṁsa, duṣkṛtina, rākṣasa… The rākṣasika philosophy is "How to kill Kṛṣṇa, how to become godless." Kaṁsa was planning to kill Kṛṣṇa. That is… Kaṁsa, or the demons, that is plan. But Kṛṣṇa comes to kill the demons and protect the devotees. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]. But He is kind to both the demons and the devotees. By… Anyone who is killed by Kṛṣṇa, he also gets liberation. And what to speak of the devotee.

So on this advent day of Kṛṣṇa we shall seek protection at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Then we shall be able to cross over this illusory energy, ocean of illusory energy.

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ

mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ

bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ

padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

[SB 10.14.58]

So Kṛṣṇa is adventing today. There is stotra by the demigods. We should read, how Kṛṣṇa protects the demigods or the devotees. We should seek protection of Kṛṣṇa. This world is so dangerous. It is said, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Every step there is danger. But if we take shelter, samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ, if we take shelter of the lotus feet of Murāri, under whose lotus feet the whole mahat-tattva, cosmic manifestation, is resting, then this big ocean of birth and death, we can cross very easily. Vatsa-padam. Vatsa-padam means the impression by the hoof of a calf and the water contained in it. The whole ocean becomes like a spot, a small spot, created by the impression of the hoof. That is called vatsa-padam.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose. We are requesting and training the bewildered living entities who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa to revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that he may be saved from the onslaught of material nature. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is the greatest humanitarian welfare activities to the human society. Take it very seriously and be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

690905VP.HAM

Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā

Hamburg, September 5, 1969

Prabhupāda: Now you can discuss amongst… You can speak something, what you have experienced about your spiritual master. You can speak. Anyone can speak. (Hindi) They may not go, but they'll take prasāda. Why you are going? Please sit down. (Hindi)

Mukunda: Nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale, śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine. [break]

Prabhupāda: Spiritual master is not that a particular man is spiritual master. Spiritual master is a truth. So what is that truth? The truth is saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam **. The whole world is in the blaze of material pangs, threefold miseries. And a person who is authorized to deliver people from that material pangs, he is called spiritual master. The example is given in this verse, saṁsāra-dāvānala. Dāvānala is the Sanskrit word. The English equivalent is forest fire. Just like in the forest in this part of the world there are sometimes forest fire, and government has arrangement to pour water from up. There are so many arrangement. But forest fire there is, a fact. And what is this forest fire? The forest fire… Nobody has got any interest to set fire in the forest, but it takes place automatically. And when the forest fire is there, all the animals within the forest, they become so much disturbed. They cannot escape. They die, especially the snakes. Because snakes are always envious, so they are first off to be burned into that forest fire. They cannot go very swiftly. Others, tigers and other beasts, they go away. But the snake, they crawl. They cannot get out. Mostly they burn. So this example is given to this materialistic life as forest fire because nobody wants any disturbance, but disturbance is created. Actually I am seeing. Since I have come to this part of the world in 1965, so many boys are chased by the government draft board. You see? They belong to the independent nation, and formerly they were independent. And what is this nonsense independence? You see? Simply nonsense. There is no independence. But we are thinking, "I am independent." "Oh, that nation has become independent. I shall become independent." Just like one of my students said he wanted to be anarchist.

So these false notions, isms, are going on. People are being misled. You see? Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31]. Practical experience: In my country, India, I was also a student of Gandhi. In 1920 I joined the noncooperation movement and gave up my education because Gandhi's program was to boycott the British educational institution. So most of the university students… I was also. I passed my final examination, B.A., but I gave up. I did not appear, and I joined this movement. Fortunately, in 1922 I also met my Guru Mahārāja, and he, on my first visit, I do not know why, he told that "You should preach this Caitanya philosophy to the outside world." I replied that "We are dependent nation. Who will hear us? In the world, nobody hears any person who is coming from dependent nation, so we must have first of all independence." A young man I was at that time, and I was also misled in so many ways. But my spiritual master saved me, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja.

So the spiritual master's duty is to save the living entities who are so much embarrassed by the forest fire. That is the duty of spiritual master. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. The whole world is blazing, and just like in the blazing fire of the forest, the animals are going here and there, and some of them are dying, the whole world is like that. And how that blazing fire can be extinguished? You cannot send there this fire brigade, or you cannot get some pots of water and try to extinguish that wide fire. It is not possible. Then how to extinguish it? The extinguishing is possible when there is cloud overhead and there is incessant pouring of water. Then the forest fire extinguished. No artificial means, no scientific means. Fire brigade or this fire extinguisher, we have invented so many things, but when there is forest fire all these things are nonsense. Nothing can be used. The only use, means, is when there is pouring, incessant pouring of water from the cloud. That is made of God. That is not in your hand. You cannot produce cloud. Some arrangement of God's arrangement, the cloud, is there. Ghanāghanatvam. The example is given, "Charitable just like the cloud." Why this example is given? When cloud pours water, it is so sufficient that there is no comparison. But if you want to pour water, a bucketful of water, how long you will do it?

So spiritual master means he must be just like the cloud. How it is possible? It is possible. It is possible in this way, provided he follows the disciplic succession of spiritual master. Then it is possible. He must inherit the power from the superior source. Then it is possible that by his teaching, by his lessons, the forest fire which is burning within our heart, it can be extinguished, and the person who receives such spiritual instruction bona fidely, he becomes satisfied. This is the process. So,

saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-

trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam

prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

Now, this spiritual master's succession is not very difficult. Of course, my students, they offer me so much respect, but all these respects are due to my spiritual master. I am nothing. I am just like peon. Just like peon delivers one letter. He is not responsible for what is written in that letter. He is not responsible for what is written in that letter. He simply delivers. But a peon's duty is that he must sincerely carry out the order of the postmaster and deliver the letter to the proper person. That is their duty. Similarly, this paramparā system is like that. Every one of us should become a spiritual master because the world is in blazing fire. (aside:) You can give them prasādam. Now, of course, time is very high. So to understand the spiritual master… Spiritual master is not a new invention. It is simply following the orders of the spiritual master. So all my students present here who are feeling so much obliged… I am also obliged to them because they are helping me in this missionary work. At the same time, I shall request them all to become spiritual master. Every one of you should be spiritual master next. And what is their duty? Whatever you are hearing from me, whatever you are learning from me, you have to distribute the same in toto without any addition or alteration. Then all of you become the spiritual master. That is the science of becoming spiritual master. Spiritual master is not any… To become a spiritual master is not very wonderful thing. Simply one has to become sincere soul. That's all. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that "By disciplic succession this yoga process of Bhagavad-gītā was handed down from disciple to disciple. But in course of time that disciplic succession is now lost. Therefore, Arjuna, I am teaching you again the same philosophy."

So this is the process. Simply if we… Therefore Vedic knowledge is called śruti. One has to hear it properly, assimilate it, and then practice it in life and preach the same thing. Then everyone becomes spiritual master. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra 'sarva-deśa: "O My dear disciples, I tell you that you, all of you, become spiritual master. Simply you carry out My order. That's all." "And what is Your order?" "The order is the same: yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Just like Kṛṣṇa gave instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, and if you simply place the instruction received from Bhagavad-gītā as it is…" I am publishing Bhagavad-gītā As It Is because in the market there were so many Bhagavad-gītā misinterpreted, but that is not the process of presenting Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā should be presented as it is. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is simply said that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But most books which you have seen in English lang…, they are trying to make minus Kṛṣṇa. That is their attempt. So what sort of Bhagavad-gītā is that? That should not be done. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. You should speak that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. That is the preaching of Bhagavad-gītā.

So today is called Vyāsa-pūjā. Vyāsa-pūjā means the Vyāsadeva, Veda-vyāsa, who wrote the Vedic literature, he is the supreme spiritual master because he has given us the spiritual knowledge. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is…, nārāyaṇaṁ namāskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam, devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsam [SB 1.2.4]. So Vyāsa. So this platform is called "the seat of Vyāsa." So spiritual master should be representative of Vyāsa. Then the instruction is complete, and the benefit is assured. So I do not wish to take much of your time. We will now distribute prasādam. And one thing, coincidence, the Vyāsa-pūjā means to observe the birthday of the spiritual master. That is called Vyāsa-pūjā. And so today, this Nandotsava day, fortunately, seventy-three years ago I was born on this date. So this date, Nandotsava, is also a very fortunate occasion, because after Kṛṣṇa's birth, Mahārāja Nanda, the father of Kṛṣṇa, he celebrated a utsava, a ceremony, and this day is called Nandotsava. So a little I shall speak about Nandotsava. Nanda Mahārāja, he was a little elderly when Kṛṣṇa was born, and some of his friends came to congratulate, "My dear friend, you have got a son in your old age," and Nanda Mahārāja said amongst the friends that "How can you say I am old? An old man cannot beget a child. I am young man." So these things are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And all the villagers… Because, you know, Vṛndāvana is a village, a big village, and Nanda Mahārāja is the head of that village, Vṛndāvana, so all the people came to congratulate the child, and this is called Nandotsava. So one brāhmaṇa, he has spoken a nice verse in this connection. He said that śrutim apare smṛtim itare bhāratam anye bhajantu bhava-bhītāḥ. There are different kinds of Vedic literature: śruti, smṛti, Mahābhārata, Vedānta. So he says, "Let others read śruti, Vedic literatures, Vedānta-sūtra and Upaniṣad, and so many there are in Vedic literatures. Let others read that. But I have come here…" Aham iha nandaṁ vande: "I have come to worship Nanda Mahārāja. Nanda Mahārāja." "Why you have left everything and you have come to worship Nanda Mahārāja?" Yasyālinde paraṁ brahma: "Because in his courtyard the Supreme Personality of Godhead is crawling. The people are searching after what is God, and God is crawling in his yard. So therefore I do not find anyone more than Nanda Mahārāja, so I offer my respects to Nanda Mahārāja."

So this is the feeling of a devotee. Generally, those who are followers of speculative process, or jñāna-mārga, they finally reach to understand that he is one with the Supreme Absolute Truth. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But the devotional service is so nice that a devotee is not satisfied that "I am one with the Supreme," but by his service he becomes greater than the Supreme. Just like Nanda Mahārāja. He is not anxious to become one with God, but he underwent so great penances that he became the father of God. That is possible. A devotee is so great that he can pray the Supreme Lord as his son. Of course, it is a very subtle science for understanding of spiritual knowledge. So today Nanda-mahotsava is celebrated because the father of Kṛṣṇa… Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. Although God is unborn and He is the Supreme, still, by love, He accepts one of His devotees as His father and appears as his son. So today is very nice day, that Kṛṣṇa has appeared. The Supreme Lord has appeared as the son of Nanda Mahārāja. So there is some arrangement of prasādam on account of Nanda Mahārāja. So you can distribute and enjoy.

Thank you very much. (end)

690905VE.HAM

Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā Lecture Conclusion

Prabhupāda: All this eulogization about me, people, outsider, may think that "This man is being flattered and he is hearing his own eulogization." But that is not the fact. It is the test, how they are receiving the message sincerely and they (are) expressing their feeling. So it is going to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it has come through the channel of disciplic succession, all these praises will also reach to Kṛṣṇa through that disciplic succession. So it is not personal thing. These things are required. Just like in the military training, they are taught by the officers in a different way, in so many ways. Similarly, this is also training of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that the feeling of pure consciousness will reach to Kṛṣṇa. I thank you all very much for your improving in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And… I am a sannyāsī, you know. I came here empty-handed. So you are providing me. What can I do for you? I shall simply pray to Kṛṣṇa. Another thing, that don't be satisfied that you have understood. That's all. No. This should be distributed. Just like in my old age I have come to your country carrying the order of my spiritual master to distribute it. You are all young boys and girls; take this message and distribute it. The whole suffering humanity will be happy. That is our mission.

Thank you very much. (end)

720902VP.NV

Śrī Vyāsa Pūjā Address

New Vrindaban, September 2, 1972

Prabhupāda: (chanting japa) Ladies and gentlemen, this ceremony… Of course, those who are my students, they know what is this ceremony. Those who are visitors, for their information, I may inform you something about this ceremony. Otherwise, it may not be misunderstood. A outsider may see it that "Why a person is being worshiped like God?" There may be some doubt. So this is the etiquette. This ceremony is called Vyāsa-pūjā. Vyāsa. Vyāsa means the original author of Vedic literature. He is incarnation of Nārāyaṇa. He gave us all Vedic knowledge. He received the knowledge from Nārada. Nārada received the knowledge from Brahma. Brahmā received the knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. So in this way, by disciplic succession, we get transcendental knowledge.

So Vyāsadeva… Formerly, before Vyāsadeva, say, five thousand years ago, before that time there was no need of written literature. People were so sharp in their memory that whatever they would hear from the spiritual master they would remember for life. The memory was so sharp. But in this age-it is called Kali-yuga-we are reducing our bodily strength, our memory, power of memorizing, our feelings of sympathy for others, compassion, age, duration of life, religious propensities. In this way, in this age we are reducing everything. Every one of you can understand very easily. Formerly if somebody is attacked by another man, many persons will come to help him: "Why this man is attacked?" But at the present moment if one man is attacked, the passersby will not care for it because they have lost their sympathy or mercifulness for others. Our neighbor may starve, but we don't care for it. But formerly the sympathy for other living entities, even for an ant… Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, while he was touring on his kingdom, he saw that one man was trying to kill a cow. Parīkṣit Mahārāja saw. Immediately he took his sword that "Who are you? You are killing a cow in my kingdom?" Because the king is supposed, or the government is supposed to give everyone protection, not that the government is meant for giving protection to the human being and not to the animals. Because it is Kali-yuga, the government discriminates between two nationals. National means one who has taken birth in the land. That is called national. That is… You know, everyone. So the trees, they are also born in the land, the aquatics also born in the land. The flies, the reptiles, the snakes, the birds, the beasts, human beings-everyone is born in that land. Suppose your land, America, United States… Why the government should give protection to one class of living entities, rejecting others? This means they have lost their sympathy for others. This is Kali-yuga. Formerly, before Kali-yuga, unnecessarily even an ant would not be killed. Even an ant. There are many instances that a hunter who was taking advantage of killing animals, but when he became a devotee he was not prepared to kill even an ant.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that it makes a person perfect in everything: perfect in knowledge, perfect in strength, perfect in age, everything. We need so many things. So this perfection of life, the process how to make life perfect, is coming down from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, He is the origin of everything. Therefore the knowledge of perfection is also coming from Him, and periodically-periodically means after millions and millions of years-Kṛṣṇa comes. He comes once in a day of Brahmā. So Brahmā's days, even one day, the span of one day, it is very difficult to calculate. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam arhad yad brāhmaṇo viduḥ [Bg. 8.17]. The Brahmā's one day means about 433,000,000's of years. So in each day of Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa comes, once in a day. That means after a period of 433,000,000's of years He comes. Why? To give perfect knowledge of life, how a human being should live to make his life perfect. So the Bhagavad-gītā is there, spoken by Kṛṣṇa in this millennium, in this day. Now Brahmā's one day we are passing through the twenty-eighth millennium. No, twenty-eighth… In Brahmā's day there are seventy-one Manus, and one Manu lives for… That is also many millions of years, seventy-two millenniums.

So we are not interested now about calculation the perfect knowledge. This perfect knowledge comes from God, or Kṛṣṇa, and it is distributed by paramparā system, by disciplic succession. The example is just there, a mango tree. On the top of the mango tree there is a very ripened fruit, and that fruit has to be tasted. So if I drop the fruit from up, it will be lost. Therefore it is handed over, after one, after one, after… Then it comes down. So all Vedic process of knowledge is taking from the authority. And it comes down through disciplic succession. Just like I have already explained, Kṛṣṇa gives the knowledge, perfect knowledge, to Brahmā, and Brahmā gives the knowledge to Nārada. Nārada gives the knowledge to Vyāsa. Vyāsa gives the knowledge to Madhvācārya. Madhvācārya gives the knowledge to his disciplic succession, later on, to Mādhavendra Purī. Mādhavendra Purī gives that knowledge to Īśvara Purī. Īśvara Purī gives that knowledge to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Caitanya. He delivers that knowledge to His immediate disciples, six Gosvāmīs. The six Gosvāmīs delivers the knowledge to Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Jīva Gosvāmī. Then Kavirāja Gosvāmī, then Viśvanātha Cakravartī, then Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, then Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, then Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, then my spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. Then we are distributing the same knowledge.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda! Haribol!

Prabhupāda: We don't manufacture knowledge, because how we can manufacture? Perfect knowledge means I must be perfect. But I am not perfect. Every one of us, when I was speaking, because… We are not perfect because in our conditional life we have got four defects. The first defect is that we commit mistake. Any one of us who are sitting here, nobody can vouchsafe that he has not committed any mistake in life. No, that is natural. "To err is human." In our country, even a personality like Mahātmā Gandhi, he committed so many mistakes. So to commit mistake is not unusual. It is usual for any man. Then again, one is illusioned. Illusioned means accepting something for something. Just like every one of us, we accept this body as ourself, but actually we are not, everyone. On this bodily concept of life the whole trouble is there in the whole trouble is there in the world. I am thinking "Indian"; you are thinking "American"; he is thinking "dog"; he is thinking "cat"; because on this bodily concept of life. So this is illusion because I am not this body, you are not this body. Because at the time of death we can understand the body is there, but my relative is crying, "Oh, my son is gone." "My father is gone." Where he is gone? The body is there. Where is your father gone? No. Then we can… After death we can understand that "My father or my son was not this body. He was something else." So this is called illusion.

So mistake, illusion, and cheating. Everyone wants to cheat others. This is the dealing. Suppose we are businessman, making some agreement. So I am trying to make the agreement in my favor; you are trying to make the agreement in your favor. I am thinking, "I have cheated this person. I am so clever." You see? So the cheating propensity is there, even we hide something. Even husband and wife, we cheat one another, what to speak of man… Even sometimes father and son, what to speak of other relation. So cheating propensity is… First that we commit mistake, we are illusioned, we cheat, and at the end, all our senses are imperfect. Just like we are very much proud of seeing. Everyone says, "Can you show me? I want to see." And what can you see? What is the power of seeing? At night, if there is no sunshine, you cannot see, so what is the use of your seeing? If there is wall, you cannot see what is beyond the wall. You are seeing every day the sun, but we are seeing just like a small disc. But actually it is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth. Similarly, we cannot see which is situated a very long distance. We cannot see even the eyelid which is actually with the eyes. But we cannot see it. In this way, if you study, every one of your senses you will find imperfect.

So your senses are imperfect, you are cheating, you are illusioned, and you commit mistake. How you can give perfect knowledge? Therefore we don't accept any knowledge from an imperfect personality. Because that is imperfect knowledge, what is the use of that knowledge? Theorizing. No theory. We want to know fact. That is perfect knowledge. So that perfect knowledge can come from God. And one who distributes that knowledge exactly as God has said, he is perfect. Just like a post peon comes and delivers you, say, one hundred dollars. So he is not delivering that one hundred dollars. Your friend has sent you one hundred dollars, and his business is to hand over that one hundred dollars as it is, without any change, without taking one dollar from it, no, or adding. No addition, no subtraction. His honesty, his perfection, is that he delivers you that hundred dollars which is sent by your friend. That is his honest…, perfection. He may be imperfect in so many others ways, but when he does his business perfectly, he is perfect. Similarly, our, this Vyāsa-pūjā means we receive perfect knowledge from Kṛṣṇa through the agency of spiritual master.

So this Vyāsa-pūjā means one day in a year, on the birthday of the spiritual master, because he is representative of Vyāsa, he is delivering the same knowledge which has come down by disciplic succession without any change, he is offered the respect. This is called Vyāsa-pūjā. And the spiritual master receives all honor, all contribution, on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not for his person. Just like in our country when there was British rule, there was a viceroy, a king's representative. So naturally, when viceroy used to go to some meeting, many people used to present valuable jewels, valuable, because just to honor him. But the law was that not a single of the jewels or contribution the viceroy could touch. It was going to the royal treasury. The viceroy could accept on behalf of the king all contribution, but it goes to the king. Similarly, this day, Vyāsa-pūjā day, whatever honor, contribution and feelings is being offered to the spiritual master, it is… Again, as we have received the knowledge from upwards, similarly, this respect also goes from downward to the upward. This is the process. So as the spiritual master is teacher of the student, he has to teach the disciple how to send back his respect and contribution to God. This is called Vyāsa-pūjā.

So spiritual master is respected as good as God. Why? Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. They have already chanted this song. Samasta-śāstraiḥ, in all Vedic literatures. Samasta, all. Samasta means all. Śāstra means Vedic literature. The all the śāstras in Vedic literature, they have declared that spiritual master is as good as God. Not God, but as good as God. The Māyāvādī, they think that the spiritual master is also God. No. We Vaiṣṇava, we don't accept that theory. But actually how a man can become God? No. But because he is God's representative, he is honored as God, not that he has become God. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Just like you have got a dear son. If somebody pats your son, even pats your dog, you become pleased. So the spiritual master is very confidential servant, dog of God. Therefore if you can please him, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If you can please the spiritual master, then God is pleased. Just like your small child. If somebody pleases that child, you become automatically pleased. You can please that child with a two-cent-worth lozenges. But to please you it may require thousands of dollars. So you can finish the business by offering a lozenges.

So this is the position of a spiritual master. Don't misunderstand that "This person is sitting very comfortably and taking all honors and contribution." It is needed just to teach them how to respect the representative of God. This is the sum and substance of Vyāsa-pūjā.

Thank you very much. (end)

730822VP.LON

Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā Lecture

London, August 22, 1973

Prabhupāda: My dear sons and daughters, I am so much obliged to you that you have become so enthusiastic for offering Vyāsa-pūjā. Now try to understand. Several times we have explained why this function is called Vyāsa-pūjā. I have already explained in the morning, this offering worshiping, one may think that this man is teaching his disciples man-worshiping, anthropomorphism. But it is not man-worshiping. One should not misunderstand. Vyāsadeva is the original spiritual master. Original spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa. From Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā was initiated, Lord Brahma. Tene brahma hṛdāya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that when Brahmā was created, it was all darkness within the universe. He could not understand what is the purpose of his becoming there. Then he engaged himself in tapasya, and he was initiated from within.

Kṛṣṇa is within everyone. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. So He is called caitya-guru, means guru within the heart. And when Kṛṣṇa understands… Because Kṛṣṇa knows everything, whatever we are willing, whatever we are doing. He is the Paramātmā; He's sitting within our hearts as witness. Anumanta upadṛṣṭā. Upadṛṣṭā means simply observing what we are doing, and what we are desiring. So as we desire, Kṛṣṇa is very kind, He gives us facility. We have many times explained. Therefore, we have got varieties of bodies to enjoy this material world. So when Kṛṣṇa sees that a living entity is very anxious to understand Him or to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa gives him all opportunity, especially by manifesting Himself as the spiritual master. Antar bahiḥ. The spiritual master is therefore Kṛṣṇa's manifestation-Kṛṣṇa's mercy manifestation to help a person to develop his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. From within He's helping. Therefore, He's called caitya-guru, and from without, He sends His representative to help how to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Therefore, to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness we require two kinds of help-one from Kṛṣṇa and another from the spiritual master. It is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta… You'll be glad now that Caitanya-caritāmṛta is now published. (devotees: Jaya! Haribol!) Yes. (This) It is the… Our Paṇḍitjī, Pradyumna, he has presented. Actually, he has worked for it, although I have translated. But I am very much indebted to him that he very carefully edits and makes the thing very perfect. So, now we have got translation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, and Sanskrit portion… Because mostly there is Sanskrit portion, so, so my beloved disciple, Pradyumna, I call him Paṇḍit Mahāṣaya, because he is actually doing the paṇḍita's work. So he edits and he works very hard. And… Not only that, his wife also helps in this connection. So actually, that is wanted.

kibā vipra kibā śūdra nyāse kene naya

ye kṛṣṇa tattva vetta sei guru haya

I'm sometimes criticized by my Godbrothers that I have become a marriage-maker, because a sannyāsī does not take part in a marriage ceremony, but I get my disciples married. This is also unique in the history. So they criticize me that I have become a marriage-maker. But they, they do not know why I take this risk. I have got many disciples, they are married couples, but all of them, husband and wife, they are helping this movement. Here is Bhagavān dāsa, he's also married man, children.

So actually, married couples should be paramahaṁsas. Paramahaṁsa means the topmost stage of sannyāsī. Paramahaṁsa. A sannyāsī has got four stages: kuṭicaka, bahudaka, parivrājakācārya and paramahaṁsa. A sannyāsī, in the beginning, he's supposed to make a small cottage, just on the border of the village, does not go home, but the, his necessities are supplied by his home, but he does not go home. This is called kuṭicaka. Then gradually, when he is practiced, he begs from home to home. He does not anymore depend on his own home. (aside:) Stop this. That is called bahudaka. Bahudaka means collecting his necessity from many places. And then as he becomes practiced, he becomes parivrājakācārya. He goes from place to place, village to village, preaching the message of Kṛṣṇa. As our Śrīman Revatīnandana Mahārāja is doing. He has now very nice bus. All others also doing. Gṛhasthas are also doing. Because our only business is Kṛṣṇa. It doesn't matter whether a gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsī. It doesn't matter. So when he preaches all over the world, that is called parivrājakācārya. And when he's experienced, he executes the work by his assistants. That is called paramahaṁsa. So gṛhasthas are supposed to be paramahaṁsa. Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he was gṛhastha, magistrate, government servant, but he has worked so much for Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in writing books. Not only writing books, but also begetting a child like Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, my spiritual master. So that is gṛhastha. They should produce children like Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. Because we want big stalwart men to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

So everyone has got duty in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and this duty is taught by Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva. Anyone who is coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's not ordinary living being. Anyone who is connected with our movement, he's not ordinary living being. Actually, he's liberated soul. And I am very much hopeful that my disciples who are now participating today, even if I die, my movement will not stop, I am very much hopeful. Yes. All these nice boys and girls who have taken so seriously… Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wanted that European and American people may understand the philosophy of Caitanya cult and take part in it. That was his desire. My Guru Mahārāja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, he also attempted to send his disciples to preach Caitanya cult in the Western world. One of them, he advised me also. First meeting, perhaps you know, he asked me to preach. So at that time I was young man, only twenty-five years old, and I was also householder. So I should have joined and executed his desire immediately, but due to my ill luck I could not immediately execute his order, but it was in my heart that it is to be done. So better late than never, I executed his order at the age of seventy years, not at the age of twenty-five. So actually I wasted so much time, I can understand that. From twenty… The message was there when I was twenty-five years old, but I began at the age of seventy years. But I did not forget the message. Otherwise, how could I do? That was, that is a fact. I was simply finding out the opportunity, how to do it. So anyway, although I began very late, at the age of seventy years, so by the help of my disciples this movement is gaining ground and is spreading all over the world. So therefore I have to thank you. It is all due to you. It is not my credit, but it is your credit that you are helping me in executing the order of my Guru Mahārāja.

So this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you already know, that this is a most essential, most important movement to the human society. Last night the Ambassador of India, His Excellency Rasagotra, he was present here. He also appreciated that this movement is very important movement, and he was very pleased that I have done so much. So this movement will go on. Nobody can stop. So this Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony means to offer our thanks to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because He is is the original guru. As we receive this message through paramparā system from Kṛṣṇa to Brahmā, Brahmā to Nārada, Nārada to Vyāsadeva, Vyāsadeva to Madhvācārya, in this way, Mādhavendra Purī, then Īśvara Purī, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then six Gosvāmīs, then others, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. Then we have taken. So this, as we come to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness understanding through this long paramparā, similarly, in the Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony, whatever respect, honor, and presentation you give, that goes to Kṛṣṇa through that paramparā system, from down. As it is received through the paramparā system, so similarly, your offerings also goes through this paramparā system to the Supreme. The connection.

Our system is gopī-bhārtur pāda-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. It is sometimes called bureaucracy. If you apply something, at least in India, to the President, you'll have to submit to the local collector. The collector will submit to somebody else, somebody else, then secretary, you go. Then to the President. So our system is that. So it is not that I am training my disciples to worship me, man-worship, I'm getting some honor from them for nothing. No. It is not that. Whatever honor, whatever respect, whatever presentation you are giving to your spiritual master, it will go to Kṛṣṇa by paramparā system. This is Vyāsa-pūjā. Therefore, it is called Vyāsa-pūjā. Vyāsa-pūjā means Vyāsadeva is the original guru. After Brahma, Nārada, then Vyāsa. And Vyāsa is original guru, because from his literature we understand spiritual knowledge. All these literatures whatever we have produced, they are actually originally from Vyāsadeva. The four Vedas, Brahma-sūtra, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas, they are called Vedic literature. And whatever is written with the conclusion of this Vedic literature, that is also Vedic literature. Just like our books. All our books, they are not mental speculation. Whatever I have learned from my Guru Mahārāja, I am presenting. That's all. It is not mental speculation-this philosophy, that philosophy. We kick out all these things. Unless we get the knowledge from the authorized source, we don't accept. Because how we can accept? A so-called philosopher, scientist, according to… Why according? Everyone can understand that however great philosopher, scientist one may be, he is imperfect. He's imperfect. Every man. I have several times recited this example that in our country Gandhi was very big politician. You know Mahatma Gandhi. He committed so many mistakes. At last he committed such a great mistake that he was killed. That's a long history. So even a great person like Mahatma Gandhi, he commits mistake. Therefore, the śāstra says any conditioned soul, he must commit mistake. However great he may be in the estimation of fools and rascals. Sva-viḍ-varāhostra. He must commit mistake, he must be illusioned, his propensity is to cheat, and at the end, all the senses are imperfect. We have several times described. So, so much imperfectness, how he can give perfect knowledge?

Therefore, a so-called philosopher, scientist's knowledge is always imperfect. The perfect knowledge can be received through this paramparā system. From Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa to Brahmā, Brahmā to Nārada, Nārada to Vyāsa, Vyāsa to Madhvācārya. In this way, from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, six Gosvāmīs, then our Guru Mahārāja, in this way. And our business is just to present whatever we have heard. This is very important point. And because we do not speculate mentally, just like so many svāmīs comes from India. They make their own presentation by speculation. So whatever little success I have got, it is due to this process, that I do not present anything which is created by me. That is the secret of success. All these rascals, I say, declare in this, all these rascals come, they manufacture. A spiritual thing cannot be manufactured-as God cannot be manufactured. God is always God, and the words of God is also God. If we present as it is, then it will be effective. That is said in the śāstra:

satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido

bhavanti hṛt-karna-rasāyanaḥ kathāḥ

taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani

śraddhā bhaktir ratir anukramiṣyati

[SB 3.25.25]

Everything is there. Satāṁ prasaṅgān. From a bona fide spiritual master you receive knowledge, because he will present as he has received from his spiritual master. He'll not adulterate or manufacture something. That is the bona fide spiritual master. And that is very easy. To become spiritual master is not very difficult thing. You'll have to become spiritual master. You, all my disciples, everyone should become spiritual master. It is not difficult. It is difficult when you anufacture something. But if you simply present whatever you have heard from your spiritual master, it is very easy. If you want to become overintelligent, to present something, to interpret something, whatever over you have heard from spiritual master you can make some further addition, alteration, then you'll spoil whole thing. Then you'll spoil whole thing. Don't make addition or alteration. Simply present as it is. Therefore, we have begun Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Don't try to become over spiritual master. Then you'll spoil. Remain always a servant of your spiritual master and present the thing as you have heard. You'll be spiritual master. This is secret. You should know it. Don't try to become overintelligent. That will spoil. Evam paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. This is the… So (child talking) you can stop.(?)

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa

yāre dekha, tāre kaha, 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Just see. It is very nice. You'll find in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, now it is published. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, He is the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. He says, āmāra ājñāya. "Whatever I say, āmāra ājñāya, by My order, you become a spiritual master." Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So one may be very illiterate, no education, or no scholarship, may not be born in brāhmaṇa family, or may not be a sannyāsī. There are so many qualification. But one may not have all these qualifications. He may be rascal number one, but still, he can become spiritual master. How? Āmāra ājñāya. As Kṛṣṇa says, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, if you follow, then you become spiritual master. One may be rascal number one from material estimation, but if he simply strictly follows whatever is said by Caitanya Mahāprabhu or His representative spiritual master, then he becomes a guru.

So it is not very difficult. One may not think that "I am not qualified to become guru." No, you are qualified if you follow strictly the paramparā system. Then you are qualified. That's all. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā… And what is the difficulty? Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Don't feel any difficulty." Because as spiritual master, what you have to do? Yāre dekha, tāre kaha, 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Whomever you meet, you simply speak to him the instruction which Kṛṣṇa gives. What Kṛṣṇa instruction gives? That is also very easy. What is that? Kṛṣṇa says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Kṛṣṇa says "Just become My devotee, always think of Me, offer Me obeisances, and worship Me." So here is Kṛṣṇa. If you simply think "Here is Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity," you may be fool number, rascal number one. That doesn't matter. But you are getting impression of this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, think of Him: "Oh, how nicely Kṛṣṇa is decorated." This much. No erudite scholarship. Simply… Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. Here is Deity. Worship Him nicely as it is regulated principle. Even you are not worshiping, simply think of Kṛṣṇa, "Here is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." Impression. What is the difficulty? As soon as you see Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, you get some impression. Think of that impression. Where is the difficulty? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. "Worship me." If you have got opportunity, worship. If you are initiated, worship here. Or you install Deity at home, as our Kṣīrodakaśāyī Prabhu is doing. Everyone can do it. Where is the difficulty? Now ask him how he is happy. The whole family is happy. Not only he. But his wife, his children, everyone is happy. Practical. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. And if you cannot do anything, simply come and offer your obeisances: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I am so poor, so unfortunate, I cannot do all these things, but I offer my humble obeisances unto Your lotus feet." That much also. If you do this, you become spiritual master.

So, simply by accepting this principle, and even if you are not learned, illiterate, you are hearing so much from Bhagavad-gītā, you simply repeat that. Simply repeat that. There is no question of becoming very learned scholar. God has given you this ear. Even if you are blind, you cannot read, you can hear. So kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, what is Kṛṣṇa…? This is 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa. And at last, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So if you simply preach this cult, "My dear friend, my dear brother, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa," you become spiritual master. You become spiritual master. You go door to door. No other talks. Simply say, "My dear friend, you are very nice, you are very learned." That was adopted by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī.

dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya

kaku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi

he sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrād

caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam (sic)

The meaning is the preaching, very easy. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakam. According to Indian system, if you put a grass on your mouth, it is a sign of that you have become very humble. If you approach a person with a grass in your mouth, he'll immediately know that you are coming there with very, very great humbleness. Therefore dante nidhāya. This was the system. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakam, and touching his feet. Immediately, touch his feet. Immediately, even if he's enemy, he'll be a friend. Even if he's your enemy, it is so nice process. Take a grass on your mouth and immediately fall on his feet, padayor nipetya, and with folded hands, much flattering. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kaku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca. All flattering words. Ahaṁ bravīmi. So immediately he will agree, "Yes, what you say I'll hear. I'll hear." Immediately, convert to hear you at least. Just see how perfect process is. "Then what is your purpose, sir? Why you are becoming so humble, meek? And now say." "Yes sir, I'll say." What is that? He sādhavaḥ, "You are a great sādhu." Although he may be rascal number one. Still, you call him, he sādhavaḥ. "Yes, I am sādhu, yes. What is your proposal?" "Now kindly forget all nonsense, whatever you have learned. That's all. I am flattering you because I want that you forget everything, all these yogis and this and that and that and meditation. Please kick out all these." "Then what I have to do?" "Caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam. Just adhere yourself to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then you become spiritual master. That's all."

So I hope that all of you, men, women, boys and girls, become spiritual master, and follow this principle. Spiritual master, simply, sincerely, follow the principles and speak to the general public. Then Kṛṣṇa immediately becomes your favorite. Kṛṣṇa does not become your favorite; you become Kṛṣṇa's favorite. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmād manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ: "One who is doing this humble service of preaching work, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, nobody is dearer than him to Me." So if you want to become recognized by Kṛṣṇa very quickly, you take up this process of becoming spiritual master, present the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Your life is perfect.

Thank you very much. (end)

760819VP.HYD

Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā Lecture

Hyderabad, August 19, 1976

(Śrīla Prabhupāda's lecture is preceded by several speeches in Hindi and one in English by a disciple.)

Prabhupāda: Śrīpada Sampatkumar Bhaṭṭācārya, ladies and gentlemen: I must thank you for your kindly coming here during this Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony. Vyāsa-pūjā…This āsana where they have seated me, it is called vyāsāsana. The guru is the representative of Vyāsadeva. Everyone of you have heard the name of Vyāsadeva, Veda Vyāsa. So anyone who represents the great ācārya, Vyāsadeva, he is allowed to sit on the vyāsāsana. So Vyāsa-pūjā… Guru is representative of Vyāsadeva, therefore his birthday is accepted as Vyāsa-pūjā.

Now I must explain my position because in these days, a person being worshiped as most exalted personality is something revolution. Because they like democracy, by vote somebody should be elevated however rascal he may be. But our this system, guru-paramparā system, is different. Our system, if you do not accept the Vedic knowledge through guru-paramparā system, it is useless. You cannot manufacture an interpretation of the Vedic language. Just like cow dung. Cow dung is the stool of an animal. Vedic injunction is that if you touch cow dung…, any stool of an animal, you have to take immediately bath and purify yourself. But the Vedic injunction is also that cow dung can purify any impure place. Especially we Hindus, we accept it. Now by reason it is contradictory. The stool of an animal is impure, and the Vedic injunction is cow dung is pure. Actually we accept cow dung as pure to purify any place. Out of panca-gavya the cow dung is there, cow urine is there.

So it appears contradictory, the Vedic injunction. But still we accept because it is Vedic order. That is… That is the acceptance of Vedas. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā, there are so many rascals, they cut short: "I like this; I do not like this." No. Arjuna says sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye [Bg. 10.14]. That is understanding of Vedas. If a rascal makes cut, cutting, "I do not like this, I interpret" this is not Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā means you have to accept as it is. That is Bhagavad-gītā. We are presenting therefore Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Kṛṣṇa says, the speaker of the Bhagavad-gītā, He says sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. "My dear Arjuna, this Bhagavad-gītā science," imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1], "I spoke first of all to the sun-god, and he spoke to his son," vivasvān manave prāha. To Vaivasvata Manu. Manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. This is the process. Sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. Anyone who does not come through this paramparā system, if he presents any interpretation of Vedic literature, it is useless. It is useless. It has no meaning. Yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. So that is going on. It has no meaning. You cannot interpret on the words of God. That is not possible. And dharma means dharmāṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. You cannot manufacture at your home a kind of religious system. That is rascaldom, that is useless. Dharma means sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. Just like the law. Law means what is given by the government. You cannot manufacture law at your home. Suppose in the street, common sense, the government law is keep to the right or keep to the left. You cannot say "What is the wrong there if I go to the right or left?" No, that you cannot. Then you'll be criminal. Similarly nowadays… Not nowadays-from time immemorial there are so many religious systems. So many. But real religious system is what God says or Kṛṣṇa says. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is religion. Simple. You cannot manufacture.

Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the beginning is dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇām [SB 1.1.2]. So the… Somebody may envy that this person has sophisticated some disciples and they are offering prayers and pūjā. No, it is the system. Don't envy the… Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit [SB 11.17.27]. Ācārya is the representative of God. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. If you offer prayers, honor to the ācārya, then Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased. To please Him you have to please His representative. "If you love me, love my dog." And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said ācāryopāsanam. Ācāryopāsanam. We have to worship the ācārya.

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathita hy arthaḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

[ŚU 6.23]

This is the Vedic mantra. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12].

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta

jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam

śabde pāre ca niṣṇātaṁ

brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam

[SB 11.3.21]

Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. So these are the injunction. The guru must come through the paramparā system. Then he is bona fide. Otherwise he is a rascal. Must come through the paramparā system, and in order to understand tad-vijñānam, transcendental science, you have to approach guru. You cannot say that "I can understand at home." No. That is not possible. That is the injunction of the all śāstra. Tasmād guruṁ prapad… Who requires a guru? Guru is not a fashion just like you keep a dog as a fashion, modern civilization, similarly we keep a guru. No, not like that. Who requires a guru? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]-one who is actually serious to understand the science of spirit soul. Tad vijñānam. Oṁ tat sat. He requires a guru. Guru is not a fashion.

So Kṛṣṇa says that ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān: [SB 11.17.27] "You accept ācārya as I am." Why? I see that he is a man. His sons call him father, or he looks like a man, so why he should be as good as God? Because he speaks as God speaks, that's all. Therefore. He does not make any change. Just like God says, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. The guru says that you surrender to Kṛṣṇa or God. The same word. God says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Guru says that you always think of Kṛṣṇa, you surrender unto Him, you offer Him prayer, you become His devotee. There is no change. Because he says as the Supreme Personality says, therefore he is guru. Even though you see that he is materially born, his behavior is like other men. But because he says the same truth as it is spoken in the Vedas or by the Personality of Godhead, therefore he is guru. Because he does not make any change whimsically, therefore he is guru. That is the definition. It is very simple. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has asked everyone to become guru. Everyone. Because there is need of guru. The world is full of rascals, therefore there is need of so many gurus to teach them. But what is that qualification of the guru? How everyone can become guru? This may be the question, next question. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Ei deśa means wherever you are living you become a guru and deliver them. Suppose you are living in a small neighborhood, you can become a guru of that neighborhood and deliver them. "How it is possible? I have no education, I have no knowledge. How I can become guru and deliver them?" Caitanya Mahāprabhu said it is not at all difficult. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. This is your qualification. If you simply deliver the message given by Kṛṣṇa you become guru. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. You preach, you request everyone, "Sir, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa." You become guru. Very simple thing. Kṛṣṇa said, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. You say that "You become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, you offer obeisances. Here is a temple; here is Kṛṣṇa. Please come here. You offer your obeisances, and if you can you offer patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ [Bg. 9.26]. You don't offer… But it is very simple thing. Anyone can secure a little flower, a little fruit, a little water. It is not at all difficult."

So this is the guru's qualification. Guru does not show any magic or produce some wonderful things then he becomes guru. So practically I have done this. People are giving me credit that I have done miracles, but my miracle is that I carried the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu: yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. So this is the secrecy. So anyone of you, you can become guru. It is not that I am an extraordinary man, an extraordinary god coming from some mysterious place. It is not that-it is very simple thing. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. So I request you follow the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction that you also, you become a guru at your home. It is not that you have to make a gigantic show of becoming guru. The father has to become guru, the mother has to become guru. Actually, in the śāstra it is said one should not become father, one should not become mother if he does not become a guru to his children. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. If a person is unable to save his child from the clutches of birth and death, he should not become a father. This is real contraceptive method. Not that have sex like cats and dogs and when the child is there kill it and abortion. No. That is greatest sinful activity. Real contraceptive method is that if you are unable to deliver your son from the clutches of birth and death, do not become a father. That is wanted. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sa syāt guru na sa syāt na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. If you cannot save your children from the clutches of birth…

This is whole Vedic literature. Punar janma jayayaḥ. How to conquer over next birth, next material birth, they do not know. Foolish persons they have forgotten Vedic culture, what is the Vedic culture. Vedic culture is to conquer over the next birth, that's all. But they do not believe in the next birth. Ninety-nine percent people, they have gone so down from the Vedic culture. The Bhagavad-gītā also the same philosophy is there. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. This is Vedic culture. Vedic culture means by the evolutionary process we come to this human form of life. Here is the chance of stopping transmigration of the soul from one body to another. Tathā dehāntara prāptir, and you do not know what kind of body I am going to get next. This body may be prime minister and next body may be dog by the laws of nature.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham (iti manyate)

[Bg. 3.27]

They do not know. They have forgotten this culture. Misusing this human form of body like animals, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is not civilization. The civilization is punar janma jayayaḥ, how to conquer over next material birth. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore we are presenting so many literatures. It is being accepted all over the world, learned circle. Take advantage of this movement. We have tried to open, our humble attempt to open a center here. Do not be envious upon us. Kindly take mercy upon us. We are…, our humble attempt. And take advantage of it. That is our request.

Thank you very much. (end)

680830RA.MON

Rādhāṣṭamī:

Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's Appearance Day

Montreal, August 30, 1968

Prabhupāda:

…am aprameyam anaghaṁ nirvāṇa-śānti-pradaṁ brahma-śambhu-phanīndras tebhyo 'niśaṁ vedānta-vedyaṁ vibhuṁ sura-guruṁ māyā-mānuṣya-hariṁ vande 'haṁ karunākaraṁ raghu-varaṁ bhū-pāla-cudāmaṇim

This is a verse composed by a great devotee, Tulasī dāsa. He was a devotee of Lord Rāmacandra. So Lord Rāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. When we speak Kṛṣṇa, that means He includes all other incarnations. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said,

rāmādi mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu

kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.39]

Kṛṣṇa is svayam. Kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo. Kṛṣṇa is paramaḥ pumān. Paramaḥ pumān means the ultimate Supreme Personality of Godhead. But He is always manifest in different incarnations, and of all the incarnation, Lord Rāma is the foremost, Balarāma. You have heard the name of Balarāma, Baladeva. Similarly Rāma, Rāma means the Supreme Enjoyer. Ramante yoginām anante sac-cid-ānanda-cirātmanīti rāma-padenāsau. Rāma means real bliss, and all the yogis, either dhyāna-yogī or a jñāna-yogī or a bhakta-yogī… There are three kinds of yogis. Everyone tries to enjoy that eternal bliss, and that is real pleasure. Therefore Rāma.

So this verse… Our, this respectable Indian lady, she will begin Rāmāyana… This Tulasī, actually it is not Rāmāyaṇa. It is called Rāma-carita-manasa. Rāmāyaṇa means Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, but people have taken it as Rāmāyaṇa. Actually, Tulasī dāsa has expressed his own feelings about his devotion to Lord Rāma, and therefore he has named it Rāma-carita-manasa, his mind full with service attitude for Lord Rāma. That is the real meaning of this book. But people have misinterpreted; they are going on just it is Rāmāyaṇa. And Rāmāyaṇa, of course, anywhere where Rāma's activities are described, that is called Rāmāyaṇa. That is another sense. But real Rāmāyaṇa means the Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. Rāmāyaṇa composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. And this is… It is a popular notion that this is Rāmāyaṇa, but actually this book is called Rāma-carita-manasa. So some of the description of Rāma are there, but not all the description. Rather there are many differences from the original Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. Anyway this is song of a devotee for his Lord Rāma. In that sense, you can call it Rāmāyaṇa, but this book is actually Rāma-carita-manasa.

So in the fifth chapter, Sundara-Khanda, it is a very nice verse. What is that? Śāntaṁ śāśvatam aprameyam anaghaṁ nirvāṇa-śānti-pradam. Each word is meaningful. Śāntam. The Lord is never disturbed. Why He shall be disturbed? Just like we are, in this material world, we are always disturbed in so many ways. The duration life is short, and we are always embarrassed with so many problems, political, social, religious, cultural, so many things. And family, maintenance of family is more difficult than maintaining an empire.

So this material world is full of anxiety. I have several times explained, asad-grahāt. Because we have accepted something which is not eternal. Anything which is not eternal will always create disturbance. But because the Lord is eternal, therefore He is śāntam. Whenever we'll find the face of Lord Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, Viṣṇu, you'll find smiling with peace. As soon as you'll see you become also peaceful. His very face is so nice. Śāntam. And śāśvatam. Śāṣvatam means original. It's not that Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, as the Māyāvādī philosophers say, that the impersonal Brahman appears in form. This is rascaldom. Actually, He appears in His own form, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]. We are accepting this form not by our own potency. I have accepted this body, you have accepted this body, not by your own will. You have been forced to accept a particular type of body according to your work. You cannot make choice. Otherwise, everyone would have made his choice to take birth in America or some place like that, or heavenly planets. Oh, that is not choice. Just like if the foreigners, they apply for immigration, there is, the choice depends on the highest authority.

So similarly, this body is not śāśvatam. It is not my original body. This body is changing. I may have this body this time, I may have another body, another species of life; therefore it is not śāśvatam. But the Lord's body is śāśvatam. As it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, śāśvataṁ puruṣam, and He is enjoyer. So the same word is used here. Śāntaṁ śāśvatam aprameyam. Aprameyam means that cannot be measured. The Māyāvādīs, they cannot conceive how immeasurable, unlimited. Therefore as soon as they take it that God is unlimited, immeasurable, they take it for impersonal. They cannot conceive that God can assume any extensive form without any difficulty. Just like He appeared as Hiraṇya…, I mean to say, Varāhadeva. The Varāhadeva, He appeared in such a gigantic body that He could lift this whole planet by His tusk. So just imagine how much great body He assumed. So aprameyam. Another, He can assume so small body. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja, when he was within the womb of his mother, attacked by the atomic energy, so Kṛṣṇa entered the womb of his mother and saved him. Just imagine how small He became.

Therefore aprameyam means you cannot measure how He is small, how He is great. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they can think of greatness, but Kṛṣṇa can become small also. Just like Jagannātha, He is the master, He is the proprietor of the whole world, but He has assumed such a nice form that He is within our reach. We can serve Him very convenient. This is God. Therefore aprameyam, immeasurable. Immeasurable does not mean simply great. Immeasurable means you cannot measure even how small He is. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He is greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest. Therefore aprameyam. Anagham. Anagham means this material contamination cannot touch Him. Etad īśasya īśānām. Īśa, the Supreme Lord, means that He may come in any form. Just like He appears as the boar, hog. That does not mean He is hog. Or even He acts like hog, still He is anagham. How it is possible? Because He's tejiyasaṁ na doṣayā [SB 10.33.29]. Tejiyasam…

The example is that the sun. Sun is so powerful that he is soaking water from everywhere. He is soaking water even from the filthy place where people are passing urine and stool. But sunshine is so powerful that it is soaking water from the urine, urinals, and lavatory, latrine, but still sun is pure. And by the sun's contact that place also becomes pure. This is called purity. Even impure, even I am impure, if am in touch with Kṛṣṇa consciousness then I also become pure. He does not become impure. We are so, I mean to say, teeny, that if I go to a contaminated place, I become contagious. I become infected with the contamination. But Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, They are so powerful that even a contaminated person approaches Him, He, it does not mean that Kṛṣṇa becomes contaminated-the contaminated person becomes purified. This is very nice to understand. So anyone, with any aim, if he approaches Kṛṣṇa or Rāma, he becomes anagham. Nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa-śānti-pradam. This nirvāṇa means finishing. Śānti. This material life, material existence, is always full of threefold miseries.

So Kṛṣṇa or Rāma can give you a position by which you can stop all this nonsense. Nirvāṇa-śānti-pradaṁ brahma-śambhu-phanīndras tebhyo 'nīśam. Brahmā, the demigods, there are millions of demigods. Of all the demigods, Brahmā, Śiva and Brahmā, they are considered to be the chief. Brahmā, Śiva, Phanīndra. Phanīndra means Śeṣa. He's also incarnation of Viṣṇu. So all of them are engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord. That means Viṣṇu is the Supreme, even superior than Lord Śiva. He has especially mentioned: brahmā-śambhu. Śambhu means Lord Śiva. Brahmā-śambhu-phanīndras tebhyo 'nīśaṁ vedānta-vedyaṁ vibhum. So Vedānta, Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. So one who is in the ultimate knowledge, he can understand the Personality of Godhead Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. Those who have got little knowledge, or a mediocrity, they can go up to the impersonal Brahman, but they cannot enter into the knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Rāma. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā by Arjuna, that "It is very difficult to understand Your personality."

Actually we are experiencing, if we speak something impersonal, they think it is very learned speech, and when we speak of something personal they think it is old, old style. This is nonsense. Practically, the Personality of God is the ultimate knowledge, but men with poor fund of knowledge, a little stock of knowledge, they cannot understand. If He is impersonal, how Brahmā and Śambhu are engaged in His service? He is person. Brahmā-śambhu-phanīndras tebhyo 'nīśam vedānta-vedyam. Vedānta-vedyam. These Māyāvādīs, they have Śaṅkarācārya, they have their Śārīraka-bhāṣya. They have tried to prove the Supreme Lord as imperson. This is not actually fact. Vedānta-vedyam. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam, vedānta-kṛt veda-vid eva cāham [Bg. 15.15]. Kṛṣṇa says that all the Vedas, including Vedānta… If somebody says the Vedānta is describing impersonal Brahman, but Kṛṣṇa says that "How it can do?" Vedānta-vid, "I am the actual knower of Vedānta, I am actual composer of Vedānta. So I am the Supreme." So these Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. They think that Vedānta…

In India the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs are known as Vedāntī. Therefore my society, Vaiṣṇava society, has particularly given me this title, Bhaktivedanta. Vedānta means bhakti. It is a challenge to the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. This particular title was given after due consideration that my humble self should be awarded this title. It is new title amongst the Vaiṣṇava society. So the Māyāvādī philosophers they are sometimes surprised that "How Swamijī is Vedanti, at the same time bhakti?" But actually they do not know Vedānta means bhakti. Real Vedānta commentary is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **. Brahma-sūtra means this Vedānta-sūtra. Vedānta-vedyam. Śiva-viriñci, that Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, they are trying to understand the Supreme. Flickering knowledge? No. Through the Vedānta. Vedānta. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. And vibhum, vibhum means the greatest. Nobody is greater than the Supreme Lord. Rāmākhyam jagad-īśvaram. And He is Rāma. We chant daily:

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Rāmākhyam. Rāma means the ramanīyā, the beautiful, or the enjoyer, rāmākhyam. And jagad-īśvaram. And He is the master or the proprietor of the whole universes. Sura-gurum. Sura means the demigods and gurum is spiritual master. Sura-gurum. Just like Arjuna is sura, and his guru is Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsadeva, his guru, Nārada; Nārada's guru is Brahmā; Brahmā's guru is Kṛṣṇa. So sura-gurum. māyā-manusyam. And when He appears as human being, that is māyā. māyā means actually He is not an ordinary man. He is the Supreme Personality of God, but the rascals they think that "Because Rāma and Kṛṣṇa has appeared like one of us, He is a man, He's an ordinary man." This is the version of the rascals. That Rāma, especially there is a class who are known as Ārya-samājīs. They do not agree that the Supreme Person can, Supreme God can appear as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. They do not know that although He appeared as one of us in the form of human body, He is not a human being. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore it is called rāmākhya, māyā mānuṣya hari. He is the Hari… Hari means the Supreme Personality of Godhead who can give you all pleasure, taking all your miserable condition. He is Hari.

So vande 'haṁ karuṇākaraṁ raghu-varaṁ bhu-pāla-cuḍāmaṇi. So he is offering his respectful obeisances to the Lord Rāma. Karuṇākaram. He comes, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam [Bg. 4.8]. Therefore He is karuṇā-ākaram. Ākaram means mine. He is the great mine of mercy. Karuṇākaraṁ raghu-varam. And because He appeared in the dynasty of Mahārāja Raghu, so He is the Supreme Personality in the Raghu dynasty, raghu-varam. And bhu-pāla-cuḍāmaṇi. He is the helmet of all kings. Cuḍāmaṇi. Cuḍāmaṇi means, maṇi means pearl, and cuda means helmet. So the pearl is placed in the crown. So He is the, although He appeared as King, but He is the helmet of all kings. In this way, Lord Rāma's description is here. Now Mātājī requested me to explain one verse, so I have tried to explain.

Now today is our Rādhāṣṭami ceremony. I must speak now something about Rādhārāṇī, and then I shall go up, reach my apartment at twelve. In the meantime, you can observe the ceremonies. So, so far Rādhārāṇī, Rādhārāṇī, today is the birthday of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. Just try to understand. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. So when paraṁ brahma wants to enjoy… That enjoying spirit is there in the paraṁ brahma. Otherwise we cannot have this enjoying spirit. Because we are part and parcel, therefore we have got that enjoying spirit; but that is materially contaminated. But the fact is there, because Kṛṣṇa, He is enjoying, this enjoying spirit we have got also, but I do not know how to enjoy. We are trying to enjoy in the matter, in the dull matter. That is spiritual. So brahman, brahman sukhānubhūtyā. People are trying to feel what is brahma-sukha, pleasure of brahmānubhāva. That is not material pleasure. So many yogis, they have given up their family life, their kingdom, and meditating to achieve that Brahman pleasure. Actually, the idea is Brahman pleasure. So many brahmacārīs, so many sannyāsīs, they are trying to achieve that Brahman pleasure, and in order to achieve that Brahman pleasure they are neglecting, they are kicking off all this material pleasure. Do you think that Brahman pleasure is ordinary, this material pleasure? To achieve a portion of Brahman pleasure, if they are kicking off all this material pleasure… Don't talk of ourselves. We are ordinary men. In the history we have got instances, that of Bharata Mahārāja. Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. That Bharata Mahārāja was the emperor of the whole world. And as emperor he had his beautiful wife, young children. But at the age of twenty-four years, just young man, he gave up everything. All right. This is very old story, of course, but you know Lord Buddha. He was also a prince. He was also prince, not ordinary man, and he was kṣatriya, and he was always enjoying with beautiful women. That is the palace pleasure accustomed in every, in Oriental countries, that in the palace there are many beautiful girls, they're always dancing and giving pleasure to the kings and the prince. So Lord Buddha was also in such pleasure, but he gave up everything and began to meditate.

There are many hundreds of instances in Indian history that to realize the Brahman pleasure they gave up everything. They gave up everything. That is the way. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting something severe for realizing the supreme pleasure. That is called tapasya. So if, for tasting a little Brahman pleasure, all materialistic pleasures are to be given up, do you think that the Supreme Brahman, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is enjoying this material pleasure? Is it very reasonable? This Kṛṣṇa, He's enjoying lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam [Bs. 5.29]. Hundreds and thousands of goddess of fortune are engaged in His service. Do you think these lakṣmīs are material women? How Kṛṣṇa can take pleasure in the material women? No. This is mistake. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37]. In the Brahma-saṁhitā you'll find that He expands His ānanda-cinmaya-rasa, the mellow of transcendental pleasure potency. And these gopīs are expansion of His pleasure potency. And Rādhārāṇī is the center. Rādhārāṇī is the center. So Rādhārāṇī is not… Don't take that Rādhārāṇī is an ordinary woman like we have our wife or sister or mother. No. She is the pleasure potency. And the birth of Rādhārāṇī was not from the womb of any human being. She was found by her father in the field. While father was plowing, he saw one little nice child is lying there, and he had no children, so he caught it and presented to the queen, "Oh, here we have got a very nice child." "How you got?" "Oh, in the field." Just see. Rādhārāṇī's janma is like that. So this janma is today and Rādhā, this name is sometimes not found in Bhāgavata. So the atheistic class of men protest this Rādhārāṇī's name is not in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. How this name came, Rādhārāṇī? But they do not know how to see it. There is anayārādhyate. There are many gopīs, but there is mention that by this particular gopī He is served more pleasingly. Kṛṣṇa accepts this gopī's service more gladly. Anayārādhyate. Ārādhyate. This ārādhate, this word, ārādhyate means worshiping. From this word ārādhyate, Rādhā has come. But Rādhā's name are there in other Purāṇas. So this is the origin.

So Rādhā, so Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer and He wants to enjoy. So He's the Supreme Brahman. He cannot enjoy anything, ātmarāma, He can enjoy it in Himself. Therefore Rādhārāṇī is the expansion of His pleasure potency. Kṛṣṇa hasn't got to seek external things for His pleasure. No. He is in Himself full, ātmarāma. So Rādhārāṇī is expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the energetic, and Rādhārāṇī is the energy. Just like energy and energetic, you cannot separate. Fire and the heat you cannot separate. Wherever there is fire there is heat, and wherever there is heat there is fire. Similarly, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa there is Rādhā. And wherever there is Rādhā there is Kṛṣṇa. They are inseparable. But He is enjoying. So Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī has described this intricate philosophy of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in one verse, very nice verse. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau [Cc. Ādi 1.5]. So Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is the one Supreme, but in order to enjoy, They have divided into two. Again Lord Caitanya joined the two into one. Caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā. That one means Kṛṣṇa in the ecstasy of Rādhā. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa is in ecstasy of Rādhā. Sometimes Rādhā is in ecstasy of Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. But the whole thing is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa means the one, the Supreme.

So Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa philosophy is a very great philosophy. It is to be understood in the liberated stage. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa philosophy is not to be understood in the conditioned stage. But when we worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in our conditional stage, actually we worship Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. You have seen that picture, this viddhi-mārga and rāga-mārga. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship is on the platform of pure love, and Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa worship is on the regulative principles. So long we do not develop our pure love, we have to worship on the regulative principles. One has to become a brahmacārī, one has to become a sannyāsī, one has to perform the worship in this way, in the morning he has to rise, he has to offer. So many rules and regulations. There are at least sixty-four rules and regulations. So we shall introduce them gradually as you develop. So in the viddhi-mārga, when you have no love for God or Kṛṣṇa, we have to follow the regulative principles and automatically…, there is practice. When practicing. Just like you practice this mṛdaṅga playing. In the beginning it is not in order, but when you become well versed in the practice, the sound will come so nice. Similarly, when we are engaged by regulative principles in the worship of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, that is called viddhi-mārga. And actually when you are on the love platform, then that is called rāga-mārga. So without viddhi-mārga, if anyone wants to learn the rāga-mārga immediately, that is foolishness. That is foolishness. Nobody can pass M.A. examination without going through the regulative principles of primary schools and colleges. So therefore I do not, I mean to say, indulge in the discussions of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa so easily. Rather go on with the regulative principle at the present moment. Gradually, as you become purified, as you become on the transcendental platform, you'll understand what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa very quickly. It is a very big subject. If we want to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa very quickly, then there will be so many prākṛta-sahajiyās. In India there are prākṛta-sahajiyā. Just like Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa dancing. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa has become a plaything. The painting Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is kissing Rādhā, Rādhā is kissing. These are all nonsense. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa philosophy has to be understood by the liberated person, not by the conditioned soul. So we shall await for the fortunate moment when we are liberated, then we shall understand rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir. Because Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā, They are not on the material field. Try to understand. This is Jīva Gosvāmī's analysis, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. The Supreme Brahman cannot accept anything material. So Rādhā is not in the material field.

Now there is a very nice song. I shall sing if you can play on the harmonium. Yes. This is a Rūpa Gosvāmī's song. (sings)

rādhe jaya jaya mādhava-dayite

gokula-taruṇī-maṇḍala-mahite

dāmodara-rati-vardhana-veśe

hari-niṣkuta-vṛndā-vipineśe

vṛṣabhānudadhi-nava-śaśi-lekhe

lalitā-sakhī guṇa-ramita-viśākhe

karuṇāṁ kuru mayi karuṇā-bharite

sanaka-sanātana-varṇita-carite

rādhe jaya jaya mādhava-dayite

This song was sung by Rūpa Gosvāmī. He is the real person, actual person, to understand Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So he says, "All glories to Rādhārāṇī." Rādhe jaya jaya mādhava-dayite. "She's so dear to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa, everyone is trying to love Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa is trying to love somebody. Now how great She is. Just try to understand. Everyone, the whole world, the whole universe, all living entities, they are trying to love Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema. Lord Caitanya describes, prema-pumārtho mahān. And Rūpa Gosvāmī described that "You are distributing kṛṣṇa-prema." So kṛṣṇa-prema is so valuable, but Kṛṣṇa is after Rādhārāṇī. Just see how Rādhārāṇī is great. Just try to understand the greatness of Rādhārāṇī. Therefore She is so great, and we have to offer our respect. Rādhe jaya jaya madhava-dayite. How She is? Gokula-taruṇī-maṇḍala-mahite. Taruṇī, taruṇī means young girls. You'll see the pictures, they are all young girls. But of all the young girls, She is the most beautiful. She is enchanting to the young girls also. She is so beautiful. Gokula-taruṇī-maṇḍala-mahite. Dāmodara-rati-vardhana-veśe. And She always dresses Her so nicely that Dāmodara, Kṛṣṇa, becomes attracted by Her beauty. Hari-niṣkuta-vṛndā-vipineśe. And She is the only lovable object of Kṛṣṇa, and She is the queen of Vṛndāvana. This queen of Vṛndāvana… You'll find in Vṛndāvana, if you go to Vṛndāvana, everyone is worshiping Rādhārāṇī. Rāṇī means queen. They are always speaking, "Jaya Rādhe!" Rādhārāṇī. All the devotees in Vṛndāvana, they are worshiper of Rādhārāṇī. Hari-niṣkuta-vṛndā-vipineśe. Vṛṣabhānudadhi-nava-śaśi-lekhe. And She appeared as the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and Her companion, Lalitā-sakhī and Viśākha-sakhī, and the devotees… So on behalf of the pure devotees of Kṛṣṇa, Rūpa Gosvāmī is praying, karuṇāṁ kuru mayi karuṇā-bharite. "Oh, my worshipable Rādhārāṇī, You are full of mercy. So I am begging of Your mercy because You are so merciful, very easily You offer, bestow Your mercy. So I am begging Your mercy." Karuṇāṁ kuru mayi karuṇā-bharite, sanaka-sanātana-varṇita-carite. Now somebody may say, "Oh, you are so great, learned scholar, you are so great saintly person, and you are begging mercy from an ordinary girl? How is that?" Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says, "Oh, this is not ordinary girl." Sanaka-sanātana-varṇita-carite. "This girl's description is possible to be made by great saintly persons like Sanaka-Sanātana. She is not ordinary."

So the lesson is that we should not treat Rādhārāṇī as ordinary girl, or Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man. They are the Supreme Absolute Truth. But in the Absolute Truth, there is the pleasure potency, and that is exhibited in the dealings of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And Rādhā's expansion all the gopīs, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord.

Thank you very much. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You can chant? Can you chant? Janārdana? All right, you can chant. What is that? No, I have explained that one śloka from this Rāma-carita-manasa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

710829RA.LON

Rādhāṣṭamī:

Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's Appearance Day

London, August 29, 1971

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) Today is birth, appearance day of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Rādhāṣṭamī. Fifteen days after Kṛṣṇa's birth, Rādhārāṇī appeared. (pause) Rādhārāṇī is Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktiḥ. The Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has got varieties of energies, as it is confirmed in the Vedic literature. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. The Supreme Lord has nothing to do personally. Na tasya kāryam. He has nothing to do. Just like here in this material world we find some very big man, political head or business head; personally, he has nothing to do. Because he has got so many assistants, secretaries, that personally he hasn't got to do anything. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full with six opulences, why He will have to do something? No. He has got many assistants. Sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādas tat. In the Bhagavad-gītā: "He has got everywhere His hands and legs." You'll find Kṛṣṇa, He has nothing to do. He's simply engaged in enjoyment with gopīs and Rādhārāṇī. He's not engaged in killing the demons. When Kṛṣṇa kills the demons He's Vasudeva Kṛṣṇa; He's not original Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa expands Himself. First expansion is Baladeva. From Baladeva-Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Vāsudeva. So by the Vāsudeva feature He acts in Mathurā and Dvārakā. But Kṛṣṇa in His original feature, He remains in Vṛndāvana. One of the greatest fiction writers in Bengal, Bankimchandra Chatterjee, he misunderstood Kṛṣṇa that Kṛṣṇa of Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa of Dvārakā, and Kṛṣṇa of Mathurā, They're different persons. Kṛṣṇa (is) the same, one, but He can expand Himself in millions and trillions of forms. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam [Bs. 5.33]. Advaita. Although ananta-rūpam, still, He's ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam, advaita. There is no such distinction.

So this Kṛṣṇa, when He wants to enjoy, what kind of enjoyment He will have? That has been discussed by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman. Brahman, Paramātmā, then Paraṁ Brahman. Absolute Truth, three different features. Someone is realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman. Jnanis, those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by mental speculation, by dint of his own knowledge, he's realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman. And those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by meditation, yogis, they realize the Absolute Truth as Paramātmā. Paramātmā is situated in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. That feature, Paramātmā feature. Aṇḍantara-sthaṁ paramānu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. That Paramātmā feature is one expansion of Kṛṣṇa. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, athavā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna ekāṁṣena viṣṭabhyāham. Ekāṁṣena. When Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was trying to understand about different potential existence of Kṛṣṇa, so He explained in the Twelfth Chapter, "I am this. Amongst them, I am this. Amongst them…" Like that. And He concluded that "How far I shall go on? Better try to understand that only one plenary portion of Me, by entering this universe, the whole cosmic manifestation is existing." Ekāṁṣena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. Jagat. This material world is existing on one plenary portion of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa enters, aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramānu-cayāntara-stham, He enters within this universe. Without His entering, this universe cannot exist. Just like without the spirit soul's entering within this body, this body cannot exist. As soon as the spirit soul goes out, immediately the body's useless. However the body may be prime minister or anything else, as soon as the soul is out of this body, it is not worth even a farthing. Similarly, because Kṛṣṇa enters within this universe, therefore the universe has value. Otherwise it is simply a lump of matter; it has no value. Ekāṁṣena sthito jagat.

So try to understand Kṛṣṇa. And when Kṛṣṇa want to enjoy, what kind of enjoyment that shall be? Try to understand this point. Kṛṣṇa is so great; God is great, everyone knows. So when the great wants to enjoy, then what quality of enjoyment that should be? That is to be understood. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa… Therefore Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī has written a verse, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ. The loving affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is not ordinary, these material loving affairs, although it appears like that. But one who cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ [Bg. 9.11]. Mūḍha, rascals, fools, they understand Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man. As soon as we take Kṛṣṇa as one of us… Mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāṁ, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. These rascals, they do not know paraṁ bhavam. They try to imitate Kṛṣṇa's līlā, rāsa-līlā. There are many rascals. So these things are going on. There is no understanding of Kṛṣṇa. To understand Kṛṣṇa is very difficult.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

Out of millions of persons, one may try to make his life perfect. Everyone is working like animal. There's no question of perfection of life. The animal propensities: eating, sleeping, mating and defending… So everyone is engaged like animals. They have no other business, just like animal, hogs, dogs, whole day and night working: "Where is stool? Where is stool?" And as soon as he gets some stool, gets some fat, "Where is sex? Where is sex?" No consideration of mother or sister. This is hog's life.

So human life is not meant for hog civilization. So modern civilization is hog civilization, although it is polished with shirt and coat. So, we shall try to understand. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for understanding Kṛṣṇa. For understanding Kṛṣṇa, it requires little labor, austerity, penance. Tapasya brahmacāryeṇa śamena damena ca. Tapasya. One has to undergo tapasya; brahmacārya, celibacy. Tapasya. Brahmacārya means stopping sex life or controlling sex life. Brahmacārya. Therefore Vedic civilization is, from the very beginning, to train the boys to become brahmacārī, celibacy. Not that modern days, the schools, boys and girls, ten years, twelve years, they're enjoying. The brain is spoiled. They cannot understand higher things. The brain tissues are lost. So without becoming brahmacārī, nobody can understand spiritual life. Tapasya brahmacāryeṇa śamena damena ca. Śama means controlling the senses, controlling the mind; damena, controlling the senses; tyāgena; śaucena, cleanliness; tyāga, tyāga means charity. These are the processes for understanding oneself, self-realization. But in this age it is very difficult to undergo all these processes. Practically it is impossible. Therefore Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa Himself, has made Himself easily available by one process:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

In this age, Kali-yuga… Kali-yuga is considered to be the most fallen age. We are thinking that we are making very much advance, but it is the most fallen age. Because people are becoming like animals. As the animals have no other interest than four principles of bodily necessities-eating, sleeping, mating and defending-so in this age people are interested with four principles of bodily want. They have no information of the soul, neither they are prepared to realize what is soul. That is the defect of this age. But human form of life is especially meant for realizing himself, "What I am?" That is the mission of human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is meant for inquiring about Brahman. Brahman, Paramātmā, Bhagavān. These inquiries should be there. Jijñāsu. They are called jijñāsu, brahma-jijñāsa, jijñāsu, inquiry. As we inquire every morning, "What is the news today?" Immediately we pick newspaper. That inquisitiveness is there. But we are inquiring very base things only. There is no desire to inquire about the highest possibility, brahma-jñāna. That is the lack of this modern civilization. Inquiring how to earn money: divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā [SB 2.1.3]. Not only in this age… In this age it has become the principal factor, but in this material world everyone is engaged simply for these bodily necessities of life. Nidrayā hṛiyate naktam: at night they sleep very sound sleep, snoring. Or sex life. Nidrayā hṛiyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ [SB 2.1.3]. In this way they're wasting time. And at daytime, divā cārthehayā rājan… And during daytime, "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" Artha ihāya. Kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā. And as soon as one gets money, then how to purchase things for family, that's all. Shopping, storing. This is the engagement of materialistic life. Out of that, one who is actually intelligent… Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Out of many such foolish persons engaged in sleeping, mating, earning money, and providing family with nice apartment and food… This is the general occupation. So out of many thousands of men like that, one is inquisitive how to make perfect this human form of life. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye.

Siddhaye. Siddhi means perfection. So this life is meant for perfection. What is perfection? Perfection means that we do not want miserable condition of life, and we have to get out of it. That is perfection. Everyone is trying to get out of miserable condition of life. But they do not know what is the actual position of miserable life. Miserable condition of life: tri-tāpa-yantanaḥ. So this is called mukti, or liberation, from the misera… Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiḥ. Duḥkha, duḥkha means distress. So everybody is trying to get out of distress. But he does not know what is the ultimate goal of getting out of distress. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. One can be out of distress when he approaches Viṣṇu. Tad viṣṇuṁ paramaṁ padaṁ sada paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. The Viṣṇu planet… Just like here in the material world they're trying to go to the moon planet, but these foolish people do not know what they'll gain even they go to the moon planet. It is one of the material planets. Kṛṣṇa has already said in the Bhagavad-gītā, abrahma-bhuvanāl lokān. What to speak of this moon planet-it is very near-even if you go to the topmost planet, which is known as Brahmaloka… That is in your front, you can see every day, every night, how many lokas and planets are there. But you cannot go there. You are simply trying to go to the nearest planet. That is also failure. So what is your scientific improvement? But there is possibility. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokān. You can go. The material scientists' calculation is that if one goes forward for forty thousands of years in the light speed, light-year speed, then one can approach the topmost planet of this material world. So at least in the modern scientific calculation, it is impossible. But one can go; there is process. That we have tried to explain in our small booklet Easy Journey to Other Planets. By yogic process one can go any planet he likes. That is the yogic perfection. When a yogi becomes perfect, he can go to any planet he likes, and the yoga practice goes on, unless the yogi thinks himself that he has made himself perfect to travel to any planet he likes. That is perfection of yoga practice.

So, these are the perfection of life, not that teeny, floating sputnik. (laughter) They do not know what is perfection of life. You can go anywhere. A living entity's name is sarva-gaḥ. Sarva-gaḥ means "one who can go anywhere he likes." Just Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni can travel anywhere he likes, either in the spiritual world or in the material world. So you can also do that. There is possibility. There was a Durvāsā Muni, great yogi. Within one year he traveled all over the universe and went to Viṣṇuloka and again came back. That is recorded in the history. So these are the perfections of life. And how these perfection can be attained? By understanding Kṛṣṇa. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam eva vijñātaṁ bhavanti. The Upaniṣad says, if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then all these things can be understood very easily. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is such a nice thing.

So today, this evening, we are talking about Rādhāṣṭamī. We are trying to understand the chief potency of Kṛṣṇa. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. As we understand from Vedic literature, Kṛṣṇa has many varieties of potencies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Just like the same example, as a big man has got many assistants and secretaries so that he hasn't got to do anything personally, simply by his will everything is done, similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has got varieties of energies, and everything is being done so nicely. Just like this material energy. This material world, where we are now living… This is called material energy. Bahir-aṅga-śakti. The Sanskrit name is bahir-aṅga, external energy of Kṛṣṇa. So how nicely it is being done, everything in the material energy. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: [Bg. 9.10] "Under My superintendence the material energy is working." The material energy is not blind. It is… On the background there is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ [Bg. 9.10]. Prakṛti means this material energy. Similarly… This is external energy. Similarly, there is another energy, which is internal energy. By the internal energy the spiritual world is being manifested. Parās tasmāt tu bhavaḥ anyaḥ [Bg. 8.20]. Another energy, parā, superior, transcendental, the spiritual world. As this material world is being manipulated under the external energy, similarly, the spiritual world is also conducted by the internal potency. That internal potency is Rādhārāṇī.

Rādhārāṇī…, today is Rādhārāṇī's appearance day. So we should try to understand Rādhārāṇī's feature. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency, hlādinī-śakti. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra the Absolute Truth is described as ānandamaya, always in pleasure potency. That ānandamaya potency… Just like ānanda. When you want ānanda, pleasure, you cannot have it alone. Alone, you cannot enjoy. When you are in the circles of friend or family or other associates, you feel pleasure. Just like I am speaking. The speaking is very pleasing when there are many persons here. I cannot speak alone here. That is not ānanda. I can speak here at night, dead of night, nobody here. That is not ānanda. Ānanda means there must be others. So because Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Truth, is ānandamaya, therefore eko bahu syām, He has become many. We are also Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, to give pleasure to Kṛṣṇa. And the chief pleasure potency is Rādhārāṇī.

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktir asmād

ekātmānāv api bhuvo (purā) deha-bhedo-gatau tau

caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ

rādhā-bhāva-(dyuti)-suvalitaṁ naumi kṛṣṇa-svarūpam

[Cc. Ādi 1.5]

So Kṛṣṇa is Param Brahman, as you know from the Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā, he affirmed Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. So Kṛṣṇa is Param Brahman. So in this material world we see that a great, saintly person, simply to enjoy brahmānanda, he gives up everything of material enjoyment. He becomes sannyāsī. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Just to understand that he is in Brahman realization. So if one has to give up everything material for Brahman realization, do you think that Paraṁ Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, can enjoy anything material? No. Kṛṣṇa's enjoyment is nothing material. This point should be understood. For Brahman realization we are giving up everything material. And how Paraṁ Brahman can enjoy anything material? This question has been very much nicely discussed by Jīva Gosvāmī.

So when the Param Brahman… First of all, the Param Brahman information is not there in this material world. Little Brahman information is there. Or little Paramātmā information is there. But not Param Brahman, or Bhagavān, information. Therefore it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Siddhaye means to understand Brahman or Paramātmā. But out of many such persons who have realized Brahman and Paramātmā, hardly a person can know Kṛṣṇa. And that… First of all… [break] …what we can understand about Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency? If I want to know some big man. That is one process. And without knowing that big man, how I can understand about his internal affairs? Similarly, if we do not understand Kṛṣṇa, how we can understand how Kṛṣṇa is enjoying? That is not possible. But the Gosvāmīs, they're giving us information what is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. That is Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

So we have described about the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa loving affairs in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya in page 264. If you have got this book, you can read it, how the reciprocation of loving affairs of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is there, transcendental. So our today prayer to Rādhārāṇī… We pray to Rādhārāṇī because She is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." But Rādhārāṇī is so great that She attracts Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, and She is attractive (attractor) of Kṛṣṇa. So what is the position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī? We should try to understand this day and offer our obeisances to Rādhārāṇī. Rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarī.

tapta-kāñcana-gauraṅgī rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarī

vṛṣabhānu-sute devī pranamāmi hari-priye

Our business is "Rādhārāṇī, You are so dear to Kṛṣṇa. So we offer our respectful obeisances unto You."

tapta-kāñcana-gauraṅgī rādhe vṛndāvaneśvarī

vṛṣabhānu-sute devī pranamāmi hari-priye

[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]

Rādhārāṇī is hari-priyā, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. So if we approach Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī, through the mercy of Rādhārāṇī, then it becomes very easy. If Rādhārāṇī recommends that "This devotee is very nice," then Kṛṣṇa immediately accepts, however fool I may be. Because it is recommended by Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa accepts. Therefore in Vṛndāvana you'll find all the devotees, they're chanting more Rādhārāṇī's name than Kṛṣṇa's. Wherever you'll go, you'll find the devotees are addressing, "Jaya Rādhe." You'll find still in Vṛndāvana. They are glorifying Rādhārāṇī. They're more interested, worshiping Rādhārāṇī. Because however fallen I may be, if some way or other I can please Rādhārāṇī, then it is very easy for me to understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

If you go by the speculative process to understand Kṛṣṇa, it will take many, many lives. But if you take devotional service, just try to please Rādhārāṇī, and Kṛṣṇa will be gotten very easily. Because Rādhārāṇī can deliver Kṛṣṇa. She is so great devotee, the emblem of mahā-bhāgavata. Even Kṛṣṇa cannot understand what is Rādhārāṇī's quality. Even Kṛṣṇa, although He says vedāhaṁ samatītāni [Bg. 7.26], "I know everything," still, He fails to understand Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī is so great. He says that… Actually, Kṛṣṇa knows everything. In order to understand Rādhārāṇī, Kṛṣṇa accepted the position of Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand the potency of Rādhārāṇī. Kṛṣṇa thought that "I am full. I am complete in every respect, but still, I want to understand Rādhārāṇī. Why?" This propensity made Kṛṣṇa obliged to accept the propensities of Rādhārāṇī, to understand Kṛṣṇa, Himself.

These are, of course, very transcendental, great science. One who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and well conversant with the śāstras, they can understand. But still, we can discuss from the śāstra. When Kṛṣṇa wanted to understand Himself, He took the tendency of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. And that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa, but He has accepted the propensities of Rādhārāṇī. As Rādhārāṇī is always in feelings of separation of Kṛṣṇa, similarly, in the position of Rādhārāṇī, Lord Caitanya was feeling separation of Kṛṣṇa. That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya, feelings of separation, not meeting. The process of devotional service taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His disciplic succession is how to feel separation from Kṛṣṇa. That is Rādhārāṇī's position, always feeling the separation.

The Gosvāmīs, they also, when they were in Vṛndāvana, they never said that "I have seen Kṛṣṇa." Although they were the most perfect, they never said that "I have seen Kṛṣṇa." Their prayers were like this: he rādhe! vraja-devike! he nanda-suno! kutaḥ. He rādhe, Rādhārāṇī, he rādhe! vraja-devike! ca. Rādhārāṇī does not remain alone. He (She) remains always with His (Her) friends, vraja-devī, Lalitā or Viśākha and other damsels of Vṛndāvana. So the Gosvāmīns are praying, in their mature stage, when they were living at Vṛndāvana, they were praying in this way, he rādhe! vraja-devike! ca lalite! he nanda-suno! kutaḥ: "Where, Rādhārāṇī, where You are? Where are Your associates? Where You are, Nanda-suno, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa? Where you are, all?" They were searching after. They never said, "I have seen Kṛṣṇa dancing with the gopīs. Last night I saw." (laughter) This is sahajiyā. This is not mature devotee. This is called… They are called sahajiyā. They take everything very cheap-Kṛṣṇa very cheap, Rādhārāṇī very cheap-as if they can see every night. No. The Gosvāmīs do not teach us like that. They're searching after. He rādhe! vraja-devike! ca lalite! he nanda-suno! kutaḥ, śrī-govardhana-pādapa-tale kālindī-vanye kutaḥ: "Are you there under the Govardhana Hill or on the banks of the Yamunā?" Kālindī-vanye kutaḥ. Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau. Their business was crying like this, "Where You are? Where You are, Rādhārāṇī? Where you are, Lalitā, Viśākha, the associates of Rādhārāṇī? Where You are, Kṛṣṇa? Are You near Govardhana Hill or on the bank of the Yamunā?" Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure. So throughout the whole tract of Vṛndāvana they were crying and searching after Them, khedair mahā-vihvalau, as if madman. Khedair mahā-vihvalau. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.

So we have to follow the footprints of the Gosvāmīs, how to search out Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī, Vṛndāvana, or within your heart. That is the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's bhajana: feeling of separation, vipralambha, vipralambha-sevā. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, feeling the separation of Kṛṣṇa, He was falling down on the sea. He was coming out of His rest room or His bedroom and going out at dead of night. Nobody knew where He has gone. So that was His searching. This process of devotional service is taught by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Not that very easily, "We have seen Kṛṣṇa or seen Rādhārāṇī in rāsa-līlā." No, not like that. Feel the separation. The more you feel separation from Kṛṣṇa, you should understand that you are advancing. Don't try to see Kṛṣṇa artificially. Be advanced in separation feeling, and then it will be perfect. That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya. Because with our material eyes we cannot see Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. With our material senses we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, we cannot hear about Kṛṣṇa's name. But sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. When you engage yourself in the service of the Lord… Where the service begins? Jihvādau. The service begins from the tongue. Not from the legs, eyes, or ears. It begins from the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. If you begin service through your tongue… How? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Use your tongue. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And take Kṛṣṇa prasādam. The tongue has got two business: to articulate sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa; and take prasādam. By this process you'll realize Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Don't try to see Kṛṣṇa. You cannot see Kṛṣṇa with your material eyes. Neither you can hear about Him with your material ears. Neither you can touch. But if you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then He'll reveal Himself to you: "Here I am." That is wanted. So feel separation of Kṛṣṇa just like Rādhārāṇī, as Lord Caitanya teaches us, and engage your tongue in the service of the Lord; then, one day, when you are mature, you'll see Kṛṣṇa eye to eye.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Haribol! All glories to His Divine Grace! (offer obeisances) (end)

730905BG.LON

Rādhāṣṭamī:

Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī's Appearance Day

Bhagavad-gītā 18.5

London, September 5, 1973

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma

na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat

yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva

pāvanāni manīṣiṇām

Translation: "Acts of sacrifice, charity and penances are not to be given up but should be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls." (Translation not on tape)

Prabhupāda: …yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām. There are four stages of spiritual life. The brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. For brahmacārī, yajña. Yajña means to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate [Cc. Madhya 8.58]. The whole scheme…

(aside:) I thinking I am feeling very hot. I have to take off… In another place it is said, yajñārthāt karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg. 3.9]. (Prabhupāda's clothing is being taken off; it sounds like his sweater.) That's all right. That's all right. Keep it now.

So brahmacārī, in the beginning of life… Brahmacārī means beginning of life, student life. They must be trained up how to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the first training. The brahmacārī is trained up to rise early in the morning and offers fire sacrifice, then studies of Vedas, then saṅkīrtana. There are so many routine work for brahmacārī. So this must be executed. And for gṛhastha-dāna, charity. Gṛhastha must be prepared or trained up to give charity. And who will accept the charity? The charity will be accepted by the brahmacārī and sannyāsa. Not the vānaprastha. Brahmacārī will accept charity on behalf of the spiritual master. And a sannyāsī will accept charity only for his maintenance. That's all. The gṛhastha cannot accept charity. But a gṛhastha-brāhmaṇa, he can accept charity, but he will not, I mean to say, accumulate money by taking charity. Whatever he gets, he must spend. Then dāna-pratigraha. Pratigraha means accept. But he cannot keep in bank a bank balance. He must, whatever extra he has got, he must immediately give in charity. Then he can accept, a gṛhastha-brāhmaṇa, accept charity. There is a proverb in Bengali, that "A brāhmaṇa, even if he gets one lakh of rupees, one hundred thousands of rupees, still he is a beggar." Because he will not keep it. He will not keep it for… He will immediately distribute it in charity. Therefore he is called in Bengali lakh take baundigi. (?) It doesn't matter he gets one lakh of rupees contribution, but still he remains a beggar. Because immediately he will distribute. So these things are very important things. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ. And for sannyāsī and vānaprastha-tapasya. Tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. Tapasya means accepting voluntarily all kinds of inconveniences, voluntarily.

Now, the material activities are that we are trying to avoid inconveniences. Material life is. But spiritual life means to execute tapasya, austerity, penance, even at the risk of all inconvenience. This is called tapasya. So Kṛṣṇa says, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ, kāryaṁ na tyājyam. You can give up your family life, but you cannot give up this yajña-dāna-tapaḥ. That you cannot, at any circumstances. These things must be continued. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat. Kāryam means "must," "you must perform." The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, karma-tyāgī, they do not work. Their principle is always study Vedānta philosophy, and whatever they require, a little, they will beg, taking alms from gṛhasthas, and live and follow the strictly the principles of austerity. They are very strict. Those who are really Māyāvādī sannyāsī, not false, they follow strictly three times taking bathing. Even in severest cold they must. They lie down on the floor and always read Vedānta and Sāṅkhya philosophy. But in spite of all these austerities, they do not approve the worship of Deity, the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because they are impersonalist, they do not worship.

So śāstra says that ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: [SB 10.2.32] "So these people, although they are thinking of themself as liberated, they have become liberated…" The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs address amongst themselves: namo nārāyaṇa. "Namo nārāyaṇa" means every one of them has become a Nārāyaṇa. This is their philosophy. And from this namo nārāyaṇa principle, Vivekananda Swami has manufactured the word "daridra-nārāyaṇa." So Nārāyaṇa has become very cheap thing for them. Everyone has become Nārāyaṇa; everyone has become God. Just like the rascal God is now in the hospital. God is under operation. (laughter) A "guruji" God. So they have no shame even that "If I am God, I cannot cure my bodily pains, what kind of God I am?" But these rascals will proclaim that they are God, and there is set of rascals, they will accept, "Oh, here is God." Vivekananda also said that "Why you are finding out God? Don't you see, so many gods are loitering in the street?" So God has become a funny thing for them. No. We do not accept such God. Our God is different. Our God is:

yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ

brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ

samatvenaiva vīkṣeta

sa pāṣaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam

[Cc. Madhya 18.116]

Our Nārāyaṇa-that is real Nārāyaṇa, exalted-we cannot even compare with that supreme Nārāyaṇa with such demigods like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, what to speak of these rascals. Yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, samatvena vīkṣeta. Any person, rascal, if he thinks that Nārāyaṇa is equal to Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva… There are Māyāvādīs. They say "Any demigod is as good as Viṣṇu. You can worship any demigod. It doesn't matter. You…" Because their ultimate understanding is that the Absolute Truth is impersonal, and you can imagine any form. It doesn't matter. You ultimately reach that impersonal, merge into the impersonal.

This is their philosophy. But that is not the fact. The ultimate issue of the Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. Absolute Truth is realized in three phases: first of all impersonal Brahman, then localized Paramātmā, and then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. The Absolute Truth is described as Bhagavān, and there are many expansions of Bhagavān. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta-rūpam. Kṛṣṇa has expansion, millions and trillions. Just like as Paramātmā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Not only He resides in everyone's heart, but in every atom also. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs. 5.35] **. So Kṛṣṇa has got many expansions. But they are all one. Advaitam acyutam. Just like you have got experience that the sun, if you have got millions of pots, the sun is reflected; you will find millions of suns, but although the sun is one, but we see that millions of suns are there in millions of pots. This is the understanding. God is one, but He can expand Himself in millions and millions. There is no question of counting. Unlimited, but still, one. Advaita. Acyuta. The Māyāvādī philosophy is that because God has expanded Himself in so many, all-pervading, therefore he is finished. He is finished. Just like material conception. You take any big paper and make it into pieces and then throw it-the original paper is lost. There is no more existence. That is Māyāvādī philosophy. Māyāvādī philosophy means because God is all-pervading, therefore He has no form. He has finished His form. There cannot be any form. And this is material conception. This is not spiritual conception. Spiritual conception is pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate [Iso Invocation]. If Kṛṣṇa is the complete, supreme, so even He expands Himself in millions and trillions of complete forms, still, He is complete. Still, He's complete. This is conception of Kṛṣṇa. So therefore avyaya. Avyaya means acyuta, avyaya. Acyuta means He does not fall. It is not like that, that in my bank I have got one hundred pounds; if I take one, two, three, four, five in this way, one hundred finished, my bank balance is finished. It is not like that. Kṛṣṇa is so complete that immediate forms may be expanded from Him; still, He is complete. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya. These verses you have already read in the Īśopaniṣad.

So that is the conception of Kṛṣṇa. So unless you, from the very beginning you practice yajña, or if you are a gṛhastha, give in charity, and when you take sannyāsa, you undergo tapasya, how you will understand this philosophy? It is not possible. In the Kali-yuga, however, this yajña is not possible. As there are ritualistic yajña, sacrifice as recommended in the Vedas, that is not possible. It is very expensive. You have to acquire so much ghee and grains and so many other things. Feed so many, daily, people. It is very difficult task to perform the ritualistic yajña. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has made easy. What is that? Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. That is recommended in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

[SB 11.5.32]

This is the process of performing yajñas. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ. What is that yajña? Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Varṇa means category. Just like brāhmaṇa-varṇa, cātur-varṇa. Varṇa means class. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. As Kṛṣṇa said. So kṛṣṇa-varṇam: in the category of Kṛṣṇa. So kṛṣṇa-varṇa. Or "One who is describing Kṛṣṇa," varṇayati. Kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati iti kṛṣṇa, iti kṛṣṇa-varṇa. Either belonging to the category of Kṛṣṇa… He is not belonging to the category of the jīva soul. He belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, kṛṣṇa-varṇa. Or chanting always the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. Means He is Kṛṣṇa… Because He belongs to the category of Kṛṣṇa, therefore He is Kṛṣṇa. But we have got conception, Kṛṣṇa is blackish. Yes, that's a fact. Asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. Asita. Asita means black. Asitāmbuda. So black cloud. Ambuda means cloud. Asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. His complexion is like blackish cloud, but very, very, very, very beautiful. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīyam. He is so beautiful that many millions of Cupid cannot be compared with Him, although He is black. So here the same Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-varṇam, although He belongs to the same category of Kṛṣṇa, tviṣā, by complexion, akṛṣṇa. Akṛṣṇa. Akṛṣṇa means "not Kṛṣṇa." So it may be any other color. It may be… There are so many colors.

So akṛṣṇa. He's not kṛṣṇa, not blackish. So there may be… But no. There are fixed colors for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śukla, śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. When Kṛṣṇa was born at Nanda Mahārāja's place, or Kṛṣṇa appeared then,… So according to Vedic system there is jāta-karma. As soon as child is born, immediately horoscope is made and according to horoscope his name is given. There are daśa-karma. Daśa-karma. So one of these is at the birth, that before the child is begotten, there is one saṁskāra, garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Similarly, after the child is born, then another saṁskāra, jāta-karma-saṁskāra. So there are so many saṁskāras. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ: By following the saṁskāra, purificatory process, one becomes brāhmaṇa. The upanayana-saṁskāra, the sacred thread saṁskāra. So when Kṛṣṇa was having the jāta-karma-saṁskāra by Gargamuni, the priest of Vasudeva… He was sent to Nanda Mahārāja to perform the Kṛṣṇa's jāta-karma. So he was a learned astrologer. He said, "Nanda Mahārāja, your this son formerly had three other colors: śuklo raktas tathā pīta. He was of white color, He was of red color, He was of yellow color." Idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. "Now He has appeared in blackish color." Idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam [SB 11.5.32]. Tviṣā means by complexion He is not black. Then He must be either of the three-white, red and yellow.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's color is yellowish golden color. Therefore it is said, "He is Kṛṣṇa, but now He has appeared in golden complexion." Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. And sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. "He is always surrounded by His associates." Aṅga, upāṅga. Aṅga means personal, and upāṅga means expansion of the expansion, which is called kalā. The first expansion is called avatāra, and when there is another avatāra from avatāra, that is called kalā. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. Very scientific analysis in the śāstra. Not that any rascal comes, "I am God." This is not acceptable. We have to understand śāstra-vidhi, as śāstra it is said. So about Śrī Cai… Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so many rascals have imitated: "Well, this Nimāi Paṇḍita, if He can become avatāra, then why not Gadādhara Paṇḍita?" This Ramakrishna, his name was Gadadhar Chatterjee. So he was also imitation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Where is the reference in the śāstra? So far Caitanya Mahāprabhu is concerned, there are so many innumerable references, in Mahābhārata, in Bhāgavata, in Purāṇa, in Upaniṣad. Therefore we accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not by rascal's vote that "Let us vote this man is God; then he becomes." So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam [SB 11.5.32]. He associated with other devotees-Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, then Gadādhara Prabhu and Śrīnivāsa. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Whenever Caitanya Mahāprabhu is present, there are so many devotees. Gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. So sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. This is the incarnation of Kali.

So yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]. Those who have got brain substance, not dull, filled up with cow dung, they cannot understand what is the saṅkīrtana-yajña. But śāstra says, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ: "Those who have got nice brain substance, they can perform this yajña, saṅkīrtana-yajña." Then it fulfills the injunction of the Bhagavad-gītā, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma. So for this saṅkīrtana movement, saṅkīrtana-yajña, in this age, before the Deity of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and associated (with) Nityānanda, Advaita, others… If not all, at least Nityānanda or Gadādhara. Gaura-Gadādhara or Gaura-Nityānanda, or all of them, five. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda. You have got Pañca-tattva? No picture here? It was there.

Devotee: When… Revatīnandana Swami takes with him travelling.

Prabhupāda: Oh, all right. So Gaura-Nityānanda is here. That's all right. So this is the yajña. So yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyam. You cannot give up in any stage of life, but because the yajñas mentioned in the Vedas it is not possible to perform in this age Kali-yuga because they are mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ [SB 1.1.10]. In this age people may advertise themselves they are making very good progress. They are all unfortunate, disturbed. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ. Manda-bhāgyāḥ means unfortunate. And upadrutāḥ, always disturbed. This is the position of the people in this age. How they can perform the Vedic ritualistic ceremony? It is not possible. So this is the yajña. So yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ, you keep Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and perform yajña, the saṅkīrtana-yajña before Him, and you become all perfect. So easy. So easy. Because you cannot give up yajña. But in this age, Kali-yuga, people are so unfortunate, so rubbish, that it is not possible to perform the Vedic ritualistic yajña. That is not possible. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has given you the opportunity that you can perform. Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ [SB 12.3.52]. Makha means yajña. That was performed in the Tretā-yuga. And in the Satya-yuga, meditation. In the Dvāpara-yuga, Deity worship. Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. In the Kali-yuga, simply by kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya [SB 12.3.51]. And this is the śāstra's injunction.

So I am very pleased that you are keeping this center nicely in our own standard by performing yajña, by saṅkīrtana, and today is Rādhāṣṭamī. You perform. Our yajña is saṅkīrtana, and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau, śrī-caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam [Cc. Ādi 1.5]. When Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa is one. Ekam advitīyam. But eko bahu syāt. He can expand Himself. So when He wants to enjoy, so the pleasure potency is manifested from His personal body. That pleasure potency is Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī is not ordinary living entity. Rādhārāṇī is Kṛṣṇa's personal pleasure potency. Hlādinī-śakti.

So just today is the appearance day of hlādinī-śakti. So if you want to please Kṛṣṇa… Because our business is to please Kṛṣṇa. Hari-toṣaṇam. Our this movement is hari-toṣaṇam. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. Not only our. This is the aim. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]. The whole Vedic literature is meant for searching out Kṛṣṇa and to satisfy. So Kṛṣṇa personally comes to give you the information. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam: [Bg. 18.66] "You rascal, you give up all these engagements. Simply you surrender unto Me."

And what about other demigods? There are so many demigods. What we have to do? Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ [Bg. 7.20]. "This demigod is worshiped by persons who have lost all intelligence." Hṛta-jñāna. Hṛta-jñāna means naṣṭa-buddhayaḥ, one who has lost of the intelligence. There is no need. Simply mām ekam. That is the instruction of Bhagavad… That is the śāstra instruction. Viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti. This is Ṛg Veda mantra. Actual aim of life is to satisfy Lord Viṣṇu, and Kṛṣṇa is the origin of viṣṇu-tattva. And He is pleased through Rādhārāṇī. Therefore we don't keep Kṛṣṇa alone. No. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. First Rādhārāṇī. So that day is today. First you have to worship Rādhārāṇī. If you go through Rādhārāṇī…

Therefore in Vṛndāvana you will see all devotees, they will address one another, "Jaya Rādhe." Still. Because they know that "If Rādhārāṇī is pleased, if I can please Rādhārāṇī…" Rādhārāṇī is presented, the original pleasure potency, always absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa. So anyone who comes before Rādhārāṇī to serve Kṛṣṇa, oh, She becomes so pleased, "Oh, here is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa." She immediately recommends, "Kṛṣṇa, oh, here is a devotee. He is better than Me." This is Rādhārāṇī. I may be a, not devotee. I may be most fallen rascal. But if I try to reach Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī, then my business is successful. Therefore we should worship Rādhārāṇī first. That is our business. Instead of offering directly one flower to Kṛṣṇa, you just put it in the hands of Rādhārāṇī: "My mother Rādhārāṇī, Jagan-mātā, if you kindly take this flower and offer it to Kṛṣṇa." "Oh," Rādhārāṇī says, "Oh, you have brought a flower?" Kṛṣṇa said, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26], but don't try to offer Kṛṣṇa directly. Just offer through Rādhārāṇī. It will be very much appreciated by Rādhārāṇī.

So this is our philosophy, to please Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī, and just today is the auspicious day of Rādhārāṇī appearance. So we should offer puṣpāñjali and pray to Rādhārāṇī that "Rādhārāṇī, kindly be merciful and tell about me to Your Kṛṣṇa. To Your Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is Yours." Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not independent. Kṛṣṇa is Rādhārāṇī's property. So you have to approach Kṛṣṇa through Rādhārāṇī. That is, today is the auspicious day. Worship Rādhārāṇī very nicely and be happy.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

710903BA.LON

His Divine Grace

Śrīla Sac-cid-ānanda Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's

Appearance Day, Lecture

London, September 3, 1971

Prabhupāda: Bring water, water. Water? So today is a very auspicious day, Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda's birthday. Here is the picture of Ṭhākura Sac-cid-ānanda Bhaktivinoda. He was one of the ācāryas of this disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa. We have got a succession table from Kṛṣṇa, genealogical table. There are two kinds of genealogical tables, one by the semina-father, his son, his son, like that. That is material genealogical table. And there is one spiritual genealogical table, disciplic succession. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, the original father, Supreme Personality of Godhead, He spoke the Vedic knowledge to Brahma, Lord Brahma. He spoke to Nārada. Nārada spoke to Vyāsa. Vyāsa spoke to Madhvācārya. So in this disciplic succession, Lord Caitanya, from Lord Caitanya, the six Gosvāmīs, and similarly, coming down, down, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, then Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, then my spiritual master, then we are next generation, my disciples.

So there is a disciplic succession. And the ācāryas, they're authorities. Our process of knowledge is very simple. We take it from the authority. We don't speculate. Speculation will not help us to come to the real knowledge. Just like when we are in difficulty, in legal implication, we go to some authority, lawyer. When we are diseased we go to a physician, the authority. There is no use, speculation. Suppose I am in difficulty in some legal implication. I simply speculate, "I shall be free in this way and that way." That will not help. We have to go to the lawyer who knows things, and he gives us instruction that "You do like this; then you'll be free." Similarly, when we are diseased, if I speculate at home that "My disease will be cured in this way and that way," no. That is useless. You go to an authorized physician, and he will give you a nice prescription, and you'll be cured. That is the process of knowledge. But in the modern age people think that "I am free, I am independent, and I can make my own solution." That is rascaldom. That's not good. So Arjuna, when he was talking with Kṛṣṇa as friend, but when he saw that there was no solution talking like this, he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He said, śiṣyas te 'ham, aham: [Bg. 2.7] "Myself, I surrender unto You as Your disciple." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam. Prapannam means surrender. So that is the Vedic injunction, that if you want to know transcendental knowledge or science… "Transcendental" means beyond the scope of your direct perception.

So spiritual knowledge is beyond the scope of our sense speculation. Beyond the scope. Just like when a soul, a spiritual spark only, leaves this body, you cannot see. Therefore, atheistic class of men, they speculate, "There may be a soul; there may not be soul." Or, "The bodily function was going like this; now it stopped. The blood corpuscles now cease. It is no more red; it is white; therefore life…" These are speculation. This is not actual knowledge. Actual knowledge you get from the authority, Kṛṣṇa. He says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati. Just like the soul is passing through different stages. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Deha, deha means this body. Asmin dehe, in this body, there is dehi. Dehi means who is the owner of this body. That is soul. That is passing through childhood, boyhood, babyhood, youthhood, old age. Everyone, you can perceive that you were a child, you were a baby, you were a boy. Now you are young man or old man. So you are there. So as you are passing through different types of bodies, similarly, when you give up this body you accept another body. What is the difficulty? Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. There is no question of becoming astonished, how transmigration of the self, soul, takes place. The vivid example is there. Simply you require little intelligence. That intelligence is developed through the instruction of ācārya. Therefore, Vedic injunction is not to acquire knowledge by speculation. That is useless. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayaṁ jānāti tattvaṁ prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan [SB 10.14.29]. Ciraṁ vicinvan. Ciram means for thousands of years you can speculate; you cannot understand what is God. That is not possible. But if you receive knowledge from the devotee, he can deliver you. Therefore Vedic injunction is that tad-vijñāna… [break] …in order to understand tad-vijñāna… Vijñāna means science. If you want to know the transcendental science, then you must approach a guru. Tad-vijñānārtham, in order to… If you are at all interested to understand the spiritual science. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ (sa) gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. You must approach guru. Guru means this disciplic succession, as I have explained.

So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is an ideal guru. He was not a sannyāsī; he was gṛhastha, householder, living with family, wife, children. Still, he was guru. So anyone can become guru. Not that a sannyāsī can become guru. A householder also can become guru, provided he knows the science. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya… Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a sannyāsī, very highly born in brāhmaṇa family, very learned scholar. So He was talking with Rāmānanda Rāya, a gṛhastha, governor of Madras. And He was questioning, and Rāmānanda Rāya was answering. That means he was taking the part of guru, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was taking the part of a disciple. So he was hesitating, Rāmānanda Rāya. He thought himself that "I am a gṛhastha; I'm not even a brāhmaṇa. Besides that, I am dealing in material affairs. I am governor, politics. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu is a sannyāsī, born of a high-class brāhmaṇa family. So it does not look well that I shall teach Him." So he was hesitating. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Oh, why you are hesitating?" He said,

kibā vipra, kibā śūdra, nyāsi kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vetta, sei 'guru' haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

He said, "Don't hesitate. Either one may become a brāhmaṇa or one may become a śūdra…" Kibā vipra, kibā śūdra. Vipra means brāhmaṇa, and śūdra. Śūdra is the fourth-grade human being. Brāhmaṇa is the first grade. So kibā vipra, kibā śūdra. He may be a first-grade human being or the lowest grade human being, or he may become a sannyāsī or a gṛhastha. It does not matter. Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can become a guru. This is the verdict. Because spiritual science does not belong to the bodily platform. It is on the spiritual platform. It is very nice. Just like when you go to a lawyer or to an engineer or to a physician. You do not inquire whether he's a brāhmaṇa or śūdra. Simply you have to know whether he's a lawyer. That's all. Whether he's a physician actually. If he knows the medical science, he may be a brāhmaṇa, he may be a śūdra, he may be a sannyāsī, he may be a householder. It doesn't matter. Your business is with a physician, with a lawyer. Similarly, your business is to understand Kṛṣṇa. So anyone who knows Kṛṣṇa perfectly, you have to go there. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. It is… Vedic injunction is not that you have to approach a sannyāsī or a gṛhastha or an Indian or American. No. Gurum. And guru means who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa.

So, this Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was gṛhastha, very responsible officer, magistrate. And he was so exalted that he would come from his office generally at five o'clock, then take his supper and immediately go to bed. Immediately. Say at seven o'clock in the evening he goes to bed, and he wakes up at twelve o'clock. So suppose he goes to bed at seven o'clock in the evening and wakes up at twelve o'clock at night; it is sufficient sleep, five hours. One should not sleep more than five to six hours. Minimize as far as possible. The Gosvāmīs used to sleep not more than one and a half hour, or two hours. Sleeping is not very important thing. Even big politicians, they used to sleep for two hours. So especially in spiritual line, they should minimize as far as possible eating, sleeping, mating, defending. Minimize. Gradually it comes to nil. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was eating only a little piece of butter every alternate days, not daily. So this Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, regularly he was coming from his office, and after taking his supper immediately he goes to bed, and wake up at twelve o'clock, and he used to write books. He wrote, he left behind him about one hundred books. And he excavated the birthplace of Lord Caitanya, organized how to develop that birth site, Māyāpur. He had so many business. He used to go to preach about Caitanya's philosophy. He used to sell books to foreign countries. In 1896 he attempted to sell Life and Precepts of Caitanya in the MacGill University in Montreal. So he was busy, ācārya. So one has to adjust things. Not that "Because I am gṛhastha, householder, I cannot become a preacher. It is the business…" (aside:) Give me water. "It is the business of the sannyāsī or brahmacārī." No. It is the business of everyone. The whole world is suffering for want of knowledge. The present civilization is animal civilization. They do not know anything beyond eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. This is animal civilization. Animal does not know beyond these four principles of life: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. No. Human life is meant for something else: "What I am? What is God? What is my relation with God? What is this material world? Why I am here? Where I have to go next?" So many things one has to learn. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is human life. Not that eat and sleep and have sex life and die someday like cats and dogs. Therefore, there is need of ācāryas, teachers, for propagating spiritual knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was… Although he was a gṛhastha, householder, a government officer, magistrate, but he was ācārya. So from his dealings, from his life, we should learn how one can become a preacher in any stage of life. It doesn't matter what he is.

There was one incidence, very interesting. When he was magistrate in Jagannātha Purī… The system is… Jagannātha temple is a very big establishment. In the temple fifty-six times daily, bhoga is offered. And you'll find in the temple always at least five hundred to one thousand people gathered. And they come from outside, and prasāda is ready. If you go and ask in the Jagannātha temple that "We are one hundred men come from outside. We want prasāda," yes, immediately ready. So it is a huge temple. This is one temple, but there are many other thousands of temple in India where prasāda is distributed. Now it is minimized by our present government. They think that it is unnecessary expenditure. They are minimizing. But not unnecessary expenditure. They do not understand. Formerly, in India there was no necessity of hotel. Anyone goes anywhere, even in a village, he goes to a temple-prasāda is ready. There is no need of going to a hotel. You pay or don't pay. If you say that "I want little prasāda," "Yes, take it." That is the system still. There is the Nāthadvārā temple in Rajasthan. You pay two annas only. Two annas means one cent. You get sumptuous prasāda for two annas, all very nice prasāda, still. So prasāda distribution in temple is longstanding usage. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura… The Jagannātha temple is managed by a body, and it is the custom that the local magistrate of the district, he becomes the president, or manager. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was manager in that sense, because he was magistrate. The managing committee was being presided by him. So there was a complaint. In Orissa, this Jagannātha temple is situated in Orissa. Utkāla. Utkāla, this state, was originally belonging to Dhruva Mahārāja. His son's name was Utkāla, Mahārāja Utkāla. Anyway, so this Utkāla, there was a pseudo yogi. He declared himself that… Just like you'll find nowadays also, there are so many rascals declaring that "I am incarnation of God." And they know some mystic power, play some jugglery, and foolish people take them: "Oh, he's God." So there appeared one like such pseudo God, Viṣṇu, in a village of Orissa. And he was dancing rāsa dance, and foolish people were sending their daughters and wife to dance with him. You see? There were so many. Not only that. People are so foolish, they do not know… They want to be cheated, and these cheaters come. He declared that "I am God. I am Viṣṇu." So there were sane men also. They took objection, "What is this nonsense? This man is dancing with ladies and gentlemen, er, girls." So they filed a complaint. At that time it was British rule. They complained to the governor or the commissioner, very high officer. The commissioner knew that Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura… His name was Kedāranātha Datta. Datta. Kedāranātha Datta, his household name. So the commissioner of the division, he knew that Kedāranātha Datta is a religious man, and he's magistrate in charge. So he handed over the case for inquiry, "What is this complaint? You please inquire and do the needful." So he was a pure devotee, and he understood that "This rascal is a bogus man, cheating people. I must inquire." So he went to the village in plain dress with some constables, police constables. They were also in plain dress. And as soon as he approached that rascal yogi, he said, "Oh, you are Kedāranātha Datta. So, very nice. You are… I shall make you king of India. Please don't try to bother me." Because he could know that "He has come to inquire about my rāsa-līlā." So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura first of all said, "Sir, you are such a great yogi. Why you are in the village? Why don't you go to Jagannātha Purī? There is temple and Lord Jagannātha is there. Better you go there and see the Lord and be happy. Why you are in this village?" "Oh, Jagannātha? Ah, that is made of wood. I am personally the Supreme Lord. That is made of wood." Oh, then Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura-he was a devotee-he became fire. (laughter) He was insulting. Arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matiḥ. According to śāstra, if somebody thinks… Just like here is Deity. If somebody thinks, "Oh, it is made of stone…" It is stone to the eyes of the nondevotee, but it is personally Supreme Personality of Godhead to the devotees. It requires the eyes to see. So devotee sees in a different angle of vision. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He entered Jagannātha temple immediately He fainted: "Oh, here is My Lord." And the nondevotee is seeing: "It is wood, a lump of wood." Therefore, to the nondevotee, He remains always as wood, but to the devotee He speaks. That is the difference. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. If God is everything, why wood, through wood and stone, God cannot manifest? If God is everything? According to Māyāvāda philosophy… That's a fact. God, omnipotent. He can express Himself even through wood and stone. That is God's omnipotency. That is called omnipotency. Not that God is unable to express Himself through wood and stone. Then how He's omnipotent? Omnipotent means His potency can be expressed through anything. Because anything, everything is the expansion of God's energy. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilaṁ jagat. The whole world is manifestation of different energies of God. Therefore… Just like through the energy of electricity the electric powerhouse, although far, far away from this place, was expressing. There is electricity. Through this glass, through these wires, the power can be expressed. There is a process.

So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura became very much… Because a devotee cannot tolerate blaspheming another devotee or God. So as soon as he said that "Why shall I go to Jagannātha Purī to see the wooden Jagannātha? I am personally Viṣṇu," Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura immediately ordered his constables, "Arrest him. Arrest this rascal." So he was arrested. And when he was arrested… He had some yogic mystic power. All the constables, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and his family members became affected with high fever, 105 degrees fever. So when he came back, his wife became very much disturbed that "You arrested Viṣṇu, and we are all going to die. We have got now high fever." Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura replied, "Yes, let us all die, but this rascal must be punished." This is the view of pure devotee. So he was put into the custody. And there was a date fixed for his trial, and all these days Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura himself and his family especially, they were suffering from high fever. Maybe that yogi was planning to kill the whole family. But it was going on as fever. So on the trial day, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Kedāranātha Datta, when he came to the bench the man was presented, the so-called yogi, and he had big, big hairs. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura ordered that "Bring one barber and cut his hair." So no barber dared. The barbers thought, "Oh, he's a Lord Viṣṇu. If I offend, as he's suffering from fever, so I shall also die." So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura ordered that "Give me the scissor. I'll cut." So he cut his hairs and ordered him to be put into jail for six months, and in the jail that Viṣṇu incarnation managed to take some poison, and he died.

So this is one of the incidents. There are many incidences. He was very strong man. He punished many paṇḍas in the tīrthas who exploit visitors. So, this is the position of devotee. In spite of his becoming a responsible magistrate, a householder, still, he was ācārya. So we have to follow the ācāryas. If we at all, if we are at all interested in spiritual science, then we must follow the Vedic instruction, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. We must approach. You cannot have spiritual knowledge simply by speculating. Impossible. Simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. You must go to the… In the Bhagavad-gītā, therefore, it is recommended, ācāryopāsanam. Ācārya-upāsanā. Not only worshiping the Lord, but also the ācārya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpayā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Guru, ācārya, and Kṛṣṇa. One should seek favor of both of them. Not that "I am now seeking favor of Kṛṣṇa. What is the use of guru or ācārya?" No. You cannot overlap ācārya and go to Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa will not accept you. Just like if you want to see a big man you should go through his secretary, through his orderly, doorkeeper; similarly, our process is ācāryopāsanam, go through the ācārya. That is the injunction of the Vedas. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. If you want to enter into the spiritual world, you cannot get through simply by arguments. Because there is no limit of argument. I place my argument in one way. Another man, who is better arguer, he places his argument in a different way. So if you simply go on arguing, it is not possible. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. It will never help you. Argument. Śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. If you think that "I shall read scriptures and I shall understand God," no, that is also not possible. Śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Scriptures are also different. Because scriptures are made according to time, circumstances, people. Just like Bible. Bible Lord Jesus Christ preached in the desert, Jerusalem. Or where it is? People who were not so advanced. Therefore his first instruction is "Thou shall not kill." That means they were very much engaged in killing affairs; otherwise, why is this instruction? And actually, it so happened that they killed Jesus Christ. So that society was not very enlightened society. So a scripture for a society which is not very enlightened and a scripture for a society which is very enlightened must be different. Just like a dictionary. For the schoolboy, a pocket dictionary. And for a college student, international, big dictionary. Both of them are dictionaries. But the small pocket dictionary is not equal to the big dictionary. Because it is different made for different classes of men. So scriptures are made according to different classes of men. There are three classes of men: first-class, second-class, and third-class. The third-class man cannot understand the philosophy and scriptural injunctions of the first-class man. That is not possible. Higher mathematics cannot be understood by the small schoolboys who are simply trying to understand "Two plus two equal to four." But "Two plus two equal to four" is equally good to the higher mathematics student. But still, higher mathematics and lower math is different. Therefore it is said, śrutayo vibhinnāḥ: the scriptures are different. So if you simply try to understand what is God by reading scriptures, you cannot achieve. You must approach a guru. Just like a medical book. It can be available in the market. If you purchase one medical book and study and you become doctor, that is not possible. You must hear the medical book from a medical man in the college, medical college. Then you will be qualified. And if you say, "Sir, I have read all the medical books. Recognize me as a medical practitioner," no, that will be not.

So śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Scriptures are different. Arguments, that is also not helpful. One man may argue better than me. Then philosophy. The philosophy, it is said, nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. One philosopher is differing from another philosopher. Just now today Śyāmasundara has purchased one book about different philosophers. So that you also cannot ascertain what is truth. Therefore śāstra says, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. The truth is very confidential. So if you want to know that truth, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186], you should have to follow the great ācāryas. Then you will understand. Therefore ācārya-upāsanā is essential. Ācārya-upāsanā is very essential. In all the Vedic śāstras the injunction is that. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12]. Tasmād gurum prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. Anyone who is inquisitive to understand higher truths, he must surrender to guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta, jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. One who is inquisitive, who is now inquiring about transcendental subject matter. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. So all the śāstras says, in our Vaiṣṇava śāstra also, Rūpa Gosvāmī says, ādau gurv-āśrayam: "In the first beginning, you must take shelter of a bona fide guru."

So this Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's birthday, we should adore, we should worship, because in the modern age he reintroduced the disciplic succession. From Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Five hundred years ago, Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught this philosophy, but within two hundred years… Because this material world is so made that whatever you introduce, in due course of time it will deteriorate. You make a nice house, but after one hundred years, two hundred years, or nowadays, even after fifty years, it becomes dilapidated. That is the nature's law, kāla. Time will destroy everything. Now, British empire, such a big, vast empire, now it is finished. The kāla, the time, will make everything finished. That is material. Anything material, it has birth, it has growth, it has got some opulence, then dwindling, then finished. That is the way of material… So we are interested in spiritual subject matter. Therefore the process is ādau gurv-āśrayam. One has to accept a bona fide spiritual master. That is our process. Without accepting a bona fide spiritual master, we cannot make any progress. It is impossible. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura happens to be ācāryas, one of the ācāryas. And he has left behind him many books. Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta, Jaiva Dharma. These are very important books. They're in Bengali, in Sanskrit. And many songs. He has prepared many books of song. The song, Ei nām gāya gauracānd madhura svare, that is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's song. So we are trying to present Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's books also in English translation. Gradually you will get it. So our adoration, our worship to Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura today because he may bless us to make peacefully progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ācārya-upāsanā, simply by the blessings of the ācāryas we can make very rapid progress. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. If we… Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ… *. We sing every day. By the mercy of the spiritual master, ācārya, we immediately get the blessings of Lord. Immediately. Yasya prasādāt. Yasya means "whose"; prasādāt, "benediction." By the benediction of the spiritual master. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ *. If spiritual master, ācārya, is pleased, then you should know that Kṛṣṇa is also pleased. You should know through. This is not very difficult. Just like you are working in office. If your immediate officer, boss, is pleased, that means the proprietor of the firm, he's also pleased. Although you do not see him. This is fact. Your immediate boss, if he's pleased. So similarly, we, our business, this spiritual line, is guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. We have to first receive the merciful benediction from the ācārya, and then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased and He'll also give His blessings. Mad-bhakta. There is a version in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, mad-bhakta pūjyābhyadhikā. He says, Kṛṣṇa says, that "If anyone worships Me directly and if anyone worships Me through the ācārya, he's better devotee who is coming to Me through ācārya." Mad-bhakta pūjyābhyadhikā.

So our, this Vaiṣṇava philosophy, process, is to go through the ācārya. Servant of the servant of the servant. We should try to become servant of the servant. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. We should not approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly. That is not good. That will not be… In the Vedic injunction also it is said, yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau [ŚU 6.23]. If one has got unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yathā deve, and similar faith in guru… Of course, we must make guru bona fide. Then it is disciplic succession. And that is also not very difficult to select, who is bona fide guru. Bona fide guru means he presents himself as servant of God. He does not pose himself falsely that "I am God." This is bona fide. It is not difficult to find out bona fide. But this is the test. If anyone says that "I am guru," er, "I am God," then he cannot be guru. Because he has no knowledge. How he is God? But he can cheat some people. That is different thing. You can cheat all people for some time and some people for all time, but not all people for all time. That is not possible. So these kinds of guru, who poses themself that "I am God," he's a false guru. The bona fide guru will say that "I am servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa," or God. Servant of [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. That is the business of guru. He serves Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa desires; that is his business. That is also not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa says, Kṛṣṇa desires, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], that "You give up all other engagement; just surrender unto Me, and I'll give you protection." Kṛṣṇa says. So guru's business is that "You simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa." What is the difficulty? Simply repeat the same thing. Not for himself, but for Kṛṣṇa. He's bona fide guru.

So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very bona fide because we say the same thing as Kṛṣṇa says. We don't make any addition, alteration. Not like big scholars like, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa…" Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], and the scholar interprets, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." Just see (the) foolishness. Kṛṣṇa directly says, "unto Me." He says, "Not to Kṛṣṇa." Misleading. Such misleading guru will not help you. So therefore to find out a bona fide guru means that he does not change the words of Kṛṣṇa. That is his position. He places everything as it is, and he has understood thoroughly the science. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Guru, what is the symptom of guru? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. Those who are inquisitive to understand higher scientific knowledge, uttamam. Uttama means higher. Uttama, madhyama, adhama. There are three words. First-class, second-class, third-class. So spiritual knowledge is uttamam. Anyone who is inquisitive to understand first-class knowledge, he requires to go to a guru. Those who are interested in third-class knowledge, they do not require any guru. Third-class knowledge means animal knowledge: how to eat, how to sleep. How to make arrangement for eating, how to make arrangement for sleeping, that is third-class knowledge. Because the animals also try for this kind of knowledge, how to eat, how to sleep. Therefore this kind of knowledge is third-class knowledge. And second-class knowledge is "What I am?" Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta. That is second-class knowledge. And first-class knowledge, when he actually understands what he is, he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, and engages himself in the service of the Lord, that is first-class knowledge. And therefore, as soon as he comes to the first-class knowledge platform, he becomes happy.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

So after being liberated from the material concept of life by the blessings of Kṛṣṇa and guru, one comes to the platform of first-class knowledge, where he engages himself directly in the service of the Lord. That is first-class knowledge. First-class knowledge means beyond liberation. Second-class knowledge is trying for liberation. Third-class knowledge means in bondage, like animal. The animals, they are bound up by the particular type of body and has no, I mean to say, possibility of becoming liberated. That is animal life. But human life is better than animal life because he, if he likes, he can make himself liberated from this bondage of material body. That is the facility. He can understand himself what he is. He can understand what is God. He can understand the relationship between God and himself. He can understand what is this material world. Because there are thousands of books of knowledge. Take it for Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there. And it is meant for human being, not for the cats and dogs. Cats and dogs cannot understand, but a human being can understand.

So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to enlighten people to utilize his very nice life, human form of life, utilize it properly. To utilize it properly means to revive his dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, is there already. It is developed in human form of life. But it is now covered because due to our association with this material world for unlimited years background. We are coming through different species of life. Millions and millions of years passed away. Suppose I was a tree sometimes. I was standing up for ten thousand years in one place. We have passed through. That's a fact. That is evolution. Now we have the opportunity of light. If you don't use this opportune moment and again go back to the cycle of evolutionary process, jalajā nava-lakśaṇi sthāvarā… So these are great science. Unfortunately, there is no opportunity for the people to study this science in school, colleges, or universities. They are simply teaching people that "You work hard and gratify your senses." That's all. Therefore a section, younger section, they have been disgusted. They have refused to cooperate with this society on account of this disappointing education. And it will increase. Because this sort of education cannot give peace or prosperity to the people. Problems are increasing. Therefore, our request is that if you want to decrease or completely finish all the problems of life, take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the process of disciplic succession and you'll be all happy.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances)

Śyāmasundara: Prabhupāda, are you going to answer any questions?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: If anyone has any questions pertaining to the lecture, you can ask them at this time. They should be pertaining to the lecture.

Devotee girl: Did Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he also took sannyāsa in later years? Is this right?

Śyāmasundara: Did Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura take sannyāsa in later years?

Prabhupāda: Yes. In very late years. In his retired life.

Śyāmasundara: Any other questions?

Devotee: Prabhupāda, you say that an animal has no chance for liberation. What would happen if an animal came in contact with a pure devotee?

Prabhupāda: Yes, there is chance of deliverance. Yes. Even an animal. Because he'll hear Hare Kṛṣṇa from the pure devotee. That will not go in vain. He'll give prasādam. He does not know, but the devotee out of compassion gives prasādam, chants Hare Kṛṣṇa. He also gets the opportunity of hearing. So he'll also be liberated. One dog, during Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, he also became liberated. There is a history. Śivānanda Sena's dog, he was liberated by the grace of Lord Caitanya. So by the association of pure devotee… Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's, there is one song. He prays to the Lord that kīṭa-janma hou jatha tuyā dāsa. Kīṭa means insect. "My Lord, if I have to take my birth again…" Because a devotee does not pray to God for liberation. He simply prays that "Wherever I may take my birth, I may not forget You." That's all. That is devotee's prayer. A devotee does not say that "Elevate me to the heavenly planet or Vaikuṇṭha planet." No. "You can put me anywhere." Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, kīṭa-janma hou: "My dear Lord, I have no objection if I have to take my birth next as an insect." What to speak of human being or other thing. "As an insect. But I must be in the house of a devotee." So that an insect, by eating the remnants of foodstuff left by the devotee, he'll be delivered. Kīṭa-janma hou jatha tuyā, bahir-mukha brahma-janma nāhi mora āśā: "I don't want my next birth as Lord Brahmā if I forget You. I don't want." That is wanted. A devotee prays to the Lord that he would be able to constantly remember the lotus feet of the Lord. Never mind whether as insect or as king or as dog, never mind. That is devotee's, pure devotee.

Indian man: If one has accepted a bona fide spiritual master and he did not receive much knowledge from him, can he change his spiritual master at later…

Prabhupāda: A bona fide spiritual master, where is the necessity of changing?

Indian man: No, he has not got the knowledge from him, but can I change…?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Bona fide spiritual means he must get knowledge. He must get knowledge. He must inquire from the… The student must inquire from the spiritual master. If he remains dumb, then what bona fide spiritual master can do? Ādau gurv-āśrayaṁ sad-dharma-pṛcchat, jijñāsuḥ. He must be jijñāsuḥ. He must be jijñāsuḥ. We get so many letters daily. So many inquiries. The student must be very inquisitive. Otherwise how he shall make progress? If he remains dumb, then what the bona fide spiritual master can do? If you go to a very nice school but if you do not study, if you do not inquire, then what is the use of going to the nice school? You must be also very alert to inquire, to understand, to make progress. Then it will be all right. If you do not utilize the benefit of having a bona fide spiritual master, then that is your fault. You must utilize the opportunity. We are publishing so many books, so many literatures, magazines. Why? Just to enlighten more and more. But if you don't take advantage of this, then how can you make progress? Change of spiritual master requires when the spiritual master is not bona fide. Otherwise there is no necessity of changing.

Indian lady: How does one contact the spiritual master? Through a book can you contact the spiritual master?

Prabhupāda: No, you have to associate.

Śyāmasundara: "Can you associate through a book?" she asked.

Prabhupāda: Yes, through books, and also personal. Because when you make a spiritual master you have got personal touch. Not that in air you make a spiritual master. You make a spiritual master concrete. So as soon as you make a spiritual master, you should be inquisitive.

English man: If the spiritual master, Prabhupāda, worships God through a demigod, is he bona fide?

Prabhupāda: No. He does not know how to worship. How he can be bona fide? Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam [Bg. 18.66]. Why he should go to the demigods? That means he has no knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekam. Why should you go to others? That means he's insufficiently qualified. Why should you go to the demigods? What is the necessity? He's not bona fide. Because he has insufficient knowledge. Bona fide spiritual must be sufficiently knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekam; God says, mām ekam. Why he should go to demigods? That is his proof that he's not bona fide.

Devotee: If one accepts initiation from a bona fide spiritual master but continues to perform material activities, are they still bound by the karma?

Prabhupāda: He has to do everything under the instruction of the spiritual master. That is his duty. Śiṣya. Śiṣya means who voluntarily accepts disciplinary measures from the spiritual master. He's ruled by the spiritual master.

Indian lady: Can the death of a spiritual master take to us, or I can get… Is that spiritual master still guiding after the death? (?)

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Just like Kṛṣṇa is guiding us, similarly, spiritual master will guide. We are being guided by Kṛṣṇa, by the Bhagavad-gītā. Although Kṛṣṇa is not physically present, so-called… Kṛṣṇa is present always. But even if we say that Kṛṣṇa is not physically present as He was present before Arjuna, still, His book, Bhagavad-gītā, is there. And that Bhagavad-gītā is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's teaching, the same, absolute. That is Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's… Here form, the same. It is not that we are making show of offering Kṛṣṇa some food. No, we are offering directly to Kṛṣṇa and He's eating. Kṛṣṇa being absolute, He can perform through anything provided we are sincere and serious. All right. (end)

721019AK.VRN

Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī's

Appearance Day

Vṛndāvana, October 19, 1972

Pradyumna: Page 39.

Prabhupāda: There will be… (too faint)

Pradyumna: Page 39. "I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by whose mercy even a…"

Prabhupāda: No, no. This is… Teachings of Lord Caitanya.

Pradyumna: Oh. I'm sorry, sorry. "In the instructions of Lord Caitanya to…"

Prabhupāda: Forty-seven?

Pradyumna: Page 47. " 'Teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī.' In the instructions of Lord Caitanya to Sanātana Gosvāmī, we can understand the science of God in the matter of His transcendental form, His opulences, and His devotional service, for everything is being described to Sanātana Gosvāmī by the Lord Himself. At that time, Sanātana fell at the feet of the Lord and with great humility asked about his own real identity. He spoke as follows, 'I am born of a lower family. My associations are all abominable and I am fallen, the most wretched of mankind. I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never knew the actual goal of my life. I do not know what is beneficial to me. Although in the mundane sphere I am what is known as a great, learned man, I am in fact so much of a fool that I even accept that I am learned. You have accepted me as Your servant, and You've delivered me from the entanglement of material life. Now You can tell me what my duty is in this liberated state of life."

Prabhupāda: So today is the appearance day of Śrī Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī. Therefore we are discussing this evening Teachings of Lord Caitanya, which is the summary study of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The most important chapters in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, namely, His teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī, His teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī, His talks with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, His talks with Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, and His talks with Rāmānanda Rāya-these five subject matters are delineated in The Teachings of Lord Caitanya specifically.

So the most important chapter of Caitanya's teaching was to Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. Teachings of Sanātana Gosvāmī, uh, Rūpa Gosvāmī and Rāmaṇanda Gosvāmī, Rāmānanda Rāya, so they are meant for devotees who are on the second stage. First stage, second stage, and third stage. The first stage is called mahā-bhāgavata, liberated devotee. And the second stage is via media between the lowest stage and liberated stage. And the lowest stage is called prākṛta-bhakta, means persons in material condition gradually being elevated to the supreme position of self-realization. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu dealt with Sanātana Gosvāmī because he was to write one book for direction, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. You know-his famous book. This is a book giving directions especially to the householders, how to keep oneself on the proper standard of Vaiṣṇava behavior. Later on, Sanātana Gosvāmī wrote the book Hari-bhakti-vilāsa for giving direction, and Rūpa Gosvāmī wrote the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, "The Science of Devotion." Now, these two brothers met Caitanya Mahāprabhu when they were on their ministerial posts at Maldah, a district in Bengal. So after meeting Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they decided to join with Him fully for propagating the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and they resigned from their posts. Rūpa Gosvāmī first resigned…, not officially resigned, because he was very much eager to meet Caitanya Mahāprabhu, so he first of all retired. And then Sanātana Gosvāmī, later on, he wanted to resign in a tactful way, but the Nawab did not like the idea. So he was imprisoned at his house. No, he was actually imprisoned. And later on, Sanātana Gosvāmī bribed ten thousand gold coins to the jail superintendent and got out of the prison house and went to meet Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Benares.

So when he met, he very humbly approached and he said, "My dear Lord, I am born of lower family." Actually, he was born of a sārasvata-brāhmaṇa family, but because he associated with the mlecchas and yavanas, the Muhammadans, so they were rejected from the brāhmaṇa community, and therefore he represented himself as having born of a lower family. "My associations are all abominable." Ordinary men, especially he was mixing with the Mohammedans, they were habituated to drinking, meat-eating, which have become a fashion in the gentleman's society nowadays. So he considered himself as fallen. "The most wretched of mankind…" If a human being does not take advantage of this opportunity to have a human form of life, then he's missing the point. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says… (much talking in background) (aside:) Stop them.

Acyutānanda: Kṛpera, śānti kāraṇa.

Prabhupāda: Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Narādhama means "lowest of the mankind." Anyone who does not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead and does not surrender unto Him, he is considered the lowest of the mankind. It is not sectarian. It is a fact. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead says Himself. If we say somebody that "You are the lowest of the mankind because you, you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious," it may be called sectarian view, but when the Lord, Himself, says that,

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhama

māyaya apahṛta-jñānā

asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ

[Bg. 7.15]

Asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. There are two classes of men: asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ and daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find these two words. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]. Those who are mahātmānas, broad-minded… Mahātmā means broad-minded. And durātmā means cripple-minded, just the opposite word. Durātmā. Dura means far away from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, dura ātmā. And mahātmā… Mahān, mahato mahīyān, Kṛṣṇa. So whose ātmā is attached to the Supreme, the great, he's called mahātmā.

So durātmā means one who is under the influence of this material nature, far, far away from Kṛṣṇa. This material nature actually situated many, many, many, many thousands and millions of miles far away from Vaikuṇṭhaloka. This universe is unlimited according to our measurement. And beyond this universe there is the spiritual world, paravyoma. And far, far away, the topmost planet of the spiritual world is Kṛṣṇaloka. So those who are in this material world, actually they are durātmā in this sense that they are far, far away from the planet which is known as Kṛṣṇaloka, or Goloka Vṛndāvana. This Vṛndāvana is the replica of that original Vṛndāvana. Because when Kṛṣṇa comes on this planet He appears in this spot of land, Vṛndāvana. Just like when the governor goes somewhere, they have got a circuit house. It is something like that. And there is no difference between that original Vṛndāvana and this Vṛndāvana.

So mahātmā, they are always attached with Kṛṣṇa. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]. They are no longer under the influence of this material nature. Anyone who surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, takes Kṛṣṇa everything, is no longer under the influence of this material nature. That is the significance. If one is fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, fully attached to Kṛṣṇa, the symptoms will be seen that he's no more attached to material enjoyment. Just like these Gosvāmīs. These Gosvāmīs, they were very highly posted, ministers. They were not ordinary men. Big, big ministers in the government. But because they became attached to Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Kṛṣṇa, they gave up their posts. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śrenīm. Tyaktvā means giving up; turnam, immediately. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śrenīm. Maṇḍala-pati means leaders. They were called… (aside:) One will do, not two.

Devotees: One, one, once.

Prabhupāda: Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śrenīṁ sadā tucchavat. Tucchavat means very significant. They did not give any importance to the ministerial post. Here in the material world, if you get a nice government service, what to speak of to become minister, then we are very much proud. But the Gosvāmīs thought of their posts as very insignificant. Without thinking like that, how they can give it up? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. You cannot by force become renounced order of life. When you see something better than your present engagement, then you can be renounced. After accepting renounced order of life, if I am still attached to these material things, then that is not advancement. So these Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, they gave up their posts. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śrenīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau kṛpayā kaupīna-kantāśritau. Kaupīna, the underwear, loincloth, and a torn quilt, and a kuraṅga, That was their possessions. And they used to live underneath one tree, and next day another tree. In this way, in this Vṛndāvana… First of all, Sanātana Gosvāmī came here after taking instruction from Lord Caitanya in Benares. And Madana Gopāla's temple you have seen, old. He was living there underneath a tree. There was no temple at that time. The temple was constructed later on. So this Sanātana Gosvāmī, just after giving up his ministerial post, with great difficulty, he came to Benares and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave him instruction for two months for guiding the Vaiṣṇava principles. So he's approaching his spiritual master with humble attitude. Therefore he's speaking like that. "I am born of lower family. My associations are all abominable, and I am fallen." Actually, he was minister. He was coming of a brāhmaṇa family. But these material qualifications are not sufficient to improve one's Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must approach a bona fide spiritual master. That is being exhibited by Sanātana Gosvāmī. He's approaching the original spiritual master, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, with due humbleness. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāṇi śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12]. One must approach. Sanātana Gosvāmī's teaching us the Vaiṣṇava principle that one should approach a proper spiritual master. So he's approaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So one may argue that "Where is Caitanya Mahāprabhu now? Where is Kṛṣṇa now?" It doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa's words are there. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's words are there. Instructions are there. So if we follow the direction and instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu or Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of a superior, bona fide spiritual master, then we associate with Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu without any deviation.

So "lowest of the mankind…" Now if somebody's not Kṛṣṇa conscious, and if we say that "You are lowest of the mankind," a very, very strong word used… A gentleman, suppose he's not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, but if we say that "You are the lowest of the mankind," he'll be certainly very angry, that "I am such a nice gentleman, and you are talking of me as the lowest of the mankind." But actually the fact is this. Tāvac ca śobhate mūrkho yāvad kiñcit na hvāyate, sabhāyaṁ vastra-veṣṭhitaḥ.(?) There is a normal instruction that a so-called gentleman, nicely dressed in the assembly of human society, may appear to be very nice so long he does not speak. But he's, if he speaks nonsense, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, immediately he becomes the lowest of the mankind. If he proves by his speaking that he has no knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's simply well dressed, that's all… That we are finding all over the world. They are very nicely dressed, they have got very nice car, but if we ask him about God consciousness, they say, "Sir, after finishing this body, everything is finished." This is their knowledge. Therefore they are the lowest of the mankind. Lowest of the mankind means that in the human form of life he was supposed to know that life is eternal and the soul is changing different types of bodies on account of karma, different types of activities. But although the gentleman is well dressed, he does not know. He does not know what is going to happen in his next life. Neither he believes in the next life. This is the position of the modern civilization. So anyone in that ignorance is called the lowest of the mankind, narādhama. If you say, "How I can say this gentleman, nicely dressed gentleman, lowest of the mankind? He has already passed his university education. He has got big, big degrees. And how I can say that he's the lowest of the mankind?" the answer is given by Kṛṣṇa. I do not require to answer. The answer is given there: māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. Māyayā. Certainly he's educated. He has got degrees. That's all right. But the essence of his knowledge has been taken away by māyā. Māyayā apahṛta-jñānā asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. Essence of knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. That he has no idea, what is Kṛṣṇa. This is the position of asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. The mahātmānas tu daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ, and the narādhamas, there are, there are asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu and his son, Prahlāda. Prahlāda is mahātmā. Daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And Hiraṇyakaśipu is demon. He is māyayā apahṛta-jñānā asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. There are two classes of men, daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ and asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to induce people to become daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ instead of becoming asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. So how this can be done? This is possible if you approach Caitanya Mahāprabhu or His representative. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī. He's approaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu with right humbleness, that "I am lowest of the mankind, most abominable associated." Therefore the Bhāgavata says, "Who requires a guru?" Guru is not a fashion, that "Everyone has a guru. Let me possess a guru, and let me do all nonsense." Not like that. One must be very serious to accept a guru. Unless one is very serious… What is that seriousness? The seriousness is to know God, "What is God? What is my relationship with Him?" This is seriousness. Those who are not serious to know God and act godly, they do not require to seek after a guru. There is no necessity. Don't make it a fashion to have a guru. Generally, they make it a fashion that "Everyone has a guru, so let me have a guru also." No. The Bhāgavata says, gives this direction, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Guruṁ prapadyeta. To approach guru means fully surrendered unto him. As Kṛṣṇa demands, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. Therefore when I have to surrender, I have to surrender to the Supreme and the representative of the Supreme. They are surrendered. Not anywhere. So Bhāgavata says, gives this direction, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Guruṁ prapadyeta. To approach guru means fully surrendered unto him. As Kṛṣṇa demands, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. Therefore when I have to surrender, I have to surrender to the Supreme and the representative of the Supreme. They are surrendered. Not anywhere.

So Bhāgavata says: tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. You surrender to a guru. Why? Jijñāsu śreya uttamam. Unless you are inquisitive to learn about the Supreme, the transcendence, then you find out a suitable representative of Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and surrender. Tad vidhi praṇipātena. Praṇipāta. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpena nipāta. Pra means prakṛṣṭa-rūpena, and praṇipāta. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpena nipāta: fall down. Tad vidhi praṇipātena paripraśnena. First of all, praṇipāta. You cannot inquire challengingly to the guru. Just like Arjuna did it, praṇipāta. Śiṣyas te'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. So this praṇipāta required. And before praṇipāta, you must… Everyone has got his personal, puffed-up attitude: "Why shall I surrender?" That is the material disease. We do not wish to surrender. We think that "I am equal with Him. Why shall I surrender?" So, but our, this Vaiṣṇava philosophy, especially, begins with this praṇipāta. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī has left his highly-salaried post, ministership, and he has come to surrender unto Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is the beginning of spiritual life. He's a learned man, highly learned man in Sanskrit and Arabian language. Just like during British period we learned English, and it has now become established fact. I am Indian. I am speaking in Indian, uh, in English. Of course, I am speaking between, before Englishing public, but still in India, English is still predominant. Similarly, when there was Muhammadan kingdom, people learned Sanskrit, Arabian, and Persian languages. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was expert; both Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī were expert in three languages: Sanskrit, Arabian, and Persian. So he was not a fool. He was very learned man. From his later contributions, we can see how highly learned he was, he, how he gave references from Vedic literatures in their writings, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Līlā-smaraṇam and others, books.

So unless one approaches a bona fide spiritual master, his so-called knowledge has no value. māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. This atheistic view of life means he has no knowledge. Anyone who denies the existence of God, superior authority of God, he must be considered as māyayā apahṛta-jñānā, asurī-bhāvam āśritāḥ. "I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never knew the actual goal of my life." That is the position of everyone. We get here a little material opulence and we forget our real business. We remain intoxicated in material enjoyment and forget the real business of life. That is a great blunder. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung this fact: hari hari viphale, janama goñāinu. "My dear Lord, I have simply spoiled my life." How? Manuṣya janama pāiya, rādhā kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu. Any human being who has no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's committing suicide. Jāniyā śuniyā, knowingly, knowingly. Everyone should know, at least, that human life is meant for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if he, if he knows, at least he gets this information… Just like we are broadcasting this information all over the world, that everyone should become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So in spite of this knowledge, broadcast of this knowledge, if a person does not take advantage of this movement, then it is to be understood that knowingly he's drinking poison. Jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu.

So why it is so important? Golokera prema dhana. Because it is coming from Goloka Vṛndāvana. This transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, they are coming from Goloka Vṛndāvana. Just like you receive through radio machine news from distant place, thousands and thousands of miles away. Now the instruments have improved. They are trying to get information from other planets also. That's nice. But there is another machine which can give you information of the Goloka Vṛndāvana. That machine is nothing manufactured by the material scientists. But there is a machine. What is that machine? That machine is this guru-paramparā. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. If you receive the message by the guru-paramparā… The first guru is Kṛṣṇa. Next guru is Lord Brahma. Next guru is Nārada. Next guru is Vyāsadeva. Next guru is Madhvācārya. And so many others. And their branches. In this way, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then the Gosvāmīs. Then Śrīnivāsa, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. In this way, the paramparā is coming. So this is the machine. How I can understand this machine is correct? Yes, it is correct. How it is correct? You can corroborate. The Bhagavad-gītā says, the original machine, Kṛṣṇa, says, sarva-dharmān parityaja mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. So the same message is being broadcast in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. What we are speaking? We are speaking, "Give up everything. Just surrender to Kṛṣṇa." Is not that the same machine? If you keep the words, the vibration of the machine the same, then it is the same machine. You get the correct information. Kṛṣṇa is speaking-about Himself, about His abode, about the spiritual world, the activities. Kṛṣṇa is speaking everything in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, in Bhagavad-gītā. And we don't require to change unnecessarily. If we present the same thing as it is, as we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then the machine is there. You can get all the information. There is no difficulty. Just like you are getting by the present machine, radio machine, the message from far, distant place. Similarly, you can get all the information of the spiritual world by the proper machine. The Bhagavad-gītā received through the paramparā, disciplic succession of bona fide spiritual masters. It is not difficult.

So Sanātana Gosvāmī is receiving the message of the spiritual world through the exigency of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is there. Caitanya-caritāmṛta is there. If you study scrutinizingly Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī, then you also get the machine. There is no difficulty. And as soon as you get the machine, and if you know how to handle it properly, then you get all the information. It is not difficult. And how to handle properly the machine, that is being taught by example, personal example by Sanātana Gosvāmī, that he's approaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu very humbly. He's not proud of his past position that he was a minister, he was a moneyed man, rich man, born of a brāhmaṇa family and so on, so on. He's humbly presenting him that "I am the most fallen. I am the most fallen." So "I never knew the actual goal of my life. I do not know what is beneficial to me." That is the position of everyone. Nobody knows what is the ultimate goal of life. They think that "We have got this body, and let us enjoy the senses to the fullest extent. That is the highest perfection of life." Get some material education-technologist, or something else, material education-get some good post, get good salary, and eat nicely, drink nicely, and enjoy your senses. This is perfection of life. This is going on all over the world. But that is not the goal of life. Therefore, because that is not the goal of life, and we know that this is goal of life, therefore we require the enlightenment from a bona fide spiritual master. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. That is the Vedic instruction. In order to learn that transcendental science, you must approach a bona fide spiritual master. And Sanātana Gosvāmī, although the most learned scholar, born of a brāhmaṇa family, highly posted, opulent, still he's approaching very humbly to a spiritual master. That is the way. He's teaching us by his life example that, without approaching spiritual master, you cannot have any spiritual enlightenment. That is not possible. You must approach a bona fide spiritual master and serve him. Tad vidhi praṇipātena. First of all surrender unto him, and then you question along with seva. While serving, you can put some questions which you do not understand properly.

Now Sanātana Gosvāmī says that "Although in the mundane sphere I am what is known as a great, learned man…" Sanātana Gosvāmī informed Caitanya Mahāprabhu: grāmya vyavahāre kahaye paṇḍita. Just like in India, you'll find there is a system. A brāhmaṇa is addressed, "Paṇḍitji." Still, that is the etiquette. A brāhmaṇa is addressed as "Paṇḍitji," a kṣatriya is addressed as "Ṭhākura Saheb," and a vaiśya is addressed as a "Sethji" and a śūdra is addressed as "Choudhari." They have got respect for everyone. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was not a false paṇḍita. Nowadays… I have seen in Calcutta one brāhmaṇa with thread, he was pulling on thela. So somebody addressed him "Paṇḍitajī." So that sort of paṇḍitajī was not Sanātana Gosvāmī, that without any knowledge he was pulling on thela, and he's also a paṇḍitajī. Not like that. He was actually paṇḍita. He was very learned scholar. But he knew his position, that "Although my friends, my admirers, my assistants, my subordinates, they address me Paṇḍitajī, but actually I am not paṇḍita." He said, grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita, satya kari māni, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nāhi jāni! Grāmya-vyavahāre. Grāmya means ordinary deals, ordinary dealings social etiquette. "They call me Paṇḍitajī, but actually I do not know what is the aim of my life, what is my constitutional position." Ke āmi, kene āmāya jāre tapa-traya. "I do not know why these threefold miserable conditions of material existence is troubling me. I do not want them."

So this is the real position of everyone. One may be materially, academically very learned, so-called learned, but he does not know what is the aim of life, why he's put in this material condition, ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tapa-traya. They are trying, tapa-traya, and miseries of life, we know. There is heat and cold, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. These are miseries. And there are problems-birth, death, old age and disease. But we do not know from which source they are coming, and they are being enforced upon us, and still we are proud of our education. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore sings, jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava tomāra bhajane bādhā. The more we become so-called materially advanced, means we are entangled with the network of māyā.

jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava tomāra bhajane bādhā

anitya saṁsāre moho janamiyā jīvake koroye gādhā

So anitya saṁsāra, this material atmosphere, it is anitya. Anitya means temporary. Although temporary, I shall live here, say, for fifty years or hundred years. Still, I am very much busy to make adjustment of my, this temporary living condition. Everyone is busy: how to have a house, how to have nice bank balance, how to be secure nationally, this way, that way. We are embarrassed with so many problems. But at any time, at any moment, the notice may come: "Please vacate this place." We have to do that. But we do not take care of this.

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma

yad indirya-prītaya āpṛṇoti

na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam

asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

[SB 5.5.4]

Asann api. This body, asann api, it will not exist forever. It is temporary, but it is troublesome always. Adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Three kinds of miseries are always there. So Bhāgavata says that we are mad, pramattaḥ kurute vikarma, and doing all sorts of mischievous activities for sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya [SB 5.5.4]. Indriya-prītaiḥ: simply for the satisfaction of the senses. Tons of beef are sold simply for satisfaction of the tongue. The tongue becomes dry… And a great trade is going on in India, everywhere, in your country also-cigarettes. It has no necessity, but simply for the satisfaction, temporary satisfaction of the tongue, this great trade is going on. So just vikarma. In this country, there is no such government… But in your country, perhaps you know, in every cigarette package, packet it is written it is dangerous for health or what is that?

Devotee: Yes, yes. "Warning: The surgeon general has determined that cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So the warning is there. But still they're smoking. Why? Pramattaḥ. And vikarma. They have given warning that it is not good for health. Warning is there in every cigarette package, packet, but because he has become mad after that bidi and cigarette, he kurute vikarma. Although it is forbidden, he's still taking advantage of it. Just see how Bhāgavata writes frankly: nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Pramattaḥ. These mad persons, persistently committing sinful activities, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. Why? Yad indriya prītaya āpṛṇoti, simply for the satisfaction of sense. Not for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction is that "You give up all this nonsense. Simply surrender unto Me." But instead of surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, he has surrendered to bidi and cigarette. Yes. This is going on. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti [SB 5.5.4]. Ṛṣabhadeva said, "This is My proposal." Na sādhu manye. "My dear friends, you are doing wrong." Na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ. Ātmanaḥ, the spirit soul, ātmā, is pure, but because you wanted to smoke bidi and cigarette, you have got this body. Otherwise, spirit soul is pure.

So you have already got this body at the present moment. And that is kleśa-daḥ, always giving misery. Everyone has got experience. So again you are committing sinful activities to get another material body. This is not good. This is not good. Na sādhu manye yata ātmāno 'yaṁ kleśa-daḥ. You, you have already got experience, by your past mischievous activities, you have got this body which is always full of miseries and painful. Still, you are committing the same sinful activities so that you'll get another body to enjoy. Kṛṣṇa will give you; so long you have a pinch of material desire, Kṛṣṇa will give you opportunity: "All right, you take another body and enjoy." But we foolish people, we do not know acceptance of material body is the source of all miserable conditions. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "You simply try to understand." Janma karma me divyam. Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then the result will be tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. No more material body. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We want to stop these nonsense habits of the people. No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling. (old women talking in background) Oh, who is talking? Don't talk. (Hindi?) So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only propaganda to save man from the pitfalls of another material life, miserable condition, but to take him to the blissful life, eternal life, back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9].

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

681021DK.SEA

His Divine Grace

Bhaktiprajñāna Keśava Mahārāja's

Disappearance Day Lecture,

(Śrīla Prabhupāda's Sannyāsa Guru)

Seattle, October 21, 1968

Prabhupāda: One has to accept the renounced order from another person who is in renounced order. So I never thought that I shall accept this renounced order of life. In my family life, when I was in the midst of my wife and children, sometimes I was dreaming my spiritual master, that he's calling me, and I was following him. When my dream was over, I was thinking. I was little horrified. "Oh, Guru Mahārāja wants me to become sannyāsī. How can I accept sannyāsa?" At that time, I was feeling not very satisfaction that I have to give up my family and have to become a mendicant. At that time, it was a horrible feeling. Sometimes I was thinking, "No, I cannot take sannyāsa." But again I saw the same dream. So in this way I was fortunate. My Guru Mahārāja (Prabhupāda begins to cry, choked voice) pulled me out from this material life. I have not lost anything. He was so kind upon me. I have gained. I left three children, I have got now three hundred children. So I am not loser. This is material conception. We think that we shall be loser by accepting Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is loser. I say from my practical experience. I was thinking that "How can I accept this renounced order of life? I cannot accept so much trouble." So… But I retired from my family life. I was sitting alone in Vṛndāvana, writing books. So this, my Godbrother, he insisted me, "Bhaktivedanta prabhu…" This title was given in my family life. It was offered to me by the Vaiṣṇava society. So he insisted me. Not he insisted me. Practically my spiritual master insisted me through him, that "You accept." Because without accepting the renounced order of life, nobody can become a preacher. So he wanted me to become a preacher. So he forced me through this Godbrother, "You accept." So unwillingly I accepted. And then I remembered that he wanted me to go to the Western country. So I am feeling now very much obliged to my, this Godbrother, that he carried out the wish of my spiritual master and enforced me to accept this sannyāsa order.

So this Godbrother, His Holiness Keśava Mahārāja, is no more. He has entered Kṛṣṇa's abode. So I wish to pass a resolution of bereavement and send them. So… And I have composed one verse also in this connection in Sanskrit. So you all present, you sign this. I shall send it tomorrow. The verse I have composed, it is in Sanskrit. Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is vairāgya-vidyā. Vairāgya-vidyā means to become detestful to this material world. That is called vairāgya-vidya. And that is possible simply by this bhakti-yoga. Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam apāyayan mām. So this… Just like medicine. The child is afraid of taking medicine. That also I have experienced. In my childhood, when I became ill, I was very stubborn. I won't accept any medicine. So my mother used to force medicine within my mouth with a spoon. I was so obstinate. So anyway, similarly, I did not want to accept this sannyāsa order, but this Godbrother forced me. "You must." Apāyayan mām, he forcefully made me to drink this medicine. Anabhīpsu andham. Why I was unwilling? Anabhīpsu means unwilling. Andham, andham means one who is blind, who cannot see his future. The spiritual life is the brightest future, but the materialists cannot see to it. You see? But the Vaiṣṇavas, the spiritual master, they forcefully, "You drink this medicine." You see. Apāyayan mām anabhīpsu andhām śrī-keśava-bhakti-prajñāna-nāma. So this my Godbrother, his name is Keśava, Bhaktiprajñāna Keśava. Kṛpāmbudhi. So he did this favor upon me because he was ocean of mercy. So we offer our obeisances to Vaiṣṇava, kṛpāmbudhi. Vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca. The Vaiṣṇavas, the representatives of the Lord, they are so kind. They bring the ocean of mercy for distributing to the suffering humanity. Kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. So I am offering my respectful obeisances unto this His Holiness, because he forcefully made me adopt this sannyāsa order. So he is no more in this world. He has entered Kṛṣṇa's abode. So I am offering my respectful obeisances along with my disciples. On the first day of my sannyāsa, I never thought, but I remembered that I'll have to speak in English. So I remember on that sannyāsa day, when there was a reception, so I, first of all, I spoke in English. So it is all arrangement of Kṛṣṇa, higher authority. We are writing like this, "Resolved that we the undersigned members and devotees of International Society for Krishna Consciousness Incorporated, in a condolence meeting under the presidency of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, today the 21st of October, 1968, at our Seattle branch, express our profound bereavement on hearing the passing of His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktiprajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, the sannyāsa guru, preceptor of our spiritual master, and on October 6th, 1968, at his headquarter residence in Nabadwip, West Bengal. We offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Śrī Śrīmad B. P. Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja with the following verse composed on this occasion by our spiritual master." This verse I have already explained to you. So I wish that you all sign this and I'll send it tomorrow by air mail. Have you got pencil?

Govinda dāsī: Yes. (sound of Prabhupāda signing) (end)

661104GP.NY

Govardhana Pūjā Lecture

New York, November 4, 1966

Prabhupāda: Today Govardhanadhārī, Giridhārī, Lord Kṛṣṇa, today lifted the mountain. According to Vedic literature there are different demigods. Sometimes you will find in Greek mythology the gods of the water, gods of the thunderbolt. These are not imagination. Actually they are facts. But due to our insufficient knowledge we do not know how the material nature is being controlled. So when Kṛṣṇa was on this planet and He was playing the part of a cowherd boy, and it was known to all over the universe that "God has come, taken incarnation, and He is on the earth planet, and He is at Vṛndāvana playing the part of a cowherd boy…" So as if somebody, if there is incarnation of God, somebody believes and somebody does not believe, when Kṛṣṇa was actually present on this earth, it is not that everybody understood that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not even up to date. Only few persons, the five brothers of the Pāṇḍavas and the damsels of Vṛndāvana, only in the fingers' count, say, out of the whole population, say, hundred or two hundred men knew Him that He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise everyone thought that "He is an ordinary man just like one of us, but most powerful. That's all." Similarly, the demigods in other planets, they also thought, "Oh, he's a foolish person. They are thinking of a cowherd boy as God," sophisticated, like that. And especially Indra, the heavenly kingdom…, king of heaven. He was… He's very powerful, so he thought, "What god he has come? My God, He cannot come." This was some speculation. Even Brahmā also speculated. But Kṛṣṇa wanted to show Indra that "Yes, actually I have come." So that incidence is today, Govardhana-pūjā.

So,

bhagavān api tatraiva

baladeva-saṁyutaḥ

apaśyan nivasan gopan

indra-yāga-kṛtodyamān

Indra-yāga-kṛtodyamān. According to Vedic system, there are different types of sacrifices to offer respect and obeisances to the demigods. Just like the sun is supplying light, the moon is supplying moonshine. Similarly, Indra is supplying the cloud. Similarly, there are different demigods. And in the Bhagavad-gītā, devan ya yajayantī deva-bhavan-these things are described. In the Vedic literature it is prescribed that "You should satisfy these demigods by sacrifice, deva-yajan." So in the village of that Vṛndāvana, the father of Kṛṣṇa, foster father of Kṛṣṇa, Nanda Mahārāja and his associates, they were yearly performing the Indra-yajña. Because they were agriculturists, they depended on rain, sufficient rains. And he had many cows. Nanda Mahārāja was a farm man. He is agriculture and cows. The mercantile people, the vaiśya community, they are recommended three things: kṛṣi-go-raksya-vāṇijyam [Bg. 18.44]. Kṛṣi means agriculture, and go-rakṣya means cow protection, and vāṇijyam means trade. So Nanda Mahārāja belonged to the vaiśya community. So he was well-to-do man, very rich man, and he had 900,000's of cows. 900,000 of cows he was protecting. Formerly, according to Vedic civilization, a man was considered to be rich man in proportion of his stock of grains and livestock, cows. That's all. Dhānyena dhanavān. A man was considered to be rich man if he has sufficient quantity of grains in his possession. Similarly, if one has sufficient number of cows in his possession, he was considered rich man. Not that bank balance. There was no such bank, neither this paper money. They actually possessing the foodstuff and milk. And actually this is economic solution. If you have got sufficient milk, then you can make so many nice nutritious, full of vitamin values preparation and grains. There is no question of economic starvation if you have got simply grains and cows. So that was the standard of economic solution in days yore.

So they were preparing just to satisfy the demigod Indra, because he was supposed to… Not supposed. Actually he supplies rains sufficiently. Without rains you cannot have successful agriculture. So they were preparing that sacrifice. So this preparation was being observed by Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Kṛṣṇa is the youngest, and Balarāma is the eldest. Balarāma is son of Rohiṇī, and Kṛṣṇa is son of Devakī. Both these ladies, Rohiṇī and Devakī, they were wives of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa's father. So Balarāma was born of Rohiṇī, and Kṛṣṇa was born of Devakī. Devakī-nandana-gopāla. So Devakī-nandana. So They were not very… There was not much difference of Their age, say one year or two years, like that. So Balarāma was eldest brother. They were playing together, and this is an incidence when Balarāma was about eight years old and Kṛṣṇa was about seven years old. So, bhagavān tatraiva baladevena saṁyutaḥ. Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, along with Baladeva, His elder brother, apaśyan, "saw." What is that "saw"? Nivasan gopa indra-yāga-kṛtodyamān: "All the cowherds men, including His father, they were preparing for sacrifice of Indra-yajña." Indra-yajña.

tad-abhijño 'pi bhagavān

sarvātmā sarva-darśanaḥ

praśrāyavanato 'pṛcchad

vṛddhān nanda-puro-gamān

He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He knew everything what they were doing and what was the purpose. Because He is present in everyone's heart, so He knows everything. But because He was playing just like a boy, cowherd boy, so as if He did not know anything, He asked, inquired from His father, and the elderly persons who were assisting His father for preparing the sacrifice.

Tad abhijño 'pi. This very word is used here, that "He knew everything," Bhagavān. Because Bhagavān means He must know everything, past, present future. There is no lack of knowledge. I have several times described before you. Bhagavān means He is full of all opulences, and there are six opulences: riches, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation. So Bhagavān cannot be in lack of knowledge. He must know everything. That is Bhagavān. So therefore it is said that "What is the use of asking His father what they were going to do? He knew everything." But it is specifically mentioned, atad abhijño'pi. Although He knew it, because He was playing the part of a boy, and the father knew that "Kṛṣṇa is my son…" They did not recognize Him that He is Personality of Godhead. They knew, "Oh, He is my ordinary son." Tad abhijño'pi bhagavān sarvātmā. Sarvātmā means one who is situated in everyone's heart. Sarvātmā sarva-darśanaḥ. Sarva-darśanaḥ means one who can see everything past, present, and future. Still, praśrāyavantaḥ, "Just like an obedient son, submissive son," apṛcchad vṛddhān nanda-puro-gamān, "the elderly persons of His father's friends and associates, with very humbleness, He inquired." He inquired. And what is that inquiry?

kathyatāṁ me pitaḥ ko 'yaṁ

sambhramo vā upāgataḥ

kiṁ phalaṁ kasya coddeśaḥ

kena vā sādhyate makhaḥ

etad brūhi mahān kāmo

mahyaṁ śuśruṣave pitaḥ

"My dear father, I very respectfully and humbly I am inquiring. What is this arrangement? Why you are busy in making some sacrificial ceremony, and what is the reason, and what is the result?" Kiṁ phalaṁ: "What is the result of doing this?" Kiṁ phalaṁ kasya ca uddeśaḥ: "By whom… Whom you are trying to satisfy?" Kena vā sādhyate: "And what is the purpose of this sacrifice? So I cannot understand. Will you kindly explain to Me?" Etad brūhi mahān kāmo: "I am very much anxious. Kindly explain to me." Etad mahān kāmo mahyaṁ śuśruṣave pitaḥ: "Oh, I am your most obedient son, so you kindly explain to Me." This question was posed.

na hi gopyaṁ hi sādhūnāṁ

kṛtyaṁ sarvātmanām iha

asya-svapara-dṛṣṭināṁ

amitro-dāsastad viṣām

"Now, if you think that it is very confidential, it cannot be disclosed, then I think for a person like you who is doing publicly such sacrifice, you should (sic:) not explain to Me." Na hi gopyaṁ hi sādhūnām: "Sādhu, those who are saintly person, for them there is no secret." There is no secret. There is no privacy. A sādhu, sādhu has no privacy. Just now in our ordinary social affairs, there is difference between private life and his public life. Now, if somebody is teacher… Now, he is very good teacher. He can very good… He can explain very nicely a subject matter, but his private life is not very good. Then he is not a teacher. He is not a sādhu. That is Vedic conception. One must be a teacher according to his own behavior in life. There is no secrecy or privacy. Now, we think that "We don't mind what is private character. We don't mind. We are concerned with his teaching." No. That sort of teaching will not have any effect. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, āpani ācārī prabhu jīverī śikṣāya: a teacher must demonstrate in his practical life what he is teaching. That is the meaning of ācārya. Ācārya means the teacher must demonstrate things by applying the same thing in his own life. That is called ācārya. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said that "You cannot disclose anything. You cannot keep anything private. Please disclose." Udāsīno 'rivad varyam ātmavat suhṛd ucyate: "And even if it is very confidential, I am your son. You can explain to Him. I am your well-wisher."

jñātvājñātvā ca karmāṇi

jano 'yam anutiṣṭhanti

viduṣaḥ karma-siddhiḥ syāt

tathā na viduṣo bhavet

"Whether this is a superstition?" Just see how Kṛṣṇa is speaking. "Whether it is a superstition or it has got some actual effect." You should not do anything, religious rituals, under superstition. That is the recommendation of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not like that people should perform anything under superstition. Suppose if you are sacrificing, if you are doing some ceremony, you must have thorough knowledge that there must be the result. There must be the result. Just like there are many sacrifices recommended in the Vedic literature, putreṣṭī-yajña. Putreṣṭī. Suppose a man has no son, and if he performs that sacrifice, he will have a son. That is a fact. Similarly, so many things there are.

So any rituals, religious rituals… Now, according to Kṛṣṇa… How practical He is. He said that "No religious ritual should be performed without practical effect, without practical effect." People have become atheist because in the modern age there are so many rituals in all religions, not only Hindu religion, but Christian religion. But, they say, simply formality; there is no effect. There is no effect. Such sort of rituals, religious ceremony, is not recommended by Kṛṣṇa. You must actually the effect. Just like in Purāṇas there was a talk between Lord Caitanya and Kazi, Chand Kazi. Chand Kazi was a Muhammadan magistrate, and Lord Caitanya, when He started this saṅkīrtana movement, there was many complaints. Just like we are receiving daily reports that our saṅkīrtana movement is disturbing some tenants here. Similarly, when Lord Caitanya, He started His, this saṅkīrtana, some of the brāhmaṇas… Because Lord Caitanya said that "This is the only religion. In this age, this chanting of

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

This is the only religious principle, and everyone will have all his desires fulfilled by this chanting." So the brāhmaṇas, those who are priestly class, they thought that "If people take to this only chanting, then what about our churches and mosque and temples? They will not come." So they lodged a complaint to the magistrate that "This is not Hindu religion. He has discovered something in His own fertile brain, so we do not recognize it." So this complaint was lodged before the magistrate, and the magistrate took step, first of all warned Him that "Don't chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Then, when He did not care, then sent some constables, and the drums were broken. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu started civil disobedience movement. So He did not care for the magistrate. He started saṅkīrtana throughout the whole city of Nabadwip. Then they approached the magistrate's house. Just the other day there was a procession in your city. So this civil disobedience movement was started first by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Now, there was some compromising talk with the magistrate, and in that talk the Caitanya Mahāprabhu first questioned. Because he was Mohammedan, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "In your religion there is killing of father and mother. What sort of religion this is?" The Kazi replied, "How do you say that we are killing our father and…?" "Yes. You are killing your mother. Cow gives you milk, delivers milk. You drink the milk, and you kill the cow. Therefore you are killing your mother." So the Kazi replied that "In your Vedic literature also, I have seen. There is cow sacrifice." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "That is not cow sacrifice. That is rejuvenation of cow. Old cows were sacrificed in the fire, and again a new life was given by the Vedic mantra. But because there is lack of such expert brāhmaṇas to chant that mantra, therefore cow sacrifice in this age is forbidden."

So when the things are not practical, that becomes a forbidden. If you actually get the result by some spiritual or religious rituals, performance, then it is very good. Otherwise it is superstition. Lord Caitanya's opinion is that because all these Vedic injunctions, sacrifices, they are not possible to be performed in this age… They are very difficult. There is no expert leader to perform all these ceremonies and rituals. Therefore, take to this Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take to this. There is no need of rituals. There is no need of expenses. Simply God has given you tongue, and God has given you ear. Just go on chanting: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and it will fulfill your spiritual advancement. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa said, jñātvā ajñātvā ca karmāṇi jano 'yam anutiṣṭhanti: "Generally, mass of people, they are ignorant. They perform some religious rituals knowingly or unknowingly as a matter of superstition or custom." So, viduṣa karma-siddhiḥ syāt. But one who is intelligent, he should know that "By this sacrifice, I must get the result." Viduṣo karma-siddhiḥ syāt tathā na viduṣo bhavet: "And those who are fools, they, simply by superstition, they do it."

So Kṛṣṇa did not recommend that you should do something under superstition. No. You must do it for practical result. This dogmatism, fanaticism-"Oh, why I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? I am Christian. I am Jews"-this is fanaticism. If you find actually ecstasy by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, why should you not? Why should you not? "No. I am Jew." "I am Christian." "I am Muhammadan." Well, it is transcendental vibration from the spiritual platform. Your Muhammadism, Christianism, Hinduisim, Buddhism, this is skin disease. This is… Because you have got some particular body at particular circumstances, therefore you claim like that. But actually we are all spirit soul, and this sound vibration is from the spirit soul. It will appeal to everyone. See the effect. Then don't be fanaticist. Don't be, I mean to say, sectarian. So Kṛṣṇa wants that, that simply by custom, one should not follow the rituals. One should see the effect.

tatra tāvāt kriyā-yogo

bhavatāṁ kiṁ vicāritaḥ

athavā laukikas tan me

pṛcchata sādhu (bhaṇyatām)

"So, whether you are confident of the result of this sacrifice?" He is asking His father. Just see. Kṛṣṇa was a boy, and He is asking His father, "Whether you are confident of the result of this sacrifice? You are going to satisfy the demigods, sacrifice. Or," athavā laukikaḥ, "or it is simply a custom, village custom, that you are doing it?" Laukikas tan me pṛcchata sādhu bhaṇyatām: "Now I am very much inquisitive to learn from you. Please explain."

Now His father is explaining:

parjanyo bhagavān indro

meghās tasyātma-mūrtayaḥ

te 'bhivarṣanti bhūtānāṁ

prīṇanaṁ jīvanaṁ payaḥ

He says, "My dear boy, water is very essential because without rains we cannot have any produce. Therefore… This rain is controlled by Bhagavān Indra. The heavenly king Indra, he controls the megha." Megha means cloud. He is the master of the cloud. He can send cloud, and he can stop cloud. He is representative of God, so he has got the power. Te 'bhivarṣanti bhūtānāṁ prīṇanam: "So when he allows this raining, people become satisfied. They get their produce."

taṁ tāta vayam anye ca

cārmucāṁ patim īśvaram

dravyais tad-retasā siddhyair

yajante kratubhir narāḥ

"Therefore it is our duty. Because he supplies us water, so it is our duty to show him respect by this sacrifice." This is the Vedic injunction. Just like we pay departmental tax. We pay to the Con Edison bills for the supply of electricity and gas. Similarly, we pay the bills of the telephone. But we have no program to pay the bills of the sun who is supplying us so much light. (aside:) What is that?

Dineśa: That needle doesn't seem to be working.

Prabhupāda: So it is our duty to sacrifice, and according to Vedic rituals, these are recommended, that we should satisfy. So Nanda Mahārāja explained,

tac cheṣeṇopajīvanti

tri-varga-phala-hetve

puṁsāṁ puruṣa-kāraṇāṁ

parjanyaḥ phala-bhāvanaḥ

"Now, this water is so important that it will produce grains and we shall live. And for perfection of our life we must first live. So this is very important thing, so we have to satisfy Indra."

ya evaṁ visṛjed dharmaṁ

pāraṁ paryāgataṁ naraḥ

kāmā lobhād bhayād dveṣāt

sa vai nāpnoti śobhanam

He says, "My dear boy, we should not give up this paramparā." Parampara means coming from disciplic succession or from generation. My father did it, my father's fathers did it. So every religious ceremony, and according to Vedic rituals, they are from paramparā, family or society-wise or community-wise. In every country there is. So he says that "This paramparā, this successive generation, we have been doing this, and we should not give it up." He understood the Kṛṣṇa's purpose, that "He is asking. He is very intelligent boy, so He is asking me all these questions just to forbid me." That He's just… "Like father like son." The father was also intelligent.

So, ya evaṁ visṛjed dharmam. Dharmam means one must execute. That is dharma. Just like to become hungry, it is my religion. This is called religion. We should know what is the meaning of religion. Religion means which we cannot separate from myself. The religion which you can change, that is not religion. Suppose I am Hindu; I become Christian. So neither this Hinduism is religion or Christian is religion. It is a dictionary, English dictionary, word. But dharma, according to Sanskrit word, dharma does not mean that which you can change. I have several times explained this fact. Dharma cannot be changed. Therefore we must find out what is our dharma, what is our religion. Which we are professing, that "Christianity is my religion," "Hinduism, my religion," that is not religion. That is faith. Religion is different. Religion you cannot change. You cannot change. That is the meaning of religion. Here it is said that ya evaṁ visṛjed dharmam. Dharmam means you cannot change. So pāraṁ paryāgataṁ naraḥ, kāmāt, kāmāt lobhāt. Now, religion sometimes, when it is taken as faith, they have changed. How they have changed? Kāmāt. For some gain. Just like in India formerly Christian religion was preached, giving some facilities. And generally we see that Christian priests who go to foreign countries… I have seen. They offer some hospital facilities, some economic facilities. The poor men, they supply clothing and education. So those who are poor, they become captivated, and they… They have practically no religion. Anyway, they are facing the economic problems. So kāmāt. Kāmāt means for some gain. For some gain, kāmāt, and lobhāt… Lobhāt means by some greediness. And bhayāt. Bhayāt means out of fear. And dveṣāt. Dveṣāt means out of enviousness. For all these things one should not give up his faith or religion.

So that, that was the explanation of Nanda Mahārāja, the father of Kṛṣṇa. Now Kṛṣṇa, replying, śrī bhagavān uvāca. The reason of that sacrifice, as explained by Nanda Mahārāja is that "Indra, the heavenly king, he supplies us water. Therefore we must perform the sacrifice to satisfy him." Now Kṛṣṇa is giving reason just like an atheist. Just like an atheist, karma-mimāṁsā. There are six philosophers. Out of that one is karma-mimāṁsā. Karma-mimāṁsā means one who takes work and the result of work and nothing, no God, nothing of… "You work like this; you get the result." Just like modern theory. So Kṛṣṇa is putting up that karma-mimāṁsā. What is that? He says, karmāṇa jāyate jantuḥ karmaṇaiva pralīyate: "Everyone is born here out of, as the effect of his past deeds." And karmaṇaiva pralīyate: "And he is going to have his next birth according to the work, as he is doing here." This is called karma-mimāṁsā. The karma-mimāṁsā philosophers, they do not believe that "Oh, our liberation from this material world and entrance in the spiritual kingdom to be associated with God, that will make us happy." Their belief is that "You simply do good work. Then you gradually get your promotion." That is also a fact. That is not a misconception. If you do good work, then you get good birth. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī [SB 1.8.26]. Four things: good birth, mean a good family or good nationality, and janma… Birth means… Janma means birth, good birth. Janma aiśvarya, and to become rich. Śruta, to become very learned; and śrī, and to become very beautiful-these are results of past good work. So here Kṛṣṇa says that "People are concerned with his work. A man is concerned with his work." Karmaṇā jāyate jantuḥ karmaṇaiva pralīyate: "He gets his facilities of life according to the past good work, bad work, and he is preparing his life, next, by that work." Sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhayaṁ kṣemaṁ karmaṇaivābhipadyate: "So therefore, either happiness or distress or fearfulness or poverty or economic question, everything on this karma, on this work."

asti ced īśvaraḥ kaścit

phala-rūpy anya-karmaṇāṁ

kartāraṁ bhajate so 'pi

na hy akartuḥ prabhur hi saḥ

"Now, supposing there is somebody." Because these atheists, they do not believe in God, now they are giving arguments. "Now, suppose there is somebody as God or some supervisor or something like that. But still, he is obliged to give Me the effect. Therefore I am not going to ask mercy from that superior personality, God or something else. I have to work." And this is also fact. Suppose you are going to appear in some examination. Now, the university is giving you some designation. Now, that designation practically depends on your passing the examination. What is the use of flattering that examiner? That is the argument. There is no… His argument is that "You are after the sacrifice of satisfying the Indra." So indirectly He says that Indra is appointed by the Lord and he has to supply water. He is officer. So what is the use of flattering him? Just like there are many officers in the New York City. One is in charge of the waterwork department. So there is no question of flattering that waterworks department officer. You pay your tax, you work nicely, and water will be supplied to you. But if you don't pay your tax, however you flatter that officer, your connection will be cut off. So it depends on your work. It depends on your work.

So, asti ced īśvaraḥ kaścit: "Supposing there is some God…" "There is some God." Just see. A God is preaching atheism. He is God Himself, and He says, "Supposing if there is some God." "Supposing if there is some God," kaścit phala-rūpy anya-karmaṇām, "and He gives the result of your work." The karma-mimāṁsā philosophers, they accept God in this way, "Suppose there is God and He is to give us the result. So He is obliged. If we do nice work, He is obliged. So what is the use of flattering God? Let us do our duty nicely. Then He will be obliged." So Kṛṣṇa is following that argument. Asti ced īśvaraḥ kaścit phala-rūpy anya-karmaṇām, kartāraṁ bhajate so 'pi: "He also worships the worker. The worker has not to worship God. Because God gives you good result out of your good work; therefore, because you are doing good work, therefore God is worshiping you." Just see the argument. He says, kartāraṁ bhajate so 'pi na hy akartuḥ prabhur: "And one who does not do good work, even God does not like him. So there is no necessity of worshiping this heavenly god or any god, so let us have our duty done nicely. That will fetch us the desired result."

kim indreṇeha bhūtānāṁ

sva-sva-karmānuvartinām

anīsenānyathā kartuṁ

svabhāva-vihitaṁ nṛṇām

"So, therefore, there is no… Father, there is no necessity of satisfying this Indra. You are simply wasting your time. You are simply wasting your time."

Oh,

svabhāva-tantro hi janaḥ

svabhāvam anuvartate

svabhāva-stham idaṁ sarvaṁ

sa-devāsura-mānuṣam

"Everyone is acting according to the modes of nature he has acquired, so whatever nature we have acquired…" His purpose is that "By nature we are mercantile people." Because His father was maintaining cows, so he is considered a mercantile man. Vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]. So He is giving stress that "Let us perform our duty as mercantile men honestly, and that will bring us result. Why should we go to worship these demigods?"

Now, here is a point, that Kṛṣṇa does not approve the worship of demigods. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñāna yajanty anya-devataḥ: [Bg. 7.20] "Those who are out of intelligence, they simply worship the demigods." In the Bhagavad-gītā or in the Bhāgavata, anywhere, worship of demigods is not very much recommended. So here also the same thing, that svabhāva-tantro hi janaḥ: "Everyone is carried by the modes of nature." Svabhāvam anuvartate: "And he cannot surpass the spell of the modes of nature." Svabhāvam anuvartante, svabhāvas tam idaṁ sarvam: "Everyone is under the control of the nature he has acquired." And sa-devāsura mānusaḥ. Sa-devāsura. "Always, either he is man or superman or animal, everyone is being controlled by the modes of nature."

dehān uccāvacāñ jantuḥ

prāpyotsṛjati karmaṇā

śatrur mitram udāsīnaḥ

karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ

He is giving so much stress on karma. There is no question of bhakti here. So dehān uccāvācāñ. There are difference of high-grade body and low-grade body. There are different kinds of body. Somebody has got very high grade body-very intelligent, very rich, very beautiful, very wealthy-and somebody has low-grade body. So dehān uccāvacāñ jantuḥ prāpyotsṛjati karmaṇā: "Now, these high-grade and low-grade bodies are obtained according to the work he has done." Śatrur mitram udāsīnaḥ karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ: "And one is the leader or one is a teacher or one is enemy or one is friend-everything is judged by this karma, by work." Just see how much he is giving stress on work. Karmaiva. Karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ.

tasmāt sampūjayet karma

svabhāva-sthaḥ sva-karma-kṛt

añjasā yena varteta

tad evāsya hi daivatam

"Therefore you don't bother yourself about worshiping this god or that god, demigod. You just be faithful to your work, and then that will give you good result." Añjasā yena varteta tad evāsya hi daivatam.

ājīvaikataraṁ bhāvaṁ

yas tv anyam upajīvati

na tasmād vindate kṣemaṁ

jārān nāry asatī yathā

He is condemning, that one's profession… He has… Lord Kṛṣṇa has in the Bhagavad-gītā also said like that. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. One should not give up his own profession. Never mind even it is faulty. You have heard it from me. Just like He has given the example that fire, fire is so pure, still there is fault. There is smoke. So in spite of all fault one should not give up his own work, but he should do it faithfully and nicely and the result will come. Ājīvaikataraṁ bhāvaṁ yas tu. And He says here that "Anyone who gives up his own natural profession, natural aptitude, profession, so…" Na tasmād vindate kṣemaṁ jārān nāry asatī yathā.

Now, this is a very important question. Nāry asatī. Asatī. Asatī means not chaste, not chaste woman. Just like… In India, of course, it is very strict, that the woman is not to give up her husband and acquaint herself with any other man. This example is given that "An unchaste woman gives up her own husband and makes friendship with others; similarly, one who gives up his own profession and takes other profession, he is also similarly unchaste." Unchaste. Nāry asatī yathā. Varteta brāhmaṇo vipra rājanya rakṣayā bhuvaḥ: "Therefore one should not deviate from his professional duties, just like the brāhmaṇas…" Brahman…, varteta brāhmaṇo vipraḥ: "Those who are brāhmaṇa, they should stick to their principle of life, simply spiritual culture." Rājanya rakṣayā bhuvaḥ: "And those who are kṣatriyas, they should stick to their protecting the citizen." The kingly order, royal order, their duty is to give protection to the… They should not simply collect tax. The kṣatriyas, this king is allowed to collect tax because he is supposed to give all protection to the people. So therefore it is said, rājanya rakṣayā bhuvaḥ. Rājanya means the royal order stick to his principle, how to give protection to the people. Similarly, vaiśyas tu vārtayā jīvet śūdras tu dvīja-sevayā: "Similarly, these mercantile, they should live on their trade, and those who are śūdra, those who are laborer class, they should serve all these three classes." That is the rules.

Now,

kṛṣi-vāṇijya-go-rakṣā

kusīdaṁ tūryam ucyate

vārtā catur-vidhā tatra

vayaṁ go-vṛttayo 'niśam

"Now, according to scripture, we are vaiśya, and we should live not in the brahminical way or kṣatriya's way or śūdra's way, but we should live just like vaiśyas; and we are actually agriculturists, and we are actually protecting cows. Therefore we are vaiśyas. Our duty is to stick to our, faithfully stick to our business, stick to our work. What is the use of worshiping this god or that god?"

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti

sthity-utpatti-anta-hetavaḥ

rajasotpadyate viśvam

anyonyaṁ vividhaṁ jagat

Now He is forwarding the atheistic theory of Kapila, sāṅkhya philosophy. Sāṅkhya philosophy. Sāṅkhya philosophy theory is that there is no controller, there is no God, but the world is moving under nature's interaction. Just the modern scientists also say like that. The world… Every action of this material world is being acted… Just like sāṅkhya philosophy is based on this philosophy, that a man and woman is attracted and they have sex life and the son is produced, and there is no other reason for population. Simply a man wants a woman and a woman wants a man. That natural tendency is there, and when they combine together there is a birth of a child. So this is a natural sequence. Sāṅkhya philosophy is based on this principle. They do not believe that above this, there is God. Nirīśa. Above this, there is God. There is God's control. Actually there is God. Sexual intercourse is not the cause of a child. According to Bhāgavata, a living entity, before his death he is, by superior judgement it is thought that "Where this living entity, where this particular man or dog or anything… He is dying. Where it will be placed?" So when that place is sanctioned, the place is selected, that "This particular man should go in such and such body," then he is at once transferred to the semina. That small particle, spiritual particle, is transferred to the semina of the father, and the father injects the semina into the mother's womb, and it gets a particular type of body according to his karma. That is Bhāgavata's version. But the Sāṅkhya philosophy, they say, because they have no idea that there is spiritual spark, they think simply that, simply the father and mother's or man and woman's sex life produces life.

So here practically the same thing is advocated by Kṛṣṇa, that sattvaṁ rajas tama iti sthity-utpatty-anta-hetavaḥ. Now, the creation of this material world is the three modes of material nature. There is no other cause. There is no other cause. Rajasā coditā meghā varṣanty ambūni sarvataḥ: "So when there is too much heat by, I mean to say, aggravation of the modes of passion, there is evaporation of water, and that becomes cloud, and that is the cause of… The cloud is the cause of rain. Why do you go to this Indra and Candra and all these things?" Just see Kṛṣṇa, how He is speaking atheistically. So prajās tair eva sidhyanti mahendraḥ kiṁ kariṣyati: "Therefore that rain constitutes agriculture. So why do you bother about this Mahendra?" Just like modern scientists say that "We shall artificially make raining so that where there is scarcity of rain we shall fertilize the land, we shall get production," so similarly, the sāṅkhya philosophy, according to sāṅkhya philosophy, that rain is caused by the heat, and by the heat there is cloud in the sky, and the cloud is the cause of the rain. So there is no question of Mahendra, the controller of the cloud, or anything else.

prajās tair eva sidhyanti

mahendraḥ kiṁ kariṣyati

na naḥ puro jana-padā

na grāmā na gṛhā vayam

vanaukasas tāta nityaṁ

vana-śaila-nivāsinaḥ

"So therefore we are not going to the city. We are inhabitants of this village. So it is better to worship this land, this land, this land, Govardhana." Because Kṛṣṇa was herding His cows on the Govardhana Hill, so indirectly He hinted that "We should worship this Govardhana Hill, and that is our duty."

So it is a long story, three, four chapters. Of course, it will take some time. I don't think you can give us so much time. The net, the result is that when Kṛṣṇa talked like this, then His father agreed not to perform the sacrifice. Because all the inhabitants of Vraja, Vṛndāvana, they are so much fond of Kṛṣṇa, whatever Kṛṣṇa will say, they will accept. So although Kṛṣṇa was a boy, He implored his father and other elderly gentlemen present there that "There is no need of performing this sacrifice." So they stopped sacrifice. As a result of this stopping, Indra became very much angry, and there was torrents of rain, incessant rain, and very vehemently. So the whole village and whole tract of land comprising the Vrajabhūmi, they became overflooded. And the cows and the animals and the people became too much afflicted. So they had no other source. They approached Kṛṣṇa, "Protect us. Kṛṣṇa, protect us." So at that time Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I will give you protection." So He was, although a boy of six or seven years old, He lifted that hill. That is… We are… If any time you go to India you will see the hill. It is not less than at least five, six miles area, very big hill. That hill was lifted by Him, and He kept that hill in His hand for seven days. And then everything was cleared. Then Indra prayed Him.

So there are many things after this. So today Kṛṣṇa lifted this hill; therefore His name is Giridhārī. Giridhārī means who held the hill. Giri means the hill, and dhārī means one who holds up. So today is that, is the annual ceremony of today, this Govardhana-pūjā. So we follow that principle. Because we are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, we are trying to follow His instruction. So at noontime we shall perform that pūjā, and you are invited to take prasādam. I think prasādam will be ready by eleven o'clock, and you will kindly participate in taking prasādam. (end)

681209DB.LA

His Divine Grace

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's

Disappearance Day, Lecture

Los Angeles, December 9, 1968

(Prabhupāda leads kīrtana)

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. I was thinking of "Where is Jayānanda?" now immediately he has come. (someone brings some kind of offering and Śrīla Prabhupāda says to give it to his Guru Mahārāja) Take care it may not fall down. (pause) All right.

So today is the disappearance day of my Guru Mahārāja. As I told you that sādhavo jīva vā mara vā. There was a nice story the other day I told you that a sage is giving different kinds of blessings to different types of persons. So to a king's son, a prince, he blessed, rāja-putra ciraṁ jīva: "You are a king's son, a prince. You live forever." And muni-putra, the son of a saintly person, he blessed him, mā jīva mā jīva: "You don't live." Rāja-putra ciraṁ muni-putra mā jīva. And sādhu, devotees, he blessed him, jīva vā mara vā: "Either you live or you die, as you like." And there was a butcher, he blessed him, mā jīva mā mara: "You don't die, don't live." So these words are very significant. That I have already explained, still I am explaining. A prince, he's enjoying sense, that's all. He has got enough facility for sense enjoyment. So his next life is hellish. Because if you indulge in sex life, then Kṛṣṇa will give you facility to have sex life three times in an hour, just like the pigeons, the monkeys, the sparrows, they are very sexually strong. You have seen it. So the facility is given. So princely order, they are after sense enjoyment. So he's blessed that "Better you live forever, because after your death, you do not know what is going to happen to you. You are going to get a hellish life. Better you live for some time. Go on with your enjoyment." And muni-putra mā jīva. Brahmacārī, working under the guidance under strict disciplinary guidance, of a spiritual master, he is blessed, mā jīva, "You better die. Because you are so trained to enter into the kingdom of God, so why should you take so much trouble? Better you die and go back to Godhead." Ma jīva. And a devotee he blessed, jīva va maro va: "My dear devotee, either you live or die, the same thing." And the butcher, he blessed him, ma jīva ma mara: "You don't live, don't die." What he's to do? His living condition is so abominable. From the morning, he has to slaughter so many animals, see the bloodstain, the ghastly scene. That is his livelihood. So what a horrible life this is. So "Don't live. And don't die also." Because after death, oh, he is going to be in so much hellish condition, nobody can describe. So both lives, living condition and death, after death, his condition is very horrible.

Anyway, apart from others, the devotee, for him, appearance and disappearance the same thing. Just like when my spiritual master appeared at Jagannātha Purī… He was the son of a very big government officer, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. He was magistrate, government officer. In those days a magistrate is a big officer in the government, practically next to governor. And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was in charge of the Jagannātha temple. That is the system in Jagannātha Purī. The manager in charge of the temple is the district magistrate. So there was a Ratha-yātrā festival, and the car was passing in front of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's house. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's name was Kedaranath Datta. When he was magistrate, he was known as K.N. Datta. Kedaranath Datta. So the car stopped before his house, and at that time, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, a child in the lap of his mother. The mother took the opportunity of rising on the car. He (She) was magistrate's wife, so he (she) had the facility. Immediately, people gave her way to go on the top of the car and place the child on the lotus feet of Jagannātha. And there were many garlands. One garland fell upon him, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, blessings. This was one of the… There were so many other things.

When he was a child two, three years old, he ate one mango fruit which was kept for offering to the Deity. So his father mildly rebuked him, "Oh, you have done a very wrong thing. It was meant for Deity, and you have taken it. You should not have done it." The child was two or three years old. He took it so seriously that never after that he took mango. Whenever we offered him mango he said, "No, I am offender. I cannot take mango." He was thinking like that, you see. Never in his life he took a mango. He was thinking that "I offended in my childhood by taking the mango of the Deity." This is the characteristic of ācārya. They teach by their life's action that one should be so much determined, that one should not be… A child took the mango, there was no offense. But he took that vow.

Another instance, in my presence. At that time, we were also young men, and one of my Godbrothers, his name is Dr. Oul Bihari Kapoor… He's now retired in Vṛndāvana, last time I saw him. He was also young man, and his wife was also young. So we were sitting together, talking with Guru Mahārāja, and the girl proposed, "My dear master, I want to speak with you." So Guru Mahārāja said, "Yes, you can talk whatever you like." So she said, "I want to talk with you secretly, not in the presence of everyone." Guru Mahārāja said, "No. I cannot talk with you secretly. You can talk in the presence of my all other disciples." So even that girl was just like his granddaughter by age calculation, he refused to talk with a young woman in a secret place. These are the instances.

So in his life he was akhaṇḍa brahmacārī. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had many other sons, and he was the fifth son. And some of his other brother also, they did not marry. And my Guru Mahārāja, he also did not marry. From the childhood he is strict brahmacārī, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. And he underwent very severe penances for starting this movement, worldwide movement. That was his mission. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wanted do this. He, 1896, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wanted to introduce this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by sending this book, Shree Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, His Life and Precepts. Fortunately, that year was my birth year, and by Kṛṣṇa's arrangement, we came in contact. I was born in a different family, my Guru Mahārāja was born in a different family. Who knew that I will come to his protection? Who knew that I would come in America? Who knew that you American boys will come to me? These are all Kṛṣṇa's arrangement. We cannot understand how things are taking place. In 1936… Today is ninth December, 1938(68). That means thirty-two years ago. In Bombay, I was then doing some business. All of a sudden, perhaps on this date, sometimes between 9 or 10 December. At that time, Guru Mahārāja was indisposed little, and he was staying at Jagannātha Purī, on the seashore. So I wrote him letter, "My dear master, your other disciples, brahmacārī, sannyāsī, they are rendering you direct service. And I am a householder. I cannot live with you, I cannot serve you nicely. So I do not know. How can I serve you?" Simply an idea, I was thinking of serving him, "How can I serve him seriously?" So the reply was dated 13th December, 1936. In that letter he wrote, "My dear such and such, I am very glad to receive your letter. I think you should try to push our movement in English." That was his writing. "And that will do good to you and to the people who will help you." That was his instruction. And then in 1936, on the 31st December-that means just after writing this letter a fortnight before his departure-he passed away. But I took that order of my spiritual master very seriously, but I did not think that I'll have to do such and such thing. I was at that time a householder. But this is the arrangement of Kṛṣṇa. If we strictly try to serve the spiritual master, his order, then Kṛṣṇa will give us all facilities. That is the secret. Although there was no possibility, I never thought, but I took it little seriously by studying a commentary by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura on the Bhagavad-gītā. In the Bhagavad-gītā the verse vyavasāyātmikā-buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana [Bg. 2.41], in connection with that verse, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives his commentary that we should take up the words from the spiritual master as our life and soul. We should try to carry out the instruction, the specific instruction of the spiritual master, very rigidly, without caring for our personal benefit or loss.

So I tried a little bit in that spirit. So he has given me all facilities to serve him. Things have come to this stage, that in this old age I have come to your country, and you are also taking this movement seriously, trying to understand it. We have got some books now. So there is little foothold of this movement. So on this occasion of my spiritual master's departure, as I am trying to execute his will, similarly, I shall also request you to execute the same order through my will. I am an old man, I can also pass away at any moment. That is nature's law. Nobody can check it. So that is not very astonishing, but my appeal to you on this auspicious day of the departure of my Guru Mahārāja, that at least to some extent you have understood the essence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You should try to push it on. People are suffering for want of this consciousness. As we daily pray about devotees,

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo

vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.]

A Vaiṣṇava, or devotee of Lord, his life is dedicated for the benefit of the people. You know-most of you belong to Christian community-how Lord Jesus Christ, he said that for your sinful activities he has sacrificed himself. That is the determination of devotee of the Lord. They don't care for personal comforts. Because they love Kṛṣṇa or God, therefore they love all living entities because all living entities are in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. So similarly you should learn. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to become Vaiṣṇava and feel for the suffering humanity. So to feel for the suffering humanity, there are different angles of vision. Somebody is thinking of the suffering of the humanity from bodily conception of life. Somebody is trying to open hospital to give relief to the diseased condition. Somebody is trying to distribute foodstuff in poverty-stricken countries or places. These things are certainly very nice, but actual suffering of the humanity is due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These bodily sufferings, they are temporary; neither they can be checked by the laws of nature. Suppose if you give some distribution of foodstuff in some poverty-stricken country, that does not mean that this help makes solution of the whole problem. The real beneficial work is to invoke every person to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as he comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness… The same example, as I have given several times, that a rich man's son is loitering in the street, forgetting his father's opulence and property. And somebody, out of sympathy, giving him some food. But other person comes to him and says, "Oh, my dear boy, I know you. You are the son of such and such rich man. Why you are loitering in the street? Come on, I shall take you to your father." So if that gentleman takes that loitering boy to his father, the father is glad, and the boy inherits his father's property, and his whole problem of life becomes solved. This is a crude example. Similarly, all living entities, they are loitering within this universe in different bodies, in different planets, and from time immemorial, without knowing that he belongs to the kingdom of God, he is the direct son of Kṛṣṇa and God, that Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of everything, and he can enjoy his father's property, and these problems of material conditioned life automatically solved. Just like if you become a rich man, if you can possess millions of dollars, then your poverty is automatically solved. Similarly, if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious and if you act in that way, then all other problems in the material conditional life-solved.

So this is such a nice movement. Ahaṁ tvaṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ [Bg. 18.66]. The Bhagavad-gītā says, the Lord says, people's sufferings are due to his sinful activities. Ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of sinful activity. Just like a man does not know. Suppose a foreigner like me comes in America and he does not know… Because in India… Just like in your country, the car is driven from the right side; in India, I've seen in London also, the car is driven from the left side. So suppose he does not know, he drives the car on the left side and incurs some accident, and he is taken by the police custody. And if he says, "Sir, I did not know that here the car is driven from the right side," that does not make him excused. The law will punish him. So ignorance is the cause of breaking the law or sinful activities. And as soon as you commit some sinful activity, you have to suffer the result. So the whole world is in ignorance, and due to ignorance he's complicated in so many actions and reactions, either good or bad. There is nothing good within this material world; everything is bad. So we have manufactured something good and something bad. Here… Because in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand this place is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. This place is for misery. So how you can say, in miserable condition, how you can say that "This is good" or "This is bad." Everything is bad. So those persons who do not know-the material, conditional life-they manufacture something, "This is good, this is bad," because they do not know everything here is bad, nothing good. One should be very much pessimistic of this material world. Then he can make advance in spiritual life. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. This place is full of miseries, and if you study analytically, you'll find simply miserable condition. Therefore the whole problem is that we should give up our material conditional life, and in Kṛṣṇa consciousness we should try to elevate ourself to the spiritual platform and thereby be promoted to the kingdom of Godhead, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāmaṁ paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6], where going, nobody comes back to this miserable world. And that is the supreme abode of the Lord.

So there are description in the Bhagavad-gītā. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is authorized, very important. Now, you American boys and girls who have taken to this movement, please take it more seriously and… That is the mission of Lord Caitanya and my Guru Mahārāja, and we are also trying to execute the will by disciplic succession. You have come forward to help me. I shall request you all that I shall go away, but you shall live. Don't give up pushing on this movement, and you'll be blessed by Lord Caitanya and His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Prabhupāda.

Thank you very much. Any question? (pause) Any question?

Devotee: When your spiritual master was a little boy, did, was he, um, did he do things like Lord Caitanya did like when He went to the, um, like when Lord Caitanya went to the water and all girls were asking for…

Prabhupāda: No, he was not so much naughty. (laughs) My Guru Mahārāja was very gentle boy. Yes. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very naughty boy. Yes. (laughs) And Kṛṣṇa was also very naughty boy. (pause) Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (kīrtana-Viṣṇujana leads, Śrīla Prabhupāda chants along) I have brought prasādam for you. Take. (long pause as prasādam is served out and devotees chant japa) Can stop it? (end)

731213DB.LA

His Divine Grace

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's

Disappearance Day, Lecture

Los Angeles, December 13, 1973

Prabhupāda:

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya

kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale

śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta

sarasvatīti nāmine

Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura passed away from this material world on 31st December, 1936. So almost forty years past. So there are two phases, prakaṭa and aprakaṭa, appearance and disappearance. So we have nothing to lament on account of disappearance because Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee… Not only devotees, even the nondevotees, nobody disappears. Nobody disappears because every living entity… As Kṛṣṇa is eternal… It is confirmed in the Vedic literature, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The description of the Supreme Lord is that He is also nitya, eternal, and the living entities are also eternal. But He is the chief eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. So qualitatively, there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and the living entities. And quantitatively, there is difference. What is the difference between nitya, the singular number nitya, and the plural number nitya? The plural number nitya is subordinate, eternal servants of the singular number nitya. Just like if you want to serve somebody, so the master is also exactly like you. He has got two hands, two legs, or the same sentiments. He also eats. Everything is same there. But the difference is the master and the servant. That's all. Otherwise, equal in every respect.

So spiritually, appearance and disappearance, there is no difference. Just like in material point of view, if a person takes birth… Suppose you get a son born, you become very happy. The same son, when passes away, you become very unhappy. This is material. And spiritually, there is no such difference, appearance or disappearance. So although this is the disappearance day of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, so there is nothing to be lamented. Although we feel separation, that feeling is there, but spiritually, there is no difference between appearance and disappearance. There is a song, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's song, ye anilo prema-dhana. Do you know, any one of you? Can you sing that song anyone? Oh. Ye anilo prema-dhana, karuṇā pracura, heno prabhu kothā gelo. I don't remember exactly the whole song. That is our lamentation, that Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura brought this message to distribute all over… Of course, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu expressed His desire, that

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

He predicted that "All over the world, as many towns and villages are there, everywhere My name will be known." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's name. Which is now, attempted now, it is being actually… To execute this will of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said personally,

bhārata bhūmīte manuṣya janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

He wanted that His name should be broadcast all over the world in every town and village. And who would do it? That He asked that anyone who has taken birth in Bhārata-varṣa, India, it is his duty: first of all make himself perfect by understanding the philosophy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; then broadcast it, distribute it. This was the duty of every Indian.

So Indian, especially in India, they have got the privilege to take advantage of the Vedic literature. In other countries there is no such advantage. So if anyone wants to make his life perfect, then he has to take advantage of the vast treasure-house of Indian spiritual knowledge. Even one Chinese gentleman, he has written one book about religion. That is a course in New York University. So he has said that "If you want to know something of religion, then you have to go to India." That's a fact. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that every Indian… There is need of broadcasting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, all over the world. So it is the duty of every Indian to first of all make his life perfect. He must know… Perfection means he must know what is his position and what he has to do. That is perfection. At the present moment, people do not know what he is even, whether he is this body or something extra. The big, big scientists, they are also failure. This is perfection. First of all one must know what he is, whether he is this body or something beyond this body. This is the beginning of spiritual knowledge. So that advantage is there in India, by culture, by education. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu requested that Indians, bharatiya, Bhārata-varṣa, those who have taken birth as human being… He doesn't speak to the animals. Bhārata bhūmīte mānuṣya janma. Mānuṣya janma means human being. Because without being a human being, nobody can understand these things. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand. So a person whose behavior is like cats and dogs, he also cannot understand. Therefore He said, janma sārthaka kari. First of all make your life perfect and then distribute this knowledge. This is the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

So He simply said, but He was expecting that in later days His followers would do that. So that attempt was made by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he desired and, that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message, it should be accepted by East and West equally, and both the Indians and Europeans, Americans, they should dance together in ecstasy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. That was his desire, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. He simply expressed the desire, "When I shall see this happening, that both the eastern and western people they are united on the basis of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult and dancing together in ecstasy?" That was his ambition. That was ambition of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and this was ambition of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. And Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura took up this affair, business, and he wanted first of all.

So every student, any disciple, every disciple, especially those who are competent, he requested that "You take up this mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and preach in the western countries. That was Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura's first attempt. Before that, even the ācāryas, Rūpānuga Gosvāmīs, they left literature, but they did not attempt to preach practically. And Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he was very, very anxious to preach this Caitanya cult in the western countries. This is Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura's special contribution.

So when I met Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura… It is a long story, how I met him. One of my friends, he dragged me. (laughing) (laughter) I was at that time nationalist and manager in a big chemical factory. My age was about twenty-four years. So one of my friends, he asked me that "There is a nice sādhu, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. He has come in Calcutta. So let us go and see." So I was reluctant. I thought just like so, there are so many sādhus. So I was not very much… Because I had very bad experience, not very good. So I said, "Oh these kind of sādhus, there are many." You'll be glad to know that even my in young age or early age-it was Kṛṣṇa's grace-even amongst my young friends, I was considered the leader. (laughing) (laughter) In my school days, in my college days, in my private friendship, some way or other I became their leader. And one astrologer sometimes he read my hand. He said in Hindi, kukum calena(?). Kukum calena means "Your hand speaks that your order will be executed."

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: So anyway, it was Kṛṣṇa's grace. I would not go, but their point of view was that unless I certify that sādhu, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he'll not be accepted. Therefore he dragged me. So I went to see Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura on that day. On the first meeting, just we offer our obeisances. It is the practice. So immediately he began his talking that "You are all educated young men. Why don't you take up Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult and preach all over the English knowing public? Why don't you take up this matter?" So I argued with him in so many… At that time I was nationalist. So I told that "Who will accept our message? We are dependent nation. Nobody will care." In this way, in my own way, in these younger days… But we belonged to the Vaiṣṇava family, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda, Rādhā-Govinda. That is our worshipable Deity. So I was very glad that "Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa cult, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult, this sādhu is trying to preach. It is very nice."

So at that time we had some talks, and of course I was defeated by his argument, my argument. (laughter) And then, when we came out, we were offered prasādam, very nice treatment, the Gauḍīya Matha. And when I came out on the street, this my friend asked me, "What is your opinion of this sādhu?" Then I said that "Here is the right person who has taken up Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message, and now it will be distributed."

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: So I was at that time a fool, but I opined like this. And I accepted him as my spiritual master immediately. Not officially, but in my heart. That was in 1922. Then, in 1923, I left Calcutta on my business tour. And I made my headquarter at Allahabad. Allahabad is about five hundred miles from Calcutta. So I was thinking that "I met a very nice saintly person." That was my thinking always. So in this way, in 1928, there was a Kumbhamelā. At that time, these Gauḍīya Matha people came to Allahabad to establish a center there, and somebody else said, somebody informed them that "You go to that Prayāga Pharmacy." My drug shop was named as Prayāga Pharmacy. My name was also there. "You go and see Abhaya Babu. He is religiously… He will help you." These Gauḍīya Matha people, they came to see me. So "Sir, we have come to you. We have heard your good name. So we want to start a temple here. Please try to help us." And because I was thinking of these Gauḍīya Matha people that "I met a very nice, saintly persons," and as soon as I saw them, I was very much engladdened: "Oh, here are these persons. They have come again."

So in this way, gradually, I became attached to these Gauḍīya Matha activities, and by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, my business also was not going very well. (laughter) (laughs) Yes. Kṛṣṇa says yasyāham anughṛṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ. If somebody wants to be actually devotee of Kṛṣṇa, at the same time, keeps his material attachment, then Kṛṣṇa's business is He takes away everything material, so that cent percent he becomes, I mean to say, dependent on Kṛṣṇa. So that actually happened to my life. I was obliged to come to this movement to take up this very seriously. And I was dreaming that "Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is calling me, 'Please come out with me!' " (pause) So I was sometimes horrified, "Oh, what is this? I have give up my family life? Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is calling me? I have to take sannyāsa?" Oh, I was horrified. But I saw several times, calling me. So anyway, it is by his grace I was forced to give up my family life, my so-called business life. And he brought me some way or other in preaching his gospel.

So this is a memorable day. What he desired, I am trying little bit, and you are all helping me. So I have to thank you more. You are actually representative of my Guru Mahārāja (Śrīla Prabhupāda starts to cry) because you are helping me in executing the order of my Guru Mahārāja.

Thank you very much. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

751222DB.BOM

His Divine Grace

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's

Disappearance Day, Lecture

Bombay, December 22, 1975

Prabhupāda:

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca

janā na vidur āsuraḥ

na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro

na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate

[Bg. 16.7]

Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate. This is a verse from the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, where the Lord is describing the symptoms of the demons. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca. Pravṛtti means inclination, inclined. And nivṛtti means disinclined. So there are two things within this material world. Our inclination is to enjoy the senses. This is general. Everyone within this material world, even the animals, birds, beasts, human being or more elevated than human beings, the demigods, kinnaras, or the, many other higher types of living entities… There are different grades of living entities-8,400,000 different bodies. So what is their pravṛtti, inclination? The inclination is attraction of man and woman. This is the central point of attraction. Puṁsāṁ striyaḥ maithuni-bhāvam etad: the whole material world is existing on this point-sex, man and woman. So this is pravṛtti-mārga, and nivṛtti-mārga: just to stop it. This is called nivṛtti-mārga.

We are within this material world on account of this pravṛtti, sense enjoyment. Those who are inclined to sense enjoyment and do not care to know what is the aim of life, they are called asuras. And those who are trying to avoid the entanglement of this material life and revive the whole original life… Whole original life means Kṛṣṇa conscious life. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, our original consciousness is that "I have got intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa as His part and parcel." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the, my conception is the bodily conception, that "I am this body. I am born in this country; therefore I belong to this nation, I belong to this community, I belong to this family, I belong to this species," this is called pravṛtti-mārga. This is scientific division, pravṛtti-mārga and nivṛtti-mārga. Why the scientific? Because it is the fact. Science means fact. I am not this body. I am spirit soul. That is, just like a man suffering from some disease, so that is not his normal life to suffer from some disease. Normal life is to keep healthy life, no disease. That is normal life. So in order to keep to the normal life, we must know how to cure the disease. Just like when you have got fever, you go to the doctor, he says, advises "You do this" and "You do not do this." The "do not do this" means nivṛtti-mārga, and "do this," pravṛtti-mārga. If you are serious to cure your disease, then you must know what you should do and what you should not do. But just like a man, a very foolish man, he is suffering from disease but he does not know how to cure the disease, what to do and what not to do, similarly an animal-like man, a two-legged man, he does not know what to do and what not to do. This is explained here.

Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca, janā, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca, janā na vidur āsurāḥ [Bg. 16.7]. Janā, there are two kinds of men, asura and daiva. Daiva āsurā eva ca. There are two all throughout the whole universe, there are two classes of men: one is called daiva, and one is called āsura. One who knows his relationship with God, he is called daiva, and one who does not know, just like animal, they are called āsura. There is no particular caste or creed, that here is a caste of āsura, caste of daiva. No. Anyone who knows what is God and his relationship with God, sambandha, and then works according to that relation, and achieve the goal of life, he is called daiva, or devatā. And one who does not know this, what is the goal of life, what is God, what is my relationship with God, he is āsura.

So, Kṛṣṇa has described everything, in the Bhagavad-gītā, and today, this night, we are trying to explain the mission of Kṛṣṇa, because the same mission is being carried out by us beginning from Brahmā, and today is a special day, the disappearance day of my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami. So these ācāryas, they come and they go, that is not like ordinary birth and death. It is called prakaṭa, aprakaṭa, āvirbhāva, tirobhāva. So even ordinarily nobody takes birth and nobody dies, na jāyate na mrīyate vā kadācit, so what to speak of the ācāryas, or Bhagavān. Nobody, a living entity, a living being… God is the supreme living being, and we are subordinate living beings. Both of us, we are living beings, so what is the difference between the two kinds of living beings? The difference is that the one, God, or Kṛṣṇa, He maintains all the other living beings. And we are being maintained. This is the difference. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The plural number living entities, we are plural number, in different species of life, but we are maintained by the Supreme Being.

So this is our relationship. If we understand this relationship, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān, that is our real understanding. Just like in your office or in a factory, there is a proprietor, he is maintaining so many workers, so many clerks. And what is your duty? To serve him. So similarly, if the Supreme Being, the supreme proprietor, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasaṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

[Bg. 5.29]

If the factory man knows that he is not the proprietor, he is not the enjoyer of the profit-the enjoyer of the profit is the proprietor of the factory, and we are worker-then there is peace. And if the workers fight amongst themselves, that "I am the proprietor," falsely, then there is chaos. There is no production, chaos. Similarly, if we fight ourselves, amongst ourselves, that "I am proprietor of India; you are proprietor of America; you are proprietor of Germany," this is false conception of life. Real proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. If we know this, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasam… Kṛṣṇa says that "Bhokta, I am bhokta, I am the enjoyer." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasaṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29], "I am the final proprietor, or the supreme proprietor," that's a fact; then there is peace. This is our relationship, that we are part and parcel. We are not non-important: the factory is going on, or the whole world is going on, on account of the living entities. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Kṛṣṇa says that "Beyond this material energy," bhūmir āpo' nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā [Bg. 7.4], "these eight kinds of prakṛti, they are my separated energy. But there is another kind of superior energy," yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtim. Just like same example: in the factory there are ingredients and there are workers. So the ingredients are compared with the material energy, bhūmir āpo' nalo vāyuḥ. They are also the property of the workers, because they are living being, jīva bhūtaḥ mahā-bāho yayedam dhāryate jagat, those who are working for development of this material world. The same example.

So this is knowledge. We should understand that everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nothing is manufactured by us, so He is the proprietor; but because we are His sons, we have got the legal right to enjoy the property of the father. That is all right; that is real communism. This is actual understanding of communism: everything belongs to God. Just like the Communists, they are thinking everything belongs to the state, and the citizens must work and enjoy. So our philosophy is the same. Only difference is that they are, what is called, ignorantly accepting the state is the proprietor. No. If they accept God is the proprietor, Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, then Communism is very perfect. That is missing. That is missing. Actually, God is the proprietor. What is the state? That is artificial. This state, American state, or African state, Russian state, these are artificial. Actually the land belongs to God. We are demark: this is India, this is Russia, this is America. That is the beginning of spiritual education, to understand this fact:

īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ

yat kiñcid jagatyāṁ jagat

tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā

mā gṛdha kasyasvid dhanam

[Īśo mantra 1]

This is the real understanding. Everything belongs to God-īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam-everything, and tena tyaktena bhuñjithā, whatever He gives you as prasādam… Just like our principle is that we are working for Kṛṣṇa, this is real philosophy. Every one of us, one who is offering ārati, he is also working for Kṛṣṇa, and one who is building this construction, temple, he is also working for Kṛṣṇa. So as worker for Kṛṣṇa there is no distinction. Variety. Variety of service.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means variety of service to the Supreme. The example is just like, the varieties of different parts of the body: the head is there, the hand is there, the brain is there, the leg is there. The head cannot work like the leg, neither the leg can work like the brain. The hand cannot work the belly, or belly cannot work like the hand. Varieties. Similarly, there are varieties of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if we serve Kṛṣṇa with our varieties, sa karmaṇā manasā vācā, then it is everything peaceful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We do not want to stop the varieties. Varieties must be there. We are not nirveśeṣa-vādī, impersonalist. No. We are completely personalist. Kṛṣṇa is person, Rādhārāṇī is person, the devotees are person, the demigods are person, the cats person, the dogs person, the cows person, the calves person. But what is the meaning of Vṛndāvana? Vṛndāvana means everyone-the father and mother of Kṛṣṇa, Nanda Mahārāja, Yaśodāmāyī, the gopīs, the girlfriends of Kṛṣṇa, Rādhārāṇī and others, and the cowherd boys, and the cows, the calfs, the trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water. Everyone is for serving Kṛṣṇa. This is Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana means there is variety, and varieties of service and everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana.

So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is educating that the varieties of service should be concentrated for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. That is pravṛtti, and what is not satisfying Kṛṣṇa, against the… [break]

Anukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ pratikūlyasya varjanam. This is called surrender. Surrender means that Kṛṣṇa is asking sarva-dharmān parityayja mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. What is the surrender means? Surrender means "Kṛṣṇa, I am surrendering unto You. I was acting whimsically, by the dictation of my different senses." Kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya, like that. Na kāmādīnāṁ katidha na katidhā pālitā durnideśa. The śāstra says, you should not steal-an example. But I am stealing. Why? Na kāmādīnāṁ katidha na katidhā pālitā durnideśa. I know I should not steal; therefore I go to somebody's house very secretly, or push my hand very secretly in one's pocket. I know that I should not do this, but I am forced to do it. Why? I am dictated by my lusty desire. So I am become servant of my six senses. Manaḥ saṣṭhanīndriyāni prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. This is our position. Na manina kulya… Everyone knows. A thief knows if he commits theft he'll be punished, either by the police or by the laws of God. Everyone knows, but he still commits theft. Why? He is dictated by the lusty desires.

So pravṛtti means we are dictated by our kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya, and we should agree to be dictated by Kṛṣṇa, that's all. That is intelligent. Pravṛtti, nivṛtti. Our pravṛtti is to abide by the dictation of the senses, and when we learn not to abide by the dictation of the senses but to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, then your life is successful. This teaching, this learning, means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not difficult. Everyone can do it. Simply he has to change: instead of being dictated by the senses, one should be dictated by Kṛṣṇa. That requires qualification. Kṛṣṇa is there, in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Kṛṣṇa is not far away, but you have to search out where is Kṛṣṇa within your heart. That is called yoga. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1]. Yoginaḥ, those who are trying to understand Kṛṣṇa by the yoga process… The yoga means controlling the senses. Without controlling the senses you cannot practice any yoga. Nowadays it has become a fashion, meditation yoga, but that is not bona fide. That is not only (not) bona-fide; that is farce. Real yoga is controlling the senses and concentrating the mind to the Supreme Person. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1]. That is the… And farce yogi is going like that. And Kṛṣṇa says also in the Bhagavad-gītā,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntarātmanā

śraddhavān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

[Bg. 6.47]

He is first class yogi. Who? "Always thinking of Me.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

He is first-class yogi." So we are teaching our students to become the first-class yogi. Not these yogis to reduce fat. No. That is not required. Yogi means who is always seeing Kṛṣṇa within the heart. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is first-class yogi, bhakta-yogī. Twenty-four hours, satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.14]. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām: you have to fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa by the process of chanting His glories, satataṁ kīrtayanto mām [Bg. 9.14], not otherwise. Mām, Kṛṣṇa.

So people do not understand this, what he should do, what he should not do. Pravṛtti, nivṛtti. Because he cannot distinguish, therefore he is asura. Asura-demons, or atheist. So if you analyze the modern… [break] This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that it is invented…, not invented; it is there in the Vedic literatures. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has given us this process of realizing Kṛṣṇa and becoming expert in understanding what we should do and what we should not do, pravṛtti nivṛtti. And therefore if we know that we should not do this, we should do this, then we become immediately devatā. And if you do not know what we should do and what we should not do, then we remain asura. It is not that because one is asura, he cannot become a devatā. The asura can become devatā, provided he knows these two things: pravṛtti and nivṛtti.

So pravṛtti we have got, just like we have got tendency-cent percent person has it at the present moment-to smoke. This is pravṛtti. But we say don't smoke, nivṛtti. And if we drink, that is pravṛtti. Everyone, even the ant, he is also drunkard. They have scientifically studied, the ants are very much fond of intoxication; therefore they eat sugar. In sugar there is liquor, so the… Loke bhāvāya nisamadhya sevā nityasta yanto. Every living entity has got this tendency, bhāvāya. Bhāvāya means sex life; amīṣa, meat-eating; and mada, liquor. Natural tendency. Therefore the country where these things are indulged without any restriction, that is asura, the country of the asura. So especially in the Western countries, and now we have also learned. In India, either Hindus or Musselman, drinking was a sin. Now we have got very easily available liquor. Every door there is shop, and every door there is meat shop. So India, there was time that they were all devatās; now we are imitating the asuras. On the other hand, the boys and girls from the asuric country, they are becoming the devotee, devatā. So there is no exclusive right for a country to become devatā or demon. A demon can be turned into the devatā and devatā can be turned into demon, provided he does not follow this pravṛtti and nivṛtti, what is pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-sambhūtānāṁ nivṛtti tu mahābalam. That is life. "I want to smoke; I have got tendency to smoke," pravṛtti. This is pravṛtti; everyone has got. But if you can stop it, then your life is successful. Nivṛtti.

Therefore this nivṛtti means tapasya. If I am habituated to smoke, if I am habituated to illicit sex life, if I am habituated to intoxication and gambling, etc., this is my pravṛtti. But if we can stop it by practice, that is called tapasya. And human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddyeta satyam [SB 5.5.1]. Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction: "My dear sons, you practice tapasya." The human life is meant for tapasya. "I have got tendency to do this, but that will not help me, that will degraded me." So tapasya means instead of being degraded, be elevated. This is called tapasya. Tapo divyam. This human life is meant for this purpose, to practice tapasya, or to practice nivṛtti. Then our life is successful. Tapo divyam. Why tapasya, why nivṛtti? Yena śuddhyena sattva. Sattva means here existence is impure. Impure means that you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20], you do not die after the annihilation of this body, but I am subjected to repetition of birth and death, in different species of life. This is my disease. It is not pure condition of life. Pure condition of life as it is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, yad gatvā na nirvartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama.

mām upetya (tu) kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmanaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

[break] …Vaikuṇṭhaloka, Kṛṣṇa's loka, then you get your original, eternal sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1], live there eternally. Just like in Vṛndāvana they are always with Kṛṣṇa enjoying life. This is nivṛtti-mārga. So there is a life, eternal life, very blissful life, full of knowledge. If you want to go back to that life, back to home, back to Godhead, then you must practice this pravṛtti, nivṛtti-mārga.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching this pravṛtti-mārga, nivṛtti-mārga, both. "You do not do this" or "You do this." "Do this" means rise early in the morning, maṅgala-āratrika. Of course, you must sleep, but not sleep like cats and dogs, animals. Simply sleeping means waste of time. The more you reduce sleeping, then you become perfect. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. All the gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana, they conquered over these things. What is these things? Nidrā, sleeping; āhāra, eating; and vihāra, and sense pleasure. This is called sannyāsa life, reducing sleeping, reducing eating. This is pravṛtti-mārga. We think "If I can eat voraciously like an elephant, then my life is successful." No. That is not success of life. If you can do without any food, that is successful. That is success. This is called nivṛtti-mārga, but that is not practical; therefore if we promise that we shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, that is tapasya. If you don't go to the restaurant and eat anything nonsense, that is pravṛtti. But if you want to stop that restaurant-going, then you take Kṛṣṇa prasādam; kṛṣṇa borā dayā moy kori bāre jihvā joy sva-prasāda-anna dilo bhāi. Kṛṣṇa is ready, so many nice, palatable dishes; you take and stop this restaurant-going. This is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Kṛṣṇa does not say "Bring something from the restaurant" or this or that. He says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: anything, little leaf, little flower, little water. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has come to you, so that you can touch Him, you can dress Him, you can decorate Him, you can offer Him, you can live with Him as servant, as friend, as son, as lover. In so many ways, Kṛṣṇa is giving you chance.

So the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, in the beginning… It is not that kaniṣṭha, beginning, if anyone immediately becomes so advanced. It is not advancement; it is foolishness. Just like somebody, they declare that "Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Why should we go to the temple?" Then if Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, He is not in the temple? Huh? What is this argument? If Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, He is also in the temple. But in the temple I worship directly, and what is the utility? Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. I am not so advanced that I can see everywhere Kṛṣṇa. Who can see Kṛṣṇa everywhere? That is very advanced stage. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. If you become so advanced that you cannot live without Kṛṣṇa for a moment, then Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Where is that training? Where is that advancement? Even if I advise, try to meditate, I meditate upon my wife, upon my children, on my business. This is not the stage of seeing Kṛṣṇa everywhere. That requires training. That requires advanced knowledge. Prema. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante [Bg. 4.11]. If a devotee cannot live for a moment without seeing Kṛṣṇa, he is visible… A devotee… Not for the neophyte devotee. So there are different stages.

So this is not fact that Kṛṣṇa is within your mind; therefore you should not got to the temple, you have become so advanced. No. Better… [break] …śilā-dhīr. Do not consider that "Here is a stone Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is everything. Stone is also Kṛṣṇa; simply you have to be qualified how to talk with stone Kṛṣṇa. That is your qualification. You have to qualify yourself; otherwise Kṛṣṇa is stone, Kṛṣṇa is water, Kṛṣṇa is sky, Kṛṣṇa is everything. So this is the philosophy. Kṛṣṇa says bhūmir āpo' nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca: [Bg. 7.4] "I am everything." That's a fact. So why do you say there is stone Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is everything, if you have got the eyes to see, you can see Kṛṣṇa everywhere and everything.

So this is the beginning. Therefore you require pravṛtti and nivṛtti to understand how you should think, how you should live, how you should eat, how you should sleep. This training is required. Why it is required? Because to get out of this material bondage, where the birth, death, old age and disease is compulsory. If you want to avoid this, because you are eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20], why don't you think that "If I am eternal, why am I accepting birth, death, old age, and disease?" This is intelligence. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is Vedānta-sūtra. Now we should enquire how we can get out of this material entanglement.

So my Guru Mahārāja, in the paramparā system, Kṛṣṇa comes also, that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. This is dharmasya glānir. One does not know what is his duty, aim of life-everyone. Ninety-nine point nine percent, this is dharmasya glanīr, dharmasya glānir. Tadātmānam sṛjāmy aham: to teach the rascal people to understand what is his duty, what is his aim of life. So not only Kṛṣṇa comes, but also His representatives also come. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He leaves book, He leaves representative, and He comes Himself. In so many ways He is trying to give us the benefit. Asura: we do not take the advantage, and continually suffer, mūḍhā janmani janmani [Bg. 16.20], birth after birth we suffer. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so beneficial that He wants to benefit the whole human society how to stop this process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. So my Guru Mahārāja also came for this purpose, and we are also trying to follow his footsteps, and we are teaching our disciple to do the same thing. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo vidhuḥ [Bg. 4.2]. So this is not a new movement, or some invented "ism". It is old, at least four, five thousand years. What Kṛṣṇa spoke, the other followers also spoke the same thing, and we are also speaking the same thing. It is up to you to take advantage of it or not.

Thank you very much.

Devotee: Jaya, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Jaya. (end)

761210DB.HYD

His Divine Grace

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's

Disappearance Day, Lecture

Hyderabad, December 10, 1976

Prabhupāda: "…simple expression of reverence and love. The disciple, Abhaya Charan Dāsa, was to become His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, founder-ācārya of International Society, Krishna Consciousness." So whatever I appreciated forty years ago, the same principle is going on. We have no change. What I understood my spiritual master… Practically I met him in 1922, and this poetry was written in 1936. That means fourteen years before writing this poetry, I met my Guru Mahārāja in 1922. At that time I was quite a young man, twenty-five years old only, and I was posted in a very responsible position and as the office manager of Dr. Bose's laboratory. And I was fond of in those days, of Gandhi's movement. In 1922 I joined Gandhi's movement, and I gave up my educational career because one of the Gandhi's program was to boycott the universities. That's a very long story. And many students gave up their educational career and joined this Gandhi's movement, and I was one of them.

So Dr. Bose, Kartik Chandra Bose, he's a very important man. At that time he was managing director of Bengal Chemical Company. Now there is a street in the central Calcutta, Dr. Kartik Bose Street. So he was very important man, and he was our family physician and my father's very intimate friend. So when I gave up my education and I was joining Gandhi's movement, at that time Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose asked me to join him. So with the permission of my father, I joined. So I was fond of, at that time, this Gandhi's noncooperation movement. And then, when I joined Dr. Bose's laboratory, of course, I was dressed in khādar. So Dr. Bose liked that dress, khādar dress. He told me one day that "Out of your whole Gandhi's movement, I like this khādar only." Dr. Bose said. And why? "No, because this will give impetus to industry. This hand spinning will gradually give impetus to India." Actually that happened. He was himself an industrialist. Actually in India the chemical industry was given birth by Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose. He was very important man. He started this Bengal Chemical.

So 1922 I met my Guru Mahārāja through the exigency of my intimate friend, Mr. Narendranath Mullik. And I would not go. He told me information, "There is a nice sādhu. Let us go and see." I did not like very much these sādhus in those days, national spirit. So I said, "I have seen many sādhus. They come at my father's care. I was not very much pleased with their behavior." So he dragged me forcibly: "No, I have heard this person is very exalted." So I went. And his first opening version was that "You are educated young men. Why don't you preach Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gospel in the Western countries?" I did not know. So this was his blessing in the first meeting. I did not know, but because we belonged to a Vaiṣṇava family we were very much worshiper of Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda, our family Deity. So I was very much pleased that "Here is a personality who is going to preach Caitanya Mahāprabhu's gospel." I was very much pleased.

So anyway, from 1922 to 1933 practically I was not initiated, but I got the impression of preaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult. That I was thinking. And that was the initiation by my Guru Mahārāja. Then officially I was initiated in 1933 because in 1923 I left Calcutta. I started my business at Allahabad. So I was always thinking of my Guru Mahārāja, that "I met a very nice sādhu." Although I was doing business, I never forgot him. Then, in 1928, these Gauḍīya Maṭha people came to Allahabad during Kumbhamelā. As the Kumbhamelā is going to be held this year, a similar big Kumbhamelā was held in 1928. In those days they came to open their branch in Allahabad, and somebody recommended that "You go to…" At that time I was running on my big pharmacy and I was very well known man in Allahabad as the proprietor of the pharmacy. So somebody recommended them that "You go to Abhaya Babu. He is a very religious man. He'll help you." So when they entered my shop I was very much pleased that "These men I met in 1922, and now they have come." In this way I became reconnected. And in 1933 I was officially initiated, and my only qualification was when I was introduced to my Guru Mahārāja for initiation, so Guru Mahārāja immediately said, "Yes, I shall initiate this boy. He is very nice. He hears me very patiently. He does not go away." So that was my qualification. The high standard of philosophy which he was speaking at that time, practically I could not follow what was, he was speaking, but still, I liked to hear him. That was my hobby. Whenever… I was asking that "When Guru Mahārāja will speak?" So he took it very seriously.

And then, in 1936-it's a long history-during this Vyāsa-pūjā day, this Vyāsa-pūjā day, whatever I studied about our relationship with my Guru Mahārāja, I expressed in this poetry, and since that day my Godbrothers used to call me "poet." And Guru Mahārāja also very much appreciated this poetry. Now somehow or other you have found it. (laughs) I thought the poetry is lost, but I do not know how it was found out by some of our disciples. I think it was found out in London museum or somewhere else by Guru dāsa. They had a stock of Harmonist, and from the Harmonist, my Guru Mahārāja's paper, this poetry was found. Otherwise I thought it was lost. So anyway, this poetry is "Adore, adore ye all the happy day, blessed than heaven, sweeter than May." So I heard that the month of May is very pleasing in the Western countries, so I compared the happiness of this day with the May Day. They call May Day?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. "When he appeared at Purī, the holy place, my lord and master, His Divine Grace." So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura appeared as the son of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, his fourth son. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he was family man. He has several children, sons and daughters. So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, known in his previous life as Bimala Prasāda Datta, son of Kedaranath Datta… His father, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, his name was. He was magistrate and he was manager also, the managing board of Jagannātha Purī. The system is, the local magistrate becomes the official manager of the managing board of Jagannātha Purī. So at that time he was situated in Jagannātha Purī, and Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura appeared at Purī. And the Ratha-yātrā, the Ratha-yātrā ceremony takes place, and sometimes the big ratha stops at interval. So the house in which Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura appeared, in front of that house the ratha stopped. So his mother took the advantage and… Because Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was magistrate, so the son, the little baby, was brought before the ratha, and the pūjārīs allowed him to bring the child before the Deity, and the child was placed before the Deity and a garland was offered by Jagannātha. So that was the first sign of his becoming the ācārya. In this way there are many incidences.

So therefore his birthplace is mentioned, "the holy place, my lord and master, His Divine Grace." "O my master, the evangelic angel, give us thy light, light up thy candle. Struggle for existence, a human race, the only hope, His Divine Grace." So actually we are in a very precarious condition, the modern civilization, I mean to say, manipulated by the Western people. It is a soul-killing civilization, this civilization. By nature the chance is given after many, many evolutionary process. Jalajā nava lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣā viṁśati. The evolutionary theory is there in the Padma Purāṇa. It is not Darwin's theory. Darwin stolen it from Padma Purāṇa, and he presented in a distorted way of his own imagination. Otherwise the Darwin's theory is not the original. The theory… It is not theory-fact. Jīva-jātiṣu. It is wandering within the cycle of jīva-jāti, different species of life. Tathā dehāntara prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]. This is Vedic knowledge, this evolutionary process. It is not Darwin's theory.

So by that process, lower animals and then the chronological order is there… First of all aquatics, jalajāḥ. Jalajāḥ means aquatic. Then sthāvarāḥ, trees, plants. Then flies, then birds, then beasts, then human being. In this way, bahu sambhavante, after many, many millions of years we get this opportunity of human life to realize God. And this civilization is denying, refusing the opportunity to the human society to understand God-such a soul-killing civilization. It is a fact. They are denying "What is God? There is no God. Everything is science," although they cannot explain science. They cannot do anything, simply talking like nonsense. Last night some girls came, so they are students of botany. So I asked them, "Can you manufacture a seed which can give birth to a big banyan tree?" "No, sir, it is not possible." Then what kind of botany you are studying? Actually what is their science? They talk simply something which is going on in the middle portion. Where is the beginning and where is the end of knowledge, that they do not know. They are theorizing only in the middle. They do not know janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1], where is the beginning of this science. That is… Beginning is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo [Bg. 10.8]. He is the beginning. Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg 7.10]. That seed, you scientist, you cannot manufacture. What chemicals are there that if you put in the earth and pour some water and it will grow a big tree? These scientists, they cannot explain what is the chemical composition is there. But there is. So that is in the hand of Kṛṣṇa.

So this knowledge means to understand the original source. That is philosophy, find out the original source. That is knowledge. So the vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo. Actually the knowledge terminates when you understand Kṛṣṇa. He is the source of everything. So there is a "struggle for existence, a human race, the only hope, His Divine Grace." So we got this information from His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and that knowledge is still going on. You are receiving through his servant. And in future the same knowledge will go to your students. This is called paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā prāp… It is not that you have become a student and you'll remain student. No. One day you shall become also guru and make more students, more students, more. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, not that perpetually… Yes, one should remain perpetually a student, but he has to act as guru. That is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is not that because I am acting as guru, I am no longer student. No, I am still student. Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us this instruction that we shall always remain a foolish student before our Guru Mahārāja. That is the Vedic culture. I may be very big man, but still, I should remain a foolish student to my guru. That is the qualification. Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāśana [Cc. Ādi 7.71]. We should be always prepared to be controlled by the guru. That is very good qualification. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ *. Āra nā kariha mane āśā *. So we should become always a very obedient student to our guru. That is the qualification. That is the spiritual qualification.

So recently… I am very pleased to say that our Harikeśa, I ordered him to go immediately to Poland, and he thought that he was being punished. That was… No. I was thinking that "Here is a very very intelligent boy. If he is given chance to preach he'll come out very successful." So I see the glimpses that he has got now post. He's a very good organizer. That's a chance. At that time he might have thought that I was separating him. No. My good will was there that he should be given chance for better opportunity. So I am very much happy that he is doing there very nice. So this should be the attitude. My Guru Mahārāja wanted me to preach in the Western countries, although I was at that time a ordinary manager in a chemical firm. I never thought, but I took it seriously. So from that 1922, in 1965 it was fruitful. How many years?

Devotee: Forty-three.

Prabhupāda: Forty-three years. So it is better late than never. Yes. So he desired me. I thought, "Now I am a family man. Let me adjust things." I would have accepted immediately, but I was not so intelligent at that time. I thought "My responsibility to family is there. Let me wait." But still, Guru Mahārāja was so kind to me that when I was gṛhastha, I was seeing him in dreaming and I was… He asked me, "You come with me." So I was going, and after that, I was thinking, "Oh, I will have to take sannyāsa and go with him?" So it appeared to me very horrible. I was not very much inclined to take sannyāsa, but Guru Mahārāja is so kind that he ultimately forced me to take sannyāsa and do this work. So it is all his kindness. So this is the memory of his kindness.

So forty years ago I remember the same thing as it is in 1922, and still the same thing is going on. There is nothing new. We have nothing to do, new. Simply let us present as it is; it will be successful. There is no… You see. The spirit of my writing is the same. "Misled we are, all going astray." This soul-killing civilization is misleading us. We must know this, this very misleading civilization. Our real aim of life is to understand our spiritual identification and search out our relationship with God, Kṛṣṇa. That is our real business. But this modern civilization is misleading us in different ways. So I wrote this, that "Misled we are, all going astray. Save us, lord, our fervent pray. Wonder thy ways to turn our face, adore they feet, Your Divine Grace." So this portion he very much appreciated.

So we have to find out ways how to turn the current. The current is sense enjoyment. Material life means the current is sense enjoyment, and this current has to be turned-sense enjoyment of Kṛṣṇa. Sense enjoyment is there, but the material civilization, the misled civilization, is that the sense gratification is taken personal. When this sense gratification will be turned towards Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. Just like gopīs. Apparently it appears that gopīs, they were attracted by young boy, Kṛṣṇa, and for their sense gratification they made friendship with Kṛṣṇa. No. That is not the fact. The fact is that gopīs used to dress themselves nicely because by seeing them, Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, not that for their sense gratification. Generally a girl dresses also to attract the attention of the boy. So the same thing is there but it is Kṛṣṇa's sense gratification, not the gopīs'. The gopīs did not want anything. But Kṛṣṇa will be satisifed. That is the difference between lust and love. Love is there, only possible, when it is diverted towards Kṛṣṇa. That is love. And beyond that… Not beyond that… Below that, everything is lust. So we should always remember this. The senses are not stopped, but when the gratification of the senses is directed towards Kṛṣṇa, that is bhakti, or love. And when the sense gratification is directed towards personal self, that is lust. This is difference between lust and love.

So Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura knew this art, how to turn our activities for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore I… "Wonder thy ways to turn our face, adore they feet, Your Divine Grace. Forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we fallen souls." Why we are fallen? Because we have forgotten. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is eternal. Unless it was eternal, how you Western peoples could be devotee of Kṛṣṇa? Artificially you cannot be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The relationship is there eternally. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. By the process it is now awakened. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. It is awakened. Love between young man and young woman, it is not artificial. It is there. But by certain circumstantially, environment, the love becomes manifest. Similarly, our love for Kṛṣṇa, relationship with Kṛṣṇa, is eternal. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. But we have to create such situation-that eternal relation should be awakened. That is the art. That is wanted.

So "Forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa we are paying heavy, heavy toll, tax, taxation. What is that taxation? The taxation is nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [Bg. 9.3]. This human life is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa, but instead of understanding Kṛṣṇa, we are understanding the so-called material science for sense gratification. This is our position. The energy which was given by nature to understand Kṛṣṇa, that is being utilized how to manufacture something for sense gratification. This is going on. This is māyā, illusion. Therefore it is, "Pay most heavy the illusion's toll." Toll tax. That we are paying because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa; therefore now we have manufactured the nuclear weapon-Russia, America-and you will have to pay heavily. They are already paying heavily. The armament preparation is going on. More than fifty percent of the income of the state are now being spent for this arm…, heavily. Instead of other purposes, it is being spent for military strength, every state. So that heavy toll we are paying. And when there is war there is no limit how much we are spending for this devastation. So why? Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. This is a fact.

So these people they have made the United Nation, unnecessarily fighting like dogs. So this will not solve the problems. The problem will be solved if they pass a resolution that the whole world, not only this world… Kṛṣṇa says, sarvaloka maheśvaram. Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, so why not accept? Actually He is the proprietor. Who has created this planet? We have created or father created? No. Kṛṣṇa has created, but we are claiming, "This portion is American, this portion is Indian, this portion is Pakistani." Unnecessary. What is the value of this claim? We may claim it for fifty or sixty or a hundred years, and after that, one kick: "Get out." Where is your claim? But they do not understand this philosophy. They are fighting. That's all, that "This is mine. This is my land. This is my land." They do not know. Kṛṣṇa said tathā dehāntara prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]. "You are American today. So tomorrow, even within America if you become an American cow or American animal, nobody will care for you. Nobody will care for your politics." But this art they do not know. This science they do not know. They are under illusion. They are thinking that "I shall continue to remain American, so let waste my time for American interest," so-called interest. There cannot be any interest. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. Everything is being done by nature, and we are simply falsely thinking, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate. This illusion is going on. "Forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we fallen souls, pay most heavy the illusion's toll." We are paying, paying. "Darkness around, all untrace. The only hope, Your Divine Grace." This message. Simply we are in darkness. So we shall discuss later on again. Now just… What is the time now? Hm?

Devotees: Quarter to nine.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we shall discuss again. So the same thing, it is chalked out by Kṛṣṇa, and by paramparā system we have understood this philosophy. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. So keep this paramparā system. This Vyāsa-pūjā is paramparā system. Vyāsa-pūjā means to accept this paramparā system. Vyāsa. Guru is the representative of Vyāsadeva because he does not change anything. What Vyāsa-pūjā… What Vyāsadeva said, your guru will also say the same thing. Not that "So many hundreds of thousands of years have passed away. Therefore I will give you a new formula." No. There is no new formula. The same Vyāsa-pūjā, the same philosophy. Simply we have to accept it. Then our life will be successful. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)

700218VA.LA

Varāha-dvadaśī,

Lord Varāha's Appearance Day Lecture

Dasāvatāra-stotra Purport

Los Angeles, February 18, 1970

Prabhupāda: …lifted the world when it was submerged within the water of Garbhodaka Ocean. The universe which we are seeing, it is only half. The other half is filled with water, and in that water is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu lying. So one demon, Hiraṇyākṣa, he pushed this earthly planet within that water, and Lord Kṛṣṇa delivered this earthly planet from water in the shape of a boar. So that auspicious day is today, Varāha-dvadaśī. This is called Varāha-dvadasi. So on this day it is better to sing, to glorify the different incarnations of Lord within this universe. The first incarnation is the fish form.

So these prayers were offered by Jayadeva Gosvāmī. One Vaiṣṇava poet advented about seven hundred years before Lord Caitanya's appearance. He was a great devotee, and his specific poetry, Gīta-govinda, is very famous all over the world. Gīta-govinda. Gīta-govinda is the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa playing on flute about Rādhārāṇī. That is the subject matter of Gīta-govinda. The same poet, Jayadeva Gosvāmī, has offered this prayer, pralaya-payodhi-jale-dhṛtavān asi vedam **. He says, "My dear Lord, when there was devastation within this universe, everything was filled with water. At that time You saved the Vedas, stacked in a boat. And you held the boat from being drowned in the water, in the shape of a big fish." This fish first of all was caught in the waterpot just like a small fish. Then it enlarged, and the fish was kept in a bigger water reservoir. In this way the fish was increasing. Then the fish informed that "Devastation is coming. You just save all the Vedas on a boat, and I shall protect it." So Jayadeva Gosvāmī is offering prayer, "My Lord, You saved the Vedas when there was devastation in the shape of a fish."

The next is Kūrmāvatāra. There was churning of the ocean. One side all the demigods and one side all the demons. And the churning rod was a great hill called Mandara-pārvata. And the resting place was on the back of the Lord appeared as a tortoise. So he's offering his prayer that "You appeared as a tortoise just to become the resting place. And this happened because You were feeling some itching sensation on Your back. So You accepted this big rod, Mandara Hill, to itch, as the itching instrument."

Then the next incarnation is this Varāha, boar or hog. He delivered this earthly planet by the tusk, and He kept the whole world on His tusk. We can just imagine how big He appeared. And the world at that time appeared just like the moon disc with some marks on it. So keśava dhṛta-varāha-śarīra. He says, "My dear Lord, You have appeared as the great boar. So let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You."

The fourth incarnation is Nṛsiṁhadeva. Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared to save Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was five-years-old boy and he was being tortured by his atheistic father. So He appeared from the pillar of the palace as a half-man, half-lion. Because this Hiraṇyakaśipu took benediction from Brahmā that he'll not be killed by any man or any animal. So the Lord appeared neither man nor animal. This is the difference between the Lord's intelligence and our intelligence. We are thinking that we can cheat the Lord by our intelligence, but the Lord is more intelligent than us. This Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to cheat Brahmā by indirect definition. First of all he wanted to become immortal. Brahmā said, "That is not possible because even I am not immortal. Nobody in this material world is immortal. That is not possible." So Hiraṇyakaśipu, the demon… The demons are very intelligent. He thought that "Round about way I shall become immortal." He prayed to Brahmā that "Please give me the benediction that I shall not be killed by any man or any animal." Brahmā said, "Yes, that is all right." "I shall not be killed in the sky, on the water or on land." Brahmā said, "Oh yes." "I shall not be killed by any man-made weapons." "That's all right." In this way he utilized his intelligence in so many ways just to come to the conclusion of being immortal. But the Lord is so cunning that He kept intact all the benediction given by Brahmā, still he was killed. He said that "I'll not be killed either during daytime or night." Brahmā said "Yes." So he was killed just in the evening, just in the junction of day and night. You cannot say it is day or night. He took the benediction that "I shall not be killed in the sky, on the water, on the land." So he was killed on His lap. He took the benediction that "I shall not be killed by any man-made or any God-made weapons." That was given, "All right." So he was killed by the nails. In this way, all the benedictions were kept intact, still he was killed. Similarly, we may make plan, we may make very advancement in scientific knowledge, but the killing process of nature will be there. Nobody can escape. By our intelligence we cannot escape. The four principles of material existence means birth, death, old age and disease. We can manufacture many medicines, many weapons, many means, many methods, but you cannot escape these four principles of material existence, however great you may be. That was proved by Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu was one of the stalwart materialistic and he wanted to live forever, enjoy, but he also could not live. Everything was finished.

Then next incarnation is Vāmana, the dwarf. Lord Vāmana appeared before Bali Mahārāja. That was also another cheating. Bali Mahārāja conquered all the universal planets and the demigods were too much disturbed. So Vāmana Mahārāja… Vāmanadeva went to Bali Mahārāja that "You give me some alms. I am brāhmaṇa. I have come to beg from you." So Bali Mahārāja said, "Yes. I'll give You." So He wanted three feet land only. So by one feet the whole universe was covered, upside, and another feet the other half was covered. Then the third feet Bali Mahārāja said, "Yes, now there is no place. Please keep Your feet on my head. Still my head is there." So Vāmanadeva was very much pleased by the sacrifice of Bali Mahārāja. He gave up everything for the Lord. So he is one of the great authorities. Out of the twelve authorities, Bali Mahārāja is one of the authorities because he sacrificed everything to satisfy the Lord.

And next is Paraśurāma. Paraśurāma, twenty-one times He made a massacre propaganda for killing all the kṣatriya kings. The kṣatriya kings were very much dishonest at that time, so he killed them for twenty-one times. They fled from here and there. And from the history of Mahābhārata it is understood, at that time some of the kṣatriyas fled and took shelter in the European side. And the Indo-European stock is from those kṣatriyas. That is history, inform…, historical information from Mahābhārata.

Then next incarnation is Lord Rāma. So He fought with Rāvaṇa who had ten heads. So … And the next incarnation is Balarāma. Balarāma is the elder brother of Kṛṣṇa. He is incarnation of Saṅkarṣaṇa, next expansion of Kṛṣṇa. So He was very white in complexion, and He was wearing blue garments, and with His plow He was, sometimes He was angry with Yamunā River, and He tried to dry up the Yamunā River. That description is given here. And Yamunā, out of His fear, she agreed to the proposal of Balarāma. And the next incarnation is Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha, He decried the Vedic principles. Therefore He is calculated as atheist. Anyone who does not agree with the Vedic principles, he is considered as atheist. Just like one who does not believe in the Bible, they are called heathens, similarly, those who do not accept the Vedic principles, they are called atheists. So Lord Buddha although incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, He said that "I do not believe in Vedas." What was the reason? The reason was to save the poor animals. At that time people were sacrificing the poor animals under the plea of Vedic sacrifice. So demonic persons, they want to do something under the protection of authority. Just like a big lawyer takes the protection of the lawbook and he makes the law unlawful. Similarly, the demons are so intelligent that they take advantage of scriptural injunction and do all nonsense. So these things were going on. In the name of Vedic sacrifice, they were killing animals like anything. So Lord became very much compassionate these poor animals, and He appeared as Lord Buddha, and His philosophy was nonviolence. His philosophy was atheist because He said that "There is no God. This combination of matter is a manifestation, and you dismantle the material elements, there will be void and there will be no sense of pleasure and pain. That is the nirvāṇa, ultimate goal of life." That was His philosophy. But actually His mission was to stop animal killing, to stop the men from so much sinful activities. So Lord Buddha is also prayed herewith. So people will be surprised that Lord Buddha is designated as atheist and still the Vaiṣṇavas, they are offering their respectful prayers to Lord Viṣṇu (Buddha). Why? Because the Vaiṣṇava knows how the God is acting for His different purposes. Others, they do not know.

The next avatār incarnation is Kalki. That is yet to take place. Kalki avatāra will appear at the end of this age, Kali-yuga. The age of Kali-yuga, duration of this age is still to be, I mean to say, fulfilled in 400,000's of years. So at the end of Kali, that means at the last stage, after about 400,000's of years, the incarnation of Kali will appear. That is predicted in the Vedic literatures, as Lord Buddha's appearance was also predicted in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled five thousand years ago, and Lord Buddha appeared about 2,500 years ago. Therefore about Lord Buddha's appearance it is predicted that at the beginning of Kali-yuga Lord Buddha will appear. There was prediction, and that has actually come to be true. Similarly, there is prediction about Kalki avatāra, and that will also come to be true. So at that time Lord Kalki's business will be simply to kill. No instruction. Just like… In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa gave instruction in the shape of Bhagavad-gītā. But at the end of Kali-yuga, people will be so much degraded that there is no more possibility to give any instruction. They will not be able to understand even. At that time the only weapon will be to kill them. And one who is killed by the Lord, he also gets salvation. That is God's all-merciful quality. Either He protects or He kills, the result is the same. So that will be the last stage of this Kali-yuga, and after that, again Satya-yuga, the age of religiosity, will begin. These are the statements of Vedic literature. (end)

770131VA.BHU

Varāha-dvadaśī,

Lord Varāha's Appearance Day Lecture

Bhuvaneśvara, January 31, 1977

Prabhupāda: Today, Varāha-dvādaśī, appearance of Kṛṣṇa's taking the incarnation of Varāha, boar… Keśava dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare.

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu

kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.39]

Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, ādi-puruṣa, the original person, He is taking various forms. Rāmādi-murtiṣu specially. Three Rāma: Paraśurāma, Balarāma, and Daśarathi Rāma. So this Rāma means enjoyment. So Kṛṣṇa's enjoyment… It does not mean, Kṛṣṇa has appeared as the boar; it does not mean He is suffering. Everything is ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis [Bs. 5.37]. Sometimes a big man becomes a horse. It is… There is a very nice interesting story that the big Prime Minister Gladstone, English, English Prime Minister, Gladstone?

Devotee: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So somebody came to see him for an interview. So the servant informed the visitor that "The Prime Minister is now busy, you have to wait." So he was waiting. He was big man. So one hour passed. So he became inquisitive, so with little opening of the door, he wanted to see the how this man is engaged. I am waiting for one hour . So he saw that the Prime Minister has become a horse, taking his grandchild on the back, and he's playing like a horse. And the important visitor is waiting for one hour. So this is enjoyment. The Prime Minister is not the horse, but he is enjoying taking his grandchild on the back and he was playing like a horse and the grandchild was, "Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut!" This was his engagement. So similarly, because he has become the horse of his grandchild, he is not horse, he is enjoying. That is enjoyment. Similarly when keśava dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa or kesava dhṛta-varāha-rūpa does not mean that He is varāha, or He is crocodile, or He is something like… No. He's everything. But that is not by karma. When we become crocodile, that is karma, punishment. We are now human being. It may be next life I become a crocodile according to karma, be forced by the laws of nature. Just like in Honolulu, Hawaii, we see so many young boys, they are enjoying, they are surfing in the middle of the ocean, struggling. So our karma, if you are practiced to that way, then at the time of death I shall think of just, in the middle ocean, swimming and struggling, then Kṛṣṇa will give opportunity to become a aquatic. Very easily we can remain within the water. That is the laws of nature. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6].

So our taking the shape of crocodile or boar or something animal that is karma. But that is a horse, real horse is karma but the Gladstone's becoming horse, that is not karma, that is enjoyment. We should understand like that, that when keśava dhṛta-kūrma-śarīra and varāha-śarīra, He's not forced by karma. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti [Bg. 4.14]. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na me karma-phale spṛhā. He is self-sufficient. So, everything His enjoyment. We are also seeking enjoyment because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Kṛṣṇa or His part and parcel, the same quality. Kṛṣṇa is seeking enjoyment, and we are also seeking enjoyment, but we can enjoy together in the spiritual world without any hamper, without any impediment.

ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis

tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ

goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.37]

When we dance with Kṛṣṇa in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, both of us are enjoying. Kṛṣṇa is enjoying; we are also enjoying. But if we want to enjoy independent of Kṛṣṇa or to imitate Kṛṣṇa or to become Kṛṣṇa, then it is māyā. Then it is māyā. This material world means the same enjoying spirit is there within me, but if I want to become Kṛṣṇa or enjoy independently, then it is māyā. So therefore we should enjoy with Kṛṣṇa. That is the aim of… The same thing is there.

So Kṛṣṇa comes therefore, personally appears and exhibits His enjoying love in Vṛndāvana. He brings His friends, His girl-friends, boy-friends, everything, His father, His mother, and shows that "The enjoyment which you are seeking, that is there in the spiritual world with Me. See how I am enjoying." Just so that we may have our brain cleared that if we enjoy with Kṛṣṇa, we can enjoy the dance, the paternal love, the conjugal love, the friendly playing with boys, with animals, who is in the garden, in the forest, in the water-same thing is there. Everything is there, all the sporting, but spiritual. So this is Kṛṣṇa's līlā. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis [Bs. 5.37]. So we are seeking pleasure within this material world. That is imitation. That is not real enjoyment. But the basic principle of enjoyment is there. Here there is imitation enjoyment, love between young boy young girl. So wherefrom it comes? It is there in Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise how it can come? It is not possible. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. This loving exchange between young boy, young girl is there. Kṛṣṇa is also enjoying there. The gopīs, the young girls, Kṛṣṇa is young… The exchange of love between father and son, mother and son; the exchange of love between friend and friend, the exchange of love between animal and man…

We, just like we keep so many animals, Kṛṣṇa is also enjoying with the calves. Sometimes with other animal also. Same thing is there. It is simply imitation here. Otherwise, everything is there in the spiritual world. We are mistaking, here, karma-phala-vadya (?). But here is no inebrieties, in the spiritual world. Here it is full of inebrieties. You'll see that Kṛṣṇa is enjoying with the gopīs but there is no inebriety. There is no pregnancy, there is no abortion. That is the beauty. And the material world the love turns into lusty desires and it entails so many difficulties. Yan-maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham [SB 7.9.45]. Here sex life means entailed with so many sufferings. But there is no sex life in the spiritual world but the pleasure is there. That is the difference between material and spiritual. Therefore there is restriction. Just like sex life is there, but a tuberculosis patient, if he enjoys sex life, he'll die very soon. Without sex life he could live for some years. Everyone will die. So for tuberculosis patient sex life is strictly prohibited. So when there is prohibition… Just like in the material world there is prohibition, "No sex life," because we are patient here, tuberculosis patient. If we enjoy sex life then we'll die. Die means… We are already dead because we have to accept this dead body. This body is dead. But so long I am within this body, simply it is moving. Just like motor car. Motor car is a lump of matter, but when the driver is acting, it is moving. Similarly this body… By māyā we are thinking that this body is living. It is not living. It is dead. From the very beginning it is dead. And when the soul will go away, it will appear its real identity-dead. Otherwise it is dead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You are lamenting on this body? Oh, you are such a rascal." Nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Those who are learned, they do not care for this body, either dead or alive. It is dead matter. So why should you lament for the dead matter?

aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ

prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase

gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca

nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

[Bg. 2.11]

This is spiritual life. When we are not at all concerned with this body, material body, that is the beginning of spiritual life. And so long we are interested with the dead lump of matter without any information of the spirit soul within it, that is material life. This is the difference between material life and spiritual life.

One who is in ignorance, without any knowledge of the spirit soul and identifying with this body and trying to enjoy life, he is implicated. Implicated. Life after life we change and enjoy in different ways. What (is) the enjoyment? The enjoyment is eating, sleeping, sex, and defense. So either you become one little insect or you become Brahmā, the same enjoyment in different forms. Therefore punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30], repeating the same process-eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. But there is a life eternal which is not this eating-sleeping but another enjoyment, ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. We can get it. So therefore in this life we should understand, we should be little sober, that this is our diseased condition. I am eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. Why I am put into this condition of birth, death, old age, and disease. This is my disease. This is not healthy condition. So one who is sober, dhīra, he understands that "This is my tuberculosis disease state." We should restrict all the so-called material happiness and prepare for the spiritual life, eternal life That is a human consciousness. Otherwise you are in darkness, mūḍha. Duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama. Life is lost. So Kṛṣṇa has so many līlās, activities. Kṛṣṇa is not different from His activities, He is absolute. So these are the occasions we can hear about His activities. We are benefited. Therefore He plays sometimes as mīna-śarīra, as varāha-śarīra, as kūrma-śarīra. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu-kalā niyamena. There are hundreds and thousands of incarnations. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Just like you cannot count the waves of the river, it is going on continually. Similarly, the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa is going on eternally, so many. If you take the opportunity of hearing-śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ visnoḥ [SB 7.5.23]-about Viṣṇu's līlā activities… And if you simply stick to the nirakāra Brahman, what we shall hear? Therefore they fall down, these Māyāvādīs who simply take seriously the impersonal feature of Kṛṣṇa, because there is no līlā. "Brahman brahman ahaṁ brahman brahman," then how long it will go on? It will be hackneyed. But when we take to Kṛṣṇa's personal activities, then are newer, newer, newer, and multi and many… Then we get the opportunity of hearing Kṛṣṇa. Then you stick. Otherwise, if I simply become understood about the Brahman feature, it will be hackneyed, we want seek ānanda, pleasure. So in the impersonal feature there is no pleasure. Just like in the sky, even if you take a very nice airplane, and simply fly in the sky, you'll be very much displeased. That is our practical experience. If you go in the sea and for months together remain in the sea, you'll be very much sick. We want pleasure. We want pleasure, varieties. That is Kṛṣṇa's desire. He also discover…, varieties of pleasure, and if we join with Him, we also enjoy the varieties of pleasure eternally in the spiritual world. That is success of life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda (end)

690131PU.LA

Lord Nityānanda Prabhu's Āvirbhāva Appearance Day

Nitāi-Pada-Kamala Purport

Los Angeles, January 31, 1969

Prabhupāda: (sings)

nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala,

je chāyāy jagata jurāy

heno nitāi bine bhāi, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi,

dṛḍha kori' dharo nitāir pāy

se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r,

sei paśu boro durācār

nitāi nā bolilo mukhe, majilo saṁsāra-sukhe,

vidyā-kule ki koribe tār

ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā,

asatyere satya kori māni

nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe,

dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khāni

nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāṅhāra sevaka nitya,

nitāi-pada sadā koro āśā

narotamma boro dukhī, nitāi more koro sukhī,

rākho rāṅgā-caraṇera pāśa

Nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala, je chāyāy jagata jurāy. This is a song by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava-sampradāya. He has written many songs about the Vaiṣṇava philosophy, and they are approved as completely corresponding with Vedic instructions. So here Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing that "The whole world is suffering under the blazing fire of material existence. Therefore, if one takes the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda…," whose birthday is today, 31st, January, 1969. So we should relish this instruction of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura that in order to get relief from the pangs of blazing fire of this material existence, one should take shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda because it is as cooling as the moon rays combined together of millions of moons. That means one will immediately find peaceful atmosphere. Just like a man works whole day and if he comes under the moonshine he feels relief.

Similarly, any materialistic man who comes under the shelter of Lord Nityānanda will immediately feel that relief. Then he says,

nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala,

je chāyāy jagata jurāy,

heno nitāi bine bhai, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi,

dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khani

He says that "If you are anxious to go back to home, back to Godhead, and become associate with Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, then the best policy is to take shelter of Nityānanda." Then he says, se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r: "One who has not been able to contact Nityānanda, then one should think of himself that he has simply spoiled his valuable life." Bṛthā janma gelo, bṛthā means for nothing, and janma means life. Gelo tā'r, spoiled. Because he has not made connection with Nityānanda. The Nityānanda, very name, suggests… Nitya means eternal. Ānanda means pleasure. Material pleasure is not eternal. That is the distinction. Therefore those who are intelligent, they are not interested with this flickering pleasure of material world. Every one of us, as living entity, we are searching after pleasure. But the pleasure which we are seeking, that is flickering, temporary. That is not pleasure. Real pleasure is nityānanda, eternal pleasure. So anyone who has no contact with Nityānanda, it is to be understood that his life is spoiled.

se sambandha nāhi jā'r, bṛthā janma gelo tā'r,

sei paśu boro durācār

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura uses here very harsh word. He says that such human being is an animal, an uncontrollable animal. As there are some animals that cannot be tamed, so anyone who has not contacted Nityānanda, he should be considered as an untamed animal. Sei paśu boro durācār. Why? Because nitāi nā bolilo mukhe: "He never uttered the holy name of Nityānanda." And majilo saṁsāra-sukhe, "and become merged into this material happiness." Vidyā-kule ki koribe tār. "That nonsense does not know that what will his education and family and tradition and nationality will help him?" These things cannot help him. These are all temporary things. Simply, if we want eternal pleasure, we must contact Nityānanda. Vidyā-kule ki koribe tār. Vidyā means education, and kula means family, nationality. So we may have a very nice family connection or we may have very nice national prestige, but after ending this body, these things will not help me. I'll carry my work with me, and according to that work, I shall have to accept by force another type of body. It may be something other than human body. So these things cannot protect us or give us the real pleasure. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura advises that vidyā-kule ki koribe tār. Then he says, ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā. "Being maddened after false prestige and identification…" False identification with the body and prestige of bodily relationship, it is called ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā. One is mad after this false prestige. Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā. Due to this false prestige we are thinking, "Oh, what is Nityānanda? What can He do for me? I don't care." So these are the signs of false prestige. Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsa…, asatyere satya kori māni. The result is that I am accepting something which is false. For example, I am accepting this body. This body, I am not this body. Therefore, with false identification I am becoming entangled more and more. So one who is puffed up with this false prestige, ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pā…, asatyere satya kori māni, he accepts something wrong as right. Then he says, nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe. If you are actually serious about going back to home, back to Godhead, then please seek after the mercy of Nityānanda. Ahaṅkāre…

nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braja rādhā-kṛṣṇa pābe,

dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khāni

"Please catch up the lotus feet of Nityānanda." Then he says, nitāiyer caraṇa satya. One may think that as we catch hold of so many shelter, but in this material world later on they prove false, similarly, suppose we catch hold of the lotus feet of Nityānanda; it may also prove false. But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura assures that nitāiyer caraṇa satya: "It is not false. Because Nityānanda is eternal, His lotus feet is also eternal." Tāṅhāra sevaka nitya. And anyone who takes to the service of Nityānanda, they also become eternal. Without being eternal, nobody can serve the eternal. That is the Vedic injunction. Without becoming Brahman, one cannot approach the Supreme Brahman. Just like without being fire, nobody can enter into the fire. Without being water, nobody can enter into the water. Similarly, without being fully spiritualized, nobody can enter into the spiritual kingdom. So nitāiyer caraṇa satya. If you catch nitāiyer, the lotus feet of Nityānanda, then you become immediately spiritualized. Just like if you touch electricity, immediately you become electrified. That is natural. Similarly, Nityānanda is eternal happiness, if you touch Nityānanda some way or other, then you become also eternally happy. Tāṅhāra sevaka nitya. Therefore one who has in contact with Nityānanda, they have become eternal.

nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāṅhāra sevaka nitya,

dṛḍha kori' dharo nitāir pāy

So just catch Him very tightly. Narottama boro duḥkhī, nitāi more koro sukhī. At the last Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, the composer of this song, he is appealing to Nityānanda, "My dear Lord, I am very unhappy. So You please make me happy. And You kindly keep me in corner of Your lotus feet." That is the sum and substance of this song. (end)

770202NA.BHU

Lord Nityānanda Prabhu's

Āvirbhāva Appearance Day Lecture

Bhuvaneśvara, February 2, 1977

Prabhupāda: So today, the appearance day of Nityānanda Prabhu… Nityānanda Prabhu is Baladeva, Baladeva-tattva.

vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta haila sei,

balarāma haila nitāi

"Who was formerly the son of Nanda Mahārāja, He has appeared as the son of Śacīdevi." Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mother's name was Śacīdevi. So Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Balarāma is Nityānanda Prabhu. Now…

vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta haila sei,

balarāma haila nitāi

So Balarāma… In the Vedic literature it is said, nāyam ātmā bala-hinena labhyaḥ; na bahunā śrutena. So bala means strength. Sometimes some rascal philosophers, they take it that bala means bodily strength. They propagate this philosophy that "Unless you are bodily stout and strong, you cannot achieve spiritual salvation. You must be very strong and stout and eat meat and fight, and then you'll get next spiritual birth" No. This bala, this strength, is different. This is spiritual strength.

The difficulty of the present situation is that actually we are moving on account of spiritual strength, but they have no information of the spiritual strength. They are thinking of material strength. That is expressed here, that

ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pāsariyā,

asatyere satya kori māni

This is due to ahaṅkāra. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. Those who are vimūḍha, especially rascal… Mūḍha, rascals, and vi means viśeṣa, viśeṣanam, particularly. Ahankara-vimudhātmā. The same thing which is spoken in the Bhagavad-gītā, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says the same thing in a plain Bengali language. Ahaṅkāre matta haiyā, nitāi-pada… By the spell of māyā-ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]- they are thinking that "We are independent. We can do whatever we like." This is called ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Under false pretext, false prestige, everyone is thinking that "We are independent. We can find out the solution of the problems of life by material adjustment," so on, so on. So that is our material disease. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Bewildered, they do not understand that the real strength is spiritual strength. We see daily, see daily that a very strong man, very powerful man, very good brain, very good scientist… So where is the strength? The strength is ātmā. As soon as the ātmā, or the soul, goes out of this body, so intelligent, so strong, and so many things, that is nothing. That is the difference between dead man and the living man. A living man is very powerful, very good position, everything. As soon as he lies down, he is lying down on the floor, and if you kick him on his face, he'll not protest. So where is that strength? The strength is gone. That is spiritual strength. On the spiritual strength, the body moves. Suppose you have got a very good car, Mercedes car or Rolls Royce car. But when there is no petrol, how the car will move? It is not possible. There is spirit, petrol spirit. Similarly, real strength is spiritual strength. That spiritual strength is Balarāma. Bala means strength. Therefore we have to take shelter of the lotus feet of Balarāma, guru-tattva.

Balarāma means guru-tattva. Balarāma represents guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. If we want to understand Caitanya Mahāprabhu, if we want to understand Kṛṣṇa, then we must take shelter of Balarāma. Nāyam ātmā bala-hinena labhyaḥ. This bala-hinena labhyaḥ, this Vedic injunction, means "Without the mercy of Balarāma you cannot understand, you cannot realize your spiritual identification. So that Balarāma comes as Nityānanda Prabhu. Balarāma hailā nitāi. Therefore we must take shelter of Balarāma. That is… This song has been sung by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. Nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala. If we take shelter of Nityānanda Prabhu, then we get peace. Koṭi-candra-suśītala. Just like in daytime, especially in the summer season, we become very much exasperated. But at night, in the evening, as soon as there is moonshine, we become very much satisfied. All day's labor and fatigue is immediately moved. So nitāi-pada-kamala, the shade of Nityānanda Prabhu's lotus feet, is koṭi-candra-suśītala, as pleasing as one crore of moonshine. One moonshine gives us so much pleasure. So if we want actually peace of mind, if we actually want to be free from this material fatiguement, then we must take the shelter of Nityānanda Prabhu. Nityānanda Prabhu is the strength, spiritual strength. And without spiritual strength you cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. Nāyam ātmā pravaca… Simply by talking nonsense… Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ. If you are a good speaker, that does not mean you'll understand, yourself. Na medhayā: "Neither by good brain." Because you have got very good brain you'll understand Kṛṣṇa-no. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena. If you think that you are a very good scholar, university degree-holder, then you'll understand-no. This is not possible.

So we must have spiritual strength. That source of spiritual strength is Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa's next manifestation, prakāśa-vigraha. Kṛṣṇa is manifesting Himself through Balarāma. So we have to take shelter of Nityānanda Prabhu.

nitāi-pada-kamala, koṭi-candra-suśītala,

je chāyāy jagata jurāy

The whole world is suffering, but if you want peace, then you take the shelter of Nityānanda Prabhu.

heno nitāi bine bhāi, rādhā-kṛṣṇa pāite nāi

dhṛdha kori' dharo nitāir pāy

Our real aim of life-how to go back home back to Godhead and associate with Rādhā Kṛṣṇa. In another song the same author says,

manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā,

jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu

Unless you come to Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, you cannot get real pleasure. If you want to dance and get pleasure, don't dance independently. Dance with Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be happy. The dancing is there, but dancing without association of Kṛṣṇa… Just like here, in our temple, we are also eating, but we are eating the remnants of foodstuff left by Kṛṣṇa. That is real pleasure. It is not that we are stopping eating. We are not stopping eating. We are not dry philosophers. Kṛṣṇa baro doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay, swa-prasād-anna dilo bhāi. All over the world we are eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and we have got good experience. At least ten thousand men and women, they are taking Kṛṣṇa prasādam, but we have no anxiety. We have no anxiety. A family consists of a few members. They are full of anxiety how to maintain the family. And we are maintaining a family of ten thousand men. We have no anxiety. Just see practically. We have no anxiety. We require thousands and thousands of rupees for maintaining Europe, America, a costly affair. But because we are under the shelter of Nityānanda Prabhu, Balarāma, we have no anxiety. That means material life means anxiety. You cannot avoid anxiety if you lead a material life. Then you will be anxious.

That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. He was asked by his father, "My dear son, what you have learned, the best thing from your teachers?" So he replied, "My dear father…" He never said, "My dear father"; He said, "My dear best of the asuras." Asura-varya. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt [SB 7.5.5]. The whole human society is suffering, at least suffering from one disease-anxiety. Ask anybody. Take one small ant and take the big elephant; take the President of United States or take one street beggar. Ask him, "Whether you are free from anxiety?" Nobody will say, "No." "I am full of anxiety." That's a fact. So why they are anxiety, in, full of anxiety? That Prahlāda Mahārāja had replied, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt. Because we have taken asad-vastu, that will not exist… Everything, whatever you have got… Our, this body will not exist. And this is the main platform of our existence. In the material world, so long the body is there, you exist. So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "Real solution of problems of life is to get out of this material condition. That is best thing in my opinion." Sada samadvigna-dhiyām asad… That is Vedic injunction also. Asato mā sad gamaya: "Don't live in this asat, in this material condition." Sad gamaya: "Go to real existence." That real existence means spiritual life. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. So if we actually want life, blissful life, then we must get out of this material existence. That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. Samudvigna-dhiyām. And if you remain in the material existence, you must suffer some anxiety. There is no excuse.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja advises that hitvātma-ghātam gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanam gato yad dharim āśrayeta [SB 7.5.5]. If you… Real problem is anxiety. And this anxiety will continue so long you are material existent. Therefore the real life is to get out of this material… Hitvātma-ghātam. Ātma-ghāṭam. Ātma-ghātam means killing the soul. This material civilization is killing the soul. That… They have no information of the soul. They do not know how to become peaceful, how to become blissful. They are trying to be peaceful, bahir-artha-māninaḥ, by external material energy. They are thinking by constructing big, big buildings, just like in Bhuvaneśvara they are doing, and having good, very big, big roads and motorcars, that is advancement of civilization. No. That is not advancement of civili… That is increasing their anxiety. There is no solution of the anxiety. There is… Formerly that… I was speaking. There was no university. The university was in the cottage-Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva was writing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and all the Purāṇas in a cottage. The university was there. Who can produce such literature as Vyāsadeva has given? From any angle of vision, from literary point of view, from philosophical point of view-everything, so perfect, every literature, Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, and Vedānta. Veda-vyāsa, he has given. So there was no need of university. It required clear brain. That was to be done by the brahminical qualifications, śamo damo titikṣā ārjava, jñānaṁ-vijñānam āstikyam brahma-karma svabhāva… Where is that education? This education, technical education, how you can very nicely hammer, this will not solve the problem. So if we want real solution of the problems, then our duty is first of all to take the shelter of nitāi-pada-kamala. Then we'll be happy, and we'll get moonshine, and our all fatigueness will be subsided.

Sambandha nāhi jār, bṛthā janma gelo tār. So if you have no connection with Nityānanda Prabhu… Nityānanda means always. Nitya means always, ānanda means pleasure. This is another meaning you can draw. So therefore, if you have no connection with Nityānanda Prabhu… Se tār: "He's simply wasting time." Bṛthā means useless. Uselessly, he's wasting time. Se paśu boro durācār. And Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has used very strong word. "Anyone who has no connection with Nityānanda Prabhu, he's a paśu." Sei paśu. He's a paśu, means animal. So animal, how one animal can get happiness? That is not possible. The dog, from the childhood he's searching after food, searching after food. And cannot get food. Unless a dog has got a master, he's street dog and he's always unhappy. So better to become a dog of Nityānanda Prabhu. Then we shall be happy. Instead of becoming dog of so many other people… Everyone is dog. Everyone is searching after to serve a master. But none of them are satisfied because that is false master. You take real master, Nityānanda Prabhu. You'll be happy. Se paśu boro durācār. He does not know where is happiness. Where I shall become a dog? That…

Our Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he has sung therefore,

vaisnava ṭhākur, tomāra kukkur,

boliya janaha more

"My dear Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, kindly accept me as your dog, as your dog. I am dog already, but I am māyā's dog. I'm not Vaiṣṇava's dog. So kindly accept me." If you become a Vaiṣṇava's dog… Chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava sevā, nistār pāiche kebā. If you do not become a dog of Vaiṣṇava and Nityānanda Prabhu… Nityānanda is guru. So if you do not become a dog of Nityānanda Prabhu, Vaiṣṇava, or guru, there is no question of happiness. Se sambandha nāhi yār, bṛthā janma gelo… se paśu boro durācār. Nitāi nā bolilo mukhe, majilā saṁsāra-sukhe. He who has no connection with Nityānanda Prabhu, and he does not say, "Jaya Nitāi! Jaya Gaura!" And majilo saṁsāra-sukhe, he thinks that this society, family, and… "Society, friendship and love, divinely bestowed upon man." These materialist persons, they say like that. That is called majilo saṁsāra sukhe. In saṁsāra there cannot be any sukha, but he's attracted by that. Majilo saṁsāra sukhe. Vidyā-kule ki koribe tār. What we'll do with university education or born in big family or… This will not help. This is not possible. Vidyā-kule ki karibe tār. Why they're accepting this false? Ahaṅkāre matta hoiyā, nitāi-pada pasariya, asatyere satya kori māni. On account of being misled by false prestige and false egotism, asatyere satya kori māni, we are accepting this body which is asat, which will not exist. That we have taken as reality. Ahaṅkare matta hoiya, nitāi pada pasariya. But if we take shelter of Nityānanda Prabhu, then you get the enlightenment. Asatyere satya kori māni. Nitāiyer koruṇā habe, braje rādhā-kṛṣṇa pabe, dharo nitāi-caraṇa du'khāni.

Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura advises that… Today is Nityānanda Prabhu's āvirbhāva appearance day. Let us at least remember today nitāi-pada-kamala. That is wanted. Nitāi caraṇa satya, tāhāra sevaka nitya. The reality is nitāi-caraṇa, and anyone who is servant of Nitāi… So nitāiyer caraṇa satya, tāhāra sevaka nitya. One who has become the dog of Nityānanda Prabhu, he gets his eternal life. We are eternal, but under misconception of material identification, we are under the subjugation of māyā. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. Tathā dehāntara… [Bg. 2.13] It is very botheration, but they do not know. I am going from one body to another transmigration. And that is not guaranteed, what kind of body. They have no science, no knowledge about understanding tathā dehāntara, the very first instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. They are so rascals, and they are proud of their education, their universities. This is going on.

Nitāi caraṇa satya, tāhāra sevaka…, nitāi-pada sadā koro āśā. Therefore we should always expect to be under the shelter of nitāi-pada-kamala. Narottama boro duḥkhī. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he's ācārya. He is presenting himself… That is ācārya. Means he is not duḥkhī, but he's presenting himself as duḥkhī. That is ācārya. Ācāryas, they are never duḥkhī. But taking the common man's position, he says, narottama boro duḥkhī. Or, in other words, Narottama… Narottama means the best of the human being. So here in this material world one may be the best of the human being, very exalted position, but everyone is duḥkī, unhappy. Narottama boro duḥkī, nitāi more koro sukhī: "Only Nityānanda can make me happy. Otherwise not possible." Rakho raṅga-caraṇera pāśa. So today is Nityānanda Prabhu's appearance day. We shall always pray Nityānanda Prabhu, "Kindly keep me under your shelter so that… I am very duḥkī; I am very unhappy. Under the shelter of Your lotus feet I shall be happy." And that is real happiness. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda! (end) (this lecture followed by Bengali speech of Nityānanda Kanurgo, former chief minister of Gujarat)

690207BA.LA

His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta

Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's

Appearance Day, Lecture

Los Angeles, February 7, 1969

Prabhupāda: …means a broader heart. They are not satisfied simply by his personal comfort. In political history also, you will find so many great leaders. They sacrificed their own comforts. In your country there was George Washington. He sacrificed so many. There were other leaders. In every country, in political field. Similarly, social field also. Even the political leaders, the Marx, they also, he was also compassionate by seeing the terrible condition of the Russian peasants, so he started that communist movement. That is the way. Great men, they work for the general mass of people. They are not… That is their greatness.

So Advaita Prabhu, when He found that people are simply engaged in eating, sleeping, and they are not, they have no concern with Kṛṣṇa, and their life is being spoiled, so He wanted to start this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, say, about six hundred years ago, but He considered Himself as unable to take up this movement seriously because the condition of the people was so wretched. He thought that "If Kṛṣṇa Himself comes, then it can be done. Otherwise it is not possible." So Advaita Prabhu called Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by His call, He appeared, Kṛṣṇa appeared. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was almost like grandson of Advaita Prabhu. But when He was young man, a very beautiful youth, so at that time nobody knew, but Advaita Prabhu knew that "He is Kṛṣṇa. He has come." So He was simply… Sometimes devotees pretend to be not in knowledge. So He was praying Kṛṣṇa, "This boy is very nice. If He takes up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, then it will be very successful. He is very intelligent, beautiful."

In this way there was, Caitanya's Mahāprabhu's time, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was going nicely, very. And after Him, there was six Gosvāmīs. They also managed. Then, as it is the rule of this material world that you start something very good but in due course of time the things deteriorate, so this Vaiṣṇava, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, also deteriorated in due course of time. Say, after the disappearance of the Gosvāmīns, about 250 years after, the things became most ridiculous. The so-called devotees… Their representatives still are continuing. They are called prākṛta-sahajiyā. Prākṛta-sahajiyā means taking things very easily. They thought that Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is just like a boy and girl's lusty affairs. And in this way they took it that sex life as religion. Even Vivekananda, he also criticized, "Vaiṣṇavism is sex religion." So the things deteriorated in such a way that… And similarly, as Advaita Prabhu was afflicted, similarly, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura… He was at that time a householder, government officer and magistrate. He felt very much: "Oh, Lord Caitanya's movement is so… People… As soon as one will see that he belongs to the Caitanya sampradāya, he'll deride, 'Oh, these are all rascals, simply taking sex pleasures. That's all.' " There were thirteen pseudo Vaiṣṇavas, thirteen sects: Āula, Bāula, Karttābhajā, Neḍā, Daraveṣa, Sāṅi, Sahajiyā, Sakhībhekī. Sāṅi community… You have heard that in London there is a Sāṅi community. Sāṅi Hindu center you have heard from Mukunda? The Sāṅi is there still. So there are thirteen pseudo pretenders belonging to the Caitanya-sampradāya. They are called first Āula, Bāula, Karttābhajā, Neḍā, Daraveṣa, Sāṅi, Sakhībhekī, Gaurāṅga-nagarī, Cūḍādhārī, Ativāḍī, and Smārta, Jāta-gosāñi. Like that, thirteen.

So if I describe these thirteen, it will take thirteen hours. So I don't describe all them. But one or two must be described. The most important is the Jāta-gosāñi. Jāti-gosāñi. They created a caste of gosvāmīns, just like they created a caste of brāhmaṇas, a caste of gosvāmīns. So this gosvāmī will come by hereditary birth, just like brāhmaṇa. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was very sorry to see the condition of the society. So these gosvāmīns… The original history of gosvāmī is the six Gosvāmīns. Now, out of the six Gosvāmīns, none of them were priestly class. So far Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were great politicians, prime minister, a finance minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah. So… And similarly, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was a big zamindar. His father is… Zamindar means landholder. During British period… No, at that time not British period, Mohammedan period. They distributed land among some, I think, in the Western countries bourgeois (pronounces "boor zhwa") they call? Bourgeois? Or in England, the landholders, what they are called?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a word for it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So zamindar, landholder. So he belonged to a very big landholder… His father, his father and uncle, two brothers. So he was the only son. So naturally, he was to inherit the whole property, and at that time it was twelve hundred thousands dollars' income. Just see how much he was rich man. When he used to see Caitanya Mahāprabhu or Nityānanda in his youth-hood, when he was eighteen years', twenty years' age-he was almost of the contemporary of Lord Caitanya-he used to distribute gold to the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, gold, so much gold. What is the price of so much gold? He used to distribute. He was rich man, so he was doing like rich man. So that is the history of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. That is the history of Sanātana Gosvāmī. None of them were belonging to the Vaiṣṇava sect or nothing. Caitanya Mahāprabhu turned them. This Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī were rejected from the brāhmaṇa community because at that time the brāhmaṇa society was so strict, if somebody takes service of a Musselman or anyone, oh, he is immediately exterminated: "Oh, you cannot be accepted as pure…" Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, according to Vedic system, the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya, they'll not accept any service, even it is worth $200,000. No. That he will not acc… Then that is degradation. Only the śūdras can accept. That was the Vedic system. To accept another's service was so abominable. In the Bhāgavata also it is stated that if the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśya, especially the brāhmaṇas, they have no livelihood, then they can adopt the business of kṣatriya and vaiśya, but never accept the occupation of the dog, śūdra. That is stated. You see? So to accept service of others was so abominable, even five hundred years ago. So this Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, they were also belonged to very rich family, but because they accepted ministership in the government of a Muhammadan, they were rejected. They were exterminated from the society. What is the extermination of society? He will never be invited. Nobody will offer his daughter to their family, because according to Vedic system, daughters and sons are not loitering in the street. The father and mother must engage. So if one is exterminated, oh, it is very difficult to get his daughter married. Nobody will accept. That was their condition. Actually, they also became hopelessness. They became almost Muhammadan. They changed their name, Dabira Khāsa. This is Muhammadan name. And Sākara Mallika. Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them Gosvāmī, this Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he belonged to the Muhammadan community. He was made nāmācārya, the principal ācārya of this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the revolutionary method of Caitanya.

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not liked by the hereditary brāhmaṇas. They dislike. Whenever there is Caitanya movement, they pose another counter. This Rama-Krishna is a counteraction of Caitanya. Because Caitanya, the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya, accept Caitanya Mahāprabhu as incarnation of God, so they presented this Gadādhara Chatterjee as incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, and by worshiping Kālī. You see? So this competition is since a very long time between the Vaiṣṇava and the other sect. Anyway, when these Gosvāmīs… My point is that originally the Gosvāmīs came from ordinary person. There is no caste. But they manufactured a caste of Gosvāmī, you see, this brāhmaṇa class. This brāhmaṇa class, the hereditary brāhmaṇa class, played so many havocs in the history of India. The Pakistan is also due to this hereditary brahmanism. You see? They hated so much the Muhammadans and the śūdras. First of all they hated the śūdras, and then, when the śūdras, they became Muhammadans, they hated the Muhammadans. And gradually it developed that the so-called śūdras and Muhammadans, politically the Britishers took advantage, agitated them. They cut up India into Pakistan and Hindustan.

So there are many histories. So it is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He accepted everyone to this movement. So my Guru Mahārāja's contribution is that he defeated these caste gosvāmīns. He defeated this brahmanism. He created that the same way as Caitanya Mahāprabhu did, that, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

kibā śūdra kibā vipra nyāsi kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa tattva vetta sei guru haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

"There is no consideration whether a man is a sannyāsī, a brāhmaṇa, or a śūdra, or a this or a gṛhastha, householder, or… No. Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is all right. He is gosvāmī. He is brāhmaṇa." That is the contribution, say, within hundred years. That is the contribution. And for this reason he had to face so many vehement protests from this brāhmaṇa class gosvāmīns. He… They conspired to kill him. Guru Mahārāja told me personally. Others… Because, by his grace, when I used to meet alone, he used to talk so many things. He was so kind that he used to talk so many things with me. So he personally told me that "These people, they wanted to kill me. They collected 25,000 rupees and went to the police officer in charge of that area, that 'You take this 25,000 rupees. We shall do something against Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. You don't take any step.' " He could understand that they want to kill him. Just like in your country also, the polit…, Kennedy, was killed. You know. He wanted to kill. So the police officer frankly said, "Of course, we accept bribe, and we indulge in such things, but not for a sādhu, not for a saintly person. I cannot dare this." And the police officer refused and came to my Guru Mahārāja that "You take care. This is the position." You see? So vehemently protested.

So his method of preaching is just according to the, strictly according to the rules and regulation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And as Caitanya Mahāprabhu was called by Advaita Prabhu, similarly, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, when he saw this condition of pseudo Vaiṣṇava all over the country, he also prayed to Lord Caitanya that "You kindly send somebody from Your personal staff so that I can start this movement." You see? So by the grace of Lord Caitanya, as we pray, śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te. Gaura… He is mercy representation of Lord Caitanya. And he appeared as the son of this Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. At that time he was known as Kedaranath Datta. Ken Datta. And he appeared in 1867 as the child of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. And the house is still preserved in Jagannātha Purī. At that time Jagannātha Purī, he was magistrate in Jagannātha Purī, and he was… The system in the Jagannātha Purī, the manager, the official manager, is the district magistrate. So he was district magistrate. And in February 1867, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura appeared. And when he appeared, his, this what is called, the intestine?

Madhudviṣa: Umbilical cord?

Prabhupāda: Cord, cord. What is it called?

Viṣṇujana: Umbilical.

Prabhupāda: Embryo cord. That embryo cord was like this. Yes. That means brāhmaṇa from the beginning. You see? So when he was a child… He appeared in February. Then… When the Ratha-yātrā takes place? In July. So February, March, April, May, June, July. So when he was six months old, the Ratha-yātrā festival was held. And by chance the big cart stopped in front of that house. That is generally in the Jagannātha car stops. Just like our car also stops somewhere. And you have some difficulty to push it again? That's nice. That also happens in Jagannātha Purī. It was stopped, and some people were… Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to push with His head. So that was wonderful. So anyway the car stopped, and mother of our Guru Mahārāja, the child Guru Mahārāja, so she took the opportunity, and because she was manager's wife, so everyone respected with the child. So she put the child on the leg of Jagannātha. And as there are so many garlands, one garland immediately fell on the child. Yes. Automatically. So in this way Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura could understand that "This child is not ordinary child," and he knew that "I prayed to Gaurasundara to send me somebody. So this boy, this child, is sent by Him." So he took care of him very carefully. And in this way his name was Bimala Prasāda, Bimala Prasāda Datta.

So when he was three years or four years old, he took one mango from the Deity room and ate it. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, "Oh, you have done a great wrong thing. You have taken the mango of the Deity before offering Him? It is a great offense." The child took it very serious, and my Guru Mahārāja never took mango throughout his whole life. Whenever mango was offered, he would say, "Oh, I am a offender. I cannot take that." You see? So there was a big meeting. What is this sound? Somebody's sleeping? All right. (laughter) In Midnapur district, when he was young man, he was holding meeting. He was a great astrologer, and he opened an astrological school when he was young man. And there are many big students still practicing. They are all students of my Guru Mahārāja. And there was a meeting in Midnapur district. The subject matter "Brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas." So in that meeting Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was invited. At that time he was not very in healthy condition, indisposed. So he asked Sarasvatī Ṭhākura that "You go and speak there." So he spoke on the distinction between brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas, and he defeated so many learned paṇḍitas. Then the whole audience began to take, touch his lotus feet and touch with water and drink it, in this way, when he was young man. That book is also available in Bengali, Brāhmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava.

Then, after disappearance of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in 1914… Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura organized this Kṛṣṇa Caitanya's movement in pure form from Māyāpur. He published many books and papers, Sajjana-toṣaṇī. When he passed away in 1914, at that time, he entrusted the matter to Siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, that "I am going, my work unfinished, about this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. You take charge of it." So he took very seriously the word of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. So since 1914 to '18, he was simply thinking that "How I can expand this movement?" So in 1918 he started this movement with the help of some disciples. Kṛṣṇa sent him. So one of the disciples, he is now Tīrtha Mahārāja. Perhaps he is… He belonged to Rama Krishna Mission Society. So he is very ambitious. So he took the opportunity of starting this movement, finding out the saintly person. So apart from that point of view, with his help this Gauḍīya Mission was started, and gradually it developed. So in Calcutta Guru Mahārāja started in 1918. And, I think, in 1922, when I was young man, one of my friends, he took me to Guru Mahārāja. That was my first meeting. And, of course, he was speaking to everyone, but he found me as something. So immediately after my meeting, he said this, that "Why don't you preach this Caitanya's cult in the Western countries?" That is a memorable day. Of course, I did not know that I will have to do it. You see? It is…

Boy: What?

Prabhupāda: Stop. Whatever you do not understand, you will ask later on, not in the middle. I could not understand that time. You see? It was… I talked with him in so many ways: "Who will hear your Caitanya's message? We are dependent country." At that time I was Gandhi's devotee. In 1920 I gave up my educational career and joined this Congress Movement. Because Gandhi's program was to boycott the university education and the British law court, so we took this opportunity and gave up education. You see? (chuckles) So then Dr. Bose, he was my father's friend. So he asked, "What this Abhaya is doing?" And my sister told him, "Oh, he has appeared in the B.A. examination, but he is not doing anything." So Dr. Bose was my father's friend. So he appointed me the manager of his laboratory. I did not know anything; still, he appointed me. So that was in 1921. In 1920 I gave up my education. Of course, I was married in 1918, and I got my first child in 1921. So in 1922, when I saw my Guru Mahārāja and when I was convinced about his argument and mode of presentation, I was so much struck with wonder. I could understand that "Here is the proper person who can give real religious idea." That I appreciated at that time. And at that time I thought, "This great personality is asking me to preach. I would have immediately joined, but now I am married. It will be injustice." Of course, I thought like that, in that way. Of course, Guru Mahārāja did not say anything, that "You give up your family life." No, never said. He simply gave the idea. So I thought that "It would have been better if I was not married." Anyway, then, 1923, I left Calcutta on my business, and I established my headquarter at Allahabad. So all the days I was thinking of this, "Oh, I saw a very nice saintly person. But I am now off from Calcutta." So I was thinking like that. Practically he initiated me because I was thinking of…, always.

Then, in 1928, there was a big fair which is called Kumbhamelā. At that time I was doing business in Allahabad. My business was very flourishing. It was well-known drug shop. So the persons who went to organize our Gauḍīya Maṭha's camp in that fair, somebody has told that "Here is a Bengali gentleman's business. You can go, and he is very religious man. He will help." So all the disciples of Guru Mahārāja, they approached my shop, my store, drug store. And because I was thinking of them, so I thought, "Oh, here is the men." You see? You see? I was very glad-"So they have come again"-because I was separated from them in 1923, and again I saw them in 1928 after five years, and I was thinking of Guru Mahārāja simply in this way, "Oh, I met a very nice saintly person. Very nice saintly person. If I can see him again?" Like that. So in this way, with my help, the Allahabad center of Gauḍīya Maṭha was established. Then I was initiated in 1933. In 1933. And in 1936 I was, at that time, in Bombay, and Guru Mahārāja was very much indisposed, and he was at Purī, Jagannātha Purī. We have got our temple there. Guru Mahārāja established sixty-four temples, small and big. Just like I am increasing, he increased. So most of the temples were in Bengal. In Bengal there were about fifty out of sixty-four. And one temple was at Allahabad, one was in Madras. In this way, outside Bengal, about three, four, one Benares. And he sent Bon Mahārāja also in 1933 to London for preaching, but unfortunately, some way or other, he could not do anything, so Guru Mahārāja called him back in 1934. He was not satisfied and sent another Godbrother, gosvāmī.

In 1936, just on the 13th, December, I wrote him one letter. Not 13th. I think by the beginning of December, 1936, I wrote one letter to Guru Mahārāja. I knew he was little kind upon me, so I wrote that "Guru Mahārāja, you have got many disciples. I am also one of them. But they are doing direct service to you. Some of them are brahmacārīs, some of them sannyāsīs, but I am a householder. I cannot…" Of course, I was giving sometimes some monetary help, but I could not give any direct service, so I asked him that "If there is any particular service I can do for you?" So that letter was replied in 13th December, dated 13th December, from Purī. And he passed away on the 31st December. Just a fortnight before. So the reply was the same as he wanted me to do this preaching work in 1922, when I first met him, that "You try to preach whatever you have learned from me to the English-knowing people in English. That will do good to you and to the people to whom you shall preach. That is my instruction." So I took up, direction. And then he passed away in 1936, 31st December. So I consulted some of my Godbrothers, senior Godbrothers, "Guru Mahārāja has told me like this. What can I do?" So you have heard the name of Professor Sanyal, and there were other Godbrothers. They asked me to write on the Vaiṣṇava-siddhānta in English. So perhaps in 1935 I wrote one poetry. The part of it, somebody, you have got. He was very pleased. Since then he was insisting me that "You write on, preach on in English." At that time I was thinking, "What can I do?" So anyway, after his passing away, this Back to Godhead paper was started, as late in 1944, I think, because the expenditure was three hundred, four hundred rupees per month.

So somehow or other, it has begun, the blessings of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, as he wanted me, he desired me. So because he desired, my… I am not very expert or educated or nothing extraordinary, but only thing is that I believed in his word. That is… You can say that is my qualification. I believed cent percent in his word. So whatever success is there, it is just due to my firm faith in his instruction. So I am trying to follow. And by his grace, you are helping me. So actually, the responsibility will now depend on you. I am also old man. I may pass away at any moment. This movement should go on, you see, this movement started by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then accelerated by Gosvāmīs, and then again Viśvanātha Cakravartī. And when… Just like whenever there is… Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. When there is some slowness, either Kṛṣṇa Himself or some representative comes to give it a push. So you should know it, that this movement should be pushed on. This should not be neglected. And I am glad that you are catching the ideas very nicely, and try… Simple thing: you chant sincerely and follow the rules and regulation. The rules and regulation are not very strict. They are very simple. But because you are trained in a different way… But I am so pleased and obliged to you that you have adopted. I never expected. When I came first in Boston, I was thinking, "Oh, who will accept these Vaiṣṇava rules and regulations? These people are after meat and wine and illicit sex, and how they will accept it?" I was hopeless: "How they will chant?" You see? So by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at least, I am hopeful that this movement can be accepted by anyone. It is not so hopeless as I thought. But apart from my calculation, you are realizing. This movement should be pushed on. Just like great souls always think of the poor souls, similarly, you should also feel. That is the way. Lord Jesus Christ, he also prayed for the sinful persons. So this is very good. If we struggle hard to push this movement, then, even we, you don't get any follower, Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. And our business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. Hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti means one has to engage his all senses for the satisfaction. Material life means sense satisfaction for his self: "I like this. I like this. I want to do something. I want to sing something or chant something, eat something, or touch something, or taste something. This is something…" That means using the senses. That is the material life. "I want to touch such soft skin. I want to taste such, what is called, nice food. I want to smell like this. I want to walk like this." The same thing-walking, tasting, touching, or anything-should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Instead of touching something else, if we touch the sanctified lotus feet of a devotee, that touch will be utilized. Instead of eating nonsense, if we eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam, it will be all right. Instead of smelling something else, if we smell the flowers offered to Kṛṣṇa… So nothing is stopped. If you want to use your sex life, yes, you can use for producing Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Nothing is stopped. Simply it is purified. That's all. This is the whole program. There is no question of "Stop this." Stop cannot be. How it can be stopped? Suppose I am a human being. If somebody says, "Oh, you cannot eat," is it possible? I must eat. So there is no question of stopping. The question is purifying it. So… And the other philosophy is to, I mean to say, snub down forcibly, make it void, just like they say, "Just become desireless." They advocate. So how can I be desireless? Desire must be there. But I shall desire for Kṛṣṇa.

So this is very nice process. And even others do not take it very seriously or they do not come to our philosophy, if you try for it, that is your business. Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Our ācāryas will be satisfied, Guru Mahārāja will be satisfied. And yasya prasādād bhagavat… If they are satisfied, then your business is finished. You see? Not that others is satisfied or not. By your chanting some public is satisfied-no, we are not concerned with that. He may be satisfied or not satisfied. But if I chant in the proper way, then my predecessors, the ācāryas, will be satisfied. That is my business, finished, if I don't invent in my own way. So I am very glad that Kṛṣṇa has sent so many nice boys and girls to help me. Be blessed on this auspicious day. And there is nothing mine. I am simply a postal peon. I am delivering to you what I have heard from my Guru Mahārāja. Simply you also act in the same way, and you will be happy, and the world will be happy, and Kṛṣṇa will be happy, and everything will be… (end)

710215SB.GOR

His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta

Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's

Appearance Day, SB 6.3.24

Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971

Mālatī: This lecture was recorded on February 15, 1971, in the morning, and it was in Gorakhpur, in U.P., India. It was on the occasion of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī's Appearance Day. That day, we fasted in the morning up till noon time. Then we offered a regular noon meal, and in the evening time there was the feast of four preparations: puris, halavā, vegetable, and chutney.

Prabhupāda:

etāvatālam agha-nirharaṇāya puṁsāṁ

saṅkīrtanaṁ bhagavato guṇa-karma-nāmnām

vikruśya putram aghavān yad ajāmilo 'pi

nārāyaṇeti mriyamāṇa iyāya muktim

[SB 6.3.24]

So we have concluded this verse, that Yamarāja says that the holy name of the Personality of Godhead, Bhāgavata, not only His name, but also His activities and His qualities, these qualities… Last night, somebody was discussing with me saguṇa and nirguṇa. Saguṇa means, according to their version, or a standard version, saguṇa means the material quality. They worship saguṇa-rūpa. Saguṇa means forms of this material world. Sādhakānāṁ hitārthāya brāhmaṇa-rūpa-kalpanaḥ.(?) Kalpanaḥ. According to Māyāvādī school, the Absolute Truth is imperson. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also said, kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām, adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām [Bg. 12.5]. Say, for meditation, it is very difficult to meditate on impersonal feature. Therefore, they artificially think like that: "I am the whole. I am moving the stars, I am moving the moon." Or some color display is taking place. Artificially. This meditation is artificial. Therefore, they do not get any result. Simply waste time, and they remain the number one debauch, as they are. So this kind of meditation… Because they will not put any form… "The Brahman is impersonal." So how they can think of any form? It is very difficult to adjust. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām [Bg. 12.5]. They want to meditate upon impersonal Brahman, but it is very troublesome. Because Brahman is not impersonal, but force, they want to make Brahman impersonal.

So in order to mitigate this troublesome position, some of their ācāryas, Śaṅkarācārya, has said that "You imagine a form. There is no real form, but you imagine some form." And he has recommended five forms. The first form is Durgā, Śakti. The second form is Sūrya, the sun, sun worshiper. And the third form is Gaṇeśa, and the fourth form is Śiva. And the fifth form is Viṣṇu. Of course, these are the different stages of spiritual development. Durgā… Durgā means the material power, energy. So when a person is in the lowest stage of material existence, he realizes some power. That's a fact. The scientists also, they realize some power, there is some power in the material world. They go on searching after what is the ultimate power, but they cannot find it out. That is not possible. But they accept that there is some power, nature's power. So that is the stage of śakta stage, Durgā worship. Then… Power… Just like modern scientists, they also have gone to the power of the sun. That power, another power. That power is sun, and that is called saura, worshiping the sun. Just like there is a Parsi community in India. Fire worship is recommended in the Vedas. So that powerful sun, sun-god, they worship the sun. That is the stage of saura, saura stage. And then, next is the power vox populi, the power of the votes. That is the stage of Gaṇapati. Gaṇa… Gaṇa means the number of people. Just like in nationalism they are counting upon the power. In this way, they realize some sort of power, I mean to say, moving force or the soul. That is the stage of… They say, śivo 'ham. Śivo 'ham. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is the stage of śaiva. And when they expand that, that "This power, this spiritual power, soul, is all over, all-pervading, impersonal Brahman," that is… They, sometimes they accept Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu means all-pervading. But their realization of Viṣṇu is impersonal.

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was discussing with Rāmānanda Rāya what is the process of elevation, sādhya, sādhana, what is the ultimate objective, Rāmānanda Rāya quoted a verse from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa that,

varṇāśramācāravatā

puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān

viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā

nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam

[Cc. Madhya 8.58]

The beginning of real human civilization is observance of the institute of four varṇas and four āśramas. That is the beginning of civilized life. Otherwise, it is not civilized life; it is crude, uncivilized life, where there is no varṇāśrama, where there (is) no division of society according to work and quality and āśrama, spiritual life division. So Rāmānanda Rāya recommended this verse, that this is the process to satisfy the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that eho bāhya āge kaha āra, "This is external. If you know something more, better than this, you say." Why He said? There is the version, viṣṇur ārādhyate. Does it mean that He is rejecting Viṣṇu worship? No, He's not rejecting. Because generally, they, these impersonalists, Māyāvādīs, they also worship sometimes Viṣṇu, these five demigods and God. But their idea is that ultimately impersonal. The impersonal takes the form by the help of this material world. The formation takes place simply in the material. That is their opinion. Therefore they say, call, saguṇa. Saguṇa-upāsanā.

Just try to understand this. Saguṇa-upāsanā means when Brahman takes a form He takes a form from this material help. Just like we take a form, we spiritual entities. We also take a form, transmigration of the soul according to karma. I create a certain type of mentality, and that continues throughout my life. And at the time of death, because I have got a certain type of mentality, man-mentality or God-mentality or dog-mentality or fly-mentality, any kind of… There are so many. So I have to take a certain type of body. So that body I have to take not by my whim. Daivena. Daiva-netreṇa: by the decision of higher authorities. Daiva, generally, it means the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His agents. He has got many. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. So the material agent is Durgā. So I create a mentality by my association with this material world. There are three kinds of qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So one of them or mixed, I will have to accept. Because I am associating. Just like… It is not difficult. If you associate with the hippies, you will become hippie. If you associate with the hippies, you will become hippie. If you associate with the Vaiṣṇava, you become Vaiṣṇava. That is practical. So similarly, if you associate with tamo-guṇa… One of the features of tamo-guṇa is laziness and sleepy. I am against so much sleeping because it is tamo-guṇa. And the features of rajo-guṇa is very active, but for sense gratification. Just like ordinary persons, they are very active. They rise also early in the morning, they work very hard, but the whole plan is for sense gratification. That's all. That is rajo-guṇa. And sattva-guṇa means they are silent, they are sober, they know what is what, and they try for spiritual advancement. That is sattva-guṇa.

So you can understand whether a man is in sattva-guṇa or a man is in rajo-guṇa or a man is in tamo-guṇa by the symptoms of his behavior. So as we associate with different types of guṇas we develop a certain type of mentality that continues, and if it continues up to the point of death, then certainly we'll have to accept a body influenced by these guṇas. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. Yasmāt, these guṇaiḥ. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ. According to the association of guṇa, or quality, prakṛti gives you a certain type of body. The body is given by prakṛti, by nature. Therefore, nature is called mother, Durgā. Just like we develop this body exactly from the mother's womb. The father gives the seed, but the bodily ingredients, that is… Just like mother is developing the body, similarly, she is developing the child's body also, by eating, by the secretion, by development of the secretion, air. Air is solidifying the secretion. It is becoming gradually muscles, skin, bone, as it is becoming harder and harder. A very nice factory is going on. That is also by nature. And nature is working by the order of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, ultimate cause is Kṛṣṇa.

So this bodily development given by the nature is also adduced to the body of Kṛṣṇa. That is Māyāvādī philosophy. Māyāvādī philosophy means they accept Kṛṣṇa as God, but He has assumed a body which is given by this material nature, as it is given to us. That is their policy. They count Kṛṣṇa an ordinary man, on the same level. But that is not a fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa condemns this philosophy, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. "Because I appear as a human being, therefore these rascals consider that I am ordinary man." The rascals, mūḍhāḥ. Mūḍhāḥ means rascals, gādhāḥ, asses. Their designation is given by Kṛṣṇa as asses, rascals. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa [Cc. Madhya 6.169]. Because these commentaries, comments by the Māyāvādī school, is simply rascaldom. And if one hears such commentary by the Māyāvādīs, the result will be he'll be doomed. Doomed means forever… Forever, no. For very, very long time he'll not be able to understand actual his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he's doomed. And because he is not able to understand his relationship with Kṛṣṇa, he is called rākṣasa or asura. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ.

That is also condemned in Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. You'll find amongst them very, very learned men, very, very good scholar. They can quote… Intelligent men. Because their Māyāvādī commentary, they can utilize, and Kṛṣṇa gives them intelligence also, that "You misuse this verse in this way because you want…" Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān [Bg. 16.19]. Kṛṣṇa is sitting within the heart of everyone. So Māyāvādī philosopher wants to kill God, or Kṛṣṇa. Or nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi, they want to make Kṛṣṇa as zero or Kṛṣṇa as nirākāra. So Kṛṣṇa also gives them intelligence, "Yes, you just put forward this logic, that logic, that logic, and you prove." That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]. Mattaḥ, "Through Me, from Me, all remembrance or memorization takes place."

So Māyāvādī wants to prove that the ultimate truth is nirākāra, or impersonal. So Kṛṣṇa gives you intelligence: "Yes, you put this forward. Put forward this logic, this logic, that logic." Similarly, Kṛṣṇa gives… There is a Bengali proverb that how God works, that one man, a householder is praying to God, "My dear Lord, there may not be any theft case, burglary, in my home this night. Please save me." So one man is praying prayer, praying like that. Another man is praying, the thief, "My dear Lord, this night I shall commit burglary in that house. Please help me to get something." Now, what is Kṛṣṇa's position? (laughter) Kṛṣṇa is everyone's heart. So Kṛṣṇa has to satisfy so many prayers. The burglar and the thief and the householder, so many prayers. So Kṛṣṇa's adjustment… But He's still… That is Kṛṣṇa's intelligence, how He adjusts. He gives everyone freedom. And everyone is given facilities, but still He's in botheration. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises to his devotees that "Don't plan anything. You rascal, you nonsense, you don't give Me trouble. (laughter) Please surrender unto Me. Just go under My plan; you'll be happy. You are making plan, you are unhappy; I am also unhappy. I am also unhappy. (laughter) So many plans are coming daily, and I'll have to fulfill." But He's merciful. If a… Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs… [Bg. 4.11].

So except the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, everyone is simply giving Kṛṣṇa trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble. Therefore, they are called duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina, most miscreant, the miscreants. Don't make any plan. Accept Kṛṣṇa's plan. That will be simply giving trouble to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, a devotee does not pray even for his maintenance. That is pure devotee. He doesn't give trouble to Kṛṣṇa even for his bare maintenance. If he has no maintenance, he'll suffer, fasting; still, he'll not ask Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, I am very hungry. Give me some food." Of course, Kṛṣṇa is alert for His devotee, but a devotee's principle is not to place any plan to Kṛṣṇa. Let Kṛṣṇa do. Simply we have to do according to the plan of Kṛṣṇa.

So what is our plan? Our plan is, Kṛṣṇa's says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ [Bg. 18.66]. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. So our plan is the same thing. We are simply canvassing for Kṛṣṇa, that "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious." We have to show our example, how we are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, how we are worshiping Kṛṣṇa, how we are going on the street for vibrating Kṛṣṇa's name, transcendental name. Now we are distributing Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. As far as possible, our business is to induce persons how he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's all. For that reason, you can make your plan, because that is Kṛṣṇa's plan. But that should also be sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. Don't make your own manufactured, concocted plan. Therefore, to guide you, a Kṛṣṇa's representative required. That is spiritual master.

So there is a huge plan and huge scheme. Therefore we have to follow the footsteps of the mahājanas. As it is stated here, that dvādaśaite vijānīmo dharmaṁ bhāgavataṁ bhaṭāḥ. He said that "We, the selected mahājanas, representatives of Kṛṣṇa, we know what is bhāgavata-dharma, what is Kṛṣṇa dharma." Dvādaśa. Dvādaśa. The dvādaśa means twelve names, already mentioned: svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ… [SB 6.3.20]. I have explained. So Yamarāja said, "Only we, these twelve men, representatives of Kṛṣṇa, we know what is bhāgavata-dharma." Dvādaśaite vijānīmaḥ. Vijānīmaḥ means "we know." Dharmaṁ bhāgavataṁ bhaṭāḥ, guhyaṁ viśuddhaṁ durbodhaṁ yaṁ jñātvāmṛtam aśnute. "We know." Therefore it is advised, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. These mahājanas, as they have prescribed, that is the real way for understanding Kṛṣṇa, or spiritual salvation (service?).

So we are following the Brahma-sampradāya, the first, Svayambhū. Brahmā. Brahmā, then Nārada, from Nārada, Vyāsadeva. In this way, Madhvācārya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in this way. So today, because we are following the footsteps of Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, so this is, today is his appearance day. So we should honor this tithi very respectfully and pray to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī that "We are engaged in your service. So give us strength, give us intelligence. And we are being guided by your servant." So in this way we have to pray. And I think in the evening we shall distribute prasādam. Not at noon. In the evening there will be some, so many audience come. So they can be distributed prasādam, and some of the members who can come from Bhatikara, they can be also invited. So arrange for this. And at twelve o'clock, we offer puṣpāñjali. That puṣpāñjali mantra, it should be beginning… It should begin from the beginning. Not… You were singing, śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī. There are two other lines. Why do you forget that?

Haṁsadūta: Śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī…

Prabhupāda: No. Before that, there are two other lines. What is that?

Pradyumna: Namo oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine.

Prabhupāda: Why do you forget them? Yes. So you can chant this mantra and offer puṣpāñjali flower. And we shall together offer flowers. Actually, the worship is…, that is my duty. But sagoṣṭhī. Now I'll have to offer my respect with my spiritual family members, sagoṣṭhī. That is called sagoṣṭhī. Just like Vyāsadeva says, dhīmahi. He's offering prayer sagoṣṭhī, with all his followers and disciples. That is the process. So this flower offering will be done at twelve, and I think feasting will be in the evening. And after offering this puṣpāñjali, we can take our usual food. But the feasting may be done in the evening. Make like that. Because some audience, some members, visitors come, they should be given. And you can ask that Baka… Baka, his name is Baka?

Yamunā: Poddarji.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Poddarji…

Gurudāsa: Bunka. Rādhe-Shyam Bunka.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Rādhe-Shyam. And some others. And we can. You can invite… Dr. Rao is not… His brothers and his wife, and anyone we have made friends in the meantime, some of them.

Haṁsadūta: Prabhupāda, where should we place the picture?

Prabhupāda: Oh, there.

Haṁsadūta: This big picture. On the altar? Or next to the altar?

Prabhupāda: Just so there is space.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda? Where shall we serve the people?

Prabhupāda: Oh, there are so many places.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not in these rooms.

Prabhupāda: Why not this room?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And when shall it be served? After the ārati?

Prabhupāda: After ārati and little talk, that's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then we serve prasādam. And how many men would you say we should prepare for? One hundred?

Prabhupāda: That you make arrangement. You know how many people are coming. Why you are asking me?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So ordinary prasādam at noontime and feasting prasādam…

Prabhupāda: Feasting means puri and halavā and a vegetable and a chutney. That's all. Four things. Make simple.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And Prabhupāda? Do you want us to offer feast to your Guru Mahārāja at noontime? A special plate of feast?

Prabhupāda: Not a special plate. The process is that whatever we offer to the Deity, that is offered to guru. And guru offers to his guru. In this way goes to Kṛṣṇa. We don't directly offer Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. No. We have no right. Neither He accepts in that way. The pictures of the ācāryas, why there are? Actually, one has to offer the plate to his guru, and he'll offer his guru, he offers his guru, his guru. In this way it will go to Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. You cannot directly approach Kṛṣṇa or other subordinates to Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So may we offer you a special feasting?

Prabhupāda: As you do, that is all right. The process is this. Not you or you. That is the process. Then, all right. (end)

710215BA.GOR

His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta

Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's

Appearance Day, Evening

Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971

Prabhupāda: Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, my spiritual master, his advent day today. In 1922, I was at that time very much engaged in Congress activity. I was very much devout follower of Mahātmā Gandhi, and at that time, I was manager also in a very big chemical concern in Calcutta. Perhaps you may know, Dr. Bose's laboratory. One of my friends-he's still living, Śrī Narendranath Mullik-he informed me that "One saintly person has come. Let us go and see." At that time I was young man, and I did not care for very much about so-called saintly persons. Because in our house, my father used to receive so many sannyāsīs, but some of them were not very to the standard, and due to my association with college friends, younger days, I lost my faith practically, although I was born in a Vaiṣṇava family. My father was a pure Vaiṣṇava. From my childhood, he gave me Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity for worshiping. A ratha… I was playing with my boyfriends, Ratha-yātrā, Ḍola, like that. My father encouraged. So I was trained up in this line, but in my youthful age, when I was college student, gradually, by their bad association or something, gradually, I lost my activities. But when this friend, Mr. Mullik, took me to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, he immediately asked me that, "You are educated young boys. Why don't you take up Lord Caitanya's message and preach in the Western world?" In the very first sight, he told me. At that time, I argued with him that "We are dependent nation, and who is going to hear about our message?" So he defeated my argument. (aside:) There is no necessity of closing. Yes. He defeated my argument. He was learned scholar. What I was? I was still boy. So I agreed (chuckles) that I was defeated. So after finishing our visit with Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, I got some impression that "Here is a person who has taken Lord Caitanya's message very seriously. Now it will be preached." My friend asked my opinion, that "What is your opinion?" So I gave this opinion, that "Here is a person who has taken Lord Caitanya's movement very seriously, and now it will be preached."

So that was in 1922. Then, in 1923, I left Calcutta on business account, and I started my business at Allahabad. But I was always thinking of my Guru Mahārāja, although I was that time not initiated. But the impression was there. I was thinking, "I met a very nice saintly person." So in this way, I passed from 1923 to 1928, I think. Then during Kumbhamelā… (child making noise) Stop that noise he's making. In 1928 my Guru Mahārāja, along with other disciples, came to Allahabad for starting their branch there. So some gentlemen known to me might have told them that "The proprietor of such and such business, Prayāga Pharmacy, he's a very nice gentleman. He can help you in so many ways." So they came to me, and I saw the same saintly persons whom I met 1922. I was very glad to receive. In this way, my connection was more intimate with my Guru Mahārāja. And in 1936, or 1933, I was initiated officially, although I was initiated 1922. But officially, I was initiated in 1933, although from 1922 to 1933 I was always thinking of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. So in 1936, he was to pass away by 31st December. So I do not know… Out of my own accord, I wrote him one letter that "Guru Mahārāja, you have got many disciples. Some of them are directly serving you. I could not do so. I am a householder. So if you give me some direct service to you, it will be very kind of you." So he replied that letter, that "You try to preach in English language. Then the persons who will be instructed by you and both yourself will be benefited." Again, he said the same thing which he ordered me in 1922 at the first sight. Then there… He passed away 1936, 31st December.

Then there were other Godbrothers. I consulted him that "Guru Mahārāja said like this. What can I do?" So they also encouraged me. I was writing. There was a paper, Harmonist. Then, by their desires, I started this Back to Godhead in 1944. That was also started on his advent day, this advent day. Back to Godhead was started. Yes. There was a meeting, and many friends came, and we first started this Back to Godhead on his advent day, this advent day, 1944. So our paper, Back to Godhead, the advent day is also today. Yes.

Haṁsadūta: Doubly auspicious.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So at that time, there was no sale of Back to Godhead. I was publishing about one thousand copies and distributing. So there was no income. I was spending three hundred, four hundred rupees from my pocket. At that time, I had income. Then, gradually… I wanted to remain as a gṛhastha and preach, but Guru Mahārāja did not like this idea. I could understand. Sometime I was dreaming that he was calling me, and I was horrified that "I'll have to go away from home." (laughter) So at last it happened so that I left my home in 1950 and became a vānaprastha. I was living sometimes here and there. In 1959 I took sannyāsa. But that Back to Godhead was going on. Then there was some inner dictation that "This paper, Back to Godhead, I am publishing, people are taking." Some friend advised me that "Why don't you write some books? That will be nice." So then I began to translate Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And because I left home, so practically I had no income. With this Bhāgavatam, er, Back to Godhead, I was selling and I was some way or other maintaining. And whatever little money I had, that was finished.

Then, when I wrote book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam First Canto was finished. So I approached the Bhāijī of… Perhaps Mātājī knows this. (chuckles) In 1962. So I asked him that "You take this publication." So I am very much obliged to Bhāijī. He said that "Our English printing is not very efficient. You can get this book published from elsewhere. I shall partly help you." So he helped me with some money from the Dalmia Trust, and I first of all published my first part of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Then I published second part also. There was sale. Then there was no necessity of money. I was getting money by selling Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Everyone appreciated. Even the, your American Embassy here, they purchased eighteen copies, and they gave me open order that "Whenever this Bhāgavata will be published next part, subsequent parts, this is open order, eighteen copies, each part." That order is still there.

So after publishing three parts of readings(?), then automatically, Guru Mahārāja gave me indication that "Now you can start for America." So some way or other, in 1965 I went to America, with great difficulty. But I took about two hundred sets of books. The customs clearance was done, I told them that "Oh, I am taking these books for distribution. Not for sale." Anyway, they passed, and with these books I reached America. And I was maintaining myself by selling these books for one year. There was no friend, and I was living in apartment with great difficulty. Still, the whole, I mean to say, stock, and my typewriter, my tape recorder-everything was stolen. In this way, I became very much depressed, and I was going to the shipping company, "When the next ship is going for, going to India?" So they gave me such and such date. Then I thought, "Let me wait for some time more. Then I shall return back." I had return ticket, of course. There was no difficulty.

In this way, 1966, by selling these books, I had only $200, and I dared to take one apartment and storefront. Storefront one $125 per month, and apartment $75. So I had only $200 dollars. So I advanced him $200. I did not know how to pay next month's rent. So I started in 1966, lecturing in a storefront and living in that apartment in 26 Second Avenue. Then gradually, these boys, American boys and girls, began to come. And then I started my kīrtana in Tompkinson Square. More and more, these younger Americans, they came to me, and things were organized. Then I registered this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Society under religious act of New York in 1966, and gradually people took interest. People means the younger section. All the boys and girls, they were from sixteen… Not all sixteen, but there were sixteen. Kṛṣṇa dāsa was at that time sixteen years old. And… Between twenty to thirty. Only, I think, Keith-now Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja-he was at that time twenty-nine. Hayagrīva was, I think, twenty-nine. So in this way… This Hayagrīva, I met him on the street. After renting the apartment and storefront, when I was returning, this Hayagrīva, Professor Howard Wheeler, he was philosophically minded. So he asked me, "Swamijī, are you coming from India?" So I told, "Yes, I am coming from India." So, "Are you interested in Indian philosophy?" "Yes, sir." "So why don't you come? I have taken one storefront and apartment." So I came back. I showed him, "Here is my storefront and apartment. You come in the evening." So… (Hindi)

So the Hayagrīva and Kīrtanānanda, Keith, and some other boys, I think, Satsvarūpa…

Pradyumna: Ravīndra Svarūpa?

Prabhupāda: Ravīndra, yes, yes, he was there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mukunda.

Prabhupāda: Mukunda. In this way, five or six students used to come. Gradually, it developed. Then we started next branch in San Francisco, next branch in Montreal, next branch in Buffalo, Boston. In this way… Now we have got forty-five branches. So practically, we began work from 1968. '66 I started, but… And '67 I became very much sick. So I came back to India, and again I went there in 1968. Practically, this propaganda work began vigorously from 1968. So from 1968, '69, '70, and this, '71. So three, four years, all these branches have grown up, and now practically, throughout the whole continent, Europe and America, they know what is Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Due it to our propaganda. Just like these boys. You have seen they are chanting and dancing. We send street saṅkīrtana even the most busiest quarter of New York, Fifth Avenue. And they go. The American boys, they are very daring. Sometimes police arrest them. And police is not harassing. The public and police, both, they are now sympathetic, that "Here is a movement which is actually genuine and very beneficial to our people." They are sympathetic. And even some of the Christian priests, they are also very sympathetic. They say that "These boys, American boys, they are our boys. They're so nice that they're mad after God, but we could not give them. Swamijī has given them." So they appreciate. Actually, these boys, they come from Christian family, Jewish family. There are many churches in America. I was surprised. When I first went to Butler, that's a small county, but I saw there about dozen of churches. So I thought the American people are very religiously-minded. And actually so. The history of the American people, mostly they came from England for this religious purpose. So they migrated in America for being religiously advanced.

So American people, I very much appreciate them. They are religious. They have got very good potency for understanding God consciousness. That is my opinion. And I do not know why I was inclined to go to America. It was also Kṛṣṇa's desire. Because I thought that "If this movement, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement… " Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

That is His prediction, that "As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the globe, everywhere, this message of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and Lord Caitanya's name will be there." So I thought that "I should go to America. If the American people take it seriously, then other people will take it." So actually, that is happening. These boys are so enthusiastic in preaching that on my word, they are going any part of the world. Any part of the world. They are prepared to go any part of the world. And just now I received one letter from my disciple Śrīmān Upendra dāsa. He does not know Hindi, and in the Fiji Island there are many Indians, but still, he is making propaganda. He's simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra door to door. They are also husband and wife. And people are very much appreciating.

So my Guru Mahārāja's desire and Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prediction is now being fulfilled. At least, it has begun to be fulfilled. So it is a genuine movement, authorized movement, and India's original culture. So our appeal to the Indian people, that "You should take seriously about this movement and try to cooperate with us." That will be glorification for Indian culture. At the present moment, India is known as very poor, poverty-stricken country. People are under impression that "They are beggars. They have got nothing to give. They simply come here to beg." Actually, our ministers go there and, for some begging purpose: "Give us rice, give us wheat, give us money, give us soldiers." That is their business. But this movement, for the first time, India is giving something to them. It is not a begging propaganda; it is giving propaganda. Because they are hankering after this substance, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have enjoyed enough of this material consciousness. The material consciousness means to enjoy sex life and drink and have sufficient money. These three items, they have got sufficient, immense. There are… So far material comforts, oh, there is no conception in India how they are materially comfortable. Their roads, their cars, their machines… You cannot imagine how American roads are there. There are freeways. In America, there are freeways: without any stoppage you can run your car in seventy mile speed, and four cars going up and four cars going down. And road just like velvet. (laughter) Our roads… So there is no comparison of their materially advancement. So I always… When I run in some freeway… These boys run our cars. And you'll be very pleased that in each and every temple we have got at least four cars, nice. Especially one car for me and two cars for carrying them for saṅkīrtana movement. Very good arrangement. Better than any temple in India. If you go sometimes… I request you to go. But one condition: that you have to become Life Member. (laughter) But if you go, will be very much pleased in our temples. And this Dr. Rao… Perhaps you know, he is a professor in your Gorakhpur University. He was a research scholar, atomic research scholar. His wife is sitting here. So he's still. So he was very much captivated with the temple worship, and there he became my disciple.

So our temple is very nice. Just like this temple, you see practically how they are managing. Here, of course, we have no facility. But in other temples we have got very nice decorated. There is chandelier and… If you see, we have got pictures. It is very nice. So this movement is increasing, and our branches are increasing, practically, every month one branch. And these boys are doing very enthusiastically. So why not spread this movement in India? It is India's culture. Why Indians are lacking? That is my… I have brought them to show you example. This is a genuine movement, Kṛṣṇa. People are harassed, "Where is God?" Kṛṣṇa, here is God. Why don't you take Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. And Kṛṣṇa's order is there in the Bhagavad-gītā: man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām… [Bg. 18.65]. Why you are misusing this Bhagavad-gītā? You take it very seriously, and let there be a successful world movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And people will be happy. Actually, that is the peace formula.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

[Bg. 5.29]

Śānti means to understand Kṛṣṇa, or God, as the supreme enjoyer. Here, in the material world, everyone wants to be enjoyer. That is not possible. Not everyone is enjoyer; everyone is servant. But his misconception is that "I am enjoyer." That is called māyā, illusion. He's not enjoyer. He's servant. So Kṛṣṇa therefore says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Sarva-dharmān, we have created some dharma. Some dharma is for lording it over the material nature. Karmīs. The karmīs are trying to lord it over the material nature, all resources. Working hard, day and night, how to lord it over the material world. This is one dharma. Another dharma, when the karmī's frustrated because he cannot enjoy… Because he is not enjoyer. Artificially, he is trying to enjoy. Then, when he's frustrated, then he says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The brahma is satya, and this world is false." Then he becomes a sannyāsī, a renouncer. But he cannot live in that renouncement platform. And then he again comes back to this material world and engages himself in some philanthropic work: "Let us open hospital. Let us open schools and college…" If the brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā… If the world is mithyā, false, why you are again, a sannyāsī, you are coming again back to this platform? That means he's not satisfied in so-called brahma satyam. Practically, he has no realization of Brahman. Therefore he comes back again. And that is, I mean to say, indicated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Persons who are thinking that "I have become liberated. I have become Nārāyaṇa. I have become God. I have become Brahman." Brahman, everyone is Brahman. That's a fact. But there is another Param Brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]-Kṛṣṇa.

So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they mistake that "Param Brahman or myself-all the same." No. That is not the fact. Therefore, without having shelter of the Param Brahman, he falls down again in this material world. Ārūhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta yuṣmad aṅghrayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. Because he has no information of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he falls down again to the material platform. So just like pendulum, the clock pendulum, tock, tock, tock-sometimes he's renouncer and sometimes he's enjoyer. Sometimes he's accepting… For example… Don't take it otherwise. Just like our national father, he renounced everything. But renounced for what? Greater enjoyment, that his countrymen will be happy. "The Britishers will go away, and we shall get independence, and we shall be enjoyer." You see? So this renouncement or that… Again, renouncement for enjoyment. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say "Renounce this whole…" Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Jagan mithyā. "But I want to be one with that Supreme." That is for greater enjoyment. "I have failed to enjoy this world even after becoming prime minister or big man. Now I'll become God."

So this kind of philosophy will not make you happy. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. We have created dharma in two categories: one for enjoyment and one for renouncement. Both these things have to be given up. Neither enjoyment, nor renouncement. Then what is this philosophy? The philosophy is that you cannot renounce anything. Because what is the value of your renouncement? You haven't got anything. Everything belongs to God. So what you can renounce? Similarly, what you can enjoy if everything belongs to God? Īśāvasya. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ [Bg. 5.29]. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the enjoyer. I am the proprietor." So if Kṛṣṇa is proprietor, if Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, then how you can renounce? The proprietor is somebody else, so what is the value of your renouncement? You are sitting in this room. While going away, if you say, "I renounce this room," what is the meaning of this renouncement? When this room belonged to you? You have come here for some time and sitting here for one or two hours. That does not mean you possess it. Similarly, we come here empty-handed; we leave here, say, fifty years or hundred years. When I become proprietor? This is another māyā, renouncement. As enjoyment is another māyā, similarly, renouncement. So we have to give up this renouncement or enjoyment. We have to take the real position, that "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, or God. We have simply to serve Kṛṣṇa." That is bhakti-yoga. That will give you actual peace. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. You simply supply ingredients of His enjoyment; then you'll be happy. Because He is enjoyer. And bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. And He is the proprietor. So this attitude… Of course, they may criticize that "The bhaktas, the Vaiṣṇavas, they have got slave mentality." Some so-called philosopher remarked like that. But that is not slave mentality. That is the actual position. That we get information from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. We are eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. And mukti means svarūpenāvasthitiḥ. When you are situated as servant of Kṛṣṇa, that is mukti. And so long you are falsely claiming that "I am enjoyer, I am proprietor," that is māyā. That is our philosophy. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for that. We are… [break]

…that this movement is not new. It was long, long ago started. Even before five thousand years, when Kṛṣṇa spoke this philosophy to Arjuna, He said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. Formerly, He spoke to Vivasvān, the sun-god. Manu. Manu understood this philosophy from Vivasvān. That means four hundred millions of years ago. So it is not a new movement. It is very old. Just like Kṛṣṇa is very old. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam [Bs. 5.33]. Purāṇa means very old. Purāṇa means very old. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca: at the same time, very youthful. Similarly, this movement is very, very old, but it appears very fresh. Because it is spiritual, it is ever-fresh. So you take to this movement very seriously, and all of you will be very happy. That is our request. We are presenting this movement all over the world, and anyone who has taken, he is happy. But one must be sincere and serious. Then it will act.

Thank you very much.

Haṁsadūta: The preceding lecture was recorded on February 15, the evening of the appearance day of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Gosvāmī Mahārāja Prabhupāda, at 3 Kṛṣṇa Niketana, in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. (end)

750302BA.ATL

His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta

Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's

Appearance Day, Lecture

Atlanta, March 2, 1975

Prabhupāda: Today is the most auspicious day, 101 years ago, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he appeared on this day. So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is gaura-śakti. Gaura-śakti means empowered, empowered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He wanted His mission to be broadcast… (aside:) What is that sound? …all over the world. He desired:

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

Pṛthivīte, all over the world, as many towns and villages are there, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted that His mission will spread. This prediction was made by Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally five hundred years ago.

So perhaps my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, attempted to fulfill the desire of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And sometimes in the year 1918, he was brahmacārī, and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, his material father, he wanted… Actually, he wanted, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura… Of course, everyone wanted. But he wrote one small book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Teachings and Precepts of Lord Caitanya, in 1896. And he presented that book to the McGill University in Canada. And he very much desired that the foreigners, especially Americans, would join this movement. That was his desire in 1896. And then, in 1918, my Guru Mahārāja started with this mission one institution known as Gauḍīya Math. Perhaps some of you know the name, Gauḍīya Math. And he was trying to spread this message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and by chance or by prediction, as you think, I was taken to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura by one of my friends. I did not want to go there, but he forcibly took me there. Yes. And he ordered me that "You preach the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu in English language. This is very much essential." So on the first meeting he told me like that. That was my first meeting with him. So at that time I was in favor of Gandhi's movement. So I said that "We are not independent-subjugated. Who will hear about our message?" So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura refuted my argument. I was very much pleased. I had so many talks. But I was very much pleased to be defeated, that "This so-called nationalism or any ism, they are all temporary. Real need is the self-realization."

So I was convinced. But at that time, although he wanted me to immediately join him and spread this movement, so at that time I was a married man, young man. I was married in 1918. And I got a son also at that time, 1921. And in 1922 I met him. At that time I was manager in a big chemical factory. So I thought that "I am married man. I have got so many responsibilities. How I can join immediately? It is not my duty." Of course, that was my mistake. I should have joined immediately. (laughter) I should have taken the opportunity immediately. But māyā is there. So I thought like that. So that's a long history. Then in 1954, no, not 1954, 1968, when I was fifty-four years old… Nineteen fifty-four, yes. Nineteen fifty-four, I was at that time fifty-eight years. So I left home, and I was living alone. Then, 1958, I took sannyāsa, and then I decided to take up the responsibility of my Guru Mahārāja. I thought that "My other Godbrothers are trying, so I am not capable to do it. They are better situated." But somehow or other, they could not do very much, appreciative activities, in this connection.

So when I was seventy years old I decided, "Now I must do and execute the order of my Guru Mahārāja. And thus this movement was started in 1965 from New York. And I was not very much hopeful because it is very difficult task, just opposite the European and Western culture. I came… When I first came, I had no money. So I got a free passage through some Indian steam navigation company. So I came by ship. So when I was on the ship at Boston port, Commonwealth port, I was thinking that "I have come here. I do not know what is the purpose because how the people will accept this movement? They are differently educated, and as soon as I will say, 'So, my dear sir, you have to give up meat-eating and illicit sex and no intoxication and gambling,' they will say, 'Please go home.' " (laughter) Because that was the experience of one of my Godbrother. He went to London, and he had the opportunity to talk with one big man, Marquis of Zetland. Marquis of Zetland was formerly governor of Bengal. At that time I was student. He was Scotsman, and I was student of the Scottish Churches' College. So he came to see our college, and he was standing in front of me in the second-year class. So he was very nice, good gentleman. So he proposed to my Godbrother, "Whether you can make me a brāhmaṇa?" So my Godbrother proposed, "Yes, we can make anyone brāhmaṇa provided you follow this principle: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." So that Lord Zetland immediately replied, "Impossible." (laughter) So I was thinking that "I will propose something which is impossible. Anyway, let me try."

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Prabhupāda: So now, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu and in the presence of my Guru Mahārāja, you are so nice boys and girls. So in front of Caitanya Mahāprabhu you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and you are taking part in it very seriously. So my Guru Mahārāja will be very, very much pleased upon you and bless you with all benefits.

So he wanted this, and he is not… It is not that he is dead and gone. That is not spiritual understanding. Even ordinary living being, he does not die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. And what to speak of such exalted, authorized personality like Bhaktisiddhānta. He is seeing. I never feel that I am alone. Of course, when I came to your country without any friend, without any means… Practically, just like a vagabond I came. But I had full faith that "My Guru Mahārāja is with me." I never lost this faith, and that is fact. There are two words, vāṇī and vapuḥ. Vānī means words, and vapuḥ means this physical body. So vāṇī is more important than the vapuḥ. Vapuḥ will be finished. This is material body. It will be finished. That is the nature. But if we keep to the vāṇī, to the words of spiritual master, then we remain very fixed up. It doesn't matter. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. It was spoken five thousand years ago. But if you keep to the words of Kṛṣṇa, then it is always fresh and guiding. Not that because Arjuna personally listened to Kṛṣṇa about the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, therefore he knew it. That is not the fact. If you accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you should know that Kṛṣṇa is present before you in His words in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is called spiritual realization. It is not mundane historical incidences. If we keep…

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

sa kāleneha (mahatā)

yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

[Bg. 4.2]

If you don't keep in touch with the original link, then it will be lost. And if you keep touch with the original link, then you are directly hearing Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's representative, spiritual master, if you keep always intact, in link with the words and instruction of the superior authorities, then you are always fresh. This is spiritual understanding. Na jāyate na mrīyate vā kadācit nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇo [Bg. 2.20]. Purāṇaḥ means very old. Just like Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Being. He must be very old because He is the original person. But the Brahma-saṁhitā says, advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣa nava-yauvanaṁ ca [Bs. 5.33]. Purāṇa-puruṣa, the oldest person, but you will find Him nava-yauvanaṁ ca, always a fresh youth. That is God. God is not a material, that it gets old. The body gets old.

So you are hearing this philosophy daily. Try to understand more and more. We have got so many books. And this is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and, by disciplic succession, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, then my spiritual master. Then we are trying our level best. Similarly, you will also try your level best on the same principle. Then it will go on. Same principle. It doesn't matter whether one is born in India or outside India. No. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma, "As many towns and cities and villages are there," He did not say it to make a farce. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So sometimes I am very much criticized that I am making foreigners a brāhmaṇa. The caste brāhmaṇas in India, they are very much against me. But this is not fact. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that all over the world His message will be broadcast, does it mean that it will be simply a cinema show? No. He wanted that everyone should become perfect Vaiṣṇava. That is His purpose. It is not to make a farce, some lecturing and…, or some mutual praising society. No. It is Krishna Society. Everyone who will join this Krishna Society movement, he is more than a brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa, what is brāhmaṇa? Brāhmaṇa is also material. A devotee is more than brāhmaṇa. The brahminical culture is included already. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ: "Brāhmaṇa means one who knows the Absolute Truth, Brahman." He is brāhmaṇa. But that is not very fixed up. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. Brahman is impersonal effulgence, and then further progress, realization of the localized aspect, Paramātmā, Antaryāmī, and finally, understanding the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, Supreme Person, that is the final understanding.

So people cannot understand that how the Supreme, the origin of everything, can be a person. That is their difficulty. Because they are thinking, "A person, God? How it is possible. God is great, and He is the creator of everything. How a person can do that?" Yes. That is the Vedic version.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

He is the cause of Brahman. He is the cause of Supersoul. So ordinary man cannot understand. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣiṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. It requires Kṛṣṇa's grace to understand Him.

So try to receive Kṛṣṇa's grace through the disciplic succession, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then you will understand everything. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau [ŚU 6.23]. This is the process, Vedic process. One should have unflinching faith in God and spiritual master. Don't jump over God, crossing the spiritual master. Then it will be failure. You must go through. We are observing Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony, the birth anniversary of our Guru Mahārāja. Why? We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa without spiritual master. That is bogus. If anyone wants to understand Kṛṣṇa, jumping over the spiritual master, then immediately he becomes a bogus. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. That is Vedic injunction. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. Nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa without going through His most confidential servant. This is the meaning of this Vyāsa-pūjā. You cannot surpass. If you think that you have become very learned and very advanced, now you can avoid the spiritual master and you understand Kṛṣṇa, that is the bogus. That is the meaning of this Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony. We should always pray, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Yasya prasādād, only by the grace of spiritual master we can achieve the grace or mercy of Kṛṣṇa. This is the meaning of this Vyāsa-pūjā, offering obeisances by paramparā system.

So you have taken a very nice line of activities, spiritual activities. Of course, as far as possible, we have tried to give you instruction, books. But remain always faithful to the spiritual master and try to understand Kṛṣṇa. And if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Janma karma ca divyaṁ me yo jānāti tattvataḥ. The human life is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of life. Any other so-called understanding, that is simply waste of time because we are under the grip of the material nature. You may be very learned scholar. You may be a fool. It doesn't matter. You are under the laws of material nature. So before finishing this small span of life… We have got this human form of life. It will be finished, as the cats' and dogs' life also finished. But if we try through the guru and Vaiṣṇava, then, we can achieve in this life the full success, not failure like cats' and dogs' life. That is the opportunity. So as far as possible, we are trying to lead you in this line, and you kindly follow. Then your life will be successful. That is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He wanted to deliver these fallen souls, the conditioned souls rotting in this material world. So Kṛṣṇa Himself… Kṛṣṇa comes Himself, Kṛṣṇa sends His devotees, Kṛṣṇa comes as devotee-just to execute this mission to reclaim the fallen souls from the clutches of illusory energy, material world.

Thank you very much. (end)

760221BA.MAY

His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta

Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's

Appearance Day, Lecture

Māyāpur, February 21, 1976

Prabhupāda: Today, the auspicious day of our predecessor spiritual master, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura's mission… Apart from his life, we are especially stressing on the mission of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. This place, Māyāpur, was formerly known as Miyapura. Mostly it is inhabited by the Muhammadans. Some way or other it converted into the name of Miyapura instead of Māyāpur. Still, people are very much doubtful where is the birth site of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was researching to find out the actual place. So under the direction of Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, this present Yogapīṭha was ascertained to be the birth site of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in the beginning wanted to develop this place very gloriously, befitting the holy name of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So he started this movement of developing Māyāpur. He could not finish it, so it was handed down to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. So under his effort, assisted by his disciples, this place has gradually developed, and our attempt is also to develop this place. Therefore we have named this temple Māyāpur Chandrodaya. We have got great ambition to develop this place nicely and gloriously, and fortunately we are now connected with foreign countries, especially with the Americans. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's great desire was that the Americans would come here and develop this place and they would chant and dance along with the Indians.

So his dream as well as Caitanya Mahāprabhu's foretelling,

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired that all Indians to take part.

bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra.

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, para-upakāra. Para-upakāra means to do good to others. Of course, in the human society there are many different branches of doing good to others-welfare societies-but more or less… Why more or less? Almost completely they think that this body is our self and to do some good to the body is welfare activities. But actually that is not welfare activities because in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand very clearly, antavanta ime dehaḥ nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. This body is antavat. Anta means it will be finished. Everyone knows his body is not permanent; it will be finished. Anything material-bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]-it has a date of birth, it stays for some time, and then it annihilates. So the spiritual education begins from the understanding that "I am not this body." This is spiritual education. In the Bhagavad-gītā the first instruction given by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna is this, that we are not this body. Because Arjuna was speaking from the bodily platform, so Kṛṣṇa chastised him that aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: [Bg. 2.11] "Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned man, but you are lamenting on the subject matter on which no learned man laments." Aśocyān anvaśocas tvam.

So such kind of welfare activity concerning the body, like hospital and so many other things, they are good undoubtedly, but the ultimate goal is to see the interest of the soul. That is ultimate goal. That is the whole Vedic instruction. And Kṛṣṇa begins from this point. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā [Bg. 2.13]. So when Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to do some para-upakāra…

bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

(manuṣya) janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

These welfare activities did not mean that welfare to this body. It was meant for the soul, the same thing as Kṛṣṇa wanted to impress upon Arjuna, that "You are not this body. You are soul." Antavanta ime dehaḥ nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. So real welfare activity means to see to the interest of the soul. So what is the interest of the soul? The interest of the soul is that the soul is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, God. Just like small spark of fire is part and parcel of the big fire, similarly, we living entities, we are very minute, small spark of the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman, or Kṛṣṇa. So as the spark within the fire looks very beautiful, the fire also looks beautiful, and the spark also looks beautiful, but as soon as the sparks fall down from the fire, it becomes extinguished.

So our condition is that the… Our present position is that we are fallen down from the whole fire, Kṛṣṇa. This is explained in a simple Bengali language:

kṛṣṇa bhūliyā jīva bhoga vāñchā kare

pasate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

Māyā means darkness, ignorance. So this example is very nice. The sparks of the fire dancing very nicely with fire, it is also illuminating. But as soon as it fall down on the ground, it becomes cinder, black cinder, no more fiery quality. Similarly, we are meant for dancing and playing and walking and living with Kṛṣṇa. That is our real position. That is the Vṛndāvana. Everyone… Everyone is connected with Kṛṣṇa. There the trees, there the flowers, water, the cows, the calves, the cowherd boys, or elderly cowherd men, Nanda Mahārāja, other persons of his age, then Yaśodāmayī, mother, then gopīs-in this way Vṛndāvana life, Vṛndāvana picture. Kṛṣṇa comes with full Vṛndāvana picture, and He demonstrates His Vṛndāvana life, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu, just to attract us, that "You are trying to enjoy in this material world, but here you cannot enjoy because you are eternal. You cannot get eternal life here. So you come to Me. You come to Me." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. (aside:) Please ask them to wait for prasādam. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti. This is the invitation. Mām eti: "He comes back to home, back to Godhead." This is the whole instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. And at the end He said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Why you are bothering yourself, manufacturing so many plans to adjust material life? That is not possible. Here it is not possible. Here so long you are in material association, then you have to change the body. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni… [Bg. 3.27]. Prakṛti-stho. What is that verse? Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho 'pi…

Hṛdayānanda: Bhuñjate prakṛti-jān guṇān.

Prabhupāda: Ha. Bhuñjate prakṛti-jān guṇān. So long the living entity is in this material world, he has to associate with the different modes of material nature. The same example. Just like the fire spark falls down on the ground. So ground, they have got different situation. One situation is dry grass, one situation is wet grass, and one situation is simply ground. So similarly, there are three position: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So sattva-guṇa means if the spark falls down on the dry grass, then it ignites the grasses. So in the sattva-guṇa, prakāśa, this fiery quality is demonstrated. But if it falls down on the water, wet ground, then it is completely extinguished. Three stages. Similarly, when we come down to this material world, if we associate with the sattva-guṇa, then there is some hope of spiritual life. And if we are rajo-guṇa there is no hope, and tamo-guṇa, there is no hope. Rajas-tamaḥ. Rajas-tamo-bhāva kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. Rajas-tamaḥ. If we associate with rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, then our desires will be lusty and greediness. Kāma-lobhādayaś ca. Tato rajas-tamo-bhāva kāma-lobhādayaś ca. And if we increase our sattva-guṇa quality, then this kāma-lobhādaya, these two things, will not touch us. We may be little aloof from kāma-lobha. So if in the sattva-guṇa… This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛtsatām

[SB 1.2.17]

So we have to transcend all these three qualities, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, especially rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. If we do not try to do that, then there is no hope of spiritual salvation or liberation from the material entanglement. But in the Kali-yuga there is no practically sattva-guṇa, simply rajas, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, especially tamo-guṇa. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthaḥ [Bg. 14.18]. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

So from this place Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu started this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, throughout whole India, and He desired that pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma: "So as many towns and villages are there, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be spread." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is now in your hand. Of course, in 1922 Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he wanted me to do something in this connection. He wanted from his, all his disciples. Especially he stressed many times that "You do this. Whatever you have learned, you try to expand in English language." And in 1933, when he was in Rādhā-kunḍa, I was at that time Bombay in connection with my business life. So I came to see him, and one friend wanted to give some land in Bombay for starting Bombay Gauḍīya Maṭha. He's my friend. So that's a long story, but I wish to narrate this, the Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī's mission. So at that time one of my Godbrother was also present. He reminded me about my friend's donation, and Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda immediately took up the land. He continued that "There is no need of establishing many temples. Better we publish some books." He said like that. He said that "We started our, this Gauḍīya Maṭha in Ultadanga. The rent was very small, and if we could gather 2 to 250 rupees, it was very nice, going on. But since this J.V. Datta(?) has given us this stone, marble stone Ṭhākurabari, our competition between the disciples have increased, so I don't like anymore. Rather, I would prefer to take out the marble stone and sell it and publish some books." So I took that point, and he also especially advised me that "If you get money, you try to publish books." So by his blessing it has become very successful by your cooperation. Now our books are being sold all over the world, and it is very satisfactory sale. So on this particular day of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura's advent, try to remember his words, that he wanted that many books should be published about our philosophy and it should be given to the English-knowing public especially, because English language is now world language. We are touring all over the world. So anywhere we speak English, it is understood, except in some places. So on this day, particular on the advent of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, I'd especially request my disciples who are cooperating with me that try to publish books as many as possible and distribute throughout the whole world. That will satisfy Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as well as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

770208BA.MAY

His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta

Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda's

Appearance Day, Lecture

Māyāpur, February 8, 1977

Pradyumna: The lecture is now, then we'll have ārati.

Prabhupāda: So this is the one-hundred-third birth anniversary. You may remember? One-hundred-third this is? One-hundred-third anniversary?

Pradyumna: 1972, 1977 it is. One-hundred-fourth. One-hundred-fifth.

Hari-śauri: One-hundred-fifth.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, this is the auspicious day of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, one-hundred-fourth?

Pradyumna: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: One-hundred-third birth anniversary. So this is formal, one-hundred-third or, or, or -second. It is eternal. It is eternal. Just like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described, nitya-līlā. Nitya-līlā means it is going on. Just like just now it is eleven o'clock. This eleven o'clock, and when it becomes twelve o'clock noon, it does not mean that eleven o'clock is passed. Eleven o'clock is existing somewhere. In India it is eleven o'clock, somewhere else it is ten o'clock, and when in India it will be twelve o'clock that eleven o'clock will be somewhere else. Therefore one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, you take, that is going on. It is not that one is finished. That is material calculation. Material calculation, this body we have got. When this body will be finished it is finished forever. It will never come. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. In the spiritual world there is no such thing as finished. Nitya-līlā. Nitya-mukta. We have to understand that. In the material world, one minute's lost, it is lost forever. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has given us instruction from the material point of view,

āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi

na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ

sacen nirārthakaṁ nītaḥ

kā ca hānis tato 'dhikaḥ

Āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi. Suppose I shall live fifty years or hundred years maximum. So out of them, one moment lost, it will be never returned. From our birth, when a child is born we ask the parents when the child is born. The parents say, "This child was born in the morning, ten o'clock." So if the child is born at ten o'clock and I am asking at eleven o'clock, the one hour life of the child lost. Eleven o'clock means child has already died one hour out of his one hundred years.

So for Vaiṣṇava it is not like that. It is not like that. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. This is material calculation: one hour lost, two hours lost, body's life is transient…, it is losing one moment, one hour. But spiritual life is different. Nityaḥ śāśvato yam, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. So, as Kṛṣṇa comes, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg. 4.7]. Kṛṣṇa is eternal, but still, He appears. The same example. Just like the sun is in the sky but we see in the morning it appears; in the evening it retires. That is defectness of our eyes. Actually the sun is always there. So similarly Vaiṣṇava, as Kṛṣṇa comes, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir. Similarly, a Vaiṣṇava means the confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, he also comes for some purpose by the order of the master. So their life and Kṛṣṇa's life, it is same. There is no question of past, present, future. Nityaḥ. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. So they are the same thing as the appearance and disappearance of sun. And Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, our master, spiritual master, he also came in this world to execute some mission of life or mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So he executed it, and when it was required, he left this place and went to another place to do the same business. Just like the sun rises at six o'clock and seven o'clock there is six o'clock in another place, and it is eight o'clock another place. It is going on. Nitya-līlā.

So we have nothing to lament for disappearance. We should simply remember his activities. That is Vaiṣṇava-you cannot understand the activities of the Vaiṣṇava, but they come, any Vaiṣṇava comes, for some particular mission. Prahlāda Mahārāja,

naivodvije para duratyayā-vaitaraṇyās

tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ

śoce tato vimukha-cetasa (indriyārtha-)

māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān

[SB 7.9.43]

Prahlāda Mahārāja said to Nṛsiṁhadeva, "My Lord, I have nothing to grieve, because wherever I shall sit down, glorifying Your activities, I immediately become merged into the ocean of nectarine. So I have nothing to grieve. But one thing I am sorry, I am in grief for these vimūḍhas." Vimūḍhān. Mūḍha means rascal, and vimūḍhai, particularly rascals. Every living being within this material world, they are mūḍhas because they are forgetting their relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Mūḍho nābhijānāti māṁ param avyayam. This is mūḍha. All living entities more or less, we are all mūḍhas, particularly vimūḍhān, because there are different types of living entities. Jalajā nava-lakṣani sthāvarā lakṣā viṁśati kṛmayo, species of life.

So the evolution is going on. When we come to this stage of human form of life, here is a chance to get out of this evolutionary process. This is the chance. Asatim, caturam caiva brahma jīva-jātesu. In the Padma Purāṇa the evolutionary theory…Not theory. It is fact. Darwin's evolutionary theory it may be, but in the Vedic literature the evolutionary theory it is existing since very, very, millions of… It is not crazy fellow's evolutionary theory. It is fact. So in this evolutionary theory, fact, we see that the, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, bahunāṁ sambhavān [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many evolution, millions of years, we get this chance of human being, to become human being. In this human form of life, if we still remain a mūḍha, then we are vimūḍhān. Vimūḍhān means, vi means viśeṣa. Here is chance. And Kṛṣṇa personally is giving his instruction to the human being. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is the chance. But still, we are not accepting. Therefore vimūḍhān. Mūḍha, the cats and dogs, they cannot understand. If we give instruction to the dog, "My dear dog, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa…" But a human being, either he may be known to Kṛṣṇa or not known to Kṛṣṇa, he can be trained up. Just like in your country, in Europe and America, they did not know even what Kṛṣṇa. But since we have started this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you have become so many devotees of Kṛṣṇa. That is possible because human being. They can be trained up. So in spite of all these facilities for the human being, if he's not trained up to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he is vimūḍha. He does not take the advantage. Na mām… This human form of life, he is classified as duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. He's described. He must be either of these categories. So things have degraded so low that India they're asking what is God. This is Kali-yuga. In India, where Kṛṣṇa comes personally, where Lord Rāmacandra comes, where Lord Buddha comes, where Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes, in that country now young men are asking, "What is God?" This is Kali-yuga.

So we should not remain vimūḍha. We should become intelligent. And to make us intelligent, Kṛṣṇa comes, Kṛṣṇa's devotees come, some messenger comes. And Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is one of the messengers of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And not only he preached, but he trained up many disciples to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. So by his grace we are also endeavoring to do something. This is called paramparā system. So we should take advantage of this Vaiṣṇava mission. As Caitanya… Prahlāda Mahārāja said, they are very anxious. Vaiṣṇava means para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Kṛpaṁbudhir yas tam, ahaṁ prapadye [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Vaiṣṇava… Our Guru Mahārāja Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he is Vaiṣṇava, cent percent Vaiṣṇava. And he was para-duḥkha-duḥkhi. This is Vaiṣṇava. He criticized nirjana bhajana. He has personally written one song, mana tumi kīsera vaiṣṇava. Nirjanera ghare pratiṣṭhāra tare, tava hari-nāma kevala kaitava. Mana tumi kīsera vaiṣṇava. He has in long song… Pratiṣṭhā… Vaiṣṇava means he doesn't want any material profit or material opulence or material reputation. He doesn't want. This is… But in the material world everyone is busy for three things-material profit, material reputation, and material adoration. This is not Vaiṣṇava's business. Vaiṣṇava never cares for all these things. Vaiṣṇava is always thinking how to do good to the suffering humanity. Lokānāṁ-hita-kāriṇau. About Six Gosvāmīs it is said, nānā-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau. This is Vaiṣṇava. Nānā-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipuṇau. In the śāstra everything is there. Just like Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given us Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu to understand what is bhakti. We have tried to translate it into English, the Nectar of Devotion. So, why? Rūpa Gosvāmī was the minister in the government of Hussain Shah. Very opulent position. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau. They resigned the high post of ministership and joined Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu for pushing on and on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau.

So Vaiṣṇava means para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. They are simple thinking…There are so many politicians and humanitarians and so many. But nobody knows how to do good to others. Nobody knows. They do not know. The real fact is, as Kṛṣṇa explains Himself, that

aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā

dharmasyāsya parantapa

mām aprāpya nivartante

mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (sic:)

[Bg. 9.3]

This is the real suffering of the humanity. I especially speak humanity because in the human form of life one can actually understand what is the position, what is the value of life. The value of life one should understand that we are in the cycle of birth and death. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. Once we take birth and again we die. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānu-darśanam [Bg. 13.9]. So one should be intelligent to understand that I am eternal. I learn from Bhagavad-gītā and Vedic literature that ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am eternal." Why I am dying? This is intelligence. This is intelligence. Otherwise cats and dogs. A dog, a cat, does not know why he is dying. Neither he knows that he is eternal. But a human being can take information from the śāstra that he is eternal and he does not die on the destruction of the body. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. Kṛṣṇa is giving this information. Tathā dehāntara. This is our real unhappiness. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. But if we are kept in darkness about this and simply we become busy with some superficial things, bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu, durāśayā. It is durāśayā. So all these leaders, the political leaders, they do not know what is the value of life. The durāśayā, with some hope which will never be fulfilled, they are busy with that. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava is para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. He knows what is the real suffering of humanity and he tries to estab…Sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau. Real dharma means occupation. Dharma does not mean that you believe in something. That is the description in the…, "a faith." Faith is different thing. But real dharma means the occupational duty. Just like government law. Government law. If you go on the street, you'll find "Keep to the left." There is no question of faith. You must keep on the left; otherwise you are criminal, you'll be punished. That is dharma. The real meaning is this, that dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19], The laws given by God. That is the simple definition of dharma.

So if we don't accept the dharma, then we'll be punished. That is stated in the Bhāgavata. Dharmasya asya. Aśraddadhānāḥ. "If I have no faith in the words of God…" Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Kṛṣṇa is saying, "If you do not become devotee, if you do not think of Kṛṣṇa, then you will not get Kṛṣṇa." Remain continuously, birth after birth, forgetful of Kṛṣṇa, that is very dangerous. What is that danger? Nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani: again you'll be in the cycle of birth and death, birth and death, birth and death. Not that today you are Indian; you shall get the birth again as Indian. No. Today you may be Indian, prime minister; tomorrow you may be a dog in some other country. They do not know these laws.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

[Bg. 3.27]

You are not independent. Nobody is independent. Today you maybe something; tomorrow you may be something. But you must search out your real life. That is intelligence. That is intelligence. That intelligence is given by the Vaiṣṇava. Therefore Vaiṣṇava has got a very great responsibility. My Guru Mahārāja pointed out, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura,

mana tumi kīsera vaiṣṇava?

pratiṣṭhāra tare, nirjanera ghare,

tava hari-nāma kevala (kaitava)

Formerly people used to know that "If I take a mala and sit down in a secluded place…" Of course, that is good; that is not bad. But the real business of Vaiṣṇava is not for himself, but for others. Just like the example given by Rūpa Gosvāmī: nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. Lokānāṁ-hita-kāriṇau, not personal hita-kāriṇau. Personal hita-kāriṇau is not high-class Vaiṣṇava. "I shall become liberated. Let me give up everything and sit down." Sometimes that is also good, but sometimes we take it to get cheap adoration from innocent public that "Here is a Vaiṣṇava. He sits down." No. My Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he was not that type of Vaiṣṇava. That is his special gift. He wanted every one of his disciples to go and preach the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted. Here we are in the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's country, birthplace. We should remember. Caitanya Mahāprabhu of course asked every Indian to take His mission. At least Bengalis should take Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu…What is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission?

āmāra ājnāya guru hañā, tara ei deśa

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Even if you cannot go outside, it doesn't matter. Wherever you are, either you are here in Nabadwip or in Calcutta, anywhere, so you become a guru. Don't remain a rascal. You become a guru. "Now, how can I become a guru? I am not very educated." No! You don't require to be very highly educated rascal. Simply repeat Kṛṣṇa consciousness as Kṛṣṇa said. You become guru. Unfortunately we don't care for Kṛṣṇa's instruction. We are busy with this ism, that ism, that ism. So we should remember-I don't wish to take much time-Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he took Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction very seriously, and he wanted his disciple to do. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also wanted that, and Bhaktisiddhānta… This Māyāpur is meant for this purpose, to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world as it was desired by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra. So the beginning is there. We are preaching all over the world and you, my dear friends from Europe and America, you have taken this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Again I shall repeat the same logic. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Andha means blind and paṅgu means lame. Both of them are useless. Andha cannot see, he cannot walk, and the lame man cannot walk. Andha can walk but cannot see. And the lame man can see but cannot walk. Now let them both combine together. So the whole world is suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or spiritual life. If American money and Indian culture mix together, the whole world will be benefited. That is my ambition. Take Indian culture and help with American money. The whole world will be happy. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. If the andha is taken on the shoulder… If the paṅgu is taken on the shoulder of the andha, then the lame man can give direction.

So actually this logic is coming to be true, there is now agitation. People are feeling the pressure of this movement, and in Europe and America there is opposing party. But don't be afraid. Take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously. It is not a national movement or some social movement. It is the movement to uplift the position of the whole human society. So that was the mission of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Somehow or other we are taking it little seriously. Let all the Americans, Indians, especially young men… Don't misunderstand these Europeans and Americans C.I.A. Don't be mad, crazy fellow. They have taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have nothing to do with politics. And you also, young men, you also join on the basis of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and do something philanthropic for the whole human society. (end)

670323SB.SF

Jagannātha Deities Installation

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.13-14

San Francisco, March 23, 1967

Prabhupāda: Without devotion, simply we go on hearing for millions of years, oh, that will not also not earn(?). It is here… Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. This is the process of understanding absolute knowledge. Please note these points, what are the process. First thing is that one must be faithful. Second thing is that he must be thoughtful. The third thing is that he must have knowledge. What is that knowledge? "I am not this body." And then detachment. As soon as I am convinced that I am not this body, then why should I take so much care for the body? Let me take care of my self. And as soon as these qualifications are fulfilled, then you can see within yourself what you are. Paśyanty ātmānaṁ cātmani. And all these things is on the basis of devotional service and by the process of hearing from the authoritative source. These are the qualification for understanding Absolute Truth.

Now,

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

[SB 1.2.13]

Now, it is clearly stated here that what is that Absolute Truth, because as soon as you understand Absolute Truth, then there must be a process of activity, the process of activity. Just like we do sometimes business. First of all we understand each other and make an agreement. Then there will be business procedure. And then, next stage is profit. Any way you take it… Suppose a boy and a girl agrees to get themselves married. So that is called agreement: "Yes, I shall marry you. You shall become my husband." "You shall become my wife." That is agreement. Then they should live together as a husband and wife. And the result is that they get good child, very nice child, lovely child. So everything, first there is to establish relationship. The next work is to act on that relationship. And the result-then enjoy.

So similarly, if we understand what is Absolute Truth… The Absolute Truth is already mentioned, that "We understand the Absolute Truth in three phases: first of all, impersonal Brahman; second, localized Paramātmā, Supersoul; and the ultimate, last, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So if you at all understand that "Supreme Personality, Godhead, is the cause of all causes. I am also one of the effects of that cause," then what is your duty? That duty is mentioned here, that ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. The speech was being delivered by Sūta Gosvāmī amongst great sages. So he is addressing, "My dear learned brāhmaṇas." All the sages, they were brāhmaṇas. So, "My dear learned brāhmaṇas," ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, "according to the division of social system…"

What are the division? The first-class man is a brāhmaṇa, full of knowledge, spiritual knowledge; the second-class man is the administrator, maintaining the state; and a third-class man, economic development, mercantile people; and fourth-class men, they are laborer class. This is the division of the society. And there is division of spiritual advancement. What is that? That brahmacārī, the beginning of spiritual life; then gṛhastha, householder, to live just like gentleman, with responsibility with spiritual view, householder; then vānaprastha, retired life; then sannyāsa, renounced life. These are the divisions, varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Varṇa means four division of the social system, and āśrama means four division of spiritual enlightenment.

So here it is said, "My dear brāhmaṇas, learned brāhmaṇas, according to the division of the social status and spiritual status, everyone's duty is…" What is that duty? Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. Everyone has got particular, specific occupational duty. A brāhmaṇa has got his occupational duty. The kṣatriya has occupational duty. Similarly, brahmacārī, householder, and retired-everyone has got specific duty. That is mentioned in all the śāstras. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, that is mentioned, and in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also mentioned. And one is to be understood what he is according to his quality and work, not by birth. When it is default, it is taken on the basis of birth. But actually, in the śāstras, or scripture, there is no question of birth. Anyone can become a brāhmaṇa, anyone can become a kṣatriya, anyone can become a sannyāsī, anyone can become a brahmacārī provided he acts according to the quality of the work.

So here Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya: "Everyone has got a particular type of occupational duty, but the ultimate goal of that duty is saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. If you want to make perfection of your duty, then you have to satisfy the Supreme Lord." It doesn't matter what you are. You may be a brahmacārī, you may be a householder, you may be in renounced order of life, and you may be a laborer class, you may be a brāhmaṇa, or you may be administrator. Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. But your duty, your occupational service, will attain perfection when you try to satisfy the Supreme Lord by your occupation. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no harm that one is born a laborer class or uneducated or one is very learned or one is born of a very high family. These material qualification has nothing to do for spiritual evolution. Spiritual evolution is that you have to satisfy with the, with your talent, with your capacity, with your work, to satisfy the Supreme Lord. That is your perfection. That is your perfection. It does not mean…

Suppose you are a businessman and you are doing some business. Now, it does not mean that because you are businessman, your perfection will be when you become a man like Rockefeller or Ford. That is not perfection. Perfection is that whether you are satisfying the Supreme Lord by your occupation. It doesn't matter what you are doing or what is your income. You will be surprised to know that Lord Caitanya had a very poor friend. In His childhood He had a poor friend. His name was Śrīdhara. His income was daily, in those days, five hundred years before, his income was, say, about five cent daily. And not even that. Suppose five cent. So out of that five cent, he would spend two half cent for gaṅgā-pūjā, for worshiping mother Ganges. And with the balance two half cent, he will maintain his family. So similarly there are many instances. So it doesn't matter what is your income, five cent or five hundred dollars. You must try to satisfy according to your capacity, the Supreme Lord. That should be.

There are many examples. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī is the direct disciple of Lord Caitanya. When he retired from his service-he was government minister-oḥ, he brought home golden coins, full, a boat full, full of gold. Now, just imagine how much the amount was. But he divided like this: fifty percent of his accumulated wealth, he spent for Kṛṣṇa. There are many expenditure for Kṛṣṇa. If you ask, "How we can spend for Kṛṣṇa?" this society for Kṛṣṇa conscious give you very nice program. If you have got millions of dollars to spend, we can give you program. Unfortunately, we are not getting. But our program is ready. For Kṛṣṇa consciousness we can spend any amount of money. So Rūpa Gosvāmī, he gave fifty percent to the persons who are working for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Twenty-five percent he gave to his relatives, because they expect something. If I am a family man, I have got my children, my wife. So they expect something. So they must be given-but twenty-five percent, not all. And twenty-five percent he kept for himself, so that in times of emergency… Because as soon as my money is gone out of my hand, I have no control. We have recently lost six thousand dollars. As soon as the check is out of the hand… Not here, in our New York. So as soon the check is out of hand, now it is gone. It is gone. Therefore we should keep something, because, after all, we have got this material body. Either I pay to Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa consciousness spent, that cannot be returned. Now, if I give to my relatives something, that is also not returned. Then what to me if I am in danger, if I am in some difficulty? So something must be kept for yourself. So this is the process. So everyone should try.

Now, it is clearly stated that svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhiḥ. Saṁsiddhiḥ means the complete perfection. Complete perfection is to satisfy the Supreme Lord. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. Now, how to make satisfaction of the Supreme Lord? That is stated here:

tasmād ekena manasā

bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ

śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca

dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā

[SB 1.2.14]

The satisfaction is how you can satisfy the Supreme Lord. That is also stated here. What is that? Ekena manasā: "with one attention," not diverting your attention to so many things. Simply, I mean to say, fixing your attention on the Supreme Lord. Tasmād ekena manasā bhagavān. Now, here is… The Bhāgavata does not say brahmeti paramātmeti. The Absolute Truth is Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. That is mentioned. But here, when I have to give attention, then must be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise where I am going to give attention? If the impersonal feature, if I think impersonal feature, oh, it is very difficult where to fix up my mind. Therefore impersonal feature, Brahman, is not said. Ekena manasā. Then Supersoul. Supersoul is within you. That is understood by meditation. Impersonal Absolute Truth is understood by philosophical process, speculation, and the Supersoul is understood by meditation. So, and Bhagavān, Bhagavān is practical.

Just like we are interested with Kṛṣṇa. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's form is there, Kṛṣṇa's color is there, Kṛṣṇa's helmet is there, Kṛṣṇa's advice is there, Kṛṣṇa's instruction is there, Kṛṣṇa's sound is there-everything Kṛṣṇa. Everything Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty. But if you turn your attention to the impersonal and to the Supersoul, it is very difficult. It is very difficult. You cannot fix your attention to the impersonal. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that kleśo 'dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām: [Bg. 12.5] "Those who are attached to the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth, their business is very troublesome, very troublesome," not like that, chanting, dancing and eating. Oh, it is very nice. That is very troublesome-speculate, "This is not, this is not. This is not Brahman. This is not Brahman." Go on. And the result is also achieved-by working so hard for many, many lives you'll have to come to Kṛṣṇa.

Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. This morning we have been discussing this śloka. So here also Bhāgavata says that tasmād ekena manasā: "With your one attention," tasmād ekena manasā bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ, "you have to fix your mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead," sātvatāṁ patiḥ, sātvatāṁ patiḥ, "the master of the devotees." Which bhagavān? There are many bhagavān, because nowadays we have manufactured many bhagavāns. But here it is said that bhagavān means sātvatāṁ patiḥ, who is accepted by great devotees, just like Brahmā, Śiva, and not that by ordinary public one has been accepted, "Oh, here is incarnation of God." No. So that God is Kṛṣṇa. That conception of God is Kṛṣṇa, because in the Bhagavad-gītā you find mattaḥ nānyat parataram asti. Kṛṣṇa says that "There is nothing beyond Me. There is nothing beyond Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg. 10.8]: "I am the origin of everything." Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "Everything emanates from Me." Iti matvā: "One who knows this," iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, "those who are actually learned, he knows it, and therefore he becomes My devotee."

In the Brahma-saṁhitā also it is stated, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. There are many gods, but who is the Supreme God? The Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Paramaḥ means the Supreme. You may be your god, I may be god, and there are many gods. But Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme God. Nobody is above Him. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ. He has no cause, anādi. He is causeless. We have got cause; He is causeless. Anādir ādir govindaḥ. Govinda means He is pleasure of… He is the reservoir of all pleasure, Govinda. Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1], cause of all causes. So here it is said that "That Bhagavān, who is sātvatāṁ patiḥ…" That means there are many great, great devotees, stalwart devotees, ācāryas and teachers, and for all of them, He is the master. Sātvatāṁ patiḥ. And what is to be done about Him? śrotavyaḥ: "You have to hear about Him." Where I can hear? When He speaks Himself. Why don't you hear there? How can you know the Supreme, the cause of all causes? Nobody can explain. But when He explains Himself, you can hear. That is Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself.

Suppose if you want to know me or know something about me, you can ask some friend, "Oh, how is Swamiji?" He may say something; other may, something. But when I explain to you myself, "This is my position. I am this," that is perfect. That is perfect. So if you want to know the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead, you cannot speculate, neither meditate. It is not possible, because your senses are very imperfect. So what is the way? Just hear from Him. So He has kindly come to say Bhagavad-gītā. Śrotavyaḥ: "Just try to hear." Śrotavyaḥ and kīrtitavyaś ca. If you simply hear and hear in the class of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and go outside and forget, oh, that is not nice. That will not make you improve. Then what is? Kīrtitavyaś ca: "Whatever you are hearing, you should say to others." That is perfection.

Therefore we have established Back to Godhead. The students are allowed, whatever they are hearing, they must be thoughtful and write. Kīrtitavyaś ca. Not only simply hearing. "Oh, I am hearing for millions of years; still, I cannot understand"-because you do not chant, you do not repeat what you have heard. You have to repeat. Kīrtitavyaś ca. śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca dhyeyaḥ. And how can you write or how you can speak unless you think of Him? You are hearing about Kṛṣṇa; you have to think, then you can speak. Otherwise not. So śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca dhyeyaḥ and pūjyaś ca. And you should worship. Therefore we require this Deity for worshiping. We have to think of, we have to speak, we have to hear, we have to worship, pūjyaś ca… Then, occasionally? No. Nityadā: regularly, regular. Nityadā, this is the process.

So anyone who adopts this process, he can understand the Absolute Truth. This is the clear declaration of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Thank you very much. Any question? You can ask any question, what you have heard. Yes?

Guest (1): What is the source of life? Not the ordinary life. I am referring to it in the spiritual sense of the word. What is the source of… I don't mean to ask you if Brahman is the source of life. For example, could sound create life?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sound create life, that is the scientific truth. From ether, sound is created. From sound, fire is created. From fire… No. From sound, air is created. From air, fire is created. And from fire, water is created. From water, land is created. This is nature's law. But where the ether is created? That you have to search out. If you go upstairs, where ether is created, then you come to God. Therefore from God, everything is created. Ether is the subtle form of matter. Then it becomes gross, gross matter. So the grossest is this material, this matter, dark. And the finest in the material is the ether. And finer than the ether is the mind. And finer than the mind is intelligence. And finer than the intelligence is the soul. And who is the source of soul? The Supreme Lord. Therefore the Supreme Lord is everything.

Guest (2): Somebody said Christ studied in India. Is this true?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Guest (2): Somebody… I have heard or read somewhere that Christ had studied in India. Is this true?

Prabhupāda: Yes, I have also heard, but I do not know whether it is true. Maybe, because India is the place of learning. From China, from other places, from Greece, the history says, they used to go to India. So quite possible. And I have heard from reliable sources that Christ was absent from his home for twelve years, and he went to India for studying. Maybe. Yes. Yes?

Guest (3): You mentioned about how you should fulfill the supreme law, and you should be what your…, what the spirit tells you or what this Supreme Being, whatever, this tells you? I mean, like, if you, like, if you meditate a lot and you really, well, you feel something, that you should do something…

Prabhupāda: It is not something. It must be actual fact. There is no question of "something." "Something" is vague. You must speak what is that something.

Guest (3): Well, let's say it'd be to…

Prabhupāda: Oh, that you cannot express. That means you have no idea. So you have to learn. This is the process. I am speaking of the process. So if you want to have knowledge of Absolute Truth, the first thing is, basic principle is, faith. Then you must be thoughtful. Then you must be devoted, and you must hear from authentic sources. In this way, these are the different methods. And when you come to the ultimate knowledge, from Brahman platform to Paramātmā platform, then Paramātmā to the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead, then your duty shall be to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the perfection of your active life. These are the process. These are the process, and it is concluded that therefore, everyone-never mind what he is-his duty is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And how we can satisfy? We have to hear about Him, we have to speak about Him, we have to think about Him, we have to worship Him, and that is regularly. That will make, help you. If you have no worship, if you have no thought, if you have no hearing, if you have no speaking, and you are simply thinking of something, something, something, that "something, something," it is not God.

Guest (3): No, well, I mean, well, you know, I'm still young and I didn't know what I mean. I don't know what I'm…

Prabhupāda: So here don't talk (indistinct). That I am speaking, that you have to know in this process. We are all "don't knows." So we have to know. This is the process. Yes?

Nandarāṇī: But since we don't yet understand the supreme law, because we are young and just new to this, how can we speak about it without saying…?

Prabhupāda: Therefore you have to hear. First thing is śrotavyaḥ. You have to hear. Unless you hear, how can you speak? We are, therefore, giving you facility to hear. You hear, and then you can speak. Then you can think. We are giving all facilities: to hear, to speak, to think, to worship. This is the Society's work. Unless you hear, how can you speak? The first, I mean, task is given, śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā. These are the process. You have to hear, and hearing you have to repeat, chant. And then you have to think. You have to worship. These are the processes. Yes.

Upendra: Swamiji, so we can hear, but do we speak? We listen for a long time, or do we…?

Prabhupāda: No. Why? Suppose you hear two lines. Oh, you repeat that two lines. Now, anything… Suppose leaving aside everything, now hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. Oh, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. What is the difficulty there? śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca. You have to hear and chant. So if you cannot remember on the topics which are, mean to say, speaking from Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then you can at least remember this, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Therefore it is the easiest process. You hear Hare Kṛṣṇa and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then other things will come automatically. Now, this is possible for everyone. Even the child can repeat Hare Kṛṣṇa. What is the difficulty? You hear Kṛṣṇa and you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. We are not giving you very difficult or troublesome task. Then everything will follow. We are giving you everything. But if you feel in the beginning to be difficult, then you can do this. This is very nice. Hare Kṛṣṇa. We are doing that actually. Somebody is speaking and hearing and you are chanting. This process will help you.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

This śravaṇam, hearing and chanting, is the basic principle of advancement in spiritual life. Without hearing, we shall simply concoct, simply waste our time and mislead people. We have to hear from the authoritative sources. (aside:) Hayagrīva, come here. Come here. Now this should be lighted up, and when there is kīrtana, one must be doing like this before the Deity. You see? Yes, with the kīrtana. When he stops, he should hand over to another person, devotee. When he stops, he should another. So so long kīrtana will go on, this will go on. You just, with the kīrtana just now… You do not follow? You begin, and when you are tired, you hand over to other. It will go on.

Hayagrīva: Like this?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's it, before the Deity. All right. Let us begin kīrtana. (kīrtana)

Prabhupāda: (recites jaya om prayers) Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Bring that before me. Yes. Show everyone. Each and every one show. Whatever they contribute… Take, take the… Yes, like this. Show everyone. The Bhāgavata has recommended hearing, chanting, thinking… Hearing, chanting, thinking and worshiping, the process which we just now introduced on the advent of Jagannātha Svāmī. Now this temple is now completely fixed. So the worshiping process, this is the worshiping process. By light… This is called ārātrika. So at the end of kīrtana this ārātrika will go, and the worshiping process is to take the heat of the light, and whatever your condition is, pay something for the worship. So, this simple process, if you follow, you just see how you realize the Absolute Truth. Another, I request you, all the devotees, when you come to the temple, you bring one fruit and one flower. If you can bring more fruit, more flower, it is very good. If not, it is not very expensive. One fruit and one flower. And offer to the Deity. So I'll request you when you come to the temple you bring this. Whatever fruit it may be. It does not mean that you have to bring very costly fruit. Any fruit, whatever you can afford. One fruit and one flower. Yes. Now you can distribute prasāda? (pause-guests take prasāda) Very nice preparation. Mmmm. All glories to the cookers.

Girl: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me. Howard, repeat this.

Hayagrīva: Jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me.

Prabhupāda: Yes, this should be chanted. Jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me. (pause)

Hayagrīva: Oh. Uh, "Lord of the universe, please be present before me." (pause-door opens and closes)

Prabhupāda: Oh, why he is going away? Ask him to come. (someone goes out) Please, please take prasāda. Give him first. [break] Human life is not for, I mean to say, playing, sense gratification. Very important life. So Kṛṣṇa says manuṣyāṇām. But they do not know. Foolish people, they do not know. They are simply wasting life in sense gratification. They are thinking, "By sense gratification we shall be happy." One day the cruel death will come, at once give him a slap: "Come on! Go! Finish your business. No more human life. Become a cat and dog." So these risks are there. So we should be very responsible. So we are not responsible. Kṛṣṇa says, "They are not responsible." Therefore manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu [Bg. 7.3]. Out of many thousands of people, a person desires to utilize his human form of life very nicely. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. Kaścit means somebody tries to make his life perfect. And yatatām api siddhānām [Bg. 7.3]. And among such millions of persons who are trying to make his perfect, one can understand Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa is not easy to understand. But He is so kind that He is explaining Himself. One who takes this explanation of Kṛṣṇa and understand Him, he becomes perfect.

Thank you very much. Any question? No, question? Have you got any questions?

Govinda dāsī: Uh, well, could you tell about Lord Caitanya asking where is Kṛṣṇa and falling in the water? Or would that be not blissful?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Very nice. Your question is very nice. I'm very glad. Lord Caitanya, He was the greatest symbol of kṛṣṇa-bhakta, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So just see from His life. He never said that "I have seen Kṛṣṇa." He never said that "I have seen Kṛṣṇa." He was mad after Kṛṣṇa. "Where I can see Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" He was mad after Kṛṣṇa. That is the, I mean to say, process of Caitanya philosophy. It is called viraha. Viraha means separation. Separation. "Kṛṣṇa, You are so good, You are so merciful, You are so nice. But I am so rascal, I am so full of sin, that I cannot see You. I have no qualification to see You." So in this way, if one feels the separation of Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa, I want to see You, but I am so disqualified that I cannot see You." These feeling of separation will make you enriched in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Feeling of separation. Not that "Kṛṣṇa, I have seen you. Finished. All right. I have understood You. Finished. All my business finished." No! Perpetually think of yourself that "I am unfit to see Kṛṣṇa." That will enrich you in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu displayed this, these feelings of separation. This is Rādhārāṇī's separation. When Kṛṣṇa went from Vṛndāvana to His place, His father's place, and Rādhārāṇī was feeling in that way, always mad after Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, took the separation feeling of Rādhārāṇī. That is the best way of worshiping Kṛṣṇa or becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. So you know that Lord Caitanya fell on the sea. "Kṛṣṇa, if You are in the sea? Kṛṣṇa, if You are here? Kṛṣṇa, if You are here?" Similarly, the next devotees, Lord Caitanya's direct disciples, Gosvāmīs-Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. They also, the same disciplic succession, they also worship Kṛṣṇa in that separation feeling. There is a nice verse about them: (sings)

he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ

śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ

ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

These Gosvāmīs also, later on, when they were very much mature in devotional service, what they were doing? They were daily in the vṛndāvana-dhāma, just like a mad man: "Kṛṣṇa, where You are?" That is the qualification. It is very nice question. (pause) (Prabhupāda chants Govinda jaya jaya, recites jaya om prayers) (end)

690716DI.LA

Śrī Śrī Rukmiṇī Dvārakānātha

Deity Installation

Los Angeles, July 16, 1969

Prabhupāda: Now today this function of installing Deity, this is authorized. Just like several times I have given the example that when you put your mails in a box in the street, because it is written there U.S. Mail, you know that it is authorized box. And if you put your letters within this box, it will surely reach the destination. The post office will work. So there is no difference between the huge post office building and that small box because it is authorized. Similarly, the difference between idol worship and Deity worship is like that. Unless authorized process is accepted, it is idol worship. That is the general rule. If somebody thinks that "There is a box, red and blue, on the street. Why shall I go to that box? Let me have similar box at my door and it will be cleared by the postman because it is blue and red," that will not be so. Because the box which you put at your door, that is not authorized.

Similarly, we have to worship the Deity according to the authorized system. Just like in our Gauḍīya-sampradāya there is authorized system by the Gosvāmīs and there is a big book which is called Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. So everything is stated there, how the Vaiṣṇava family should have their all function… It is called Vaiṣṇava-smṛti. Śruti and smṛti. So we have to follow this regulation of the śruti, Vedas, and smṛti. Smṛti means derived from the Vedas. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says, śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pāñcarātrikī-vidhiṁ vinā, aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate [Brs. 1.2.101]. Without following the rules and regulations of Vedic injunctions, without reference to the regulative principles mentioned in different smṛtis, without reference to the Purāṇas and without reference to the pāñcarātrikī-vidhī…

The pāñcarātrikī-vidhī means it is a special concession for this age. Vaidika-vidhī and pāñcarātrikī-vidhī. Vaidika-vidhī is very authorized, but this Vaidika-vidhī is specially meant for those who are highly elevated brāhmaṇas. In this age it is accepted as a fact by the śāstras, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In this age nobody is actually bona fide brāhmaṇas by birth. Formerly they used to be. The family tradition, the garbhādhāna system, the saṁskāras were strictly followed; therefore a son born of a brāhmaṇa father was accepted as a brāhmaṇa, not immediately, but going through the process. But in this age because it is very difficult to find out a person who is born of a qualified brāhmaṇa, therefore Nārada-pañcarātra is there. So these Gosvāmīns, Rūpa Gosvāmī specially recommends, śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañc… [Brs. 1.2.101]. Either you follow the principles of śruti, Vedas, followed by smṛti, purāṇādi, or you follow the pāñcarātrikī-vidhī. The pāñcarātrikī-vidhī… Just like we are introducing in this temple for worshiping Deity, but actually the Deity can be worshiped by the bona fide brāhmaṇas.

There was agitation in India, perhaps you know, that Gandhi stamped some persons as Harijana. Harijana. They were coming from the bhaṅgīs. Bhaṅgīs means sweepers or the cleaners of the toilet room. So Gandhi accepted them. The government was creating, British government was creating faction between high caste, low caste. So Gandhi thought that, "I shall make these bhaṅgīs and camars as Harijana, as great devotees." But simply by rubberstamping, how one can become devotee? That is not possible. Without going the pāñcarātrikī-vidhī, they remain the same unclean drunkard and the all nonsense habits. And simply by stamping rubberstamping, Harijana? No. Here what we are doing, it is not rubberstamping. It is actually training according to the pāñcarātrikī-vidhī. We are training our boys to become brāhmaṇas, to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities, to take bath, to take this, take that. And above all, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Ceto-darpaṇa-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], cleansing of all sinful activities. So in this way Harijana can be made, but not that you pick up somebody nonsense and rubberstamp this "Harijana." No. There must be process.

There is no hindrance for anyone to become Harijana. Harijana means God's person or devotee. Hari means God, Kṛṣṇa, and jana means His person. Just like we have got here government servant, special, or ordinary person. So Harijana means the servants of the Supreme Lord. So that is not ordinary thing. There is no harm to create Harijana by regular process, but you cannot make Harijana simply by stamping. Bhagavad-gītā says, equal opportunity for everyone. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. Low-class born birth is understood due to sinful activities. Low-class birth, animal birth. Sinful activities. But Kṛṣṇa says, pāpa-yonayaḥ, born in sinful families, never mind. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā… If he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by bona fide process, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā. Vyapāśrityā means bona fide process. Not an imitation, bona fide. And bona fide means as they are depicted, as they are described, as they are enjoined in the authorized śāstra like śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañca… [Brs. 1.2.101]. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Never mind in whatever family one is born, sinful family, never mind. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyaḥ, including woman and śūdras and vaiśyas, they are considered as less intelligent. They are considered as less intelligent. Therefore, according to Vedic system, a boy born in a brāhmaṇa family, he is allowed all the saṁskāras, reformatory, purificatory process, but the girl is not. Why? Now, because a girl has to follow her husband. So if her husband is brāhmaṇa, automatically she becomes brāhmaṇa. There is no need of separate reformation. And by chance she may be married with a person who is not a brāhmaṇa, then what is the use of making her a brāhmaṇa? That is the general method. So therefore the, even born in a brāhmaṇa family, a woman is taken as woman, not as brāhmaṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says, "Never mind. Even if she is woman, even she is śūdra, even she is vaiśya, or any other, I mean to say, family born in, never mind." Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśrityā [Bg. 9.32], if anyone is bona fidely made Kṛṣṇa conscious, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, so his way is open to the path of Vaikuṇṭha, parāṁ gatim. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā [Bg. 9.33].

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice, it opens the door of highest perfectional platform for everyone provided he follows the rules and regulations. That's all. That is the only condition. Otherwise, if simply by imitating, if somebody thinks, "Oh, I can become a…" like that. "If such and such person can become, I can do…" No. That is warned by Rūpa Gosvāmī,

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-

pāñcarātrikī-vidhīṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktir

utpatayaiva kalpate

[Brs. 1.2.101]

If we simply imitate, oh, that will not do. So do not try to imitate, follow the simple rules and regulations, it is very nice, and above all, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You'll become purified. Without being purified you cannot touch Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedas it is stated, "Without becoming Brahman you cannot approach Brahman." Just like without becoming fire you cannot approach fire. Because the inconsistency of temperature. It will burn. Just like here is fire, and I am feeling temperature, but the fire flames within the fire, they do not feel because the temperature is the same. Similarly, without becoming Brahman, without understanding oneself, realizing himself, nobody can… Kṛṣṇa is the Parambrahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Puruṣaṁ śāśvatam, therefore one has to keep himself very purified; otherwise you cannot touch Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. It is fire, so you have to become fire. And how to become fire? Fire, you are also fire, but now you are covered fire, covered by this material body. Therefore you have to spiritualize this body by purificatory process. The same example, just like the iron rod, it is iron, but you put into the fire. It becomes warm, warmer, warmer, then red hot, then it is fire. Similarly, by this process, chanting process, by regulative process, you are becoming warmer, warmer, warmer, warmer. And when you fully become red hot warm, then your body is as good as Kṛṣṇa's. So we have to keep ourself always in the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; then everything is all right. (laughs) Otherwise, it will become dull and it will be simply idol worship. That's all. That is the difference between idol worship and Deity worship. If there is no life, then it is idol worship, hedonism. And when there is life, feeling, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Here is Kṛṣṇa. Oh, I have to serve Kṛṣṇa, I have to dress Him, I have to serve Rādhārāṇī, She is here. Oh, I must do it very nicely. And as far as possible decorate Her to the best capacity." In this way, if you always feel Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you are fire. The same example, keeping with the fire. And if you think it is a brass-made doll, I mean to say, idol… Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11]. If you think this is a brass-made idol, then it will remain a brass-made idol to you forever. But if you elevate yourself to higher platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa, this Kṛṣṇa, will talk with you. This Kṛṣṇa will talk with you.

There is a Vaṁsīdāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, he was talking with his Deity. And Kṛṣṇa… Just like Madana-mohana, He was talking with Sanātana Gosvāmī. Madana-mohana… Sanātana Gosvāmī at that time had no temple; he was hanging his Deity on the tree. So Madana-mohana was talking with him, "Sanātana, you are bringing all these dry capatis, and it is stale, and you don't give Me even little salt. How can I eat?" Sanātana Gosvāmī said, "Sir, where shall I go? Whatever I get I offer You. You kindly accept. I cannot move, old man." You see. So Kṛṣṇa had to eat that. (chuckles) Because the bhakta is offering He cannot refuse. Ye māṁ bhaktyā prayacchati. Real thing is bhakti. What you can offer to Kṛṣṇa? Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. What you have got? What is your value? And what is the value of your things? It is nothing. Therefore real thing is bhaktyā, real thing is your feeling. "Kṛṣṇa, kindly take it. I have no qualification. I am most rotten, fallen, but (begins to cry) I have brought this thing for you. Please take it." This will be accepted. Don't be puffed up. Always be careful. You are dealing with Kṛṣṇa. That is my request. Thank you very much. (end)

730821DI.LON

Śrī Śrī Rādhā Gokulānanda

Deity Installation

London, August 21, 1973

Prabhupāda: …hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu te te prabhāva-nīcayā vihitaś ca yena… [Bs. 5.43].

goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya

devī-maheṣa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu

te te prabhāva-nīcayā vihitaś ca yena

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.43]

Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni. There is a planet in the spiritual world. The material world, you can see the material sky, limit of the sky, the horizon, but you are not able to reach even the moon planet, the nearest planet. But within this universe, within this horizon, there are innumerable planets. Aśeṣa. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. By the shining effulgence from the body of Kṛṣṇa… That is called brahmajyoti. Within that brahmajyoti or effulgence there are innumerable universes. Ananta-koṭi. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Koṭi means innumerable. One million, ten millions equal to one lakh. Such hundred lakhs makes a koṭi. So actually we see there are innumerable planets but beyond this creation, this is material creation, one-fourth manifestation, one-fourth manifestation of God's creation, this, this material world… This is also only one universe. There are innumerable universes clustered together and beyond this clustering of universes there is another sky which is called paravyoma or spiritual sky. If you want to go there, then you have to penetrate through the material coverings-earth, water, fire, water, fire, air, like that. Each layer so big. And the next layer is ten times more than the first layer. In this way there are seven layers. So penetrating through that seven layers you reach the spiritual sky. And after reaching the spiritual sky, there are so many Vaikuṇṭha planets, spiritual planets.

So that is summarized: goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43]. The topmost planet is called Goloka or Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇaloka. Go means cows. Kṛṣṇa is very much fond of cows. Therefore, that planet is called also Goloka, the planet full of cows. We have recited Brahma-saṁhitā today, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣā-vṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Kṛṣṇa is engaged in tending cows. He's very much fond of cows. Surabhi, they are not ordinary cows. In the spiritual world, everything is spiritual. So there is a planet, goloka-nāmni. So, that is the highest planet. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni. That is the personal abode. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya: [Bs. 5.43] under that planet, there are other planetary systems. They are called Devīdhāma, Maheśadhāma, Haridhāma.

Now this universe, this material world is called Devī-dhāma. Devī-dhāma. It is under the control of the material energy. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir-eka chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā [Bs. 5.44]. This energy is also personified called Durgādevī. So above this planetary system there is Maheśa-dhāma. Maheśa-dhāma. In the border between spiritual sky and material sky. Above that, there are Hari-dhāma, the Vaikuṇṭha planets where Nārāyaṇa, in various forms is predominating. And above all of them there is Goloka-dhāma or Kṛṣṇa's dhāma. So picture we have given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43], devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu, te te prabhava-nicayā vihitaś ca yena. Each planetary system has got specific atmosphere. Everything is specific. So that is done, that is created by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So in this way, Kṛṣṇa is there in the topmost Goloka-dhāma. But still goloka-dhāmni nivasati, although He is living there, akhilātmā-bhūto, He is everywhere. He's everywhere. That is Kṛṣṇa.

Just like we are sitting in this hall. We are not in our apartment house. Kṛṣṇa is not like that. He is in the goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni, in His own planet, He's engaged in His occupation. Somewhere He's tending cows, somewhere He's dancing with the gopīs. He is going on with His enjoying occupations. But still He's everywhere. Goloka-nāmni, goloka eva nivasaty [Bs. 5.37]. Nivasaty means although He's living there, akhilātmā bhūtaḥ. He's everywhere. He's within your heart. Īśvara sarva bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati. He's within your heart. Not only within the heart, He is within the atom also. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭim yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa cayā yad-antaḥ aṇḍantara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. His one plenary portion has entered this material world as Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṇu. From Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṇu, there is expansion of Kṣirodakaśayī Viṣṇu. That Kṣirodakaśayī Viṣṇu has entered every atom. Eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-caya yad-antaḥ. So Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, and if you are devotee, then you can catch Him. This is the secret. Just like electricity is everywhere, electrons. One who can tackle the electrons, they can talk without any direct connection by electronic method, thousand thousand miles away. Just like radio message, television message. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also everywhere. Just like the waves of sound wave is going on. As soon as you produce, I produce one sound, immediately within a second the sound goes round the earth seven times. So if a material thing has got so much power, just think how much power God has got. So He is everywhere. Simply you have to catch Him. And He's also ready for being caught. Yes. If somebody wants to catch Him… Suppose you are a devotee. If you want to catch Him, He comes forward ten times than your desire. He's so kind. Therefore, we have to simply receive Him.

So this Deity worship in the temple means worshiping Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's akhilātmā-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]. Where you shall find Him? He's everywhere. Therefore, He has very kindly accepted to assume a form which you can handle. This form of Kṛṣṇa, the atheist will say that "Here is a form made of marble. How is that they are worshiping God, Kṛṣṇa?" That is atheist view. But from the śāstra, we understand Kṛṣṇa, if He is within the atom, why not within the marble? It is simply understanding. Not only within, the marble itself is also Kṛṣṇa. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca [Bg. 7.4]. These material elements, earth, earth, water, fire, air, they are Kṛṣṇa's energy. Kṛṣṇa says bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. They are My energies, separated energy. So even if you consider that here is not Kṛṣṇa but a marble. No, that marble is also Kṛṣṇa. Marble is also… And Kṛṣṇa is, being omnipotent, even for your logical argument… Even if you say that this is a marble statue, still Kṛṣṇa is so powerful, omnipotent, that He can accept your service even through this marble. Actually, it is not marble. Or from spiritual vision, everything being Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa can accept your service even through the marble, even through the water, even through the fire. Why not? Energy. Just like if you come to the sunshine, energy of sun, you immediately touch the sun globe. Is it not? Because the beams are coming from the sun globe so as soon as you touch the sunshine, sunbeam, you touch the sun immediately. And there are yogis who can reach the sun planet through the beams of sun. Because the spirit soul is very, very small. Smaller than the atom. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. And the spirit soul can go everywhere. And it is, the speed of spirit soul is greater than the mind. You have got experience of the speed of the mind. In a second you can go many thousands of miles. Mind. Suppose you are sitting here, those who are Indians, immediately, within a second, one can reach Calcutta, Bombay. Immediately, without even, less than a second's time. The mind's speed, you can imagine. And finer than the mind is the spirit soul. So how much speedy is the spirit soul, that we have to know from the śāstras. Śāstra yonitvāt. Everything.

Therefore do not think that we have installed a marble statue. The rascals will say "They are heathens." No. We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa personally. Kṛṣṇa personally, Kṛṣṇa has kindly assumed this form just… Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, the gigantic Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa is everywhere… Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Our imperfect senses cannot see Kṛṣṇa immediately. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, as we can see… We can see stone, we can see wood, we can see earth, we can see water, we can see color. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa comes before us just quite suitable for our vision. But He's Kṛṣṇa. So this Deity worship, those who are in charge of Deity worship, they never should think that here is a statue. No. Here is Kṛṣṇa. The honor, the respect, the samra (indistinct), means with great honor… You must always think that here is Kṛṣṇa personally. Don't think that it is statue. Kṛṣṇa personally. So you should honor and think also and be cautious so that you may not commit offense. Kṛṣṇa worship, if you neglect the process, then it will be offensive. There are sixty-four kinds of offenses. You have seen it in The Nectar of Devotion. So not very much… You should be very much clean, first thing is. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Very much clean, rise early in the morning, take your bath and perform maṅgala ārātrika, then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then read scriptures. In this way remain twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. This is the purpose of installing Deity. Not that after few days you think it is a burden. No, then it will be great offense. It is not burden. It is a great opportunity to serve Kṛṣṇa. As the gopīs are serving in Goloka Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. He has come here to accept your service in a manner in which you can handle Him. You can dress Kṛṣṇa, you can offer prasāda, you can chant His glory. In this way, always remain engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and gradually you'll find how you are advancing in spiritual life. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

760502DI.FIJ

Śrī Śrī Kāliya Kṛṣṇa

Deity Installation

Lautoka, Fiji, May 2, 1976

Prabhupāda:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ

sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale

svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ

dadāti sva-padāntikam

[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]

So, ladies and gentlemen, today is very auspicious day that in your country, beautiful land, we are now going to establish a temple of Kāliya. Rāmana, Kṛṣṇa. Of course the Deities, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Guru-Gaurāṅga also will be there. There will be three compartments in the fashion of our Vṛndāvana temple. And I thank you very much for your encouraging association in this matter. It is said,

śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-

śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau

yuktasya bhaktāṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

Guru is… There are so many other things, guru's qualification. There are eight verses in the prayer of guru. The first verse is

saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-

trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam

prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

Guru's first business is to deliver the suffering humanity from the forest fire of this material existence. This material existence is compared with forest fire. You know there is fire in the forest. Big forest, nobody goes there to set fire. But automatically there is fire. Therefore this material existence has been compared with the forest fire. Here everyone wants to become happy, but there is fire. Even if we do not want, there is fire, miseries. Because this place, this material world, is place for suffering. It is confirmed by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. This place is for suffering. But under the spell of māyā, sufferings, we have taken as happiness or enjoying. This is called māyā. Actually there is no enjoyment here. Where is enjoyment? When we have to die, then where is the question of enjoyment? Does anyone want to die? No. Nobody wants to die. If there is some danger immediately, immediately we shall flee away. That is Nobody wants to die. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā the four principles of unhappiness is described by the Supreme Lord, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. Those who are intelligent, they will see four principles of major suffering. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, to take birth, to die, and to suffer from disease, and to become old. So, so long you have got this material body, you have to suffer. Now, under the spell of māyā you can accept suffering as enjoyment, That is your business, But it is suffering.

So therefore, guru's business is to deliver the disciple from the suffering condition. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam *. So one who has got this mercy from the Supreme Lord, and he can deliver his guru. guru's out of many other businesses, one business is śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā *. To establish temple for regularly worshiping the Deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā. And to worship the Deity very nicely, to decorate, to dress, to cleanse the temple, to offer nice foodstuff, distribute prasādam these are the activities of the temple. Unfortunately, people are in so much ignorance that they have forgotten everything. They're living like cats and dogs, animals. So this is a great opportunity that you are going to open a nice temple here. So not only open temple but you take part yourself How to decorate the Deity, how to cleanse the temple, how to offer nice prasādam, how to distribute prasādam, how to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta-

vāditra-madyan-manaso rasena

romāñca-kampāśru-taraṅga-bhājo

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

So the opportunity has come by the endeavor of our Mr. Punja. He's to be known as Vāsudeva dāsa henceforward. His wife, Bhagavati, and his mother . So my request is, I of course I am traveling all over the world. It may not be possible for me to see you very frequently. But I expect to come again and again. But I entrust the matter to you all. I'll send help also as far as possible. Now you have to take care of your own business, this temple, and always remember that according to your capacity you can serve the Lord. It is not that one who is worshiping the Deity, decorating the Deity, offering arotik, he's in better position than the person who is cleansing the temple. Both of them equal. In the spiritual world there is no such distinction. Absolute. As here there is distinction between higher grade and lower grade service, in the spiritual world there is no such thing. Everything is spiritual service. So that you realize one after another.

Now, only request is that you take very active part in this temple business. Especially in the matter of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇu. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. We have got so many books books, pages each. If you simply finish this reading and hearing of these book perhaps your whole lifetime will be engaged. So kindly do this. Everyone come hear what is spoken about Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kṛṣṇa-kathā means words or narration or description about Kṛṣṇa. There are two kṛṣṇa-kathās especially. One is the Bhagavad-gītā, the kathā, the words which is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. This is kṛṣṇa-kathā. And another is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam which is spoken about Kṛṣṇa. That is also kṛṣṇa-kathā. So kṛṣṇa-kathā, the temple should be always filled up with kṛṣṇa-kathā and distribution of Kṛṣṇa prasādam. In this way develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy in this world and in the next. It is compulsory. You cannot avoid kṛṣṇa-kathā. If you avoid, then you are putting yourself in dangerous cycle of birth and death. It is not fiction or whims; it is compulsory, imperative. Everyone should become Kṛṣṇa conscious. If he does not become, then he's risking his life. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for saving all members of the human society without any distinction. There is no such question, Hindus, Muslim, Christian, or… no. Everyone can join. Even one is born in low grade family. That is Kṛṣṇa's order. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇaḥ punyā bhaktā rājarśayas tathā [Bg. 9.33]. Even one is born in low grade family, he has got the facility of joining this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and everyone has the capability to understand it, every human being. Otherwise how in the western world, all these boys and girls who have joined, in number, so they are coming from different family. But they have taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness so seriously. So if you yourself become serious and distribute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge, the inhabitants of this island, Fiji Island, they will be also benefited and they will be also delivered. We have no such distinction. But everything must be done under proper direction and under the rules and regulation. So try to carry out and construct the temple very nicely and enjoy spiritual. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Śrīla Prabhupāda! (applause) (end)

681118LE.LA

Six Gosvāmīs Lecture,

Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ-govāmy-aṣṭaka

Los Angeles, November 18, 1968

Prabhupāda:

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi

dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

This is a prayer offering obeisances to the Six Gosvāmīs, direct disciples of Lord Caitanya. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau. The Six Gosvāmīs' names are Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī… Vande rūpa-sanātana raghu-yugau. And there are two Raghus. One Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and one Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. According to whole Vedic system, there are four castes, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras. So this Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī belong to the… Of course, a Vaiṣṇava is never śūdra, but in social standard they belonged to the kṣatriya or śūdra. Therefore he is named as dāsa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. So the Six Gosvāmīs… (child making noises) Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. So Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, and two Raghunātha Gosvāmī, and three, four, and then Jīva Gosvāmī and Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. Six Gosvāmīs. Practically, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left behind Him that eight ślokas, Śikṣāṣṭaka, which you have seen. I have translated in my first volume of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. On the basis of those eight verses, the Gosvāmīs wrote literatures, volumes of books. From Vṛndāvana they were dispatched after the disappearance of… The Gosvāmīs, they left so many books handwritten, that when they were dispatched it was a full cartload, a big cartload, you see. Just imagine how many books they wrote. They were great scholars, and many varieties of books of bhakti school, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they wrote. So these Gosvāmīs were engaged, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana, chanting and dancing. Kīrtana means chanting, and nartana means dancing. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana, utkīrtana. Utkīrtana means very loudly, not softly.

So this loud kīrtana was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya. So this disturbance, this complaint, was current even in His own time. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was introducing this kīrtana system, so many brāhmaṇas of Navadvīpa, they complained to the Muhammadan magistrate-at that time the government was Muhammadan government, Pathan-to the Kazi that "This boy…" Caitanya Mahāprabhu was that time seventeen years, eighteen-years-old boy, but He was very popular by introducing this saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting and dancing. And He said that simply by chanting and dancing, as we are saying, one will achieve the highest perfectional stage. So the brāhmaṇas were working as priest, they thought that their business will not go on. They prescribed so many ritualistic performances, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was saying simply by chanting one can achieve the highest perfection. So they were disturbed, and they lodged complaint to the then magistrate, Kazi. Maulana Chand Kazi, his name was Maulana Chand Kazi. You know, when a Muhammadan is learned and religious he gets the title Maulana. So that magistrate, Chand Kazi, was very learned scholar, not only in Muhammadan scriptures, but he was a great scholar Hindu scripture also. Just like in British period in India, there were many responsible English officers, just like high-court judge, civil service. They were very vastly learned in Sanskrit. One Mr. Woodruff, Justice Woodruff, Englishman in Calcutta high-court, oh, he was a very great scholar, Sanskrit scholar, and he translated all the tantric śāstras. So scholarly people are always there. It doesn't matter. They do not belong to any class of men. Scholars are scholars, saintly persons are saintly persons.

So this Chand Kazi was a great scholar, and the brāhmaṇas lodged complaint that "This boy Nimāi Paṇḍita…" Caitanya Mahāprabhu was known at that time "Nimāi Paṇḍita." His mother's given name was Nimāi. And because He was also very great scholar, in sixteen years old he defeated many scholars. One scholar came from Kashmir. He was, his name was Keśava Kāśmirī, he defeated all scholars of India. But when he came to Navadvīpa he was defeated by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a great scholar. He was scholar in logic especially, nyāya. So He was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita. Paṇḍita means learned scholar. Especially brāhmaṇas are called paṇḍita because generally the brāhmaṇas are expected to be great scholars. So unfortunately, later on the paṇḍita title was there, but some of them were great fools. Perhaps you know, our late Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru… Perhaps you've heard his name, Nehru. He came to your country I think during President Eisenhower's time, and in some meeting some American gentlemen or boys, I do not know, they asked him to explain some of the verses from Bhagavad-gītā. And he, I mean to say, admitted that he was not a scholar in Bhagavad-gītā. So, but his title was there, paṇḍita. Generally, the brāhmaṇas are given this title paṇḍita on account of their scholarship in Vedic literature. So Nimāi Paṇḍita, Nimāi Paṇḍita. Yes. So complaint was lodged against Him, and He disobeyed the order of the Kazi, civil disobedience, and there was a great incident. Then the Kazi became His admirer, follower. That is a long story.

So the Gosvāmīs, six Gosvāmīs, they picked up Lord Caitanya's eight verses and they wrote so many books. (door opens) The Gosvāmīs are coming. (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa. So these Gosvāmīs were chanting and dancing, kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. So we are creating the descendants of Gosvāmīs here in the Western countries. You are also chanting and dancing, following the footprints of the Gosvāmīs, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. And they were chanting and dancing, not dry. Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi, dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. You cannot chant and dance for a long time unless you are dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. That is the specific qualification of the dancer and chanter. If you ask somebody to chant and dance for one hour, he'll get tired. But this chanting and dancing is so nice that these Gosvāmīs, they can go on chanting and dancing for twenty-four hours. Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi. Because they were dipped into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhi dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Dhīra, dhīra means gentle, and adhīra means ruffians, not gentle. So they were affectionate and popular both to the gentle as well as ruffians, these Gosvāmīs. Everyone liked them. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that unless one is a staunch atheist, everyone will like this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. As an evidence, people are receiving these boys who are chanting and dancing. Out of their love they are contributing something, they are purchasing magazines. So this is sympathy, sign of love. So they are not, of course, very big business magnate or politicians; they are common men. But it is appealing to the common people. There is no doubt about it.

So these Gosvāmīs were also very popular amongst all classes of men. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau. Because they were also benefactor. They were doing something which is beneficial to the mass of people. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau. Nirmatsarau means not envious. We are not envious to anyone. Yesterday I received one letter from Rāyarāma. He wanted my permission to make some propaganda in our magazine Back to Godhead against animal slaughter, butchery. So I replied that why should we be against a class of men who are known in the society as butcher? Actually, everyone is butcher. Actually, so-called gentlemen who are, I mean to say, supporting these butchers, they are also butchers. According to Manu-saṁhitā, there are eight kinds of butchers. The man who is killing the animal, the man who is ordering to kill the animal, the man who is skinning the animal, the man who is purchasing the meat, the man who is cooking, the man who is eating, they are called all butchers. Just like if there is a murder case and there is a conspiracy, so it is not the man who has directly killed some person, he is arrested, but everyone who is in the conspiracy, they are all arrested. That is the common law. So in that sense everyone is butcher. Besides that, because a person is killing some cow or some animal, we are calling butcher, but mostly they are killing their soul. Anyone who is unconscious, who is ignorant of his spiritual identity, identifying himself with this body and misusing this opportunity of human form of life simply for animal sense gratification, they are also butchers. If killing of some living entity is butchery, then how great a butcher is he who is killing himself? He is killing an animal, but he is killing himself. Ātma-hā. Ātma-hā, self-killing, out of ignorance. Everyone is in ignorance. Any sinful activity is done out of ignorance. So ignorance is no excuse. The butcher is killing animal because he does not know what is the effect of this killing. Similarly, persons who do not know what is the value of this human form of life and simply spoiling it just like animals, they are also butchering themselves.

There is a nice instructive verse in Sanskrit. One saintly person was giving his blessings to different kinds of persons. So he first of all saw one boy, he was a prince, son of a king. So he blessed him, rāja-putra. "My dear prince," ciraṁ jīva, "you live forever." Then he saw one brahmacārī, a disciple of a spiritual master, he said, mā jīva muni-putraka: "Oh, you are the disciple of a saintly person. You do not live. You die immediately." Rāja-putra ciraṁ jīva. "Oh, the prince, son of a king, you live forever; and you are a brahmacārī, muni-putra, a son of a saintly person, so you die immediately." Then there was a saintly person, and he said to the saintly… He offered his blessings to the saintly person, jīva vā mara vā sādhoḥ. Sādhoḥ means saintly person, sādhu. "My dear saintly person, either you live or you die as you like." And there was a butcher. He told for the butcher, mā jīva mā mara iti: "You neither live nor die." So what is the significance of these four kinds of blessings? The significance is that he blessed the rāja-putra, royal prince, to live forever because whatever enjoyment he's having, this is for this life. Next life is very horrible for him, next life. Just like generally in the opulent countries like America and other European countries, they are materially very opulent, they do not care for anything. They do anything, whatever they like, because they are very much proud of their material opulence. But they do not care what they are going to be next life, you see. Therefore so long they live, that is good for them. As soon as they die, they are going to the darkest region of the hell. Therefore the prince, the king's son, was blessed, "You live forever," and so far the brahmacārī, brahmacārī or the son of a muni, he is undergoing penance, austerities, fasting, not very comfortable life. So he was blessed that "You die immediately." Because by his pious activities he has elevated himself so high that as soon as he dies, he goes to Vaikuṇṭha, kingdom of God. Therefore the sooner he dies is better. So muni-putra, ma jīva muni-putraka. And so far saintly person, sādhu, he said, jīva vā mara vā. A saintly person, "Either you live or die, the same thing. Because you are serving Kṛṣṇa in this life, and as soon as you die, you will serve Kṛṣṇa directly. So it is all the same." And so far the butcher is concerned, he said, mā jīva mā mara: "You don't die, don't live." "Don't live" means, "You are living in such a wretched condition, killing every day. Horrible life. Your living is horrible, and if you die, you are going to the darkest region of the hellish condition. So both life, living or dying, it is very horrible for you. So you don't live, don't die." (laughs) So that is the blessing to the butcher, "Don't live, don't die." Living condition is also horrible, and after death it is also horrible. But unfortunately, every one of us is committing butchery without understanding self-realization, what is self, "What I am." Therefore Vedānta-sūtra says, "Try to understand yourself." Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for searching out, understanding, inquiring, about Brahman. We are all Brahmans. Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, therefore we are all Brahman. So if we do not inquire what is Brahman, then that is suicide. In the human form of life, if you do not make inquiries what is brahma, athāto brahma jijñāsā… Jijñāsā means inquiry. This is the first aphorism in the Vedānta-sūtra, that atha. Atha means thus. Ataḥ, ataḥ means hereafter. "Hereafter" means that we have passed through 8,400,000 of species of life; now we have got civilized form of human body; now it is the time to inquire what I am, what is God, what is my relationship with God.

So in every human society there is such inquiry and there is some answer also. So cultivating this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, is essential. If we do not take to these inquiries, simply if we engage ourself in the animal propensities… Because this material body is animal body, but the consciousness is developed. In the animal body or in the lower than animal body-just like trees and plants, they are also living entities-the consciousness is not developed. If you cut a tree, because the consciousness is not developed, it does not protest. But it feels the pain. That is scientifically proved by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. It feels. But the feeling is not so strong. But if you kill one animal, it protests because the consciousness is developed. Similarly if you kill a man, that protest is still vehement because the consciousness is still more advanced. So in this way, in different forms of life, we are developing different types of consciousness. Just like this child, because it has got a certain type of body, its consciousness is not so developed. But when this body will be grown up, when this girl will be young, then her consciousness also will be different. Not will be, it will develop. Similarly, our consciousness should develop. The perfection, the ultimate goal, the limit of development is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The consciousness is developing one after another in different bodies, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that is the ultimate development. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. This is the definition how consciousness reaches its perfection. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. That perfection is reached after many, many births. Just like aquatics, plants, trees, reptiles, birds, beasts, then uncivilized human form of body, then civilized form of body, and especially the Vedic style of body. That is considered to be the highest perfectional body. And Vedic perfectional stage also achieves the highest goal when it is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest goal of life. We should always remember. And Bhagavad-gītā says bahūnāṁ janmanaṁ ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births of evolution, one after another, one after another, one after another-that evolution is going, every moment-so when one is perfectly wise, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. Jñānavān means perfectly wise. Jñāna means knowledge, and vān means one who has. The Sanskrit word vān… Just like bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means one who has. So Bhagavān means one who has got six kinds of opulences in full. Every Sanskrit word has got its root meaning. It is not… Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has got His root meaning. Kṛṣṇa, "the greatest." Kṛṣ, and ṇa means negation. There are different meanings, but this is one of the meanings. Another Kṛṣṇa meaning is "all-attractive." So God is great. That very idea is perfectly expressed in the word Kṛṣṇa. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān [Bg. 7.19]. Jnanavān means who has attained, who has possessed, who is in possession of highest wisdom. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate.

And what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Kṛṣṇa says, "One who surrenders unto Me. One who comes to Me and surrenders, 'My dear Kṛṣṇa, I now understand that You are my eternal protector, You are my eternal friend, You are my eternal maintainer. I forgot You; now I understand. So I come to You and surrender. Please give me protection.' " This is called śaraṇāgati. So he is wisest man, and he continues to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. What is that mām? If Kṛṣṇa says, "unto Me." So "unto Me," Kṛṣṇa is everything. Because He is the Supreme Lord, therefore He is everything. But what sort of? Vāsudeva. That form of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva means the son of Vasudeva. That means the Kṛṣṇa of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam who appeared Himself as the son of Vasudeva, Vāsudeva. Son of Vasudeva is known as Vāsudeva. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. And Vāsudeva is all-pervasive. Whatever we see, whatever we experience, that is expansion of Vāsudeva's energy. So one who understands… In the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: [Bg. 9.4] "Everything, whatever you see, I am there. It is My expansion." mayā tatam idam. Tatam means expanded. "I have been expanded everywhere." Just like this watch, this is also Kṛṣṇa. This is also Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvāda philosophy, they misunderstand that if Kṛṣṇa has expanded to become this watch, to become this pot, to become this light, to become this room, to become this cloth, then Kṛṣṇa is finished. No more Kṛṣṇa. That is impersonalism. But that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇa exists. That is also confirmed by the Vedas. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Iso Invocation]. The Absolute Truth is so perfect that if perfectly taken from the perfect, everything is taken, still He's there. Just like this is a watch. If you take its hands, if you take its glass, if you take its machine, then what remains there? Nothing. It becomes zero. But Kṛṣṇa is so full and complete, if you take millions of Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa is still there. That is Kṛṣṇa's omnipotency. God is omnipotent. They do not understand what is this omnipotency. They say some words, "almighty," "omnipotent," but they do not understand what is this omnipotence. Just like even from material example we can see that the sun planet diffusing… I do not know how much temperature, what is the degree of that temperature, diffusing for millions and millions of years. Still, the temperature is the same. If it is possible to a material thing which is an insignificant creation of God, if the sun is so much omnipotent… Not omnipotent. The sun's light or the sunshine is from, derived from Kṛṣṇa's spiritual potency. But we can see that it is so much potent that diffusing sunshine for millions of years. There is no decrease of temperature. So vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19] means Vāsudeva expands Himself in so many universes, so many planets, so many paraphernalia, still, He is in Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātmā bhuto [Bs. 5.37]. He is enjoying in His planet Goloka Vṛndāvana, and still, He is all-pervasive. mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam jagat avyakta-mūrtinā [Bg. 9.4].

So when one comes to this understanding that Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, He keeps Himself intact although He is all-pervasive… Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. Mahātmā means great soul. Just like you have heard the name of Mahatma Gandhi in our country, but the definition of mahātmā in Bhagavad-gītā is different. A mahātmā is not a politician. A mahātmā is not for the Indians and not for the Americans or any certain limited circle. Mahātmā is not like that. Of course, the Indian people awarded the title "Mahatma" Gandhi, but mahātmā means a different… Mahātmā's definition is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. There it is stated, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daiviṁ prakṛtim āśritaḥ [Bg. 9.13]. A mahātmā is under the shelter of the internal potency of God. There are two kinds of potencies. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You should read Bhagavad-gītā very carefully. You'll understand everything. Aparā and parā. These are stated. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca… bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā [Bg. 7.4]. The Lord said, material world, what is this material world? This material world is composition of earth, water, air, fire, ether. And this is gross element, gross ingredients. But there are finer, subtle ingredients, mind, intelligence, ego. So these eight gross and fine elements which is the material world, that is expressed in the Bhagavad-gītā that bhinnā me prakṛti aṣṭadhā, "These eight kinds of prakṛti, nature, is my separated inferior energy." Apareyam, this is inferior. They are inferior. Itas tv anya me prakṛtiṁ parā. Besides these eight elements, there is another prakṛti, another nature, which is superior. And what is that? We can see earth, water, fire, air, and, of course, mind we can feel, intelligence we can feel, ego also we can feel. There is feeling, although we cannot see because they are subtle. And what about the other? That is expressed in the Bhagavad-gītā, jīva bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho [Bg. 7.5], "My dear Arjuna, they are these living entity." Some of the nonsense philosophers, they are identifying the soul with the mind, with intelligence, with ego, but they are all material. The soul is different. So this is daivī prakṛti, spiritual nature. The material nature and spiritual nature.

So mahātmā means, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritaḥ [Bg. 9.13]. Mahātmās, those who are mahātmā, they take shelter of the spiritual nature, and those who are durātmā or kśūdrātmā… Mahā means great, and just opposite to mahā means, opposite to mahā is kśūdra, small. Just like somebody is very liberal and somebody is very miser. So mahātmā is broad, broader-minded, broader soul, whose soul has become broader. How you can become broader? If you dovetail yourself with the supreme broadest, then you become broader. Otherwise you become smaller. So this is the difference between mahātmā and kśūdrātmā. People are generally, they are doing something for his own body, something for his society, something for his family, something for his country. So you can expand your activities, but unless you expand your activities to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become the smaller. So,

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritaḥ

bhajanty-ananya manaso

(jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam)

[Bg. 9.13]

So mahātmā means Kṛṣṇa conscious, who is unalloyedly attached to the loving transcendental service of Kṛṣṇa. Bhajanti mām ananya manaso, this is the definition of mahātmā. Anyone who is cent percent engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, he is mahātmā. Not by stamping, that "You are mahātmā, I am mahātmā." No. This is the definition of mahātmā. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritaḥ [Bg. 9.13]. Daivī prakṛti means they are no more interested with this material world. They are interested with the spiritual energy. Because we are spiritual energy. We are… The same energy, we are seeking after the same energy. Just like water can mix with water. Oil cannot mix with water. If you put a drop of oil with water, the oil will remain separate. But if you put a drop of water with water, immediately mixes. Similarly we are spirit soul. As soon as we are in the spiritual world, in spiritual activities, then we are one. There is no discordance. There is no opposing elements. But so long we exist in the material world, everything opposing. Everything opposing. Therefore it is struggle. Struggle for existence. Suppose if you are thrown into the sea, however expert swimmer you may be, it is struggle. It is struggle for existence. But if you are on the land, there is no such struggle. You live natural life. Similarly, mahātmā, those who have become broader by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by surrendering unto Kṛṣṇa after many, many births… Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. Ante means after. Janma means birth. And fully understanding that everything is Kṛṣṇa, everything is display of Kṛṣṇa's energy.

So Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energy, there are two things. So we are praying, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare means we are praying to the energy, the internal energy, the spiritual energy, Rādhārāṇī. Hare. We are praying "Hare, O the energy of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is always with energy. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, has many multifarious energies. Whatever we are seeing, it is all manifestation of His energy. So we are praying both to the energy. We are praying to the material energy also-material energy also, perverted reflection of the spiritual energy. Actually, there is no material energy. Everything is spiritual. But when the spiritual energy is covered by ignorance… Just like when the sky is covered by cloud it becomes dark. Similarly, spiritual energy, when it is covered by material energy… The cloud has no separate existence. It is also creation of the sunshine. Similarly, the material energy has also no separate existence. It is also creation of Kṛṣṇa, but it appears and disappears. The spiritual energy remains. So when we dovetail ourself with the spiritual energy, then we become perfect. That is our perfection. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is dovetailing ourself with the spiritual energy and thus become perfect. And this human form of life is meant for that purpose.

So we are following the six Gosvāmīs. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. Always chanting and dancing and chanting… What is chanting? Not any slogan, but Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. This is chanting. Chanting does not mean that you chant like some parrot, no. Chanting Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana. Śravanaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. Kīrtanam, chanting, and śravanam, hearing, what? There are so many subject matters of chanting and hearing. No. Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. So chanting and hearing, this was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya and followed by the six Gosvāmīs, and we are also following in the footprints of the six Gosvāmīs. Therefore we should offer our respectful obeisances, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva gopālakau. We offer our respectful obeisances to Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, and to Raghunātha Gosvāmī and Jīva Gosvāmī and Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) Come on. Where you have been, Vāmanadeva?

Vāmanadeva: I'm working. I have a job.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Vāmanadeva: …making furniture, working with wood. I'm learning a lot so I can make nice thrones.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) That's all right. So any question?

Woman: Is there anyone similar to Joan of Arc in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Woman: Are you familiar with Joan of Arc? She was a saint.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Woman: Is there any person in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam similar to her?

Prabhupāda: You want to see Joan of Arc in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Why don't you take Joan of Arc of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Any activities of devotees, that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. What do you mean by Bhāgavatam? Bhāgavatam, Bhāgavatam, Bhāgav, this word comes from Bhagavān. Bhāgavata, Bhāgavad-śabda. The word is Bhāgavata. And pertaining to Bhāgavata is Bhāgavata. So Bhāgavata can be expanded to any unlimited. So anything in relationship with God, that is Bhāgavatam. So if Joan of Arc, she was in relationship with God, she is also Bhāgavatam. You should expand Bhāgavatam in that way. Yes.

Madhudviṣa: Recently it said in the newspaper where the scientists were sending a sputnik around the moon. I have read in your Easy Journey to Other Planets that no matter how many endeavors they make, they will never reach these other planets. Is this…?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is not the process of reaching. This is childish. That also I have made statement, this is childish. You cannot go to the moon planet in that way. It is not possible. They'll simply create story, but they'll never be successful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Will we know Kṛṣṇa as well by thinking always how can we spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Is this the… be good to know Kṛṣṇa as much as if you study thoroughly the Vedas?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Siddhānta boliyā citte nā kara alasa. You have to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. There are so many books. The Gosvāmīs were doing that. In the next verse… I have explained one verse. The next verse is nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau. They were very much expert in studying very scrutinizingly all Vedic literatures. So, of course, reading or hearing. You may not have time to read, but try to read. If you have no time, you are hearing. We are publishing, we are publishing literature, books. I am trying to speak to you. That is also understanding, studying Kṛṣṇa science. Rather, hearing is better reception. If you hear… That Vedas are therefore known as śruti. Śruti means it is received through hearing. Real process is hearing. And this age, Kali-yuga, people cannot study so much. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was called by Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, He presented Himself that "What can I understand, Vedānta-sūtra? I am a fool. Therefore My spiritual master has ordered Me to simply chant." So this chanting will help you. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau [ŚU 6.23]. Simply by studying, becoming bookworm, you cannot advance. The real secret is… That is stated in the Vedas. Unflinching faith in God and spiritual master. Then things will be revealed from within. How much strength we have got to study all these books? But Vedas says, yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. If one has got unflinching faith in God and similar faith in the spiritual master, tasyaite kathitā hy arthaḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ, to him only the Vedic knowledge becomes revealed. And this is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Lord Kṛṣṇa says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajataṁ prīti-pūrvakam: [Bg. 10.10] "Those who are engaged in My service with love and affection, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, I personally give him intelligence, yena mām upayanti te, by which he can come to Me." In another place, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣām evānukampārtham: [Bg. 10.11] "In order to show these devotees special favor, teṣāṁ evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy, I personally dissipate their darkness within the heart." Everything, the mind is full of darkness; therefore we are conditioned. So Kṛṣṇa, from within He drives away the darkness of ignorance. Aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy. Aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva, just like that.

So He is within you. If you are sincere to Him and to the instruction, following, then everything will come out automatically even if you don't read. This is the special significance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we want simply sincere soul; then everything is there. You study or no study. But for preaching work, studying required. If you are…, because you have to meet so many opposing elements, so if you can give some reference from books of authority. But even if you don't give references, you can speak logically, you can place arguments logically. So Kṛṣṇa will help, Kṛṣṇa is within you. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is without. He's without and within, both. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. When Kṛṣṇa was standing before Kuntī and He also entered within the womb of Uttarā to save Parīkṣit Mahārāja, so Kuntī said that "I see that You are within and without. Still, You are unseen." God is within and without, but the rascals cannot see. They say, "Where is God? Can you show me?" But He is always everywhere, within and without. So one has to train himself how to see. That is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. One has to anoint the eyes with love of God. Then he can see. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Santaḥ, saintly person. Sant. Just like your San Francisco, the Sant (Saint) is Sanskrit word, santaḥ. The saint word is Sanskrit word. Santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Those who are saints, sants, they always see God within and without. They have got eyes to see. What is that special eyes? That is love of God, that's all.

Viṣṇujana: Lord Jesus Christ said that if you would see God, your eye must be single. Was he referring to that same statement that love of God is that single eye?

Prabhupāda: That means your one eye will be lost? What do you mean by that?

Viṣṇujana: Just he stated it that…

Prabhupāda: No, what do you understand by that? Your eyes will be single, is that the…? Then what do you mean? What do you understand by this statement?

Viṣṇujana: I understand that your attention would be one-pointed on God.

Prabhupāda: That's it! That's it. When you actually see God, you cannot see anything except God. That is God-seeing. That is stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, sthavor jaṅgam dekhe na dekhe tava mūrti. A highly-elevated devotee, first-class devotee, he sees trees or the animals are moving, nonmoving, so many varieties, but he does not see their form. Everywhere he sees Kṛṣṇa. That is a fact. Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayayaḥ yaḥ [Bg. 14.4]. There are millions of varieties of forms of life, but I am the seed-giving father. So a devotee sees, "Oh, here is a son of Kṛṣṇa. Here is a son of Kṛṣṇa. Here is a son of Kṛṣṇa. Here is a son of Kṛṣṇa." So if you love somebody, as soon as you see his son, you immediately remember who's son he is. Therefore he sees the tree but immediately remembers, "Oh, it is Kṛṣṇa's." He sees a dog; he immediately sees Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, he is Kṛṣṇa's." He sees a watch; he immediately sees, "It is Kṛṣṇa's." Therefore he is single-eyed, Kṛṣṇa. That's all. He has no other, any other vision. Everything Kṛṣṇa's. Therefore he wants to take everything towards Kṛṣṇa, "Please come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are missing. You are Kṛṣṇa's. Why you are identifying with this nonsense? Why you are thinking American, American, Indian, or this or that? You are Kṛṣṇa's. Come to Kṛṣṇa." This is our propaganda. We want to give eyes to the people. They are blind and their leaders are blind. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānas na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know what is their ultimate goal of life, this Kṛṣṇa, God. So what Lord Jesus Christ says, it is right. So have saṅkīrtana. Or any other question? Hare Kṛṣṇa. (kīrtana-Prema-dhvāṇī) (aside:) Stop it. (end)

Arrival Addresses and Talks

690911AR.LON

Arrival Address

London, September 11, 1969

(kīrtana)

Prabhupāda: …but I'm not very much fond of reception. I want to know how people give reception to this movement. That is my concern.

Devotees: Haribol!

Reporter: How long will you be in England, sir?

Prabhupāda: England, I think I am coming for the second time. Last time, in 1967, when I was going to India I stayed here for two days only and then went away. Practically, this is the first time I have come.

Reporter: And for how long?

Prabhupāda: That I do not know.

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: I have got so many fathers and mothers to take care, so as long as they keep me, I can be.

Mukunda: If any of you gentlemen have questions, you can ask them of Prabhupāda.

Reporter: Yes. Can I ask is this is a very special welcome for you, or is this a performance that you go through each day?

Prabhupāda: No. Wherever I go, I have got my disciples. In the Western countries I have got now about twenty centers, especially in America, Canada. So the American boys are very enthusiastic. I think…

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: I think I got in Los Angeles and San Francisco a very great reception. And in Ratha-yātrā festival about ten thousand boys and girls followed me for seven miles.

Devotees: Haribol!

Reporter: What do you try and teach, sir?

Prabhupāda: I am trying to teach what you have forgotten.

Devotees: Haribol! Hare Kṛṣṇa! (laughter)

Reporter: Which is what?

Prabhupāda: That is God. Some of you are saying there is no God, some of you are saying God is dead, and some of you are saying God is impersonal or void. These are all nonsense. I want to teach all these nonsense that there is God. That is my mission. Any nonsense can come to me, I shall prove that there is God. That is my Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is a challenge to the atheistic people. There is God. As we are sitting here face to face, you can see God face to face. If you are sincere and if you are serious, that is possible. Unfortunately, we are trying to forget God; therefore we are embracing so many miseries of life. So I am simply preaching that you have Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy. Don't be swayed away by these nonsense waves of māyā, or illusion. That is my request.

Devotees: Haribol!

Reporter: Is this singing essential to the sustenance of your faith?

Prabhupāda: This singing is the process for clearing the dust accumulated on the heart. Our relationship with God is eternal. It cannot be broken. But due to the contact of māyā we are trying to forget Him. But if we chant this holy name of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then māyā will not act, and we shall very quickly understand what is our relationship with God. That is the process. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. The Sanskrit word is "cleansing the dirty heart." The dirty heart. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Those who are miscreants, rascals, and lowest of the mankind, and taken all knowledge, and atheistic class of men, they do not know what is God. Others, those who are virtuous, those who are inquisitive, those who are wise, they will try and they will understand what is God. So my appeal to you is that you try to understand this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a bogus movement. It is scientific, authorized. Any scientist, any philosopher and logician may come and we shall prove that there is God and we have got eternal relationship with God. So if you want to (be) happy, then you must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Otherwise the human race is doomed. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12]. Anyone who has no God consciousness, he has no qualification. However academically he may be very rich, he has no qualification. Manorathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. His only qualification is mental concoction. Mental concoction. That's all. He has no other qualification. So we reject all these nonsense. We simply accept a sincere soul who wants to dedicate his life for God's service. So it is not easy thing. These boys and girls who are following me, they are very elevated. They are not ordinary boys and girls. They have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Their quality is greater than any mundane erudite scholar. It is a challenge. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ [SB 5.18.12]. Anyone who has developed God consciousness, love of God, all good qualities will automatically develop in him. All good qualities. Test any of our students, how they are good, how they are advanced. Test it. Bring anyone in this world and test any one of our boys. You'll find how much difference there is in their character, in their feeling, in their consciousness. So this is the only thing. If you want peaceful society, then you must make them God conscious, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything will be automatically solved. Otherwise your so-called United Nations will not help.

Reporter: Mr. Billy Graham makes people God conscious in a different way. Can you tell me what you think of him?

Prabhupāda: I do not know what is Billy Graham, but I am following the Vedic principle, Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. God says that "You give up all nonsense occupation, simply surrender unto Me, and I take charge of you and give you protection." This is our philosophy.

Reporter: Can I ask you some questions about your general attitudes on things going on around us? For instance, what do you feel about man going to the moon? (laughter)

Prabhupāda: This is simply a waste of time. I already commented on this when I was in San Francisco. The reporters asked me this very question. I flatly replied that it is simply waste of time and money. That's all. (laughter)

Reporter: What about something very much nearer to ourselves here in this country, and that is a war or civil disturbance is going on…

Prabhupāda: Well, war is going on.

Reporter: …between Christians?

Prabhupāda: No. We are not Christian nor Hindu nor Muslim. We are God's servant. That's all. Anyone who is God's servant, there is no disagreement. And when one is māyā's servant, servant of māyā, illusion, there is disagreement. So it doesn't matter. Our test is, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. That system of religion is first class which teaches how to love God. That's all. It doesn't matter whether it is Christian religion, Muhammadan religion or Hindu religion. We shall see. If the follower of the religion has learned how to love God, then his religion is perfect. Otherwise it is useless.

Reporter: But do you not think it's worth going to such places as Ireland and trying to talk to the people out there to stop warring?

Prabhupāda: Now, this is our talking, that the first-class religion is that which teaches how to love God. Try to understand this. This is the simple formula.

Reporter: Yes, but don't you think it's worth going over there to try and help them?

Prabhupāda: We shall see. Suppose you are Christian. If you have developed your sense of loving God, then you are perfect, your religion is perfect. But instead of loving God, if you have developed your sense of loving dog, then you have wasted your time. That is our test. Yes. You want to ask any question?

Reporter: I think the lady wants to take you away somewhere. (Prabhupāda chuckles)

Reporter (2): I think that the wind is up.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Reporter: I should just like to know how old you are.

Prabhupāda: I am? I am seventy-four years old. I was born in 1896.

Reporter: Whereabouts?

Prabhupāda: In India, Calcutta.

Reporter: Are you married, sir?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I have got my sons, grandsons, my wife, all living, but I have no connection with them. I am a sannyāsī, renounced order. I have got elderly sons.

Reporter: You say you have no connection with your family?

Prabhupāda: No.

Reporter: Why?

Prabhupāda: Because I have taken sannyāsa. I have dedicated my life for Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vedic system, that certain portion of your life should simply dedicate for God. That is called sannyāsa.

Reporter: To do this, did you have to divorce?

Prabhupāda: No. There is no question of. We do not know what is divorce. In our country there is no divorce, at least in Hindu law. Yes. Wife and husband, once combined, that is for life. There is no question of separation, in all circumstances. Either in distress or in happiness, there is no question of separation. Now our modern politicians, they have introduced this divorce law. Otherwise, according to Hindu, Manu-saṁhitā, there is no divorce law.

Reporter: When did you renounce your family?

Prabhupāda: In 1959.

Reporter: How are they managing without you?

Prabhupāda: They are managing. My sons are grown up; they are earning. My wife is also rich man's daughter. She has got some property. So they have no problem.

Reporter: Do you ever see them at all?

Prabhupāda: No. I cannot see. I cannot see at least my wife. But if my sons and daughters come to see me, they can see. But my wife cannot see me. That is stopped. That is the system of sannyāsa. A sannyāsī cannot meet his wife again. That is renouncement. Renouncement means renouncing connection with woman, or renouncing sex life. That is renouncement.

Reporter: Coming this way, sir?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (cameras clicking)

Reporters: Thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Devotees: All glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga! Haribol! (end)

710629AR.LA

Arrival Lecture

Los Angeles, June 29, 1971

Prabhupāda: So I am very happy to see you again after eight months, or nine months. Ānandambudhi vardhanam. This movement is not hackneyed. Increasing the ocean of happiness. You have no experience of the ocean increasing. If the ocean increases, then the whole planet will be again overflooded. But this is an ocean of happiness. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, Lord Caitanya says, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Ambudhi. Ambudhi means ocean and ānanda means bliss. If we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, as soon as our heart is cleansed… That is the first benediction of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that our heart becomes cleansed. If your heart is not cleansed, how we are participating together? Somebody is Indian, somebody is American, somebody is Canadian, somebody is African. Because on the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform the heart becomes cleansed. There are no more such consciousness that "I am this," "I am that." The only consciousness is that "I am Kṛṣṇa's." That is cleanliness of heart. As soon as we come to this platform, that "I am Kṛṣṇa's." Just like the gopīs. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they were thinking, "We are all Kṛṣṇa's." Central point is Kṛṣṇa. That is the beauty of Vṛndāvana. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, the elderly cowherd men, the boys, the girls, the trees, the river, the birds, the beasts-everyone-they are simply thinking, "I am Kṛṣṇa's." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And as soon as we think otherwise-"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that," that is material consciousness. Try to understand the simple fact that as soon as we identify with our designated body, which I am not… I am not this body, so why shall I identify myself with American or Indian? Accidentally I have got this body in America or India or Africa or in hell or heaven. That is accidental. Or by my karma. But actually, I am not this body. And if I am not this body… Generally everything we are accepting in this material world (is) on the bodily concept of life. Because I have got bodily relationship with some man or woman, I am thinking… There are thousands of men and women, but I am thinking, "This woman is mine," "This man is mine." This is a crude example. And similarly, children. Gṛha-kṣetra. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8]. This bodily concept of life increases our delusion and we become enwrapped, entangled in material world, and we get a different type of body.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for releasing all these conditioned souls from this misconception of life. Anyone, any intelligent man can understand that as soon as we identify our activities with the body, then we are fool number one. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. Anyone who is identifying himself with this body… Sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu. "And family members, wife, children, they are our own men. All others are enemies." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. "And the land in which we have taken birth, that is worshipable." People are sacrificing their life in so many ways. The leaders are enthusing them, "Oh, you are national of this, national of that." Falsely they are working so hard. This is the basic principle, mistake, of the modern civilization-identifying oneself with this body, which he's not. So by Kṛṣṇa kīrtana, this bodily concept of life is…, in the beginning it becomes vanquished. A tacit example: you are all boys. You have forgotten that this body is Indian or American. You are Kṛṣṇa's. This is the first installment. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If this bodily concept of life is removed, immediately all the problems of the world solved. Immediately. All these great writers, thoughtful men, philosophers, politicians, diplomats, and the United Nations, they are trying to solve the problems of the world, but they are increasing the problems. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās [SB 7.5.31]. How they can mitigate? It is not possible, because the basic principal mistake is there.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Bhava, bhava means this material world. Bhava means to become. Bhava and abhava. You take some, accept some body, that is bhava: "I become." And keep myself in this body for some years, utmost hundred years. Then again abhava. Abhava means another change of body. So this is very botheration, the changing of body. But one who comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no more change of body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, after giving up this body, he does not accept any more material body. Then what happens to him? Kṛṣṇa says, mām eti. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: "He comes to Me." So why don't you take this simple formula? Be Kṛṣṇa conscious. How nice it is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. We are living in… Not heaven. Heaven is nothing for us. We are living in Vaikuṇṭha in this temple. Anyone can practically see how they came from hellish life; now they are living in Vaikuṇṭha. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice and so simple. Why people are so foolish they do not take it? What is their complaint? We are living so nicely that sometimes people are envious, that "These people have no business, no occupation, and they are living in nice house, eating nice Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and dancing!" They're envious. But when we say, "Why don't you come here?" they will deny: "No, sir. I cannot go." (laughter) Why you are envious? You come and participate and live like us, happily. "No." That he will not. (laughter) And this is the māyā. You see? Māyā will say, "Oh, why you are going there? (laughter) You just come here in the Bowery Street, and as soon as you get some money, you purchase one bottle and lie down." That is life.

So this is the position. But still, as living representative of Kṛṣṇa, our duty is to save these fallen conditioned souls. That is our duty. One may agree to come or not come. It doesn't matter. You try your best to bring him to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness position. Then Kṛṣṇa will be happy. "Oh, this person is trying." Because it is Kṛṣṇa's business. Kṛṣṇa comes. He advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. And we are saying the same thing, that "You just surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Be Kṛṣṇa conscious." Therefore we are living representative of Kṛṣṇa. We are saying nothing else. Our only business is to repeat the Kṛṣṇa's word. Therefore we are representative. So anyone can become representative of Kṛṣṇa. It is not difficult. Simply one has to go door to door: "Please surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." That's all. Is it very difficult job? Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. We can serve Kṛṣṇa in four ways. First of all, try to dedicate your life for Kṛṣṇa. That is first class. If not, then spare some of your money for Kṛṣṇa. If not, then give some words for Kṛṣṇa. Or give some intelligence. You can give. "Sir, if for organizing your this movement, we know that you require money, but I have no money. So I have got a friend. He is rich. If you come, he will help you." This is intelligence. You can serve Kṛṣṇa by intelligence. You can serve Kṛṣṇa by your money. You can serve Kṛṣṇa by your life. And at last, you can serve Kṛṣṇa by your words. Simply go door to door and request everyone, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There will be no loss on your part. The gain you will see within one week. The gain you will see within one week if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. But you are not losing." What is the difficulty? So our business is like that. We should go door to door and request them, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." You'll be happy.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

710716AR.DET

Arrival Address

Detroit Airport, July 16, 1971

(prema-dhvanī)

Devotee: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: It has become very satisfactory that so many devotees, boys and girls, are taking part in this great movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is very important movement because it is correcting the human civilization. There is a great defect in the modern civilization, and people are accepting this body as self, and based on this mistake in the foundation, everything is going wrong. The basic principle of civilization-accepting this body as the soul-is the beginning of all problems. The great philosophers, scientists, theologists and thoughtful men, they do not know what is the defect. Recently I was in Moscow. I had a talk with a big professor of Indology, Professor Kotovsky. So he was speaking that "Swamijī, after this finishing, annihilation of this body, everything is finished." So I was astonished that a learned professor who is posing himself on a very advanced post, he has no idea about the soul and the body, how they are different, how the soul migrating from one body to another. And everyone is accepting this body as the self, and "There is no life after death; therefore make the best use of this bad bargain and enjoy sense gratification as far as possible." But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is checking this wrong progress of human civilization. Our first proposition is that "You are not this body; you are spirit soul. Some way or other, you are in contact with this material world, and you have got this material body, and under illusion, you are accepting something which you are not."

So basic principle of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to correct the wrong foundation of the human civilization. In the Bhagavad-gītā this is the beginning of spiritual knowledge. When Arjuna was identifying himself with this body and bodily relationship, Kṛṣṇa first of all corrected that "You are not this body." So if we do not understand these first steps of spiritual knowledge, then where is the question of making further progress? Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ [SB 10.84.13]. This is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Yasya ātma-buddhiḥ. One who has accepted as self kuṇape tri-dhātuke, this bag of bones and flesh and blood… This body is made of… According to Vedic medicine or Vedic anatomy, it is made of three elements-mucus, bile, and air. Tri-dhātu. Apart from that medical science, this body, one who accepts this body as self and Sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu, and persons in relationship with this body as kinsmen, own men, bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, and the land where we take our birth as worshipable, sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13], he is accepted as go-kharaḥ. Go means cow, and khara means ass. That means animal. The animal, they accept this, that "I am this body." But human form of life, which is so advanced in knowledge…

Airport speaker: Ladies and gentlemen, I have to ask you to clear the boarding area so we can start our flight.

Prabhupāda: If… We shall stop? All right. Then we shall stop.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Prabhupāda: So, so Bhagavān dāsa…

Airport speaker: Ladies and gentlemen, I have to ask you to clear the boarding area. We have a flight leaving here in about thirty minutes. We have to check it in. So if you'll kindly clear the boarding area, please. (kīrtana) (end)

710729AR.GAI

Arrival Lecture

Gainesville, July 29, 1971

Prabhupāda: We see you chanting the mahā-mantra. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted that in every village, town, country on the surface of the globe this saṅkīrtana movement will be spreading. So we are very much obliged to you that in this remote place, which is thousands and thousands miles away from Lord Caitanya's birthplace, Navadvīpa, and you are carrying out, to fulfill His desire, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu-the picture is there-assisted by four others, Pañca-tattva. Kṛṣṇa appeared in five principles. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, and Nityānanda Prabhu is His immediate expansion, and Advaita Prabhu is incarnation. Gadādhara Prabhu is internal potency, and śrīvāsādi, Śrīvāsa is heading the list of His devotees. Śrīvāsa represents the marginal potency of Kṛṣṇa.

So śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda means Kṛṣṇa complete. Just like when we speak of a king, "king'' does not mean king is alone. He, somebody says the king is coming here, it is to be understood that king with his associates coming. King does not come alone. Whenever a…, the king goes, he goes with his secretary, minister, commander, so many other people. King is never alone. There must be queen also, and queen's associates. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the supreme king, how He can be alone? He's not alone. He's always with His associates. Therefore you see Kṛṣṇa's picture, Vṛndāvana picture. He's with His associates-a cowherds boy, a cowherds girl, Kṛṣṇa's father Nanda Mahārāja, Mother Yaśodā. But Kṛṣṇa is not alone. Supreme…, any person, he can not be alone. Just like we are here, we are not alone. We are so many friends, so many associates. So person does not mean alone. Person means with associates. This Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu Nityānanda, worshiping Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu means to worship Him with His associates, Pañca-tattva. Pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam.

Kṛṣṇa has appeared as a devotee. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, ordered that "You give up all engagements. Just surrender and I'll give you protection.'' But people sometimes misunderstood Him. There are many so-called commentators on the Bhagavad-gītā. They mislead people by giving some wrong commentation on Kṛṣṇa. One big scholar in India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he gives comments on a verse where is direct order of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], that "You become My devotee, always think of Me, offer your obeisances unto Me.'' But Rādhā…, Radhakrishnan comments in a different way. "This obeisances is not to the person Kṛṣṇa.'' Just see. Such a big scholar, he is misinterpreting, "Not to the person Kṛṣṇa.'' In this way, Bhagavad-gītā, although widely read all over the world, in all countries, they are being mislead by improper commentary. So we are therefore trying to present Bhagavad-gītā or Kṛṣṇa as He is. And by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, it is coming out successful. For thousands of years Bhagavad-gītā was being read in foreign countries by big, big scholars, philosophers, but there was not a single devotee of Kṛṣṇa. But we have started this movement, not even five years old, we have got sixty branches, and there are thousands and thousands of devotees. Why? The secret is that we have not cheated people, we have not adulterated. If you put something for sale in the market which is very pure, automatically you'll get many customers. Automatic. Because the thing is pure. If you sell pure milk, just from the farm, there will be many hundreds of customers immediately, and if you sell adulterated, homogenized water mixed milk, the milk will be sold, but not very many customers ordinarily. So anything pure will attract. That is natural. Pure love, pure foodstuff, anything pure. Pure gold. In economics also. It is said, "Bad money drives away good money.'' If you put bad money, just like nowadays the currency is some paper, paper currency, so drives away good money. Good money means gold coins. They are not to be seen. That's economic law. As soon as you put bad money, the good money will vanish.

So try to present Kṛṣṇa as He is. People will be attracted, because everyone has got Kṛṣṇa's intimate relationship. We are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁso jīva bhūta [Bg. 15.7], all living entities, not only human being, other than human being, everyone, all living entities. They have got different bodies only, according to their different desires and inclinations. Otherwise, every living entity from…, beginning from Brahma down to an insect, a small ant, they are all living entities, and they are all parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God. We are all part and parcel of God. Therefore, just like you are part and parcel of your parent, so there is some intimate relationship with your parents. It cannot be broken, even if you are absent from home for many years. Still, when you go home, meet your parents, the old relationship-affectionate father, mother and son-immediately you'll revive. It does not take much time-because the son was long, long away from father, and he has come back, he takes another hundred years to establish the relation. No. As soon as the father and the son is together, the natural relationship immediately revives. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the original father, God is the original father. We are all His sons. Somehow or other we have left home. We have tried to enjoy material sense gratification. Kṛṣṇa has given us full facility. But we are not happy. That is not possible. Because we are separated from our original position, therefore we can not be happy. I give you one example. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of your body or my body, your body. If this finger is separated from this body it has no value, but if it is attached with this body, it has value. Similarly, we being part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa, if we're detached from God then we cannot be happy. That is a fact. There are many examples. Just like a baby, the part and parcel of the mother, crying, so many people trying to pacify the baby, taking on the lap, but still it is crying. But as soon as the baby is on the breast of the mother, immediately happy. Naturally. The baby knows, "Now I have come to the right place.'' Although it cannot speak, it cannot express, but the natural position, as soon as realized.

Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says brahma-bhutaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as you become brahma-bhuta… [SB 4.30.20]. Brahma-bhuta means you are brahma; now your position is jīva-bhūtaḥ, materially attached. That is called jīva-bhūta. Materially dressed. Brahma, spirit soul, materially dressed. That is called jīva-bhūta. Jīva-bhūta means struggle for existence. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. Prakṛti-sthani, in the material nature they are struggling hard for existence, because that is artificial life. The same jīva, when comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is called brahma-bhūta, brahman realization, self-realization. "I am Kṛṣṇa's.'' That is self-realization. Just like the same child, crying. "I am now on the lap of my mother,'' it is happy. Similarly, when you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you can become happy. Otherwise, go on crying for millions of years on different laps or different bodies. You cannot be happy.

So this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means making people directly in contact with the Supreme. Therefore immediately they're happy. I have got thousands of letters from my disciples. They're feeling so much obliged that "We have got our life. We were hopeless.'' Actually, that is the position. Without Kṛṣṇa, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are all hopeless, confused. So I am very happy to see so many nice boys and girls assembled here. So take to this process. We have got sufficient literature-books, magazines. And the simple method is, even if you do not read, suppose you are not educated, illiterate, you can not read, and still you can reach Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti, devotional service is not dependent on any material condition. Because one man is very rich, he can get Kṛṣṇa? No. Because one man is very poor, he cannot get Kṛṣṇa? No. That's not right. Because one is Hindu or Indian, he can get Kṛṣṇa, not others? No. That is also not. Kṛṣṇa is unconditionally for everyone. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarva yoniṣu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. Otherwise, how He can be God? If He is a Hindu God, just like they describe in the dictionary that Kṛṣṇa, a Hindu God-that is nonsense. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Kṛṣṇa does not say that "I am a Hindu God.'' But these rascals say Kṛṣṇa is Hindu God. This is going on. You see in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva yoniṣu kaunteya. "In all species of life.'' Sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ. There are as many different forms of life. Tāsāṁ mahad yoni, brahma: "Their mother is this material nature, and I am their seed-giving father.'' Kṛṣṇa says that. So how can Kṛṣṇa be Indian or Hindu or this or that? No. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. And the proof is that five years ago in the Western countries nobody knew what is Kṛṣṇa. How they're taking Kṛṣṇa in so loving attitude? This is the proof that Kṛṣṇa is for everyone, and everyone is for Kṛṣṇa.

Try to understand this philosophy. Don't be mislead. It is not a sectarian religion. It is the fact. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. The author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, he says, nitya siddha kṛṣṇa bhakti. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, our love for Kṛṣṇa, is eternal fact. Everyone has got love for Kṛṣṇa. Now, somehow or other it is covered. But that has to be awakened. Just like covered fire. Sometimes fire is covered by the ashes, and if you'll fan over the fire and put some new charcoal, again the fire will awaken, very bright. So similarly, somehow or other, our love for Kṛṣṇa is covered by these material designations: "I am American,'' "I am Christian,'' "I am Hindu,'' "I am Muslim,'' "I am this,'' "I am that.'' These are all ashes. The fire is the spirit soul. So if you rightly fan it over, and you'll see very soon, the fire will come out again. So how fanning? Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte. You kindly hear about Kṛṣṇa śuddha-citta, without any embarrassment, without being biased to something else. Śuddha-citte. If you… then Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or love for Kṛṣṇa, will automatically awaken, simply by hearing. That is happening. What we are doing? We are chanting everywhere "Hare Kṛṣṇa,'' and people are coming for hearing. We're not bribing them that "You take some money and become a member of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.'' Rather they are paying. So how it is happening, unless that Kṛṣṇa consciousness (is) within him? Try to understand that. Everyone, it doesn't matter when he is born, what he is, what profession he's not-whatever he may be. Simply if he hears about Kṛṣṇa. Just like after very, very long time, if you hear something which was very intimately known to you, you immediately become attracted: "Oh, that sound is again coming.'' You see. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is our original father. As soon as we hear about Kṛṣṇa, naturally we shall be inclined to hear about Him more and more. So the more you hear, the more you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and more our life becomes successful. Then you go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process.

So I'm very glad that you are so many boys and girls taking interest in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So please come here. You have got a very nice place. Discuss about Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa through philosophy, through science, through your intelligence-not that blindly-and you will be surely understanding what is Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa your life is successful. You become happy in this life, and if you execute properly Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then next life you'll go immediately to Kṛṣṇa for eternal blissful life of knowledge, sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvataḥ: "Anyone who knows Me in fact, in truth, the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. That person, after giving up this body, he never comes again to this material world.'' This material world, so long we have got desire to enjoy this material world, Kṛṣṇa will give you different bodies, as you like. You can have your body in America, you can have your body in China, you can have your body in Russia, or in the moon planet-wherever you like. You simply desire, and it will be fulfilled in your next life. Desire means if you strongly desire till the point of your death, then next life your are going to get. That is nature's arrangement. So why should we desire for any other life? We should desire to go back to Kṛṣṇa, tyaktva dehaṁ punar janma [Bg. 4.9], then you'll not get any material body. Then punar janma naiti, he does not get this material body. Then what happens to him? Mām eti: "He comes to Me.'' Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā. And as soon as you go there, you become associate of Kṛṣṇa in so many loving relationships. You can serve Kṛṣṇa passively, as Vṛndāvana land, as tree, as water, so many, as flowers, as fruits. This is called śānta rasa. And next you can serve Kṛṣṇa. If you like to serve Kṛṣṇa, you can serve Him as servant. Next, you can become friend of Kṛṣṇa, as a boyfriend or girlfriend. Next, you can become father and mother of Kṛṣṇa. Yaśodā and Nanda, Nanda Mahārāja, there're serving Kṛṣṇa, accepting Kṛṣṇa as their on, because the son is served. Son takes service from the parents. So devotees, they do not like to accept Kṛṣṇa as father. They would like to have Kṛṣṇa as their son. Father means to exact "Father give me this. I want. Mother give me this''-to take service. And to accept God as son means to give service.

So devotees, they want to give service only. They do not want in exchange from Kṛṣṇa anything. That is pure love. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was teaching like that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye: [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4] "My dear Lord, I do not want from You any amount of riches, dhanam; janam, any number of followers.'' Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitād, "not very nice, beautiful, attractive wife. I do not want all these things.'' Because materially we want all these things. All these people are struggling very hard. What for? For riches. "Money, money. Where is money? Where is money?'' And then, as soon as he has got some money, then he wants to be minister, or president, or governor. Janam, followers, there will be so many followers. Na dhanam, na janam. And very beautiful wife or husband for sense gratification. These things are wanted for materially ambitious people. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I don't want all these things.'' He's teaching, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye. Then what You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi: [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4] "I simply want that I may take My birth anywhere, it doesn't matter, but let Me become Your servant. Let Me become Your devotee.'' That is the aspiration of pure devotee.

So as soon as we shall require any material things, the Kṛṣṇa will give us opportunity. But that is not very good proposal. In the material life, either your very rich man or demigod, or in the higher planetary system, or as insect or any royal person anywhere, the threefold miseries of material existence there must be. Every intelligent man should be aspiring for Kṛṣṇa only and should be satisfied as Kṛṣṇa likes him to do. That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You try to understand. Take to it. You'll be happy. That is our proposal.

So if anyone has got some question, you can ask.

Devotee (1): Anyone have any questions?

Woman Guest: It seems that most of the devotees are young people, persons under thirty, under twenty-five. Why is this so? Why hasn't the movement spread? Is this a deliberate thing, or why do you feel it hasn't spread to parents or to older people?

Prabhupāda: Why the young people go to university?

Woman Guest: I'm sorry?

Prabhupāda: Why in the university you'll find all the students are young boys and girls? Why?

Woman Guest: That's the age of education.

Prabhupāda: That's the age of Kṛṣṇa consciousness (laughter). Old fools, they cannot change their opinion. (laughter)

Woman Guest: Why just in the last five years?

Prabhupāda: Because they have got now. Before this there was no such thing. Now they have got it, they're coming.

Woman Guest: Were you trying before then?

Prabhupāda: No. Before there was no such movement in your country.

Woman Guest: I know, I know. But why did you just now…

Prabhupāda: So now they have got the thing. They are wanting it. As they have got it, they are coming.

Devotee (2): How do you develop a service attitude in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Devotee (1): (repeats) How do you develop a service attitude?

Prabhupāda: By service. In the material world, if you give service you become tired. But transcendental world, if you give service, you more become enthusiastic. Yes, more service. That is happening. I do not pay these boys. Rather, they pay me, and they engage the service. They pay and serve. In the material world, as soon as you stop payment there is no service. Why? Because they, by serving Kṛṣṇa, they get transcendental pleasure. So the more you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, the more you become enthusiastic. There is no question of becoming tired. Just like I am old man. I have come from India. My age is seventy-six years. So still I am enthusiastic. Still I am going everywhere, all over the world. Why? Kṛṣṇa's service is so nice. Even old man like me, he gets energy to work. And that's also without any salary. Kṛṣṇa's service is so nice that you try to engage yourself more and more. Then you'll get more and more Kṛṣṇa conscious, more enthusiasm. And this is spiritual. This is spiritual. Ahaituky apratihatā. This service cannot be checked by any material condition. That I have already explained. Other service, material service, will be checked by material conditions. But transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa will never be checked by any material condition. That is the test.

Woman Guest: Does the Kṛṣṇa movement recognize other types of service to human beings like the social workers? Teaching…

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is best service to human beings, to make them Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Woman Guest: Is there room in the movement for other persons who are indirectly serving Kṛṣṇa rather than chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa all day?

Prabhupāda: No, the process is, just like if you pour water on the root of the tree, the water is distributed to the leaf, branches, twigs, and they remain fresh. But if you water on the leaf only, the leaf will also dry, and the twig will be also dry. If you put your foodstuff on the stomach, then the energy will be distributed to your finger, to your hairs to your nails and everywhere. And if you take foodstuff in the hand and do not put in the stomach, it will be useless waste. So all this humanitarian service has been wasted because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They're trying so many ways to serve the human society, but they're all being frustrated in useless attempt, because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if people are trained to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then automatically everyone will be happy. Any one who will join, one, anyone who will hear, anyone who will cooperate-everyone will be happy. So our process is natural process. You love God, and if you (are) actually expert in loving God, naturally you love everyone. Just like Kṛṣṇa conscious person, because he loves God, he loves the animals also. He loves birds, beasts, everyone. But so-called humanitarian love means they're loving some human being, but the animals are being killed. Why they do not love the animals? Because imperfect. But the Kṛṣṇa conscious person will never kill an animal or give trouble to animal even. But that is universal love. If you love only your brother or sister, that is not universal love. Universal love means you love everyone. That universal love can be developed by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not by otherwise.

Woman Guest: I know some of the devotees have had to sever relationships, so to speak, with their material world parents, and it gives them some degree of grief, because their parents don't understand. Now what do you tell them to kind of make this easier?

Prabhupāda: Well, a boy who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is giving the best service to his parents, families, countrymen, society. Without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, what service they are giving to their parents? Mostly they are separated. But, as Prahlāda Mahārāja was a great devotee and his father was a great nondevotee, so much so that his father was killed by Nṛsiṁhadeva, but Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was ordered by the Lord to take some benediction, he said that "I am not a merchant, Sir, that by giving You some service I'll take some return. Please excuse me.'' Nṛsiṁhadeva was very much satisfied: "Here is a pure devotee.'' But the same pure devotee requested the Lord, "My Lord, my father was atheist, and he has committed so many offenses, so I beg that my father may be liberated.'' And Nṛsiṁhadeva said, "Your father is already liberated because you are the, his son. In spite of all his offenses, he is liberated, because you are his son. Not only your father, but your father's father, his father up to seven generations, they are all liberated.'' So if Vaiṣṇava appears in a family, he liberates not only his father, but his father, his father, his father, his father, in that way. But that is the best service to the family, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Actually, it has happened. One of my students, Kārttikeya, his mother was so much fond of society that usually when he wanted to see his mother, mother says "Sit down. I am going to the dancing party.'' That was the relationship. Still, because he, this boy, is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he was talking of Kṛṣṇa to his mother many times. So at the time of death the mother asked the son, "Where is your Kṛṣṇa? He is here?'' And she immediately, she died. That means at the time of death she remembered Kṛṣṇa, and immediately she was delivered. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. At the time of death if one remembers Kṛṣṇa, then life is successful. So this mother, on account of the son, Kṛṣṇa consciousness son, she got liberated, without actually coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is the benefit.

Woman Guest: What about the children of new devotees now? The devotees will soon be having children in the next…

Prabhupāda: They will be also Kṛṣṇa conscious. We are maintaining, raising all these children. There are so many children in our society. We have got… There is school. We are preparing special school study books for them. We are taking care of them nicely.

Woman Guest: I wondered, are you sending them, or do you advocate sending them to secular schools, or have you made arrangements…?

Prabhupāda: No, no. We admit without application. There is no need of application. You'll please come and stay with us, that's all. Our door is open. We are rather appealing to the person, "Please come.'' In ordinary institution you have to put your application. When it is sanctioned, then you are admitted. We are canvassing, "Please come, please come, please come.'' Still they are not coming.

Woman Guest: That isn't exactly what I meant. I just wondered if you made arrangements with the government to…

Prabhupāda: Yes, we're trying for that.

Woman Guest: It's still under way now?

Prabhupāda: To get our institution in New Vrindaban, the government has said that "You make such and such building.'' So we have no money, but still we are trying. So as soon as the government conditions are fulfilled, we'll get government cooperation also.

Woman Guest: Thank you.

Prabhupāda: That's all. (end)

711110AR.DEL

Arrival Lecture

New Delhi, November 10, 1971

Prabhupāda: …Caitanya Mahāprabhu, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam: All glories for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So this is the verdict of Vedic literature also. When Parīkṣit Mahārāja was talking with Śukadeva Goswāmī, he described the varieties of follies in this age of kali-yuga. But he pointed out that there is one great benediction in this age. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. The faulty kali-yuga is just like an ocean of miserable condition, but there is one great opportunity. What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa one becomes liberated, and he is elevated to the highest perfection of life. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. So Lord Caitanya preached this Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana, and He ordered every Indian. It is the duty of every Indian. We should be very much proud of becoming Indian to take our birth on the holy land of India. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]. Anyone who has taken birth in this holy land of Bharata-varṣa, janma sārthaka kari': just make your life perfect and distribute the knowledge all over the world. Janma sārthaka kari kara para-upakāra. Para-upakāra. India is meant for doing welfare activities to the world, but we have forgotten that. We are trying to imitate the Western country and technology, and we have thrown out our Vedic treasure-house, our transcendental knowledge treasure-house. So my Guru Mahārāja ordered me long, long ago, when I was twenty-five years old, my Guru Mahārāja ordered me to go to the foreign countries and preach Lord Caitanya's message. But somehow or other I could not assimilate his order until I was seventy years old. But it was better late than never. So also I was trying how to make a successful tour for preaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message. So by the grace of my Guru Mahārāja and by your blessings, I went to the Western countries and had such a very good response, very good response. I went there empty handed with forty rupees in my pocket and free ticket, return ticket, by the Scindia Steam Navigation Company. And for one year I had no place to live, I had no money to eat; still I was going here and there. Then in 1966… I went in America in 1965. After struggling for one year, in 1966 I incorporated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. So some of our friends suggested, "Why not make 'God Consciousness Society'?'' and "No. 'Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.' If I make 'God Consciousness,' that will be a big task.'' Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇah [Bs. 5.1]. Therefore this distinctly should be the society for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So these boys, when I started my class, 26 Second Avenue, some of these students were coming, and then I started my kīrtana at the Thompkins Square Park, sitting on the ground floor. These boys and the girls were coming. That was the first publicity, make in the New York Times, about my kīrtana, and gradually it developed. Next branch was opened at San Francisco, then at Montreal, then at Boston, Buffalo. In this way now we have sixty-five branches all over the world, and each branch there are maximum two hundred devotees like these, and minimum twenty-five devotees at least. And each branch… At Los Angeles we are spending $20,000 per month, which is in Indian exchange two lakhs of rupees. Similarly, we are spending $10,000 in New York. In this way we have to spend seven lakhs of rupees per month for maintaining all these men, and we have got big, big publication like this. When I went to the Western country I brought only three volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the temple of our Sri Kṛṣṇa Sharma. He gave me shelter there, and I was publishing these books, and actually Lallaji also contributed something for my publication. So in this way I went there with three books. Now we have got over three dozen books, all beautifully published. We have given enough literature to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can be understood by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu very easily, simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Simply by chanting. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. But if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa through philosophy and science, we have got three dozen books. So we can convince you in both ways. If you are illiterate, if you have no knowledge, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you will get your life back. And if you think that you want to understand through science and philosophy, we have got three dozen books. Anyway, you come. That is our appeal. Don't take this movement very, I mean to say, neglectfully. It is very serious movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and it is the duty of all Indians, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

There is a great need for this movement. We want hundreds and thousands of preachers to go outside India and preach this cult. And there are customers ready. Wherever we are opening our branches, it appears as if they are awaiting our arrival. Immediately they take up. So there is very great opportunity. You cannot compete with the Western countries by your technology, however you may make some sewing machine or cycle or Ambassador car. They are hundred years ahead. You cannot make any competition by machine. If you can give them anything and glorify your country, then this is this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then they will admit that you have something. Wherever I go, they inquire, "Oh, India is poverty-stricken. Oh, you have come that part.'' India is advertised as poverty. Yes, in comparison to Western country it is simply poverty-stricken. We have not enough food, nor enough, I mean to say, house, and above all you have no milk. India, the land where we hear from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that, that the, by the cows' milk in Vṛndāvana there was muddy ground. And in that India now there is powdered milk.

So my request is that young men, as young men from America, Europe, Canada… Now I am coming via Africa. I was in Nairobi, Mombassa. And the black men, they are also dancing. And they are asking the Indian people there, "Why did you not give us this sublime message so long?'' Because there are many Indians in Nairobi and Mombassa. Unfortunately, our swamis go there, make some collection, and preach that "I am God, you are God. Why you are searching God? Gods are loitering in the street,'' and "Make this gymnastic and you will become God in six months.'' These things are going on. But nobody was interested. Bhagavad-gītā was taught in Europe and America for the last one thousand years, many big, big English edition. But never Kṛṣṇa was presented as He is. But as soon it was presented, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, the people are accepting. Immediately they are accepting. (indistinct) Otherwise, if you interpret Bhagavad-gītā in your own way, concocted way… Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ [SB 5.18.12]. By mental concoction, you have to come back to this asat.

So, I will not take much of your time. My appeal to you, to all of you especially, and with the help of these people, my request to you all ladies and gentlemen, (indistinct) please try to understand the potency of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and make your country… Because Kṛṣṇa consciousness is in India, it is surprising that India is not serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I have read in one government paper, Kṛṣṇa's (indistinct) or something black of origin. And people are sophisticated to worship Him. Such article has been published by the government. And average Indian can read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. This is our intelligence, and there in the government also. So it is very unfortunate that we are not taking care of our own treasure-house of knowledge, and we are trying to get knowledge from technology and be happy. This, there is no question of peace unless you understand Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasaṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

[Bg. 5.29]

That is the process of śāntim, and it is actually helping.

So we shall have more opportunity to explain Lord Kṛṣṇa. Now questions… (indistinct questions and answers) (end)

720518AR.LA

Arrival Lecture

Los Angeles, May 18, 1972

Prabhupāda: (airport noises) (leads Prema-dhvanī; says "Los Angeles bhakta-vṛnda ki jaya!") So my dear boys and girls, about six years ago I came to your country single-handed, with this pair of cymbals. Now you are so many chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is my success. It was the prediction of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra hoibe mora nāma

(Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya 4.126)

Lord Caitanya desired that "In all the towns, in as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the globe, My name will be broadcast." He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, svayaṁ kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa caitanya-nāmine, simply changing His name as Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. So His prediction will never go in vain. That's a fact. So my plan was that "I shall go to America. America is the leading country of the world. If I can convince (the) younger generation of America, they will take up." I am old man. I came here at the age of seventy years; now I am seventy-six. So my warning is already there. In nineteen hundred and seventy-one, I had a severe heart attack. You know, all. So the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is now in your hands. You are American boys and girls, very intelligent and graced by Kṛṣṇa. You are not poverty-stricken. You have enough resources, prestige. Everything materially, you are all well-equipped. If you kindly take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement seriously, your country will be saved, and the whole world will be saved.

The modern… The present human civilization is not in right order. I was coming here, and I was seeing one film, cinema, "The Boyfriend." Of course, young boy, young girl, making friendship, enjoying life-that is not condemned. Actually, that is life. Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is young boy and young girl.

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikrtir hlādinī śaktir asmād

ekātmānāv api (bhuvi purā) deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau

caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhuna tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ

rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalitaṁ naumi kṛṣṇa-svarūpam

[Cc. Ādi 1.5]

This young boy and young girl trying to unite for happiness is the natural inclination of the living entity. It is there in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Everything that we see in this material world is there in the spiritual world. Janmādy asya yataḥ. Wherefrom everything is coming? The original source, the original source of this love, is there in the Absolute. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ. It is the manifestation of the pleasure potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the thing as it is originally is perfect, but here, the same thing is only perverted reflection. Here, the boys and the girls meeting, because it is simply a reflection… Just like a reflection of the tree on the river, it is just topsy-turvied, similarly, that reflection, reality, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love, is topsy-turvied here.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific, factual, authorized. Simply intelligent persons can understand it. Every human being has got intelligence, better than the animals. If you simply try to understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this human life will be perfect. Here, we are trying to enjoy, but we do not know that next life, next chapter, may stop everything-at any moment. Don't think because you are American, you have got material opulences, very comfortable life, cars, roads, buildings… That's all right. But any moment, you will be kicked out, and it may be that you'll have to accept another body which is not at all American. It may be the body of a tree or a cat or a dog. That science we must know. Don't be enamored by the flickering happiness. This happiness is there which is factual: this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. You see Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, how He's jolly, with His cows, with His flute, with His comrades, with His boyfriend, girlfriend, how He's happy.

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.29]

Here, you are trying to enjoy the company of young girls, but Kṛṣṇa is also doing that in the spiritual world. Sahasra-śata-sambhrama, lakṣmī. Each girl there is a goddess of fortune. Not only one, but many hundreds and thousands. They're with great respect and reverence trying to serve Kṛṣṇa. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam. So you can also enter in the company of Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa's friend, as Kṛṣṇa's servant, as Kṛṣṇa's consort, as Kṛṣṇa's father, anything. Everything… Here also, there are five relationship: relationship between master and servant, relationship between friend and friend, relationship between father and son, and relationship between boyfriend and girlfriend. All these relationships are emanating from Kṛṣṇa. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu: the ocean of all pleasure. And Kṛṣṇa comes Himself to give you this message. Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago on this planet, and at Vṛndāvana He exhibited His real pastimes in the spiritual world, so just to give practical demonstration and to invite you there. Kṛṣṇa (is) canvassing: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66].

So we have got this message from Kṛṣṇa, from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, from the six Gosvāmīs, later on, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Bhaktisiddhānta Ṭhākura. And we are trying our bit also to distribute this knowledge. Now, tenth, eleventh, twelfth… My Guru Mahārāja is tenth from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, I am eleventh, you are the twelfth. So distribute this knowledge. People are suffering. They are simply fighting on some false thing, māyā. They should be given the real fact of happiness. We have spoiled our life, many lives, coming through the evolutionary process of 8,400,000 species of life. Here is an opportunity, human form of life, and here is the message of Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa. Human form of life can understand, and especially in America you can understand. You have got better intelligence, better facility. We are not sentimental, simply chanting and dancing. We have got more than two thousand volumes of books. If you want to learn it through science, philosophy, it is also there. Otherwise, the simple method-simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma, Rāma, Hare Hare, and you'll realize the whole thing. The child can take part, the philosopher can take part, the scientist can take part, the politician can take part, the religionist can take part, the public can take part. It is so universal. And it is open; there is no secrecy. It is not that "I shall give you some secret mantra, and give me some money, I go away." It is open.

So I especially appeal to the Americans, whose boys and girls are helping me so much, please take this philosophy, try to understand this philosophy. Make your life successful-your country and the whole world. You are helping other parts of the world who are not very much developed with money, resources. That is a very good idea. But in your country you do not see how the younger generation are going astray, how they're baffled and confused. You should take care of this. The flower of your country, they are becoming hopeless, confused. Try to save them. And this is the only remedy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that can save your country and the whole world.

Thank you very much. (end)

720720AR.PAR

Arrival Lecture

Paris, July 20, 1972

Prabhupāda: …saṅkīrtana movement. This saṅkīrtana movement was started by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu five hundred years ago for mitigating the sufferings of the people of the world. He predicted that in every village, in every town on the surface of the globe, let this saṅkīrtana movement be spread out and people will be happy and they'll find Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That was His prediction. Actually this is happening now. So our simple method-we go everywhere all over the world, chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and we attract people, especially younger generation, boys and girls. Sometimes the newspaper reporters they ask me, "Why these young men and young women they are very much attracted with this movement?" I replied, "That is the success of the movement, because younger generation, they are the flowers, the future hope of the country, of the world. If they take this movement seriously then the whole world will be happy." Vedic civilization desires that everyone be happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Vedic civilization is not animal civilization, exploiting others… Giving something to others. Sometimes the people, they think that India comes to the foreign country to take qualification for earning livelihood. Actually they come here when… One of my Godbrothers long ago, he came to England Lady Willingdon challenged the preacher that "In your country the people come here, they take some degree and go to back to their country and become big man. So what you have got to teach us?" Actually, from materialistic point of view we haven't got to teach to the Western country anything. That's a fact. Because your science, your machine, (is) far advanced. But still there is a great treasure house in India, which is spiritual knowledge. You have to take from India.

Of course, this spiritual knowledge, Vedic knowledge, is not for any particular society or country. It is meant for all. People sometimes ask me, "Eastern," "Western." Actually there is no Eastern and Western in spiritual platform. Spiritual platform is one. You are spirit soul, I'm spirit soul. So on the spiritual platform if we see, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. Those who are actually learned, they are sama-darśī. They have no distinction. The exact verse of Lord Kṛṣṇa is

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śune caiva śva-pāke ca

panditāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

A brāhmaṇa is considered… A brāhmaṇa generally becomes very learned, vidyā-vinaya, very gentle. So one brāhmaṇa who is qualified with gentle qualities and high learning vidyā-vinaya-sampanne, and a cow, an animal, and an elephant, a dog, a low-born caṇḍāla, all these living entities… A learned man sees all of them on the equal level because a learned man who is actually on the spiritual platform, he knows that "Here is a dog and here is a learned brāhmaṇa. By their karma they have got different dress only, but within the brāhmaṇa, within the dog the same spirit soul is there." So our material platform we distinguish, "I am Indian, you are Frenchman, he's Englishman, he's American, he's cat, he's dog." This is the vision of the material platform. In the spiritual platform we can see that every living entity is part and parcel of God, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: mām evāṁśa jīva-bhūta. Every living entity. It doesn't matter what he is. There are 8,400,000 species of forms, but all of them, they're covered only by different dresses. Just like you Frenchmen, you may be differently dressed, and Englishman may be differently dressed. But dress is not very important. The man within the dress, he's important. Similarly, this body is not very important thing. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ [Bg. 2.18], this body is perishable. But the soul within the body, he's not perishable. Therefore this human form of life is meant for cultivating the knowledge of the nonperishable.

Unfortunately, our science, philosophy in school, college, university, they are simply concerned with the perishable, not with the imperishable. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for taking into account of the nonperishable. So it is the movement of the soul, not the movement as political movement, social movement or religious movement. They are pertaining to the perishable body. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pertaining to the imperishable soul. Therefore our this saṅkīrtana movement, simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, your heart will be gradually cleansed so that you can come to the spiritual platform. Just like here in this movement we have got students from all countries of the world, all religions of the world. But they no more think of the particular type of religion or nation or creed or color. No. All of them think as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. When we come to that platform and when we engage ourself in that positional occupation, then we are liberated.

So this movement is very important movement. It is not of course possible to give you all details within a few minutes, but if you are interested you can kindly contact with us either by correspondence or by reading our literature or by personal contact. Any way, your life will be sublime. We have not such distinction that "This is India," "This is England," "This is France," "This is Africa." We think every living entity, not only human being, even animals, birds, beasts, trees, aquatics, insects, reptiles-all are part and parcel of God. But the lower animals, the aquatics, birds, beasts, trees, plants, insect-they are unable to receive this knowledge. The human being has developed consciousness. He can receive this knowledge of spirit soul. So our only request is that do not take this movement as a religious movement. It is the movement of the soul. It is very scientific, based on authority. And practically we are seeing, we are getting good response all over the world. We have got over hundred branches. Even Africa we have got many branches. Canada, Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand-everywhere. So our only request is the leaders of the nation, the scientist, the philosopher, may kindly take some interest in this movement. We can talk with them. We have got many literatures, big, big books, scientifically explained, philosophical explained. So our only request is that you come forward and try to understand this philosophy and spread for the benefit of the whole human society.

Thank you very much. (end)

730405AR.NY

Arrival Address

New York, April 5, 1973

Prabhupāda: (prema-dhvanī) Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for kindly receiving me in this honorable way. According to our Vaiṣṇava philosophy, whatever honor is offered to the spiritual master, that is transferred to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. Our this philosophy, Vaiṣṇava philosophy, it teaches that if you please your spiritual master, then God is also pleased. Because the spiritual master is the most confidential servant of God, therefore by honoring the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is honored. Just like in English language there is the word, "If you love me, love my dog." So the spiritual master is the "dog" of God; therefore if the spiritual master is patted, God is very much pleased.

Now, so far our movement is concerned, you know, more or less, about our movement. But you should know that this is the most scientific, authorized movement in the human society, because the movement is based on the authority of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the benefit of the whole human society. Do not take Bhagavad-gītā or Kṛṣṇa as something sectarian-"Hindu God," "Hindu scripture." No. It is meant for everyone. These names, "Hindu," "Muslim," "Christians," or "Buddhist," these are the designation of the body. Actual religion is different. Actual religion means to understand God and to develop your love for God. That is actual religion. It doesn't matter through which religion you develop your love for God, but the test is, you are first-class religionist if you have developed your dormant love of God. So this movement is meant for awakening the dormant love of God. So the subject matter is very serious. We are distributing the subject matter in so many books. We have already big, big books, about twenty books, and small books also. Just now one book published, "Rāja-vidyā, the King of Knowledge." There are different kinds of knowledges. But as there are different types of citizens but in the state there is a king or the president, similarly, there are different types of knowledge, but we are distributing the king of knowledge, God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So the necessity of this movement is that we are creating brain. At the present moment the human society is lacking brain. Exactly they are living like cats and dogs, not with human brain. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. The human society must be divided into four classes of divisions, or divisions, catur-varṇya: the brāhmaṇa, the kṣatriya, the vaiśya, and the śūdra. Brāhmaṇa means the most intelligent class of men, and kṣatriya means administrators, and the vaiśya means mercantile people, and śūdra means ordinary workers. All of them are required proportionately. Just like to keep up your body you require your head, you require your arms, you require your belly, and you require your legs also. Comparatively studying, head is very important than the leg, but that does not mean leg is unimportant. Everything wanted for the upkeep of the body. Similarly, for upkeep of the society, human society, there must be intelligent class of men, there must be administrator class of men, there must be productive class of men and there must be worker class of men. At the present moment, the human society is giving stress on the mercantile class of men and worker class of men. Actually, there is no intelligent class of men or administrative class of men. So our movement is creating some intelligent class of men. According to our Vedic knowledge, the first-class intelligent man is he who knows what is God. He's first-class intelligent man. Otherwise cats and dogs, they also eat, sleep, have sexual intercourse, and die.

So this life is not very congenial to the human society. The chaotic situation of the present human society is due to that there is no intelligent class of men. This is our challenge. The so-called scientists, so-called philosophers, they have no intelligence. Therefore the whole society (is) in the chaotic condition. So these boys and girls, American boys and girls, they're being taught, instructed to become first-class, intelligent man. This is the movement. But without intelligence… Just like your brain, if he, if brain is crazy, your body may be very strong, but that is useless because there is no brain. So at the present moment, especially in this Kali-yuga, there is lack of intelligent class of men, and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is creating some intelligent class of men. And if other class of men follow their instruction, then the whole society (will be) peaceful, and they'll be happy in this life and they'll be happy in the next life. This is the sum and substance of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Those who are interested will kindly come to our temple here in… We have got so many temples, and we have got our temple here also, New York. And there are preachers also. We have got good preachers. And educated boys and girls. We have got books. So my only request is that you take some interest, active interest in this movement, try to understand it, and if you cooperate, the whole human society will be happy.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

730413AR.LA

Arrival Lecture

Los Angeles, April 13, 1973

Prabhupāda: So I am very glad to see you again, and especially to see Śrīman Rādhā-Mādhava, Gaura-Nitāi is being worshiped nicely. Thank you very much. So my journey was in India, Australia, New Zealand. I was to go to Africa also, but I could not go. Everywhere our International Society members are worshiping very nicely. In Australia-Sydney, Melbourne-Deity worship is going on very nicely. Similarly in New Zealand, Auckland. They have also purchased one house, and worship is going on nicely. New York, they are also doing very nicely, and you are also doing very nicely. Perhaps you are still going ahead. Yes. I am very much thankful to you that Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, came to your country. He wanted to come here, and you have well received and worship Him. Serve Him. He will be happy. Introduce this movement all over your country. America is favored country. Little misguided about spiritual affairs, but if you introduce this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in right way, keeping yourself to the standard, then people will accept it gradually.

Of course, it is not so easy to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must be very fortunate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Bhāgyavān jīva means fortunate. Unless one is very, very fortunate, one cannot take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetthi māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

Out of many millions of men, one tries to make his life successful. Make his life means to distinguish oneself from the animals. Animal life is meant for sense gratification. So one who searches after real happiness-ramante yogino anante-unlimited happiness, he rejects this. One who is satisfied with temporary happiness, he'll not reject it. Although antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām [Bg. 7.23]. Those who are satisfied with temporary happiness, they're not very intelligent. Tad bhavaty alpa-medha, alpa-medha. Those who have got little brain, they are satisfied with temporary, and those who are advanced, yogis, they are not satisfied with temporary happiness. They must be seeking for unlimited happiness. That can be achieved when you (go) back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is eternal, His pastimes are eternal. Just join with Kṛṣṇa, His rasa dance, His play with cowherd boys, His dealing with His father and mother in Vṛndāvana.

So our, this movement is to join Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma, punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Simply if you try to understand Kṛṣṇa… That is not very difficult. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, what is Kṛṣṇa. And further explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So if you simply read our books, follow the rules and regulations, chant sixteen rounds, it will be not very difficult. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234]. Things will reveal to you. So if you, in this life, simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. What is that success? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. After giving up this material body, no more acceptance of material body; we remain in our spiritual body. We have got our spiritual body. That is now covered by the material dress, subtle dress and gross dress. So if we give up the propensity for material sense gratification, that is mukti. So long we have a pinch, a drop of desire to enjoy material happiness, we'll have to accept a body, different types of body, out of the 8,400,000. But if we become satisfied with service of Kṛṣṇa, then we have no more interest with this material happiness. That is mukti. When we shall be detestful with this material happiness… (indistinct) Just like Jagāi-Mādhāi. (indistinct) No more (indistinct). That is mukti. Kṛṣṇa will give you all facility. He'll give you facilities, whatever you want. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy a… [Bg. 4.11]. Therefore we see varieties of life. It is arranged by Kṛṣṇa through the agency of material potency. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sar… [Bg. 3.27]. It is going on. But if we say, "Kṛṣṇa…," to Kṛṣṇa, "Now, from this day, I surrender unto You. My Lord, I don't want anything material," then you are mukta, liberated. And if you keep the standard, māyā will not touch you. Just after giving up this body, you go back to home, back to Godhead. It is very easy.

So try to understand and be happy. Continue this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in right earnest. So Kṛṣṇa will help you. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam [Bg. 10.10]. Anyone who's engaged with heart and soul in the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa will give him, everyone, He'll give you full intelligence: "Do like this. Do like this." Yena mām upayānti. He gives such intelligence by which you can go back to Him again.

Thank you very much. We shall talk again. (end)

730707AR.LON

Arrival Address

London, July 7, 1973

Prabhupāda: …given the facility of assembling in this nice house, this good boy George Harrison, we must give him all glories. We must be thankful to him that he has given us the facility, and Kṛṣṇa will bless him more and more. So far Gopījana-vallabha, Rādhā-Mādhava, our simple worshipable Supreme Personality of Godhead, Rādhā-Mādhava, He is always enjoying in company with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Rādhā-Mādhava. He does not go outside Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa, original Kṛṣṇa, He does not go even a step out of Vṛndāvana, leaving aside the gopīs. Vṛndāvanaṁ parityajya na padam ekaṁ kutra gacchati. He does not go anywhere.

So people are making research to find out God. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said,

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām

so 'py asti yat-prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.34]

Govinda, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ. Those who are searching after God… Those who are not searching, they are useless. Those who are searching, jñānī, jijñāsu, so they are searching after God, but if they try to approach God, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara, by… Just like airplane. I have come here within twelve hours, from Calcutta to London. So not this airplane, but panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampra…, vāyor athāpi. Vāyu. If… This airplane is floating on the air, but if the air becomes airplane itself or the mind becomes… You know the speed of mind. You can go on the mind millions of miles within a second. That science has not yet discovered, how to go in the speed of mind. The yogis know. The perfect yogis, they can travel on the speed of mind. That is also material science. So even on the speed of mind, or on the speed of the velocity of the air, if you try to go to approach God, find out where is God… And the time? Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara. Not one day, two day, or one hour, two hour, but many millions of years, koṭi-śata-vatsara. Koṭi-śata-vatsara, with the speed of mind or air velocity, if you go to find out God, still, avicintya-tattva, inconceivable, inconceivable.

So Kṛṣṇa is not so easy to approach by the nondevotees. Vedeṣu durlabha. Or even by studying Vedas, durlabha. Durlabha means not approachable, not approachable. Vedeṣu durlabha adurlabha ātma-bhaktau. But to His devotees He's very easy. He's very easy. Just like the gopīs. Gopīs, they are village girls, not educated, not brāhmaṇa, not Vedantist. But Kṛṣṇa is within their palms, within their hands. So this bhakti-yoga is so nice that Kṛṣṇa, or God, who is unapproachable by any other method-however efficient it may be, it is not possible-only by love and devotion in service He can be approached. It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Kṛṣṇa has explained in the Bhagavad-gītā all systems-jñāna-yoga system, haṭha-yoga system, karma-yoga system, rāja-yoga system. But at the end He says that "If anyone actually wants to know Me, that is bhakti." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. If anyone wants to know Kṛṣṇa as He is… Kṛṣṇa has different features, especially three: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]-as impersonal Brahman, all-pervasive Paramātmā, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So if anyone wants to know actually what is Kṛṣṇa… Of course, it is not possible to know Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa reveals to the devotee, svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ, revelation. Just like Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. People should know. Why they are searching unnecessarily? Rascaldom. You cannot search out Kṛṣṇa, God, by speculation. If He reveals Himself by His causeless mercy, being merciful upon you, being pleased upon you, then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. You cannot search out Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. So the process is explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself:

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti

yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ

tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā

viśate tad-anantaram

[Bg. 18.55]

If you understand Kṛṣṇa through this process, bhakti process, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11], without any motive of material gain, that is called… That is beginning of bhakti. Bhakti means without any motive of material gain. That is bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Śūnyam means zero. All material desires becoming zero, then bhakti begins. Then bhakti begins. Before that, there is no question of bhakti.

So bhakti science is very subtle science, but it is very simple thing to the bhaktas, one who knows things as it is, a very simple thing. Similarly, those who have taken to this bhakti-yoga seriously, for them it is very simple. For others it is very difficult. It is very difficult. Therefore we should go, approach to persons who are… Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. We should approach (a) person who knows the bhakti science and… Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau [ŚU 6.23]. And by devotional service to Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, then bhakti science becomes revealed. Without revelation, nobody can understand bhakti science, and without understanding bhakti science, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

730905AR.STO

Arrival Speech

Stockholm, September 5, 1973

Prabhupāda: (Ladies) and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly receiving me. This is the first time I am coming in this country, Sweden. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading all over the world gradually. It is little difficult to understand the purport of this movement because it is completely on the spiritual platform. Generally, people do not understand what is spiritual platform. So as we can understand that we are combination of two things… Every one of us, living being, we are at the present moment combination of spirit and matter. Matter we can understand, but on account of our long association with the matter, we cannot understand what is that spirit. But we can imagine that there is something which distinguishes a dead body and living body. That we can understand. When a man is dead… Suppose my father is dead or somebody, a relative, is dead, we lament that "My father is no more. He has gone away." But where he has gone? The father is lying on the bed. Why do you say, "My father has gone away?" If somebody says that "Your father is lying sleeping on the bed. Why you are crying that your father has gone away? He has not gone. He is sleeping there…,"but that sleep is not this sleep, ordinary sleep as we have daily. That sleep means eternal sleep. So actually, we have no eyes to see who is my father. During the lifetime of my father I did not know who is my father; therefore when the actual father goes away, we cry that "My father is gone." So that is spirit. Who has gone away from that body, that is spirit soul; otherwise why he is speaking that "My father is gone"? The body is there.

So first of all we have to understand this distinction between the spirit soul and this material body. If we can understand what is that spirit soul, then we can understand what is this spiritual movement. Otherwise, simply on material understanding, it is very difficult to understand what is spiritual life or spiritual platform. But there is. We can simply feel like that at the present moment, but there is a spiritual world, spiritual life. And what is that spiritual life? Complete freedom. Complete freedom. Eternity, blissful and full of knowledge. That is spiritual life. Completely distinct from this bodily concept of life. Spiritual life means eternity, blissful life of knowledge. And this material life means nonpermanent, ignorance and full of miseries. This body means it will not stay and it is always full of miserable condition. And there is no blissfulness. Always in the material (life) we have got some kind of unhappiness. But on account of our long association with this material life we have become so dull-headed that it is very difficult to understand what is spiritual life, what are spiritual activities, what is spiritual world, what is God, what is our relationship with Him. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a kind of training to understand what is spiritual life and what is spiritual world, what is God.

So I do not wish to take much of your time, but this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spiritual movement; therefore sometimes it is misunderstood from the material stand, material point of view. But if we associate with the persons who are propagating this movement, there is process how to understand. The process is very simple: this saṅkīrtana movement. Just like we chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If we chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, it is not very difficult task. There are only sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare… Actually, there are three words-Hare, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma-but they have been adjusted in such a way, they are composition sixteen words. So we are simply requesting the people in general that "You chant this mantra. It is not very difficult. And if you chant this mantra, then gradually your heart will be cleansed." The whole thing is that due to our material association, we are contaminated. We cannot understand what is spiritual life. But if we take advantage of this mantra, chanting, then gradually our heart will be cleansed and immediately we shall be able to understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." Then real awakening will come. Because at the present moment, every one of us is working on the bodily concept of life, which I am not. This is the fact. I am acting for something which I am not; therefore it is called māyā, or illusion. Phantasmagoria. I am working for something, and because I am working for something which I am not, therefore there is confusion. People are not happy. He is working day and night for this body; still, he is not happy. He is trying to make the senses… Body means the senses. So we are trying to satisfy the senses in so many ways, repeating the same thing in different way, but there is no happiness. It cannot be, because we are not this matter. We are spirit soul.

I can give you one example. Just (as) a man, if he is thrown into the ocean, he may be very expert swimmer, but simply by swimming over the ocean, he cannot be happy there. Because he is put in a different condition of life. It is not possible. So the best thing is that if we can pick up that man from the ocean, then he will be happy. So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that we do not wish to swim over the ocean foolishly and to become happy there. That is not our program. Because you cannot be happy. When you are put into the ocean, however expertly you may swim, you will never be happy there. That is not possible. The only remedy is to pick you. If somebody can pick up from the ocean and give you shelter on the land, then you will feel happy. Similarly, our program is not to become happy by so-called adjustment of material condition. That is not possible. Better come to the spiritual platform and act in the spiritual life. Then there is possibility of happiness. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that those who are cultivating spiritual life, spiritual knowledge, for them, after giving up this body there is promotion to the spiritual world. That is eternal, blissful life, and that will make us happy. So if we become serious, if we actually want to be happy, then we must take to spiritual understanding. Of course, in every country or in different parts of the world, there is some religious system. Religious system means to understand spiritual life. But unfortunately, nobody is interested in spiritual or religious system because they have been more and more induced to become addicted to the material and sensuous activities, and so they are going far and far away from the spiritual life, and more and more confusion and what is called disappointment is rising all over the world. So to mitigate this sort of disappointment and confusion, one has to take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and try to understand the philosophy and act accordingly. Then people will be happy. That is our program.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break]

Guest (Swedish man): …request Your Highness with a few word, what is Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Haṁsadūta: "What is Hare Kṛṣṇa?"

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare is the energy of the Lord, God. God's energy is called Hare, and God is called Kṛṣṇa. So we are addressing both God and His energy because this…, there are varieties of energies of God. They have been summarized into three: the spiritual energy, the material energy and the marginal energy. The marginal energy…, the marginal energy is we, living beings, and the material energy, this material world. So similarly, there is another world, which is made of spiritual energy. So this Hara means the spiritual energy. Now we are in the material energy. We have got this material body. But if we can please the Supreme Lord and His spiritual energy, we shall get next a spiritual body, and that is eternal, blissful, full of knowledge.

Guest: But is it a serious movement? If the Beatles are telling the truth, Hare Kṛṣṇa is a little bit of a bluff.

Prabhupāda: Who says bluff? Who is that fool? Who is that rascal?

Guest: The Beatles.

Haṁsadūta: George Harrison has just bought us a big house.

Prabhupāda: Some rascal might have taken, but I know George is our very good devotee.

Guest: George Harrison is your member?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Oh, yes.

Guest: Do you have lots of members?

Prabhupāda: Yes, certainly. Don't you see?

Guest: How many?

Prabhupāda: Thousands.

Haṁsadūta: About five thousand all over the world.

Prabhupāda: Those are initiated. Otherwise there are many thousands, our admirers.

Guest: In all the countries.

Prabhupāda: All over the world. Yes.

Guest: Thank you very much. [break]

Prabhupāda: It is bluff? Who is that rascal?

Pradyumna: He is confusing us with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Prabhupāda: Oh, he is a rascal. He is now in hospital. He is undergoing operation. God is going, undergoing operation. (laughter) (end)

740530AR.GEN

Śrīla Prabhupāda Welcomed

by Governor at Hotel De Ville

Geneva, May 30, 1974

Guru-gaurāṅga: (translating from French) In the name of the Canton of Geneva and the city, we wish to extend our heartfelt welcome to you. This republic is an independent state, part of Switzerland, and it has a reputation for being a great center of dialogue between all men of science, philosophy and religion. Geneva is the seat of the World Council of Churches, and there is a Protestant pastor who is there as representative of the Canton of Geneva. Unique among the cities of the world, Geneva has had the privilege to greet many great religious heads such as Pope Paul VI, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and many others. As civil authorities, we are very much encouraged by religious or spiritual groups because they contribute to wake up the consciousness of the people, provided, of course, that they respect all the laws. For thousands of years, man has tried to find perfection through religious means, and for us what is so much important is that this be done with tolerance, that whatever the books, whether they be the books of India or the Toraḥ or the Koran, that they contribute to a general welfare of all men and not that they fight each other. There is the need currently for men to understand each other better and hear each other better. The modern world neither has the time nor the interest to tolerate divisions between men, especially on the spiritual platform. As a result, everyone must try to improve the fate of the individual man through these means. Should we not, then, try to find some common language with which to solve these problems, all the while respecting the dignity of the common man? And we hope finally that this trip in Europe will give Your Divine Grace new perspectives in the search for the truth.

Prabhupāda: I can speak in English?

Guru-gaurāṅga: (he asks in French) The president says that you may speak directly in English, no translation needed.

Prabhupāda: So Mr. President and Ladies and Gentlemen, the kind words that you have spoken to receive me, I thank you very much for the same.(?) Our preaching principle is bhāgavata-dharma, and we do not say "This is Christian religion" or "Hindu religion" or "Muhammadan religion." We speak the science of God. So in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a verse which says,

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yenātmā samprasīdati

[SB 1.2.6]

"That is first-class religious system which teaches the follower how to love God." It doesn't matter what is the type of religion, religious process. Phalena paricīyate. The thing is proved by the result, how one has learned to love God. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. There are two kinds of religious engagements: one is called inferior and the other is called superior. The superior religious system is that which teaches the followers how to love God. Now, what kind of love? That is also expressed there: ahaitukī, without any motive, and apratihatā. Apratihatā means that religious system cannot be checked by any kind of material impediments. If we come to that platform, then ātmā-ātmā means the mind, the soul, also the body, intelligence-everything becomes fully satisfied.

So our this principle of teaching is based on Bhagavad-gītā. (aside:) Give him the book. Perhaps you have heard the name of Bhagavad-gītā, and some of you might have read it, Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra to groups of cousin-brothers. They were fighting to occupy the kingdom, and in that place Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, happened to be present as the chariot driver of one group, Arjuna. So Arjuna was trying to avoid the fighting because the other side, there were relatives, brothers. At that time he was lamenting his bodily relationship: "The other side is my brother, my grandfather, my nephews, my son-in-laws." So that was the platform of speaking Bhagavad-gītā. So first of all, Kṛṣṇa explained that "We are not this body." The first instruction was given,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

The first instruction of spiritual life is to understand that "I am not this body." The example is given, very simple thing, that I am present, although I remember that I had a small body lying down on the lap of my mother. I remember, when I was six months old, I was lying down on the lap of my elder sister, and she was knitting. I still remember that. So everyone, we remember that we had a small body, and then another small body, then another small body. Those bodies are gone. I have got a different body now, but I remember that I had all these body. Therefore the conclusion should be for the sober man that "Although we have changed so many bodies, I, the person, the soul, am existing." Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]. Similarly, when I shall give up this body, I shall accept another body. This is the beginning of understanding, that "I am not this body. I am living in this body just like I am not this coat, but I am living within the coat." There is very vivid example in the Bhagavad-gītā. If we read, we can understand that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." When this realization is there, that "I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi… The exact word used in the Vedic literature, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That stage has to be attained in human form of life. In the animal forms of life, this understanding, that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul," in the animal stage of life it is not possible to understand. But in the human form of life it is possible because human being is advanced in consciousness and knowledge, and if he is educated, he can understand. And if he actually understands, then his position becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ, self-realized, prasannātmā. Immediately he becomes jubilant. There is no more any cause of moroseness. That is the symptom. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. Then there is no more hankering or lamentation. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. At that stage, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, we can see everyone, spirit soul. I don't see an American or a Swiss gentleman or a French gentleman or a cat or dog or tree, but I see the spirit soul. That, in that spiritual state, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, one can see that within this body there is the spirit soul, and he wants to work for benefit of the spirit soul, not for the temporary body.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just on the principles of this Bhagavad-gītā, to understand his real identity, spiritual identity. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

One who is actually paṇḍita… Paṇḍita means learned, and in spiritually learned (life), he sees that a very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa, and a dog, an elephant, a cow, or a low-born man, creature-all on the same platform of spiritual life. So unless we come to that point, this so-called fighting and sectarianism will go on. So we want to teach people… Not only sectarian people in India or the so-called Hindus or Muslims or Christians. Everyone. Because everyone is spirit soul, and as soon as he understands that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul," then he becomes completely happy. Yenātmā samprasīdati. So people will not be happy, will not be satisfied, unless and until he comes to that spiritual understanding. So our humble method is on this principle, that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." And the spirit soul is eternal; therefore he has got to come to the platform of eternal happiness, eternal life and full knowledge. That is the perfection of life. And any type of religion-it doesn't matter what it is-which teaches this philosophy of life, that is first-class religious system. That is our conclusion.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Guru-gaurāṅga: (has conversation with someone in French) The president would like to talk to you for a few minutes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Give me little water. (more French conversation) I was formally received by the French Cardinal.

Guru-gaurāṅga: Danielou.

Prabhupāda: Daniel. (French)

Guru-gaurāṅga: He says that the discussion you had with the Cardinal was very interesting.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless you come to that position of understanding, that "I am not this body," real spiritual knowledge does not begin. (French conversation)

Guru-gaurāṅga: Understanding the philosophy, Monsieur de President does not understand why we find it necessary to dress differently, though.

Prabhupāda: The different dress means as you have paid for it. Just like we can go to a tailor, he will supply you dress according to the payment you can make. Similarly, according to our karma, according to our work, we are given a type of body by the material nature. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. According… Because actually I do not possess this material body, but because I am in this material world, I am given a type of body by the material nature according to my work. (French conversation)

Guru-gaurāṅga: Speaking about clothes, Monsieur le President says that he has been to India, and he understands that one dresses like this in India. But why would the disciples dress in America or in Europe in this way? Is it necessary?

Prabhupāda: No. It is not necessary. Dress you can have as you like. It doesn't matter, because dress is a dead thing. Real thing is that we want a living being who can understand. That is real the position.

Guru-gaurāṅga: Monsieur le President would like to know, if this movement gets bigger and bigger, won't it create problems in terms of working, the economy? Won't the economy suffer if our movement gets bigger and bigger?

Prabhupāda: No. Economy will not suffer, but economy will be simplified because we have made some artificial economy. Actually, in the Bhagavad-gītā we find the economic problem is solved by producing food grains. It is stated there, annād bhavanti bhūtāni: [Bg. 3.14] "By eating food grains, both the animals and the men, they become stout and strong." That's a fact. According to Bhagavad-gītā, economic problem can be solved anywhere. If you get, if you have some land, you produce your food grain and give it to the animals, especially to the cows, and she will give you in return milk. So if you get milk, fruits, vegetable and food grains, the whole economic problem is solved. We have already started this example in New Virginia. A group of men, we have got about five hundred acres of land, and we keep cows, and they work to produce some vegetable and food grain. So they don't go outside for solving economic problems. At the present moment-now I am coming from India-in Bombay there is strike, railway strike. People are in so miserable condition to go to their work fifty miles, forty miles, hundred miles, for earning their bread. This kind of economic situation has increased the problems of life. Rather, if we accept this economic problem solution, then anywhere, any part of the world, you live. You don't require to go outside, hundred miles, two hundred miles, five hundred miles. No. You produce your food there, keep animals, then everything is solved. Actually, the problem is, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. One should take up these problems very seriously: birth, death, old age and disease. So… Actually, as spirit soul, we have no birth, no death. You will find in the Bhagavad, na jayate na mriyate vā kadācit: "The living entity does not take birth." Na jayate na mriyate vā: "Neither he dies." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: [Bg. 2.20] "After the destruction of the body, the living entity does not annihilate. He…" Just like we have got already the example: my body, childhood body, is annihilated; still, I am existing. Similarly, I will exist. Now, the problem is how I shall exist? I shall exist eternally in full knowledge and in blissfulness. That is the idea. But so long we accept this material body, it is just the opposite. It is miserable, without any knowledge and without eternity. Philosophy should be to save our time from complicated economic problems. We should make our life simple and save time for spiritual cultivation so that we can be relieved from repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.

Guru-gaurāṅga: (translating for president) Thank you very much. (end)

740608AR.PAR

Arrival Address

Paris, June 8, 1974

Prabhupāda: So I am very happy to see that Radha-Parisīśvara is being worshiped nicely. Thank you very much.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy is very simple, but the dull-headed person cannot understand. That is the difficulty. In the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that the…

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

[Bg. 7.15]

There are many classes of men, they have been classified as the duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, and all of them are based on the atheistic theory "There is no God, I am God." Asuri bhāvam, asura. Asura means they defy God, "I am God. Who is God?" Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu and his son, Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlada Mahārāja is devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Hiraṇyakaśipu would not accept. "Who is God? I am God." This is atheistic attitude. So the atheist are divided into four classes. Number one is duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means they have got merit. Kṛti means meritorious. The modern men, they have got merit. Especially the Western people, they have got nice merit. Just like while passing through the city, we saw very nice buildings. So to construct such buildings, it requires merit, undoubtedly. But what for this building? Duṣkṛtina, only for committing sinful life. Therefore it is called du, duṣkalya. Meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, and gambling. Meritorious, they are undoubtedly for constructing this building, but what is the purpose? The purpose is sinful activities. These things are going on. Therefore, they are called duṣkṛtina. And mūḍha. Mūḍha means they cannot understand what is God. It is very simple thing. Anyone can…, a child can understand. Take for example your body, my body. What is the important thing in the body? The soul. Without the soul, you may be very big man, even Napoleon Bonaparte, but as soon as the soul is gone, it is useless. The whole world is useless. Anyone can understand. Where is now Napoleon Bonaparte who struggled so much for glorifying France. But where is that gentleman? Finished. As soon as the soul is gone… You may keep one statue, dead statue, that is another thing. But you do not know where the soul has gone and what he is doing now.

So anyone can understand that this body may be very, very important, scientist, politicians, and so on, so on. But as soon as the soul is gone from this body, it is useless, not worth even a farthing. Anyone can understand. Similarly, as the soul is the important thing in this body, my body, your body, or anyone's body, similarly in this huge gigantic body of universe, there must be one soul. Otherwise how it is going on? How it is working so nicely? The big sun is rising exactly in time, the moon is rising exactly in time, the seasons are changing one after another. So many millions and millions of living entities, they are being maintained. Everyone is getting their food, even the elephant who eats at a time hundred kilogram, he also eats. An ant also eats. The birds also eat, the beast also eats-there is no problem. Only the civilized man, so-called civilized man, he creates problem because duṣkṛtina. He has got merit, but it is being used for sinful activities. Therefore there is problem. Otherwise there is no… If the birds have no problem, the beasts have no problem, the ant has no problem, why the civilized man has got problem? Because they are duṣkṛtina and mūḍha. Rascal and always engaged in sinful activities, duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Simple thing.

If the soul is important in this body, why there shall not be bigger soul, the Supersoul, in this gigantic body? What is this universal body and this body? The same thing. It is only small, and that is very big. The same material construction. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ [Bg. 7.4]. This earth, water, air. Just like you have got your bones, the huge earth mountain, that is also another bone of this gigantic body. As you have got your hairs on the body, the millions and millions of trees and plants, they are also the hairs on the gigantic body. So as you have got holes in your body here, there, and the navel, similarly these oceans and seas, they are also different holes. So they are described-it is not my imagination-they are described in the Bhagavad-gī…, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, to conceive the gigantic body. As you have got your skull, the round skull, the whole, I mean to say, hemisphere is also skull of this gigantic body. It is similar. As you have got a body and you, the soul, is the important thing, active principle within this body, similarly this gigantic body, the active principle is there, that is we call from the śāstra Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, the same comparison. But because they are mūḍha, rascal, they cannot understand. No brain. We have no brain, we are all not very intelligent. But we can understand if there is the active principle soul within this body, there must be a Supersoul within this huge structure of body. And that is called God. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam [Bg. 7.13]. Those who are bewildered, narādhamāḥ. Narādhamāḥ, the lowest of the mankind. These things cannot be understood by the cats and dogs. Their body is constituted in such a way that they cannot think of there is an active principle within the body and there is active principle in this huge gigantic body. The cats and dogs cannot understand, but a human being can understand. And that active principle is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. As the active principle within this body is all-attractive, this beautiful body of French boys and girls, why? The active principle is there; therefore they are attractive. Many people come to see your city. Why? The active principle is there.

So Kṛṣṇa means the active principle of everything. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā,

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

[Bg. 10.8]

The active principle is everything. From His energy, material energy, this huge gigantic material man…, cosmic manifestation is there, from His energy. And we are also His energy. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca [Bg. 7.4]. The five material elements are also Kṛṣṇa's energy, and we living entities, we are also. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā, jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. Everything is explained there. But the mūḍhas, these duṣkṛtinas, the narādhamas, they cannot understand. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. Why? Because cats and dogs cannot understand this philosophy. But a human being can understand. He has got the brain. Nature has given the fertile brain, but they are misusing it, duṣkṛtina, only for sense gratification. The brain was given to understand God, but the rascal is using for illicit sex, meat-eating, drinking, and gambling. This is the position of the whole human society.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give the greatest benefit to the human society to clear their brain, the rascal brain. We call, declare, they are all rascals. Let any scientist, philosopher come here, I shall prove that he is nothing but a rascal. I shall prove that. I challenge them. What they are doing? Nonsense. So you do not become rascals. By the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you are trying to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, and there is no difficulty, everything is there in our Bhagavad-gītā. You simply try to understand, and make your life successful. That is our request. Don't be rascals, mūḍhas, narādhamas, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. This education has no value, because the real knowledge, there is nothing. Real knowledge is to understand God. There is no education throughout the whole world, there is no university. So they are simply producing rascals. So my only request is that don't become rascals. You just worship here Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtiḥ, just try to understand Kṛṣṇa and then your life will be successful.

In what way?

janma karma (ca) me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti…

[Bg. 4.9]

If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, the result will be that after giving up this body, you will not accept any more material body. You will remain in your spiritual body and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is your eternal life, blissful, full of knowledge. That is wanted. Otherwise, now you have got this very beautiful body, French girl, French boy, if you don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you lose the opportunity, then you may get, because you have got very good friend, dogs. So yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam [Bg. 8.6], so at the time of dying, you will think of dog and you will get a body of dog. This is a fact. Because you are under the grip of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. As you infect some disease, you must suffer from that disease. Similarly, the infection of ignorance, tamo-guṇa, will give you a tamo-guṇa body. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ [Bg. 14.18]. Go down. Nature gives you the opportunity: get a nice human form of body, nice brain, try to understand what is God. But if you misuse it, then again go to become cats and dogs and hogs. This is nature's law. Don't risk your life. Always think of Kṛṣṇa. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ [Bg. 8.6]. These things are explained.

So what is the difficulty to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? You have got nice Deity, Kṛṣṇa is present to take your service. Be pure, eat nice prasādam, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance, and go to back to home, back to Godhead. Where is the difficulty? Simple thing. Don't be misled by the rascals and fools. Just try to understand Kṛṣṇa, try to hear Kṛṣṇa, His instruction is there, and be happy. Thank you very much. (end)

740708AR.LA

Arrival Address

Los Angeles, July 8, 1974

Prabhupāda: So I thank you very much for your kind reception. It is necessary.

sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair

uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ

kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

This is the process, Vedic process, to receive the transcendental knowledge through the paramparā system, and the reception or honor given to the spiritual master, it goes to Kṛṣṇa. Spiritual master is the official collector. Just like in government there is collector. He receives the money, taxes, from the citizens, not for his personal use but for the government. Similarly, this is the Vedic system, to receive knowledge through the transparent medium, guru, and to receive… Guru means the honor goes to Kṛṣṇa. So this is necessary. This is not an artificial thing, but spiritually it is necessary. Therefore we hold Vyāsa-pūjā day.

So I am very glad to see that you are maintaining the temple standard as good as I saw when I left. That is my satisfaction. And keep this, I mean to say, situation, atmosphere, always, and follow the regulative principles, chant sixteen rounds. You'll remain always happy, because although we are in Los Angeles, we have nothing to do with the material atmosphere of Los Angeles. Therefore a devotee who lives with Kṛṣṇa or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he does not live in the material world. He always live in the spiritual world. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Māṁ cāvyabhicāriṇi-bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate: "Anyone who is engaged in bhakti-yoga with Kṛṣṇa," sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26], "such person is always above these material modes of nature." Our difficulty or miserable condition of life is due to being under the material laws of nature. So it is very simple method, and you are all intelligent boys and girls in the Western country, and I am very, happy that you have taken it seriously. And continue this. You'll never be unhappy. And not only here but also, as Kṛṣṇa said, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], if you simply practice these four principle-always think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā, or become Kṛṣṇa's devotees and offer Kṛṣṇa obeisances and worship Kṛṣṇa-these four… We are teaching these four principle in the temple, how to worship Kṛṣṇa how to serve Kṛṣṇa, how to become Kṛṣṇa's devotee, and how to think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. And if we do this, there is guarantee. Kṛṣṇa says, mām eva eṣyasi asaṁśaya: "Without any doubt, you will come to Me. You will go back to home, back to Godhead."

So do not be slackened. And it is not difficult. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg. 9.2]. This devotional service is so nice. It is… To execute the devotional is also very pleasing. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam. And whatever you do, that is your permanent asset. It will never be lost. In the material world, suppose you have got some money. So that is not permanent. But anything, material possession, that is not permanent. Especially after death, everything is finished-another new chapter. That we do not know. But devotional service, it is guaranteed. It is permanent asset, even you cannot finish in this life. But that does not mean you should be neglectful. Try to finish the completely to become Kṛṣṇa conscious in this life. Do not keep in abeyance. That is not intelligence. But even if it is not finished, then the next life a human life is guaranteed, and you begin where you ended. These are the sastric… So execute this devotional service very sincerely, seriously. Even there is little inconvenience, tolerate it. There is no inconvenience. But if you think it is inconvenience-that is our mental concoction-still, you should not be neglectful in the discharging your duties in devotional service.

So those who are engaged in Deity worship, those who are engaged in saṅkīrtana party, those who are engaged in distributing books, those who are engaged in the office for keeping accounts-and all of them in devotional service-not a single moment waste. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31]. And whenever you have got time, read books. Now we have got volumes of books. Again we have got another five volumes of books. All are now immediately published. So you have got enough to study. And those who are gṛhasthas, children, we have got our Dallas. As soon as the children is fit, three to four years, you can send to Dallas. They are taking very much care. And if your children are educated Sanskrit and English, and reads all our books, he is more than any university M.A., Ph.D., more than. The M.A., Ph.D. of the ordinary university will not be able to be compared with that. So rest assured that education, culture, happiness, satisfaction, and next, go to home, back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much. (end)

740927AR.MAY

Arrival Lecture

Māyāpur, September 27, 1974

Prabhupāda: So Śrīman Jayapatāka Mahārāja, Bhavānanda Mahārāja and devotees, I thank you very much for keeping this temple, Māyāpura-candrodaya Mandira, so nicely cleansed, and it appears everything is going nicely. So it was the desire of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura that Europeans and Americans would come here and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That prophecy is now being fulfilled, and that is my satisfaction. I tried my little bit to fulfill the desire of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. At my old age of seventy years, I just… It was a gambling also. I simply thought that "This was the desire…" Of course, my Guru Mahārāja, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, he also asked me to do this. Anyway, at least there is a place now when…, where these Europeans and Americans may come and live peacefully, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and advance in spiritual understanding.

People, unfortunately, they have no sense what is spiritual life. The modern civilization, they do not know that we have to change this body, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13], just like animals, cats and dogs, they do not know that they have to change the body or they are not the body, they are beyond, something. This is the modern civilization. They try to make the best use of a bad bargain in this way, that "We have got this body. Let us enjoy senses to the utmost." But that is not the fact. Sense enjoyment means infection of the material modes of nature. That is sense enjoyment. Just like we infect some disease, and that disease will come out some day, will be manifested. They are called kutastha, phalonmukha, and prārabdha. Three stages. Infection… The same example. Infection remains in dormant stage, not manifest immediately. Then phalonmukha, fructifying; and then prārabdha, one gets it and suffers. This is the nature's way, going on. But people do not know it. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very serious movement, scientific movement, and people are gradually trying to understand the importance of this movement. Because in the foreign countries, especially in America, our books are being accepted by (the) higher circle, big, big universities, colleges, professors. They are so eager to read the books that they have simply heard that this Bhāgavatam will be finished in sixty volumes and Caitanya-caritāmṛta will be finished in twelve volumes… We have got Caitanya-caritāmṛta only one volume published, and they are ordering for twelve volumes, that "As soon as it is published, you send us." This is very encouraging. Similarly, they are ordering for sixty volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, although we have published only twelve volumes. So by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as He wanted…

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

So at least the basic principles is being done, and I am very much thankful to you, you American, European boys and girls who are helping me in this mission. So go on cooperating in this way, and I am sure this mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be successful. It must be successful because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted it to be done. Simply we, the workers, the servitors, must be very sincere. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu will give us more and more facilities so that we can work very well. So keep this mission always in view and do your best. That is my only request.

Thank you very much. (end)

750209AR.LA

Arrival Address

Los Angeles, February 9, 1975

Prabhupāda: You can play hari hari biphale janama. I shall… I'll sing before you.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: (sings with harmonium, drum and karatālas) [break] …movement is enlightening people because they're simply wasting their time without worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. The purport of this song made by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, that anyone who is not coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness is simply wasting his valuable human life… (sounds of children) (aside:) Take care of the children. This life is meant for reviving our lost Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is Kṛṣṇa consciousness… (babies crying) Otherwise how it is happening that this place was a church and nobody was coming, so much so that they had to sell it to others? We purchased it. When I first came here to see this church, there was nobody. The place is the same. The people is the same. I have not brought men from India. Why it is crowded now? This is the proof that in everyone's heart Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. It is not artificial way of taking something sentimentally. Otherwise how in my absence all these boys and girls are maintaining the status quo very nicely? I am very glad. That is required. This is the proof that in everyone's heart there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya

śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

Udaya means awakening. It is not an artificial way of giving something, imposing something to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. No. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everyone's heart. It has to be awakened by certain process. That process is śravaṇa-kīrtana, nine different types of devotional service:

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

So anywhere… It doesn't matter, either in India or outside. People thought like that, that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the monopoly business for the Indians or for the Hindus. They were thinking like that: "It cannot be preached. Nobody will take it." But I thought, "If Kṛṣṇa is God, why it will not be taken by everyone? It must be taken." So I was not very much hopeful to become successful. When I was in Boston port, I wrote one poetry that "I do not know why I have been brought here. How these people will take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness? As soon as I will say these four regulative principles, they will ask me to go away." (laughter) It is very difficult for this country or this part of the world to follow the four principles of regulative life: no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, and no intoxication. Even Lord Zetland, when he was given this formula for becoming advanced in spiritual consciousness, he flatly replied, "It is impossible for us." Yes. But impossible thing can be made possible by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. That is possible-Kṛṣṇa is all powerful-provided we are serious and sincere. That is the main business. We must be very serious and sincere. Then Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence.

That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajataṁ prīti-pūrvakam

buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

[Bg. 10.10]

Anyone who is engaged very seriously, satata-yuktānām, twenty-four hours, thinking, "Kṛṣṇa, how can I serve you…?" This is the only business. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Four things: Always think of Kṛṣṇa… This Hare Kṛṣṇa means "O the energy of Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your service. I have given service to this material world so much, but I could not satisfy the master, neither I am satisfied." Everyone is serving society, friendship, love, family, country, but none of them are satisfied. None of them sat… Even your President, he could not satisfy you. You had to drag him down. Neither he could satisfy himself. Even Gandhi could not satisfy his countrymen. Although he gave so much service, he was shot dead. So this is the material world. You cannot satisfy anyone, neither you become satisfied, materially engaged. This is called material world. We may show some artificial satisfaction, but there cannot be satisfaction in the material world. First of all, you have to take it as axiomatic truth that there is no happiness and there cannot be any satisfaction in this material world. Then you'll make, spiritually advance. If you have got little faith still that "I can be satisfied; I can be happy materially," then that is māyā's influence. That is māyā's influence. There is no possibility.

So if you want satisfaction, then you have to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Compulsory: "You must." There is no other alternative. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I have simply wasted my time." Actually, anyone who has not taken Kṛṣṇa consciousness-simply wasting time. This is fact, scientifically true. But they do not know it. Māya-mohita. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam [Bg. 7.13]. Being covered by the illusory energy, they do not know the background of this gigantic cosmic manifestation. That is Kṛṣṇa. So intelligence means to find out Kṛṣṇa. In the Īśopani…, Īśo, it is stated that "My dear Lord, please wind up Your, these dazzling rays so that I can actually see Your face." Within brahmajyoti the Kṛṣṇa is there. So Kṛṣṇa can be seen only by service. You cannot challenge Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, come here. I shall see You." No. That is not possible. You have to submit. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is the way. You have to surrender. So long you don't surrender, that is up to you. Kṛṣṇa will not force you. He is almighty, He can force you, but He does not do that. He says, "You do this. If you do not do it, that is your business. But I say you do it."

So Kṛṣṇa says everything in the Bhagavad-gītā. People are simply misled by so-called rascals, yogis, swamis, incarnation, magician, juggler, bluffer, but they come and go. They cannot do anything because they are themself cheated. They are themself cheated, so how they can do good to others? So don't be members of the society of cheaters and cheated. Then the life will be spoiled. Our only request, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is "Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa he. This is our… Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught. Always chant Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa or Hare Kṛṣṇa, as it is convenient. That is the way of, the simple way. There is no difficulty. There is no loss. These boys and girls took "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa," so there was no loss, but now everything is gain. So why not make an experiment that chant Hare Kṛṣṇa always?

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ

yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ

namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā

nitya-yuktā upāsate

[Bg. 9.14]

This process… I am very glad that you are following despite all impediments. The Deity is nicely decorated, and the Deity is worshiped, and He's pleased upon you. Be blessed. Continue this process, don't deviate, strictly follow the regulative principle, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa at least sixteen rounds, and you'll be happy. There is no doubt about it. You can experience. It is not an imposition. Don't leave this process. Then, in this life, you will be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. It is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

To understand Kṛṣṇa is very, very difficult, even for the siddhas, those who have attained perfection of life. Kṛṣṇa said, yatatām api siddhānām [Bg. 7.3]. First of all, out of many, many millions of person, one endeavors to become siddha, perfect. That is also not very easy, siddha. Siddha means perfectly self-realized. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is siddhi. That is the siddhi of human life. The dogs', cats' life, they cannot understand that "I am Brahman," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. They think, "I am dog." So if you think like that-"I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim"-then you are no better than the dogs and cats because they are also thinking like that. But when you think yourself that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. After that, after being brahma-bhūtaḥ-samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām-then bhakti life begins. After being liberated, after being self-realized, then bhakti begins. And as soon as bhakti begins, then you understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by any other process-by jñāna, by yoga, by tapasya, by karma, by sacrifice, by charity. You cannot understand. Simply, Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa as He is, then you have to take to this process, very simple process. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: [Bg. 18.65] "Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your respectful obeisances unto Me." Four things. That is here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That will be thinking of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā. And unless you are devotee, you cannot engage your time in that way. Then if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, automatically you become devotee. Then you worship Deity. Unless you are a devotee, you cannot worship Kṛṣṇa.

The atheist will say, "They are worshiping some idol." No. That is not fact. They do not know that here is Kṛṣṇa personally. He is accepting the devotees' service in a manner in which we can serve Him at the present moment. If Kṛṣṇa shows you the virāṭ-rūpa, then you cannot serve Him. Where you'll get the dress of the virāṭ-rūpa? The whole world's cloth factory will fail you. (laughter) Therefore Kṛṣṇa is accepted, a four-feet-small Deity, so that you can acquire Kṛṣṇa's dress within your means. You can put Kṛṣṇa within your means. That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Therefore it is forbidden, arcye viṣṇu śilā-dhīḥ. If any rascal thinks that in the Viṣṇu form, as stone, as wood…, vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ, devotees considered as belonging to certain nation, caste, these are nārakī-buddhi. This is not to be done. It is fact that here is Kṛṣṇa. Very kindly, just to show me favor, He has come in this form. But He's Kṛṣṇa; He's not stone. Even it is stone, that is also Kṛṣṇa, because there is nothing else but Kṛṣṇa, anything. Without Kṛṣṇa, there is no existence. Sarvaṁ khalv idam brahma. So Kṛṣṇa has got the power that even in his so-called shape of stone, He can accept your service. That is Kṛṣṇa.

So you have to understand these things, and if you understand properly what is Kṛṣṇa, this much qualification will make you fit for being liberated even in this life.

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

[Bg. 4.9]

It is all stated there. So Kṛṣṇa can be understood only by devotional service, by no other. You cannot speculate, "Kṛṣṇa may be like this." Just like Māyāvādīs, they imagine. The imagination will not help you. You cannot imagine God. That is foolishness. God is not subjected to your imagination. Then He is not God. Why He should be subjected to your imagination? So these things are to be understood properly, and one can understand properly when he's pure devotee. Otherwise not. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtāḥ: [Bg. 7.25] "I am not exposed to everyone." Why He should be exposed to everyone? When He's pleased, He will reveal Himself to you. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234]. You cannot ask the sun to appear immediately. When he is pleased, he will appear in the morning. Similarly, you have to please Kṛṣṇa so that He will appear before you and talk with you and bless you.

Thank you very much. (end)

750211AR.MEX

Arrival Lecture

Mexico, February 11, 1975,

(With Spanish Translator)

Prabhupāda: My dear devotees, ladies and gentlemen, I am very glad to see you again, I think, after four years? Three years. I was trying to come here again-I like this place-but due to various engagements and due to my old age also, I could not come earlier. But this time, by the arrangement of our Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja, I have been forced to come here. (laughter) So I must thank you for your nice reception. I was received by police escort very nicely, and I remember once I traveled with the governor of UP in 1962 from Lucknow to Kanpur. So exactly we were driving in the same fashion, escorted by the police motorcycle. So anyway, I am so pleased to see you, that you are interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very, very important for the human society. It is not exactly a religious movement as it is understood in the Western countries. Religion is described in the English dictionary as "a kind of faith." Faith you may accept or may not accept, but religion is the word, as we understand from Sanskrit dictionary, it cannot be rejected. Or you and your religion cannot be separated. Therefore we should understand very clearly that we are experiencing two things: one is matter, and another is spirit. Just like there is a stone, and there is a small ant. The stone, it may be very big, but it cannot move. It has no life. But the small ant, although it is very small, it has life. So there are two things, we can very easily understand: one is dead matter, and the other is living force. We are actually living force. Living force, we are covered by the matter, and according to the different types of covering, we are representing different types of living condition. So this living force, being encaged by the dead matter, it is a struggle for existence. The living force trying to get out of the material encagement, that is called struggle for existence. The living force by nature is jubilant. The supreme living force is God, Kṛṣṇa, and we are part and parcel of the living force. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, two kinds of energies: one material energy, one spiritual energy. The material energy is earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence, etc., and the spiritual energy is the living force which is trying to lord it over the material energy. So,

apareyam itas tu (anyāṁ)

viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām

jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho

yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

[Bg. 7.5]

Kṛṣṇa says that "This material energy is inferior, and the superior energy is the living being." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to help the living being to come out of the encagement of material energy. And how to become free, that information is in the Vedic literature. So what we are giving in different literatures… We are publishing books and magazines. Simply we are trying to give information how the superior living being can get out of this material encagement.

So I am very glad to see you, so many Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. You have come to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So stick to the principles, then your life will be successful. The principle is to purify ourself. Just like when a man becomes sick, he has to purify himself by regulative principle, by diet, by medicine, similarly, we have got this material disease, covered by the material body, and the symptom of miseries are birth, death, old age and disease. So one who is serious about getting out of this material bondage and free from birth, death, old age and disease, so he must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very simple and easy. If you do not know, if you are not educated, if you have no asset, you can simply chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and if you are educated, logician, philosopher, you can read our books, which are already in fifty in number. There will be about seventy-five books of four hundred pages to convince the philosopher, scientist, educationist what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is published in English as well as in other European languages. Take advantage of it. Along with the Deity worship in this temple, hold classes at least five hours. As in the schools and colleges there are regular classes, forty-five minutes' class, then five or ten minutes' recess, again forty-five minutes' class, in this way, so we have got enough subject matter to study, and if we study all these books, to finish them it will take at least twenty-five years. So you are all young men. I request you to engage your time in reading books, in chanting, in Deity worshiping, in going to preach, selling books. Don't be lazy. Always remain engaged. Then that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya

ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ

striyaḥ vaiśyās tathā śūdrās

te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim

[Bg. 9.32]

There is no discrimination that "This man should be allowed. This woman should not be allowed." No. Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone." Striyaḥ vaiśyās tathā śūdrās. Anyone who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes free from the material bondage and goes back to Godhead, back to home. So take seriously about this movement and execute the principle, namely no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, and chant sixteen rounds. That's all right.

Now, if there are any questions from them… [break]

Hṛdayānanda: (translating question) If everyone is spirit soul, then isn't sex life also spiritual?

Prabhupāda: Well, sex life… There is no sex life in the spirit soul. Sex life is in the material body. We are not this body, but because we are in this body, therefore we are thinking pleasure of the body is pleasure of the soul. Just like when you are sitting in a nice car, if the car is damaged, the proprietor thinks that he is damaged. But actually he is not damaged; the car is damaged. It is due to our false identification with the body. Therefore we think that sex life is a pleasure. But so long we are in this body, sex life is not prohibited, but it is regulated. By regulative principle, gradually we can give up sex life. Therefore there are four orders of life. The beginning is brahmacārī. There it is very nicely taught how to remain free from material encagement. But if one is unable to take immediately spiritual activity, he is allowed to marry. The married life is regulated sex life. Then, after fiftieth year, one has to give up this. So in that stage, vānaprastha stage, the wife is there, but there is no sex life. So in this way, when one becomes very strongly fit not to desire for sex life, then he takes sannyāsa. That is the perfect stage of life for spiritual advancement of life.

Hṛdayānanda: (translating question) Who are we? Why are we here and where are we going?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hṛdayānanda: Who are we, why are we here and where are we going?

Prabhupāda: You are all living entities. You wanted to come here. Just like I wanted to come in your city-I have come here-similarly, you wanted to come to the material world and enjoy ma… So because you wanted to enjoy this material world, you have come here. Kṛṣṇa has allowed to come here, and you are trying to enjoy this material world. That is called struggle for existence. But you'll never be happy with this material world. It is simply a struggle for existence. Therefore you should go back to home, back to Godhead. Then you'll be happy.

Hṛdayānanda: [break] (translating question) …that material desires are an obstacle in our devotional service.

Prabhupāda: By engaging yourself in spiritual activity. That's all. (end)

750225AR.MIA

Arrival Lecture

Miami, February 25, 1975

Prabhupāda: It is great fortune for you. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared for delivering all kinds of fallen souls in this age. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, pāpī-tāpī yāta chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo, tāra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. So brajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta hoilo sei, balarāma hoilo nitāi. The same Kṛṣṇa and same Balarāma… Kṛṣṇa has appeared as the son of mother Śacī, and Balarāma has appeared as Nityānanda, and Their business is to deliver all fallen souls, especially in this age, Kali-yuga. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission was that He should be present by His name, by His form, by His pastimes, in every town and village of the world. And you are fulfilling His mission. So undoubtedly, you will be blessed and you will get Kṛṣṇa's mercy through the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

To understand Kṛṣṇa is not so easy thing.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ

[Bg. 7.3]

Out of many thousands, millions people, one is anxious to make his life successful. Nobody is interested. Practically they do not know what is actually success of life. The modern civilization, everyone is thinking, "If I get a good wife and nice motorcar and a nice apartment, that is success." That is not success. That is temporary. Real success is to get out of the clutches of māyā, means this material conditional life which comprehends birth, death, old age and disease. We are passing through many varieties of life, and this human form of life is a good chance to get out of this chain of changing body one after another. The soul is eternal and blissful because part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, God, sac-cid-ānanda, eternal, full of bliss, full of knowledge. Unfortunately, in this material, conditional life we are changing different bodies, but we are not getting situated again in that spiritual platform where there is no birth, no death. There is no science. The other day one psychiatrist came to see me. And where is your education for understanding the soul, his constitutional position? So practically the whole world is in darkness. They are interested with fifty, sixty or hundred years of this span of life, but they do not know that we are eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, and due to this material body we are subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. And this is going on continuously.

So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, out of His great compassion for the fallen souls, He appeared. Kṛṣṇa comes also. But Kṛṣṇa is not so liberal. Kṛṣṇa makes condition that "First of all you surrender. Then I take charge of you." But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is more compassionate than Kṛṣṇa, although Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same thing. So by Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy we are so easily understanding Kṛṣṇa. So that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is present here. You worship Him. It is not very difficult. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanam [SB 11.5.32]. You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and whatever you can, offer Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is very kind. He does not take offense. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship is little difficult. We have to worship Him with great awe and veneration. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu has voluntarily come to deliver the fallen souls. Little service, He will be satisfied. He will be satisfied. But do not neglect. Because He is very kind and compassionate, that does not mean we should forget His position. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we should offer Him very great respect, and as far possible… But the advantage is that Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not take any offense. And to worship Him, to please Him, is very easy. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. Simply you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and dance, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be very pleased. He introduced this dancing and chanting, and this is the easiest process for God realization. So as far as possible… If possible, twenty-four hours. If that is not possible, at least four times, six times, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra before Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and you will get success in your life. This is a fact.

So I am very glad that you are worshiping Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu. So continue to do this. There is no need of installing Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa at least at the present moment. When you become more advanced in spiritual consciousness, you can establish. But even if you do not establish, it doesn't matter. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is sufficient. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is combination of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. In one place you worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So I see this place is very nice, and you are also very nice. Take advantage of this opportunity, and go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and worship Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He will bless you sufficiently to become successful in getting shelter of the lotus feet of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much. (end)

750228AR.ATL

Arrival Address

Atlanta, February 28, 1975

Prabhupāda: So I am very glad to see you, and I am coming first of all Mexico City?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So Mexico City, then Caracas, then…

Devotee: Miami.

Prabhupāda: Miami. So I see your temple is the best.

Devotees: Jaya! Hari bol!

Prabhupāda: So, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very kind. Parama karuṇa, pahū dui jana. Two Lords, Nitāi-Gauracandra, Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, They are very kind, you see? They have appeared just to reclaim the fallen souls of this age. So They are more kind than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, He is also very kind. He comes to deliver. But Kṛṣṇa demands that first of all surrender. Caitanya Mahāprabhu even does not demand surrender. He is so kind. (voice choking) So take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and be happy. Thank you very much. (weeping) (end)

750303AR.DAL

Arrival Lecture

Dallas, March 3, 1975

Prabhupāda: We are trying to push this brahminical culture within the demoniac culture. It is very difficult task, but still, by grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are more or less successful. I am very glad to see your temple worship, not only here, everywhere. So you American boys and girls, you are fortunate that this movement is started from America, and some of you are taking seriously, trying to help me. So I am very much obliged to you. So keep this standard as you are now keeping, then things will go automatically, and one day people will understand in the history that this movement was for saving the human society. That day will come.

So I am very much pleased to see the atmosphere here. Education means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is education. If simply we understand that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person. He is great, and we are all subordinate. So our duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," these two lines, if we understand, then our life is perfect. If we simply learn how to worship Kṛṣṇa, how to please Him, how to dress Him nicely, how to give Him nice foodstuff, how to decorate Him with ornaments and flowers, how to offer our respectful obeisances unto Him, how to chant His name, in this way, if we simply think, without any so-called education we become the perfect person within the universe. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It doesn't require A-B-C-D education. It requires simply change of consciousness. So if these children are being taught from the very beginning of their life… We had the opportunity of being trained up by our parents like this. So some way or other, they have come to… [break] Many saintly persons used to visit my father's house. My father was Vaiṣṇava. He was Vaiṣṇava, and he wanted me to become a Vaiṣṇava. Whenever some saintly person would come, he would ask him, "Please bless my son that he can become a servant of Rādhārāṇī." That was his prayer. He never prayed for anything. And he gave me education how to play mṛdaṅga. My mother was against. There was two teachers-one for teaching me A-B-C-D, and one for teaching me mṛdaṅga. So the one teacher was waiting and the other teacher was teaching me how to play on mṛdaṅga. So my mother would be angry that "What is this nonsense? You are teaching mṛdaṅga? What he will do with this mṛdaṅga?" (chuckles) But perhaps my father wanted that I should be a great mṛdaṅga player in the future. (laughter) Therefore I am very much indebted to my father, and I have dedicated my book, Kṛṣṇa book, to him. He wanted this. He wanted me to be preacher of Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and player of mṛdaṅga and to become servant of Rādhārāṇī. So every parent should think like that; otherwise one should not become father and mother. That is the injunction in the śāstra. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto, pitā na sa syāj jananī na sa syād gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt. In this way, the conclusion is, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. If one is unable to rescue his disciple from the imminent danger of death, he should not become a guru. One should not become father or mother if he cannot do so. In this way, no friend, no relatives, no father, no…, if one cannot teach his other party how to save from the clutches of death.

So that education is wanting throughout the whole world. And simple thing is that one can avoid this entanglement of birth, death, old age and disease simply by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

janma karma ca me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

[Bg. 4.9]

"My dear Arjuna, if one can simply understand what I am, why do I come here in this material world, what is My duty, what duty I perform…" These two, three things, if one understands, that "Kṛṣṇa comes for this purpose, He is like this," then the result will be tyaktvā dehaṁ… We have to give up this body. That's a fact. But this person who has understood Kṛṣṇa, he is not coming back again to accept another material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Mam eti. If he does not take birth again, so does he become zero? Śūnyavādi? No. Mām eti: "He enters into My family." Kṛṣṇa's family… Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana has got a great family. He has got His father. He has got His mother, mother Yaśodā, Nanda Mahārāja. He has got so many friends, hundreds and thousands-boyfriends, girlfriends. The trees, the plants, the flowers, the fruits, the land, the water, the cows, the calves-He is surrounded by a great family. He is not a single person. Suppose if we say, "Now the president is coming." So president means he is not only coming alone; he is coming with secretaries, his ministers, his military secretary and so many other people, some soldiers and bodyguards. He is not alone. So if a material president, insignificant, is always surrounded by his associates, so the Supreme Being, how He is associated with His surroundings, you can just imagine. He cannot be alone. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not zero, śūnyavādi, as they say that "Everything zero after this," or nirviśeṣa, "Everything like sky." No. He is individual, person. And He says in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter, "My dear Arjuna, you, you are a person. Me, I am also a person, and all these soldiers and kings who are assembled here, they are also person. So don't think that we were not person in the past, and we are not person at present, and in future also we shall not become person. We are all person, eternally person." And whenever there is person, there is associates, there is family, there is exchange of love. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to become trained up sufficiently how to enter Kṛṣṇa's great family. In Kṛṣṇa's family there is no sannyāsī. Have you seen, anyone, a sannyāsī in Vṛndāvana? At least in the books? Sannyāsa means to make this material life sannyāsa, finished, "No more this," renounce. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu did. He renounced His material family life. He had very nice wife, young wife, and He was young man, twenty-four years old, and there was a very affectionate mother. He had very good position in the society, Nimāi Paṇḍita. Yesterday you showed one play called Chand Kazi. So He was so influential that simply by His calling, hundreds and thousands of men immediately joined to go to the Chand Kazi's house to perform kīrtana. So just imagine what was His social position, so popular, leader. He had very good position. As a learned scholar, He was known as Nimāi Paṇḍita. Beautiful, very beautiful body, Gaurasundara. Very beautiful wife. Very honored brāhmaṇa, Jagannātha Miśra's son, grandson of Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, very social, aristocratic position. But still, He gave up everything. That means that although He had nothing material, but to show us that material things should be renounced, that is sannyāsa; and enter into the spiritual family of Kṛṣṇa. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9]. He does not become again entangled in these material varieties of life. In material world there is also varieties, but that is false. This morning we were discussing this point, mirage. In the mirage there is a show of false water, and the animal runs after it. But there is no water, and finally he becomes more thirsty, and it is desert; he falls down and dies. So the material world means we are running after false family. But don't think that there is no real family life. There is real family. That is Kṛṣṇa's real family, eternal family, blissful family. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to train up people to be detached from this false family and to enter into the real family. That is the point. Not that if I give up this false family I will become zero. No. There is no such disappointment. The other philosophers, they simply… Just like Buddha philosophy. Their philosophy is "Finish this," nirvāṇa. But if people are not interested to finish all this, they want it, then what is the positive gain? So generally people are attached to these Buddhist and Māyāvādī philosophies; therefore they feel hopelessness. On account of future hopelessness, they become more attached to this false family. But our philosophy is not like that. Our philosophy is that you become detached to this false family and enter into the real family.

So these children… Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha [SB 7.6.1]. That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction, that you produce children as much as you can train them to become eternally family members of Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual contraceptive. Don't produce children like cats and dogs. This is our philosophy. If you can produce Kṛṣṇa conscious children, produce one hundred children. There is no objection. But if you cannot do that, then either don't produce children or produce children as much as you can manage. This is Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Our philosophy is not simply a negation. It is positive. They, general people, they are unnecessarily producing children, then cannot manage. So they are adopting so many sinful activities, so much so that they are now killing their own child within the womb and becoming implicated in sinful activities and prolong the life in this material world very miserably. Just see the miserable condition of the child, baby within the womb. She is… It is in the mother's womb, and the mother, at the advice of the doctor, is killing. Why? Because that child-now it is child-he did it. He killed so many other children in his previous life; now he is being killed. Not only in one womb, but he will enter another womb-he will be killed. As many children he has killed, he will be killed in this way. But they do not know. They do not know this, blind, mūḍha, that how nature's law is going on, how tit for tat is going on. They do not know it. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give them right knowledge and become free from all sinful life. So long there is sinful life, you cannot be allowed to enter into Kṛṣṇa's family. That will not be allowed.

yeṣām anta-gataṁ tu pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

[Bg. 7.28]

So avoid sinful life. We have given you prescription: no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat-eating. Avoid the sinful life and make your children Kṛṣṇa conscious purely. Then you can produce hundreds of children. There is no objection. And so far maintaining your children, we are taking charge. Come on. We are taking charge. We shall supply everything. Of course, not to the whims of these material man, but as much which is needed to maintain them, that we take, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, ISKCON society will take charge… (end)

750308AR.LON

Arrival Address

London, March 8, 1975

Prabhupāda: So how many devotees are there now?

Haṁsadūta: Eighty.

Prabhupāda: Eighteen?

Haṁsadūta: Eighty.

Prabhupāda: Eighty. That's nice. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, jay sakal bipod… (aside:) It is going now. Jāy sakal bipod, gāi bhaktivinod, jakhon ami o-nām gai, rādhā-kṛṣṇa bolo bolo, bolo re sobāi. The Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching is to request everyone to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that "When I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then all dangers go away." So this place, this material world, is a dangerous place. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Vipad means danger, and padaṁ padam means every step. In the material world you cannot expect very smooth, peaceful life. That is not possible. And the only remedy is to take shelter of the lotus feet of Murāri. Murāri means Kṛṣṇa.

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ

mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ

bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ

padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

[SB 10.14.58]

So there is always if you stay in a very good boat, still, because the platform is water you cannot think that the boat is always very smooth and without any trouble. So material world is always full of troubles. So if we keep ourself in our standing, in our standard, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa regularly, then the dangers will be over. Dangers, they are not also permanent. They come and go like the seasonal changes. Sometimes it is very hot; sometimes it is very cold. So Kṛṣṇa has advised that āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. So don't be diverted from the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and don't be afraid of because there is some danger and danger. Take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and dangers will be over.

But we should not create such position, dangerous. It is already dangerous. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu was also very cautious about spiritual life. Sannyāsīra alpa chidra bāhu kori mane. Others may violate the laws, and so many sinful activities they are doing, but nobody takes very serious care. But when a religious group or a sannyāsī commits little offense, it is magnified a thousand times. Therefore we should be very careful not to make anything which may be magnified to the eyes of the public. Because we are preaching. We are preaching, and there is always demonic party who want to put us in difficulty. That is natural. Even Hiraṇyakaśipu, being the father of Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was also putting him into difficulty. But if we remain sincere and go on chanting, these dangers will be over. Don't be afraid. Don't stop your regular regulative principles and regular activities, program. Go on with it. Depend on Kṛṣṇa, and gradually everything will be all right.

So I think we shall this much today. Now it is time over. The Deities should go to rest. We should not detain. That's all right. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

750320AR.CAL

Arrival Lecture

Calcutta, March 20, 1975

Prabhupāda: Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka-they are all devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they have established so many temples, and Gandhi says there was no such person. And how much poor study he had, and still, he is the leader. When?

Śruta-kīrti: London, just four days ago.

Prabhupāda: Four days ago. [break] So this time within two months from 26th February?

Devotee: Twenty-fourth January.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-fourth January to 15th March-less than two months-I had the opportunity to go round about the world. From Bombay I went to Hong Kong, then from Hong Kong to Tokyo, Japan; from Tokyo to Honolulu, Honolulu to Mexico City, then Venezuela. Caracas… Caracas?

Karandhara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: I forget name also. (laughs) South America. Then I was to go to Trinidad, West Indies, but there was no time. The West Indies people came to see me. Mostly they are Indians. And then Miami, then from Miami to Atlanta, Atlanta. From Atlanta to Dallas, our Gurukula, then to New York, then to London, and from London to Bombay again.

Śruta-kīrti: Tehran.

Prabhupāda: Tehran. Yes. I forgot. He has come. Here is the Tehran representative. Yes. So there was very nice meeting in Tehran. Many scholar, Muhammadan, came to see me. So everyone is understanding the importance of this movement. So in Tehran I discussed about chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that there are many names. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ. Kṛṣṇa's name, manyfold. So I pleaded to the Muslim audience that "You can chant the name of Allah also. Not necessarily that you have to chant the Kṛṣṇa name, but any name indicating the Supreme Lord can be chanted." Because in the śāstra it is said, harer nāma, harer nāma, [Cc. Ādi 17.21] the holy name of the Lord. But it must be the name of the Lord. Actually, Kṛṣṇa has thousands of names, and His names are enumerated by His activities. Just like Kṛṣṇa accepted to become the son of mother Yaśodā; therefore He is called Yaśodā-nandana. Kṛṣṇa accepted Vasudeva as His father, or Nanda Mahārāja; therefore He is called Nanda-nandana, Vāsudeva, or Devakī-nandana. Kṛṣṇa acted as the charioteer of Arjuna; He is called Partha-sarathi. So Kṛṣṇa's name means attached with the activities along with His devotees. This is Kṛṣṇa's name. So if the Muhammadans' aim the Supreme Lord, Allah akbar, "God the great…" Just like we say Parabrahma. Brahman means the biggest, bṛhatvāt bṛhannatvāt. On account of being very big, including everything, that God's another name is Parabrahma. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. Arjuna addressed Kṛṣṇa as Parabrahma. So Allah akbar means Parabrahma.

So we do not make any distinction that this type of religion is better than that type of religion. Any religion which teaches how to love God, that is first-class religion. That is the injunction of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yena ātmā samprasīdati

[SB 1.2.6]

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not name any particular type of religion. It says, "That religion, that system of religion, is first class," sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ, "transcendental." This "Hinduism," "Muslimism," "Christianism," they are all prākṛta, mundane. But we have to go, transcend this prākṛta, or mundane conception of religion-"We are Hindus," "We are Muslim," "We are Christian." Just like gold. Gold is gold. Gold cannot be Hindu gold or Christian gold or Muhammadan gold. Nobody… Because a lump of gold is in the hand of Hindu or in the Muslim, nobody will say, "It is Muslim gold," "It is Hindu gold." Everyone will say, "It is gold." So we have to select gold, not the Hindu gold or Muslim gold or Christian gold. When Lord Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], He did not mean this Hindu religion or Muslim religion. These are designated. So we have to come to the platform where it is pure; there is no designation. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." This is real religion. Without this conception, any kind of designated religion, that is prākṛta. That is not transcendental.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is transcendental, paro dharmaḥ. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para means above, above the so-called religious system. So this is not our manufactured thing. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the beginning, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra: "Any kind of kaitavaḥ, pretentious or false, illusory…," kaitavaḥ. Kaitavaḥ means cheating. "Cheating type of religion is rejected, thrown away," projjhita. Prākṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa ujjhita. Just like we sweep over the floor, we take the last particle of dust and throw it away, similarly, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious means we have to give up all these so-called or cheating type of religious system. Because experience has shown that following the so many different designated religious systems, nobody has attained the platform of how to love God. Nobody has attained. This is practical experience. It is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He introduced. But Lord Kṛṣṇa gave hint that "This is real religion, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. This is religion." Any other religion, system of religion, which does not train the followers, how to love God, that is cheating type of religion. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, premā pum-artho mahān. And Bhāgavata says also. Real achievement of success in life is how to love God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life.

So lokasya ajānataḥ. The foolish people, they do not know it. Lokasya ajānataḥ vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. Because people, they do not know what is religion, what can give them actual relief, therefore vidvān, Vyāsadeva, vidvān, Vedavyāsa, vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām… The sātvata-saṁhitām. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is sātvata-saṁhitā.

anartha upaśamam sākṣād

bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje

lokasya ajānataḥ vidvāṁś

cakre sātvata-saṁhitām

[SB 1.7.6]

People are suffering from anartha, unwanted things. They do not know how to get relief from this entanglement. Therefore vidvān, the most learned scholar, Vyāsadeva, compiled Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhagavate mahā-muni-kṛte. Mahā-muni is Vyāsadeva. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to preach this sātvata-saṁhitā. Saṁhitā means Vedic scripture. Sātvata-saṁhitā. So people are responding, especially in the Western countries. In Africa also, they are responding. Many Africans, they have become Vaiṣṇava now. That is the latest news. And they are receiving very well.

So by Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grace, with the cooperation of the Western youths, this movement is going on. I have traveled all over the countries, as I reported, and everywhere I saw, I was very much pleased that saṅkīrtana is going on. And it is improving. It is not declining. That is my greatest encouragement, that even in my absence, things are going on very nicely, improving. That is very hopeful. Not only that-from the Gurukula we are training small children. There are about more than hundred children in Dallas. They are rising early in the morning, attending maṅgala āratik, boys and girls not more than ten years, not more than five, six years. So that is very hopeful. In future they will become nice Vaiṣṇava. And many children are taking birth. They are very nice devotees. In last, in our Śrīpāda Atreya-rsi's small child, about six months old, as soon as I shout out, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," immediately he'll… He'll laugh. Very nice. There are many such children. So all these children, they are Vaiṣṇavas. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sanjāyate [Bg. 6.41]. That is the… They are given chance to take birth in the family of Vaiṣṇava father and mother. From the very beginning of life, they are getting encouragement. We had such opportunity. Somehow or other, we have come to this stage. Similarly, these children, they are getting opportunity from the very beginning of their life. So on the whole, it is very hopeful that in the Western countries… Not only Western countries-especially Western countries-we have sown some seed, that a community, Vaiṣṇava community, is now established. That is very hopeful, a Vaiṣṇava community, and they are, in America, they are now addressed, "American Hindus," these American boys and girls. So by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this much has been done, and they are improving more and more. They are serving Kṛṣṇa. Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. This, our Gurukṛpa Mahārāja, has contributed large sum of money for our Vṛndāvana construction, and this time also, I have brought a very large sum of money, about fifty lakhs. So this will be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's business. And these people, Western people, they are serving this cause with life, prāṇair; arthair, by money; dhiyā, by intelligence; and by words.

prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā

śreyaḥ ācaraṇaṁ sadā

etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ

dehinām iha dehiṣu

This is success of life, that we should fully engage our life, our money, our intelligence and our words for the service of the Lord. That is called sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66].

So time is very bad at the present moment everywhere, especially in India. Of course, India's original culture is all right. But unfortunately, our modern leaders, they are killing the original culture. They want to introduce Western culture. Now it is openly there are beef shop, wine shop. So what can be done? It is Kali-yuga. Everything is possible. But those who are intelligent-kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa-catura-they should take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be successful of this human form of life. Hari hari bifale, janama goṅāinu, manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa na bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. Anyone who is not taking to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, surely he is taking poison knowingly. That is the fact. Everyone, harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12], no qualification. The so-called education has no meaning, no value. So it is not a whim that one may take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and one may not. No. It is compulsory. One must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness; otherwise his life is spoiled, śrama eva hi kevalam.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed ratiṁ yadi

śrama eva hi kevalam

[SB 1.2.8]

One may think of executing his religious principles very nicely, but if he does not awaken his dormant love for Kṛṣṇa, then all activities in that direction is supposed to be simply waste of time, simply waste of time, spoiling. Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu.

So our request to everyone, especially who are a little bit inclined… (end)

750323AR.MAY

Arrival Talk in Room

Māyāpur, March 23, 1975

Prabhupāda: …his blessings upon you. You are fulfilling his mission. He wanted that European, American should come here. It is all Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's blessing. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So there is no scarcity of space for keeping all the devotees?

Bhavānanda: Everyone is situated…

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Bhavānanda: Everyone is situated in rooms.

Jayapatākā: Without these dwelling…, wall dwellings, there would have been no hope.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I said, (laughter) "You must complete, and whatever amount required, I shall pay." That I could analyze. (temple bells ringing in background) [break]

Jayapatākā: …you Śrīla Prabhupāda. Only by your mercy you have brought us to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I am simply messenger. Mercy is of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Śrīla Prabhupāda. Before your coming they predicted, that "Somebody will bring." Maybe that somebody I am. (chuckles) Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura predicted. So anyway, Kṛṣṇa has given us nice place. Stay here. So you producing food grains?

Jayapatākā: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Sufficient? What about the fruit garden?

Jayapatākā: Fruit garden, there is a… Many banana trees are producing their bananas, some pomegranate…

Prabhupāda: You are getting banana, both unripe and ripe.

Jayapatākā: Now they are all unripe. But they'll be ripe, pakka.

Prabhupāda: No, there is a class…

Jayapatākā: Right, the kacha kola we have…, getting very small. We have mostly the ripe bananas.

Prabhupāda: And parwala?

Jayapatākā: Parwala, yes.

Prabhupāda: Where you are here producing parwala?

Jayapatākā: Parwala, oh, across the road we get.

Prabhupāda: How many… [break] One who is sincerely engaged in the service of the Lord, He gives him intelligence, "Now do this, do this." Simply we have to become sincere servant; then all dictation will come from within. Kṛṣṇa is there is everyone's heart. So work sincerely and everything will make progress. Who has painted this picture?

Acyutānanda: Puṣkara.

Prabhupāda: Ohh. Very nice. So Atreya-ṛṣi prabhu, you are feeling all right here?

Jayapatākā: You feeling all right here?

Atreya-ṛṣi: Yes.

Jayatīrtha: The atmosphere here is sublime, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Now make sublime management. (laughter) That is required now. We are now extended. We must manage very nicely. Of course, management means sincere service. Then everything will be all right. Still, we have to deal with the material world. We have to become little proper.(?) So in Calcutta the one lock was open. There was nothing. You said it is in Calcutta? Is it all right? You don't require fan. Therefore I planned two sides open, cross ventilation.

Jayapatākā: Everything you plan is perfect.

Prabhupāda: No. I imagine. Kṛṣṇa makes it perfect. I think, "It would have been nice if it would have been like this," but Kṛṣṇa… Yei prasāde pūre sarva āśā. Long, long ago, when I was publishing Back to Godhead, one sheet, I was thinking that "What is this sheet? If it would have been like Illustrated Weekly, then it would have been nice." Now they are coming like that.

Jayapatākā: Now Illustrated Weekly is nothing compared to Back to Godhead.

Prabhupāda: No. (laughs) Better than Illustrated Weekly. I thought of getting some help from artist. For painting picture, I will dictate, and they will paint picture. Now Kṛṣṇa has got lots of artists. So depend on Kṛṣṇa. He can do everything. Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. This new catalogue you have seen? They have made nice catalogue, Rāmeśvara prabhu. Rāmeśvara prabhu is very competent manager of the BBT.

Jayatīrtha: Yes, he's first class.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And he works very hard. That is his qualification. What is the news of our Karandhara prabhu? He's not coming?

Jayatīrtha: He came. The week before we left, he came three times to the temple, twice for the evening āratik and once for the Sunday feast. He came and listened to the lecture. So he is doing a little better. [break]

Rāmeśvara: Scientific Basis?

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Rāmeśvara: It is being printed now in America.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you wanted to bring it?

Rāmeśvara: We may print it in India also.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Rāmeśvara: But to get it in the selling right away we printed it in America.

Prabhupāda: You have brought some book? You have brought some books?

Rāmeśvara: Not too many of those, because they're still printing.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Jayatīrtha: We brought some copies of that Ādi-līlā, Chapter Seven. [break]

Prabhupāda: This is conclusion. Because he is Arjuna, devotee, he simply understood, "Yes. Whatever You say, correct. The demons or even the gods, they cannot understand." Why Arjuna understood? That he has explained in that Eighteenth Chapter. Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtiṁ labdhā tvat-prasādād madhusūdana.

Trivikrama: Is he never envious?

Prabhupāda: Huh? (pause) [break]

Paramahaṁsa: "Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and prepared to act according to Your instructions."

Prabhupāda: That's it. He understood that "Kṛṣṇa is divine. So whatever He says, that is my duty to do, not to judge Him on my platform." That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. One who does not take Kṛṣṇa in the same platform as one is but accepts Kṛṣṇa's personality, then he can understand. Otherwise how one can accept it that a person has expanded many millions of universes like this? Immediately they will they will take as mythology, because he's thinking on terms of his capacity, not as Kṛṣṇa says. Therefore nobody could understand Kṛṣṇa. We took the simple method: accept Kṛṣṇa as He says. That's all. Finished. That is the main business. Our philosophy is simple because we take it, Kṛṣṇa's word, as it is, that's all. And we believe it firmly: "Yes, this is the truth." To understand Kṛṣṇa is not difficult. What Kṛṣṇa says, you accept it. Sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava: [Bg. 10.14] "Whatever You say, I accept it. Not only I accept it blindly, but this very thing was accepted by such great personality as Vyāsadeva." (aside:) Anyone who wants to come… Simple thing. Big, big ācāryas, they accepted Kṛṣṇa as He is. And why shall I not accept? This is paramparā system. If others have accepted Kṛṣṇa as He tells, and they have become big, big ācāryas, so what objection can be there from my part? What I am?

Paramahaṁsa: They have some completely illogical argument. Just like those people…

Prabhupāda: Unfortunate. Illogical argument means unfortunate. Rascals. Therefore we say plainly, "You are all rascals." That's all. You have no discrimination. Anyone who does not believe as He is, he's a rascal. That's all. He may be happy or sorry. You don't mind. You don't make compromise. At least I do not do. If you have not full faith in Kṛṣṇa, then you are a rascal, that's all, whatever you may be. The Dr. Patel does not like this, but he does not protest to me. As others say, he protests by that. It is a fact. We have no difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa and thus make our life successful. But we unnecessarily bring arguments, impediments to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are unfortunate, envious of Kṛṣṇa.

Trivikrama: Envious.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Paramahaṁsa: They say that… They become very agitated when we stress so much, in Bhagavad-gītā, that Kṛṣṇa is God.

Prabhupāda: That means envious, envious.

Paramahaṁsa: Yes, envious. They say, "Why is it so…? Why do you stress…?"

Prabhupāda: Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān. Find out. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān.

Paramahaṁsa:

tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān

saṁsāreṣu narādhamān

kṣipāmy ajasram…

[Bg. 16.19]

Prabhupāda: Ajasram yoniṣu.

Paramahaṁsa:

kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān

āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu

"Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life."

Prabhupāda: All of them are going to Russia to take birth. Yes. Not Russian people are bad. That is a mistake. Some of them. Some people are good. That I have experienced. Otherwise how… (aside:) Don't do that. Otherwise how that Anatole came to become my…? And there are many like that, mostly like him. It is by artificial suppression that it has been advertised, "The Russian people are all Communist." That's not fact. That's not fact. Simply some rogues and thieves and demons, by threats… It is a country of, what is called? Terrorism. A terror. People have decided to leave this country, but they cannot leave. Mostly Russians, they want to leave that country, and some of them already done so. Many Russians have fled away. Many Chinese men have fled away. They don't like this philosophy.

Paramahaṁsa: Also the East Europe countries, Eastern Europe countries.

Prabhupāda: Many countries. It is unnatural to deny God. It is unnatural. This is also Kṛṣṇa's another magic. All such people who had any doubt about Kṛṣṇa, they have been kept over there in Russia. Just like the other day there was a train crash accident. So all these rascals they are brought together in that way in a train or two train, and they smashed. That is… Just like Kṛṣṇa did in Battle of Kurukṣetra. All the rascals were brought into the battlefield and finished. (end)

750620A2.LA

Arrival Address

Los Angeles, June 20, 1975

Prabhupāda: (leads Prema-dhvanī) …Gaṅgā-mayī ki jaya. New Dvārakā dhāma ki jaya. New Dvārakā dhāma ki jaya. Samavetā bhakta-vṛnda ki jaya. All glories to the assembled devotees, all glories to the assembled devotees, all glories to the assembled devotees. Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances)

So I shall go now? Speaking something? Our speaking is the same, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21].

Devotees: Haribol! Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: We have no new discovery. We don't manufacture. This is our process. We simply follow the predecessor's instruction. That's all. Our movement is very easy because we haven't got to manufacture something. We simply repeat the words and the instruction given by the predecessor. Kṛṣṇa instructed Brahmā, Brahmā instructed Nārada, Nārada instructed Vyāsadeva, Vyāsadeva instructed Madhvācārya, and, in this way, then Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then the Six Gosvāmīs, then the Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, and then we are doing the same thing. There is no difference. That is the specific procedure of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You are singing daily, guru-mukha-padma-vākya, cittete koriyā aikya, ār nā koriho mane āśā **. Very simple thing. We are receiving the transcendental knowledge through guru-paramparā succession. So we have to simply take instruction from guru, and if we execute that to our heart and soul, that is success. That is practical.

I have no personal qualification, but I simply tried to satisfy my guru. That's all. My Guru Mahārāja asked me that "If you get some money, you print books." So there was a private meeting, talking, some of my important Godbrothers also there. It was in Rādhā-kuṇḍa. So Guru Mahārāja was speaking to me that "Since we have got this Bagh Bazaar marble temple, there has been so many dissensions, and everyone thinking who will occupy this room or that room, that room. I wish, therefore, to sell this temple and the marble and print some book." Yes. So I took up this from his mouth, that he is very fond of books. And he told me personally that "If you get some money, print books." Therefore I am stressing on this point: "Where is book? Where is book? Where is book?" So kindly help me. This is my request. Print as many books in as many languages and distribute throughout the whole world. Then Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will automatically increase. Now the educated learned scholars, they are appreciating our movement by reading books, by taking practical result. Dr. Stillson Judah, he has written one book, perhaps you know, Hare Kṛṣṇa and Counterculture, a very nice book about our movement, and he is giving importance. He has admitted that "Swamijī, you have done wonderful thing because you have turned the drug-addicted hippies into devotees of Kṛṣṇa, and they are prepared for the service of humanity."

So this movement is so important. We are giving the best service to the humanity. They are plunged into ignorance. All, they are rascals, mūḍha. It is not our manufactured word. Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. So we have this test tube. If you see one has no information of Kṛṣṇa, then he is mūḍha. We haven't got to study more: whether he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, whether he has got any portion of his heart attracted, attached to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means attraction. So whether he has been attracted by Kṛṣṇa. That is our natural position-to become attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Just like the magnetic stone attracts the iron. It is natural. And if the iron is covered with dirt, then it does not become attracted. So this is the test, to make people prepared for being attracted by Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They are by nature… Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. It is not unnatural. Otherwise how you European, American, you are so much attracted to Kṛṣṇa? If Kṛṣṇa is artificial and Kṛṣṇa consciousness is artificial something, so how you should be attracted? That they are surprised. They are attracted because that attraction is there already. We are trying simply to awaken that attraction. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. The matter is already there. Just like the young man and young woman, the attraction is already there, nitya-siddha. It is natural. And when they come near, talk little confidentially, then attraction increases, not that an artificial attraction. Similarly, our attraction for Kṛṣṇa is already there. Therefore… That is the Vṛndāvana picture. Vṛndāvana, everything is attracted with Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. The animals, the trees, the flowers, the land, and the cowherd boys, the elderly cowherds men, Nanda Mahārāja and others-all are attracted to Kṛṣṇa. This is Vṛndāvana. The Yamunā water, everything. Fruits, flowers and everything. That is Vṛndāvana. So Kṛṣṇa is the center of attraction. You might have read that when Brahmā stolen all Kṛṣṇa's associates, so He created Himself again all of them, and everyone was feeling more attracted by Kṛṣṇa. So this is natural. This is not unnatural. Our position is, natural position is, to be attracted by Kṛṣṇa. If we do not become attracted by Kṛṣṇa, that is unnatural. And to become attracted by Kṛṣṇa, that is not unnatural. That is natural.

So we want to revive our natural position, uncovered position. Now we are covered by dust, by dirt, by corroding materials. So we have to cleanse this. Therefore the bhakti process is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. I am thinking I am Indian. You are thinking you are American. This is a dirty thing, covering the spirit soul. So we have to cleanse this. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Nirmalam means cleansed. When we become cleansed of all dirty things of material modes of nature, then we are prepared to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. That… We do not become zero, śūnyavādi. No. We become cleansed, and as soon as we become cleansed, with clean senses when you serve Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. So this process, the śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, this is the process of cleansing. So more you chant, more you hear, the more you become cleansed, more you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Just prolong this process and be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

750620AR.LA

Arrival Conversation

Los Angeles, June 20, 1975

Jayatīrtha: Now everything is very nice.

Prabhupāda: When you have come?

Brahmānanda: I came Wednesday evening.

Prabhupāda: So you look bright.

Brahmānanda: Oh, thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja, how is your preaching going on?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very well, Śrīla Prabhupāda, thank you.

Prabhupāda: Nice now. Yes. So Sudāmā is doing nice?

Jayatīrtha: Yes, he seems to be. He gave a very nice lecture the other night. He seems to be very, how would you say it? Repatriated. [break]

Prabhupāda: …is behind. Why?

Jayatīrtha: Well, now we are catching up. Now things are becoming much more organized. But at the end in New York, things were very disorganized, and nothing was getting done.

Prabhupāda: Brahmānanda Mahārāja, you kindly inquire where is the bottleneck.

Brahmānanda: Yes. From what I have seen already, they are doing much more than before.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But still, you are behind so many books.

Brahmānanda: They are giving one book now to the printer.

Prabhupāda: Oh, there are seventeen books behind?

Brahmānanda: Hayagrīva is today finished the Sixth Volume of Madhya-līlā. There are nine volumes altogether.

Prabhupāda: No. I have heard that seventeen books are behind. Why? Very slow. You should rather want me to give more matter. But you are behind. What is the reason? Editorial department?

Jayatīrtha: Now the editorial department is doing very good.

Prabhupāda: But you are behind so many books.

Jayatīrtha: The only thing which is a little slow now is the Bengali departments. But now, with Nitāi and Jagannātha coming, it should be…

Prabhupāda: Bengali?

Jayatīrtha: The Bengali editing is a little behind still. But the other departments are going at the rate of two books a month. If we can now just bring the Bengali department…

Prabhupāda: Books are not coming out.

Jayatīrtha: No, because during the whole, until they left New York, hardly anything was getting done, and then they went to India, the whole Press, so nothing was getting done, and then they moved. So now they've been here about three weeks. Since they've been here almost one whole books has been finished, and the rate has become very much increased.

Prabhupāda: Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto is finished, Sixth Canto half-finished.

Jayatīrtha: Sixth Canto half-finished? That's very nice.

Prabhupāda: You have finished only Fourth Canto.

Jayatīrtha: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Fifth Canto not yet published. Haṁsadūta has sent some copies of xerox. At all universities they are giving standing order. Oxford University, London University. In London, England, they are also giving standing order for Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Jayatīrtha: Oh, yes. That's a fact. Satsvarūpa is coming tonight.

Prabhupāda: And Dr. Judah has written one very nice book. I have read it.

Brahmānanda: Dr. Judah's book.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I have read it. Did you like that book?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Jayatīrtha: He's coming here in four days to see you.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is very scholarly written, and he has appreciated our…

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I've met him many times. Every day we are performing the festival, kīrtana, he is very favorable.

Prabhupāda: He's a good man. He has studied the movement very fairly. He is only surprised, "How these drug-addicted hippies have become devotee?" That is his surprise. He has mentioned that, that "We appreciate your movement, that you have turned so many drug-addicted hippies into devotee of Kṛṣṇa and in the service of humanity." That they are appreciating. And that is the fact. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ. If one is turned into devotee, then all the good qualities automatically become manifest. That is the verdict of Bhāgavata. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12]. Anyone who is not a devotee, his material qualification has no value. Mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ. He is hovering over the mental plane. Therefore in your country, Western country, the so-called big, big philosophers, scientists, they could not do anything tangible, because they are hovering on the mental plane. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Manorathena. Mana means mind and ratha means car. They are driving on the mental car. So mind is material. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja-selling more books?

Jayatīrtha: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja is selling the most books.

Prabhupāda: He is collecting $30,000?

Jayatīrtha: How much you are collecting, Tamāla, last month?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we collected a lot.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The collection is very good. The books are selling.

Prabhupāda: Selling amongst public or educational institution?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We are selling to all classes of people, big books and small books.

Prabhupāda: You have got now proper engagement.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I started by doing this.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. No. You are feeling happy in this engagement.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I'm happy to serve you, Prabhupāda. Whatever pleases you makes me happy. We are getting many new men. Now we have about 115 men.

Prabhupāda: So, another bus?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, more and more buses.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Your country is full of buses. Yasmin deśe yad ācaraḥ. Your country is of motorcar, so take advantage of motorcar and utilize it for Kṛṣṇa. That is the tactics. Not that "Oh, we have become Vaiṣṇava. We don't touch motorcar. It is material." This is not our philosophy. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. We can utilize everything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa because we see everything Kṛṣṇa's. If the motorcar is there, it is for Kṛṣṇa. That is our mission. Karandhara came there.

Jayatīrtha: Karandhara came. Yes.

Prabhupāda: So he said, "I am again surrendered." (laughs)

Jayatīrtha: I hope so.

Prabhupāda: So he has gone to Tehran?

Jayatīrtha: Yes. A letter just came from him recently saying that he was very enthusiastic in his service there.

Prabhupāda: He is business-minded. Let him do business for Kṛṣṇa.

Jayatīrtha: Yes. He says there is so much money there they don't know how to spend it. In Iran people have so much money they don't what to do with it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are getting money for nothing. (laughs)

Jayatīrtha: Yes. Right. It's coming out of the ground.

Prabhupāda: And the Bengali saying, dhula mati bhatta kare mata (?): "They are catching dust and it is turning into coin." This proverb is there, dhula mati bhatta kare mato. He is thinking that I am taking some dust, but when it is in hand, it is coin. That is good time. And when it is bad time, if you catch coin and when it is in your hand, it is dust. We should think that time may also come. Yes. Because after all, it is Kṛṣṇa's desire, turn dust into coin, to turn coin into dust. So we should be always careful. If we remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, then the coin will never turn into dust. Otherwise it can be turned. So you American, you are now full of coins. Before turning into dust, catch Kṛṣṇa with the coin. It will never turn into dust. It will remain coin. Hmm? I am very hopeful of the Americans. Because you are so nice devotees, you can keep your country coinful, no dustful. India is giving up Kṛṣṇa, and therefore they are turning into dust.

Jayatīrtha: So much dust.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The whole thing is being done by the mercy of your books, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Well, it is not my book; it is Kṛṣṇa's book. I am trying my best to present it as it is. That's all. That much you can say my, but there is nothing mine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The effect of these books is hard to perceive immediately because we can't imagine how… So many millions of books have gone out. In the future they will all fructify as devotees, the people who have read them.

Prabhupāda: Yes. When they will read, then they will get. Nowadays in the Sixth Canto, Fourth Chapter, the soul and how the soul is covered, that is being described wonderfully. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. Vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. It is written by the most learned Vyāsadeva, vidvāṁs, and sātvata-saṁhitām. How merciful he was. He is still living, Vyāsadeva. He is still existing.

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād

bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje

lokasya ajānataḥ vidvāṁś

cakre sātvata…

[SB 1.7.6]

Do you remember this verse? It is in the First Canto. Anartha. The soul has been embarrassed, the unnecessary things. Just like a man is within the huge garbage. What is his position? If… You have got your garbage car, so within that, (chuckles) if a man is pushed…

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Abominable.

Prabhupāda: It is like that. Twenty-four elements. Five material elements, three subtle elements, then five working senses and five all knowledge gathering senses-how many?

Jayatīrtha: Eighteen.

Prabhupāda: Eighteen? No.

Jayatīrtha: So far.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-three, I think. Five gross elements, five senses…, five knowledge gathering senses, and five working senses, fifteen,…

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then the objects…

Jayatīrtha: Three subtle…

Prabhupāda: The mind, ego, and mahat-tattva, eighteen, yes. And then five sense objects, the rūpa, rasa, form, taste, like that. Then twenty-three.

Jayatīrtha: The aggregate, pradhāna.

Prabhupāda: Pradhāna, and then the soul, twenty-five. Twenty-four and three guṇas. Three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Twenty-seven. So twenty-seven layers of garbage. Underneath, the soul is. What he will do? He is a small particle, soul, and he is covered with so many material elements. To come out of it is very very difficult. But if one is engaged in devotional service he can come out immediately. Just like when one is spiritually perfect, he goes immediately to Kṛṣṇa, penetrating these material coverings of the universe. Immediately. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti [Bg. 4.9], immediately. That is spiritual force.

māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

[Bg. 14.26]

So can you give me a list how much money you have to realize from our devotees who have taken money, loan?

Jayatīrtha: Who have taken money in loan? You mean unauthorized loan?

Prabhupāda: Not unauthorized, authorized.

Jayatīrtha: Oh, how much Book Trust has loaned…

Prabhupāda: Unauthorized also? There are?

Jayatīrtha: How much Book Trust loans there are. You want to see the list of Book Trust loans?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Jayatīrtha: Yes, we can give you that list.

Prabhupāda: There is unauthorized loan also?

Jayatīrtha: I thought you were… Sometimes in the past from time to time these things have gone on.

Prabhupāda: Past is all right. Have you received any news from Bombay?

Brahmānanda: Yes, there's two letter from Gopāla Kṛṣṇa. Pālikā brought them. Pālikā has come.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So what is the position there?

Brahmānanda: Well, I haven't read the letters yet, but she was saying that on the whole Mr. Matri now is diminishing. They have met with his superior in the party, and the superior is very much, he's not happy with Mr. Matri's activities and his reputation, and he says that in the forthcoming election he may not even put him on the election ballot.

Prabhupāda: That will be right punishment for him. Then he will understand. That will be more than death. Yes. Politicians, if they are refused political seat, that is more than death. Just like Kṛṣṇa was advising Arjuna that "You are known as a great hero, and if you don't fight then they will blaspheme you like anything. So that will be more than death. Better die. When they will say nindanti, 'Oh, the Arjuna has become a coward. He could not fight. He will die.' So that blaspheme will be more than death." So by the grace of Kṛṣṇa it has come to the notice of the…

Brahmānanda: The other party members, the party superiors, they are… His reputation is damaging their party.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Brahmānanda: His activities are so unscrupulous.

Prabhupāda: And what about the N.O.C.? No-Objection Certificate?

Brahmānanda: I don't know the details, but Pālikā said that they are…, the holes have been dug and they're expecting to put the foundation in before the monsoon. And that there was some attempt to stop the some digging. but that has been defeated. When I was there there was question about getting the No-Objection Certificate for the already-existing temple.

Prabhupāda: Existing temple?

Brahmānanda: Well, the little temple we have there now.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Every year it has to be renewed.

Brahmānanda: Yeah. So this year they have by some trick they have made it that the police must give their No-Objection Certificate. Usually that is not required each year.

Prabhupāda: They are harassing us in so many ways. Only in Bombay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That means if we become successful finally, it will be a tremendous success, I think.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Something very big will happen there.

Brahmānanda: They've concluded that the opposition is not from the central government but from the local. Because the projects are going on without being hampered in other places in India. It is only in Bombay that we are getting this difficulty.

Prabhupāda: In central government that Indira Gandhi is now…

Brahmānanda: Her position is now jeopardized.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really?

Prabhupāda: She is convicted. That election was not properly…

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who has convicted her?

Brahmānanda: High-court.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How was… I am surprised they could do that. She's practically like a dictator.

Prabhupāda: And she has been done in his (her) own city, Allahabad.

Brahmānanda: They have lost the election, Congress Party.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, this is a recent new election.

Brahmānanda: Yes, in Gujarat.

Prabhupāda: Now our next attempt will be Kurukṣetra, where Kṛṣṇa personally spoke Bhagavad-gītā. Recently I have been in Kurukṣetra. You were… Yes. So I have decided to do something there. Yes. Because Kṛṣṇa personally spoke there. Our two movements-we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā and we are holding Ratha-yātrā-all these two incidences took place at Kurukṣetra. Kurukṣetra is so important. Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, and His sister, on some occasion of lunar eclipse, they came from Dvārakā in a chariot, ratha, two brothers and sister, and that is the occasion of Ratha-yātrā. And the Vṛndāvana inhabitants, especially Rādhārāṇī, they came from Vṛndāvana to see Kṛṣṇa after long time. And she pleaded that "Kṛṣṇa, You are the same Kṛṣṇa, I am the same Rādhārāṇī…" (Prabhupāda is coughing) Is there any water? No. "But this place is not the proper place. Let Us go to Vṛndāvana." That is Mahāprabhu's feeling.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. You've expressed that in Madhya-līlā.

Prabhupāda: That Mahāprabhu's feeling of Kṛṣṇa is like that. Therefore He took part in the Ratha-yātrā and invited Kṛṣṇa, "Come to Vṛndāvana." So these two important things took place in the Kurukṣetra. So we must have a very big temple there, and a varṇāśrama college. This is my desire. Kṛṣṇa's direct instruction, Bhagavad-gītā. It should be a historical… It is historical. People should come here as the most important historical place. And Gītā is well known all over the world. And Gītā begins with the word dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre [Bg. 1.1]. So Kurukṣetra, in that sense very important.

Brahmānanda: That was one of the first things you told us when you came, that Kurukṣetra is an actual place. There's a railway station. People can go there.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Brahmānanda: We had never known that. We thought it was something mythological or…

Jayatīrtha: Allegorical.

Prabhupāda: That is not. These political leaders, they have made it. (reading sign:) Carpeteria. They manufacture carpet? We are already on the Venice road? No?

Jayatīrtha: Yes. This is Venice Boulevard.

Prabhupāda: You have got my passbook?

Jayatīrtha: From the Liberty Bank?

Prabhupāda: Not Liberty. Bank of America?

Jayatīrtha: Passbook.

Prabhupāda: Investment passbook?

Jayatīrtha: Oh, from that savings account.

Prabhupāda: I sent it to be made…, for making it up to date.

Jayatīrtha: You mailed it?

Prabhupāda: No, I gave to Gurukṛpa and he sent through somebody.

Jayatīrtha: He did not give it to me. Maybe he gave it to Rāmeśvara. I'll check with him. I think he must have forgotten.

Prabhupāda: So the engineering block is now occupied?

Jayatīrtha: Oh, yes. As we go by it, you can see the big sign is there, "Bhaktivedanta Book Trust." It's over here to the left.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (laughs) So that Bhaktivedanta go-down has come here? No.

Jayatīrtha: No, go-down is still there. This building is not large enough for that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You have not seen this building yet, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Oh, here is for lease. (Tamāla Kṛṣṇa and Jayatīrtha discuss in background about leasing one of the buildings for a restaurant) [break]

(in Prabhupāda's room:)

Prabhupāda: But when they live, the tendency is there. Naturally I want to love somebody. It is not unnatural. When that love is reposed to Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect. The Māyāvādīs, they are frustrated; therefore they want to make this love into zero. They cannot understand Kṛṣṇa's love with gopīs. They think it is another edition of this material… Oh, how are you, Hayagrīva prabhu? How are you? You look better. You are looking better, brighter than when I saw you in New Vrindaban last. You have got so much talents for serving Kṛṣṇa. Everyone has got. That I am speaking. We have to utilize it. From the very beginning I met you, I instructed to edit. That was the starting of our Back to Godhead. He is good typist also. You know that? (laughter) I think he is the best of all of our men. He can type very swiftly and correctly. I think in our group Hayagrīva prabhu and Satsvarūpa Mahārāja are very good typist. And Jayādvaita I think you are also, no?

Jayādvaita: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You are good typist? (laughter) So why you have not published Bali-mardana's article?

Jayādvaita: Bali-mardana's article.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayādvaita: We were waiting. We weren't sure if it was appropriate to publish it.

Prabhupāda: He thought disappointed. He has published. He has written very nicely.

Jayādvaita: He has written nicely?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayādvaita: We can publish it?

Prabhupāda: So we should… Yes, here is the… What is that?

Brahmānanda: "Illusion and reality," two essays…

Prabhupāda: He has presented very nicely. So we should encourage our men.

Jayādvaita: Publish it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And our men, all our men should write. Otherwise how we shall know that he has understood the philosophy? Writing means śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Śravaṇam means hearing from the authority and again repeat it. This is our business, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23], about Viṣṇu, not for any politician or any other man. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, about Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. So that is success. Hear and repeat, hear and repeat. You haven't got to manufacture. Any one of us, simply if you reproduce the purport which I have given in the Bhāgavata, you become a good speaker. What I am doing? I am the same thing, writing the same thing so that modern man can understand. Otherwise we are repeating the same thing. They are repeating also same thing, sense gratification. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30]. But because that is material, they are not getting happiness. But the spiritual thing, we are chanting the same Hare Kṛṣṇa, simply repeating, but we are getting transcendental bliss. What we are doing? Same "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." So process is the same, the subject matter is different. So why you are behind publication? Now all the big men are here. Why our books are behind? Why? Here the editors are there. I don't think there is any scarcity.

Rāmeśvara: Now there is no scarcity.

Prabhupāda: Huh? You have formerly… [break]

Rāmeśvara: If we want to have the books printed very quickly, they have to be printed in America, the new books.

Prabhupāda: And the reprint there.

Rāmeśvara: Yes, we can do that.

Prabhupāda: So why not give them some book also for ordinary?

Rāmeśvara: We are giving them a lot of business this year in Japan.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. We must deal with them very nicely. They have helped in the beginning. Yes. I gave them only $5,000 start, and I gave the order for 52,000, but they supplied. They got money. They were confident that we shall not cheat them. So our relation is very nice. So utilize it. [break] …girl was, that the Japanese, they like our publication.

Rāmeśvara: Girl. Mūla-prakṛti.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Rāmeśvara: That girl that was seeing you in Hawaii, Mūla-prakṛti.

Prabhupāda: Yes. She was very enthusiastic. Mūla-prakṛti? Where is Yadubara prabhu? Where is?

Jayatīrtha: He's right here.

Prabhupāda: Oh. You are feeling now nice?

Yadubara: Yes. I'm much improved.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. So everyone feeling nice?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You are also feeling nice?

Viśākhā: Now I am all right.

Rāmeśvara: The devotees at the Press will not feel nice until all your books are published.

Prabhupāda: Hm. That's nice.

Jayatīrtha: They are working now night shifts also.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Rāmeśvara: Twenty-four hours.

Jayatīrtha: Twenty-four hours on the composers so that we can take full advantage of the machines.

Prabhupāda: And Hayagrīva prabhu, how many papers you are finishing? You can finish fifty papers at least.

Hayagrīva: I am trying. One hour a tape.

Rādhā-vallabha: Hayagrīva finished editing Volume Six of Madhya-līlā today.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Volume Six, Caitanya-caritāmṛta?

Rādhā-vallabha: Yes. Out of nine volumes, Hayagrīva has finished six of Madhya-līlā.

Prabhupāda: Altogether there will be nine volumes?

Rāmeśvara: Of Madhya-līlā.

Jayatīrtha: Madhya-līlā, all nine volumes.

Rādhā-vallabha: And four volumes Antya-līlā.

Jayatīrtha: Altogether sixteen volumes.

Prabhupāda: Where is our Gargamuni?

Bhavānanda: He is in the east. Buffalo.

Prabhupāda: Preaching?

Bhavānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So, you are with him, Sudāmā?

Sudāmā: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Preaching is going on nice?

Sudāmā: Yes.

Jayatīrtha: Hayagrīva told me that the whole Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the editing, will be finished by the end of August.

Prabhupāda: They are coming also, Nitāi…?

Jayatīrtha: Nitāi and Jagannātha are going to be coming…

Rāmeśvara: In about three days.

Jayatīrtha: By the end of July they'll be… So it is going very fast now.

Prabhupāda: Very good. Tūrṇaṁ yateta. We should try very fast before the next death comes. And death will come. So we shall prepare in such a way that before the next death comes, our, we finish our Kṛṣṇa consciousness business and go back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. This is perfection. Because if we wait for another birth, maybe we may not get. Even Bhārata Mahārāja, he also slipped. He became a deer. So we should always be vigilant that "We have got this opportunity, human form of life. Let us utilize it to the fullest extent and be fit for going back to home, back to Godhead." That is intelligence. Not that "All right, I shall get again chance next birth." That is not very good policy. Tūrṇam. Tūrṇam means very hastily finish. Tūrṇaṁ yateta anumṛtyuṁ pated yāvat. (sound of men practicing karate outside has pervaded background of entire room conversation) These people are wasting time, as if they will live forever. (chuckles) What is the use of this kar…?

Jayatīrtha: Karate.

Prabhupāda: Karate. It is very popular in Mexico.

Jayatīrtha: Everywhere.

Prabhupāda: But will that method save from death? When the death will come, will the sound "Go!" (laughter) will save them? This is foolishness. Instead of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, they are resounding some sound, thinking that the sound will save him. This is called foolishness, mūḍha. (karate men begin shouting very loudly) Piśācī pāile jane mati-cchanna haya. And if you ask them that "Why you are sounding so loudly? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," they will laugh. (chuckles)

Viṣṇujana: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what did Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura mean when he said, "I am going, my work unfinished"?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Viṣṇujana: When Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura stated that he was leaving this planet with his work unfinished.

Prabhupāda: Then let us finish. We are descendant of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. So he kept unfinished so that we shall get the chance to finish it. That is his mercy. He could have finished immediately. He is Vaiṣṇava, he is all-powerful. But he gave us chance that "You foolish people, you all also work." That is his mercy. So we should pray to Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura that "We are your grandchildren, great-grandchildren, so we have got some right to beg some mercy from you. The grandchildren get some indulgence from the grandfather. So I pray like that." It is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's mercy. A Vaiṣṇava can… Kṛṣṇa doesn't require anyone's help. Still, He is asking, "Surrender to Me." He doesn't require anyone's surrender. But it is for him good, one who surrenders. Not Kṛṣṇa is in need of anyone's service. He is complete. But He comes as if He is in helpless condition and asking for us to surrender. So that is for his good. One who is surrendered, he'll get the result. Kṛṣṇa is self-sufficient. Similarly, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is self-sufficient. But if he said that "I (am) keeping unfinished," that means he gave us the chance, the opportunity. So we should always pray to Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura to be merciful upon us so that we can execute his unfinished task. That should be our… And never we should think that "What Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura could not finish, I have finished." Don't think like that. It is not like that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, eka ki āmāra nāhi pāya. (pause) You have not given index. That I have instructed. You should now prepare index.

Jayādvaita: That is being done for all the volumes.

Prabhupāda: All the volumes must have index.

Rādhā-vallabha: All the Caitanya-caritāmṛta volumes have indexes.

Jayādvaita: Bengali index.

Prabhupāda: This is the last one.

Rāmeśvara: Bengali and Sanskrit verses, and then general index.

Prabhupāda: Is there any ekaki āmāra nāhi pāya mora? Eka ki?

Viṣṇujana: Eke eke milila prabhu saba bhakta-gaṇa.

Prabhupāda: No, no, not that. [break] …observing ekādaśī today?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So… (end)

750627AR.DEN

Arrival Address

Denver, June 27, 1975

Prabhupāda: Who sang this song? You sang. You know the meaning?

Devotee: "O venerable Vaiṣṇava, O ocean of mercy, please be merciful unto your servant. Please give me one drop of mercy. I pray for the shade of your lotus feet."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has also said, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā, nistāra pāyeche kebā. Our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for nistāra. Nistāra means to be liberated from the capture of māyā. That is called nistāra, release, release from the capture of māyā. So Vaiṣṇava… Chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā, nistāra pāyeche kebā. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, another Vaiṣṇava… As it sung by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, similarly, you know that Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he also has sung many song, approved songs. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura's songs are Vedic evidence. All Vaiṣṇavas, songs are like that, Vedic evidence. There is no mistake, cheating, imperfectness or illusion. Conditioned soul, they are manufacturing by mental concoction. That is another thing. They are full of imperfection, illusion, mistake and cheating. But when we hear songs by the Vaiṣṇava, that is for liberation.

So I am very glad to see this temple. You have purchased it? No. That's nice, very good space. And devotees are very nice. So our process is very simple, that we dedicate our life to the service of Vaiṣṇava and, according to his direction, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, hearing and chanting of Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, and refrain from the sinful activities. Then life is successful. It is not very difficult. We do not require to be very learned scholar or very rich men or to take birth in a very high family. We do not require all these things. If we are endowed with all these blessings, janma aiśvarya śruta śrī-means birth in high family or great nation, to be very opulent, rich, and very highly educated, or very beautiful-these things are very good material possessions. But if we have got them, it is all right. Even if we have not got, there is no impediment. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is without any check by any material condition. Anyone can execute this devotional service, provided he wants to do it. And especially when one is endowed with other blessings, it is just like good scent in gold. Gold is appreciated by everyone. It is valuable, but there is no good flavor. Similarly, janma aiśvarya, to… You American boys and girls, you are born of a very big nation. That is very good. You are all educated, you are beautiful, and janma aiś…, śruta śrī, four things. These things are just like gold. But if you add Kṛṣṇa consciousness along with these qualification, then gold with flavor. Gold is valuable, and if there is flavor, it is more valuable. Of course, in the material world there is no gold which has got good scent. But in the spiritual world that is possible. So with your intelligence, with your opulence, add Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then nationally, individually, collectively you will be glorified. I am very glad that you have opened this center. It is nice place. And execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very simple, not difficult, if we want to execute. But I am glad that you are doing that. Our Satsvarūpa Mahārāja is guiding you, and I thank you very much for your kind reception. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

750703AR.CHI

Arrival

Chicago, July 3, 1975

Devotee(?): Your Divine Grace, this is Royal Kennedy from NBC television.

Royal Kennedy: How do you do?

Devotee (1): She would like to ask you some questions.

Royal Kennedy: I would like to know what the occasion is. Why are you visiting Chicago?

Prabhupāda: Just now I have seen one article in the Times, four five pages article, "Crime…," and what is that?

Brahmānanda: "Why and How to Solve It."

Prabhupāda: "Why and How to Solve It."

Brahmānanda: It's the cover story of Time.

Prabhupāda: So if you are serious, you can take our method and suggestions. Then you can stop this crime.

Royal Kennedy: You have a way to stop the crime?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, I have.

Royal Kennedy: Can you explain a little bit more? How do you do it?

Prabhupāda: That we have to suggest. The social, political, educational, cultural-everything has to be changed. So if you come, we can give you in details how it can be done.

Royal Kennedy: Can you tell me how you feel about this welcome that you got?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Of course, by God's grace, wherever I go they welcome me like that.

Royal Kennedy: Are you used to anything a little bit more serene?

Prabhupāda: Serene? Of course, our whole propaganda is serene. Yes. We are distributing God consciousness. It is the most serene movement. People has to learn it very nicely.

Royal Kennedy: Thank you. [break]

Prabhupāda: …to stop the crimes of your country. My message is to stop the crimes of your country. This is my sum and substance. We have read the article in the Times, "Crime and How to Stop It." So if you take my advice, that can be stopped. [break] (in car:) …opportunity to propagate.

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Crimes and how to stop…

Brahmānanda: Why and how to stop it.

Prabhupāda: Why and how to. That is answered in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, actually. [break] …condition of the world, simply full of criminals, that's all. And our is pāpī tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. This is our movement. Crimes means pāpī, sinful. And this is the only remedy for reclaiming the sinful. Simply by law if you want to suppress them, it will not be successful. Deliver them. Then you also come, I mean to say, along with them. Not that these criminals only should be delivered, and you will go on, continue with criminal activities, slaughterhouse, and killing the child in the womb. You are criminal yourself, the whole state. So reception was very nice.

Brahmānanda: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: So we are going to the temple?

Śrī Govinda: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: [break] … New York? No. [break]

Brahmānanda: The city is bigger, but I don't think there's more people.

Prabhupāda: What is this, Dallas Braniff?

Brahmānanda: There's a…, that's advertising that this Braniff Airlines flies there to Dallas every hour on the hour.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh, Dallas is nearer?

Śrī Govinda: Two hours.

Brahmānanda: Two hours.

Prabhupāda: Two hours. [break] Oh.

Brahmānanda: What was it?

Śrī Govinda: Ninety-two.

Brahmānanda: Really? [break]

Prabhupāda: …because śāstra says, pāpī tāpī jata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. Simply by this chanting, all these things can be stopped. There is no doubt about it. They are spending so much money uselessly going to the moon planet and this planet and for stopping crime. The same amount may be spent for distribution of prasāda and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa in a mass scale. Everything will be all right. Mass scale. Simply organize nice prasādam distribution and mass joining Hare Kṛṣṇa. Just see the effect.

Brahmānanda: There is proof of it just in Berkeley where we have our Ratha-yātrā. The police say that this… Or we have our parades there, and they are all peaceful, whereas other groups, they have parades, and they always…

Prabhupāda: "Window-breaking."

Brahmānanda: Yes, violent.

Prabhupāda: "Window-breaking crowd." We are not that. [break] Let them have this O'Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Brahmānanda: Yes, O'Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Suggest the establishment manager.

Śrī Govinda: That's the name of the airport,

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Brahmānanda: He said the name of the airport is…

Prabhupāda: Oh. O'Hare? (pronouncing as in Hare Kṛṣṇa)

Brahmānanda: O'Hare. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: What is this? This is airport O'Hare?

Brahmānanda: O'Hare (pronouncing as "hair").

Prabhupāda: Hare (as "hair") it is.

Brahmānanda: O'Hare.

Prabhupāda: O'Hare.

Brahmānanda: I think that is an Irish name.

Prabhupāda: Who was he?

Brahmānanda: Who was O'Hare?

Prabhupāda: We chant O Hare.

Devotee (2): The woman whose cow knocked over the fire, started the fire, Chicago fire?

Devotee (3): That's O'Leary's cow. [break]

Prabhupāda: …crime…

Brahmānanda: "Crime, Why and How to Solve It."

Prabhupāda: So we can solve this. Why not invite them to hear us how we can solve? Arrange meetings in big, big circle. We shall give the solution. It is a good opportunity for preaching. You have got Times paper?

Brahmānanda: Yes, Time magazine, it's the cover story this month.

Śrī Govinda: Not here. In five or ten minutes.

Prabhupāda: Yes, bring. We shall take this opportunity to preach. "Crime, Why and What to Do?" We shall give all solution. We can arrange big, big meetings on this point, "Crime, Why and What to Do?" A very suitable heading it is. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12]. Unless he'll take to God consciousness, all this rascaldom, so-called advancement of civilization, all condemned, everything. All rascals. So why we will not, will there be crime? There must be. This is the result of modern civilization, crime. You cannot check it unless you take to Kṛṣṇa cons… They are all violating the laws of nature. Nature brings you from evolutionary process to the human life, and if we misuse, then we suffer. This life is specially meant for understanding God. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the only business. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā na yaś ceha karmabhiḥ. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Find out this verse.

Nitāi: First Canto, Second Chapter.

Prabhupāda: We have given all solution. Now our business is how to push it through these leaders who are now thinking, "Crime, Why and What to Do?" They are thinking. They must think. If they actually want welfare of the country, they must think. And here is the medicine. Yes?

Nitāi:

kāmasya nendriya-prītir

lābho jīveta yāvatā

jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā

nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ

[SB 1.2.10]

"Life's desires should never be aimed at gratifying the senses. One should desire to live only because human life enables one to inquire about the Absolute Truth. This should be the goal of all works."

Prabhupāda: Kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. Purport?

Nitāi: "The completely bewildered material civilization is wrongly directed towards the fulfillment of desires in sense gratification."

Prabhupāda: Simply wine, women and beach, and sporting and jumping like monkeys, this is the… We require little satisfaction of the bodily demands. That's all right. But not for this purpose. The bags have come?

Harikeśa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then that's all right. There is oil.

Harikeśa: Upendra's getting ready for your massage.

Prabhupāda: Read it.

Nitāi: "In such civilization, in all spheres of life, the ultimate end is sense gratification. In politics, social service, altruism, philanthropy and ultimately in religion or even in salvation, the very same tint of sense gratification is every-increasingly predominant. In the political field the leaders of men fight with one another to fulfill their personal sense gratification."

Prabhupāda: In India, these are all foreseen. I have already discussed all this. Then?

Nitāi: "The voters adore the so-called leaders only when they promise sense gratification. As soon as the voters are dissatisfied in their own sense gratification, they dethrone the leaders. The leaders almost always disappoint the voters by not satisfying their senses."

Prabhupāda: Then the protest meeting, procession. But nobody will be able to satisfy them because they do not know how to keep the mass of people satisfied. They do not know. Lokasya ajānataḥ vidvān cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. These rascals, they do not know. All set of rascals, the so-called philosophers, scientists. I have always said they are rascals. Now they are coming, "What to do?" They will face so many problems, "What to do?" This is the beginning. The whole world will be in chaos if they do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So many "What to do?" will come. Just tell them, "And here is the remedy." Now it is the time for preaching. They are thinking. They were sleeping. Now they are thinking, "What to do?" They were blindly following sense gratification. Now it has come to the stage, "What to do?" "What to do?" This is athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now enquire about Brahman." This is the statement. Hm, then?

Nitāi: "The same is applicable in all other fields; no one is serious about the problems of life. Even those who are on the path of salvation desire to become one with the Absolute Truth and desire to commit spiritual suicide for sense gratification."

Prabhupāda: That is also another sense gratification, to become one with the Supreme.

Nitāi: "But the Bhāgavatam says that one should not live for sense gratification. One should satisfy the senses only insofar as it is required for self-preservation…"

Prabhupāda: We don't say that "Stop altogether." No. We say, "No illicit sex." We don't say, "No sex." So we should indulge in sense gratification as far as it is required for the maintenance of the body, and balance time, we shall save for brahma-jijñāsā. This is civilization. Otherwise it is animal civilization. So that has come now. So the American people, the leaders, they are now thinking, "What to do?" And call big, big men, and give our program, "Here is to do. Come here to do." This is opportunity. Then?

Nitāi: "Because the body is made of senses, which also require a certain amount of satisfaction, there are regulative directions for satisfaction of such senses, but the senses are not meant for unrestricted enjoyment. For example, marriage…"

Prabhupāda: That is not enjoyment. Just like sex indulgence. If you indulge in more than necessary, then you will be impotent. Nature will stop. You know impotency? That will be there. Impotency. This homosex is also another sign of impotency. They do not feel sex impulse to woman. They feel sex impulse in man. That means he is impotent. It is impotency. So things are coming so rubbish now. This is the time for preaching our program, standard. Then?

Nitāi: "For example, marriage, or the combination of a man with a woman, is necessary for progeny, but it is not meant for sense enjoyment."

Prabhupāda: Now this progeny is bother. It is sense enjoyment, homosex. Progeny, they don't want. They're not interested. Only sense gratification. This is another sign of impotency. When after enjoying so many women, they become impotent, then they artificially create another sex impulse in homosex. This is the psychology. So people are degraded so much. Especially in the… Everywhere, not specially this or that. Everywhere. This is Kali-yuga. But thoughtful leaders, they are thinking, "What to do?" That's very good sign. And take advantage and give them program exactly to the direction of Bhagavad-gītā. Then the world will be saved. Otherwise it is doomed. It is a fact. This is the opportunity for preaching. You can take that paper and heading. There are so many headings. Each heading reply. We are the only persons who can give solution. There is no other group or any man in the world. We are only. So let them take advantage of our knowledge and apply in the society to the ben… That's all right. Now all the sannyāsīs have got the good opportunity to preach. So where is the key? Keep it. (end)

750711AR.PHI

Arrival

Philadelphia, July 11, 1975

Woman Reporter: …The point is that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has been what some people would consider sexist or racist because certain propensities for women and for blacks have been defined, either by the devotees or by the Vedic scriptures, I'm not sure which. And I wondered if you would comment on that.

Brahmānanda: It has been alleged that our movement is against women and against Negroes because we do not give them… What is it?

Woman Reporter: Well, not necessarily against them, but defining inferior roles for them by their natural traits.

Brahmānanda: Give inferior roles to women and to Negroes.

Prabhupāda: We give equal roles spiritually. Materially, one man is servant; one man is master. How you can avoid this? Do you think everyone will be master, nobody will be servant, materially? Materially, one is father, one is son, one is master, one is servant, one is man, one is woman. How can you stop this? But spiritually, they are all equal.

Woman Reporter: So then what is happening materially is unimportant?

Prabhupāda: Materially, there is distinction, but when you come to the spiritual platform, then, when you discern the spirit soul within everyone, that is equal. That is… Just like you are differently dressed in red shirt; I am differently… This dress, this difference, must be there. There are so many men and women. They are differently dressed. You cannot say they are all equal by the dress. But within the dress, the living entities, they are all the same. We make this distinction: material, not spiritual.

Male Reporter (2): I'd like to ask one question. The question would be: What is it that he has offered that has turned out such an emotional response today?

Brahmānanda: He wants to know what you have offered that has resulted in such a wonderful emotional response from all the people here.

Prabhupāda: Because they are being spiritually educated. We are above material platform; therefore we have no distinction that one is American, one is Indian, one is black, one is white. We have no such distinction. Everyone is servant of God. Is that all right?

Woman Reporter: I know you are very much aware of all the other gurus, especially that have been coming to the United States in the recent years, and I wondered if you could explain why it is that you believe that you have the truth rather than someone else.

Prabhupāda: Explain?

Brahmānanda: She wants to know that there are many other gurus, and why do you feel that you have the truth?

Prabhupāda: Because we speak the truth. We don't give bluff that "I am God. I am this. I am that." We don't give. We are… Actual position: God is great, and we are all servants. This is our actual position. How can I say, "I am God"? So we do not give bluff. We say the real truth; therefore it appeals. And if I say something humbug, it will not appeal. It may act for some time, but it will not endure.

Brahmānanda: Is there any other question?

Reporter (2): Your celebration is tomorrow: Of what will that celebration consist?

Prabhupāda: Celebration? It is remembering Kṛṣṇa, or Lord. He, with His brother and sister, visited Kurukṣetra, a place in India. So in memory of that visit we observe this Ratha-yātrā. [break] (in car:) …is nice there.

Kīrtanānanda: Very nice. You're looking beautiful. [break]

Prabhupāda: …delphia, and I think I came while going to New Vrindaban? No.

Kīrtanānanda: I don't think so.

Ravindra-svarūpa: That was Pittsburgh.

Prabhupāda: Pittsburgh, yes. I came Philadelphia in the beginning…

Ravindra-svarūpa: You were here in 1967, before there was a temple, '67 or '68.

Prabhupāda: No.

Ravindra-svarūpa: You spoke at Temple University. You came from New York.

Prabhupāda: Temple University, yes.

Driver: If you want any more air in the back, there's a control over there.

Prabhupāda: Where it is, Temple University?

Kīrtanānanda: It is here in Philadelphia.

Prabhupāda: And there is…? What is that?

Brahmānanda: You want more air?

Prabhupāda: Little more. That's it. Again it is closed.

Brahmānanda: You want it open?

Ravindra-svarūpa: You can turn on the air conditioner.

Prabhupāda: Oh, all right, air conditioner. Sky condition is better.

Kīrtanānanda: Too many gadgets.

Prabhupāda: So again the same question was raised. So reply was all right?

Brahmānanda: Yes. She was very nice.

Kīrtanānanda: What was the question?

Prabhupāda: That we have distinction between man and woman, black and white. Materially, there is distinction. You are differently dressed; I am differently dressed. But spiritually, there is no distinction. [break]

…sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

So a very learned scholar, brāhmaṇa, and a dog. So materially, how they can be equal? If I say, "The President Ford and a dog is on the same level," then it will be very nice? Spiritually, we are one. That is real observation. Artificially, to make man and woman equal, that may be artificially your sentiment, but actually it is not the fact. [break] …other university in Philadelphia?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes. The University of Pennsylvania.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Brahmānanda: Oh, yes. That… You also visited there in 1965.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nineteen sixty-five I came to see one professor, Dr. Norman Brown (?).

Ravindra-svarūpa: When I was at Temple, they told me that you had come. This was before I had ever heard of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But they told me that you had come the year before I was there. I went there, and then the year before, you had been there. And so I took a course with this Swami Nikilananda. And you had spoken in his class, and they told me that you asked, "So you are studying Vedānta. So what is Vedānta?" And no one knew. No one knew what Vedānta meant. And you said that "Veda means knowledge, and anta means end. So Vedānta means the end of knowledge, and that is Kṛṣṇa." They had never heard that before, even though they'd had so many hours of courses in Vedānta.

Prabhupāda: That is the difficulty, that those who are foolish people, they are taking leading part. That is the defect of modern civilization. One who has no knowledge, he is taking the part of a teacher. So a hodgepodge, must be. He is speaking something hodgepodge. Just like this, one does not know what is Vedānta, and he is reading Vedānta. It is very simple truth. Veda means knowledge, and anta means end. There must be something, ultimate, goal. But the modern process is that we go on unlimitedly, but never we come to the end. Is it not like that? What do you think?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes. It's a fact, no conclusion.

Prabhupāda: Freight(?) motorcar.

Brahmānanda: It is a graveyard, automobile graveyard.

Ravindra-svarūpa: This is the end of their knowledge. A pile of junk.

Kīrtanānanda: Building and breaking.

Prabhupāda: Yes. [break] …spent up in breaking and building. That's all.

Ravindra-svarūpa: That means that there's passion and there's ignorance, but there's no goodness.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They do not enquire why breaking and building? Why not permanent? That question does not arise, and they cannot solve it. They think this breaking and building is the nature. But we are giving information of another nature, which there is no breaking, no building-permanent. They cannot believe it, that there is such thing. What is that? [break] …carvita-carvaṇānām. That is chewing the chewed. They never question, "Why breaking and building? Why not permanent?" We are doing the same thing with our body. We are breaking. As soon as the body is old, we are breaking and accepting another body, again building. Again old, again breaking, again entering another… This is going on. But the question does not arise, "Why? I don't like this breaking and building, but why I am put into this condition?" That is intelligence. Who wants to die? No. Even a very old man-he is suffering from so many things-still, if somebody comes, "Oh, I will kill you," he says, "Oh, no, no, no! Don't kill me. I don't want to die." Why? If somebody says that "You are old man. There is no use…" Now this is coming. The Communists, they are coming to that point, "This is an old man, simply eating. He is not doing anything. So finish him." What is called? Mercy…?

Brahmānanda: Mercy killing.

Prabhupāda: Mercy killing. It will be merciful if one is killed. So this is coming. But the point is that if you have come to show me the mercy of killing, but I am not prepared to be killed. Why? You have come to show me mercy, but I am not prepared to take your mercy. Why? What is the psychology?

Kīrtanānanda: No one wants to die.

Prabhupāda: That is. So that means he is eternal. This death is artificial. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. He does not die. He is not killed. There is one verse that "If one thinks that 'I am killer,' and one thinks, 'I am killed,' both of them do not know what is life." In the Bhagavad-gītā there is a verse. So I am eternal. That's a fact. Therefore I do not wish to be killed. But I do not know how to keep myself. That I do not know. We are giving that information, how you can keep yourself eternal. This is the greatest gift to the human society. He wants to live eternally, but he does not know how to live eternally. His energy is being spoiled by this skyscraper building construction. But he is not very serious to construct his body eternal. He will not be able to live in the skyscraper building. Maybe he will be allowed to live, to live there as a rat. There are rats, so many rats. Actually, this is the fact. The person who has got very attachment for that place but he is not to live there, but on account of attachment, thinking of that place at the time of death-but he is so sinful he cannot be given the human body-then he is given the cat's or the rat's body: "Live here." Or a tree or a plant. So where is the science discussing all this? Wherefrom the tree has come? They are satisfied only that "I have now a skyscraper building," but do not know that whether he will be allowed to live here. Vairāgya-vidyā. These things are being discussed in meeting, in our meeting anywhere. But they have no brain to understand.

Kīrtanānanda: And they don't want to hear.

Prabhupāda: No. Caraṇe sarve varṇe kaye (?). A thief, if you speak to him, "My dear Mr. Thief, it is not very good work. You will be arrested. You will be punished. Why you are taking this risk?" so will he give up stealing? He knows himself, "Yes, I will be arrested and punished, but still I shall do." This is ignorance.

Kīrtanānanda: How was the Chicago festival?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Chicago is nice city. It is river?

Ravindra-svarūpa: This is called the Schuylkill River, Schuylkill.

Prabhupāda: It is a river?

Ravindra-svarūpa: Yes. [break]

Prabhupāda: …nice, constructed very nice cities.

Ravindra-svarūpa: This part of the city is a very large park. There's almost eight hundred acres of land that has been set aside. They are not allowed to construct there. It's the only place.

Prabhupāda: Just like in Hawaii. [break] …New Vrindaban, how far it is?

Kīrtanānanda: From here? About three hundred miles.

Prabhupāda: Three hundred. Not much. [break] …the husband and wife, they cannot live long together.

Kīrtanānanda: But we are developing very nice householder couples at New Vrindaban, very good families.

Prabhupāda: That is essential. Peaceful life of householders, that is required. (end)

750711A2.PHI

Arrival Lecture

Philadelphia, July 11, 1975

Prabhupāda: Where is Gurudāsa? I don't see him.

Jayatīrtha: He hasn't arrived yet from the airport.

Prabhupāda: When you have come?

Bhūgarbha: I have come about two and a half weeks ago.

Prabhupāda: So thank you very much for your kind reception. The press reporters, they were asking me that we make distinction between man, woman, and black, white. We make distinction not in that way. We say that so long you are on the material platform, artificially, however you may try to keep everyone on the equal level, it will be failure. Just like the United Nation is trying to be united nationally, internationally for the last more than thirty years, but they have not been able to do so. In the Bhagavad-gītā there is one verse,

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

Paṇḍita means spiritually advanced. A person who is spiritually advanced, he sees on equal level a very learned man, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇa, the first-class man; vidyā-vinaya-sampanne gavi, an animal like cow; hasti, animal like elephant; vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini, śuni, means dog; śva-pāka, means the dog-eater; caṇḍāla-all of them, they see equal. So what is that seeing? If I invite one learned scholar, and if I ask him, "Please sit down with the dog," will he be pleased? He will feel insulted. But I see that within the dog, there is spirit soul, and within the learned scholar, there is spirit soul. Paṇḍitāḥ sama… Sama-darśinaḥ means from different platform. On the material platform, if I say, "Oh, you may be a learned scholar, and you may think the dog is dog, but I see you are all equal," so it will be insult. So the fact is that we cannot disturb the equality, er, different position materially; at the same time, we have to understand what is the position, spiritual. That is wanted. If we make distinction between man and woman, black and white, then how in our temple we are enjoying together? Because we… Actually, we are equal on the spiritual platform. We do not say that "You are woman. You cannot become my disciple," or "You are black; therefore you cannot become my disciple" No. We welcome everyone. So they may not misunderstand. Just you can issue one statement that "We say that if you want to see everyone equally, treat everyone equally, then you have to come to the spiritual platform, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Materially, it is not possible."

So in the Bhagavad-gītā you will find different statement by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In one place He says that vidyā-vindaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini. In another place Kṛṣṇa says, strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya, varṇa-saṅkaraḥ abhibhavāte. No, strīṣu dustasu: "When woman becomes polluted, then there is unwanted population." So if in one place it is stated that paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18], man and woman is equal, or paṇḍita, or learned, dog and brāhmaṇa, in another place He says, strīṣu duṣṭāsu vārṣṇeya, so the fact is that, in order to make progress towards the end of spiritual realization, that we must make distinction, but the aim should be one. If you artificially do not make distinction, that will not stay. Just like in your country the black and white, they have got equal rights, but why they fight sometimes, racial fight? Because it is on the material platform. So our point is that you come to the spiritual platform, then this equality will be possible. If you keep yourself on the material platform, then artificially you may say, "We are equal," but at last we shall fight. This is our proposition. Therefore we request everyone that you come to the spiritual platform. Then everything will be very nice. There will be no distinction, because brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. When one is spiritually realized, then he becomes happy. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. There is no more lamentation. There is no more hankering. Just like one man is trying to become another man's position. That is hankering. So in spiritual platform there is no hankering, because he understands that spiritually we are one. So how that spiritually oneness can be made possible, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to solve all problems by this one stroke, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Practically, you can see. Here, while you are chanting, dancing, the boy is dancing, the father is dancing, the black is dancing, the white is dancing, the young is dancing, the old is dancing. You can see practically. The woman is dancing. A man is dancing. So dancing everyone. They are not artificially dancing like dog, but by spiritual ecstasy. That is the dancing platform. They are not dancing here for some monetary purpose. No. It is automatic, automatic, realizing God, in relationship with God. Even it is not realized… It is realized, but even if you say that they are not realized, but they are feeling ecstasy, that "We are all servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is wanted.

So despite artificial distinction… Just like a man's body and a female's body, woman's body, the bodily structure is different. How you can say they are equal? No. When you see the external structure of the body of man and woman, there is difference. But despite this difference, when the man and woman think in connection with Kṛṣṇa, they are equal. That is wanted. Our proposition is that artificially you do not try to make equality. That will be failure. It is already failure. Now how you can…? Just like I have seen in London, woman police. So woman police, so I was joking with her, "If I capture your hand and snatch you, what you will do? You are policeman. (laughter) You will cry simply. So what is the use of your becoming policeman?" Policeman requires bodily strength. If there is some hooligan, you can give him one slap or catch him, but what the woman will do? So we say that be practical. Artificial equality will not endure. We are equal, undoubtedly, because we are all spirit souls. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prā… [Bg. 2.13]. Asmin dehe, within this body, there is the spirit soul. That we have to understand first of all. And then, if we cultivate on that platform of spirit soul, then we shall feel equal and there will be no disturbance. Everyone will be peaceful. That is wanted. We are stressing that point, that artificially, if you say that "We are all equal," it will not act. But spiritually, when you understand equality, that will continue, and that will bring peace and happiness all over the human society.

Thank you very much. [break] If you have any question?

[break] …distinction is already there. That I explained today. But we are trying to go above the distinction. But when I say that distinction is already there, they misunderstand that I am making distinction. I am not making distinction. That already there. Why a woman is differently dressed and a man is differently dressed? Why the structure of the body, woman, is different from the man? Why there is no equal right-I was yesterday talking-that woman also become pregnant and man also become pregnant? (chuckles) That distinction is there by nature. But if you come to the spiritual platform, then you will understand that "I am not this body. These distinction are on the bodily platform. I am spirit soul. My function is how to serve God." Then it is equality. It is clear thing. But because they do not understand that there is distinction between spirit and matter-they amalgamate or they have no brain that spirit is different from matter-therefore they think that I am making distinction. No. So we should understand the real position, and then automatically there will be equality, there will be no misunderstanding. Yes?

Devotee: What is the best way to deal with skepticism?

Prabhupāda: Skepticism, rascalism. (laughter) We are not going to deal with rascalism. We are going to deal with sense. Skepticism means they do not believe in anything. Everything is false. They are so disappointed, they think everything is false. We are not going to deal with such men. What is the use? Is not that skepticism? What is that skepticism?

Devotee: Disappointment.

Prabhupāda: That's all. So why one should be disappointed? We say that "You come to the spiritual platform. You will be happy." We want to deliver him from the platform of disappointment. Sometimes one, being very disappointed, he commits suicide. But will anybody recommend that, that "You are so disappointed. Now you commit suicide"? Nobody will do so. So similarly, the skepticism is disappointed. We say, "Why you are disappointed? You come to the spiritual platform, and you will be happy." That is our version. So we are not going to accept his philosophy, skepticism, but we want to deliver him from this fallen condition. That is our mission. He is in false conception, that disappointment. Why? Our Vedic literature says, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The living entity, the spirit soul, is by nature happy. There is no question of disappointment. You see Kṛṣṇa's picture anywhere, how they are happy. The gopīs are happy, the cowherd boys are happy, Kṛṣṇa is happy. Simply happiness. Where is disappointment? So you come to that platform. Then you will be also happy. You come to Kṛṣṇa. Dance with Kṛṣṇa. Eat with Kṛṣṇa. And that is information we are giving. Where is the question of disappointment? Come with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa therefore comes personally to show how He is happy in Vṛndāvana, and He is inviting, "Come to Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You just come to Me. I shall give you all pleasure." But we are not going. So that is not Kṛṣṇa's fault or Kṛṣṇa's servant's fault. One who will not come to that platform, that is his fault. We are canvassing everywhere that "Come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy. And see whether you are not…" Otherwise, if they are not happy, how the man, woman, the boy, the child, the father, the mother, the black and white, everyone is dancing. Why? This is the platform of happiness. So we are inviting, "Come to this platform. Why you should remain disappointed?" That is our mission. It is equally good for the skeptics, for the atheist, for the agnostic, for the theist, for everyone. Is that all right?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Devotee: Thank you.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. So? (end)

750715AR.SF

Arrival Lecture

San Francisco, July 15, 1975

Prabhupāda: …that one who has got unflinching faith in God and similar faith in guru, yasya deve… (aside:) What is that sound? It cannot be stopped? Deve means Bhagavān. Devāya tasmai namaḥ.

yam brahmā varuṇendra-rudra… stunvanti divyaiḥ stavair

vedaiḥ saṅga-pada-krama upaniṣadair gāyanti yaṁ sāma-gāḥ

dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ

…devaya tasmai namaḥ

[SB 12.13.1]

So deva means the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is praised by the Vedic mantra. Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and all the demigods, they are offering their prayers. The Sāma Veda is singing in glorification of the Supreme Lord. The yogis, they are always seeing the Supreme Lord within the heart, core of heart. So that is deva. Devāya tasmai namaḥ. So yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau [ŚU 6.23]. Anyone who has got unflinching faith in God… God means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. So anyone who has got unflinching faith in God and similar faith in guru, then the Vedic purpose becomes revealed to him. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau, tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ. The Vedic mantras and their artha becomes revealed. This is the process.

So these students, European, American students, they are offering respect to their spiritual master. Outsiders may think that the spiritual master is very puffed up, and he is sitting and taking respect from the disciple. But the fact is that they are to be taught like that, how to offer respect to the spiritual master. This is our Vedic process. Any sect or Vedic sect, the principle is ādau gurv-āśrayam: "The first principle is to accept guru." Unless there is guru, how it can be executed-yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau [ŚU 6.23]? This is Vedic injunction. Other Vedic injunctions are like, the same. Kaṭha Upaniṣad says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] "If you want to learn that transcendental science, then your first business is to go to a guru." Guru… As God is one, guru is also one. There cannot be different gurus. Nowadays it has become a fashion that "I have got my own guru. You have got your own guru." No. Guru means the representative of God. As God is one, similarly, guru is also one. There cannot be different gurus. Because God is one, how there can be different gurus? The principle of guru is one. (child crying) (aside:) Stop. The original guru is Kṛṣṇa. Yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra-rudra stunvanti divyaiḥ stavaiḥ. Original guru, unto whom Brahmā, yaṁ brahmā varuṇa indra, all the demigods, offering their prayers. Within this universe Brahmā is considered to be the foremost living being, but is he also offering respect to Kṛṣṇa. Śiva-viriñci-nutam [SB 11.5.33]. Lord Śiva is also offering respect to Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vedic process.

So Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes to teach these fallen souls. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg. 4.7]. As guru's business is to protect the subordinate disciples from falldown… Just like I am traveling all over the world twice, thrice, in a year. My duty is to see that my disciples who have accepted me guru, they may not fall down. That is my anxiety. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa, being the original guru, He is also very anxious that "My sons…" We are all sons of Kṛṣṇa, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7].

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ

tāsāṁ mahad-yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

Kṛṣṇa is not Indian or Hindu. Kṛṣṇa is everything. Everyone is Kṛṣṇa's sons, in any form. Sarva-yoniṣu. Yoni means species. There are 8,400,000 species. So all of them are living entities, and they are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is very much anxious to see His sons become very happy, just like father wants to see his son very happy. So Kṛṣṇa has admitted that He is bīja-pradaḥ pitā, He is the supreme father. I think in Christianity also God is accepted as supreme father. So actually that is the fact. God is the supreme father. So as the father wants to see his sons very happy, similarly, Kṛṣṇa wants to see all of us very happy. That is Kṛṣṇa. But we are persistently avoiding Kṛṣṇa and suffering. This is our business. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said,

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glanir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya

tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

[Bg. 4.7]

This… Just coming here from Philadelphia we were talking with the aeroplane crews, the captain, the pilot. They (were) very patiently hearing us. The question was very intelligent, question pilot made, that "If everything is created by God…" Yes. That is a fact. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The Vedānta-sūtra says everything is emanated from God. Without a thing being present in God, there cannot be any existence of anything. That's a fact. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. So his question was, "Then what is this evil?" The evil is also God's creation. So I explained like this, that for God there is no good or evil; everything is good. So I gave him this example that good, or piety, that is God's frontage, and evil means God's back side. So taking this example, the chest or the back of my body, they are equal. It is not that when there is some pain on the back side I don't care for it; I simply take care of when there is pain in the chest. No. Although it is back side, it is as important as the front side. Then evil and good is also of the same importance? No. Evil… That I gave the example, that for God there is nothing evil. I gave another example. Just like the sun, there is no darkness. Anywhere of sun's body, there is no darkness. But for us there is light and darkness. Just like if you keep the sun back side, you will find darkness, a very long darkness, your shadow. And if you keep yourself in front, sun, there is no darkness. So it is my business; I create darkness. As soon as I change my position-instead of remaining in front of God, I keep God back side-then there is darkness. Otherwise there is no question of darkness. But in the sun as it is, there is no such darkness. Therefore God is all good. And for us, when we forget God, that is evil. And when we are in God consciousness always, everything good. Is that example all right?

Devotees: Jaya!

Bahulāśva: Perfect.

Prabhupāda: So God is all good. There is no good or evil. Apāpa-viddham. In the Īśopaniṣad you will find description, apāpa-viddham. Whatever God does, that is all good. But if we imitate God, then it is evil. That is the disease of material disease. Their other question was-the pilot was very intelligent man-that "How one can become peaceful?" So I gave him the reply from Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

[Bg. 5.29]

(aside:) Your name is Śānti dāsa?

Śānti: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So three things, if we understand, that everything belongs to God… Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. He is the proprietor. And then, because He is the proprietor, therefore He is the enjoyer. Just like in a big establishment or a big family, who will be the enjoyer? The proprietor. So that is natural. If God is proprietor, then God is the supreme enjoyer. That is stated, that,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

[Bg. 5.29]

If you learn these three things, that God is the proprietor, God is the enjoyer, and He is the real friend… Actually, He is the real friend. And our godlessness means we are claiming that we are proprietor: "This is my land. I am American. American is mine," or "India is mine." Or anything, say. Actually, the proprietor is God, but we are falsely claiming that "It is my property" or "our property." Therefore there is no śānti. Try to understand. Actually, God is proprietor, but we, out of our foolishness, we are claiming "our property" or "my property." Therefore there is no śānti. Similarly, God is the supreme enjoyer of everything. Yajña-tapasām. By performing yajña, by executing tapasya, one is elevated, gets some profit, material body, material profit. If you perform yajña, then you can go to the heavenly planet. Similarly, if you perform austerity, then you can be promoted to spiritual life. So… But what you will do by spiritual life? "By spiritual life" means if you become servant of God, then you will live and you will have peace. But if you want to become yourself God or master, then you will feel inconvenience, because that is not the fact. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheś…, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 5.29]. And God is the friend of everyone. Why not? He claims that "Everyone, every living entity-never mind in which form he is existing-he is My son." So is not the father the best friend of the son? But no. We are claiming, "I shall become your friend. I shall become your leader. I shall lead you to prosperity." No. That is false. The political leaders or the so-called religious leaders or other many leaders there are. They are taking the position of God, that "I shall become your friend. I shall lead you so that you will become happy." That is wrong. You cannot become friend. To how many people or how many men you can become friend? One, two, three, four, five, thousand, ten thousand, million? But there are unlimited, asāṅkhyā. Jīva bhāva sa…, asāṅkhyā. You cannot count how many. Suppose you can become friend of your children at home or your friend's wife, sons and others. But how you can become friends the elephant in the African jungle? You cannot become. But you will see. There are hundreds and thousands of elephants in the jungle of Africa. They are eating, sleeping, very nicely. Who is supplying their necessities? God is supplying. You will find in your room in a hole that thousands of ants are coming out. Are you giving them food? Who is supplying food?

So therefore God is actually the friend of everybody. That is a fact. But we rascals, we are claiming, "I shall be your friend. I shall be your leader." Therefore the leader, so-called leader, is not in peace. How it can be? All leaders are trying to keep his position some way or other, and that is very difficult job, no peace. That is not possible. You know. Your president, Mr. Nixon, wanted to keep himself in the position. How much restless he was. These are to be studied, that don't claim yourself as friend of somebody or the people or the nation. No. Teach them that "God is your friend. I am God's servant. I am bringing this message to you. And I can teach you how God can become your friend and you derive friendship result from God." That is guru. A guru does not say, "I am God." That is not guru. Guru will never say. The Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's prayer says,

sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair

uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ

kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya… **

A guru is worshiped… Just like my disciples. They are offering respect exactly like God. That is their duty. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ: "All the śāstra recommends that guru should be respected as good as God." But that does not mean guru is foolishly thinking, "I am God." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **. Uktaḥ means "said," "it is recommended." Tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ: "Those who are exalted, advanced, they accept this truth, that guru should be respected as good as God." But why he is respected as such? Because kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya: "Because he is very, very dear to God." The guru will never think that "My disciples are worshiping me exactly like God; therefore I have become God." He is not guru, he is rascal. Guru is always in the position of servant. And because he is the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, therefore he is to be respected as good as Kṛṣṇa. Because in our present position we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa sends His representative; therefore he is respected as Kṛṣṇa. Now, how one can become guru and representative of Kṛṣṇa? Everyone will say, "I am a representative of Kṛṣṇa. I am guru." No. That is enunciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] "You just become guru on My order." So guru means who is carrying out the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, not a self-made guru. Guru means the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa or Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same thing. He is guru.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is ordering everyone, especially those who are born in India. He says especially,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

Anyone who has taken birth in India, Bhāratavarṣa-bhumi… Formerly, Bhāratavarṣa means the whole planet. Now it has come, India. Never mind. So "Anyone who has taken birth in India, Bhāratavarṣa, let him make his life successful," and kara para-upakāra, "and go outside India and do good to others." Para-upakāra. This is India's business. India's business is to distribute the spiritual knowledge all over the world because they are in darkness. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra, janma sārthaka kari: [Cc. Ādi 9.41] "First of all you become successful." Because in India you will find Vedas, Upaniṣads, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, and Vedānta-sūtra, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, so many other things, all Vedic literature. So if Indians, those who are actually prestigious… They should learn from guru all these literatures, make his life successful. Then go outside and preach. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's. Then if anyone says that "I have no knowledge. I have no education. How I can learn all these books and become, make my life perfect, and then I preach?" so Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that you haven't got to learn so many books. He says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] "You just become guru on My order." "Then what is your order, Sir?" Yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. This is guru. You haven't got to learn very much. You simply repeat like parrot what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. Is it very difficult? Kṛṣṇa has said everything in the Bhagavad-gītā. You learn Bhagavad-gītā, and you repeat that. You become guru. This is guru.

So sometimes people give me very much credit that I have done wonderful throughout the whole world. But I do not know that I am wonderful man. But I know one thing, that I am speaking what Kṛṣṇa has spoken. That's all. I am not making any addition, alteration. Therefore I am presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. This credit I can take, that I don't making any nonsense addition or alteration. And I see practically it has become successful. I have not bribed so many Europeans and Americans. I am poor Indian. I came to America with forty rupees with me, and now I possess forty crores. So there is no magic. (quietly to one devotee:) (aside:) You can go back side. You are sleeping. So this is the secret, that if you want to become guru honestly… If you want to cheat, that is another thing. There are so many cheaters. People also want to be cheated. As soon as we say that "If you want to become my disciple, you will have to give up four things: no illicit sex, no intoxication up to drinking tea and smoking cigarette, no meat-eating and no gambling," and they criticize me, "Swamijī is very conservative." And if I say that "You can do all nonsense, whatever you like. You simply take this mantra and give me $125," they will like. Because in America, $125 is nothing. Any man can pay immediately. So I would have collected millions of dollars if I would have cheated like that. But I do not want that. I want one student who follows my instruction. I don't want millions. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara-sahasrasaḥ. If there is one moon in the sky, that is sufficient for illumination. There is no need of millions of stars. So my position is that I want to see that at least one disciple has become pure devotee. Of course, I have got many sincere and pure devotees. That is my good luck. But I would have been satisfied if I could find out one only. There is no need of so-called millions of stars.

So therefore the process is there, and it is very simple, and if we understand the all instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā and then we study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam… Or even if you don't study, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given very simple method. That is also recommended in the śāstra:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

If we want to study Vedic literature, that is very good. That is sound footing. So we have already got fifty books. You study. Become very great scholar in philosophy, in religion, is sociology. Everything is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, politics also. And you become perfect man, with full knowledge. And if you think that you have no time, you are not so good scholar, you cannot read all these books, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Either way you will become perfect, either both or at least one. If you cannot read books, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You will (become) perfect. And if you read books and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, that is very good. But there is no loss. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra but you cannot read books, there is no harm. There is no loss. That chanting is sufficient. But if you read, then you will be able to defend yourself from the opposing parties. That will help you preaching work. Because in the preaching work you have to answer so many question, you have to meet so many opposing elements, so if you are strong in your position by reading books, Vedic literature, then you become very, very favorite to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says,

na ca tasmāt manuṣyeṣu

kaścit me priya-kṛttamaḥ

ya imaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ

mad-bhakteṣu abhidhāsyati

Anyone who preaches this confidential knowledge, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], if he is ably fit to preach this message to the world, then immediately he becomes very, very much recognized by the Supreme Lord. Na ca tasmāt manuṣyeṣu kaścit me priya-kṛttamaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says.

So I am especially requesting those who are Indians and those who have now learned Bhagavad-gītā, they should preach this message all over the world. There is good potency. That already we have tested. But don't make adulteration. Then it will be spoiled. You speak Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and it will be effective. Why it will not be effective? Because the Lord's word and the Lord Himself absolute. There is no difference.

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ

pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto

abhinnatvāt nāma-nāminoḥ

Abhinnatvāt. The Lord's name and the Lord, they are not different-absolute. That is Lord's potency, acintya-śakti. He can present Himself by His name, by His fame, by His form, by His qualities, by His paraphernalia. Anything in connection with Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. Anything. That is absolute. Kṛṣṇa is never different from His name. Kṛṣṇa is never different from His form. We are worshiping the form of the Lord. That is Lord Himself. Don't think it is different from Lord. No. We are not wasting time by worshiping some statue. No. It is therefore forbidden in the śāstra, arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīḥ guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhir. These are forbidden. So we are, of course, opening so many branches all over the world, and I am very pleased to see this branch. There is wonderful prospective. Utilize it properly and stick to the principle that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. The ājñā, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and ājñā, our Kṛṣṇa, not different. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, and when He appeared as Kṛṣṇa, people misunderstood Him; therefore He has come as a devotee to teach us how to love Kṛṣṇa. So therefore, if we go through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, chanting

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]

and then we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, so rest assured the full perfection is awaiting you.

Thank you very much. (end)

750811AR.PAR

Arrival Address

Paris, August 11, 1975

(devotee translates into French throughout)

Prabhupāda: (leads chanting of Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava.) So I am very much pleased to come to this village of France. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prediction that pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma…. Grāma means village. Sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma. Everywhere the glories of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be spread. So by His grace, we are doing that in America, in Europe, Africa, Australia. Village to village, town to town we are preaching the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So why we are preaching? What is the necessity of preaching? The necessity is to make them happy. If we follow the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, then our life will be successful and we will be happy. And the process is very simple: chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no very hard and fast rule for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In any position, in any place, in any circumstance, you can very easily chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Even small children, they also take part, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance with the elderly father and mother. So there is very good potency if we simply chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The potency is, the first benefit is, that our dirty heart becomes cleansed. We have accumulated many dirty things within the heart on account of bad association. The first dirty thing is to accept this body as self. This conception, bodily concept of life, is existing amongst the animals. It is existing amongst the animals that "I am this body." So actually, I am not this body, I am spirit soul. I am embodied within this body, material body. This is the fact. If we simply become aware of this fact that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul. I am living within this body," then immediately we become liberated from this material world simply by this understanding. And this can be understood by any sane man without any study of philosophy, simply by common sense. The simple philosophy is that the child is now possessing a small body, then he will possess a big body, then another big body. In this way the child is there, the body is changing, that's a fact. And the body changes so long the soul is there. Therefore, the conclusion should be the body and the soul, they are different. It is very simple truth, but because we have accumulated so much garbage dirty things within our heart, we cannot understand even this simple thing. We are advancing education in civilization and so many big, big words, but we are so dull that we cannot understand this simple thing. And to understand this simple thing is the beginning of life. Otherwise, without understanding this simple thing, to exist is just like the cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they have no such thing as nationalism, this ism, that ism. They simply eat, sleep, have sex, and defend.

So this understanding is the first understanding for spiritual life, that "I am not this body." That is the beginning of spiritual life. And when we nicely understand this fact, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ, or self-realization stage. So what is the difference between self-realized stage and doggish stage means bodily concept of life. The difference is that as soon as you become self-realized, you become jolly. This self-realization is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

This self-realization means as soon as we understand that you or I am not this body, I am spirit soul, then immediately we become jolly. And what is jolliness? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. A jolly person never lament nor desire. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has no want and he has no loss. Material life means always want and always loss. And spiritual life means no loss, no desire, no hankering. So one can distinguish his spiritual life and material life by simple formula. This simple formula: material life means always in want and always in lamentation. And spiritual life means no hankering and no lamentation. When one is fixed up in spiritual life, it is said guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate [Bg. 6.20-23]. When there is very, very acute reverse condition of life, one is not disturbed. That is spiritual life. And samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, at that stage only there is possibility of so-called unity, fraternity, friendship. Your France, you have got slogan, what is that? Fraternity, friend… No eternity. Equality, fraternity, and what other thing?

Devotees: Liberty.

Prabhupāda: Yes, go on. So France is very cultured country historically, but where is fraternity? The history will read there was seven years war with England, hundred years war with England. Then Napoleon, he conquered, so all the parts, where is fraternity, eternity? Last time when I came in your country in Paris, somebody showed me one church, that from that church there was ringing of the bell, and immediately people would come and kill the Protestants or something like that. Is it not a fact?

So anyway, on the material platform, there is no possibility of equality, fraternity, or nothing. It is not possible. Unless you come to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54], there is no question of equality, fraternity. So in the United Nation, they are trying for that unity, united nation, but where is unity? Every year there is a new flag. There is no question of fraternity or equality. Just like in animal life, there is no question of fraternity or equality. Similarly, if we keep ourself in the bodily concept of life, that is animal life. So long we keep ourself as :I am French man," "I am German man," "I am English man," "I am Indian man," or so many there are nationalities, there cannot be any fraternity, equality. We have come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or brahma-bhūtaḥ, then there will be fraternity, equality. And factually you can see in this movement all classes of men, all nationality, all religion, all color, they are coming together and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and dancing. This is wanted. So don't be misled by the leaders of so-called eternity and fraternity. It is not possible. That are called andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās [SB 7.5.31], just like a blind man is trying to lead other blind men. So come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this fraternity and equality, also eternity. Eternity means that we living entities, we are eternal, we never die or never take birth. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Now we have got French edition of Bhagavad-gītā, you will find there. Have you got that book here? No. You will find in that book, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. You will find this verse that we living entities, we have no birth and no death. Na jāyate. You can read that verse in French. In the Second Chapter you will find. (devotee reads Sanskrit verse and translation in French) Purport is there? Go on. (laughter) Do serious, don't laugh. (devotee reads purport in French)

So if we simply understand one verse. There are seven thousand verse? No. Seven hundred, yes. Seven hundred verses. If we simply understand one verse only, as we have explained, then immediately we become brahma-bhūtaḥ, liberated. And that is the perfection of human form of life. A dog cannot understand. If I say to the dog that "You are not this body, you are spirit soul, you are eternal," he has no power to understand. And a human being can understand. He has got the capacity. So we are trying to educate all people, all nations of the world to understand this one verse, that's all. Na jāyate vā mriyate vā kadācit. If he simply understands this one verse, he immediately becomes liberated. And actually, human life is meant for understanding this philosophy or this truth. Then his life is successful. And as soon as we understand that we are eternal, we are not mortal, then naturally our inquiry will be, "Where we can live eternally?" That will be the inquiry. In the material world as you are forced to take birth and death, so similarly in the spiritual world, the first advantage is there is no birth and death, just the opposite. So our process is to train people how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the only education required in this human life.

So now by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this movement has come to your country, and especially in a nice village like this, utilize it properly. It is a very ideal place. Not only this, there are many thousands of places like this. People should take advantage to live in such nice place, produce their necessities of life, and keep them fit and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and realize self. We don't say that you starve or become weak in health or weak in intelligence. No. You remain quite fit in intelligence and health, but don't be unnecessarily in need. The difficulty of the modern educated person is… Not educated, but so-called educated, they are attracted in the city for so many things unnecessary. Just like the club, the restaurant, the liquor and the cigarette, so many things. But if your attention is diverted to Kṛṣṇa, you will not feel inclined to enjoy all these unnecessary things. That is the test of spiritual life, that bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt [SB 11.2.42]. Bhakti, advancement of devotional life, means no more taste for all these nonsense. That is the test.

So you will see practically these boys and girls, they are young men, young girls, they have got so many desires, but they have given up, and they are able to continue like that because they are making progress in spiritual life. So read our books, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, live very simple life, produce your own necessities. Don't go to the town. Of course, for selling books we can go. (laughter) Our policy is not that to decry material advancement of civilization, but our instruction is that do not forget your real business, self-realization. Unfortunately, material attraction is so strong that it makes us forgetting our spiritual necessities of life. So this human form of life is given by nature for fulfilling our spiritual necessities. But if we neglect, then… Read this verse from Bhagavad-gītā. Who will read? Where he has gone, Yogeśvara? Yes, read that. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. Find out this verse and read it. Eighth Chapter, I think. (Yogeśvara reads Bg. 8.6 in French)

So in the Western countries, they are very much fond of keeping best friend, the dog. So at the time of death if you think of your favorite dog, then in next life you become dog. But you cannot surpass the nature's law. This is the nature's law. So one gentleman, what is his name? Fisher? In Detroit, he had two dogs, and he buried them in silver casket. He was very rich man and his house is very big palace. But at the time of death, if he was thinking of this dog, and if he becomes dog next, then what is the value of this material advancement? Therefore, intelligent man shall always think of Kṛṣṇa so that at the time of…, if he is able to think of Kṛṣṇa, his life is successful. So instead of loving dog if you love God, Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. I think this one. Thank you very much. (end)

751001AR.MAU

Arrival Address

Mauritius, October 1, 1975

Prabhupāda: …jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is little different from… Why little? Completely different from ordinary movement. This is spiritual movement. This movement begins when one understands that he is not this body. [break] We are under the bodily concept of life. Ninety-nine percent people think that one is this material body. But that is not the fact. The fact is that within this body there is the spirit soul. The example is given in the Bhagavad-gītā that because the spirit soul is there within the body, therefore the body is changing from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youthhood, then middle-aged, then old man. This body is changing. But if the child is born dead-that means without the soul-then the body does not change. We have got practical experience. A dead child, if you keep the body in a preservative way, it will not grow. So long the soul is there, the bodily changes are there. From the womb of the mother, the embryo, the child, grows daily. Why? Because the soul is there. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to understand this fact first of all, that body is superficial. Just like you are dressed with your shirt and coat. The shirt and coat is not important, but the person who is putting on the shirt and coat, he is important. Unfortunately, modern education is giving stress on the outward, external body or to the dress and not to… They do not understand who is the person who is dressed or who has got this body. This is the first lesson of spiritual understanding. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find, this is the first instruction:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

The whole world is under the bodily concept of life, even big, big nations. Just like your prime minister has gone to the United Nations. There are many big, big men in the United Nations. They will speak, and they are speaking for the last thirty years. The United Nations is formed, but they could not find any solution of the problems of life because the basic principle they are losing; they do not know. Every one of them is thinking on the bodily platform: "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am German," and "I am Englishman," like that. Therefore there is no solution because the basic principle is wrong. Unless we understand what is the wrong on the active principle of the body, the problems cannot be solved, just like if you cannot diagnose the disease, simply by symptomatic treatment you cannot make the man healthy. That is not possible.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not on the bodily concept of life. It is the movement on the basic principle of the soul-what is the soul, what is the soul's necessity, how the soul will be peaceful, happy. Then everything will be all right. The same example, that if you are healthy, it doesn't matter what kind of dress you are putting on; you will feel happy. But if you are diseased and if your dress is very nice, that will not give you any happiness. Because you have got a very nice dress and you are diseased, suffering from some pains, the dress will not give you happiness. You must be healthy. Then it doesn't matter, whatever dress you are putting on. Any circumstances, you will feel happiness. This is the basic principle of our movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You try to understand whether you are this body or something beyond this body. This is to be understood. Anyone who is thoughtful, he can understand by little thinking that if you study your body, you will never say that "I body." You will say, "My body." You study your finger; you will say, "It is my finger." You will never say, "I finger." "My head, my hand." Then who is that "my" or "I"? That is the subject matter of thinking. If we do not find out what is that "I…" On the basis of "I," I am thinking "I am my body, my head, my leg." But it is a fact. If you think little, you will find that you are not this body. You are different from this body. And as soon as we understand that "I am different from this body," then the business will be "How I shall be happy?" not "How my dress will be nice?"

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement. We are inviting all intelligent persons, the leaders of the society, to understand the basic principle of this movement. And if the leaders of the society lead the people in the proper channel on the basic principle of spiritual life, then everything will be solved. Everyone will be happy. These instructions are there in the Bhagavad-gītā very elaborately. Simply we have to follow the instruction. It is not at all difficult. Then all the questions-social problem, political problem, economical problem, religious problem-everything will be nicely solved. We are presenting, therefore, Bhagavad-gītā as it is. And you take any question and the answer is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, very nicely given. Just like, say, our first problem is economic problem. So Bhagavad-gītā says, "Yes. Economic problem will be solved very easily if you produce food grains." Annād bhavanti bhūtāni [Bg. 3.14]. You produce food grain. Just like in your country I see there is enough land. If you people produce your food grain, within three months you can get all the necessities of life for the whole year. And the balance time you can save, nine months. And these nine months you can utilize for advancing in spiritual life, because your life or my life, this human form of life, it is distinct from the cats' and dogs' life. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand what is the basic principle of life. But a human being can understand. If he takes little care, he can understand that his problem of life is due to misunderstanding, accepting this body as self. This is the problem.

So we shall advise according to Bhagavad-gītā that "Make your life very simple, plain living, but the thinking should be very high." Plain living and high thinking. So thinking is that "I am the soul. I am not this body. I am eternal. I am changing only body. And due to change of body I am suffering." For this reason, the śāstra says,

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ

yat tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicit

janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

[SB 10.84.13]

If anyone is living on the bodily concept of life, ātma-buddhiḥ tri-dhātuke… Yasyātma-buddhiḥ śarīre, tri-dhātu, kuṇape tri-dhātuke. This body is a bag. Actually it is a bag. So long the soul is there, it is useful. As soon as the soul is not there, it is nothing but a bag of skin and bones. That's all. Everyone knows it. It is thrown away. It has no value. So actually it is a material bag made of this blood, skin, nails, bones, urine, stool. This is the ingredient of this body. If you think that this body is self, then you can create with this ingredient another soul. If you analyze this body, what is the ingredient? You will some blood, some veins, some bones, some skin, and some urine, some stool and some secretion. So they are available. So why don't you take all these ingredients and create another soul? They are available anywhere. But that is not possible. The big, big chemist, big, big scientists, they are trying to create living entities. Their theory is: "By chemical evolution there is living symptoms." But it is not possible. The soul is different from these material elements. Soul is different from the material elements. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find the… First of all, material elements, they have been described, Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, bhinnā me prakṛti aṣṭadhā [Bg. 7.4]. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jaga…. Jīva-bhūta [Bg. 7.5], the living entity, is completely different from this matter.

So unless we understand this philosophy… It is not philosophy. Philosophy you can call, because the philosophy means the science of sciences. Philosophy is not a mental speculation. Philosophy is the prime science from which all other sciences are derived. That is philosophy. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to educate people on this science of sciences to understand first of all that "What you are? Are you this body or different from this body?" This is essential. And if you go on constructing your big building on a defective foundation, then it will not stay. There will be danger. So modern civilization is based on this defective idea that "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian"-these are all bodily concept of life. "Because I have got this body from a Christian father and mother, therefore I am a Christian." But I am not this body. "Because I have got this body from a Hindu father and mother, therefore I am Hindu." But I am not this body. So for spiritual understanding, this is the basic principle to understand, that "I am not this body; I am soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is the Vedic instruction: "Try to understand that you are spirit soul; you are not this body." The yoga system is practiced just to understand this. Yoga indriya saṁyamaḥ. By controlling the senses, especially the mind… Mind is the master or the chief of the senses. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. We are undergoing a struggle for existence with this mind and the senses under the false conception of identifying this body as self. So if we concentrate our mind by controlling the senses, then we can gradually understand. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ [SB 12.13.1]. The yogis, they meditate upon the Supreme Person, Viṣṇu, and by that process they realize the self. Self-realization is the prime object of human life. So the beginning of self-realization is to understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi.

So these things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. If we simply read Bhagavad-gītā carefully, under proper guidance, then everything will be clear, without any difficulty, that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul. My business is different than this bodily concept of life. I shall never be happy taking, accepting this body as self. That is a wrong foundation of knowledge." In this way, if we make progress, then we shall understand, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul." Then wherefrom I have come? Everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, that the spirit soul, Kṛṣṇa says, the Lord says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: [Bg. 15.7] "These living entities, they are My part and parcel, fragment, or minute sparks." As the big fire and the small fire, both of them are fire, but big fire and small fire… So far the fire quality is concerned, God and we are the same. So we can understand, we can study God by studying ourselves. That is another meditation. But it will be perfect when we understand that "Although qualitatively I am a sample of God or the same quality, but still, He is the great, I am the small." That is perfect understanding. Anu, vibhu; Brahman, Parabrahman; īśvara, parameśvara-this is perfect understanding. Because I am qualitatively one, it does not mean that I am the Supreme. In the Vedas it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). We are nitya, eternal; God is also eternal. We are living being; God is also a living being. But He is the chief living being; He is the chief eternal. We are also eternal, but we are not chief. Why? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Just like we require a leader, similarly, He is the supreme leader. He is maintainer. He is providence. He is providing everyone's necessities. We can see that there are elephants in Africa. Who is providing them food? There are millions of ants within the hole of your room. Who is feeding them? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kaman. So in this way, if we realize ourself, that is self-realization.

And then the next question will be, "Then what is our function?" When we understand our relationship with God, that is called sambandha. And if the sambandha, if the relationship is established, understood properly… Just like in Christian religion they go to the church. Or every religion, generally, people go to temple, church, mosque, to pray, to offer prayer to the Supreme, and generally we ask for our necessities of life because eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: He is supplying the necessities. But in higher standard, He is already supplying the necessities, but then why shall I bother Him for supplying the necessities? He is already supplying without asking. The ants and the elephants, they do not go to the church for asking God, "Oh, give us our daily bread," but still, they are getting. Then the next question is that "What is our duty?" Our duty is to feel obliged to God and try to serve Him. That is our duty. Just like a child, when he is unable to move or to work, the parents, the father, supplies everything. But when the child is grown up, if he thinks as a young man that "Father has given us so much service. Now we shall give service," oh, that is perfection. That is wanted. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. At the present moment we are taking so much supplies from God, but we are not eager to serve Him. This is our position. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He is supplying us everything. We require light; there is the sunlight. We require water; there are oceans of water. Who has created this? We require these things, and God has created. He has given us enough. Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate [Īśopaniṣad, Invocation]. Everything is complete. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Everything is completely arranged by the Supreme Lord. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. So we should be cognizant how we are benefited by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and what is our duty. Our duty is to serve God. That is our duty. Hṛṣīkeṇa-hṛṣīkeśa sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. We are taking so much service, already taken. Now, when we are grown up as human being, then we should serve God. This is the instruction we get from Bhagavad-gītā, how Arjuna in the beginning was declining to serve Kṛṣṇa on consideration of his bodily attachment, but at the end he decided, "No, it is my duty to serve Kṛṣṇa, not to serve my senses." And that is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. Similarly, when we actually become self-realized and agree to serve the Supreme Lord… The another point is that Lord is perfect. He doesn't require our service, but if we are engaged in His service, that is our healthy condition. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. Now I am asking this finger, "Keep like this. Move like this." This is healthy condition of the finger. But if I want to take service from the finger in some way but if the finger cannot serve me, this means unhealthy condition. Similarly, when we do not serve God, that is our unhealthy condition. That is material condition. Therefore… There was a big meeting in Naimiṣāraṇya. All the great learned sages and brāhmaṇas were present, and the resolution was passed,

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

[SB 1.2.13]

This is perfection of life. If you want perfection of life, then try to satisfy God, Kṛṣṇa. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13].

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching this conclusion of the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that if you want perfection of life, then try to satisfy the Supreme Lord. This is the conclusion. So about this, you can make some question if you like. If there is any question, you can ask. Let them ask.

Cyavana: Someone must have a question. Everything is clear?

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: You explained that the active force is the spirit soul, and this is what is causing the body to move about, to eat, develop. If this is the active force, then at what stage are the activities of the soul realized as distinct from the activities of the body?

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is not very difficult. When the soul is gone, there is no activity of the body. Where is the difficulty to understand? So long the soul is there within the body, body is acting. As soon as the soul is out, it is not acting. It is very easy to understand. Is there any difficulty to understand? Why the body was moving one moment before, acting very nicely, but as soon as the soul is gone, it is dead body? That's all. Finished. It is lump of matter. What is the difficulty?

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Does the self-realized soul experience the actions…?

Prabhupāda: Anyone can experience. The body is active so long the soul is there. It doesn't require much intelligence. Simply one can understand what is the difference between the dead body and the living body. Living body means there is the soul, and dead body means there is no more soul. Father dies; the son is crying, "Oh, my father has gone." "Oh, where your father has gone? He is lying on the bed. Don't you see?" "No, no, he is gone. He is now…" So that means I never saw my father, I saw his body only. Now I realize, "My father has gone." That is my ignorance. I do not know who is my father; I do not know who is my son. But on this false understanding we are going on. When the father dies or the son dies, we cry, "Oh, my son is gone," "My father is gone." "And where is your father gone? He is lying on the bed." "No, no, he is gone." And then we realize. It is very difficult to understand? Simple thing.

Indian man: When the body dies, the body is finished, but what about the soul? The soul, about the soul?

Prabhupāda: Soul enters another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13]. That is the misunderstanding of the modern civilization. They do not know that soul is eternal, it is changing body, different bodies, and there are 8,400,000 different forms of body. According to his desire, he is entering another body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu [Bg. 13.22]. As he is associating or he is being infected by the different modes of material nature, he is getting, next life, another body. [break] …big king or big minister or the body of an ant, as soon as you accept this material body it is suffering is there. So if you want to be happy, then this is the opportunity. This human form of body is the opportunity. Don't waste this human form of body like cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand that he is not this body, he is spirit soul, but a human being can understand. There is so, so many books of knowledge, and so many self-realized persons. So if anyone wants to understand what he is, he can understand in the human form of body. So if we take this opportunity, then we make the solution: no more accepting body.

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

[Bg. 4.9]

The solution is there. You try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then you will have not to accept any more material body. Simple thing. What is your question? Is it answered? Yes. [break] …Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to enlighten people. It doesn't matter what is his nationality, what is his religion. Simply you try to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa; then your life is successful. Don't waste time. Don't waste your life, valuable life. Try to understand God. Then your life is success. Any other question? Huh? What is that? Finish? All right. Then you will have kīrtana? No. Have. (end)

760322AR.CAL

Arrival Talk

Calcutta, March 22, 1976

Prabhupāda: So I must first of all thank you for decorating Rādhā-Mādhava so nicely. So we are coming from Māyāpura, from the birthplace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is combination of Rādhā-Mādhava. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted that in every town, every village of this globe, this cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be preached. And it was given to the Indians: bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila jāra. It was the duty of the Indians. But in one sense, Bhāratavarṣa means this planet. Formerly there was one flag, Bhāratavarṣa, and the capital was Hastināpura. Gradually the control of the Pāṇḍavas declined. Up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole world was Bhāratavarṣa. Now it has become a tiny land, peninsula. So in that sense, anyone who is, who has taken birth on this planet, it is the duty of him to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, you European boys and girls, you have taken very seriously, and Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased upon you. Unfortunately, Bhāratavarṣī is not interested. Here we see side by side the two wings of this house. The one room is interested in making money, and one room is interested in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is the position. We are… Indians, we are neglecting this movement. That is not very good. Recently I had the chance to travel in the villages of Bengal. Oh, it is so pitiable, full of… They have given up this culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have not profited. They have not profited. But unfortunately the leaders, they think that by development of industries they'll be able… No. That is not possible. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā [SB 5.18.12]. If you become godless, then you have no good qualification. Everything is finished. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. These rascals, godless people, they will simply manufacture plan. Manorathena: by mental concoction. "Now this, we have made this plan. It will be very nice." But no. That is not possible.

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti (te)

[Bg. 7.14]

Māyā is so strong that it will break, dismantle everything into pieces, your plan.

So anyway, Calcutta is my birth place, so you have kindly come here and conducting this temple. I am very much obliged to you. I cannot remain here. I have to go here and there. Try to raise the standard of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even there are so many inconveniences. I know. You are coming from a country where material conveniences are greater. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised,

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

[Cc. Ādi 17.31]

So some of you, you have come with your big, big buses and vans to preach in India. You take Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessings and try to enlighten these people. The people are already… Bhāratavarṣī, the inhabitants of Bhāratavarṣa, naturally they are inclined. Just like in the villages, when we were passing, the boys and children, they were also dancing. That is natural. Some way or other, this India is in a very precarious condition. So you have come, taking so much trouble. And take little trouble. There is no trouble. By the grace of Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu there will be no trouble. You'll be happy. Try to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in India at least for some time, and help them to rise to their standard of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)

760419AR.MEL

Arrival Lecture

Melbourne, April 19, 1976

Prabhupāda:

ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

Now the time is too late. I wish to take my bath. I'll not speak very much now. When the time is fixed up for…?

Devotee (1): Evening.

Prabhupāda: Evening.

Gurukṛpa: Seven.

Prabhupāda: At that time we shall speak, but this much I must express, my obligation that you are worshiping the Deity so nicely. That is my great happiness, and that is your happiness also. The more gloriously you worship the Deity, decorate the Deity as gorgeously as possible, the more gorgeous you will be. That is the secret. The materialistic, they are trying to dress themselves very gorgeously, and gradually their dress is being taken away by māyā, and voluntarily they are becoming hippies. Because they did not try to dress Kṛṣṇa, therefore māyā is taking their dresses. So the secret of success is that if you give nice… Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Simply you have to collect them and offer for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi tapasyasi yat yad aśnāsi, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam [Bg. 9.27]. This is the secret of success, that whatever you do… It doesn't matter what you are doing. You are businessman, you are a lawyer, you are engineer or… Something must be done for earning one's livelihood. That is a fact. Without karma, without working, you cannot keep your body and soul together. That's a fact. So in the human form of life the motto should be that "Whatever I do, whatever I earn, it must be given to Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi tapasyasi yat… [Bg. 9.27]. Everyone is doing something. (aside:) It is not working?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It is working.

Prabhupāda: Everyone is doing something. Everyone is eating something. Everyone is undergoing some austerity for success of his endeavor. So that should be converted to Kṛṣṇa only. Then it is success. This is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

[SB 1.2.13]

This is the resolution passed in the Naimiṣāraṇya big meeting, that… Everyone is working according to his capacity. Of course, in the Vedic conception a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, or brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa-this is the division. So in the meeting in the Naimiṣāraṇya the conclusion was that ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā. The president addressed all the learned brāhmaṇas and scholars assembled… Because Kṛṣṇa consciousness is meant for very first-class men, not for the loafer class. In the Bhagavad-gītā this is clearly said, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. Not for the loafer class. But a loafer class man can become rājarṣi by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the secret. As the rājarṣi becoming… By materialistic way of life, a rājarṣi becoming as a loafer class… Just like you see, so many kingdoms were there, Moghul Empire, British Empire, Roman Empire, and so many empires were there. Where are those empires? Finished all. That will finish. It will not stay. Now the so-called kings, the emperors, they are now practically beggars. So if we do not decorate Kṛṣṇa, if we decorate our personal body, then gradually it will be finished. You'll be forced to become naked, what to speak of decoration? This is the way of nature. But if you try to decorate Kṛṣṇa, then without decoration you'll be worshiped; you'll be beloved. And this is the secret, just opposite. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi [Bg. 9.27].

So try to understand. Of course, I have given a glimpse of idea in the Western countries of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Now you are able young boys, young girls. You are intelligent. You have got so many credits behind you for material civilization. Now you take it. Just convert it. Material civilization means to endeavor for one's personal benefit. Just the opposite. The same thing should be done, but for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa does not want any benefit from you. He is quite competent. He does not want. But if you do for Kṛṣṇa, then you are benefited. This is the secret. Kṛṣṇa says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati: [Bg. 9.26] "If you give Me little flower, little…" What Kṛṣṇa…? Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by… Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam [Bs. 5.29]. What? What does He want from you? What He'll gain by your patraṁ puṣpam? But He wants from you something. That you have forgotten. This is rascaldom. We have forgotten to offer to Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means it is the beginning of offering everything to Kṛṣṇa. Then it is successful. Try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

[SB 1.2.13]

This is the secret. Whatever you do, it doesn't matter, but try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. And for this purpose you have to satisfy your spiritual master, because he'll give direction. He knows. So yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **. The things are very easy. Simply we have to adopt. Everything is mentioned there in the śāstras. Simply you have to follow the śāstra and guru and sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. Sādhu, those who are devotees, we have to follow the devotees, the śāstra and guru. Then everything successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda! (end)

760427AR.NZ

Arrival Address

New Zealand, April 27, 1976

Prabhupāda: …human form of life, but unfortunately, the foolish leaders, they are keeping us in darkness. Therefore Kṛṣṇa personally comes. Whenever people are kept in darkness, that is called dharmasya glaniḥ. Glaniḥ means pollution, when the process of life becomes polluted. The process is that from the lower animal bodies we have come through the evolutionary process to this human form of life. Now there is further improvement required. This is the process, more and more. And that improvement goes up to the point of meeting Kṛṣṇa in Goloka Vṛndāvana. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāmaṁ paraṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. But even after coming to the platform of human being, the leaders, they do not teach them how to go further ahead, up to the point of Kṛṣṇa. They have no knowledge. Therefore they have been called in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ.

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ

durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ

andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās

te 'pīśa tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ

[SB 7.5.31]

These rascals, so-called leaders, gurus and others, they do not know what is the goal of life. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. Some imaginary theory, "I am God," "I am this," "I am that." A commonsense: "If I am God, then why I am under the control of the material nature?" Eh? This another rascal came, that "I am God." If you are God, so why you have become dog? They say it is līlā. (laughter) Just see. God has come to manifest his līlā by becoming a dog, and he's beaten. Whole day, night, he's hungry. And he has come to your home to ask some food, and you are beating. So God is displaying this līlā. Just see how foolish rascal they are. This is going on. So don't be misguided by such rascals. Either he may be parents or guru or superior, teacher, whatever he may be, don't be misguided. Fortunately you have come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't misuse it. That is my request. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, I have simply wasted my time." Why? Now, manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu: "I got this human form of life. It is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with Rādhārāṇī, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So I did not care for that. That means knowingly I have drunk poison."

So my only request is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the most scientific movement to save the human society from falling down again in the cycle of birth and death. It is very scientific movement. The cycle of birth and death is going on. We are eternal. The people have been put into so deep darkness, they do not know what is going on, what is the aim of life. They do not know. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. Whimsically everyone is manufacturing something, nonsense. Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. What Kṛṣṇa says, we have to accept that. Then we are safe. Otherwise we are lost again. So fortunately you have got this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so utilize your life properly. You have got immense literature. Read it. Digest it. Make your life perfect. That is my request. Don't spoil. At least you have come to the shore of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. It is great fortune. Bhāgyavan jīva. Unless one is very fortunate, he cannot come to the shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact. So don't misuse it. That is my request. I am very glad to see you, you are so enthusiastic. And you should be enthusiastic.

utsāhād dhairyāt

tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt

sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge

ṣaḍbhir bhaktir prasidhyati

For enhancing devotional activities one must be very enthusiastic. That is the first proposition. Don't be dull. Enthusiastic. Utsāhāt and dhairyāt, patiently. Utsāhād, dhairyāt, niścayād. Niścayāt means firmly convinced: "Yes, surely I shall meet Kṛṣṇa and go to Him, back to home, back to…" Niścayāt. Utsāhād dhairyāt niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. But you have to do the prescribed duties. Sato vṛtteḥ. You must be very honest and sādhu-saṅge, and in the association of devotees. Six: utsāhā, dhairyā, niścayāta, and tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, sādhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83], and being honest. If we follow these six principles, then it is sure. Ṣaḍbhir bhaktir prasidhyati.

And just the opposite number is atyāhāra, eating too much or… Āhāra means eating and āhāra means collection-too much collection unnecessarily. Of course, for our preaching we require, but we shall collect as much as we require, not that keep money in the bank and spend for some other purposes. That kind of collection is dangerous. And too much eating is also dangerous. Atyāhāra. And prayāsa. Prayāsa means endeavoring too much for getting something. Our life should be very simple. We shall act so simply that we shall have to save time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we should not attempt anything which is very difficult to execute. So atyāhāra prayāsaś ca prajalpa, Unnecessary talking all nonsense, politics, rascaldom, speculation, this, that. No. Be grave. Don't talk nonsense, waste time. Atyāhāra prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ. Niyamāgraha means not to accept the regulative principle, niyama āgraha. Āgraha means not to accept, and niyamāgraha means simply I am packed up with the regulative principle but I do not see whether I am making progress. So at least one should stick to follow the regulative principle. That is good. That must be done in the lower stage. So niyamāgraha. Atyāhāra prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ, and laulyam, greediness. And jana-saṅgaś ca, and to associate with nondevotee, unwanted person. So these six things should be avoided, and the first mentioned six things should be accepted. Then our progress is sure, without any failure. We have published this book, Nectar of Instruction. Have you seen? That is Rūpa Gosvāmī. All these instructions are there. Read it very carefully. Everything is there.

So only point is that you have got this human form of life, nṛ-deham ādyam. This is the opportunity, good boat. Just like to cross over the sea, if you get a very nice boat, that is one's surety, so nṛ-deham ādyam, this body, is good boat for crossing over the material nescience, ocean. And guruḥ karṇa-dharaḥ: "And the captain is guru." The boat is there and captain is there. And the instruction of Kṛṣṇa is favorable wind. Nṛ-deham ādyaṁ guruḥ karṇa-dharaḥ. In this way you have got this opportunity. Now you cross over from the material world to the spiritual world. If you don't take this opportunity, then ātma-hā-you are committing suicide. And the nature's law is very strict. Just like I was explaining. We are coming very illuminated road, and just one yard after there is dark field. Both are side by side. But if we… (end)

760503AR.HON

Arrival

Honolulu, May 3, 1976

Prabhupāda:

…niścayād

tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt

sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge

ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati

You have seen this verse in the Nectar of Instruction. Utsāhā: enthusiasm. Dhairya means patience. Utsāhād dhairyāt niścayāt, means conviction. And tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, and following the regulative principles. Sato vṛtteḥ, to become sincere and honest. And sādhu-saṅge, and in the association of devotees. Ṣaḍbhir bhaktir prasidhyati. The bhakti, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, will advance. These are the six principles we should always remember: enthusiasm, patience, conviction, following the regulative principles, becoming honest, and in the association of devotees. So I am very glad to see that you are all very enthusiastic, and you follow the other principles. Then be sure that you are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that will save you from the dangerous civilization which do not understand the future of life. As the cats and dogs, they do not understand what is the future of life, similarly, if human beings, getting this opportunity of very intelligent, developed consciousness, if a human being does not understand what is the goal of life, what is the future of life, then he remains a cat and dog. Sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]. So those who have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, my request is they follow the regulative principles, as instructed by Rūpa Gosvāmī, with enthusiasm, read books and distribute books. And that is a very great service. I'll speak something, you may forget, but if you read from the book, you will get good opportunity to understand the philosophy. So our principle is to study the books as well as to distribute the books. People will be benefited and their life will be successful. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. (end)

760611AR.DET

Arrival Speech Excerpt

Detroit, June 11, 1976

Prabhupāda: …our process is: what Kṛṣṇa says, we believe Kṛṣṇa because He is the supreme authority. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority, accepted by all ācāryas. In our India the ācāryas are Rāmānujācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, Madhvācārya. They all accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme. Formerly the ācāryas like Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Nārada… Later, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So all accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore we should accept what Kṛṣṇa said, that. Then you are sound. No question of "My religion is the best." What Kṛṣṇa said, that is sound. So Kṛṣṇa says very simple thing. Our real problem is how to get relief from the material world. One may say, "What is fault of material world?" The fault is that you may arrange… First of all, there is no happiness. But even though you make some arrangement, still, you are not allowed to stay. Suppose you have made very good arrangement: "I have got very nice house, nice car, very nice family, wife and relatives, and business, just going on." But where is the guarantee that you shall stay here very long? That is the question. Suppose you… (indistinct) (end)

760617AR.TOR

Arrival Address

Toronto, June 17, 1976

Prabhupāda: I thank you very much for arranging this nice temple in Toronto. So actually this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the basic principle of united nations. Last night two Christian fathers came to see me in Detroit. So we were talking about this movement. So we explained… They were very much satisfied. Actually, this movement is for cleansing the heart. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is the cleansing the heart. We have simply created misunderstanding on account of material concept of life. We have accepted this body: "I am this body." I am, because I am accepting that I am this body… Accidentally this body was born in India; therefore I am thinking I'm an Indian. Or accidentally the body was born in Canada or in America-I am thinking I'm Canadian or I'm Indian or I'm American. This is created. This is not the actual fact. Actual fact is that I am not this body but I am the spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am the spirit soul." This is actual knowledge.

So,

yasyātmā-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ

yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij

janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

[SB 10.84.13]

This is the verdict of Vedic literature. Anyone who is thinking that "I am this body," and with reference to the body the family members, the society members or the nation members, national members… We are expanded. Or even international members. But I am not this body. So this kind of thinking is there in the animals also. The animals, the dog is thinking, "I am dog." And it is barking-dog's business. Similarly, if we go to the United Nations and bark like the dog, thinking that "I am this body," then where is the difference between the dog and the human being? Simply barking, you'll distinguish from the animal or the human being? No. Actually, our education should be based on that "I am not this body." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu declared that "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a gṛhastha, I am not this or that." Designations. He refused to accept these designations. But He introduced Himself as the servant of the servant of the servant of God, Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80].

So if we understand this fact… It is not "I believe," "I think," "Perhaps." No "perhaps," no "thinking," no "believing." It is a fact that I am not this body. Everyone can understand. A man has died, his sons family members crying, "Oh, my father has gone, my father has gone!" Where has your father gone? Here is your father lying down. Why you are crying your father has gone? "No, my father is gone." So that means he never saw his father. He saw the coat-pant of the father, and now it is not moving. The coat-pant is there, but still he says, "My father is gone." This is our misunderstanding. Your father is not this body. The spirit soul which moved the father so long, and you accepted the coat-pant or the body as father, that is your misunderstanding. Father is not this coat-pant or the body. Father is within.

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

This is the first education of Bhagavad-gītā, that within this body the living entity is there. The living entity is there, but the body is changing. The child is becoming boy, the boy is becoming young man, the young man is becoming middle-aged man, middle-aged man becoming old man. The body is changing. We know, every one of us. But I am the same spirit soul. This misunderstanding, that I am not this body, still, I am identifying with this body, this is our ignorance. And so long this ignorance will continue, we shall remain like cats and dogs, There cannot be any peace. It is not possible. When we come to the real understanding that we are spirit soul and part and parcel of God, then we become actually learned.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

So people have opened the United Nations, but there is no education about our identity, what I am-whether I am this body or the moving spirit which is moving the body; whether I am that moving spirit or I am this material lump of matter. So it is a great science. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a sentimental movement, not a bluffing movement, that a man has become God by some mystic power or this… No. It is a science. One has to study. That is, it is called kṛṣṇa-tattva. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means kṛṣṇa-tattva, the science of Kṛṣṇa, or the science of God. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very seriously started this movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa very easily. We cannot understand on account of our ignorance. I am not this body, everyone sees practically. Still, he's identifying with this body. This is called ignorance or, in common words, rascaldom. Mūḍha. They are called mūḍhas, rascals. So the United Nations, for the last thirty, forty years, they are struggling, but there is no unity of the nations. That is not possible. So long you are in the bodily concept of life, there cannot be any unity. When you actually come to the platform to understand that I am not this body, I am spirit soul, then there will be… Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54]. Then the question of equality, fraternity, justice and everything will come. Unless we do not understand what I am-I misidentify myself with this body-we shall remain in the darkness of the animal. There cannot be any peace and prosperity. That is not possible.

So we have come here in Toronto to open this center to give this enlightenment to everyone. It is not meant for a particular nation, particular religious system. It is a science. Suppose if we say that you become peaceful, you become honest, you become wise. These instructions are not meant for East or West. It is meant for everyone. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to educate people how to become wise, honest, truthful, believer in God, so on, so on. This is the movement. So we think that you shall take seriously this movement. Actually, this is the platform of united nations, or united living beings. And we are not simply talking. This science is being discussed in volumes of books. We have already published about fifty-four books. These books are selling very nicely. It is not sentiment, it is a science. So we request the people of this nice city, Toronto, to take advantage of this movement, come here, read our books, make your questions solved, and you'll be all happy. It doesn't matter whether you are Canadian or Indian. It doesn't matter.

Thank you very much. [break] Any question to understand this? If there is any question, you can put. That's all. (end)

760621AR.NV

Arrival Speech

New Vrindaban, June 21, 1976

Prabhupāda: Any karatālas? (sings Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava) So after two years, I think, I have got the opportunity of seeing you and your Rādhā-Vṛndāvana-candra, who is so kind upon you. So real happiness is here. Rādhā-Vṛndāvana-candra is staying here, and He's pleased with your service. This is the perfection of life. Keep Kṛṣṇa always with you and serve Him sincerely, then all happiness will come, without any endeavor. The foolish people, they do not know. They are trying to improve their economic condition, position, and wasting their time. It has no value. Of course, modern people will take it as very revolting that there is no need of this endeavor for economic development. Actually you, if you study minutely, what is the benefit by economic development? Prahlāda Mahārāja said that, what is that verse? Only waste of time. Prayateta? Na prayateta, na tasya etad prayateta tat-prayāso kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param. This modern civilization, it is not modern, but in modern civilization it has become very prominent, that to improve the economic condition. Economic condition means we improve the standard of sense gratification. This is called going on economic condition. But we require a little sense gratification. Dharma artha kāma mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90]. This is the gradual process of evolution. Real purpose is mokṣa, how to become free from this entanglement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is the real aim of life. But because we are coming from the lowest grade of living condition, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati-like that, 8,400,000 different species of life-our tendency is only for sense gratification. Because in the lower grade of life there is no other pleasure except sense gratification. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. A small ant, some information has come to him that on the third floor there is a grain of sugar, and he's running there. Āhāra: something eatable is there. So sense enjoyment means these four things: eating, sleeping, sex and defense. This is called sense enjoyment. But this is common to everyone.

sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā

deha-yogena dehinām

sarvatra labhyate daivād

yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ

Now, if you study the lower grade of life, they are having all these things without any plan for economic development. Lower grade, just like animals, say, other lower grade… Lower grade means less than the animal or the aquatics, the plants, the insects, the birds, then come to the beast, then come to the human form of life, civilized. Uncivilized, then civilized. In this way there is a gradation. So this happiness, sense gratification, that is already there. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām. The sense gratification is there in different bodies, but the standard may be different. Standard means our calculation; otherwise, the standard is also the same. The sex life between dogs and sex life between human beings, the pleasure is the same. There is no change. There is no change. You don't think that when the dogs on the public street enjoy sex life their standard is lesser than our sex life in a very nice decorated apartment, and so many things, nice dress, nice bedding. No. The pleasure is the same. Just like if one has got typhoid fever. It is not that the poor man will suffer more than the rich man. No. The fever temperature is the same. The doctor, after taking temperature, he will say the temperature is the same. It does not mean that because the rich man has got typhoid fever, his suffering is less than the typhoid fever for the poor man. No. That is not possible. So we think that the standard of sense gratification is pleasure. No. The standard of pleasure of this eating, sleeping… We are taking pleasure in eating nice foodstuff. Just now Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja gave me… And another animal, he's also eating something very abominable to our consideration. Just like the pig eating stool. He's also getting the same pleasure. So economic development does not mean that you can improve the quality of pleasure. That is not possible. Therefore I was speaking that the dog is running with four legs and we are running with four wheels, but it does not mean the pleasure of running is different. The dog is also enjoying by running here and there-perhaps you have seen sometimes-with four legs. And we are also. The standard does not improve. The superficial change. I may think that this is advancement. No. That is not advancement, because the real thing is that your sense pleasure.

So sense pleasure of the dog and sense pleasure of the human being may be executed in a different way, but the pleasure derived out of it is the same. Therefore śāstra says, sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena: simply the living entity is put in a certain type of body, he's endeavoring in a different way. Therefore he said, tat-prayāso na kartavyo yata āyur-vyayaḥ param. Simply to improve the standard of… Actually there is no improvement, but we think that we have improved. Rather we have taken so much risk. That requires knowledge, but anyone can understand. Suppose I can eat some quantity of food. Even if I am millionaire, I shall eat the same quantity. Not that because I am millionaire… Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja gave me so much nice foodstuff, but I could take only according to my appetite. One purī, two samosas, that's all. (laughter) It is not that because Kīrtanananda Mahārāja has given so nice food, I shall eat the whole plate. No. That is not possible. I'll have to eat so much as I can eat. So by improving the so-called standard, I shall eat the same proportion as I am able to eat, not more nor less. And that is destined. That is destined. When I came to your country I had no shelter, I had no food, no arrangement. But I was eating. And now I have got so many nice sons and daughters, but I am eating the same. So when there was nobody to tell me, I was eating; and now you are so many to give me satisfaction, I am also eating. So eating is not stopped. Eating is not stopped, in any condition. That is arranged by God. Every living entity, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That's God. God is providing food for the ant and for the elephant, simultaneously. So why should we waste our time for this purpose, eating, sleeping…? That is already settled up. It is already… Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido [SB 1.5.18]. Settled up? Then we haven't got to work? Yes, you haven't got to work. You haven't got to work. For Kṛṣṇa's service, not for your eating, sleeping, mating, defending. No, you haven't got. It is already there. It is already fixed up.

Therefore śāstra says tasyaiva hetoḥ prayeteta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ. In every life you have tried to get very nice food, nice shelter, nice sex life. That is going on. But when you have got this human form of life, if you try for the same purpose and waste your time, thinking yourself advanced in civilization, because a dog is running on the street with four legs and you are running with greater speed with four wheels, that does not mean you have improved. You are still dog. You must remember that. You are not even human being. Because the, in the form of human being your business is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is your business. If you don't try to understand Kṛṣṇa and simply improve your method of running better than the dog, that is not civilization. This is our presentation. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means presenting a new life of civilization, how to become a servant of Kṛṣṇa. Then everything will come automatically. Kṛṣṇa is supplying already. Just like government. When a man is put into the jail for his criminality, the government takes care of his food, of his shelter; if he's sick, hospital, everything-but he's still punished for correction. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will give us food, shelter, sex facility and defense everywhere. Sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām sarvatra labhyate daivād: by the arrangement of the superior. You can see practically. The elephant is eating forty kilos at a time, and he has no attempt for economic development. He's getting. And the ant also, a grain of sugar, he's getting. You'll find within your room, in a hole, there are thousands of ants. Are you giving him food? Who is giving them? Not only one, two-thousands. So this is intelligence, that God has provided for everyone these facilities, so human being, why he should not have this facility from God? It is already there. There is no doubt about it.

Therefore human life should be utilized to understand God, because forgetting God we are in this material world and suffering so many miserable conditions of life. That is our problem. And the most important problem is birth, death, old age and disease. So to make a solution of this birth, death, that is meant in the human form of life. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you simply become Kṛṣṇa conscious, Kṛṣṇa says,

janma karma me divyaṁ

evaṁ yo vettitattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti…

[Bg. 4.9]

Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa you'll become free from this material entanglement-birth, death, old age and disease.

Yad gatvā na nivartante [Bg. 15.6]. That should be our aim of life. Not the so-called rat-racing or dog-racing. No. This is not civilization. And Kṛṣṇa has given… (end)

760709AD.NY

Arrival Address

New York, July 9, 1976

Prabhupāda: So first of all I must thank you all for bringing me in this new temple, because when I first came my ambition was to start temple here in New York, and I was seeking the opportunity living in the 72nd Street. There was a house, very small house, one part of this space-25 feet by one 100 feet. So they wanted $100,000. So I wrote one rich friend in India, industrialist-perhaps you know him, that Kanpurwalla, Singaniya. So he agreed to pay me, but the government did not allow. The Indian government did not allow to transfer money from India to here. Then I approached the, what is that? Salvation Army, the chief man. I offered him that "You are spending money in India. So I have got a friend, he'll pay you, you pay me here." So he asked me "What is the rate you want to pay me?" So I told him, "The present rate is five dollars…, five rupees, one dollar." So he remained silent. That means he wanted more. In this way I had no place. What to speak of temple, I had no residential place even. So in that condition I was thinking of returning back to India. So the shipping company I was, practically every week, I was going.

So it is a long history that I came here with determination to start a temple in New York first, but at that time, ten years before, in 1965, it was not possible. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, by the grace of my Guru Mahārāja, you have got this place. So I must thank you very much for organizing this temple. Actually, in this line of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, two things are very important. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said in His teaching to Rūpa Gosvāmī,

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

We are loitering throughout the whole universe. This is conditional stage of our materialistic life, and we are simply suffering. People are kept into ignorance without knowing the aim of life, how we are suffering in this materialistic way of life. They are so dull-brained that Kṛṣṇa says personally that here the real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. You are simply busy with some petty problems. And they are not problems. Real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. Why…? We are eternal living entities. Why we should be subjected to birth, death, old age and disease repeatedly? This is real problem. Unfortunately there is no such education all over the world to deal with the real problem. They are simply tackling some temporary problem and spoiling the human form of life to solve these petty problems and creating a situation for the next life which may not be very good, because this material world is matsaratā. Matsaratā means envious. I am envious of you, you are envious of me. This is material life. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not for the people who are envious. Dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu [SB 1.1.2]. Why enviousness? You are human being, I am human being. Why we should be envious of one another. This is artificial. There is no need of. But we are put into certain condition that we have to become envious by nature or someone.

So this materialistic way of life is full of enviousness, rivalry, competition, then birth, death, old age, disease, threefold miseries-ādhyātmic ādhibhautic, miseries from the mind, from the body, from other living entities, natural disturbance. And we are trying to be happy here. This is called foolishness. It is not possible. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. The creator of this world says that this place is for suffering, duḥkhālayam. And aśāśvatam. That is also temporary. You may think, "Never mind. I am American. We have got big, big buildings and big, big roads and cars. Never mind it is duḥkhālayam, I shall remain here." No, sir, you cannot remain." Aśāśvatam: you have to leave this place. Even if you make compromise that "Never mind. I am happy now to my estimation," the answer is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. You cannot make permanent settlement. That is not possible. Then what? Bhuñjate… What is that? Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān [Bg. 13.22]. We are placed in this material condition and we are obliged to contact the three types of material modes of nature, and according to the infection we suffer. Actually we suffer, but sometimes there is a little so-called happiness. In this way we are loitering within this universe-sometimes in the upper planetary system, sometimes lower planetary system, sometimes as human being, sometimes as demigod, or sometimes as cats, dog, trees. This is our position. And we are manufacturing our position. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni janmasu [Bg. 13.22]. So we are completely under the clutches of material nature, and this is going on. And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said,

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

In this way we are loitering throughout the whole universe in different planetary system, in different species of life, in different country, different, according to our… Brahmāṇḍa bhramite. Brahmāṇḍa means within the universe. They are trying to go to the upper planetary system, and they can go. There is no difficulty. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti [Bg. 9.25]. But you have to properly prepare. Not that because you have got one sputnik or airplane you can go by force. That is not possible. This is all rascaldom. This is not possible. But you can go if you prepare yourself. You can go even back to home, back to Godhead. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. So there is every possibility. Now this is the crucial point of human form of life. We can go in the higher planetary system, we can go in the lower planetary system, we can stay where we are, or even we like we can go back to home, back to Godhead.

So the intelligent person should know what are the different situation, different life. They do not know. The other day our Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara was speaking that whatever scientific improvement or educational improvement they have made, two things are wanting. They do not know what are these different planets in the sky. They do not know. They're simply imagining. They are trying to go to the moon planet, Mars planet. That is also not possible. Even if you go (to) one or two planets, there are millions of planets; what do you know about them? There is no knowledge. And another knowledge: they do not know what is the problems of life. Two things they are lacking. And we are dealing with these two things. The problem of life is that we are bereft, we are away from Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore we are suffering. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the whole problem is solved. And so far planetary system is considered, so Kṛṣṇa is giving you opportunity, wherever you like you can go. But the intelligent person will select, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām [Bg. 9.25]. "Those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they come to Me." So what is the difference between these two? Even if I go to the moon planet or Mars planet or Brahmaloka, Kṛṣṇa says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. You can go to the Brahmaloka, but kṣīṇe puṇye puṇyo martya-lokaṁ viśanti: "You'll have to come back again." And Kṛṣṇa also says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām.

So you have got this opportunity, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, what is what. Do not lose this opportunity. Do not be foolish, misled by so-called scientists or philosophers or politicians. Take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is possible only guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. By the mercy of guru and by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa you can achieve all success. This is the secret.

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

[ŚU 6.23]

So this guru-pūjā which we are doing, it is not self aggrandizement; it is real teaching. You sing daily, what is that? Guru-mukha-padma-vākya āra nā kariyā aikya **. Bas, this is translation. I tell you frankly, whatever little success is there in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, I simply believed what was spoken by my Guru Mahārāja. You also continue that. Then every success will come.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda! (end)

760903AR.VRN

Arrival Address

Vṛndāvana, September 3, 1976

Prabhupāda: So here is a verse, number fifteen, from Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter:

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

[Bg. 7.15]

So we have made this verse a standard of examination. We haven't got to do anything. Everything is there, because Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. Arjuna, in the paramparā system, is teaching us how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So this is the qualification how to advance in spiritual consciousness. People are suffering. For want of spiritual consciousness, they are living like animal, dehātma-buddhiḥ.

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijyadhīḥ

yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij

janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

[SB 10.84.13]

Go-kharaḥ means animals, cows and asses. Anyone who is thinking, "I am this body," he is animal. This is the verdict. Actually he is animal. If the dog is thinking, "I am dog," and if some gentleman is thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," or "I am Englishman," where is the difference? To identify the body? There is no difference.

So on this platform of bodily concept of life, we remain animal. And to raise from that animal platform to the platform of our spiritual consciousness, that is the business of human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta-sūtra. If we do not inquire about Brahman in this human form of life, which is obtained after many, many births… Bahūnāṁ sambhavante. Many, many millions of years and millions of births. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. We change our body, but because we are on the animal platform, we cannot understand that we have to change our body. So Kṛṣṇa personally comes, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7]. He's more anxious for us because we are suffering in this material world under bodily concept of life. That is His first instruction. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. We have to understand that we have to change this body. Don't be happy because you have got by karma a comfortable body. No body is comfortable. It is temporary, even it is comfortable. Even if you have got a very nice body, American body or European body, it may appear to be very nice, better than the Indian body-but that is not permanent. You'll have to change it. That is spiritual consciousness.

So we must be prepared. This is glānir. On the platform of bodily concept of life, whatever we are doing, that is all defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. In the bodily concept of life, whatever we are doing, simply defeat. We are thinking, "I'm making very good progress." Rascaldom. There is no progress. Unless you become inquisitive, athāto brahma jijñāsā, there is no progress. That has been taught by our ācāryas. Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached…, Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Lord Caitanya, his first question was… He was prime minister, he was a very big man, but he approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu to inquire, "Who am I?" Ke āmi. That was his inquiry. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya, apani kaha prabhu kiser hita haya. So this is the process, to know of oneself, not to be bewildered for the temporary, bodily comforts. This is the instruction of the whole Vedic literature. Prahlāda Mahārāja also said to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, śoce tato vimukha-cetasa māyā-sukhāya bharam vimūḍhān. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān [SB 7.9.43], that those who are engaged for this temporary māyā-sukha, they are vimūḍhān. The same thing is explained here: na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. So those who are after this material happiness, they have been always described in all śāstras, and Kṛṣṇa is personally describing: mūḍha. Vimūḍhān. If we want to remain a vimūḍhān and suffer this material existence, that is our not very sign of good intelligence. Everyone should try to be intelligent enough what is the goal of life, what is to be done in this human form of life. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the supreme welfare activities in the world, because we are trying to stop the life of hogs and dogs. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB 5.5.1]. Viḍ-bhujām, the stool-eaters, hogs. What is their business? We have seen in Vṛndāvana also there are many hogs. Day and nights searching after stool, and eating, and getting some strength and fat, then sense enjoyment, never mind whether it is mother, sister or daughter. This hogs' and dogs' life should be stopped. It is not possible for everyone to stop, but those who are intelligent, fortunate, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva,

guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

So you are all fortunate that you have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhakti-latā-bīja. And proceed according to the principles. And the first principle is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. This is the first principle. Ādau gurvāśrayam. That is the first principle. And in the Vedas also it is said that,

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante…

[ŚU 6.23]

Vedic knowledge is revelation. Vedic knowledge is not understood by so-called mundane scholarship, by reading grammar. No. Vedic knowledge is possible to be understood by a person who has got unflinching faith in the bona fide guru. Guru means representative of Kṛṣṇa-Kṛṣṇa and His representative. We have repeatedly discussed this fact that guru means the bona fide servant of Kṛṣṇa. Guru does not mean a magician or jugglery. That is not guru. Guru means, it is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very easily, how to become guru. He has asked everyone, especially those who are born in India, bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]. Especially. Because we Indians, bhāratīya, we have got facilities to become guru of the whole world. We have got the facility. Because here we have got the literatures, Vedic literatures, especially the Bhagavad-gītā, which is spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself. If we try to understand what is the aim of life and preach all over the world, then you become guru. And if we want to cheat others in the name of so-called yogis, swami, scholar, that will not make you guru. Guru… Caitanya Mahāprabhu says you become, all Indians, all Bhāratīyas, guru. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Wherever you are. And how shall I become guru? Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa. That's all.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to follow the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction is this, to preach kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. And this is kṛṣṇa upadeśa: na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. This is not our manufactured words; it is kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, that "Anyone who is not surrendered to Me, duṣkṛtina, he is immediately classified into four groups." What are they? Duṣkṛtina, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. So it is a very simple thing. Who is a mūḍha? If one does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, if one does not understand what Kṛṣṇa, he is either duṣkṛtina, means sinful; mūḍha, rascal; narādhama, lowest of the mankind; and māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, and his so-called education and degrees are useless because real knowledge is taken away from him. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. So there is no need of fighting by… But we can understand what are these people in general. They are within these four groups of men. So we have to face them. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is facing these rascals, these duṣkṛtinas, these narādhamas, and to request them to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You cannot sit idly to show your gorgeousness in a secluded place, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. No. You have to preach. That is the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. That is really following the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's… Not to imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. You can… Even you do that very nicely, that is for your safety. Supposing that you are doing nicely, but that is for your safety. But one who is facing dangerous position for others' benefit, they are very quickly recognized by Kṛṣṇa.

na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu

kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ

[Bg. 18.69]

ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ

mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati

[Bg 18.68]

So if you face… Just like fighting soldiers, they are facing danger for the country. They are recognized. Similarly, those who are preachers, on behalf of Kṛṣṇa preaching people to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are great soldiers.

So I am very happy that you Europeans and Americans especially, you are helping me. So continue this process, and that is the very easy way to be recognized by Kṛṣṇa. Because He says, na ca tasman manusyesu kaścin me priya-krttamaḥ [Bg. 18.69]. Who? Who is preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I thank you very much that you have come here in Vṛndāvana, and you are traveling, you are preaching. So let us dedicate this life for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. Never mind we die by preaching. Still, it will be glorious.

Thank you very much. (end)

761009AR.ALI

Arrival Talk

Aligarh, October 9, 1976

Prabhupāda: …very glad to see you again. So this saṅkīrtana is all glorious. That is the blessings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. This is His blessing: simply by saṅkīrtana in this age. It is confirmed in the Vedic literature, in Vedānta-sūtra. Śabdād anāvṛtti. Anāvṛtti, liberation. Our present position is bondage. We are bound up by the laws of nature. We may foolishly declare independence-that is our foolishness-but actually we are bound up by the laws of nature.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra vimudhātmā

kartāham…

[Bg. 3.27]

We are bound up by the laws of nature, but those who are fools, vimudhātmā, under false prestige, such person thinks that he is independent. No. That is not. So this is misunderstanding. So this misunderstanding has to be cleaned. That is the aim of life. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then the first installment of benefit is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Because misunderstanding means within the heart. If the heart is clear, consciousness is clear, then there is no misunderstanding. So this consciousness has to be cleansed. And that is the first installment of the result of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅga paraṁ vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. Simply by chanting Kṛṣṇa's, kṛṣṇasya, holy name of Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma, the same thing. Rāma and Kṛṣṇa there is no difference. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. So you require. The present position is misunderstanding, that "I am product of this material nature," "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," and so on, so on… So many designations. But we are none of them. This is the clearing. Ceto-darpaṇa. When you understand clearly that "I am not an Indian, I'm not an American, I'm not brāhmaṇa, I'm not kṣatriya"-means "I am not this body"-then the consciousness will be ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Brahmā-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. This is wanted. This is success of life. Otherwise, if we remain in darkness of our existence…

Everyone is abodha-jāto. So anyone born in this material world in different platform… One may take birth as demigod in the heavenly planets or one may take birth as a human being in the lower planets. And lower than that, animal, plants. There are 8,400,000 different species of life. So any form of life, we are bound up by the laws of nature, and bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān. The puruṣaḥ… Puruṣaḥ means the living entity. Puruṣaḥ… Actually, nobody is puruṣaḥ. Everyone is prakṛti. Apareyam itas tv viddhi me prakṛtim parām. Parā prakṛtim. The material, matter, is the aparā-prakṛti, and spirit soul is parā-prakṛti. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly explained, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ [Bg. 7.4]. This is… Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. This is separated. This is also nature, but inferior. Apareyam itas tv viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. There is another prakṛti. What is that? Jīva-bhūto. This living entity. So living entity is also prakṛti, but because he has the tendency to enjoy this material world, he is sometimes described as puruṣaḥ. Puruṣaḥ means enjoyer and prakṛti means enjoyed. So the prakṛti forgets her position and artificially he wants to become puruṣaḥ. So this puruṣaḥ, prakṛti 'stho. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti 'stho bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān. So long he's in this material world, he has to associate with the modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān. And on account of the influence of the prakṛti-jān guṇa, he has to take different types of bodies. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti 'stho bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya [Bg. 13.22]. This is the kāraṇa. He's associating with a particular type of the modes of prakṛti-jān guṇān-sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa-and on account of this he gets different types of body. You have to change your body. Dehāntaram. Tathā dehāntaram-prāptir. But different grades of body is awarded by the laws of nature according to our karma. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa [SB 3.31.1]. So this is… Our material position is that we are associating with different modes of material nature, and that is infection. If you become infected with some disease, germ, then you have to suffer from that disease. You cannot check it. Similarly, this infection will give us our next body. That we do not know. This is a rascal civilization. They're kept into the darkness, that how things are going on. Their so-called education, university… So whatever they are doing, they are all being defeated. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Ātma-tattvam. Unless one is inquisitive to understand "What I am?" whatever he is doing, he's being defeated. That's all. Parābhavaḥ.

So the human life is meant for understanding what is the position, "What I am?" This is intelligence. When Sanātana Gosvāmī approached Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu he was minister, very big man, but he understood that "What I am doing is not to my interest, because I do not know what I am." He submitted to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍit satya kari māni. "In my relationship with my neighbors, they call 'paṇḍitajī.' " He was brāhmaṇa. "So I accept it, 'Yes, I (am) paṇḍita.' " So what is the wrong? "The wrong is that I am such a paṇḍita that I do not know what I am." (laughs) So ask anybody. Our Dr. Sukla is also… (chuckles ) So ask any doctor, "What you are?" "Huh? I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa." This answer you'll get. "I'm American." Nobody will say ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Nobody will say. Nobody will say because he does not know. So what is the value of this education if one does not know what he is? Therefore śāstra says parābhavaḥ. In ignorance, gross ignorance, anything you are doing, that is parābhava. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to save the people from this defeating position. We are trying… So far I have tried single-handed. And now the, a little pressure is felt even by some American politicians. Recently one American politician has remarked that "This Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is just like epidemic. (laughs) And if we do not take any step then within ten years they'll take our government." So the Communists in India, they are trying to defeat us in so many ways.

Indian man: We have seen the articles in Blitz.

Prabhupāda: Because they are also afraid. Because the Communist movement means godlessness. And our movement is, "Here is God." There is no blind faith. "Here is God, Kṛṣṇa! You take His name, you take His address-everything." Practical. So that is a great cause of fear for these Communists. So they are against us. So now I shall request the śreṣṭhas, those who are leading persons in India, they should join this movement, take it seriously. It is not a bogus movement. It is a scientific movement. And we have so many books. Now, at the present moment, we have got eighty-four books. So that is my request, that people should come forward. They should come forward and take seriously this movement. And we have got our places. In Bombay we have got big place. In Vṛndāvana we have got big place. In Nadia we have got big place. At least elderly gentlemen like you… Now you should retire from family life and leave in charge of the grown-up boys. You should take seriously for India's interest, for everyone's interest, but as we want… We should not keep people in darkness. That is very risky. Very risky. You may be very proud that "I am this, I am that, I have to…," but you are after all under the control of the laws of nature. That you cannot avoid. Falsely proud. But you have to abide by it. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. It is not so easy. Actually, nature's law, you can eat once attar. If you eat little more than that, then there is indigestion immediately. You have to go to the doctor. So what is your independence? You cannot violate a little portion of the laws of nature. So many. In every step. As soon as you violate, immediately there is punishment. And still, we are declaring independence. Asatyam. What is that? Where is Bhagavad-gītā? Find out. Jagad āhur anīśvaram [Bg. 16.8]. Asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad ahur anīśvaram. "There is no God." Why you say there is no…? You are under control. There is a controller; otherwise, how you are under control? So this foolishness must be stopped in order to make them happy, really happy. Otherwise, if they are kept into ignorance and things go on like this, then the future picture is very gloomy. It has already become gloomy, and future is very, very gloomy. So everyone should come forward, take this movement seriously, and at least, we are Indians, we should take care of Indians. We should not keep people in ignorance. That is not civilization. That is not civilization. Civilization means tamasi mā jyotir gama. Come to the light. Don't keep yourself in darkness. That is not civilization. That, this civilization is keeping people in darkness. That is very risky. So we should take it very seriously and push this movement very scientifically, soberly, and people will be benefited.

Any question?

Indian man: What are the, our Prime Minister's view regarding this movement?

Prabhupāda: So far I know, she likes this movement. But she is also not independent.

Indian man: That's true. Nobody is independent. Even she.

Prabhupāda: Recently one of my students met the Home Minister. He said, "Yes, this movement should be spread all over the world." They are appreciating. But there are different parties, different circumstances. Our four items-no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling-so I think they are taking some steps on this ground. They are trying to stop cow-killing.

Indian man (2): Yes, they have already banned cow-killing.

Prabhupāda: And they are going to take steps for intoxication.

Indian man (2): Stopping intoxication also. Actually, these are the things which can bring up the character of the nation.

Prabhupāda: We are already intoxicated in material existence, and if more intoxication is there then…

Indian man (2): From bad to worse.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So this civilization, this education is simply misleading. Simply misleading. There is no enlightenment of this question, "What I am?" No. No answer.

Indian man (1): Now we have present here some Life Members of ISKCON.

Prabhupāda: Oh. [break] Life Members should be active Life Members. (laughter) Yes. (Hindi) If there is any doubt.

Indian man (1): Mahārāja, the one who brought ISKCON to this house is that boy, son of my…, who became first Life Member of ISKCON.

Prabhupāda: Oh, very intelligent.

Indian man (3): His name is Subodh, which means…

Prabhupāda: Very intelligent. Subodh means… (laughter) I was talking of abodh. Yes. Abodha-jāto.

Indian man (3): Yes, abodha-jāto. He is already subodha. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: He is subodha.

Indian man (3): He knows his… Evaṁ budhe paraṁ buddha.

Prabhupāda: Parābhavaḥ. One who is abodha, he is parābhava.

Indian man (3): Parābhava, defeated.

Prabhupāda: Defeat. And one is subodha, he is victory. So human life is meant for becoming subhodha, not abodha. But they are keeping abodha. This is difficulty. Everyone is abodha.

Indian man (2): Mahārāja, I had a gentleman talking to me who is very intimate with Sanjaya Gandhi. And he was telling me that Sanjaya Gandhi very forcefully hinted, "Why are you people not working now? Why is the Arya-samaj silent? Why the other powerful sects and movements are not working? Why have you taken this country into the hands of Muslims?" These were his words. "Why do you want that the country should depend, or the government should depend, on the support of Muslims? What are you doing? Why don't you come up?"

Indian man (1): But our government is supporting them, you see.

Indian man (2): Swami Mahārāja said that they are forces which when if you want to keep yourself in power, you have to sometimes ban and this…

Indian man (3): That's true.

Prabhupāda: No. Apart from government, the first thing is… Sometimes we say, "Rāma-rājya." The Rāma-rājya means… There is a verse in Bhāgavatam that when Lord Rāmacandra took charge of the, after coming back from the forest, His brother Bhārata surrendered and He took charge of the kingdom. So the residents, the subjects, are described as a varṇāśrama guṇanvita (?).

Indian man (3): Varnāśrama…?

Prabhupāda: Gunanavita. So Rāma-rājya can be established. And it is said there that Lord Rāmacandra was maintaining the kingdom, taking the citizens as His own son. Pitṛvat rāma. It is said there. Pitṛvat. As the father of the family takes charge of the children very nicely, so it is the government's duty to become the sensible father of the citizens. And the citizens will be qualified following the institution of varṇāśrama. Then there will be Rāma-rājya.

Indian man (3): That's the most scientific understanding…

Indian man (2): No. Prabhupāda rightly said in one of the meetings in Delhi that you people try to follow people who are in power. If Indira Gandhi were to do mālā just like this, I'm sure millions of people in India would be doing mālā like this. So she's doing that.

Indian man (3): Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tad tad evetaro janaḥ [Bg. 3.21].

Indian man (2): But you will not follow me because I have no political power; therefore you have not mālā japa. (Hindi)

Indian man (1): He is my eldest grandson. Here is another man, Subhoda.

Prabhupāda: He is subhoda and abodha. (laughter)

Indian man (1): Yes, subodha, suvrata.

Prabhupāda: Subhoda (Hindi) avatāra.

Indian man (1): He has described God. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Do you know what is God? Do you know?

Indian man (1): Do you know what is God or not?

Boy: I want to know.

Prabhupāda: You want to know? Do you know the meaning of the God? Then how you are asking what is God? If I say something wrong, how you'll understand if you do not know? Suppose you go to purchase something, "Give me gold," and if he gives you iron, then what you'll do? You do not know what is God, gold. You must know first of all what is God. Then you ask. If you do not know, then you'll be cheated. That is going on. That is going on.

Indian man (1): Mahārāja, but there must be somebody to say that "this is gold and this is iron."

Prabhupāda: Yes, that means requires a superior education. Yes. The father, mother should be responsible…

Indian man (1): So who can be a greater than your Divine Grace?

Prabhupāda: No, no. The father, father… The first thing is that why do you send your sons to the school? It is duty that he should know. So if the father is a rascal, then how the son can be subodha? (laughter) Therefore the śāstra says that unless you can train your son to overcome this process of birth, death, old…, you don't become a father. You remain a rascal. Don't beget children. This is contraception. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. The real problem is mṛtyu. But they have taken it that "It is ordinary." But nobody wants to die. The education is na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. But who knows that I do not die after the destruction of the body? Then why I am put into this position that I have to change this body, I have to die? This question does not arise. Therefore they're abodha. The instruction is na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. There is no inquiry that "If I'm not born, why I am born in this body?" This is question. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. "If I am not subjected to death, then why I am dying?" This question does not arise at all. Therefore everyone is abodha-jāto. Nobody is subodha. Everyone is abodha. The problem is there, but he does not inquire.

Indian lady: Mahārāja, don't you think it's high time that our Indian philosophy or Indian religion, some classes should be started in schools like they used to have? Missionaries used to have scripture classes in school. There should be in all the schools, I mean, classes on our own religion instead of learning somebody else's.

Prabhupāda: It is not only… When we say that dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā… [Bg. 2.13]. So as this boy, he was a child, now he has become a boy, then after few years he'll become a young man. And then he'll become middle-aged man, then he'll become old man. So this is not our religion, your religion. This is fact. Scientific. When Bhagavad-gītā says dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, that is not meant for the so-called Hindus. It is meant for the Muslims, meant for the Christians, everyone. It is science. Religion is a kind of faith. That they describe. But religion is also not a blind faith. Religion means the order of God. That is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Just like law means the order of the state. Similarly, religion means the order of God. So if you have no conception of God, if you do not know what is God, what is order, then where is religion? It is all bogus.

Indian man (1): What my sister was saying was that most of the parents do not understand how they should bring up their progeny.

Prabhupāda: Yes. At least, the children should be… Therefore I'm starting that Gurukula in Vṛndāvana. So you come, you manage that take the ideas, and make your children… Whatever mistake is done is done. Now why the mistake should continue? Rectify it.

Indian man: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Then kick out secularism. Kick out secularism. Science, it is science.

Indian man: Science is nothing. What is God, what is nature, what is soul.

Indian man (1): You don't give it the name of one particular way. You simply deal it with the basic idea of transforming the human…

Prabhupāda: When a child becomes a boy, there is no question of secularism. It is science. It is fact. Can you by secularism stop a child growing to become a boy? When I was explaining in South Africa these things, one Arya-samaji friend, he criticized me that "Why you are bringing Hindu ideas?" So I said, "Is it Hindu ideas? A child grows to become a boy. It is Hindu idea? Why you are so fool you're calling Hindu idea?" A child grows to become a boy. This is science.

Indian man: The law of nature.

Indian man: Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptir [Bg. 2.13]. Naturally…

Prabhupāda: Because it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, they take it Hindu idea. This is nonsense.

Indian man (1): Our approach is so wrong that people take it as…

Prabhupāda: Immediately we can pass in a sectarian.

Indian lady: That is why it is necessary to have this as a part of social studies like you have other subjects in schools. If it is not given any more…

Prabhupāda: But then, as soon as you say "Bhagavad-gītā," immediately, "Hindu."

Indian man (1): What sister wants to know is that how can we add in innumerable, rather, uncountless schools and colleges? The management will be most willing, I mean, the progressive management will be most willing to introduce classes where such laws of nature and such-on scientific line, without giving it a Hindu or religious name. That should be taught. A curriculum should be drawn up. Because we control some of the schools.

Prabhupāda: That is my program. I am writing all books just only on this point; therefore they are coming. Otherwise, what is the use? They were Christians and Jews. What is the use of becoming Hindus? So anyone wants to understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they can understand easily if he joins Hare Kṛṣṇa, chant. That is all right. If he wants to understand scientifically, there are eighty-four books. Come on. Which way you want?

Indian man (1): No. What we want is a very simple curricular. Elementary type.

Prabhupāda: Simple, this is simple curricular.

Indian man (1): So that they gradually, as a child grows into adolescence, when his intelligence also grows, his knowledge also grows. And then we give him still more deeper knowledge of the various things which we have been teaching on elementary basis. And still deeper. Just like this.

Prabhupāda: Just like this child, this boy inquired, "What is God?" So he can be instructed that "God is the Supreme Controller, just like your father is your controller." He'll accept this. Can you go against your father's will? He says no. He'll say naturally.

Indian man: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: So, he'll understand English? He's angrej? (laughter)

Indian man: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Indian man: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Just like at home you are controlled by your parents. Is it not? You like to obey them?

Indian man: You like to obey them or sometimes you don't want to obey them?

Prabhupāda: Similarly, you take the whole world as a big family. So there must be somebody, father and controller. Otherwise, how it is being conducted? That is God, the Supreme Controller. Just like in your family the father is the controller, similarly, you take it in wide scale, broader scale, there must be somebody father. Therefore the Christians, they take it, "O Father, give us our daily bread." And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is also confirmed, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā.

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ

tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

[break] Then he decided, "Yes, I shall fight." Kṛṣṇa inquired from him, "Now I have instructed you. Now, whatever you like you can do. And what is your decision?" Then he clearly said, "Yes, my decision is there. I'll fight." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73]. "As You advise, I understand that You want this fighting." So Vaiṣṇava means for the sake of Kṛṣṇa he can do anything. Not that he is lazy fellow, showing, "I have become very big Vaiṣṇava. Let me sleep under the name of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." That is not Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava must be very busy, always awaiting the order of the… Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. "What is Kṛṣṇa's order? What does He want?" He is ready. Just like a servant is always ready to receive the order of the master. That is faithful servant. That is real servant. Not that at night duty he is sleeping somewhere. No. That is not faithful servant. Faithful servant means always alert. And that is bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam bhaktir uttama [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Simply one has to execute, ānukūlyena, how Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. This is bhakti.

So Hanumān is example. Hanumān was ordered to bring some medicine from some mountain. And he was a monkey, he was animal, he did not know how to pick up it-"Take the whole mountain. Execute the order. And then Rāmacandra and Lakṣmana, They'll find out what is that medicine." So this is Vaiṣṇava. In one's own capacity he should give the best service to the Lord. That is bhakti. Bhakti is not laziness. If somebody thinks that "The bhaktas are lazy fellows and they are out of the worldly activity," that is mistake. It is mistake. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Kṛṣṇa says personally, yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat tapasyasi yat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam: "Come on! Do it for Me." That is bhakti.. He does not say that "You become a lazy fellow, give up your occupational duty, and sleep, and snore, and become a great devotee." No. He never says. He says that "You are attached to this kind of work. All right, do it, but the result you give Me," that is bhakti. "Arjuna, you are a military man. All right, I ask you to fight. You become a fighter and become My devotee." Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me [Bg. 4.3]. Just see. What is that? He was not chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: "You are very dear friend and My devotee." Did he go on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra… So not that imitation. Of course, ultimate is always be absorbed in glorifying the Lord, but not in the beginning. In the beginning you must work very hard; you come to the stage of pure devotional platform. Then you can fully engage yourself meditation or chanting. Not in the beginning. In the beginning you should be very expert and active. That is wanted. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's… Udilo, from early in the morning, active. "Come on, chant. Come with Me so that others will see. If we make a party chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, so in the beginning they may be disturbed because they have been accustomed to sleep up to nine o'clock, but as they will hear, gradually they'll become purified. They'll receive it."

So that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. He practically did it, and He asked everyone to do it. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. "This is My order." He could remain a big devotee at His home. He was very popular in Navadvīpa, even when He was twenty years old. But still, He took sannyāsa and went door to door, village to village, town to town in India, and He left His order: pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. "All over the world, as many towns and villages are there, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be…" Not that "We are big, big gosvāmīs and bābājīs. We do not go out of Vṛndāvana." They say that: "We do not go out of…" You are imitating them. (chuckles) Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. And they have become very big Vaiṣṇava: "No, I don't go beyond the limits of Vṛndāvana." What is this nonsense? Did Caitanya Mahāprabhu say like that, that "You do not go beyond the limits…?" A devotee, wherever he is, that is Vṛndāvana. That is Vṛndāvana tīrtha. Kurvanti tīrthāni. A devotee, a pure devotee, can make any hell a tīrtha, a holy place. That is devotee. Tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. That was Bhagīratha. Gaṅgā was hesitating, mother Gaṅgā, that "I shall go to the material world. People will take, all sinful men will take bathing, and I'll be overloaded with sin. Then how I shall get out of this sinful, accumulation of sins?" So Bhagīratha said, "My mother, don't hesitate. When a holy man will take bath in your water, then all the sins he will assimilate." Then she agreed. "Yes. That's…" So if we become holy man, actually, then immune. There is no difference. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. These are bogus, that "I do not go out of Vṛndāvana." They are making Vṛndāvana limited. Vṛndāvana is not limited. Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, wherever there is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple, that is Vṛndāvana. That is Vṛndāvana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He, once only, He went to Vṛndāvana. Does it mean He was not in Vṛndāvana? So this is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, that preaching must go on in hell and heaven. We should be very much expert and follow the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the simple instructions. Mukunda mādhava yādava hari bolena bolo re vadana bori. Simply chant the holy names of Lord, mukunda mādhava yādava. This is Caitanya. Rise early in the morning. You go and preach, and work hard, day and night, and that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's… This song indicates. That's all.

Thank you.

Devotees: Jaya. (offer obeisances)

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi) …they are offering their… We have received one letter, telegram, from one gentleman. What is his name? Patel? Bhogilal Patel. He's very rich man. So I was sometimes a guest in his house. He is very friendly. He comes to see me in Bombay. Old man. He is older than me, one or two years. But he has sent me one telegram, "Swamijī, take this land, one hundred acres of land in Ahmedabad."

Indian man: In?

Prabhupāda: Ahmedabad. Yes. So… There are so many. One gentleman has offered land in Mahabaleshwar. This is very costly place.

Indian man: Mahabaleshwar. Very costly place and very nice place.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Very nice. And wherefrom other offers we have got?

Haṁsadūta: Hyderabad we have.

Prabhupāda: Hyderabad he has already… That is six hundred acres of land. What is the name of that place? Do you remember?

Haṁsadūta: Where? Hyderabad? No. We call it New Naimiṣāraṇya.

Prabhupāda: No, we have named New Naimiṣāraṇya. A very nice place.

Indian man: You'll get a lot of offers. And as you rightly said that these Vaiṣṇavas, they want to become maṭha-deśas, they want to become like kings. They don't want to leave their empire and go out, working hard like you and spreading the message of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our mission.

Indian man: That is the right attitude. Even if there is one bhakta, that is Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Bhakta will create Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa says, nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭha. "I do not stay in Vaikuṇṭha." Nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu. "Neither I stay at the heart, core of the heart of the yogis." Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. "When My pure devotee chants the glories of My…, I immediately stay there. I immediately stay." It's not that He is packed up in some place. He's all-pervading. Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva. Therefore His name is Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. He's everywhere. Electricity is everywhere. Only one who knows how to take the electricity… So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching and teaching, their effect you have to follow. Then our life will be successful. We don't manufacture ideas. That is not wanted. And if they… They have manufactured the ideas. The Hindus, samudra (Hindi) jānāsi (Hindi) prātikūlyam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. (Hindi) Foolish theories. Just see. As soon as you cross over the Bay of Bengal or Indian Ocean, you become immediately fallen.

Indian man: You become an outcaste. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: That's all. Our Madan Mohan Ballabha, he was invited Round Table conference. He took so much Ganges earth. He was mixing that Ganges earth with water. He's going for political purposes, and showing a… What is called? Hobby. This is not that. Now this movement is there, and unless we do it very sincerely and vigorously, it cannot be pushed on.(Hindi conversation) ….daily five lakhs, six lakhs (Hindi) …Life Member. We have Life Member?

Dhanañjaya: In London. London's about fifteen hundred.

Haṁsadūta: Where? In London, Amsterdam, and Montreal. We're making Life Members everywhere now.

Indian man: How many Life Members in India? Must have at least ten thousand.

Prabhupāda: No. Indian, everyone should become a Life Member.

Indian man: Certainly. Everybody devotees.

Prabhupāda: And it is India's duty that everyone should take up such a cultural movement. That is India's glory. I have given one statement, I do not know whether it is published. The, some of the places, they are against me. So where is that copy? Have you got that copy?

Haṁsadūta: I don't know which.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. I've given one statement…

Indian man: Mahārāja, have you sent that reply to that questionnaire which was sent to you from Bhavan's Journal? Bhavan's Journal sent you a questionnaire.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I have sent that answer. Eighty-four pages. For twenty-one questions I have answered eighty-four pages.

Indian man: I think in Delhi you must call a press conference.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) [break] …by seeing him, if we remember Kṛṣṇa, he is Vaiṣṇava. He never said that you must be born in a brāhmaṇa family or… No. If by seeing him only one remembers Kṛṣṇa, then that person is Vaiṣṇava.

Dhanañjaya: So couldn't that point be expressed in the government somehow?

Prabhupāda: Well, emergency government. They can do anything immediately.

Indian man: Sir, these nationalities, I mean… (break-tape has short conversation later) (Hindi) …the good wife, good mother. Good wife, one is a good mother. Tyaktvā su-dustaja rājya-lakṣmīm dharmiṣṭha. (Hindi) (end)

770204AR.CAL

Arrival Lecture

Calcutta, February 4, 1977

Prabhupāda:

śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-

śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau

yuktasya bhaktaṁś ca niyuñjato 'pi

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

So who has decorated?

Abhirāma: Pūrṇaprajña dāsa.

Purnaprajñā: My wife and I…

Prabhupāda: Very good. So this is the injunction of the śāstra, śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā **. They… She should not stand before the Deity. Little back.

Hari-śauri: Ask her to stand to the left of the Deities.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Bengali) So this is the duty of all disciples under the guidance of the spiritual master, to decorate. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra **. Śṛṅgāra means decoration. Amongst the various paraphernalia of worshiping the Lord, the śṛṅgāra is very essential, śṛṅgāra and tan-mandira-mārjanādi, and cleansing the temple. The more you cleanse the temple, the more you decorate the Deity, more your heart becomes cleansed and you become spiritually decorated. So cleanliness is next to godliness. And after cleansing, taking bath regularly, keeping the temple very neat and clean and worshiping the Deity, dressing, decorating, ornamenting… These are the general process. So if we follow the process regularly, then we gradually become advanced in spiritual consciousness, material world and spiritual world. Material world means dirty things and spiritual world means clean.

So the living entities, they are called taṭasthā-śakta. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. God has many potencies. They have been divided into three primarily: external, internal, and marginal; bahiraṅgā-śakti, antaraṅga-śakti, and taṭasthā-śakti. So we jīvas, living entities, we are also another energy of Kṛṣṇa, in between the material and spiritual. So if we like we can remain in the spiritual world; if we like, we can remain in the material world. If we remain in the material world, then, temporary, we enjoy happiness or distress. There is no happiness. Sometimes we take distress as happiness. Actually there is no happiness, because however happy you may be, you have to change this body. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9]. So this happiness… Suppose this life I am a king. Maybe for few years, but I have to change this body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. So there is no happiness. Suppose you arrange very nicely to live here very happily in this world, but you'll not be allowed to live. You'll not be allowed. Duḥkhalayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. So long we live, there is happiness or distress. There is no happiness. To get happiness we have to go through distress. Anyway, mixed up happiness or distress, even if you make nice arrangement, but all of a sudden you'll be asked to get out. Duḥkhalayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Therefore we should not be attracted with this happiness, so-called happiness of material world. Aśāśvatam. Even if you think you are happy, you'll not be allowed to stay here.

So we must know all these principles of our life, and Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the guide. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are guided by Kṛṣṇa personally. Everyone can be guided. Kṛṣṇa is giving instruction to the whole human society in the Bhagavad-gītā. So we can take advantage of it. Kṛṣṇa is guiding personally. So there are two ways of accepting Kṛṣṇa's guidance. You accept the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā, then you'll be happy. If you don't accept, then you will go back again to the cycle of birth and death. Mām aprāpya nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [Bg. 9.3]. So mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani is not good life. Mṛtyu, mṛtyu… Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. If you take birth, then you'll have to die, and if you have to die, you have to take birth again. This is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartma. So this is not very good business. That intelligence is lacking. We are simply trying to adjust things for a few years, but we are not taking account of our real life. Our real life is na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. That is real life, that we do not die. But our brain is so dull that we have accepted janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9] as usual thing. But death can be checked. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you so desire, you can stop it. There is no difficulty. Very easy. And that is also explained by Kṛṣṇa: janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ [Bg. 4.9]. Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. And He's explaining Himself. What is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, Parabrahman, the greatest, and we are anu, very small. Our knowledge is very small, limited. It is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa, but He is explaining Himself for our little understanding. Whatever we have got capacity to understand, that Kṛṣṇa is explaining. So if you simply take Kṛṣṇa's word, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Here is a chance. This Deity worship… When we see the form of Kṛṣṇa, naturally our mind is impressed that "Here is Kṛṣṇa; here is Rādhārāṇī; here is Jagannātha." So if you come daily and see Kṛṣṇa at least once-man-manā bhava mad-bhaktoḥ-where is the difficulty? But people are so much engrossed. Their education is so low grade. Just now, when I was coming from Bhuvaneśvara, the next room, next apartment, was occupied by some young men. As they were talking, it appeared they were educated, medical practitioner. They were addressing amongst themselves, "Dr. this," "Dr. this…" [break]

So our mission is para-upakāra, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, para-upakāra. This para-upakāra mission was entrusted to the Indians. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, bhārata bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]-"to the human beings," not to the cats and dogs. Unfortunately, we have become like cats and dogs. We do not take the responsibility of an Indian. It is the duty of the Indian. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

bhārata bhumite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

All over the world they are in darkness. They do not know what is the value of life. So in India, anyone born, he can make his life successful. We have got Bhagavad-gītā and all Vedic literatures. By learning, by practicing, we can make our life perfectly and then distribute the knowledge. This is India's business. Unfortunately, they have been conquered by the illusion of māyā, and they are not interested. They are becoming drunkard and talking all nonsense. So you have come, kindly. Of course, Bhārata means the whole planet. Anyway, don't deviate. Just try to do some good to the human society by awakening them to spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The method is very simple: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. But it is para-upakāra. That is human life, para-upakāra, to do good to others, not to exploit. That is not human life.

So you have very kindly joined this movement. You have not joined this movement for your poverty. You are not poverty-stricken. Sometimes people join this movement for poverty-stricken. But you are not belonging to that. You have voluntarily joined. So don't be disappointed. There is now opposition, but don't be disappointed. Kṛṣṇa will give you protection. Try to go on with this para-upakāra movement. Maybe because it is a fight against atheism, so some of our soldiers may fall down. But that should not discourage us. We must go on fighting with this atheistic civilization and try to push (this) Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. (Hindi conversation-break followed by morning walk excerpt:) …lords, they're selling their property.

Hari-śauri: Yeah.

Gargamuni: What did Mr. Bajoriya say about the Purī House?

Prabhupāda: Practically he avoided.

Gargamuni: Yes. I saw that. When you asked the question I could see in his face. (end)

Initiations

680310IN.SF

Initiation Lecture

San Francisco, March 10, 1968

Prabhupāda: The meaning of this mantra is apavitraḥ pavitro vā. Apavitraḥ means unclean and pavitra means clean. So anyone who may be unclean or clean, it doesn't matter. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. Sarva means all. Avastha means condition. "In whatever condition one may be, either unclean or clean," yaḥ, "anyone who," smaret, "remembers," puṇḍarīkākṣam… Puṇḍarīkākṣam means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's another name is puṇḍarīkākṣam. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam, sa: "That person," bahya, "externally," abhyantaram, "internally," śuciḥ, "becomes at once purified." Śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu. Puṇḍarīkākṣam, Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. So this is the remembrance. Śrī-viṣṇu, namaḥ śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu.

So this initiation means purification. In this material world we are all impure. Because we are impure, therefore death, disease, old age, and pangs of birth overcome us. Just like in diseased condition-we have experienced-there are so many painful conditions, similarly, in this materialistic way of life these symptoms, birth, death, disease, and old age, they are different kinds of miseries. The rascals, materialists, they are thinking that they're making advance, but they have no solution for these things. The solution is by tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some rules and regulations to purify him. That is called tapasya. Just like in diseased condition, one has to voluntarily accept the rules and regulations enforced by the physician: "You should not eat this. You should not do this. You should not go out. You should take rest. You should not, should not, should not," so many. Similarly, if we want to purify ourselves, then four principles of purificatory process, namely illicit sex life and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling, these four things must be…

These four things are paraphernalia of your civilization. In the western… Not only western, eastern, everywhere. The Kali-yuga is spreading very rapidly, and wherever the Kali-yuga is very prominent, these four items are very prominent: unrestricted sex life, gambling, and meat-eating, and intoxication. When people become practiced to all this nonsense, they think, "Oh, what is wrong there?" But it is the most abominable part of human civilization. Anyone who are indulging in these four things, they cannot imagine where is he and how he will be free from this conditional life. So this is the purificatory process. So as you are being initiated, initiation means beginning of your purificatory process. So if we are serious about purification, then we must follow these four principles, if you want to be cured.

Of course, this chanting of hari-nāma will make you purified. That's nice. But just like this fire I am going to ignite. This is dry firewood. But if I help it, to keep it dry, then the fire will be very nice, blazing fire. But if I pour water on it, then it will be difficult to ignite. Similarly, the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will keep you always progressing, but at the same time, if we also voluntarily do not pour water on that fire, then it will be nice. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness or chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa will keep you progressive. At the same time, voluntarily, if you do not commit all these nonsenses, then it will be very nice. And if you continue this water pouring, then… Just like a man is taking medicine at the same time doing all nonsense. Then his disease will not be cured, or may take very, very long time. So we should not be irresponsible in that way because life is very short. We do not know when death is coming, especially in these days. We are moving in the street, we are moving by plane, we are moving… Every step, there is danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām [SB 10.14.58]. It is a place of danger. So our life… We should consider this human form of life, especially Kṛṣṇa conscious life, is very important life. We should not be inattentive. So we should be very careful. Kṛṣṇa will, of course, protect you, but at the same time, we have got consciousness. We should also take care that before the next death comes, we must be fully prepared for being transferred to Kṛṣṇaloka. And it is very simple thing. If you keep yourself constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that's the only thing. Then you are sure to be going, transferred next life. As I was explaining last night, simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa…

Kṛṣṇa is not like us. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How He is Supreme Personality of Godhead? That He proved when, while He was present. The history is there. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's activities, Kṛṣṇa's wisdom, lecture, Bhagavad-gītā-everything is there. They are the proofs. There is a very nice verse by Yamunācārya that there are authentic literatures, there are authentic personalities, and they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Authentic literatures, they give proof that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And by His wonderful activities we can understand that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But still, the atheistic rascal will not accept. You see? There are sufficient proofs. Just like Arjuna says, "Kṛṣṇa, You are the paraṁ brahma. It is not because I am Your friend I am flattering You. You have been accepted by authorities like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, in all scriptures, and You are personally explaining Yourself." So there is no doubt about it, but the demons, in spite of all this-dog's obstinacy-they will not accept. So let them go to hell. So far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His body is eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge, end sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. If we simply remember that Kṛṣṇa is like that, and as soon as we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, we remember Kṛṣṇa, and we understand that He is the Supreme Personality.

This very consciousness will lead you. It is not very difficult. It is very easy, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. And those who have taken already, they are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, and they are making progress both, I mean to say… Their health is improving; their mind is becoming very nice. So you will be also feeling. There is no need of talking. You will yourself feel, but you must follow. And there are ten kinds of offenses. That also, you should avoid. And these rules and regulations. Now chant mantras. (end)

680324IN.SF

Initiation Ceremony of Viṣṇujana

San Francisco, March 24, 1968

Prabhupāda: Nama.

Viṣṇujana: Nama.

Prabhupāda: Om.

Viṣṇujana: Om.

Prabhupāda: Viṣṇu (repeats each word) pādāya kṛṣṇa preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine. You chant beginning from here, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Then begin again, another. In this way, there are 108. Come this side. Don't cross. Then again chant on this side from this way to this way. Your name is Viṣṇujana. Viṣṇujana. V-i-s-n-u-j-a-n-a. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break-japa-break) You have not brought? All right. [break] The brahminical qualifications is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: satyam śauca śama dama titikṣa ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. Those who are actually brāhmaṇas, they must be truthful, always clean, inside and outside. Truthful, clean, and controlling the senses, śama dama, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, controlling the mind; śama dama titikṣa, tolerance, titikṣa, tolerance; ārjavam, simplicity; and jñānam, must be profoundly wise; vijñānam, practical application in life; jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam, full faith in scriptures and in God, or Kṛṣṇa, āstikyam. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam: [Bg. 18.42] "These are natural duties, or work, of a brāhmaṇa."

And in the Bhagavad-gītā you will find in another place, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. "These four classes of classification of the society, it is made by Me." That means this classification of society in the human society, that is made by God. What is that classification? The brāhmaṇa, the kṣatriya, the vaiśya, and the śūdra. It is not the name, but it is guṇa-karma. Brāhmaṇa means quality and work. Kṣatriya means quality and work. And vaiśya means quality and work. There is no question of birthright. It is a false proposition that a brāhmaṇa's son becomes brāhmaṇa. No, not necessarily. If he properly becomes initiated under the guidance of a spiritual master, then he is brāhmaṇa. Otherwise, if he has acquired the qualities of a śūdra, then he should be considered as a śūdra. These are the śāstric injunctions. And this classification is all over the world. Don't think that it is Indian or Vedic system. No. In every country, in every place, in every planet, these four divisions are there.

Brāhmaṇas means those who are interested in spiritual life, they are called brāhmaṇas, intelligent class. They are called intelligent class, because unless one is intelligent, he will simply consider that this body is he, identification of the body. That is foolishness. Brāhmaṇas means brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. One who knows that "I am ahaṁ brahmāsmi," and he has actually realized that "I am not this body, I am pure spirit self." It is not the question of Hindu, Muslim. Anyone. Anyone who knows this knowledge, that "I am the self," and acts in that way, he is a brāhmaṇa. So these initiation formalities are there. You are instructed, you are guided, but you have to act. Unless you act, then the same thing as in India-the so-called brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas are degraded. There will be no meaning. So guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. You have to stick to the brahminical qualities, and at the same time work. Brahma-karma. Brahman is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the last word of Brahman. So you have to engage yourself, brahma-karma, means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And exhibit your quality, that you are truthful, you are controlling control over the senses, control over the mind, and you are simple, and you are tolerant. Because as soon as you take up spiritual life, the whole class conducted by māyā, they will be against you. That is māyā's influence. Somebody will criticize. Somebody will do this, somebody will do that, but we shall… We have to become tolerant. This is the disease of this material world. If anyone becomes spiritually advanced, the agents of māyā will criticize. So therefore you have to become tolerant. And simple, simplicity. Ārjavam, titikṣa ārjavam, and jñāna, and you must be fully equipped with knowledge. The Bhagavad-gītā is there, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata is there. Now we are publishing other books also, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So read them. These three or four books, if you read, you become fully qualified with knowledge. And vijñānam, and apply them in your practical life. And āstikyam, in full faith of the procedures and in Kṛṣṇa. That will make you successful. All right. Get up. (japa) [break] Come forward. Now you keep your mālikā, mālā, down. You have to offer it.(?) (knocking noises) Take little, this. Nama.

Devotees: Nama.

Prabhupāda: Apavitraḥ. Not like that. Do like this.

Devotee: Each can take a little in their right hand.

Prabhupāda: Each time, when I say "svāhā" three times, you'll…, Little bit. (devotees chant responsively)

oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

Svāhā. Vande aham śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalam… (ceremony continues-kīrtana) (end)

680506IN.BOS

Brāhmaṇa Initiation Lecture with Professor O'Connell

Boston, May 6, 1968,

(Glenville Ave. Temple)

Prabhupāda: We are very glad to receive Professor O'Connell in this auspicious meeting. And it will be very nice, because he's studying the process of Caitanya philosophy. And this ceremony is one of the functions in devotional service. We have got a big book… I think, Professor O'Connell, you have secured that book, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. Have you secured that book?

O'Connell: I have the book. I'm yet to be a professor or even get my degree beyond the… I have the book.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. So that Hari-bhakti-vilāsa is written by Sanātana Gosvāmī in the name of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. Because Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī was a very young boy, and Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were very elderly. But because all the six Gosvāmīs happened to be direct disciples of Lord Caitanya, so Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, although very young, he was treated as younger brother of Sanātana Gosvāmī. So this book was actually written by Sanātana Gosvāmī, but it was published or dedicated to Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. In this book the rules and regulation of the Vaiṣṇavas are described-of the brahmacārīs, the students; of the gṛhasthas, householders; vānaprastha, retired men; and sannyāsī, renounced order-how gṛhastha should live, how brahmacārī should live, how vānaprastha should live, how sannyāsīs should live. All the… It is called Vaiṣṇava smṛti.

Śruti and smṛti. Śruti means Vedic literature, which is traditionally, from time immemorial, it is learned simply by hearing from authoritative sources. Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the First Canto, first verse, it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. The original authority of Vedic literature, Lord Brahma. He was instructed about Vedic knowledge by Lord Kṛṣṇa. And he imparted Vedic knowledge to the world. So he was the first creature, living creature, after creation. So there was nobody to give him initiation because he is the only living creature at that time. So the Lord Himself initiated. How He initiated? Hṛdā, through the heart. Because He is situated in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. He is, the Lord is seated in everyone's heart. So he initiated. Tene brahma hṛdā. Hṛdā means "through the heart." And that is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, that buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I give instruction, buddhi-yogam, the yoga principle of intelligence or bhakti-yoga." Whom? Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam [Bg. 10.10]. One who is engaged with love and affection in devotional service, to him He gives instruction.

Not to all. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu [Bg. 9.29]. God is equal to everyone. That is a fact. So far eating, sleeping, mating, these four principles are concerned, God is giving everyone. Just like government provides maintenance, provision, even in the prison life. That is not very important thing for government. But education department or other higher cultural department, that is not for all. Similarly, although God is equal to everyone, he's especially inclined to the devotees. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ prītyā teṣu te mayi. Those who are engaged in devotional service, He's specially inclined to him. And to him he gives instruction from within. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām [Bg. 10.10]. Satata means always. Twenty-four hours, one who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to him He gives instruction from within because he's qualified. Others, instruction He's giving, but other is not obeying the instruction. Just like a man is ready to commit some sinful activities. He thinks, "Shall I do it?" From within, "No, no. Don't do it." Again he says, "Why not? Let me do it." In this way, when he insists, oh, then He says, "All right, do it. Do it." So the word that "Nothing can happen without the sanction of God," that is a fact. Nobody can act anything… Then the question is why a man acts sinfully? Why…? Does God give sanction for sinful action? Yes. When one insists that "I shall do it." "All right, do it. And suffer the consequences."

So this purification process, according to Vaiṣṇava smṛti, ādau gurvāśrayaṁ tato sad-dharma-pṛcchāt sādhu mārgāṇugamanam. In the beginning one has to accept a spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master. And who is bona fide spiritual master? That is also described in several Vedic scriptures. In the Upaniṣad it is said, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12]. One who has come down in disciplic succession and as a result of such authorized succession one has become fully, firmly convinced in Brahman. Brahman, Paramātmā, Bhagavān, the same thing. Brahma-niṣṭham. He is transcendentally situated. So these things are there. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said that who requires a spiritual master? That is also said. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. One, let one surrender himself unto the spiritual master. Who is that one? Jijñāsuḥ. One who is inquisitive. What about inquisitiveness? Jijñā… śreya uttamam. The highest perfectional stage of life. If one is inclined what is transcendental life, what is spiritual life, what is perfection of life, if one is inclined to this subject matter, for him there is necessity of approaching a bona fide spiritual master.

To accept a spiritual master is not a hobby. "Because everyone accepts some spiritual master, let me have also a spiritual master without following the instruction, without following the principles." That sort of acceptance of spiritual master is not required. He doesn't require to accept a spiritual master who is not inquisitive on transcendental subject matter. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Uttamam means… Ut means surpassing, and tamam means the darkness. This material world is darkness. And one who has transcended the darkness region and has come to the region of light… Jyotir gamaḥ tamasa mā, "Don't remain in this darkness. Go to the light." So that is called uttamam. Uttamam. Udgata tamaṁ yasmād. So questions, jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive, of transcendental matter. There are many things to inquire. Śrotavyādīni rājan. There is… in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam… There are many subject matter for inquiry and hearing. But one who is interested in hearing about the transcendental subject matter, ramante yoginaḥ anante [Cc. Madhya 9.29], the unlimited, infinite subject matter, for him a spiritual master is needed. Not for all. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21].

And who is spiritual master? That is also stated. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. Śābde means the Vedic śruti, śruti. This is called śābda-brahma. One who has learned both śruti and smṛti. Śruti means Vedas, and smṛti means books derived from Vedic knowledge. That is called smṛti. And Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī says in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, śruti smṛti…

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-

pāñcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktir

utpātāyaiva kalpate

[Brs. 1.2.101]

If one poses himself a great devotee, but does not follow the principles of śruti, smṛti, purāṇa, and Nārada-pañcarātra, and the rules and regulation thereof, then his presentation as great devotee is simply disturbance. According to this Hari-bhakti-vilāsa and according to the direction of the Gosvāmīs in the Lord Caitanya's line, if one does not follow the principles of Vedas, principles of the smṛti or corollaries, Vedic literature… Just like Bhagavad-gītā is called smṛtiand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Mahā-purāṇa. So śruti, smṛti, purāṇādi [Brs. 1.2.101], and pāñcarātriki-vidhim, Nārada-pañcarātra. Without following the rules and regulation of these scriptures, if one poses himself as devotee of Kṛṣṇa, aikāntikī harer bhaktiḥ-harer means Lord, bhakti, devotional service-he is a disturbance to the society.

So the general rule is that if one is inquisitive… Just as we follow in our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society we ask everyone to come. We don't make any imposition that with such and such qualification one can sit here or hear. No. All these students who are initiated, they know we don't impose anything. "You must be such and such, you must be such an such educated, you must be Hindu or you must be brāhmaṇa, or you must be white or black…" No such restriction. Anyone. This is universal. Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, everyone is welcome. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. And hear something from Bhagavad-gītā. So following this principle, if one is a little more interested, then he offers himself. "Swamijī, I shall be initiated." So if I see that that boy or that girl is sincere and is following, then we say that "You have to follow these four principles." What are these? Niṣiddhācāra. These are injunction by Lord Caitanya, that no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no, I mean to say, nonvegetarian dishes, and no gambling. These four principles. So they agree, and he is given initiation for chanting beads, Hare Kṛṣṇa, at least sixteen rounds daily. So if one follows the rules and regulation rigidly…

And the next initiation is this dvijatvam. Dvijatvam means twice-born. Twice-born one becomes immediately when he approaches a spiritual master, but the sacred thread is offered as the symbol that he has a spiritual master. Just like there is some phase, there is some degree. So this sacred thread is offered after one year. One who has followed strictly the rules and regulation and chanted sixteen rounds Hare Kṛṣṇa at least, so he is given the second chance. The third chance is to offer renunciation. If he wants to completely in the service of the Lord, there is sannyāsa. Just like the other day we were discussing, anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī [Bg. 6.1]. Of course, these are formal regulative principles. Real life is within, how much one is sincere in the service of the Lord. So according to rigid class of Hindus, this sacred thread ceremony, they say it is to be offered only to the person who are born in the brāhmaṇa family. Perhaps you have studied all these things while you were in India. But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says no. There is no question of birthright that because one is born in the brāhmaṇa family, therefore he can become brāhmaṇa.

Of course, the Vedic regulation is that unless one is born by a brāhmaṇa father, he cannot be initiated according to the Vedic regulation. But to take birth in the brāhmaṇa family, that is now oblivion, at the present moment. Because in the brāhmaṇa family formerly, not only in the brāhmaṇa; kṣatriya family and vaiśya family also, there was a garbhādhāna ceremony. Garbhādhāna ceremony means when the father goes to beget a child, there is a ceremony like this. It is not a secret service. It is open secret that "Today he is going to have sex life with his wife for begetting a nice child." It is not sexual enjoyment. It is to beget a nice child. So there is a ceremony which is called garbhādhāna ceremony, pregnancy ceremony. So at the present moment this ceremony is not observed. Even in rigid families they have already given up. And the śāstra injunction is, as soon as one gives up this ceremony, garbhādhāna ceremony, he at once falls down to the classification of a śūdra. The whole family, no more. Because who knows by whom this child is born? Nobody knows whether he's a brāhmaṇa's son or a śūdra's son or a rascal's son or a paṇḍita's son. Because there is so much freedom.

So kalau śūdra-sambhava. Therefore the general enunciation is that in this age everyone has to be accepted as born-śūdra. But this principle is accepted always, by birth everyone is śūdra. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Everyone is born śūdra. Then? Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Dvijaḥ means this saṁskāra. This saṁskāra… By gradual process of cultivation of knowledge, of behavior, of rules and regulations, one becomes a dvijaḥ. Dvijaḥ means twice-born. The first birth is by the father and mother, and the second birth is by the spiritual master and Vedic knowledge. At that time, the second birth means mother is the Vedic knowledge and father is the spiritual master. So Sanātana Gosvāmī says, because he has enunciated this rule for the so-called rigid brāhmaṇas, they say, "Without taking birth in a brāhmaṇa family there is no possibility of one's becoming a brāhmaṇa." But Bhagavad-gītā does not say like that. Bhagavad-gītā says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. "These four principles of caste-brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra-I have created that division." Now it is creation of God. Nobody can nullify it.

So that division is everywhere. Not only in the India or Hindu society or… No. Everywhere. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, by classification of quality and work. Here also the same thing is there. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavata also confirms this by Nārada Muni, when he describes about these four principles of social division, he says, yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ syād varṇābhivyañjakam. Now there is classification who is a brāhmaṇa, who is a kṣatriya, who is a vaiśya, the qualities. Because according to quality, the divisions shall be there. Now in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find the brāhmaṇa's quality, the vaiśya's quality, the śūdra's quality. So Bhāgavata also confirms that yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ syāt. The symptoms of a person qualifying himself to become a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra, that is the main principle. If that symptom is found elsewhere, he should be accepted in that classification. Suppose a man is born in a śūdra family or less than a śūdra family, but if his qualities are just like brāhmaṇa, then he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa. That is Bhāgavata's…

So this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a manufacturing process of brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means surpassing the brahminical stage. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. One who has realized Brahman, he is called brāhmaṇa. After realization of Brahman, then realization of Paramātmā, then realization of Bhagavān. And one who comes to the stage of understanding Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, he is called Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava means he is already a brāhmaṇa. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

The devotional service begins when one has already realized Brahman. Because to whom rendering devotional service? To the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān. And Bhagavān is the last word in the Absolute Truth.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam

brahmeti paramātmeti

bhagavān iti śabdyate

[SB 1.2.11]

The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases. First impersonal Brahman realization, the localized Paramātmā realization, and then the last word is to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And that is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

[Bg. 7.19]

One who has accepted that Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa is Vāsudeva. So mahātmā, he is the greatest soul. And Bhāgavata confirms,

vāsudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogaḥ-prayojitaḥ

janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ

jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam

[SB 1.2.7]

If one is engaged in the transcendental loving service to Vāsudeva, then automatically the stage of Brahman realization automatically becomes revealed. So this ceremony is just according to the strict principles of Vaiṣṇava smṛti. And today… And Sanātana Gosvāmī confirms this, that yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ. By chemical process, one can turn the bell metal into gold. That is alchemistry, that bell metal, if it is treated with mercury properly, then it can become gold. Formerly people knew it. So the example is given that as bell metal, a base metal, can be turned into gold by a chemical process, similarly… (break-end)

680724IN.MON

Initiation of Jayapatāka Dāsā

Montreal, July 24, 1968

Prabhupāda: You begin from this big bead, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, and then after finishing, begin second. In this way, there are 108, one, two, three. Come to this point, then begin from this point. You are following? Then come to this. In this way, one, two, three, four, sixteen rounds, at least. If you can increase more, that's all right. Otherwise sixteen rounds. Your spiritual name is Jayapatāka. Bow down. You know the mantra?

oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

Jayapatāka:

oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

Prabhupāda: That's all. Take this. You have got that copy of these ten kinds of offenses? Where is that? Bring it. Bring it. Now in order to chant… What is that? You read. What is this copy?

Devotee: Prayers, different prayers.

Prabhupāda: Prayers. That's all. There are ten kinds of offenses in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. There are three stages of this chanting process. The first stage is offensive stage, and the second stage is light stage, and the third stage is liberated stage. So generally in the beginning we are almost in the offensive stage but we shall try to avoid the ten kinds of offenses as it will be explained. You have got printed copy. You take it. The first offense is śruti-śāstra-nindanam. No scripture of the world should be blasphemed. Śruti, especially Vedas. Śruti means Vedas. Actually, Vedas are the original scripture. Gradually many other scriptures have developed. They are called smṛti. Śruti smṛti.

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-

pāñcarātriki vidhiṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktir

utpātāyaiva kalpate

[Brs. 1.2.101]

This is the definition given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, that to become a devotee of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, one has to follow the principles of śruti and smṛti, and pāñcarātriki-vidhi. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, there is no Vedic vidhi. Because Vedic vidhi is lost. Formerly, initiation was offered to a person who is actually born of a brāhmaṇa father. Otherwise… Or the higher caste, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, and the vaiśyas, they were offered initiation, and the śūdras were not offered. That was the Vedic system. But in this age the śāstra says that kalau śūdra sambhava. In this age of Kali practically there is no more any brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, or vaiśya. Maybe by name, but in qualification they are not existing. Everyone is supposed to be śūdra. So in Kali-yuga the pāñcarātriki-vidhi is accepted. The pāñcarātriki-vidhi is also Vedic vidhi, corollary, given by Nārada Mahāmuni. But it is accepted by the Vedic followers, pāñcarātriki-vidhi.

Pāñcarātriki-vidhi means if any one has a little inclination for spiritual development, he should be given chance. This initiation means to give chance. The Bhāgavata says that kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ [SB 2.4.18]. These are the list of the caṇḍālas or less than the śūdras. So Bhāgavata gives open road for everyone. Even one is kirāta… Kirāta means… Generally they are called aborigines, or the very black aborigines living in the jungles, they are called kirāta. In our country it is called hanta (?). So anyway, Hun, Hun a class of people in the hill side of north Arctic. They are called Huns. So kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā… There are very great list of the caṇḍālas, less than the śūdras. The Bhāgavata says ye 'nye ca pāpā, not these classes, even less than them, even they are born in the family of sinful tribe, they can be also purified. Śudhyanti, they can be also purified. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā śudhyanti. They can be purified by association of Vaiṣṇava. Yad-apa, yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ. Upāśraya means just like a person who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa and if anyone takes shelter of such devotee, he can be purified. This is called paramparā system.

So for this Bhāgavata-dharma, there is no restriction. Anywhere, any part of the world, they can accept this Bhāgavata-dharma. On that principle in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's life also He accepted many Muhammadans also as His disciples. Just like Ṭhākura Haridāsa, he was born in a Muhammadan family, and He took many Pathans as His disciples when He was coming back from Vṛndāvana. So in this system, disciplic system of Vedic process, there is no restriction. Anyone can come. And this is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā also. Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says that māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. Never mind. Even one is born in a family which is considered to be sinful. Striya śūdrās tathā vaiśya. Even woman, the śūdra, and the mercantile class of men, anyone. Mām… Ye 'nye ca pāpā.

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya

ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ

striya śūdrās tathā vaiśyās

te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim

[Bg. 9.32]

They can also be elevated to the highest platform of perfection by the process of initiation. And kiṁ punar brāhmaṇaḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā [Bg. 9.33]. Even such persons can be elevated, and what to speak of the brāhmaṇas, bhaktas, devotees, and rājarṣaya, and great kṣatriyas. There is nothing to speak about them. Even these people can be elevated.

So this Bhāgavata-dharma is very nice, it is universal, it can be accepted by everyone. Unfortunately, so long there was no preaching of this Bhāgavata-dharma. Now, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, the Bhāgavata-dharma is now being expanded in the Western countries. I am very glad that boys and girls from this part of the world, they are also embracing and they are nicely chanting and following the rules and regulations. So I think Kṛṣṇa will be very… So initiation means this is the beginning. Now you have to follow the rules and regulations. What are the rules and regulations? Only four principles. Don't have any illicit sex life. Don't have any food besides prasādam or foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa does not eat anything beyond the vegetarian group. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. So you cannot offer Kṛṣṇa anything beyond this scope. So there is no question of nonvegetarian diet, including fish, eggs, even onions, and lentils, what is called? Lentils? That dahl, pulses? So you have got from your Godbrother, you will know. And you are eating here Kṛṣṇa prasādam. And no gambling and no intoxication, including smoking, tea taking, coffee taking. No gambling, no intoxication. These four principles. No illicit sex life, no nonvegetarian diet, no gambling, and no intoxication. These four principles have to be followed and in the beginning the offenses. Where is…? You read the offenses. You haven't got?

So offenses are ten kinds of offenses. The first offense is to deride at the Vedic literature or scriptures. Satāṁ nindā. And those who are preaching God consciousness, never mind in any part of the world. Those who are preaching God consciousness. In your country, Christian… Not in your country. Of course, it was preached in Central Asia, but now Christianism is spread all over. So Lord Jesus Christ, he also preached God consciousness. And Mohammed, Hazrat Mohammed, he also preached God consciousness. Similarly, in India there was several ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, God consciousness they preached.

So Lord Buddha, he, of course, did not preach directly God consciousness, but we accept him as the incarnation of God. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. He had to preach amongst the atheist class of men who were too much addicted with animal slaughter and he wanted to stop animal slaughter. That was his main business. So I've several times explained. Therefore he rejected Vedic authority. Because in the Vedic authority there is recommendation, under certain condition, of animal sacrifice. But he wanted to stop completely animal sacrifice. Therefore superficially he said, he denied the authority of Vedic ritual. Because if he accepted Vedic rituals then he could not preach this ahiṁsā paramo dharma. So that is a great story. Anyway we accept, we Vaiṣṇavas, we accept Lord Buddha as incarnation. That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra. So indirectly the Buddhists are worshiping God. They are denying, there is no existence of God but they are accepting the incarnation of God.

So anywhere the four prime religions of the world, namely Hinduism, Christianism, Mohammedanism or Buddhism, directly or indirectly, they are accepting God. And without accepting God there is no meaning of religion. That is not religion. According to Bhāgavata, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma, what this dharma, religion means, the codes given by God. That's all. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Now Kṛṣṇa, in the beginning said that dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge. "I come, descend, in order to establish religion." Now again at the end He says sarva-dharmān parityajya. He came to establish religion. And in the end He says that "Give up all sorts of religion." What does it mean? That means religion means surrendering unto God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is religion. If there is no such principle… Surrendering unto God, that is religion. Not the rituals. Rituals are superficial. The Bhāgavata says sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. You follow any kind of religion, that doesn't matter. But the test will be how much you have developed God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the test. If that is lacking, then you have simply wasted your time.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed yadi ratiṁ

śrama eva hi kevalam

[SB 1.2.8]

If by following the ritualistic principles of any kind of religion, if one has not developed God consciousness or love of God, then it is simply waste of time, laboring. That's all. So gradually people are coming to the stage that God is dead. They have developed so much love for God that they want to see God is dead. That means they have not followed any kinds of religion. This is all useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply they have wasted. God cannot be dead. It is crazy proposal. How God can be…? If we are praying to God, "O God, give us our daily bread," and the bread is supplied to us, how God is dead? God cannot be dead. So these are crazy proposals. Don't be attached to all these nonsense proposal. God is existing. He is nitya nityānām. Just like we are existing, similarly God is existing. And He is the chief amongst the eternals. We are also eternal. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit.

So these are Vedic injunctions. God is there, I am here, God is eternal, I am eternal, He is sac-cid-vigrahaḥ, I am also, at the present moment, my body is material. But when I am liberated I also become sac-cid-ānanda vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. So these things gradually you'll learn from Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā. Now this Hare Kṛṣṇa, this chanting process is cleansing your heart. As you advance in cleansing your heart, so God becomes revealed unto You. God is sitting with you. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart. Simply we can see Him as soon as the heart is clean. Śṛṇvatām… And God will help you.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

[SB 1.2.17]

As soon as with devotion and faith you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, God will help you. Kṛṣṇa will help you from within to cleanse your heart so that you will be able to see things as they are.

So we should avoid blaspheming the persons who have preached God consciousness all over the world. We should not deprecate the value of scriptures. And the most obstinate sinful activity is to act sinfully on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Because it is said that as soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa you become freed from all sinful activities. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa name. Absolute. So if somebody thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, therefore I can continue committing all kinds of sinful activities," that is the greatest… Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir. Anyone who commits sinful activities… I have already explained the four kinds of sinful activities you should avoid. But if you think that you are chanting, therefore there will be no reaction of sinful activities, that is the greatest sin. Greatest offense. Never. Don't commit any sinful activities. And sāmyaṁ śubha-kriyā api pramādaḥ. This is another great offense. That don't accept this chanting as something auspicious activity. It is transcendental to auspicious and inauspicious activities. It is a vibration from the spiritual sky which will attract you gradually to the spiritual sky, beyond this material sky.

'Vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Paras tasmād tu bhāva anya. As you get information from the Bhagavad-gītā, there is another nature which is called spiritual nature and the devotees are trying, all the transcendentalists… Some are trying to merge into the spiritual existence only, and we devotees, we want to keep individuality and want to become associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa. So gradually you can learn it from the lectures and the books and with association with your Godbrothers and sisters. So this is your initiation. Take it very seriously. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa very faithfully and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

680726IN.MON

Initiation of Satyabhāmā Dāsī and

Gāyatrī Initiation of Devotees Going to London

Montreal, July 26, 1968

Prabhupāda: …auspicious day because it is all arrangement of His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, my (Prabhupāda's voice chokes up) beloved spiritual master. He is seeing. He had a great desire to preach Lord Caitanya's message in the Western world. And I am sure he will be pleased to see so many young boys and girls are seriously engaged in preaching the gospel of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is my success.

So, His Divine Grace, my spiritual master, somehow or other liked me, that I should take up this responsibility. And on the first day I met him, I was at (that) time a very young man, a nationalist, and engaged in a very responsible office. So one of my friends casually took me. I did not like to go. But I am very much thankful to that friend, who is still living in Calcutta, that he forcibly took me to His Divine Grace. I was reluctant to see because in our house my father used to receive so many sannyāsīns, but I was not very much satisfied with their dealings. So I thought that Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja might be a similar man. So what business I have got to see him? But this friend took me forcibly, that "Why not see the man?"

So I went on his request, and I was so profited. So on the first visit he asked me that "Educated boys like you, you should go to foreign countries and preach the gospel of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There is great necessity." So I replied that "We are foreign-dominated nation, India. Who will hear about our message?" Actually, at that time the foreigners were thinking Indians as very nonsignificant because in the face of so many independent nations, India was dependent. There was one poet, Bengali poet. He lamented that "Even uncivilized nations like China, Japan and Burmese…" Not Burma. Burma was also dependent. "They are independent, and only India is dependent on the Britishers." So anyway, my Guru Mahārāja, he convinced me that "Dependence, independence, they are temporary. But we are concerned with the eternal benefit of the human kind, and therefore you should take up this matter."

So I never thought that I will have to take up this matter by his order. Because it is… This incident took place in 1922, more than fifty years. So anyway, so I was officially initiated in 1933, just before three years of his passing away from this mortal world. So at the last moment also, just a fortnight before his passing away, he wrote me the same thing. I wrote him one letter and just he replied the same thing that "You should try to preach this gospel amongst the persons who are conversant in English language. That will be very nice for you." So I was dreaming sometimes that my Guru Mahārāja is calling me and I am leaving my home and going behind him. I was dreaming like that, and I was thinking, "Oh, I have to give up my home? My Guru Mahārāja wants me to give up my home life and take sannyāsa?" So I was thinking, "It is horrible. How can I leave my home?" This is called māyā. Of course, it's a long story, but incidentally I am speaking to you because you are my dear children. So I was thinking that "How can I take sannyāsa and leave my home, my children?" So that was a horrible thought for me, I tell you. I was thinking seriously, "Oh, I will have to take this course. Guru Mahārāja wants me." But actually I did not like to give up my home life. But Guru Mahārāja made me obliged to give up my home life. So now, by his order, or by his plan, I gave up my home life, I gave up a few children, but Guru Mahārāja is so kind that has given me so many nice children.

So by serving Kṛṣṇa, nobody becomes loser. This is my practical ex…, I mean, practical experience, nobody. So I am citing this example of my personal experience because… Just try to understand that before leaving my home was thinking that "I may be in great trouble." Especially when I left my home for your country in 1965 alone, the government would not allow me to take any money. I had only a few book and forty rupees, Indian forty rupees. So I came in New York in such condition, but by the grace of my spiritual master Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, everything happens by combined mercy of Kṛṣṇa and spiritual master.

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. There shall be combined mercy of Kṛṣṇa and guru. Then our mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be successful. This is the secret. Kṛṣṇa is always within you. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Therefore Kṛṣṇa knows everything of your purpose, and He gives you opportunity to work as you have decided. If you decide to enjoy this material world, Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence how to become very nice businessman, nice politician, very nice cunning man so that you can earn money and enjoy senses. Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. So many people are becoming very great in the estimation of material life. From very poor man, they are becoming millionaires. How? They have got intelligence, certainly. Without intelligence they cannot improve. But that intelligence is also given by Kṛṣṇa. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo: [Bg. 15.15] "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: "By Me, there is memory and by Me, there is forgetfulness." So how Kṛṣṇa is giving forgetfulness, also memory? That means according to my desire. If I want to forget Kṛṣṇa and I want to enjoy this material world, He will give me necessary intelligence so that I can forget Kṛṣṇa for good and I can enjoy this material world very nicely.

It is not possible to enjoy this material world nicely. This is called illusion. Everyone is trying to enjoy this material world very nicely. That is illusion. There is no nice enjoyment. You can rise up to a very nice post, just like the President Kennedy. Oh, with great endeavor he rose up to that post, and all of a sudden he was shot down. So this material world is like that. You cannot have, I mean to say, undeterred, without any impediment, pleasure. No. Every step you want to enjoy material enjoyment and you have to face every step danger also. This is the process. So one who is intelligent, as it is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, kṛṣṇa ye bhaje se baḍa catura. Unless one is perfectly intelligent and perfectly cleansed, one cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So therefore guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. Kṛṣṇa is seated within everyone's heart. If we want Kṛṣṇa sincerely, and how we want Kṛṣṇa sincerely? That is the mercy of the spiritual master.

Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. He gives the instruction that "Give up all this nonsense, your material activities. Just surrender unto Me." But people are not very interested. Even open declaration by Kṛṣṇa, that "You just become surrendered unto Me. I will give you all protection from all sinful reaction. You just come to Me," but people still, they are so much attached to illusion, māyā, that they cannot do it. But the spiritual master, he is so kind that he is begging from door to door, from country to country, from town to town, "My dear ladies, my dear gentlemen, my dear boys, my dear girls, please take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So therefore he is doing very confidential service to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. He gives simply orders. But the spiritual master executes that order practically. Therefore spiritual master is so dear to Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prasādād bhāgavata-prasādaḥ. So guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja [Cc. Madhya 19.151].

So the idea is that whatever I have brought Kṛṣṇa consciousness message to your country, that is due to the grace of His Divine Grace, of my spiritual master, who is sitting here. And I am very glad that you have come here from San Francisco for your going to London mission. And in auspicious moment you have come so that there was going to be a ceremony, initiation ceremony. So it is all auspicious symptoms, and let us be situated firmly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act this missionary work, spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. That will make our life successful, and those who will take up this line of activities, they will be also very happy. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Anyone who will take this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be happy, and they will feel obliged to Me." That is stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that "When people will take this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, in every city and every town, they will feel obliged to Me." Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu said like this. We have read in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

So actually the world is feeling so much disturbed by the arrangement of…, misarrangement, not arrangement, misarrangement of the leaders of the society. They have forgotten Kṛṣṇa or God. They are thinking that by material advancement they will be happy, but that is never possible. Just try to spread this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very easy and very fact. Everyone can accept. So on this occasion, when you have come here from San Francisco prepared to go to London, so my hearty welcome to you, and please do this missionary work very nicely and Kṛṣṇa will be pleased upon you. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ [Bg. 18.69]. Anyone who is trying to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the most dear friend of Kṛṣṇa. If you want to please Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who is trying to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is My most dear friend." Na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ: [Bg. 18.69] "Nobody is so dear to Me as such person who is trying to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in the world." So you are all pledged to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. So if you take up this work seriously, Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased upon you. Thank you very much. Now you come forward, those who are to be initiated. And today there will be thread ceremony for the students who have chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa for at least one year. So I think three or four. Mukunda, Gurudāsa, Śyāmasundara, you are prepared? And Umāpati, you are also prepared? Huh?

Umāpati: Well, am I also prepared?

Prabhupāda: No, means the thread ceremony? Yes. So you come forward. Sit down. One, two, three, four. And you also. You come. Girls, you also come. You'll have that mantra, Gāyatrī mantra. Sit down. [break]

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-presthāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(disciple repeats) So what is your name?

Satyabhāmā: Kate.

Prabhupāda: Kate. So your name should be… Is there any name Satyabhāmā? Satyabhāmā? No. So her name, Satyabhāmā dāsī. S-a-t-y-a-b-h-a-m-a. Satyabhāmā dāsī. So this is the process, you know, from, beginning from here, each bead, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. And there are ten kinds of offenses. While chanting, you should avoid ten kinds of offenses. So you will get the list. And summarily I can explain that satāṁ nindā. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person will never blaspheme any person, any religious leader, who is trying to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. In any country, in any religion, anyone who has tried to spread God consciousness to the people, they are all respectable persons. Those who are atheist, those who do not believe in God or those who personally declare that "I am God," we have nothing to do with such persons. But anyone in any country who accepts God as the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28], such persons are respectable persons and we should offer our always respect to them. We have… Unnecessarily we do not want to criticize anyone. But when there is necessity, because we are preacher, it may be sometimes you'll be faced with opposite elements, so we have to criticize in that respect. Generally we don't praise or eulogize somebody or criticize somebody. That is not our business. Our business is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness, always thinking that we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.

And śruti-śāstra-nindanam. No scriptures of the world shall be decried. Any scripture which is preaching about God consciousness, that is bona fide. It may be in some scriptures information of God is not fully explained, but if the idea, target, is God, that is a scripture. So generally śruti-śāstra means Vedas, the books of knowledge. So one should not go beyond the books of knowledge, just like we are studying Bhagavad-gītā. So śruti-śāstra-nindanam. Nobody should criticize or malinterpret the statement in the scripture.

And artha-vādaḥ. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare-this should not be interpreted because this is chanting. Hare means addressing the energy of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is Lord Himself. So we are addressing, "O energy of Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, O the supreme enjoyer, and Hare, the same energy, spiritual energy." Our prayer is "Please engage me in Your service." We are all engaged in some sort of service. There is no doubt about it. But we are suffering. By rendering service to māyā, we are suffering. The māyā means the service which we offer to somebody, that somebody is not satisfied; and you are also offering service-we are not satisfied. He is not satisfied with you; you are not satisfied with him. This is called māyā. Just like recently there was postal strike. This is most important department of the state. The state is offering them salary to the best capacity; still, the postmen, they are not satisfied. And they are offering service to the state; the state is also not satisfied. So māyā's service is like that. You go on throughout whole life. There are many examples.

Just like in your country, in our country, President Kennedy, he wanted to give service to the country, but the people were not satisfied. Somebody killed him. Gandhi, whole life he engaged himself to the service of the country, but he was killed by his countrymen. This is called māyā, that you offer service somebody-he is not satisfied; you are not satisfied. Nobody is satisfied. Therefore one should be intelligent, that "What kind of service I am rendering?" The man who I am… In the family, suppose a gentleman-throughout his life he has served the family-asked his wife, "Are you satisfied?" "Oh, what you have done for me?" Asked the son. Oh, he is not satisfied. So this is called māyā.

So one should be intelligent that "Why I am wasting my time in this way, where there is no satisfaction? Therefore I must render service to Kṛṣṇa. If I render service to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied and everyone will be satisfied. And I shall be satisfied because I am also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." The same example: If you supply foodstuff to the stomach, then stomach is Kṛṣṇa. Then you are satisfied. Suppose you means individual parts. This hand is supplying sweetballs to the stomach. So this hand is satisfied; this hand also satisfied. And this head is also satisfied; the leg is also satisfied. You see? Similarly, anyone who serves Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, being satisfied… Tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam. Just (like) I pour water on the root. The branches, the leaves, the flowers, the fruits and everything, they will immediately… Pay tax to the government, central government. The tax is distributed-the education department, municipal department, this department, that department. Therefore the people are missing the center. They are trying to satisfy one another, but nobody is satisfied. And by illusion they cannot understand this mistake. Everyone is very much proud: "Oh, I am serving my country." And he does not know what somebody, his countrymen, will come and kill him. You see? He does not know that. This is māyā. So one should be intelligent to serve Kṛṣṇa. This prayer Hare Kṛṣṇa means "Kṛṣṇa, I am so much harassed by this service of this māyā. Now please engage me in Your service." This is our prayer. And as soon as I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, then I will be satisfied, Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied, and the whole world will be satisfied. So nobody should interpret any other way. This is direct meaning. Nāmna artha-vādaḥ. Or to imagine some meaning. No imagination. It is all direct interpretation or direct meaning.

Then, nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. One should not commit sin. The four principle sins, we have several times repeated. Again we are repeated, that all sins are based on four principle headings: illicit sex life, and nonvegetarian diet, gambling and intoxication. It is very scientific. If one can avoid these four principles of sinful activities he becomes pure. He hasn't got to do much. If these four principles are followed, he will never touch any sinful activity. But if somebody thinks that "Because I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and by chanting I become free from all sinful reaction, therefore let me do all nonsense," no, that is the greatest sin. Nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. That is to be avoided.

And sāmyam śubha-kriyā mati-pramādaḥ. Just like we are having this function. There are many auspicious functions in every religious system, but it is not like that. It is transcendental. It is spiritual. It is not ordinary religious rituals. Chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is not a ritualistic method. It is transcendental. It is natural, original relationship. So this should be avoided. And the conception of realizing oneself as this body, self-realization. No. That should be avoided. And one should not be inattentive while chanting. In this way ten kinds of offenses… Of course, in the beginning we have got… Because our life is contaminated, there may be so many falldowns, but we should be careful. The more we become careful, the more we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa without any offense, the more we quickly become advanced. Just like a person taking medicine, if he takes all care, then the medicine effects very quickly and the disease is cured very quickly, similarly, if we take precaution of these ten kinds of offenses… Of course, by chanting, gradually everything will be cleared, but still, we must be very cautious. Even we fall down, that, Kṛṣṇa will save us if we are sincere.

So these ten kinds of offenses should be avoided and at least sixteen rounds you must chant. All the Gosvāmīs in Vṛndāvana, they had a limited, not limited, a number, fixed, that "So many times I shall chant." So we are offering only minimum of sixteen rounds. That, it will take, sixteen rounds, it will take about, utmost, three hours. So you should… Out of twenty-four hours, you should engage at least three hours for chanting. So then this is the beginning of initiation, and those who have chanted at least for one year, then the next initiation is to offer him Gāyatrī mantra. Some of the students, boys and girls, will be offered this Gāyatrī mantra. And when the Gāyatrī mantra is offered men, they are offered also sacred thread, and girls, they are not offered sacred thread. If their husband is a brāhmaṇa, she automatically becomes brāhmaṇa because wife is considered to be the half, better half. She is the better portion. So she automatically becomes better brāhmaṇa (laughter). So better brāhmaṇa does not require any thread. There is a Bengali proverb, ya va nauket poiyete darkana naya (?). The proverb is that in India if one has got sacred thread, he is immediately understood that he must be belonging to the higher caste, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, or vaiṣya. But if somebody knows that he is brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya, he doesn't require to show the sacred thread. Similarly, the wives of brāhmaṇa is already known that he (she) is brāhmaṇa, so she does not require to show the sacred thread. So don't be sorry because you will not be offered the sacred thread. That's all right.

Now let us perform this yajña. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Like this, eight, nine, ten. Do it again. (Ceremony continues, Prabhupāda recites Gāyatrī mantra, Gurudāsa repeating) So this mantra, morning, evening, and noon recite. (end)

680729IN.MON

Initiation of Bali-mardana Dāsā

Montreal, July 29, 1968

Prabhupāda: Two brahmacārīs will be initiated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You can come forward. Yes. [break] …means the beginning and the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because at the present moment we are merged into non-Kṛṣṇa consciousness… (aside:) Oh, this sound, down. No, in this.

Girl: Speaker.

Haṁsadūta: Oh, that speaker.

Prabhupāda: All right, you… Let your… Beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness means first of all faith. Ādau śraddhā: "The beginning is faith." What is that faith? Faith means firm conviction that "If I become transcendentally engaged in the service of the Lord, then my life becomes successful." This is called faith. And that conviction must be firm, not tottering faith. So when this faith is created, then actually the initiation begins. Otherwise initiation is not accepted. Kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. When one is firmly convinced that "If I be engaged in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa…" When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, we should know, speak of God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So this firm conviction is the beginning of initiation. The Bhagavad-gītā teaches this firm conviction gradually. And ultimately the Lord says, Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "My dear Arjuna, you give up all other engagement. Just be engaged in My service or be engaged in executing My order." "Then what about other things?" Kṛṣṇa assures, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. If somebody thinks that "If I give up all other engagements and simply be engaged in Your service, to carry out Your order, then what about my other engagements? I have got so many other duties. I am engaged in my family affairs, I am engaged in my social affairs, I am engaged in my country's affairs, community affairs, so many things, my… Then what about those things?" Kṛṣṇa says that "That I will see, how you can do it properly." Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was a military man. So Kṛṣṇa said that "You give up all your engagements." That did not mean that Kṛṣṇa…, Arjuna gave up his engagement as a military man. To give up all other engagements means to give up the engagements of your sense gratification. Instead of… At the present moment, with all our activities we are trying to gratify our senses. That's all. And surrender to Kṛṣṇa means the beginning of satisfying the senses of Kṛṣṇa. That is called bhakti. This is the definition of bhakti. What is that bhakti? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. One has to become free from all designations. So long we are in the material conditional life, we have got various designations-"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am this," "I am that," so many designations, "I am nationalist," "I am Communist," "I am socialist," so many designations. So sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66], means you have to give up the designations. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Now I am thinking, "I am nationalist," "I am Communist," "I am American," "I am Indian." So I have to give up these designations. And what I have to think? There must be thinking. I am not stopping my thinking what I am. That is indicated in the Vedas. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That aham, my identity, is not lost, but at the present moment I am thinking that "I am this, I am that," but you have to think, you have to identify with Brahman, the Supreme Brahman. And when you identify with the Supreme Brahman, that is your liberated stage. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. When you identify yourself with Brahman, then at once you become free from all these designative activities, prasannātmā: "Oh, I have no more any duty in this material world." In this way, when you make further progress,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

So when one, after being freed from all designation, when one is actually engaged in the activities of Brahman, that is called bhakti, or devotional service. So initiation means to be engaged in that Brahman activities. How Brahman activities? The same example can be cited, that Arjuna remained active, engaged in the battlefield, but in the beginning his identification was with his country, family, and so many other things. But later on, after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, he identified himself with Kṛṣṇa. This identification with Kṛṣṇa means beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So ādau śraddhā, when one becomes firmly convinced that "By becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious or being engaged in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, my life is successful, life will be successful," that is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or initiation. It is a stage. We have to go further and further till the stage of perfection. But initiation is the beginning. Ādau śraddhā. When one is firmly convinced, then he makes association with the devotees. Just like we have got this society, International Society for Krishna Consciousness. We are picking up persons who desire to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is a society.

So firm conviction, then association. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅga. Unless there is good association, you cannot be strong enough. In every field of activities you must have good association, either in business field, or if you want to be licentious, then you have to mix with persons who are drunkards. So association has got some strength. If you want to become scholars, then you have to associate with scholarly persons in the university. And if you want to be a thief, then you have to find out the association of the thieves. Similarly, if you want to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you have to find out persons who are Kṛṣṇa conscious. So firm conviction, then association. After association, the next stage is regulated life for following the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is called initiation. Or initiation from the very beginning. This is called dīkṣā. The Sanskrit term is called dīkṣā. Dīkṣā means… Di, divya-jñānam, transcendental knowledge, and kṣā, ikṣā. Ikṣā means darśana, to see, or kṣapayati, explain. That is called dīkṣā. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅga. First faith, then association, then beginning of regulative principles. And if one follows, then the next promotion is to the stage of anartha-nivṛtti, disappearance of all misgivings. Just like in our association we don't allow four kinds of sinful activities: illicit sex life, nonvegetarian diet, intoxication, and gambling. So by following the regulative principles one becomes freed from all these sinful activities. He does not any more indulge in illicit sex life, he does not indulge in nonvegetarian diet, he does not indulge in intoxication and he does not indulge in gambling. That is called anartha-nivṛtti. Unless one is above these four kinds of anartha, or sinful activities, one cannot be fixed up. When one is free from these four kinds of sinful activities, then he becomes fixed up. Ruci. Niṣṭhā, fixed up, and then ruci. Ruci means he increases the taste. Then āsakti. Āsakti means attachment. Then ecstasy, bhāva. Then the last stage is that he becomes a lover of Kṛṣṇa, and that loving stage of Kṛṣṇa, there are different stages: śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, mādhurya. The highest stage is the loving affairs between Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs. Of course, that is postgraduate stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but that stage is considered to be the most perfectional stage, how to love Kṛṣṇa in the bhāva, or in the position, of a gopī.

So two boys who are now ready to be initiated, my request to all, especially to boys who are just going to be initiated, that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is authorized because, even taking it for granted that it has begun from Kṛṣṇa, then it is at least five thousand years old. Kṛṣṇa appeared on this planet five thousand years ago. So if you take history of any religious or any cultural program within this world, no religion, no cultural program is older than 2,000 years or 2,500 years. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, even according to history, it is five thousand years old, the older than any principles of religion or culture. And if you go above historical references, then it is coming down from millions and millions of years past, because it was first instructed, as we understand from the Bhagavad-gītā, that it was first instructed to Sūrya. Imaṁ vivasvate proktam: "I first of all spoke this science to Vivasvān, Sūrya." Sūrya means sun-god. So nobody can trace out history when sun-god took the lessons, but we can have little information from Manu-saṁhitā, because Manu's age, Vivasvān… This age is called Vaivasvata Manu. So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that first of all this initiation was given by Kṛṣṇa to Vaivasvata, and he instructed his son, whose name is Vaivasvata Manu. So Vaivasvata Manu, by calculation we can understand forty millions of years ago… So this is not a new system that we are introducing or manufacturing by our concocted imagination, but it is authorized, coming down by disciplic succession from time immemorial. It may be that in this country it is being introduced for the last two or three years, but this system is the oldest system, oldest system, just like we are nityaḥ śāśvataḥ purāṇaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the soul is eternal and Purāṇa. Purāṇa means the oldest. Purāṇa. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is also said, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyam purāṇa-puruṣam [Bs. 5.33]. So Kṛṣṇa is also the oldest. Either Kṛṣṇa or the living creatures, all of them are the oldest because they have no death, no birth. There is no history. Na jāyate na mriyate. Bhagavad-gītā says that the living entity, what to speak of God… They say, "God is dead." This is all nonsense. What to speak of God, even these living creatures, they are not dead. The death program is for this body, just like changing, changing the body, er, changing the dress. So if one changes one dress or apartment, that does not mean that he is dead. Similarly, if we change this body to another body… As we are changing our body constantly, every moment, similarly, if we change this body to another body, that does not mean death. So death is not accepted in the Vedic literature. So either God or the living creature, nobody dies. Every one is eternal, śāśvata purāṇa. Similarly, as we are the oldest and eternal; similarly this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also the oldest and eternal. [break]

So initiation means now we are in the consciousness of this body, which is never eternal, temporary. So we are going to Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are going to our eternal consciousness. We are changing from the temporary, bodily consciousness to the eternal consciousness. This is the sum and substance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And we invite all ladies and gentlemen to come to our classes. We hold our classes three days in a week-Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So everyone is welcome, and everyone can inquire and understand the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if one is fortunate enough to understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is, then his life will be perfect and successful.

(to initiates:) Now you come forward. [break] Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then again, one round, er, one bead, sixteen names. Then second bead. In this way finish 108, come here. Begin from here, again come there. In this way, finish sixteen rounds. And so far offenses, I will explain later on and you will get paper. So what is your name?

Bill: Bill.

Prabhupāda: So your spiritual name is Bali-mardana dāsa. Take it. Just bow down. Nama…

Bali-mardana:

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

(repeats twice more)

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Come on. Be happy. Bali-mardana dāsa. B-a-l-i m-a-r-d-a-n. Bali-mardana dāsa brahmacārī. Bali-mardana means Kṛṣṇa's name. Kṛṣṇa, as Vāmanadeva, he punished Bali Mahārāja by capturing his whole kingdom. Mardana means punishment. And after all, Bali Mahārāja became an authority because he showed the example of surrendering everything, sarvātma-snapane, even his body. First of all he gave his kingdom. Then, when it was not finished, then Kṛṣṇa demanded Vāmanadeva that "You have finished all your kingdom. Still you are debtor for one step, another. Where shall I keep another step?" So Bali Mahārāja said, "Yes. I have got still place on my head. You can place Your step on my head." So he delivered his kingdom, his everything, at last his body, and Kṛṣṇa became purchased by him. And since then, Bali Mahārāja is one of the twelve authorities.

svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ

kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ

prahlādo janako bhīṣmo

balir vaiyāsakir vayam

[SB 6.3.20]

So Bali is… Bali-mardana does not mean that he was… Because he was punished by Kṛṣṇa, he is not ordinary person; he is authority. So even a person punished by Kṛṣṇa becomes authority. Kṛṣṇa is so nice. What to speak of a person who is directly loved by Kṛṣṇa, even one is punished by Kṛṣṇa, he becomes authority. So therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Bali-mardana. And Bali-mardana dāsa means Kṛṣṇa dāsa, one who is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Is that clear? Yes. [break] (japa) So that list you have not made, offenses, ten kinds of…?

Haṁsadūta: Not yet. No.

Prabhupāda: Why? You do that. They should be given that. You should avoid chanting, every one of you, ten kinds of offenses. The first offense is to decry the scriptures, Vedas. To accept authority of Vedas. Not to accept or decrying scriptures. Vedas means the book of transcendental knowledge. Not only Bhagavad-gītā, even Bible or Koran, they are also, although Bhagavad-gītā… Higher or secondary or primary, that is different. But whenever there is information of God, that is scripture, recognized. So we are concerned with the Vedas. So anyway, other scripture which is giving information of God scientifically or accepted by persons, that is also Vedas. One should not blaspheme the Vedas. This is first offense, to blaspheme. And satāṁ nindā, those who are preaching the message of God, they should not be blasphemed. And then never interpret in the scriptures or in the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. And sāmya śubha-kriyā mati-pramādaḥ. This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa should not be executed as something auspicious activities. People generally go to church, to temple, to counteract their sinful activities. Somebody thinks actually that "If I go to church or temple, if I confess before God, then my sinful activities will be counteracted." But hari-nāma should not be taken in that way. If we think that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa; therefore I am free to commit all kinds of nonsense," then no. Then we will not be able to make progress. Sāmya śubha-kriyā mati-pramādaḥ. And nāmna artha-vāda. And while chanting, to think of ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8], moha, this world as "mine," "I am this body," and without attention, inattentive, to become inattentive… While chanting, you must hear. Hare Kṛṣṇa-you must give attention to hear. In this way there is paper. You will take from your Godbrothers ten kinds of offenses. If you avoid the offenses, then you make very good progress of chanting. You get good result. The first stage is chanting with offenses. That is natural, because nobody is expert. The second stage is without offenses. When one can chant without offenses, then he becomes liberated. And the third stage is to achieve in the transcendental platform in the loving service of the Lord. So this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that it will gradually elevate you to the highest position. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

680815IN.MON

Initiation of Rukmiṇī Dāsī

Montreal, August 15, 1968

(Tape begins with Prabhupāda chanting "Prayers of Queen Kuntī" by himself in Sanskrit. When Yamunā starts kīrtana with "Hare Kṛṣṇa," Prabhupāda stops her, saying, "Vandanam. Vandanam. Prayer. Prayer." Then Prabhupāda leads them in Vande 'ham. At end of prayer, Prabhupāda says, "Chant," and Yamunā starts leading Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana. Prabhupāda chants prayers to the six Gosvāmīs by himself.)

Prabhupāda:

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī

dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

You can get up. Can anyone follow on the harmonium, this? Mukunda, you can follow. (sings)

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī

dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

(Prabhupāda continues playing karatālas while speaking) This today, a devotee is being initiated, so we are praying to the lotus feet of the six Gosvāmīs, who inaugurated this movement under the instruction of Lord Śrī Caitanya. Who are they? Śrī rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. Just try to chant these six names. (sings) (devotees chant) Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. Repeat. Again. Rūpa, sanātana, two, vande rūpa-sanātanau, raghu-yugau. There were two Raghunāthas. One Raghunātha Bhaṭṭācārya and one Raghunātha dāsa. Two Raghunāthas, and Rūpa, Sanātana. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. (chants first verse again) So what was their business? Kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. Always engaged in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana. Hare Kṛṣṇa means Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. Nartana means dancing. So chanting and dancing. That was their business. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. And Kṛṣṇa kīrtana, whenever one is merged in Kṛṣṇa kīrtana, that means he is merged into the ocean of love of Kṛṣṇa. That should be the test. As soon as "Kṛṣṇa," this sound is vibrated, one immediately becomes merged into the ocean of love. That is the sign of pure devotion. Immediately. So these Gosvāmīs, they… Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. They merged immediately into the ocean of love of God. (sings) Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī, dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau. And these Gosvāmīs were dear both to the devotees and nondevotees. Not that they were simply liked by the devotees, but nondevotees also liked them. That was their position. A devotee's position is ajāta-śatru, he has no enemy. He has no enemy. Ajāta-śatru. Nirmatsara, nirmatsara means because they are not envious. A devotee is always open to everyone. There is no question of discrimination, that "This person should be allowed to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and this person should not be allowed." No. In the material platform there is difference, high, low, man, woman, this or that. But in the spiritual platform there is no such difference. Therefore they were nonenvious, nirmatsara, and because they were nonenvious, pūjitau, pūjitau means they are worshipable. A person should be worshipable because he's nonenvious. Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau, such kind of position can be attained by one who has acquired the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantāra. And such person can deliver the suffering humanity from this material contamination. Therefore we offer our respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, Rūpa, Sanātana, two Raghunāthas, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, and Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. Repeat.

nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau

lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau tri-bhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

(Śrīla Prabhupāda continues playing karatālas while speaking) Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau, they were expert in scrutinizingly studying all the scriptures. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau. Nipuṇau means expert. Why? Sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. To establish real religion in the world. Real religion. Just yesterday we have received one letter from Mr. Renovate, Vancouver. He says that the Canadians, they want real religion. That's very good, encouraging. Anyone, if he is anxious to have real religion, for him this is the best thing, this kṛṣṇa-kīrtana-gāna-nartana. So without religion, human society is nothing but animal society. It is simply polished animalism. So these Gosvāmīs, they made so many books to guide us. You have read Rūpa Gosvāmī's Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. That is the first direction in the line. So they always worked very hard, day and night. Their business was writing books or chanting and dancing. And other necessities, eating, sleeping, mating and fearing, they practically abolished. There was no question of mating, there was no question of fearing. And sleeping, they used to sleep utmost one and a half hour daily in twenty-four hours. And eating, that is also practically nil. When they felt hungry they would go to some householder's home and beg one capati or two capatis. That's all. Finished. So nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau. Why? Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. The mission of saintly persons is simply to think how this suffering humanity will become happy by spiritual consciousness. That is their business. They are not for exploiting. The whole material world is trying… One man is trying to exploit another; one nation is trying to exploit another nation; one society is trying to… This is struggle for existence. They have invented this law that "Might is right." You struggle, and if you are powerful… Just like there is now struggle between Russia and America, or China and America. This is going on. So everyone is suffering. The struggle for existence means a condition of suffering. And these saintly persons, devotees of Kṛṣṇa, not only devotees of Kṛṣṇa, any devotee of God, they are, their business is to see how people become happy. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. Therefore, tribhuvane mānyau. The devotees are worshiped not only in this planet but in other planets also-wherever they will go.

There is a nice verse in Cāṇakya Paṇḍita… Vidvatvāṁ ca nṛpatyāṁ ca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana. He says that a rich man and a learned man cannot be compared. There is no comparison. Why? Because sva-deśe pūjyate rājan vidvān sarvatra pūjyate. A rich man may be honored in his own country but a learned man, a devotee of God, he will be honored wherever he goes. Sva-deśe pūjyate rājan vidvān sarvatra pūjyate. So this is the position of devotee. Therefore a devotee, wherever he goes he'll be honored. Therefore a devotee has no distinction whether it is heaven or hell, because Kṛṣṇa is with him either in heaven or hell. So where there is Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of hell. It is Vaikuṇṭha. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he did not enter Jagannātha temple at Purī. He thought himself, that "I am born in Muhammadan family. These Hindus, they're against any Muhammadans entering the temple. Why shall I go and disturb them? I shall chant here." So Jagannātha Himself was coming daily to him. This is the power of devotee. He hasn't got to go to Jagannātha, but Jagannātha comes to see him. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to come daily to Haridāsa Ṭhākura. When He was going to take bath in the sea, so He would first of all enter Haridāsa's cottage: "Haridāsa, what you are doing?" "Yes, my Lord, please come." So this is the position of devotee. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhakta-pūjyābhyadhikaḥ. If somebody worships a devotee, that worshipment is more valuable than worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says like that.

So this is a process… Vaiṣṇava process is paramparā process. So today this nice girl is going to be initiated. She must learn this science, this very nice science, and you all Godbrothers and sisters will help her. Anyone who is trying to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, he should be given or she should be given all kinds of facilities. You'll be glad to learn that our Hayagrīva brahmacārī, he is taking one land in West Virginia, 136 acres of land. So I've advised him to develop it into New Vrindaban. So I have got today his letter, the document he is preparing through the lawyer. So it is also a nice project. If by Kṛṣṇa's desire we can develop a center just exactly prototype of Vṛndāvana, it will be very nice. Those American boys and girls who cannot go so long distance, 14,000 miles, they will have facility. So Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facilities. Simply we have to be very sincere and everything will be done nicely.

So let us begin our today's business. (to initiate:) So you come forward. Yes. Take little water, one glass and spoon. This is too big. All right, take it. You know how to do it? Take little water, one, two, three, then four. Do it like that. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees chant japa) (Prabhupāda leads devotees in chanting oṁ apavitraḥ three times) Now again do that. Three times. Again chant. That door is closed? [break] The purport of this mantra is that if anyone is impure, apavitraḥ… Pavitraḥ means pure. Anyone, either he is pure or impure, it doesn't matter. Apavitraḥ pavitraḥ vā sarvāvasthām. In any condition of life, it doesn't matter. Pure or impure, there are two conditions. Someone is impure, someone is pure. So either way, namo apavitraḥ pavitro, sarvāvasthām, in any condition, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam. Anyone who remembers puṇḍarīkākṣam, means Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa… Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa, that person, bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ, he immediately becomes clean inside and outside. Śuciḥ, śuciḥ means clean or śuciḥ means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means clean. You have got all threads, so you should always prove that you are always clean. Bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. So this is remembering Viṣṇu. So simply by remembering Viṣṇu, if one becomes clean inside and outside, so by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, how much purified he is becoming in every moment or every second. It is so nice. There is no question if we always keep ourselves chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, so there is no chance of being contaminated by the influence of māyā. It is so nice.

Now you chant, I'll say, you repeat. (chants prayers for fire sacrifices, devotees respond) Thank you. Chant you Hare Kṛṣṇa. Right hand, not left hand. Keep forward your right hand. Yes. (Prabhupāda chants japa) So you have seen how I'm chanting? You'll begin from this bigger one. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then take another, in this way, come to this end, again begin from here, come to this end. In this way, chant sixteen rounds at least. At least. [break] …principles of restriction. The more you follow the restriction, the more you become advanced. These things are required. And you try to avoid ten kinds of offenses. That offenses? The paper is not there? The ten kinds of offenses.

Guest: Easy Journey to Other Planets.

Prabhupāda: Other planets? Offenses, ten kinds of offenses to be avoided. You have got that?

Haṁsadūta: We will give her a list.

Prabhupāda: All right. So the first offense is satāṁ-nindā. No devotee shall be blasphemed. Satāṁ-nindaṁ śruti-śāstra-nindanam, no scriptures should be defiled. Satāṁ-nindaṁ śruti-śāstra-nindanam tathārtha-vādo hari-nāmni kalpanam. And never make any interpretation. Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, somebody may make interpretation. There is no interpretation. The direct meaning is that we are praying Kṛṣṇa and His energy to accept me in the society of His service. This is the simple… There is no other interpretation. Or artha-vādaḥ. And sāmya-śubha-kriyā-pramādaḥ, one should not accept chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa with some, something śubha-kriyā. Just like generally the materialist persons, they go to churches or temple just to become purified of their sinful activities. Just like in Christian religion it is the custom, what is called? Confession. So we should not (be) like that. It is not confession. Confession means I confess that I have done this sinful act, and as soon as I come out from the church I do it again. No. We should know that all sinful activities are washed off by chanting, but that does not mean we shall commit it again. Whatever we have done, that is washed off. Now we should be careful. And that four principles-no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, and no gambling, no intoxication-you try and follow. You must follow. As you are taking this mantra, you must now follow. Whatever is done is done. Finished. And we, we allow marriage. So there is no restriction. One can marry. But no illicit sex. So these four principles should be followed, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be pleased. Be more beautiful within and without. You are beautiful girl, so… You are all beautiful. So become beautiful within also. Kṛṣṇa will accept. Kṛṣṇa can accept any number of beautiful girls. (laughs) Unlimitedly. Just see. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam [Bs. 5.29]. Lakṣmī. The beautiful girls are called goddess of fortune. Actually, woman is considered as goddess of fortune, representative of goddess of fortune. We are misusing for sense gratification. No. They should be respected as goddess of fortune. If one man has got nice wife, actually he has got goddess of fortune. That is astrological calculation. A man is considered to be fortunate in three ways. If he has got good wife then he is fortunate. If he has got good son then he is fortunate. And if he has got plenty money he is fortunate. So these three standards of fortune, out of which, one who has got good wife, he is the most fortunate. So our society will try to make good wives so that the boys, all boys, should, can think himself always fortunate. If one has got good wife, any place, doesn't matter. Either under… Just like Lord Śiva, he was living underneath the tree. There is no shelter, but he had the good wife, Pārvatī, so he was happy. So whenever you like, we shall select any brahmacārī. But don't have illicit sex. Marriage is allowed. I take personally care of marriage. I want this society must be cleansed. Without being cleansed, nobody can advance in spiritual consciousness. So what is your name?

Devotee: Wendy.

Prabhupāda: Your present name? What is that? Wendy. So is there any name Rukmiṇī in our list?

Devotees: Oh! (laughs)

Prabhupāda: So you may be called Rukmiṇī devī. And some day you may be kidnapped by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa kidnapped Rukmiṇī. Rukmiṇī was very beautiful, qualified, Lakṣmī. So his (her) father liked that Rukmiṇī should be given to Kṛṣṇa. And his (her) brother liked that she should be handed over to another boy. So Rukmiṇī sent one letter to Kṛṣṇa, that "Although I've not seen You, but I've heard of Your activities. So I am attached to You. Now some nonsense is coming to marry me." [break] Just see, how nice it is (laughs). And we eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda, we enjoy the Kṛṣṇa. What is this nonsense, ahaṁ brahman, Brahman? "I am stone." What is the difference? If somebody thinks, "I am stone," and if somebody says, "I am Brahman. I am void," so what is the difference between stone and void? The same thing. Why should we become stone and wood? We shall, we should reciprocate loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa. Mādhavī-latā? How many pictures you have done? You have seen Mādhavī-latā's picture? That picture is painted by Mādhavī-latā. Yes, she is good painter. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Why you have stopped? Yes, always chant. Chant loudly. (fire sacrifice continues) All bow down. (devotees offer obeisances) Now chant. "Govinda Jaya Jaya." Chant. Chant and dance. (Prabhupāda leads kīrtana) (prema-dhvanī)

Devotee: Will you always be our spiritual master?

Prabhupāda: I don't follow. What do you say?

Devotee: Will you be our spiritual master for eternity?

Prabhupāda: I think so. (laughs) Whatever we do here, it is for eternity because it is not on the material stages. It is all on the spiritual platform. There is a song by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, cakhu-dān dilo yei janme janme pitā sei: "One who has opened the eyes, he is, birth after birth, he is my father."

Devotee: Oh, that is… Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Cakhu-dān dilo yei. Cakhu-dān means one who has opened the eyes, that is spiritual master. Janme janme pitā sei. Janme janme means birth after birth, he is my father. All right, distribute prasādam. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Oh, the whole thing? (laughs) All right. Give him. (devotees chanting japa) [break] You are not taking? Take more. Oh, where is Mādhavī-latā? Why you are in the back side? Come on, take more. Come here. You are not taking more? Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa. Yes.

Yamunā: Rukmiṇī devī gave that to you.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Very good. What is this?

Yamunā: It's a shawl for around your neck in the cold weather.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Yamunā: She made it.

Prabhupāda: Very good. Very nice. Thank you.

Rukmiṇī: I'll give it to Govinda dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Govinda… [break] (end)

680905IN.NY

Initiation of Hṛṣīkeśa Dāsā

and Marriage of Satsvarūpa and Jadurāṇī

New York, September 5, 1968

Prabhupāda: And where is that boy, Hṛṣīkeśa?

Devotee: Hṛṣīkeśa.

Prabhupāda: Come on. Oh, he has shaved his face. Very nice. Sit down. [break] Today we have got two functions. One function is initiation of a brahmacārī, and another function is marriage ceremony of our one disciple Satsvarūpa brahmacārī and Jadurāṇī brahmacāriṇī. [break] …Caitanya-bhāgavata there is a verse which says, gṛhe vā vanete thāke, hā gaurāṅga bole ḍāke. The purport is that either if you remain in household life or you remain as mendicant in the forest, in either case, you just become a devotee of Lord Caitanya. So although we have four divisions of the social orders, namely the brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa… Brahmacārī means student, strictly observing life of celibacy, following the rules and regulations enunciated by the spiritual master under strict discipline. That is called brahmacārī. And next is that if a brahmacārī wants to get himself married, that is allowed. So when a brahmacārī is married, he is called gṛhastha, or householder. But because a brahmacārī is trained from the very beginning of his life renunciation of material enjoyment, he cannot be absorbed like ordinary man in family life. Ordinary man, they cannot give up the family life or association of woman even up to the end of life. But according to Vedic system, association of woman is allowed only for a certain period, during the youthful days only, just to beget nice children. Because from the age of twenty-five years old up to fifty years, one can beget nice children. Gṛhastha life, householder life, is meant for begetting nice children. If there are Kṛṣṇa conscious children in the society, there will be no disturbance. According to Vedic system, the population is divided into two divisions. Illegitimate sons are called varṇa-saṅkara. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that when the population becomes varṇa-saṅkara, the whole social situation becomes hellish. Actually that is the fact. So one should be very careful to beget nice children so that society, social order, political order will be calm, quiet, peaceful. That is the idea of gṛhastha life. And many devotees… There are twelve selected personalities who are considered to be the authority of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Out of twelve authorities, seven authorities were all gṛhasthas, householders. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's associates, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara, and Śrīvāsa, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, they were all householders. So it is not that simply sannyāsī or brahmacārī can realize Kṛṣṇa consciousness and not the householders. No.

So in our association we welcome this sort of marriage between trained brahmacārī and brahmacāriṇī so that we can welcome nice children for future Kṛṣṇa conscious generation. That is our viewpoint. So… And initiation… Initiation means to begin spiritual life. According to Vedic culture, there are two births. One birth is from the gṛhastha parents, father and mother, and the other birth is between the spiritual master and Vedas. The Vedic knowledge is considered mother, and the spiritual master is considered the father. And by the help of the spiritual master, when one gets into transcendental knowledge, that is called second birth. So janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ: "Everyone is born śūdra." Śūdra means without any culture. They are called śūdras. According to Vedic scriptures, there are four classes of men: brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras. Out of these four classes of social order, the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas are considered higher caste. Brāhmaṇas means the most intelligent class of men in the society, and kṣatriya means the administrative class of men, and vaiśyas means the mercantile class of men, and śūdras means the laborer class of men. That division is everywhere, not only in India. These four classes of men are present in every country, every society. It may be in different names only, but the four divisions are already there everywhere. It cannot be without it. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam [Bg. 4.13]. These four classes of divisions are there according to different qualities, and Kṛṣṇa says, or God says, "That is My creation." So there cannot be any exception of His creation. Just like God's creation is sun. In every country there is sun, not that the sun can be seen in India. In every country there is moon. Similarly, this caste system is present in every country, in every society, but it may be called in different names. So the śūdras means the lowest class of men, who have no culture, but the higher classes, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, they are considered highly cultured. And how they are called highly cultured? Because they are twice-born. First birth, janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. Saṁskārāt, by following this ritualistic ceremony of initiation or marriage, they are called dvija, twice-born. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijo veda-pāthād bhaved vipraḥ. This initiation means this boy is being accepted as initiated in order to give him Vedic instruction so that he may live as a student, as a brahmacārī, within the society and get complete instruction of Vedic knowledge. And when he is competent, he is called vipra. Veda-pāthād bhaved vipro brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. And when he realizes the Supreme Self, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he will be called brāhmaṇa. At that time we offer thread ceremony.

So this process are there, we are observing, and our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is gradually making progress with these principles. We have got already eleven branches, and one of our principal students, Śrīman Hayagrīva Brahmacārī and Kīrtanānanda Swami, they are attempting to open a new social community project in West Virginia, New Vrindaban. So this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is taking ground gradually, and we hope in future these gṛhasthas, these householders, vānaprasthas, sannyāsīs, they will implement this Vedic culture gradually, and people will be more and more happy. Thank you very much.

So one thing I forgot is the sacred thread ceremony for Hayagrīva. He is present. Is there any? I think in my bag there is a thread, so Hayagrīva can also. Oh, here. You have that mantra?

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ? And one thread? Bring. Hayagrīva?

Devotees: Hayagrīva? Hayagrīva.

Prabhupāda: Now, where is water? These garlands may be first of all put here, then one to the bridegroom and to the… [break] (oṁ apavitraḥ recitation) Again do that. Yes, chant. Those who are initiated, chant, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma… I forgot to say you about the thread ceremony. Those who have passed one year's chanting, they can be offered this sacred thread. [break] …first of all. Everyone has done? (ācamana) You have done second time. You have done second time? Then you do second time, you. Hṛṣīkeśa.

Kīrtanānanda: They have done it twice, all of them.

Prabhupāda: They have done now? Oh. (oṁ apavitraḥ recitation) Yes. Do it for the third time, circle. (oṁ apavitraḥ recitation, followed by maṅgalācaraṇa and other prayers) Now… Yes. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (all chanting japa) You have… You can sit down. You are going? She is going? Your mother is going? Call her. Now we shall, function. Please sit down. [break] Come to this end, 108, then begin from here, again come to this side. In this way at least sixteen rounds you chant. And your spiritual name is already Hṛṣīkeśa. That's all right. And further instruction you'll have from Kīrtanānanda Swami and your Godbrother. So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Oh, is that, that…?

Devotee: (indistinct) neck beads.

Prabhupāda: Now Judy's mother, you can come here, Judy's mother.

Jadurāṇī: She can sit on the chair.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That's all right. Give her chair here.

Jadurāṇī: Oh, all right.

Prabhupāda: Sit down there. You sit down. Satsvarūpa, you sit down, this…

Satsvarūpa: Sit down here.

Prabhupāda: No. Yes. Sit down. Sit down there. Now your daughter is being married with this brahmacārī. Now you can offer this brahmacārī-his name is Satsvarūpa-that "This girl was in my charge so long. I give this daughter to you in charity to take charge." You tell like that.

Jadurāṇī's mother: I've had this daughter with me for so long. I now give her in your charge.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And you say, "Yes, I take charge."

Satsvarūpa: Yes. I take charge.

Jadurāṇī's mother: Then take here.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Then you say that "Jadurāṇī, I take charge of your life so long I shall live," in this way.

Satsvarūpa: Jadurāṇī, I take charge of your life so long I shall live.

Prabhupāda: And you say that "I shall render my services unto you throughout my life. Throughout my life." Yes.

Jadurāṇī: I shall render my service to you throughout my life.

Prabhupāda: And there is no separation. It is… There is no question of divorce or separation. In any condition of life, happiness or distress, you shall continue as husband and wife, because our main business is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This marriage is not material marriage for sense gratification. But because there are girls and boys and we require also Kṛṣṇa conscious population, therefore we encourage this marriage. It is not for sense gratification. So in this way there is no question of separation or divorce. You admit this? Yes. You also admit this? Then you change your garland.

Devotees: Haribol. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Now you come this side; you come this side. Yes. And there is red, red sindhu? No? Red sindhu? No?

Brahmānanda: There is a ring.

Prabhupāda: There is a ring? All right. Give her this ring and now just cover the head. You cover. You cover the head. And somebody stuck up this, his cloth and his (her) cloth. Knot. Make a knot. You make. Yes. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break] Godbrothers and sister, give them good wishes.

Devotees: Haribol! Haribol! All glories to Satsvarūpa and Jadurāṇī! Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Prabhupāda: Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (chants) Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Boston center is in your charge, husband and wife. So you have to develop. You do it, and your children will do it. In this way just engage fully, heart and soul, in Kṛṣṇa's service. Oh, this is mixed?

Brahmānanda: No, it's not.

Prabhupāda: Bring that. Mix it. Mix it. Yes, mix it. (oṁ apavitraḥ recitation-fire sacrifice) Offer. Svāhā. Take. Everyone, you also take, little, little, some. Vande aham… (recites maṅgalācaraṇa and prayers again, with devotees repeating) Now take one banana. Give him one. Yes, you take one. He'll give. Hayagrīva. Give Hayagrīva one. Give me one. Yes. Now turn(?) down. Yes. (chants namo brahmaṇya-devāya prayer three times) Just put slowly. (chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra responsively with devotees two times) Now bow down.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(devotees offer obeisances) Chant govinda jaya jaya, gopāla jaya jaya. (kīrtana-Prabhupāda recites Gāyatrī to Hayagrīva during kīrtana) (prema-dhvanī by Śrīla Prabhupāda) All glories to the married couples. Now distribute prasāda. [break] …in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness every function is happy?

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is there, reservoir of all pleasure. Why it should not be happy? Everything should be happy. Where is your spot, black?

Hṛṣīkeśa: Oh, he didn't give it to me yet.

Prabhupāda: Somebody may take these bananas, cut into pieces and distribute. (end)

681020I2.SEA

Initiation

Seattle, October 20, 1968

(kīrtana, etc.)

Prabhupāda: (leads prayers for fire sacrifice) Vande 'ham…, svāhā. Why left hand? Right hand. Svāhā. Svāhā. (chants standard fire sacrifice prayers with devotees' response) Now stand up with this banana.

go brahmaṇya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo namaḥ

(chants twice with response) Put this banana like this. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. (chants twice with response) Now bow down.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

All right.

Devotees: Jaya. Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Now you chant. You chant. Hare Kṛṣṇa, chant.

Young woman: Excuse me please. I have to speak to you.

Prabhupāda: Please wait. Let me finish. Let me finish.

Viṣṇujana: You don't have to speak to him.

Young woman: Yes I do. You are sitting up there and all of these people are sitting here, and you're like you're on a throne. And you're feeling…

Viṣṇujana: No.

Young woman: Pardon? No, this is wrong.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Let us chant. (kīrtana-prema-dhvanī) Where is that girl? She is gone?

Viṣṇujana: I think Madhudviṣa explained to her. She did not know about the bowing down and everything.

Prabhupāda: What was her question?

Viṣṇujana: She was thinking that we were bowing to you as if you were God. She resents this, because in the Christian religion it says, "Bow down to no man."

Prabhupāda: What did you explain?

Viṣṇujana: I don't know.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Did you not explain that we are bowing down not as God, as God's representative? Did you…, could not explain like this?

Madhudviṣa: She's over there, I think, if you'd like to talk to her.

Viṣṇujana: You can explain that to her.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, you'd better… You explain it to her. It might be better than her coming here and blaspheming.

Prabhupāda: Call her. Call her. Call her. (pause) (talking in background, initiates discussing their names, etc.) Distribute prasādam. Everyone. Outside also?

Upendra: Prabhupāda? Tomorrow between 12:15 for a lecture at the University.

Prabhupāda: What is the arrangement?

Upendra: It is one small auditorium. It seats seventy people. They have advertised on the university and in the newspaper at the university. So we have no idea who will come, but they have advertised.

Prabhupāda: So you will be able to collect?

Upendra: Indiscreetly. We will ask as they leave. (end)

681020IN.SEA

Lecture & Initiation

Seattle, October 20, 1968

Prabhupāda: (sings) Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (audience responds) So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to approach the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Directly. This is a special gift of Lord Caitanya that… In this age there are so many anomalies, defects in the life of human being that gradually they are giving up the idea of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. Not only gradually they are giving up, they have already given up. So Vedānta-sūtra therefore says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. It is not that a different type of religious system we have introduced. It is a great necessity of the present day. Because we say that either you follow scripture, Bible, or you follow Koran or you follow Vedas, the aim is God. But at the present moment, due to the influence of this Kali-yuga… Kali-yuga means the age of quarrel and disagreement. So in this age people are embarrassed in so many ways. First disqualification is that they do not live for long time. The average duration of life in India is thirty-five years, and I do not know exactly what is the average age here, but in India the people are overcrowded. They have no such intelligence, or they did not care to go outside India, colonize. Everyone went there to exploit, but they never thought of exploiting other places. That is their cultural… They do not try to encroach upon others' property. Anyway, India's position is very precarious, because they have left their own culture and they're trying to imitate the Western culture, which they cannot due to so many circumstances, and therefore they're put into, between the horns of Scylla and Charybdis. You see.

So this age is like that. Not only in India, in other countries the difficulties are in a different way. The problems are different. But there are problems, either in India or in America or in China. Everywhere, they are trying to make so many schemes for world peace. In your country also, in America even, there is no safety of life for big men like Kennedys, you see. Anyone can be killed at any moment, and there is no action. So there is another problem. In Communist country they are, by force, they're ruling on the citizens. So many Russians, so many Chinese, they are going away out of their country. They do not like this Communist idea. So problems are there due to this age. Due to this age of Kali, the problems are there. And what are the problems? The problems are that in this age people are very short-lived, their duration of life. We do not know when we shall die. At any moment. It is said that during Lord Rāmacandra's rule, a brāhmaṇa… (aside:) It's not working? …he came to the king, "My dear king, my son has died. So please explain why, in the presence of father, a son shall die." Just see how much the king was responsible. An old father came to complain to the king, "What is the reason that in the presence of the father, a son dies? Please explain." So just see how much responsible government was there. The government is responsible if the son dies before the father. Naturally, the father is older than the son, so he must die first. So such responsible government was there. Now in the civilized world anyone can be killed by anyone, but nobody cares for it.

So duration of life is very uncertain in this age. At any moment we can die. But this life, this human form of life, is meant for a sublime gain. What is that? To make a permanent solution of the miserable condition of our life. In this… So long we are in this material form, this body, we have to change from one body to another, one body to another. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9]. Repeated birth, repeated death. Soul is immortal, eternal, but changing, just like you are changing the dress. So this problem they do not take into account, but this is a problem. The human life is meant for making a solution of this problem, but neither they have any knowledge, nor they are very much serious about solving these problems. So duration, if you get a long duration of life, then there is chance you may meet somebody, you may meet some good association that you can make the solution of your life. But that is also impossible now because our duration of life is very short. Prāyeṇa alpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ mandāḥ. And even whatever duration of life we have got, we are not properly utilizing. We are utilizing this life just like animal, simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. In this age, if anyone can eat sumptuously, he thinks, "Oh, my day's duty is finished." If anyone can provide a wife and two or three children, he is to be considered as a very big man. You see. He is providing a family. Because mostly they are without family, without any responsibility. This is the symptoms of this age.

So even if we have got short life, we are not very serious. Mandāḥ, very slow. Just like here, we are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Nobody is serious about to learn or to understand what is this movement. And if somebody is interested, they want to be cheated. They want something cheap or cheap something for self-realization. They have got money, they want to pay somebody some fees, and if he says that "I'll give you some mantra and you will, fifteen minutes meditation, within six months you'll become God," these things they want. Mandāḥ manda-matayo. Manda-matayo means very foolish conclusion. They do not think that "Solution of the problems of life can be purchased only by paying thirty-five dollars?" They have become so foolish. Because if we say that to make a solution of your problems of life you have to follow these principles, "Oh, this is very difficult. Let me pay thirty-five dollars and solve it, make a solution." You see? So they want to be cheated. They are called manda-matayo. And cheaters come and cheat them. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā [SB 1.1.10]. Manda-bhāgyā means they are unfortunate also. Even God comes and canvasses Himself, "Please come to Me," oh, they don't care for it. You see? Therefore unfortunate. If somebody comes and offers you one million dollars, if you say, "I don't like it," then are you not unfortunate? So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

"For self-realization simply you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the result." No. They'll not accept. Therefore unfortunate. If you are canvassing the best thing, the easiest process, but they'll not accept, they want to be cheated… You see? Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ [SB 1.1.10]. And harassed by so many things-this Draft Board, this board, that board, this, that, so many things. This is their position. Short life, very slow, no understanding, and if they want to understand, they want to be cheated, they are unfortunate, and disturbed. This is the position of the present days. It doesn't matter whether you are born in America or in India, this is the whole position.

So there is a great need of this movement, and we are spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and this is practical, very easy, and just suitable for this age. It doesn't consider how much you are qualified. It doesn't consider. Whatever your past life may be, you simply come here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa with your tongue-God has given you a tongue-and taste Kṛṣṇa prasāda, Love Feast, and make your life successful. Very easy process. So this is our program. So invite anyone to join this movement, and you'll be benefited. And you will see practically. It is pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that this process of self-realization is directly perceivable. Directly perceivable. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam. Just like when you eat, you can understand that you are eating, you can understand that your hunger is being satisfied, you can understand that you are getting strength. So you haven't got to take certificate. You can yourself understand it is so nice thing. Pratyakṣāvagamam. Pratyakṣa means directly, avagamam. You understand it directly. If you meditate, so-called meditation, you do not know how far you are making progress. You see. You are in oblivion. You do not know. But here, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you'll directly feel, directly feel. I have got so many students, so many letters, how they are feeling directly. It is so nice. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg. 9.2]. And very nice to perform. Chant and dance and eat. What do you want more? (laughter) Simply chanting, dancing, and eating nice sweetballs, kachori. So su-sukham and kartum avyayam. While performing, while practicing this process, it is very pleasurable, and avyayam. Avyayam means whatever you do, even if you execute one percent of this movement, that is your permanent asset. Permanent asset. If you do two percent, three percent, four percent… But don't wait for next life. Finish, cent percent. It is not very easy to execute; therefore finish. Don't wait, that "Let me finish in this life a certain percentage of self-realization, and next life I shall do." And what is the test of realization, finishing full percentage? The test is how much you have learned to love God, Kṛṣṇa, that's all. You have got your love, you love somebody, but if you divide your love, that "I shall love this country and my society, my girlfriend and this and that, or boyfriend, and I shall try to love Kṛṣṇa also…" No. That is also nice, but if you give predominance, all predominance, simply to love Kṛṣṇa, you'll automatically love other things, and your life will be perfect. Other loving affairs will not be minus. Just like a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he loves not only his family and society; he loves even the animal, he loves even the ant, his love is so much expanded. It is so nice thing. How much you can love? Anything, as soon as there is some misunderstanding, the love is broken. But Kṛṣṇa love is so sound that you'll never break, and your love will be expanded universally. It is so nice thing. And love you have got. You have simply misplaced your loving capacity to so many things. You just revert it to Kṛṣṇa, and when you perfectly love Kṛṣṇa, you'll see that you're loving your country, your society, your friend, more than what you loved before, it is so nice thing.

So take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be happy in this life and next life. If you can finish your loving affairs to Kṛṣṇa in this life, then you have done cent percent. If not, whatever percentage you have executed in this life, that will remain with you. It will not go. That is assured in the Bhagavad-gītā, that śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga bhraṣṭo sañjāyate [Bg. 6.41]. One who cannot execute this yoga process completely cent per cent, he is given next birth a chance to take birth in a rich family or to get birth in a very pure family. Two alternatives. So either you take birth in pure family or in rich family, at least your birth as a human being is guaranteed. But if you don't take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you do not know what is your next birth. There are 8,400,000 different species of life, and you can be transferred to any one of them. If you are transferred to become a tree… Just like I've seen in San Francisco. They said that "This tree is standing for seven thousand years." They stand up on the bench for seven thousand years. The boys are sometimes punished by the teachers in the school, "Stand up on the bench." So these trees are punished, "Stand up," by nature's law. So there is chance of becoming a tree, there is chance of becoming a dog, a cat, or even a rat. So many lives there are. Don't miss this opportunity of human form of life. Perfect your love of Kṛṣṇa and be happy in this life and next life.

So this initiation… As many of our students are initiated, so some of our students are going to be initiated this evening. The initiation means the third stage of joining this movement. The first stage is śraddhā, a little faith. Just like our students are going in the marketplace, they are chanting, and many people are contributing some money; somebody's purchasing our Back to Godhead. This is the beginning of faith: "Oh, here is a nice movement. Let me cooperate." Ādau śraddhā. Then, if he becomes little more interested, then he comes here, into the class. "All right, let us see what these people are teaching, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So they come. So that is the second stage. The first stage is automatic sympathy for this movement. The second stage is joining or associating with this, our activities. Just like you have kindly come here. You are hearing me. Similarly, if somebody becomes more interested or his faith is still further advanced, then he comes, that is the second stage. And the third stage is… Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga atha bhajana-kriyā [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. Now, the initiation means beginning of the activities. Beginning of the activities. How one can develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the perfectional state, that is called initiation. It is not that initiation means finished. It is the third stage. Then the fourth stage will be, one who is initiated, if he follows the rules and regulation, and if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa with a fixed-up counting, then gradually his all misgivings will vanish. What are the misgivings? We ask our students to refrain from that illicit sex life, nonvegetarian diet, and intoxication, and to take part in gambling. These four things. So ordinarily these four things are very prominent in the society, especially in the Western countries. But these students who take initiation and follows chanting, they very easily give up these four things without any difficulty. That is called anartha nivṛtti. That is the fourth stage. The fifth stage is then he becomes fixed up: "Yes." Just like one student, Mr. Anderson, I've not seen him, but simply by associating with our other devotees, he has written that "I wish to devote my whole being for this Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is called niṣṭhā, fixed up. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruci. Ruci means they get a taste. Why these boys are going out? This chanting, they have got a taste. They have developed a taste. Otherwise for nothing they are not wasting time. They are educated, they are grown up. So taste. Fixed up, then taste, tathāsaktis. When the taste is, then attachment. He cannot give it up. And I receive so many letters. Some students, they could not cope with their Godbrothers, they go away, but they'll write that "I cannot go. I cannot go." He's captured. You see? Umāpati has written that letter, that he becomes in difficulty, he cannot live, he cannot l-i-v-e or l-e-a-v-e. He's in Dallas. You see? He cannot quit the company, or some misunderstanding, he cannot live with Godbrothers. But that is temporary. So that is called asaktiḥ, attachment. Tathāsaktis tato bhāva. Then gradually increasing, some ecstatic position, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. And then perfectional stage, that he loves Kṛṣṇa cent percent. So this is the process.

So this initiation means the third stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Those who are being initiated, they should remember that they have to follow the rules and regulations. Just like if a man wants to be cured from a certain type of disease, he has to follow the regulation given by the physician, and that will help him to recover from the illness very quickly. So these four principles of restriction they should follow, and chant at least sixteen rounds daily, and gradually he'll get fixed up in this conviction and will have attachment and taste, and then love of Kṛṣṇa will automatically… It is there in everyone's heart. Love of Kṛṣṇa, it is not a foreign thing that we are imposing. No. It is there, everywhere, in every living entity. Otherwise how these American boys and girls are taking it if it is not there? It is there. I am simply helping. Just like matches: there is fire, and one can help only simply rubbing, that's all. There is fire. You cannot get fire rubbing two, I mean to say, sticks, if there is no, that chemicals on the top. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everyone's heart; simply one has to revive it by this association, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness association. So it is neither difficult, nor impractical, nor very unpalatable. Everything is nice. So our request to everyone that let them take this munificent gift of Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting, and you'll be happy. That is our program.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) Give him. You want to ask me anything?

Young man: Excuse me?

Prabhupāda: You want to ask me anything?

Young man: No.

Prabhupāda: That's good. Now do it like that (as) I have done. Yes, like that. Three times that. Once more, yes. Touch in your mouth. Yes. Take little. Take little water and wash your hand. Yes. Throw it. That's all. Do like that. (devotees chanting) Left. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

(devotees respond) Again do it. Like that. Take water and then drink. [break] Nama apavitraḥ… (repeats) Do it again. (Prabhupāda chants mantras for fire sacrifice, devotees responding) Thank you. Now give me beads. Beads. Somebody. (Prabhupāda chants on beads, devotees chant japa) What is your name?

Bill: Bill.

Prabhupāda: So your spiritual name is Vilāsa-vigraha. Vilāsa-vigraha. V-i-l-a-s-v-i-g-r-a-h-a. Vilāsa-vigraha. You begin from here, big bead: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This finger you should not touch. Similarly next. In this way you come to this side, again begin from here to this side. Your Godbrothers will teach you. And there are ten kinds of offenses which you shall avoid. That I shall explain. You have got paper, that ten kinds of offense?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Bow down. (word by word with boy repeating:)

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) Your name?

Rob: Rob.

Prabhupāda: Rob. So your spiritual name is Revatīnandana. R-e-v-a-t-i, Revatī, nandana, n-a-n-d-a-n. Revatīnandana means son of Revatī. Revatī was one of the wives of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa's stepmother. And Balarāma was his son. So Revatīnandana means Balarāma. Revatīnandana dāsa brahmacārī, your name. Chant beginning from here and then so on. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then next. In this way, you come this side, again begin from here. Your Godbrothers will teach. Bow down. Bow down. (boy responding:)

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

Now take your beads. Begin. Chant. (japa) What is this made of? Metal? Why it is so weighty, this?

Young man: It's a seed, Swamijī.

Prabhupāda: Oh, it is seed? What is that seed?

Young man: I don't know. A big seed.

Prabhupāda: It is very weighty. Just like bullet. Kṛṣṇa bullet. (laughter) (japa) So your spiritual name is Śrīmatī dāsī. Śrīmatī. S-r-i-m-a-t-i. Śrīmatī dāsī. Śrīmatī means Rādhārāṇī.

Śrīmatī: Means what?

Prabhupāda: Śrīmatī means Rādhārāṇī. So Rādhārāṇī dāsī means you are maidservant of Rādhārāṇī. Don't think that you are maidservant of this world. (chuckles) It is very fortunate to become maidservant of Rādhārāṇī. Yes. So Śrīmatī dāsī, your name. So you'll chant beginning from here, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then next. In this way come this side and again begin. Sixteen rounds at least. (Śrīmatī repeating:)

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

All right. Take. Be happy.

Śrīmatī: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: So where is that paper, ten kinds of offenses? Where is that paper? There are three stages of chanting. What is that?

Young man: It is a picture she drew.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you have drawn this? Good. Very nice. Thank you very much.

Jāhnavā: With your blessing, would you give this to Sharon? Would you give this to Sharon with your blessing?

Young man: Śrīmatī dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Oh. It is a presentation. (chuckles)

Śrīmatī: Thank you.

Madhudviṣa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Should I read the ten offenses?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Madhudviṣa: We have them here.

Prabhupāda: Just see. Go on reading. Yes, you read.

Madhudviṣa: "The ten offenses to avoid while chanting the mahā-mantra. Number one: Blaspheming the Lord's devotee."

Prabhupāda: Now just try to understand. Any devotee of Lord should not be blasphemed. It doesn't matter in any country. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he is a great devotee. And even Muhammad, he's also a devotee. It is not that because we are devotee and they are not devotee. Don't think like that. Anyone who is preaching the glories of God, he is a devotee. He should not be blasphemed. You should be careful. Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number two: Considering the Lord and other demigods on the same level or assuming there are many Gods."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like there are many nonsense, they say that demigods… Of course, you have no affairs with demigods. Vedic religion there are hundreds and thousands of demigods. Especially it is going on that either you worship Kṛṣṇa or Lord Śiva or Kali, the same thing. This is nonsense. You should not, I mean to, place on the same level with the Supreme Lord. Nobody is greater than Lord. Nobody is equal than the Lord. So this equality should be avoided. Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number three: Neglecting the orders of the spiritual master."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Spiritual master's order should be as your life and soul. Then everything will be clear. Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number four: Minimizing the authority of the Vedas."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nobody should minimize the authorized scripture. This is also offense. Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number five: Interpreting the holy names of God."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, just like the other day some boy was: "a symbolic." It is not symbolic. Kṛṣṇa… We are chanting "Kṛṣṇa," addressing Kṛṣṇa. Hare means addressing Kṛṣṇa's energy, and we are praying that "Please engage me in Your service." That is Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no other interpretation. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. The only prayer is, "O the energy of Lord, O Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Rāma, please engage me in Your service." That's all. There is no other second interpretation. Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number six: Committing sin on the strength of chanting."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now this initiation, from this day your account, past life, all sinful activities, is now what is called, adjusted. Closed. It is finished. Now because by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you can finish your sinful activities' reaction, that does not mean that you will repeat: "Oh, I shall commit sinful activities and I shall chant. It will be adjusted. The balance will be nil." No. Not like that. Don't commit that. Whatever is done is done. No more. Now there should be pure life. No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating. Finished now. It is not that "Oh, I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Let me go to the hotel and take some meat." No. Then it will be a great sin. Don't do that. Then the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa will not fructify if you commit offense. Next?

Madhudviṣa: "Number seven: Instructing the Lord's name to the unfaithful."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unfaithful, those who have no faith, that Lord and His name are absolute. Just like here in this material world, the name and the person is different. Suppose your name is Mr. John. So if I chant "John, John, John," so John may be a hundred miles away. There is no response. But the name, holy name of God, God is present everywhere. Just like the television. Television is being, I mean to say, released in some place. If you have got the machine, immediately the picture is in your room. If it is, materially, it can be so possible, how much possibility there is in spiritual Kṛṣṇa name? Immediately you chant Kṛṣṇa's name, that means Kṛṣṇa is immediately on your tongue. So what is that?

Madhudviṣa: Seven? "Instructing the holy name to the unfaithful."

Prabhupāda: So, one who has no faith that the name of the Lord and the Lord Himself the same, there is no difference, one should not be instructed about the glories of the Lord. He should be instructed to understand, but if he's unable to understand, then he should not be initiated. He should require some time to understand. But you should always remember that nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ: [Cc. Madhya 17.133] Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name nondifferent. As soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, that means Kṛṣṇa is dancing on your tongue. You should be careful in that way. Just like if Kṛṣṇa… As you offer so much respect to your spiritual master as soon as he's present, so if Kṛṣṇa is present on your tongue, how much careful you should be. So you should always know that Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is always everywhere. God is everywhere, but we have no realization. But this particular chanting, as soon as chant holy name, that means you must know. So by associating with Kṛṣṇa you become purified. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ. Just like associating with fire you become warm, similarly, associate with Kṛṣṇa means you become purified. Gradually you become spiritualized. No more material. Finished. This is the process. Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number eight: Comparing the holy name to material piety."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now this function is being done. It should not be taken that we are doing something, religious rituals. No. Religious ritual is different thing. This is… Although it appears like rituals, but it is transcendental. It is above all kinds of religion. It is postgraduate study. The process is how to develop love of Godhead. This is above all rel… Religion means, generally, some kind of faith. But it is not the question of faith. It is actually developing, how much you are loving Kṛṣṇa, or God. So it is above all religions. It is not ordinary religion. Religion means… Suppose you are Christian, I am Hindu. As soon as this body is finished, my Christianism or religion, everything is finished. But this love of God will not finish. It will go with you. Any birth you go, it will develop. If you can finish, then you go directly to Kṛṣṇa, back to Godhead, and finish your all material connection. Even if you are not able, then it goes with you. Asset. It is… The bank balance will not be diminished. It will increase. Then?

Madhudviṣa: "Number nine: Inattentive while chanting the holy name."

Prabhupāda: Yes. While you are chanting we should hear also. That is meditation. Hare Kṛṣṇa, these two words, Hare Kṛṣṇa, you'll hear also. If you hear, then your mind and your tongue both captivated. That is perfect. Therefore meditation, the first-class yoga, hearing and chanting. Then?

Madhudviṣa: Then finally number ten: "Attachment to material things while engaged in the practice of chanting."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The whole process is that we are going to transfer our love from matter to God. So we should try to minimize. It will be automatically. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt [SB 11.2.42]. If you actually develop love of Godhead, then naturally you forget to love all these material nonsense. That is sequence. But you should try also. You should… This will happen. Just like if we eat, then gradually you minimize your hankering after eating. When you are full, then you say, "I don't want any more. Yes, I am…" Similarly… [break] …so nice that with the progress of Kṛṣṇa consciousness you forget the so-called material nonsense enjoyment. And when you are in perfect stage, oh, you don't care for anything of this material nonsense. This is the test. You cannot say "I am progressing in meditation by my material attachment to all sense gratification" is the same. That is no progress. Progress means that you will minimize your material attachment for sense gratification. This is progress. Now you can chant… Ah, you have got… Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

681201IN.LA

Talk, Initiation Lecture,

and Ten Offenses Lecture

Los Angeles, December 1, 1968

Prabhupāda: …worship prevents snake biting. That is a village worship. So in every demigod worship there are drum beaters. So a party of drum beaters were engaged, and when the fees, bill, of the drum beaters was to be paid, the demigod Mansa(?) was sold. They could not pay the bills. Similarly, we may print our books, but the binding charges are so high, then it will cost more than getting it from Japan. (chuckles) Jayānanda looks like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (laughter) Yes. He was tall and stout and strong, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (laughing) Yes. Very good. And in Vṛndāvana, when Kīrtanānanda was given sannyāsa, he was looking so nice with this dress and daṇḍa, oh, practically all the devotees of Vṛndāvana came to offer him respect. Yes. On Janmāṣṭamī day I offered him sannyāsa. So many devotees came to see in the temple. So there was a big crowd. He was looking very nice. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was also very fair-complexioned. So with this dress, persons with fair complexion looks very nice, very attractive. People are not attracted with this dress in kīrtana party? (laughs) This bare head with tilaka and this dress, they will know that they are coming from, directly from the kingdom of God. (laughs) Actually it is so. They have forgotten God; otherwise they would have received these brahmacārīs so nicely. In India, oh, you'll be received just like gods with this dress. Hundreds and thousands of people will come to receive you. Yes. That is sufficient. (kīrtana) So how Bīrabhadra is feeling? (Bīrabhadra answers?) He has got pains in the body?

Viṣṇujana: He's all right.

Prabhupāda: All right. Eating all right? Eating? (Bīrabhadra answers; Prabhupāda can't hear) Hm? Chanting all right? All right. Thanks. (chuckles) I was just searching you, missing you. You are here. (chuckles) Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) Do like that. As I have done. Yes. Take water. Yes. Little, little. Yes. Once more. Three times. Yes. Yes. Take water. Take water little, wash hand, throw it here. That's all. Like that. Now you do it like that. Little, little. Keep it here. (chants with devotees responding:)

nama apavitraḥ pavitra vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

Now do it again like that. Keep there.

nama apavitraḥ pavitra vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

Do it again. (repeats mantra again)

Now the purport of this mantra I have several times explained, again explaining. Namaḥ. Namaḥ means surrender. Namaḥ om namaḥ, this is the way of chanting Vedic mantra. Oṁ means addressing the Absolute, and namaḥ means "I am surrendering." Every Vedic mantra is begun om namaḥ. Oṁ means addressing. So this mantra is chanted with surrender, namaḥ. Nothing can be done without surrender because our, this conditional life is rebellious life. We have rebelled against the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead. That is conditioned life. There are so many theses to support this rebellious condition. Somebody is thinking that "I am one with God"; somebody is thinking, "God is dead"; somebody is thinking, "There is no God"; somebody is thinking, "Why you are searching God? There are so many Gods loitering in the street." So in this way many theses are there. All of them are different symptoms of rebellious condition. The sum and substance… Just like atheists, they are boldly saying, "There is no God." Now…, but the impersonalists saying, "There may be God, but He has no head, He has no tail. That's all." So in this way our condition is rebellious condition. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā instructs that "You surrender." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So without surrender, there is no question of making any spiritual progress. Just like a person who has rebelled against the government-the first condition is to surrender; otherwise there is no question of mercy from the government. Similarly anyone, the living entity, any one of us who has rebelled against the supremacy of the Lord, the beginning of spiritual life is surrender.

So this mantra, initiation, namaḥ. Namaḥ means surrender. And who can surrender? Surrender, one who has understood the Lord, he can surrender, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births of cultivation of knowledge, when one is perfectly wise, at that time he surrenders. The perfection of acquiring knowledge, or wisdom, is to surrender. So, namaḥ. Namaḥ means "I surrender." And what is your condition? Never mind what is that condition. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā. Apavitraḥ means contaminated, and pavitra means liberated. So we have two conditions. Either… Just like either we are healthy or we are diseased. There is no third condition. Crude example. Similarly, the living entities, they have two conditions. One condition is liberation, another condition is contaminated. Therefore living entity is called marginal, in between contamination and liberation. Either a living entity can be contaminated or liberated. There is no third condition. Therefore this mantra says, apavitraḥ pavitro vā. Either contaminated or liberated, it doesn't matter. Oṁ namo apavitraḥ pavitro, sarvāvasthām. Sarva means all; avasthām means condition. In any condition. Sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. In whatever condition you may be. Because two conditions there are. For the living entities… The living entity is in the marginal position. Either he can be in material nature or in the spiritual nature. The spiritual nature means liberation, and material nature means contamination. So in this mantra it is said, either of the condition, never mind. Either you are in material condition or spiritual condition. Sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. Vā means either; yaḥ, anyone; smaret, smaret means remembers; puṇḍarīkākṣam, puṇḍarīkākṣam means whose eyes are just like lotus petal. That means Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahya… Bahya means externally. Externally, this body. Abhyantaram. Abhyantaram means internally. Internally I am spirit. Just like internally, within this dress, I am internally. Externally I am this dress. Similarly, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam. Either he is in the bodily concept of life or he is in the spiritual concept of life, either he is contaminated or he is liberated-in any condition, one who remembers Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, bahyābhyantaram, he immediately becomes purified internally and externally. This is the substance of this mantra.

And at the last we are chanting śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. Because it may not be misunderstood that in this verse it is said that yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam, "anyone who remembers the lotus-eyed." So somebody may think, "My such and such lover is lotus-eyed," or in that way, lotus-eyed. There may be so many lotus-eyed. Therefore at last it is specifically said, śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. "Lotus-eyed" means Viṣṇu, not anybody else. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. This is the basic principle of devotional life. In Nārada Pañcarātra it is recommended… We are explaining these things in Nectar of Devotion. The basic principle of purification is smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇuḥ: always one has to remember Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu the same. When you speak Kṛṣṇa, it includes Viṣṇu. So smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇu vismartavyaḥ na jātucit. We shall not forget Viṣṇu even for a moment. This is the basic principle of devotional life. Some way or other, we have to remember always Kṛṣṇa. Then whatever condition we may be, we are pure. Sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. This chanting helps us always remembering Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, hear, immediately we remember. So, so long I remember, I am śuciḥ, I am pure, no material contamination. Therefore if I continue my life in that pure stage, then I am eligible for going back to Godhead. Because nobody can enter in the kingdom of God without being completely pure. Completely pure means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11], no material desire. Here in the material world, we manufacture so many plans to be happy, material desires. Somebody's thinking, "I shall be happy in this way." Somebody's thinking… There is no question of happiness here. The place is contaminated. In a contaminated… Just like in an infected place you cannot be happy. The medical officer will ask you to leave that place, that "This quarter has been infected by the disease. Better you leave, you go somewhere else." That is the treatment. Infected place must be left immediately. So similarly, this world, this material world of three modes of different qualities, you have to keep yourself always antiseptic, pure, by remembering Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. As soon as you forget Kṛṣṇa, immediately the infection, māyā, immediately affects you. Kṛṣṇa bhūliya jīva bhoga-vāñchā kare.

What is that māyā? Māyā means to plan how to become materially happy. This is māyā. All the people of the world, they are simply making plan how they will be happy within this material world. That's all. This is māyā. The history of the whole world studied, it is experience that the Roman Empire planned, the British Empire planned, the… So many empires, they flourish sometimes. All fail. The Britishers, they were, two hundred years ago, they were planning to rule over this vast land of America. George Washington declared independence; their plan failed. Similarly, in India they were planning to exploit. Now Gandhi's movement made it fail. So this is bigger plan. Similarly smaller plan also. There are many… Individually, we make so many plans that "I shall be happy in this way, in that way, in that way." So this plan-making business is māyā, because that will never be successful. Trace out the history of the whole world. Nobody has become happy. Hitler made a plan, so great a plan. You see? He was frustrated. So the sane man, intelligent man… Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says that a person who is actually intelligent, wise… How a man becomes wise? After being baffled or frustrated many, many times, he can understand this is not the process. And the Vedānta-sūtra also places the first, athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one is frustrated in all plan-making business, for him, the Vedānta-sūtra gives him the opportunity, "Now your all plans have failed. Come here." Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now try to understand what is Brahman." This is the first aphorism of Vedānta-sūtra. Just try to understand Brahman. So in this way… This initiation also. Initiation means the first beginning, how to become purified. This is initiation. Because this devotional service means the process of purification. Now every one of you, individually you can understand how you are becoming purified from your past life. That is practical. Yes. How you are becoming purified. So this initiation means the beginning of purificatory process. And the purificatory process, what is that? This mantra, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Anyone who always remembers, or whenever he remembers, if not always, as soon as he remembers, puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ, he becomes immediately purified internally and externally.

So those who are going to be initiated today, they should remember that… Not only they-all of us should remember. It is not that we have passed all examination. No. Māyā is very strong. Any moment she can catch up. (chuckles) As soon as… Just like a virulent type of disease, as soon as there is little negligence, there is relapse immediately, typhoid. So the doctors take very much precautionary steps in the, what is called, convalescent stage of cure because there is chance of relapse. Similarly, we are trying to be purified. This initiation means to accept the path of purification. Now we have to continue that path of purification, and then, if you are strong enough, then we can very easily make progress to achieve the ultimate result. There is no doubt about it. So bhakti-mārga, this devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means to remember always Kṛṣṇa. Smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇuḥ vismartavyaḥ na jātucit. This is the basic principle, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should always remember Kṛṣṇa and we shall never forget. And the very simple method, that we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa has given us tongue, so we can utilize it, and this is the beginning of spiritual life. This is the beginning of understanding God, or Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise we cannot understand what is God. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Nāmādi, God has name. People say, "Why there should be name of God? He has no name." The impersonalist says "Nameless." Why? The Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] "Everything is generated from Him." So if there is name, you have got name, I have got name, anything… This tape recorder has got name, this plate has got name, the place has got name, the carpet has got name, and simply God has no name? Why? (laughs) Just see the fallacy. The fountainhead of all names is God, and He has no name. You see? He is zero. These are the arguments. But we don't accept. The thing is they do not know the name because their senses are not purified. You cannot understand God by imperfect senses. Therefore Bhāgavata says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Nāmādi. Nāma means name; ādi, because name is the beginning of everything. Just like if I want to make friendship with you, I ask you, "What is your name?" That is the beginning. If you go to the court, before beginning the judgment, "What is your name? What is your father's name?" You submit any application, "What is your name?" So nāmādi.

So if we want to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth, we should begin from the name, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, the name, the holy name. But we cannot understand whether this is the name of God due to our imperfect senses. Therefore the formula is, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. You cannot understand. Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, somebody is taking pleasure in hearing the name of Kṛṣṇa. Somebody may say, "What is this nonsense? They are disturbing," because he has no knowledge of the name. But this name… Not any name. Nāmādi, beginning from name. First of all name, then quality, then form, then pastimes, then entourage. In this way God has everything. When we say "king," "king" means his kingdom, his palace, his secretary, his queen, so many, his government, go on expanding, so many things, simply by one word, "king." "King" does not mean simply one person. Similarly, when we say "God" or "Kṛṣṇa," immediately it is to be understood that He has so many things behind Him. So many… The whole world is behind Him. So how to understand? Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. His name, His quality, His forms, His entourage, His expansion. Na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. These indriya, these senses, materially contaminated, cannot understand, cannot grasp what is the name of Kṛṣṇa, what is the form of Kṛṣṇa, what is the quality of Kṛṣṇa. Then? "Why you are taking so much trouble? If by these senses we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of wasting time?" No. The next line is, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. You cannot understand by exercising your senses, but He reveals. To whom? Who is in the service attitude, jihvādau, beginning from the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. Of all the senses, the tongue is considered to be the principal sense. So tongue, if the tongue is trained, or the tongue is spiritualized, then naturally all the senses become spiritualized. So jihvādau. So our training is the tongue training. Train it chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and let it taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Then what will be? The all other senses… There are five senses for acquiring knowledge, five senses for acting. Everything will be controlled. And devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. By contacting relationship with Kṛṣṇa, the senses become purified. And what is the symptom of purification? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam, to become uncontaminated by the designative material identification. There are so many things.

So the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is purification of the senses, and the purification of senses begins by training the tongue with service spirit. So those who are going to be initiated, they should, especial… Everyone should note it, that we should train our tongue not to talk nonsense things. You see? Simply talk of Kṛṣṇa. We have got so many subject matter. We have got Bhagavad-gītā, we have got Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we have got Teachings of Lord Caitanya-so many books, hundreds and thousands, Upaniṣads, Veda, Vedānta, any one you select-talk. Just like Ambarīṣa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane [SB 9.4.18]. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he set a very nice example, that he fixed up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and when he was speaking, he was talking about Kṛṣṇa. So just try to utilize your tongue. It doesn't matter whether it is contaminated or purified, but the process is purificatory. You just train your tongue nicely, engage in Kṛṣṇa. So if you can talk, you go, preach, talk of Kṛṣṇa, talk of Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, lecture anywhere. Then you'll be doing the best service to the people and to yourself. If you think that you are unable to give speeches, then you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and eat prasādam. So there is no difficulty. So train the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234], beginning from the tongue, you shall be able to purify all your senses. And as soon as your senses are purified, you'll see Kṛṣṇa, you'll understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His name, what is His form, what is His kingdom, everything will be. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. You haven't got to endeavor. As soon as your senses are purified, Kṛṣṇa is present. Just like as soon as the night is over, the sun is present. You cannot search out sun in the darkness. You simply wait for the morning and the sun is at your door. Similarly, try to drive away the darkness, and Kṛṣṇa you'll see. You'll see, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is not dead. He's so nice." So this initiation means beginning of purificatory process of the senses, and that beginning with the tongue. Very simple method. We are not asking you to show some gymnastic feats, or… No. Simply try to control your tongue. It is in your hand. And what is the means of controlling? Just engage chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and take Kṛṣṇa prasāda. Some others will supply you nice prasādam. You see? It is very easy. Don't take anything which is not Kṛṣṇa prasādam and don't talk anything which is not Kṛṣṇa. Then you become liberated. Your path of liberation is open. Two things: don't talk anything except Kṛṣṇa, don't eat anything except Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Is it very difficult? All right.

(to devotee:) Now give me your beads. Yes. Beginning from here. Somebody tie his small beads. Chant, you. (japa) Bow down. Bow down here.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(devotee repeating) So you'll begin from one side like this, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Come to this side. You will ask your Godbrothers. They'll let you know, how they are doing. Your spiritual name is Aravinda. Aravinda. A-r-a-v-i-n-d-a. Aravinda. Aravindākṣa. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Aravindākṣa. Aravinda means lotus flower.

Devotees: Oh!

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa's eyes are just like lotus petal and His feet is lotus feet. His abdomen, from abdomen lotus grows. So therefore in one word He is lotus, full lotus. (aside:) He's in painful condition?

Viṣṇujana: He has to rest. He has to rest now. (boy crying in background)

Prabhupāda: Just catch him. Oh. Aravindākṣa is Kṛṣṇa's name. So Aravinda dāsa, your name. Aravinda dāsa brahmacārī. Now we have forgotten to chant the preliminary mantras. Vande ahaṁ śrī guru… (chants mantras, devotees respond) (japa) Bow down.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

Śrīvāsa… Now, you are finished. Take it. Your name is Gajendra.

Gajendra: Gajendra?

Prabhupāda: Yes. G-a-j-e-n-d-r-a. Gajendra. Gaja means elephant, and indra means king. King of the elephants.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Prabhupāda: So there was a great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa who was king of the elephants. So you shall bring some elephants for us for preaching work. Come on. You have got printed ten kinds of offenses? They should be… To avoid the offenses.

Madhudviṣa: Right here.

Revatīnandana: Here it is, Prabhupāda. Should I read, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: "The ten offenses to avoid in chanting the mahā-mantra. The first is blaspheming the Lord's devotee." Just read them?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: "Second, considering the Lord and other demigods on the same level."

Prabhupāda: This is very important point, blaspheming the devotees. The Lord's devotee, in many countries, many places… Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he's also devotee of Lord. Muhammad, he's also devotee of Lord. So it is not that because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, we shall unnecessarily decry any other parts, any other devotee. It may be, according to time, place, and country, the method may be different, but anyone who is preaching devotion to God, he's a devotee of God. So he should never be blasphemed. Yes.

Revatīnandana: "Two. Considering the Lord and other demigods on the same level."

Prabhupāda: Yes. One should not put the Supreme Personality of Godhead… Just like the Māyāvādī says, "The demigods and God, they are all the same." Because according to them, God has no form, so any form you accept, imagine, as the form of God, it is as good. But that is not the fact. There are demigods and the Supreme God also. So we should not place… Just like demigod, Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva, Indra, Candra, they are demigods. So we should not place… In one sense, there is nothing except God, because everything expansion of God. But that does not mean I am equal to God. I am also expansion of God, that's a fact. Just like father and the son. Son is the expansion of father; still, the son is not the father. Don't mistake that. There is no difference between father and son because the same body is expanded as son, but still, the son is not the father. Father is father, son is son. This, I mean to say, variety, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not understand. Then?

Revatīnandana: "…or assuming that there are many Gods."

Prabhupāda: God is one. There cannot be many Gods. If God is not one, there is no meaning of God. God means, according to Vedic definition, asamordhva. Asama means one who has no equal. Nobody is equal to God. And urdhva means nobody is greater than God. God is great. Nobody can be greater than God. Therefore God is one. Nobody is greater, nobody is equal. That means everyone is lower. Then?

Revatīnandana: "Neglecting the orders of the spiritual master."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is one offense. These are offenses. When we accept spiritual master, it is understood that you cannot deny his order. Just like Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was talking as friends, but when Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master, he was simply hearing, and whenever there was difficulty to understand, he was questioning. Not that he was equally arguing with Kṛṣṇa. Before accepting Him, he was arguing. So this is the position. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said that "My spiritual master found Me a great fool [Cc. Adi 7.71]." Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not a fool, but it is the good qualification of a disciple to remain a fool before the spiritual master. Therefore he'll never, I mean to say, dare to argue or disobey. That is offense. Now, go on. That does not mean that when you cannot understand, you cannot question. Question must be there. That is stated in this Bhagavad-gītā, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. Your relationship is to know from a spiritual master everything, but you should know that with three things. What is that? First of all you should surrender. You must accept the spiritual master as greater than you. Otherwise what is the use of accepting one spiritual master? Praṇipāt. Praṇipāt means surrendering; and paripraśna, and questioning; and sevā, and service. There must be two sides, service and surrender, and in the middle there must be question. Otherwise there is no question and answer. Two things must be there: service and surrender. Then answer of question is nice. Yes.

Revatīnandana: "The fourth offense is minimizing the authority of the Vedas."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Scriptures, authority of Vedas, they must be accepted. Just like the other day I was explaining, the Veda says the conchshell is pure although it is a bone of an animal. In other places Veda gives you the injunction that bone of an animal is impure. But it says the conchshell is pure. It can be placed before the Deity, it can be used in the Deity room in His service. Now there may be argument, "Oh, this is a bone of an animal. How is that? Contradiction." No. So one should accept the injunction of the Vedas like that. Whenever it says this is impure, it is impure; when it says it is pure, it is pure. Now if there is any doubt, that should be understood by questioning submissively and with service from the spiritual master. The spiritual master is there. Then? But we should always accept the injunction of the scripture as truth. Just like there is a proverb, "Bible truth," "Biblical truth." Nobody can deny Bible. This should be the attitude. Bible is also part of Vedas. Therefore Vedic injunction should be accepted as it is, without any interpretation. Just like Bhagavad-gītā is Veda. Why Veda? The Supreme Personality of Godhead personally speaking; therefore it is Veda. There is no mistake. One should accept-no interpretation-as it is. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Yes. Go on.

Revatīnandana: "The fifth offense is interpreting the holy names of God."

Prabhupāda: Yes. No interpretation in the holy… Just like Kṛṣṇa, the Māyāvādī philosophers may… Just like Gandhi has written, "Pāṇḍava means the senses; Kurukṣetra means this body; Kṛṣṇa means the mind." No such nonsense interpretation. Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. Yes. Go on.

Revatīnandana: "The sixth offense is committing sin on the strength of chanting."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now we have explained the mantra that as soon as one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, immediately, bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ, he becomes purified. Now if one takes advantage of this holy name, "Let me commit sins…" Just like sometimes in the Christian church they take advantages that by confessing sin one becomes free from sinful reaction. So go to church and confess, and again come out and do all sorts of sins, and again confess. This sort of (laughs) minimizing is nonsense. It is fact. When you confess before the church, before God, you are free from all sinful action. That's all right. But if you commit again, then next confession will not be accepted. They do not know this. You cannot… Suppose a child has committed some mistake. Father says, "All right, don't do this." If he again does it, there is no excuse. They do not know that. They think, "We shall commit sin and go to church and confess and finish. So let us do this balancing business." Yes. Similarly, don't do this balancing business, that "Because chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa will wash off all my accounts of sinful activities, so in the morning, from morning to night, let me do all kinds of sinful activities, and at night, at bedtime, let me chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then finish." No. (laughs) Don't do that. Don't do that. That is the greatest offense. Yes. You'll never be forgiven. Those who purposely do like that-"I have got very nice instrument for washing off my sinful activities. So whole day let me do all sinful activities, and at night let me chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Let me meditate. That's all. Finish."-no. You should note that the name, the holy name has got the power. Now, from this date, you are free from all sinful activities, reaction. But don't do it. That is the greatest offense. Yes.

Revatīnandana: "The seventh offense is instructing the Lord's name to the unfaithful."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Those who do not believe in God, atheists, what is the use of…? But not to bother him, but give him the chance of hearing. That will make him competent to come forward. Therefore we are distributing this holy name. Not that everyone will be immediately turned to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but we are giving chance. If they hear… You have got practical experience. Somebody's hearing, he's reforming. So we should give chance. But if one is staunch atheist, we should not talk very much with him about Kṛṣṇa. He may say something against, offensive. Yes. Then?

Revatīnandana: "The eighth offense is comparing the holy name to material piety."

Prabhupāda: Yes. And another thing, just like we are holding this ceremony, initiation ceremony. It should not be accepted just we are functioning some ritualistic ceremony. No. It is different from ritualistic ceremony. Although it appears like ritualistic, it is transcendental. Ritualistic ceremony, they are meant for giving you advantage of become pious, from impious life. It also gives that, but this is not the ultimate aim. The ultimate aim is to give you love of God, which is far, far transcendental to the pious and impious activities. That is a different thing that belongs to the spiritual world-love of God. It is not that it is a function to nullify your sinful activities. That is automatically done. Just like if you get one million dollars, the purpose of ten dollars automatically solved. Similarly, this acceptance of holy name of God will automatically wash off all your sinful reaction. That's a fact. But it is not meant for that purpose. It is meant for higher purpose, to attain to this platform of loving God, rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord. That is the aim. Yes.

Revatīnandana: "The ninth offense is inattentive while chanting the holy name."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is ninth offense. While you chant, you hear also. You don't turn your attention to anything else, mechanically chanting and thinking of something. Thinking of Kṛṣṇa is all right, but if I think something which is not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness… Best thing is that I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and each word I shall hear; then it will be very much effective. Yes.

Revatīnandana: "The tenth offense is attachment to material things while engaged in the practice of chanting."

Prabhupāda: That I explained. This is the disease, ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. The material disease means I am thinking this body, "I am," and everything belonging to this body or in relationship with the body-"Mine." This is material disease. So we shall see. By chanting we shall see how much we are making progress, how much I am free from these two concept of life, that "I am this body, and anything belonging to this body is mine." This is the test, how we are becoming free from these two concept of life. If there is still the concept that "I am this body, and anything belonging to this body is mine," then you have to chant very cautiously to make progress. That's all. These ten kinds of offenses you should guard against. [break] (japa) (leads girl in chanting:)

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

Come on. Your new name, Anurādhā. A-n-u-r-a-d-h-a. Anurādhā. Anu. Anu means one who follows, and Rādhā, Rādhārāṇī you know. So one who follows Rādhārāṇī. Wherever Rādhārāṇī goes, she follows.

Devotees: Oh!

Prabhupāda: Yes. Anurādhā. (japa) Nama apavitraḥ pavitra vā… (chants fire sacrifice mantras) No, no. Everyone take little little. Very little, little take, everyone. Let him come. You come also. You take. Your yajña is not… You can take. (continues mantres) Svāhā. Offer. Svāhā. Three times. I shall say svāhā three times; you'll offer. Why don't you… Svāhā. Why you are sitting? Take and offer. You keep in hand and three times in three division you'll offer. Everyone take. Nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya… (continues) Now take each one banana. Stand up.

namo brahmaṇya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo namaḥ

(repeats twice) Now put this banana slowly like this. Put everyone. That's right.

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

(repeats, with devotees responding) Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hm? No, I'll not chant. They'll chant. Chant. (kīrtana, prema-dhvanī) (end)

681219IN.LA

Initiation Lecture

Los Angeles, December 19, 1968

Prabhupāda: Just like… I am not criticizing, but it is, I mean to say, a human consideration. Suppose if you have committed some wrong thing within our jurisdiction and you come to me, "Swamijī, I have committed this." So I say, "All right. Don't do it again. Excused." Now, second day you come again. You say, "I have committed this." All right. Second day I can also excuse. The third day also, I can excuse, but fourth day I'll not excuse. Don't make it official business. Just like go to the church every week and confess and… Confessing your sinful activities before Lord Jesus Christ or his representative, surely your sinful activities are squared up. But does it mean, very nice, that every week, the whole week you shall commit sinful activities, and at the end of the week you shall go and confess? Does it look very well? You are not ashamed that "Every week I commit these sinful activities, and on the seventh day I confess"? This process should not be adopted, that because God's name, God's remembrance actually squares up all of our sinful activities. That's a fact. But how it is that we shall go on committing sinful activities and square it up by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa or by confessing? No. This is the particular point. One should carefully note. Just like Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were the greatest sinful men during Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time. So when they surrendered to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu with confession, "My Lord, we have committed so many sinful activities. Please save us," that Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked them that "Yes, I will accept you and I'll save you, provided you promise that no more you shall commit such sinful activities." So they agreed, "Yes. Whatever we have done, that's all right. No more we are going to do it." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted them and they became great devotee and their life was successful.

The same process is here also. This initiation means that you should, everyone should remember that whatever sinful activities one might have done in his past life, that is now account closed. Debit and credit closed. Now, from this day, no more sinful activities. What are those sinful activities? That is simple. We have mentioned. You should take it note. No illicit sex life. Beyond marriage, there is no sex life. No intoxication. Even drinking tea, coffee, they are also intoxication-cigarette smoking. No intoxication. No meat-eating. Simple. Only Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Whatever… If you remain in the temple you will get Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and if not, outside you prepare your capati, dahl, offer to Kṛṣṇa and take. Don't take anything except Kṛṣṇa prasāda. The third… And no gambling or unnecessary sporting. People are wasting time. So many sportings they have invented-sporting balls, this ball, that ball. You see? Human life is very short. We do not know when we shall die. Before that, we must prepare ourself for the next life. Next life means directly going back to Kṛṣṇa, highest perfection. As you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.25]. There are innumerable varieties of planet. The higher planetary system, they are resided by demigods, very powerful. They are also human beings, but they are very beautiful; they are very powerful. So you can go there. The moon planet, sun planet-that is clearly stated-if you act accordingly, as they are prescribed, that "If you want to go to the moon planet, you have to do like this," then after leaving this body, you can go there. Similarly, you can go any planet. Similarly, you can go to the planet of Kṛṣṇa. So those who are intelligent, they are not concerned with…, any more with any planet within this material world. Because wherever you go, the four principles of material miseries, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, will follow. Either you go to the moon planet or sun planet or Venus planet or any planet. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. But that planet where going no more comes back in the material world, that is the most sublime planet. So we are… Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are preparing living entities directly going back to Kṛṣṇa planet. The highest perfection. So this is opportunity. You have got human form of life. Now you have got our association. You have got all information from the Bhagavad-gītā. So the opportunity is there. Now if you don't utilize it, then you can commit your suicide. Nobody can check you. Otherwise you can utilize all these facilities and go directly to Kṛṣṇa.

So this is the process. Initiation means beginning of that perfection. One has to utilize it properly, then there is no doubt. It is assured in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa assures if you believe in Kṛṣṇa, if you believe in His Personality of Godhead, then there cannot be any doubt. And let us execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness and follow the rules and regulation, and then life is sure to be successful. Now chant mantra. Vande ahaṁ śrī guru (chants fire sacrifice prayers, devotees responding) Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break] …bead. In this way you come to this side. Again begin from here, come to this side. In this way sixteen rounds. If you feel difficulty you ask your Godbrothers. They'll give instruction. And your spiritual name is Kamalāsana dāsa.

Kamalāsana: Kamalāsana dāsa?

Prabhupāda: K-a-m-a-l-a, Kamala, s-a-n-a, āsana. Kamalāsana dāsa. Kamalāsana. Kamalāsana means Viṣṇu or Brahmā. Brahmā is also seated on the lotus sitting place. Āsana means sitting place, and kamala means lotus. You have seen Brahmā is sitting on kamala? Similarly, Viṣṇu is also sitting on kamala. So Kamalāsana dāsa means you are Viṣṇu dāsa. That is the meaning. Kamalāsana means Viṣṇu. This Viṣṇu picture, you see? This is Viṣṇu. So now we shall perform… Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (someone breaks stick for fire) Yes. Chant.

Govinda dāsī: Prabhupāda? Could you spell it so that I can…

Prabhupāda: K-a-m-a-l-a-s-a-n-a. Kamalāsana.

Govinda dāsī: K-a-m-a-l-a-s-a-n-a. Kamalāsana.

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (sticks breaking, devotees chanting) Why so much? Least. Give me least. Not so much required. All right. When I shall say svāhā you'll take all, little, little. Oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarva… (chants prayers, devotees respond) Now bow down.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (kīrtana)

So in the morning, evening, the ārātrika should be performed, and this should be parikramā, circumambulating within this hall three times at least. These processes should be followed. Kṛṣṇa has given you nice place. You utilize it properly. So there are many other processes. Gradually, it will be introduced. All of a sudden, you cannot assimilate. (laughter) So this kīrtana, evening ārātrika and circumambulating… If possible, you can circumambulate around the temple so that others may see also what they're doing. Yes. If not, within the temple you can circumambulate. Now you can distribute prasādam. Today's function is finished. Where is some… No fruits? You have not arranged any fruits?

Devotee: I made some bread, too.

Prabhupāda: Fruits. Bread not required. That's all.

Bīrabhadra: I would like to know if it is all right to play the Battle of Kurukṣetra.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Bīrabhadra: Like, is it all right to pretend you're Bhīṣma and pretend…

Prabhupāda: What does he say?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He wants to know if it's all right to make believe he's in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Sometimes we are playing that he is Bhīṣma and one of us might be Arjuna or Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: No. No. You should not ever think that "I am Bhīṣma. I am Arjuna." No. Never think like that. You should always think that "I am the servant of Bhīṣma, servant of Arjuna, servant of Kṛṣṇa, servant of His servant." Never think… That is Māyāvāda. If I think I am Kṛṣṇa or if I think I am Bhīṣma, if I think I am Prahlāda, this is Māyāvāda. This monism, this is offense. Never think like that. You should always think that "I am servant of such devotee or Kṛṣṇa." Never think that "I am that." No.

Viṣṇujana: What he wants to know is that… He has a little kṣatriya blood in him. He likes to play. He likes to express his energy a lot, run around.

Prabhupāda: That is different thing. Just like you have got the blood of your father. That does not mean you are father. That is different thing. Everything is one: Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between the philosophy of Māyāvāda and Vaiṣṇava. They simply take the One, but we take One, but there is diversity. That they do not understand. Actually, unity… Diversity in unity. Monism means they do not accept the diversity. They simply take that oneness. Oneness is certainly-there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "I am everywhere spread." Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. "Everything, whatever you see, that is I am, but I am not there." Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ [Bg. 9.4]. They are existing. Everything existing in Kṛṣṇa. But that does not mean… Just like this table. The table is also Kṛṣṇa in one sense, because it is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Therefore this is not different from Kṛṣṇa. But if you think that "Instead of worshiping Kṛṣṇa, let me worship this table," that is wrong, nonsense. This is the difference between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy. The Māyāvāda philosophy says that even if I worship the table, it is all right. But Kṛṣṇa does not say. It is Māyāvāda philosophers said. Kṛṣṇa says, "Yes, table is existing in Me. I am also table. But I am not there." You see in the Bhagavad-gītā. So never think like that, that "I am Bhīṣma" or "I am Prahlāda" or "I am…" No. You are always servant of such devotee. That's all.

Bīrabhadra: If we pretend we're the servant of… If we pretend we're the servant of Bhīṣma and…

Prabhupāda: Servant of his servant [Cc. Madhya 13.80].

Bīrabhadra: Servant of the servant of Bhīṣma…

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all.

Bīrabhadra: Is it all right to play the Battle of Kurukṣetra if you're the servant of the servant of Bhīṣma?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Viṣṇujana: Is it all right to play like he's fighting the battle as servant of the servant of Bhīṣma? He likes to play like he's in the battle. He likes to run and play. It makes him think of the Lord.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you are playing in the battle? No, you should not manufacture anything. You should be directed by the spiritual master. Don't manufacture anything. That is not good. You'll manufacture today something; next day you'll manufacture something; then you'll go astray. Don't do that. To be under disciplinary activities means to be directed by the authorities. Don't manufacture anything. There are so many activities. Why should we manufacture some other thing? Manufacturing means Māyāvāda, mental concoction. That is not the process of bhakti. Yes.

Jaya-gopāla: If he plays…

Prabhupāda: Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. You have to simply follow the footprints. Yes.

Jaya-gopāla: If we were in plays and we are playing such great personalities, how should we be thinking?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Jaya-gopāla: In plays if we would be…

Prabhupāda: Play is play. Suppose you are playing the part of Cromwell, are you Cromwell? So similarly, why do you think like that you have become Cromwell?

Jaya-gopāla: No. How should we think, though?

Prabhupāda: You think yourself that you are servant of him. Suppose you are playing the part of George Washington in a drama. Are you George Washington? But while playing, you may feel like that; otherwise the play will not be successful. That is different thing. (pause) So Govinda dāsī, so long you are here, morning, evening, you should see that the ārati is performed. In the morning, evening, and lunchtime. Yes.

Jaya-gopāla: When one is fully engaged in transcendental loving service, how is freedom of choice playing a part in your…, in choice of service? Does one have a choice? Like when Kṛṣṇa completely takes over one's life.

Prabhupāda: I do not follow what you said. [break] (chanting of Bhaja bhakata) One line is missing. Puruṣottama, you have taught them? (referring to ārati song) Thank you. That's all right. Now you learn it, it will be all right. Now you can take prasādam. Hare Kṛṣṇa. In this way one or two, practice daily, then it will come out nice. Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (indistinct) take prasādam, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (ārati song) Loudly. (end)

690110IN.LA

Initiations

Los Angeles, January 10, 1969

Prabhupāda: So what is the name?

Pradyumna: Ṛṣabhadeva.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Ṛṣabhadeva, yes. Ṛṣabhadeva is the, was a emperor of the world, and He was incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So Ṛṣabhadeva dāsa. You are not Ṛṣabhadeva, but you are servant of Ṛṣabhadeva. Always remember it. When we give some spiritual name, that is Kṛṣṇa's name, and we are servant, Ṛṣabhadeva dāsa. So your name is Ṛṣabhadeva dāsa, and you will get all information from Tamāla, the ten kinds of offenses. You know our regulative principles?

Ṛṣabhadeva: No illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Ṛṣabhadeva: No meat, fish or eggs; no gambling…

Devotee (1): Intoxication.

Ṛṣabhadeva: No intoxicants.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. So you'll remember it. All right, take it. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy.

Devotee (2): Haribol!

Prabhupāda: [break]

…oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(devotees repeat each word of praṇāma mantra) Come on. What is?

Pradyumna: Bhadrasena.

Prabhupāda: Bhadrasena. Your name is Bhadrasena, one of the friends of Kṛṣṇa who was fighting with Kṛṣṇa. Yes. Don't fight with Him. (laughter) You are Bhadrasena dāsa; you are servant of Bhadrasena. Bhadrasena was always challenging Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, come on." (laughter) He has chanted the mantra? Guru-mantra?

Pradyumna: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: And other direction you take from Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. Come on. [break]

om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhutale

śrīmate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine

(devotees repeat each word of praṇāma mantra) Take. You know the regulative principles? What is that?

Girl: No illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat, fish, or eggs.

Prabhupāda: No LSD. And no LSD also. (laughter) Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Pradyumna: Kauśalyā.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Pradyumna: Kauśalyā. Kauśalyā.

Prabhupāda: Gosalya?

Pradyumna: Kauśalyā, Lord Rāmacandra's mother, Kauśalyā.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Kauśalyā. Kauśalyā. Your name is Kauśalyā. K-a-u-s-a-l-y-a, Kauśalyā. Kauśalyā was the name of Lord Rāmacandra's mother. So you have to produce one Lord Rāmacandra, Kauśalyā. You have done… He has done the…

Devotee (1): He is initiated.

Prabhupāda: All right. Then you are initiated. Come on. (all chant japa) [break]

…viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(devotees repeat) Come on. What is the name?

Pradyumna: Janmañjaya.

Prabhupāda: Your name is Janmañjaya. Janman, j-a-n-m-a-n, j-a-y. Janmañjaya was the son of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, yes, a great Vaiṣṇava king of…, emperor of the world. So you have to serve him. That's it. Come on. [break]

…viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

What is her name?

Pradyumna: Tārā dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Tārā dāsī. T-a-r-a d-a-s-i, Tārā. Tārā was one of the gopīs.

Devotees: Ah!

Prabhupāda: [break]

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(devotees repeat)

Pradyumna: Sūri dāsa. Sūri dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Sūri dāsa. S-u-r-i d-a-s-a, Sūri dāsa. Sūri. Sūri means devotees. Great devotee is called sūri, or demigods, sūri. Sūri dāsa. Come on. You know the regulative principles? Regulative principles?

Sūri: No speculation…

Prabhupāda: No speculation?

Viṣṇujana: Gambling.

Sūri: Gambling. No gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex, and no meat, fish…

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's all right. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) [break]

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(devotees repeat)

Pradyumna: Joṭilā.

Prabhupāda: Your name is Joṭilā. Yes. Joṭilā and Kutilā. Joṭilā was the mother-in-law of Rādhārāṇī. (chuckles) Yes. Kṛṣṇa was not Rādhārāṇī's husband. Her husband is supposed to be somebody else. Come on. Come on. And you have bowed down? That is done. Come on. That's all right. So ten kinds of offenses, all those who are initiated today, they should avoid ten kinds of offenses. What are those offenses?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "One: Blaspheming the Lord's devotee. Two: Considering the Lord and other demigods on the same level or assuming there are many gods. Three: Neglecting the orders of the spiritual master. Four: Minimizing the authority of the Vedas. Five: Interpreting the holy names of God. Six: Committing sin on the strength of chanting."

Prabhupāda: This is very dangerous thing. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra you become released from all sinful reaction. But because Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra nullifies all sinful reaction, that does not mean he shall continue. It is not like that, you go to church and you confess your sins and it is all adjusted or nullified-again from the next week you begin fresh sinful activities. No. That is not allowed. That is not allowed. Kṛṣṇa we should not make an agent for nullifying our sinful activities. Then it is not service. Then we make Kṛṣṇa as our servant. We are at liberty to commit all kinds of nonsense, and God becomes an agent to clear it-what is this nonsense? That is not allowed. You may, by mistake or some way or other, you may commit something wrong, but by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, from this day everything is apavitraḥ pavitro vā, everything is finished. But from tomorrow or immediately after this, no more sinful activities. Therefore this regulative principle, these four principles: illicit sex, meat-eating, and intoxication, and gambling. These four principles are the basic principles of all sinful activities. If you indulge in these four things, then you are prepared to do any nonsense. Therefore these four things should be immediately stopped; then there is no more chance of sinful activities. And chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, you keep yourself always purified. Māyā will not touch you and you shall be elevated to the eternal blissful life to enjoy like the gopīs. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should I read the four others, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Seven: Instructing the Lord's name to the unfaithful."

Prabhupāda: Yes, this initiation is not canvassing. We don't canvass that "You become our disciple." Anyone who understands, "Oh, this is very nice," if he comes, "Swamijī, initiate me," he is welcome. But there is no canvassing or selling the mantra. No. We have no such business. We give everyone freedom to hear this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any charges. We go from door to door, street to street: "Hear and be purified." And if anyone wants to be intimately associated with us, we welcome. But we don't canvass. That is no use. If I artificially ask somebody that "You become initiated and…," no, that will not stand. One must willingly come. Therefore, as a general principle, we distribute this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. But if we find somebody reluctant, then we become callous. We don't mind. There are many others. Then?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Eight: Comparing the holy name to material piety."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now this function, this ceremony which is going on, it is not a material ceremony. Material ceremony, of course… Just like in our country there are so many pūjās, satyanārāyaṇa-kathā, like that. Their aim is to gain some material profit. So that kind of function is not this initiation. Here there is no question of gaining any material profit. Here the process is to become purified and become eligible to enter into the kingdom of God. That is the aim. Not that "By initiation, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, now my income is one hundred dollars. I will get one thousand dollars." No. There is no question of dollar calculation. It is no mammon's philosophy. It is real Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy. So then next?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Nine: Inattentive while chanting the holy name."

Prabhupāda: Yes. When you chant, you must hear also. This is attention. This is yoga. Your mind must be engaged to the vibration, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." You are thinking of something in factory, what is going on, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. No. Not that. The chanting must be heard by you. That is attention, with attention. Yes, go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Last, "Ten: Attachment to material things while engaged in the practice of chanting."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt [SB 11.2.42]. If by chanting, you see that your love for Kṛṣṇa is increasing and your love for matter and material enjoyment is decreasing, then you must know that you are progressing. If, by the result of chanting, you are increasing your material hankering, that is not progress. Then that is an offense. One should know that "Now I am chanting with offense. I have to rectify it." You have to test whether you are increasing your love of God, Kṛṣṇa. Then you should know that you are in progress. Two things cannot go. Just like hunger and eating cannot go together. If you are actually eating, then hunger must be subsided, if you are actually eating. Similarly, if you are actually making spiritual progress, then the result will be that your material hankering will decrease, not that you are being cured, and the temperature is increasing. No. If you are actually being cured the temperature must decrease. If you are in feverish condition, you are taking medicine, then the fever must decrease. This material hankering is a kind of disease. It is never satisfied. But people are hankering more, more, more, more, more… That means temperature is increasing. And when the temperature is 107 degrees, finish life. That's all.

So this material civilization has come to the degree of atomic heat, you see. Now everyone has got this atomic energy, and it is going to be finished. So that kind of advancement is not needed. Actually bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt [SB 11.2.42]. The test… Whether you are making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you have to test yourself, whether you are decreasing your material desires. That's all. Because in the perfect stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is no more material desires. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: [Cc. Madhya 22.42] "I have no more any demand. I am fully satisfied." Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma ataeva śānta [Cc. Madhya 19.149]. If you want śānti, peacefulness, then you have to become completely Kṛṣṇa conscious-kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma-because he has no more demand. And bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. And those who are karmīs, trying to elevate material position, they are all disturbed. And mukti, those who are hankering after liberation, he is also disturbed. And siddhi, those who are yogis hankering after some material perfection, mystic perfection, he is also disturbed. He is simply thinking, "How I shall be so light that I can fly in the sky." Yes. What you are? There are… So many flies are flying in the sky. (laughter) What you gain by that? But the nonsense will see, "Oh, I am now, from the ground I am now three feet high." Three feet high? A small bird is a hundred feet high. What is there? These are all nonsense. Don't be after all this nonsense. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī. Bhukti means these ordinary worker, whole day working like ass, taking a morsel of food or no food even, but working hard. Always motorcar is going this way, that way, that way, that way, and that way, that way… They are karmīs. And those who are disgusted with karma-"Now I shall meditate. I shall become God." You see? The same disease, aśānti. And siddhi-kāmī, mystic power: "I shall be light. I shall be great. Whatever I shall want, immediately…" The yogis can do that.

As I told you, one story, it is very…, not amusing. One boy, he went out of home and mixed with yogis for several years. Then, after some time, he came to his village, and all the friends and relatives gathered: "Oh, you have been so many years with yogis. What you have learned?" Actually yogis can do wonderful things. One yogi used to come to our house. He was my father's… My father used to respect him. So he told us that within a few minutes they will go several hundreds of miles. Simply he will touch his Guru Mahārāja and sit down, and he will see in another place within few seconds some thousands of miles away. The yogis can perform this. So one yogi, he came to his village, and all the people, relatives, surrounded him: "What you have learned, please?" He said that "I have learned this mystic power; I can walk on the water." This is called laghimā-siddhi, to become so light that one can fly in the air or one can walk on the water. So everyone became inquisitive. "Oh, please show me. Please show us one day." So he agreed, "All right. I shall show on that day." Then one old man said, "My dear friend, you have been so long with the yogis, but you have learned only two-cent-worth power." "What is that?" "Now you will walk over the water, and I shall pay two cent to the boatman. He will take me to the other side. (laughter) So what you have gained? You have so much labored, but you have gained only two-cent-worth thing." You see? So these yogis are after two cent. (laughter) Even they are perfection. There is no… If they are perfect… Without being perfect, they are nothing, simply rascals. But even they are perfect, that is two-cent worth. You see? But here is a yoga system-we are going to Kṛṣṇa. Just always remember this.

So what is the last? So we should not be inattentive. This yoga system, this bhakti-yoga system, is the highest yoga system. There is… Even Brahmā. You'll read all these thing in our book, Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā, he was so powerful. He wanted to play some mystic power. He took away all the cowherds boys and friend, yes, calves and cows from Kṛṣṇa just to see the fun. And Kṛṣṇa created many thousand cowherd boys immediately. So this yogic power has nothing to do. If you can get Kṛṣṇa… Just like mother Yaśodā and other friends. Just like I told you about Bhadrasena. He was challenging Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was defeated. And when Kṛṣṇa became defeated, He had to take on His shoulder His friend. So this is another thing. And to be satisfied with little power and little influence within this material world, that is nothing. That is worthless. As soon as this body is finished, everything is finished. It has no value. Just… Yam labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. You just try to achieve something, will achieving, you will no more want anything. So all these yogis, all these karmīs, all these jñānīs, they are not peaceful because they are wanting something, wanting something. So long you will be wanting something, there cannot be any more peace. Mind that. When there will be no more demand, that is peace. And that is only for Kṛṣṇa bhakta, kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma [Cc. Madhya 19.149], because he has no demand. Ataeva śānta: "Therefore he is peaceful." All others, they have got some demand. So this is the process. By making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness means your demands will be nil. That's all. When you find in that position, that "I have no more any demand," svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi, "I am fully satisfied, Kṛṣṇa," then that is your perfection. So try to achieve that position.

Now you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Oh, first of all is marriage. Now you offer this girl. What is name? Where is garland? All these groups, give them garland. Who is in charge? All right. This garland was first touched there in Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First touched to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes, to the feet. Yes. Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It hasn't been done yet.

Prabhupāda: So do it. Do it immediately. Now you just give in charity these girls to the boys. You say… First of all name her.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jambavatī.

Prabhupāda: Yes, "My Godsister…"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: My Godsister Jambavatī…

Prabhupāda: "…who was in charge of me…"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: …who was in charge of me…

Prabhupāda: "…now I will give you."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: …I now give you to

Prabhupāda: So you accept him as your wife.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do you accept him as your wife?"

Prabhupāda: You say, "Yes, I accept."

Devotee (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: "I take charge of her throughout her life." Yes. And you accept, "I accept you as my husband. We shall keep in peace in any circumstances." Tell this. Say this. "We shall keep peace in any circumstances. We shall never be separated even in distressed condition." You also say. Yes.

Devotee (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Now change your garland. That's all. Yes. You come to this side. You come to this side, left side. You go to the right side. Similarly, you give her.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Janmañjaya, this is my Godsister Tārā dāsī. I wish that you will accept her as your wife, to take charge of her.

Prabhupāda: You say, "Yes, I take charge for Tārā dāsī throughout her life." Say that.

Janmañjaya: I will take charge of Tārā dāsī throughout her life.

Prabhupāda: And you say, "I accept you as my husband."

Tārā: I accept you as my husband.

Prabhupāda: "And I wish to serve you throughout my life."

Tārā: And I wish to serve you throughout my life.

Prabhupāda: "There will be no separation in any condition."

Tārā: There will be no separation in any condition.

Prabhupāda: "We shall jointly execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Tārā: We shall jointly execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Now change (garland). Change it.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa)

Prabhupāda: You come this side. You come this side. Left side you come. You come left side. Now cover. Similarly do here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: My dear Godbrother Sūri, this is my Godsister Joṭilā dāsī, and I wish that you will take care of her for your whole life and accept her as your wife and always protect her, that there will be no separation between you, that you will always watch over her carefully. Will you do this?

Sūri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You say, "Yes, I take charge of Joṭilā dāsī." You say.

Sūri: Yes, I take charge…

Prabhupāda: (Sūri dāsa repeating) "Throughout her whole life. Throughout her whole life. There will be no separation in any condition. In any condition. And we shall jointly execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Jointly. Jointly. Yes. She will help you, and you will help her. That's all. Change. Yes, you accept that "I will serve you throughout my life."

Joṭilā: Yes, I will serve you throughout my life.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on. Now change. [break] (devotees repeat:)

apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ

vande ahaṁ śrī-guru śrī-yuta-padakamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca

śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam

sa advaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ

śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

Svāhā. Svāhā. Svāhā. (end)

690325IN.HAW

Initiation

Hawaii, March 25, 1969

Prabhupāda: So now you come here. You have given… There is no āsana, sitting? Give him one piece of… So I shall perform this initiation ceremony. If you kindly sit, you can see. [break] I am traveling everywhere. Next I am going to San Francisco. But my disciples, they will stay here. This Gaurasundara dāsa, Mr. Gary, he will live here with his wife. Yes. So temple, if people come, that is temple. You see? That is temple. And if we, suppose, construct a huge building and nobody comes, then what is the use of spending money? We are not after such thing. But if somebody has got money, he wants to construct temple, it is welcome. We can give nice plan how to do it. In India there are Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temples, just like one temple is as good as a big fort. They spend so much. You see? But here also, in your country, there are many big churches. So people, formerly they were religiously inclined. So either Christian, Muhammadan or Hindus or anyone, they were constructing temple, churches, mosques. But that mentality is gone. You see? They will spend lots of money for a skyscraper building to get income, and temple is called nonproductive building. You see? They do not wish to engage their money in nonproductive thing because they have become economic. But that is wrong theory. You see? That economic means forgetting God. And that means, I mean to say, animal life. If by becoming a human being, he becomes an animal, if he thinks that he has become economical, that is not very sane conclusion. So godless means animal. The animals, they do not know how to create a church or temple or mosque. The mosque or temple or church, they are done in the human society. So when the human society forgets this responsibility from economic point of view, that means they degrade to the animal life.

Now you can chant, those who are initiated. (ceremony begins, chanting of oṁ apavitraḥ) [break] …Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then take another bead, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In this way you come to this end. Don't cross this summit. Again begin from this end. In this way chant daily sixteen rounds. One round, two round, three round, four round, fifth round, like that. And you have noted down the rules and regulation? Yes. And the ten kinds of offenses to give up, chanting? Yes. And your Godbrothers will help you. I don't think there is name, any Balabhadra? So your spiritual name is Balabhadra. Just bow down. (devotee repeating each word:)

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

All right, take your beads and be happy, and Balabhadra dāsa brahmacārī. Is that all right? (laughter)

Sudāmā: Prabhupāda, what does Balabhadra mean?

Prabhupāda: Balabhadra is this, Balabhadra.

Sudāmā: Ah, Balarāma.

Prabhupāda: Balabhadra and Balarāma are two different names, Kṛṣṇa's elder brother. Now chant. No. We have to perform. Yes. Chant your beads. Give me lamp. [break] This boy was chanting automatically, so there is no question of waiting for sixteen years. Any child, even we have seen dancing; sometimes dogs are also dancing. In Tompkinson Square in New York, when I was chanting, oh, so many children, dogs, and everything. This is for me? All right. First of all give him. You take some. All right. (end)

690504IN.BOS

Initiation of Baradraj and Chandanācārya Dāsās

Boston, May 4, 1969

Prabhupāda: …rādhā śrīla govinda-devau preṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi. (devotees chant responsively) Śrīmān rāsa-rasārambhī vaṁśī-vaṭa-taṭa-sthitaḥ karṣan veṇu-svanair gopīr gopīnāthaḥ śriye 'stu naḥ. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Give me your beads. (japa) Begin from here. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then take next. In this way you'll come this side. You don't cross this. Again begin here, and come to this. Such sixteen rounds must be done every day. Your spiritual name is Chandanācārya dāsa. Chandanācārya. C-h-a-n-d-a-n-c-h-a-r-y-a dāsa. Chandanācārya, a great preacher of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So you are servant of that. You have to preach very nicely. Bow down.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(devotees repeat responsively) Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy. Take this. (japa) You could not secure like that? This is all right. (japa) Put in your bag and do… (japa) Begin from here, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Next. In this way come to this point, again like that. And where is that chart, the ten kinds of offenses and the regulative principles?

Haṁsadūta: I have it in Montreal. They have that. They already have that, Prabhupāda. Yes.

Prabhupāda: You must give them copies. Is there any name Madana-mohana dāsa? Yes? There is? So his name should be Baradraj. B-a-r-a-d, Baradraj, r-a-j, Baradraj. Baradraj is another name of Lord Viṣṇu. Baradraj dāsa Brahmacārī. All right. Just bow down. Bow down. Bow down.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(devotees repeat) All right. Take your beads. Be happy. Baradraj. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) Chant. (japa) Keep it there. You can keep it.

Śāradīyā: You want to move more closer?

Prabhupāda: You can keep it.

Candanācārya: Put it down?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nama. You take little, little, everyone, and when I say svāhā, you put it.

Satsvarūpa: Prabhupāda? Is Śāradīyā dāsī going to take the Gāyatrī?

Prabhupāda: Gāyatrī, so where is that mantra sheet? Then I'll give you after. That's all.

oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantara śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

Vande ahaṁ śrī-guru… (chants prayers for fire sacrifice, devotees responding)

Devotees: Careful, careful.

Prabhupāda: Here. Not at me. (chants prayers) Now each one, banana. Stand up. Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Stand up. Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya govindāya namo namaḥ. (repeats twice with devotees responding) Now put silently. Namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Now bow down, namo oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya. (devotees offer obeisances) (end)

690521IN.NV

Initiation of Lokanātha dāsa

New Vrindaban, May 21, 1969

Prabhupāda: Mānuṣyam arthadam anityam apīha dhīraḥ, tūrṇaṁ yateta anumṛtyu pateta yāvat niḥśreyasāya viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. The Vedic literature informs that labdhvā sudurlabham idam [SB 11.9.29]. Idam means "this." "This" means this body, this opportunity, human form of life, developed consciousness, full facility. The animals, they have no facility. They are living in the jungles. But we can utilize these jungles, these forests, for so many comfortable situation. So we have got developed consciousness, intelligence. We can utilize. So it is called arthadam. Artha. There are two meanings of artha. Artha-śāstra. Artha-śāstra means economics, how to increase wealth. That is called artha. So arthadam. This human form of life can bestow upon you artha. Artha means something substantial. Generally we understand substantial means money. If somebody gets money, that is substantial for material comforts, of course, but real substantial thing is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real substance, arthadam.

So Vedic literature, Vedas' meaning, when it is said, arthadam, "In this life you can achieve the substance," that substance means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, taking it substance means multimillionaire or millions of dollars, that is also artha but anityam. That is anityam. That substance will not be carried by you. You have come here empty-handed from the womb of your mother, and when you leave this place, you will also go empty-handed. Not that because you have earned millions of dollars, Mr. Rockefeller or Ford, you can carry this. No. The Rockefeller Center will remain there, where it is. You have to go empty-handed. So now, when it is said arthadam, "You can achieve the substance," that does not mean this artha, temporary, which will not be carried by me. It will be left behind. That is going on. I create something in this life. As much as this body is created by the father and mother, similarly, I also create. That creative energy is there in me because I am part and parcel of God. So God creates; I also create. That creative energy is within me, but a very minute quantity. That creation is nothing in comparison with God's creation. God has created this whole universe, and what you can create? You can create, utmost, a city like New York. That's all. You can create. That's all right. In that sense you are god also. Part and parcel of God is also god, but small god. Just like your earring. That is gold. So that gold is not equal to the gold mine. That gold mine is different. Therefore the philosophy is, "simultaneously one and different." We are, every one of us, we are simultaneously one with God and different from God. One in quality. The quality of God is also in me. I am of the same quality. Just like a drop of sea water and the vast water, ocean. The quality analytical, chemical composition, is the same, but the quantity of component parts are different. This is called acintya-bhedābheda-tattva: "inconceivably, simultaneously one and different." The Māyāvāda philosophy, they say that "We are God. Everyone is God." But we say that "Yes, everyone is God, but not that God, the Supreme God." Everyone is American, but not that American like President Nixon. This common sense knowledge the Māyāvādī hasn't got. But they are puffed up: "Oh, I am the same. I am…" So 'ham: "I am the same." How you are the same? If you are the same, why you are fallen in this condition? They will say, "It is māyā. It is illusion." No. Why you are in illusion? If you are great-"God is great"-if you are that great, then why you are captured by illusion? Then illusion is great, not God is great. This commonsense philosophy they do not understand. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say, "Poor fund of knowledge." Whenever he used to designate these Māyāvādī philosophers, he would say, "Poor fund of knowledge."

So this is the opportunity to… You are part and parcel of God. Don't try to become artificially like God. That is not possible. That will be simply waste of energy. This is māyā. Everyone under the spell of māyā, they are working very hard. Why? Everyone is trying to become God: "I shall be the great man of this country," or "My country shall be the greatest country in the world." That means God is great, and everyone is trying to be great like that. That is competition. So you are trying, I am trying, he is trying, everyone is trying. This is called māyā. But our Bhāgavata philosophy says that "Don't try artificially in that way. Better remain what you are. Better remain…" Just like the same example: If you want to be the greatest man in your country, just like President Nixon, so you have to work very hard. And that is also for temporary. It will be finished within five years. Then you are ordinary man again. So better remain and in your own capacity, and try to become Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends this process, that you don't try artificially to become God the great. It is not possible. Simply waste of time. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. It is not the statement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu; it is the statement of Bhāgavata, but He quoted this. His disciple, Rāmānanda Rāya, quoted this while discussing what is the objective of human life. So He recommends this objective. What is that? Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Don't try to be puffed up artificially by your speculative knowledge that you are the same God. Don't try for it. If you actually want to be happy, and if you want, actually, you want to be God realized or Kṛṣṇa conscious person, then the first thing is that you give up this nonsense habit-by speculation, you want to be God. Puffed up: "I am God. I am God. I am God." But you are not God. You are God qualitatively, not quantitatively. Why don't you understand this?

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jñāne prayāsam. Jñānīs, the empiric philosophers, they simply speculate and try to prove that "I am God." That means āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. The atheist says that "There is no God," and here the Māyāvādī philosophy says, "Yes, there is God, but God I am." That's all. It is the same philosophy, atheism. He is also denying that "There is no separate God. I am God." That atheistic philosophy, like Buddha philosophy, "There is no God…" But Buddha himself is God. That is… Another Bhāgavata interpretation is that he is cheating the atheist person. The atheists, they say, "There is no God," and Lord Buddha said, "Yes, there is no God, but you follow me." But He is God. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. So Bhāgavata therefore says, sammohāya sura-dviṣām [SB 1.3.24]. It is something like that. A naughty boy does not want to go to school. So somebody, some friend, says, "Yes, you don't go to school. All right, you sit down. Now, what is this?" "Oh, this is cow." "What is this?" "This is leg." "Can you count how many legs are there?" "Yes. One, two, three, four." So… (aside:) What is that?

Hayagrīva: Somebody's coming, some vehicle.

Prabhupāda: All right. You please sit down. So the boy is satisfied that "I am not going to a school. This gentleman is very nice. I didn't want to go to school, and he says, 'Yes, don't go to school.' But "You sit down here. What is this?" "This is cow." "And what is this?" "This is cow's leg." "What is this?" "One leg, two leg." That means he is being educated, but he does not know. He says that "Ah…"

So Lord Buddha's philosophy is like that. The atheistic people, they are against God. "Yes, there is no God. But you take this philosophy, ahiṁsā. Don't kill animals." That means if they stop animal-killing, then one day they will be able to understand what is God. Some day. Because so long one is accustomed to kill animals, he will never be able to understand what is God. That is Buddha philosophy. He situated the atheistic people on the line of understanding God. So this is, in one way, cheating. But this cheating is not cheating. Just like father or guardian sometimes cheats the young boy. That is not cheating; that is for his good. But actually, if you take the, I mean to say, behavior, it is something like cheating. So the Māyāvāda philosophy… This Buddha philosophy is also another Māyāvāda philosophy. Both of them are, on the face value, atheistic, denying the existence of God. One is saying, "There is no God"; another is saying, "It is impersonal," in this way. But our philosophy is neither atheistic nor impersonal. It is directly person. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Directly we say, "There is no…" Kṛṣṇa, in the Bhagavad-gītā, says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nāsti: "There is nobody greater than Me." If God is great, how anybody can be greater than Him? It is right. Eh? Nānyat parataraṁ nāsti: "There is nothing more greater than Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: [Bg. 10.8] "I am the origin of everything." Vedānta-sūtra says, "Brahman, or the Supreme Absolute Truth, is the source of everything." And here is the direct answer by Kṛṣṇa, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: "I am the source of everything." So we follow this philosophy. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we directly take Bhagavad-gītā as the evidence of existence of God. And if you want to know God, you cannot know God by speculation. He is so great, He is so unlimited, and we have got limited senses, limited capacity. It is not possible. Simply we can understand God by the mercy of God. So here is the mercy of God, Kṛṣṇa, He Himself speaking about Himself. You learn God. God is speaking about Himself. You haven't got to speculate. And He, by His pastimes, by His activities, He… (aside:) What is that sound coming? That is car? Oh. By His activities, He proved Himself that He is complete God. From His childhood.

So Bhāgavata says… Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Don't be situated in the speculative method, that you are God, you are something-'There is no God,' or 'I am God, this God, that God.' Give up this habit kindly. Give up this nonsense habit." There is God, and you are not God. You are God partially, part and parcel, just like I have explained. So we have to give up this nonsense habit. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Udapāsya means give up. Then what is next? Namanta eva. Just be submissive. Don't be puffed up artificially. You are being slapped always by the laws of material nature. Don't think that you are independent. It is foolishness to say that "I am independent. I don't care for anything of…" No. You have to care. You are being kicked every moment by the laws of nature. You should know it. You are not independent. Therefore be namanta eva, be submissive. Namanta eva. Jñāne prayāsaṁ namanta eva, be submissive. Namanta eva. Jñāne prayāsaṁ namanta eva san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. San-mukharitām. And try to hear about the Supreme Lord from the right source. San-mukharitām. San, sat. Sat-mukharitām. Sat means eternal, and mukharitām means speaking, coming out from the mouth of a person who is eternally situated. Who is eternally situated? Not this body. Eternally situated, I am, I am real "I am," the spirit soul. So the spirit soul can speak when he is Kṛṣṇa conscious; otherwise he is covered. His speaking power is stopped. Just like an unconscious man is without any consciousness, but he has got the life-the soul is there-similarly, in the other species of life, although the soul is there, it is not, the soul is not speaking. The outward, the influence of the soul… (aside:) What is this? That means the soul is not manifested there fully. Labdhvā sudurlabham [SB 11.9.29]. That is being manifested from aquatic life to plant life, then in insect life, then bird's life, then beast's life, at last human life. Out of human life, there are civilized life, uncivilized life. And out of the civilized life, there are atheists and theists, and those who are actually developed conscious. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The consciousness is developing from the lowest status of living condition, aquatic, then plants, trees, then insects, flying insects, then birds, then four-legged beasts, so many, then two hands, two legs, gorilla. Similarly, human, uncivilized, then civilized, Aryans, then our Vedic knowledge. In this way consciousness is increasing. That is real evolutionary theory. Darwin has simply taken some imaginative… He might have taken from Padma-Purāṇa. In Padma-Purāṇa these are very nicely explained, how many species of life are there. They have given account: "So many species in water." Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi: "Nine hundred thousand species in water." Sthavarā lakṣa-viṁśati: "Trees and plants, there are two millions." Exact number. Now, if you are scientists, if you are botanist, if you are physiologist, you can try it and see. But these are already there. Mānuṣāḥ catur-lakṣāṇi: "The human species, there are also 400,000's." So out of this, the Aryan family, the civilized man, the Aryan families are understood to be the highest civilized… (end)

690525IN.NV

Brāhmaṇa Initiation Lecture

New Vrindaban, May 25, 1969

Prabhupāda: Practically in every initiation ceremony, apavitraḥ pavitro vā, namaḥ. Namaḥ means surrendering. Namāmi: "I surrender unto You. He Kṛṣṇa, I am surrendering to You." And apavitraḥ pavitro vā. Apavitraḥ means contaminated, and pavitra means liberated. So in either stage, either in the material, contaminated stage or in transcendental, liberated stage, apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthām, in any situation… Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam. Sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. In any circumstances, if somebody remembers, smaret, remembers puṇḍarīkākṣam… Puṇḍarīka akṣam. Akṣam means eyes. One who is lotus-eyed, Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, Puṇḍarīkākṣam, anyone who remembers always or at anytime, Kṛṣṇa, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam, sa, that person… Bahya. Bahya means externally, and abhyantaram means internally. Bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Śuci means brāhmaṇa, or śuci means completely cleansed. The brāhmaṇa means completely clean. The brahminical qualification is first of all cleanliness. Satya śaucaṁ śamo dama titikṣa ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. To become brāhmaṇa means satyam saucam. First thing is truthful, and next, śaucam, very cleansed, internally and externally. Externally we can cleanse ourself by soap and water. That is necessary. Daily we should take bath with soap and water and oil. Bahyābhyantaram. And abhyantaraṁ śuciḥ means evacuating and cleansing. In yoga system there is a system they practice. They can get out all the intestines and cleanse it clearly. Dhauti. What do they know about this yoga system? They can take out the whole intestine and cleanse it nicely and again set it. So these are actually practicing yoga system. But who is going to do that? Simply a gymnastic process. So śaucam, cleanliness, is very necessary for advancing in spiritual life.

So brāhmaṇa qualification is truthfulness, cleanliness, satyaṁ śaucam. Sama, equilibrium of the mind, without any disturbance, without any anxiety. Satyaṁ śaucam śamo dama. Dama means controlling the senses. Śamo dama titikṣa. Titikṣa means tolerance. So many things in the material world will happen. We have to practice to tolerate. Tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Kṛṣṇa says, "You have to learn tolerance. The sukha-duḥkha, happiness, distress, they will come like seasonal changes." Just like there is sometimes rain, there is sometimes snowfall, sometimes scorching heat. How you can fight? It is not possible. Try to tolerate. That's all. Satyaṁ śaucaṁ śamo dama titikṣa ārjavam. Ārjavam means simplicity, no duplicity. Simplicity, ārjavam. Jñānaṁ vijñānam, knowledge and practical application in life. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. Āstikyam means to believe firmly in the scriptures. Just like Bhagavad-gītā we are studying, or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We should firmly believe what Kṛṣṇa says, not interpretation. This is called āstikyam. And nāstikyam means not firm belief, atheism. Just like Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha simply said that "I don't believe in the Vedas." Therefore he is immediately calculated as atheist, nāstikyam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, veda nā māniyā bauddha haila nāstika: "The followers of Buddha, they did not accept Vedic, I mean to say, direction; therefore they are nāstika." What is that Vedic direction? In the Dāsavatāra-stotra by Jayadeva Gosvāmī, he says, nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātam. In the śruti, in the Vedas, there is prescription of sacrifice, and in some of the sacrifice there is recommendation for sacrifice of some animals, goats. So that is… But Lord Buddha says, "No. I want to introduce nonviolence, no animal killing. So even there is Veda, prescription, I don't accept Vedas." Therefore he became nāstika. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that veda nā māniyā bauddha haila nāstika: "Because Lord Buddha did not accept the authority of the Veda, therefore he was considered nāstika, atheist." He was Indian. He was Hindu. His forefathers were kṣatriyas, Vedic. He revolted. So therefore he was called nāstika. But a brāhmaṇa should not be nāstika; he should be āstik. Āstikyam: "He must believe in the scriptural injunction." These are brahminical qualifications.

So you are going to be brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa, this sacred thread ceremony; therefore you should follow all these principles, satyam, śaucam, cleanliness… Although in this age, not only in your country-you are completely out of Vedic culture-even in India, they are so-called. Nobody follows. But still, they claim, "I am brāhmaṇa. We are brāhmaṇas." So this is parapidam (?), simply a social standard without any qualification, without any… So you are going to take the responsibility of brahmanism. This system is introduced according to pāñcarātrikī system. Pāñcarātrikī system means formerly in the Vedic system, without being born by a brāhmaṇa, nobody was given this sacred thread ceremony. "Without being born by a brāhmaṇa" does not mean hereditary, but actually, one who is brāhmaṇa… Just like you are not being created as brāhmaṇa. So if your son is born, he has the first claim to become a brāhmaṇa because by the birth he gets the brahminical culture, sees the father, mother. Just like this boy. Automatically he is getting Vaiṣṇava culture, he is associating with the Vaiṣṇavas. So the son of a brāhmaṇa has the chance. A practical example, this boy: from the very beginning becoming a Vaiṣṇava, more than a brāhmaṇa, more than. Vaiṣṇava position is above the brāhmaṇas. Brahmā jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. But Vaiṣṇava, he penetrates the brahmajyoti. Just like you penetrate. If you are able to penetrate the sunshine and go to the sun and seek out the sun-god, if somebody is able, by going to the sun planet by sputnik, he is better than who is in the sunshine. Sunshine we can have by just little go up to the cloud. Say, about seven miles up, you get sunshine. But to go to the sun planet and enter into the…, that is very difficult job. That requires so many things. (aside:) Sit down properly. Chant. So Brahman, Nirviśeṣa-brahman, impersonal Brahman, when one understands, jñānaṁ vijñānam… Jñānaṁ vijñānam. And when one becomes Vaiṣṇava, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. When one understands what is impersonal Brahman, what is localized Paramātmā, and what is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam… When you understand the Supreme, the original Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa… Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. There are many incarnations. Rāmādi-murtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha… There are so many thousands and millions of incarnation. But Bhāgavata points out that "This name, Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. So when one understands kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], that Vāsudeva is everything, then he becomes a Vaiṣṇava.

So a Vaiṣṇava is already brāhmaṇa, but still, it is a function that one should not deride at Vaiṣṇava, that he is not brāhmaṇa. Therefore Vaiṣṇava-smṛti, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, written by Sanātana Gosvāmī… That is called Vaiṣṇava-smṛti, how to conduct Vaiṣṇava life. There it is clearly stated by Sanātana Gosvāmī that tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām: "By the process of initiation, a man can attain the position of the twice-born." Twice-born means brāhmaṇa especially-brāhmaṇa, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, three classes of twice-born. Several times I have explained: first born by father and mother, and second born, birth, is this. So you should have responsibility, you should follow. But you can be steady and you will be able to follow all these principles provided you chant regularly Hare Kṛṣṇa. That sixteen rounds you must complete. Then māyā will not be able to deviate you. That is… You must keep this. This kīrtana process, as we are performing morning, evening, this will keep your life steady, fixed up, firm. You will always be situated in brāhmaṇa's position if you strictly follow this. Otherwise māyā will immediately: "My dear boy, please come here. Why you are taking so much botheration?" You see? Just like one boy wanted to be initiated from Montreal. His father and mother have sent me telegram. You have seen? "Oh, please save my boy. He is going to be brāhmaṇa. Oh, it will spoil my family." That means if he becomes brāhmaṇa, he may be reluctant to be karmī. This is going on. If one becomes debauch, the father-mother is not so disturbed. But if he becomes brāhmaṇa, "Oh, it is horrible. It is horrible. It is horrible." (laughter) Just see the social condition. If a young man becomes debauch, "Ah, young man. Let him do. What is there? When he will grow, he will be taken… All right." But if a young man goes to a spiritual master to become brāhmaṇa, "Oh," the father-mother is… "Oh,, it is horrible. My son is being killed." You see? Just see. I have got practical telegram from India. Just see the position of India. Just now today I have received one telegram, Hanla (?). "Oh, it is horrible condition." And Bhāgavata says that "One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, if he cannot prepare his child, a brāhmaṇa, a Vaiṣṇava, so that will protect him from the cycle of repeated birth and death." "No, we don't want this thing. We want our boy a karmī, a demon. Let him earn and send the money. I eat very nicely." This is going on.

So this propaganda against brahmanism or Vaiṣṇavism is always. It is not new thing. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. His little child wanted to become a Vaiṣṇava, and the father, "Oh, you are going to be Vaiṣṇava? I shall kill you." A little child, five years old, just like this boy. He is taking care. If mother says, "Oh, you are doing this? I shall kill you," most extraordinary. But there are instances. So you should be careful. The only precaution is that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Always. If you want to keep intact of transcendental position, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa sincerely. Then you will be kept. Nobody can harm you. Nobody can deviate you. Māyā will fly away. You see? Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. Māyā is very strong. You cannot conquer māyā by so-called meditation or this or that. No. Simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante. Kṛṣṇa. Only He. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. He can overcome the stringent laws of māyā. So don't think that after finishing this ceremony you become all right. No. Māyā is always strong. Kṛṣṇa-nāma karo bhaya āra sab miche, palāivera path naya yo māche piche. The instruction is that you always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Āra sab miche. Whatever except… Nāma vinā kichu nāhika āra, cauddha-bhuvana-majhe. "Within this fourteen world, if there is anything summum bonum substance, this is this Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is this Hare Kṛṣṇa. Mind that." Nāma vinā kichu nāhika āra, cauddha-bhuvana-majhe. So this is secondary, this ceremony. Real strength is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So of course, people may not think you otherwise, that you are not brāhmaṇa, you are not purified. Therefore this ceremony is there, the thread ceremony here, that "Yes, we are properly… According to scriptural rules and regulations, we have become brāhmaṇa. There is no question of… Because I am not born in a brāhmaṇa family, it does not mean I am not brāhmaṇa. I am recognized by authorized ācārya in the line of disciplic succession of Nārada." Nārada has given this definition in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam while instructing Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about the four…, eight divisions, varṇa and āśrama. He said, yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ syād varṇābhivyañjakam. Varṇa. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam [Bg. 4.13]. Four classes, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra-this is creation of God. It is not artificial. It is natural. God's creation is natural. So cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: "According to quality and work." So your quality is Vaiṣṇava, and working as Vaiṣṇava. Then you are more than a brāhmaṇa. But you should keep. Similarly, Nārada also. We are initiating according to Nārada-pañcarātra. Because, as I told you, formerly only a person who is born by a brāhmaṇa… That means garbhādhāna ceremony. A child should be accepted that he is born of a brāhmaṇa. Everyone should know. That is called garbhādhāna ceremony, that when a man goes to his wife to beget child, there is a ceremony. It is not a secret, hide and seek behavior. Everyone should know that "Now this man is going to beget child." So how that child should be very nice, that is called garbhādhāna ceremony. So if garbhādhāna ceremony is not performed according to scriptural direction, immediately he becomes a śūdra.

So in this age nobody is observing garbhādhāna ceremony; therefore it is to be understood that everyone is born a śūdra. Therefore pāñcarātriki-vidhi. Vedic system cannot be applied because nobody is born of a brāhmaṇa. Who knows? Who knows how he is born? There is no ceremony. That is witness, that "Oh, he will go." Just like marriage is a ceremony, there are so many witnesses, similarly, garbhādhāna ceremony, there is ceremony. It is no hide and seek. So because the garbhādhāna ceremony is not current at the present age, therefore everyone should be accepted as born śūdra, either in any place, either here or India or anywhere. But the Pāñcarātrika system, it gives chance to a person, if he has got symptoms. Just like this boy has got the symptom to become a brāhmaṇa, to be Vaiṣṇava. Just like in the Jabala Upaniṣad. This, by symptoms, he was accepted brāhmaṇa, a small boy like this. Satyakaṁ Jabala. Satyakam. He went to Gautama Muni: "My dear sir, will you initiate me?" Just like this boy can ask us. Oh, he was very kind: "Oh, yes. Very nice boy. What is your father's name?" "Oh, I do not know." "Oh, just ask your mother. Go." Mother says, "I do not know whose son you are." He came back. "What your mother says?" "Oh, Mother says she does not know who is my father." "Oh, you are brāhmaṇa. Oh, you are brāhmaṇa. Come on. I shall initiate you." He was so truthful. That is real symptom of brāhmaṇa, satya, śama. He does not disclose that "I do not know." Everyone will try to hide if he does not know his father's name. But here is a boy, "Oh," he said, "Oh, you are brāhmaṇa. Come on. I shall initiate you." This is lakṣaṇa, symptom. "Such a truthful boy. Never mind what he is born, how he is born." This system is not new. Therefore we shall have to accept by the symptom. If one is inclined to go to Kṛṣṇa-he is chanting, he is doing, following the principles-then, according to Nārada's version, yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ syāt, here is the lakṣaṇa, symptom, varṇābhivyañjakam, to understand to what class he belongs. Now, he is truthful-he belongs to the brāhmaṇa class. He is truthful; therefore he belongs to the brāhmaṇa class. Yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ syāt varṇābhivyañjakam. Abhivyañjakam means just to find out what class of man he is. If he is truthful, he is brāhmaṇa. Lakṣaṇa. The lakṣaṇa is there; the symptom is there. Yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ varṇābhivyañjakaṁ tat tenaiva vinirdiśet [SB 7.11.35]. One should take him into that classification. He is truthful? Oh, he is immediately to the brahminical place. If he is a liar, immediately he is pañcama, less than śūdra. You see? So these things were done. People have misused the whole thing: "Now I am born of a brāhmaṇa. By force I am brāhmaṇa." You see? Just like Paṇḍitajī, our late Prime Minister Paṇḍitajī. He was less than the caṇḍāla, but he was addressed as "Paṇḍitajī." "Paṇḍitajī" is the address of the brāhmaṇa. You see? By lakṣaṇam… Nobody cared for lakṣaṇa because his forefather, somebody, was a brāhmaṇa, although there was no garbhādhāna ceremony, no system, still. This is not accepted. People misunderstand Hindu culture, Vedic culture, that there are forced caste system. No. It is varṇābhivyañjakam, by the symptom, quality, qualification. It is not by birth.

So we, our… One of the item of this mission, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is to establish real varṇāśrama by qualification. We have to pick up brāhmaṇas from everywhere, throughout the whole world, not that we have to pick up brāhmaṇas in India in some class. No. There are brāhmaṇas every part of the world. We have to pick up. Just see. None of these boys are born in India or a brāhmaṇa family, but they have got the symptom. They have got the brahminical… They have either acquired willingly or by some way. So we have to pick up. Anyone who is truthful, who is controlling the senses, no illicit sex life… That is controlling senses. There are many other things. This is the most important thing. Śamo dama titikṣa. They are tolerant. To these American boys, to take up another culture, which they are not accustomed from the birth, that is tolerance. This is tolerance. But it is not painful, but it is tolerance. I am asking the American boys, "Don't smoke. Don't take intoxication." They are accustomed to this habit from the very childhood, but they are doing this. This is tolerance. So these are brahminical qualification, tolerance, truthful. And śauca, śauca, this śauca. Anyone who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, he is pure, bahyābhyantaram, inside and outside. So in this way, in this age, the chance should be given. Not that when the Satyakam spoke the truth of his life… So he was accepted. So you are being accepted as qualified brāhmaṇa, but keep your qualification. Then your life will be sublime. Keep your life. Yes. So this is a chance given by the Pāñcarātrika system. It doesn't matter how he is born. Nobody is responsible for his birth, but everyone is responsible for his work. So you work like a brāhmaṇa, like a Vaiṣṇava, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and chant this Gāyatrī mantra, and your life will be sublime. So don't neglect it. You are being initiated according to the order of our predecessors, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. We should have to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in every village, in every town of this planet. Therefore we have come to your country. You are kindly cooperating. You also spread. I am old man. I may not live very long. Any moment I can be finished. But try. That is actually feeling. That is actually fellow feeling, that people are simply… Anādi bahirmukha kṛṣṇa bhuli gelā. They have forgotten Kṛṣṇa from time immemorial. Athaeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karila. Therefore this propaganda, this literature, Vedic literature, is there to remind them. Aham eva sarva-yajñānāṁ blokta ca prabhur eva ca. Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the Lord of everything." So we have to capture Kṛṣṇa. So this is the… Namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. This is explanation of this verse. And now we begin our ceremony.

(continues with ceremony-chanting of prayers with devotees repeating) Now put slowly, like this. (leads chanting of mahā-mantra twice) Now bow down.

namo brahmaṇya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo…

Nama oṁ visnu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale. Chant. Śrīmate bhaktivedānta sarasvatī iti nāmine. All right. Come on, Toṣaṇa Kṛṣṇa. You have no robe?

Toṣaṇa Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: All right. Come on. (end)

690604IN.NV

Initiation Lecture and Bhagavān dāsa's Marriage Ceremony

New Vrindaban, June 4, 1969

Prabhupāda:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

So there is a problem in our life. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says,

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma

yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti

na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam

asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

[SB 5.5.4]

Ṛṣabhadeva says that people are mad after sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ. Pramattaḥ means intensely. Intensely intoxicated. Pra means intensely, and mattaḥ, mattaḥ means intoxicated. So the disease, material disease, is intensely intoxicated in the matter of sense gratification. This is material disease. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. And impelled by this propensity of sense gratification, they are prepared to do any kind of nonsense. Vikarma. Vikarma means what we should not do. Just like a man steals. He knows that stealing is not good, but he wants to satisfy some sense; therefore he is committing stealing also. Therefore he is mad. He knows that "If I am arrested for this stealing or committing this offense, I'll be punished. I may be hanged or…" There are so many things. But still, because he is mad after some sense gratification, he commits such sinful activities. This is practical. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. Vikarma means the actions which we should not have done. Why? Yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. Indriya, indriya means sense. Prītaya means satisfaction. Simply for the satisfaction of the senses. If one is philosopher, he can understand, "Why we should be so much busy for sense gratification?" Now we can give one example. Everyone is trying, working hard for his sense gratification. Nobody is trying… Suppose if I say that "I want to satisfy my senses in this way. Will you kindly work for it?" Nobody will… "Oh, why I shall work for you? You can work for your own satisfaction." Nobody will.

So if that is the position, that I want to satisfy my senses, whether the senses are mine? That they do not know. What are the senses? The senses means this body. If this body actually belongs to me, then, of course, there is meaning that I satisfy my senses of this body. But if we philosophically see whether this body belongs to me… It is very doubtful whether this body belongs to me, because I have got this body from my father and mother. So it may belong to my father and mother. Or if I am a slave, then it may belong to my master. Or even if I am not slave, because I belong to some state, this body belongs to the state. Immediately if the state calls, "Come on. You sacrifice your body in the Vietnam," oh, you have to do that. So in this way, if you analytically study, you'll see the body does not belong to you. Then why should you be so much dexterous to satisfy? Just try to understand. I am not interested to satisfy the senses of your body; I am interested to satisfy the senses of my body. But if this body does not belong to me, then why should we be so much expert in satisfying the senses? Therefore they are called pramattaḥ, intensely intoxicated. It is philosophical vision that "This body does not belong to me." Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Hṛṣīkeśa. I am claiming this hand "my hand," but as soon as it is paralyzed it is no more my hand; it is physician's hand or Kṛṣṇa's hand or somebody's hand. So in this way we have to study. This is called philosophical vision. So Bhāgavata says they are mad after sense gratification, as a result of which he's getting different types of body. Because body does not belong to him. Just like if you pay different types of rent, you get different types of apartment. If you pay nicely, you get very good apartment in New York, in Fifth Avenue or something like that. Or if you cannot pay, then… Similarly, we are getting this apartment, body, under different condition. So we should understand that we have to get such a nice body that no more we'll have to change. That should be the destination of one's progress. That they do not know.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just to put before this bewildered human society what is the destination of his life. The destination is… Everywhere in Vedic literature you'll find. Just like Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, is saying in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Tenth Chapter,

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

"The highest perfection is that one who comes to Me, reaches the abode of Kṛṣṇa, then he hasn't got to accept this miserable body." We do not understand that this body is miserable. Actually, any body. Either you get a princely body or a dog's body, because you have accepted a material body, therefore you have to suffer. You have to suffer. There is no excuse. Because you have got American beautiful body… Sometimes I meet some American gentlemen. They are under impression that India is a starving country. Accepting that India is starving country, but does it mean that America is a very happy country? No. That is their mistake. They simply think that "Because we have got enough money, therefore we are in happiness." No. If there is happiness, why the young boys and girls become hippies? No. Happiness is different. So long you have got this material body, there is no question of happiness, either this American body or Indian body. That they do not know. They are thinking that "Let me get an American body, or a demigod body or this body, that body, that body." But Bhāgavata says, yāvan na prītir mayi vāsudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat. So long one does not develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or love of Godhead, there is no question of getting out of this entanglement of material body. There is no question. You have to accept some body, either you accept this body or that body. And as soon as you accept this body, material body, you have to go the threefold miseries.

So the scientist, the philosopher, they are not studying what is the cause. Everyone is trying to get out of all sorts of miserable problems, but they do not know what is that problem. The problem is this body. But they have no knowledge what is this body, how it is working, what is the soul, how it is transmigrating. They are all rascals, fools. They have no knowledge. And they are trying to make a solution of the problem. There is a story… Not… Yes, take it for story, that sosera bhetare bujugheche (?). If somebody is haunted by a ghost, there was some expert, I mean to say, chanter, who can drive away that ghost by mantra. And they usually use the mustard seed. They chant the mantra and they throw the mustard seed on the person who is ghost-haunted, and the ghost is driven away. So there is a story that the ghost entered the mustard. He is throwing the mustard, but the ghost has already entered the mustard. Similarly, we are trying to solve the problems, but the problem is this body. The ghost is within this body. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement… Of course, we daily discuss these things, that "I am not this body," and what are the problems. The sum and substance of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that we want to go back to Kṛṣṇa. There is another nature. Just like you are seeing this material nature, so many stars and planets. We are very much busy studying, but we have no knowledge practically about this material world even. But we get information from Vedic literature that this material world, cosmic manifestation, is only one-fourth part of the whole God's creation. So there is another nature, which is called spiritual nature, and there is spiritual planets, Vaikuṇṭhas, and Kṛṣṇaloka, the highest planet.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to transfer oneself to that Kṛṣṇa planet, and the process is given very easy in this age. In this age of quarrel and dissension and disagreement, there are so many symptoms of this fallen age. So there is no other alternative. You cannot execute the process of meditation or sacrifice or temple worship. They cannot be executed very nicely because the circumstances are different. Therefore kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Therefore in this age, there is no other alternative process for getting out of these material clutches. Simply, the simple process, I mean to say, offered by Lord Caitanya. It is not Caitanya's manufacture; it is authorized from Vedic śāstras, that we have to realize ourself, our destination of life, our mission of this human form of life simply by this process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And we initiate persons for this mantra. Initiation means beginning. Not that immediately after initiation one becomes perfect. And this marriage ceremony also… Perhaps it is a new thing I have introduced, that I take part in the marriage ceremony of my disciples. Actually, I do it because I want to see them, I mean to say, without any anxiety. Because so long there will be anxiety, one cannot execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness very nicely. So any boy or girl, naturally, especially boys… Boys, if they like, they can keep oneself brahmacārī throughout, celibacy life. But for girls it is not very easy. Therefore we have introduced this marriage ceremony. Many young boys and girls come to us. So that is recommended in Vedic… Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He also married, twice married. His first wife died. He married for the second time. So marriage is not, I mean to say, against our movement. Narottama das Ṭhākura sings, gṛha vā vanete thāko, hā gaurāṅga bole ḍāko. That is the thing. One should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. We have got in our society… Just like I am sannyāsī, Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja is sannyāsī. So we are renounced order. But there are many gṛhasthas, just like Hayagrīva dāsa adhikārī and others. So there is no such distinction that one has to take the path of the renounced order of life. The real essence of our life should be how much we are Kṛṣṇa conscious.

So keeping this point of view, if we follow the regulative principles, then… The real point is that we must be satisfied-we should not be disturbed-and execute peacefully, happily, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so that in our next life we may be transferred to Kṛṣṇaloka. We cannot go to any other planet even within this material world by this mechanical way. No. Everyone has to prepare. Because we are conditioned. We have to get out of the conditional stage; then it is possible we can transfer to any planet we like. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni

mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām

[Bg. 9.25]

So we have to prepare where we want to go. That is real education. Either by the yogic principle or by cultivation of knowledge or by this devotional service, the whole idea is how to transfer oneself to the better condition of life. The better, the best condition of life is to mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. "If anyone," Kṛṣṇa says, "if anyone comes to Me, he hasn't got to come back again to take this cycle of birth and death." So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give that highest, topmost position, that no more coming to this material world, either this planet or that planet. We may go to the moon planet, but that will not solve our real problem. The real problem is birth, death, old age, and disease. Anywhere you go in the material planet, either by sputniks or by your tapasya or by meditation, if you, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ [Bg. 8.16], even if you go to the highest planet, there the four principles of material miseries are there. But if you go, mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. These are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. You try to understand what is the problem of life.

So this marriage ceremony is not for sense gratification. We should always remember. It is helping one another. The husband will help the wife, the wife will help the husband, so that both of them become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make their human life perfect. So there is no question of divorce. There is no question of separation. Because divorce, separation, these are meant for sense gratification. As soon as there is some lack of sense gratification, there is immediately divorce or separation. No. Here there is no such question. So our, this new bride and bridegroom should always remember that in any condition of life they should remain together. And that will be possible if they concentrate their ideas to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then it will be possible. Otherwise māyā will attack in so many ways and cause disruption in so many ways. So our… We are taking part in this marriage ceremony not like ordinary marriage. It is for making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You should always remember that this marriage has no separation, no divorce. Lifetime. The husband will help the wife, the wife will help. There are so many things, duties of the wife. There are so many things, duty of the husband. And if they properly execute their respective duties and engage themselves simply in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the life will be very happy, and not only in this life, next life also. So take this opportunity, be happy. I want to see… Sarve sukhena bhavantu. That is the Vedic mission. Let everyone become happy. Sarve sukhena bhavantu. Let everyone be happy. And without being happy, nobody can execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So let us begin our work now. Who will be initiated? You are both be initiated? [break] Remembers. Yaḥ smaret. Smaret means remembers. Whom remembers? Puṇḍarīkākṣam, the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Puṇḍarīkākṣam. Sa, that person, bahya means externally, abhyantaram means internally, śuciḥ. Sa bahyābhyantaram. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā. Apavitraḥ means contaminated, and pavitra means liberated, without any contamination. Infected or disinfected. So in the material world we are all infected. This is the disinfecting process, simply remembering Kṛṣṇa, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam. So this initiation is to teach how to remember always Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, as soon as we hear, we immediately remember Kṛṣṇa, His speech in the Bhagavad-gītā, His form, His name, His quality, His pastimes. Everything comes. So we have to practice that. Then we remain always uncontaminated. And if you forget Kṛṣṇa, then there is chance of… Just like in the medical science, if there is some epidemic disease, they give some vaccination. I think in Los Angeles you gave me some vaccination? (chuckles) What is that, flus?

Hayagrīva: Hong Kong flu.

Prabhupāda: Ah. Hong Kong flu. Yes. So everyone took that vaccination. So our Hayagrīva prabhu took me also. "All right, let us have." (laughter) So there was no attack. Fortunately, there was no attack. So similarly, this world is Hong Kong flu. (laughter) Māyā is always ready to attack. Always. So we have to take this injunction, this antivaccine, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi'. That song, Jīv Jāgo, Jīv Jāgo. "I have brought this medicine for killing this Hong Kong flu of māyā." Enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi', hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao tumi māgi. Now you take. This is greatest contribution of Caitanya Mahāprabhu to fight against this attack of material influence. Everyone is subjected. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. Under the three modes of material nature people are entangled. So to get out of this, the same proposition, as I explained in the beginning, to get out of this entanglement of constant transmigrating from one body to another, so this is the mantra. Simply to… Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam. Puṇḍarīkākṣam means Kṛṣṇa. So if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you'll be forced to remember Him. As soon as the word "Kṛṣṇa" is there and the more you are practiced to this habit, then simply we'll see Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-nothing more. You'll see nothing. Sarvatra sphūrti tāra iṣṭa-deva mūrti. As you make advance, then you'll see a tree, but you'll see Kṛṣṇa. You'll not see the form of tree. Sarvatra sphūrti tāra iṣṭa-deva… Because one who is conversant with the science of Kṛṣṇa, he'll know how His energies are working in so many ways; therefore he'll be sympathetic. That is universal vision. That is universal love. If you love Kṛṣṇa, then there will be universal love. Otherwise it will be simply talks. So yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantara. He is always in the uncontaminated stage, noninfected stage. So this is very nice. One should take it very seriously. One should try to understand it seriously. Your life will be sublime. The meaning of this namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthām-any condition. We don't make any condition. There is no condition. Why shall we…? Anyone can accept. Sarvāvasthām, any position. There are two position only, contaminated or uncontaminated. That's all. So supposing everyone is contaminated. That's all right. The medicine is there. You make immediately uncontaminated. So sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. It doesn't matter what is your position. You take simply to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, your life will be sublime. That is the initiation. Now chant.

Vande ahaṁ śrī guru… (devotees chant responsively) [break] So one finish, then next, then next. Each Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In this way you come this side, again begin from this side, other side. And there are ten kinds of offenses, try to avoid. And four principles you know? Four regulative principles you know? What is that?

Bhagavān: No meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no illicit sex, and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. So what is your name?

Bhagavān: My name is Bill.

Prabhupāda: Bill. So your spiritual name is Bhavānanda. Bhavānanda.

Devotee: There's a Bhavānanda in Los Angeles.

Prabhupāda: There is? Oh. Then give him name… Bhagavān dāsa. (devotees laugh, "Haribol!") All right. Thank you. [break] …oṁ… Chant.

Devotee: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa…

Prabhupāda: No, no.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

(devotees chant responsively) [break]

Kṛṣṇabhāmini: No meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all. So what is your name?

Kṛṣṇabhāmini: Inez.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Kṛṣṇabhāmini: Inez.

Prabhupāda: Spelling? Is there any name Indumati?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: There is? Indira?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then, your name… I'm trying to find out beginning with "I." All right, don't find now. So is there any name Maṅgala? No? All right. Your name is Kṛṣṇabhāmini. Kṛṣṇabhāmini. K-r-i-s-h-n-a, bhāmini, b-h-a-m-i-n-i. Kṛṣṇabhāmini.

Kṛṣṇabhāmini: Oh. (bowing down)

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

[break]

Prabhupāda: "Kṛṣṇabhāmini, my Godsister…" You can say. "Bhagavān dāsa prabhu…"

Hayagrīva: Bhagavān dāsa prabhu.

Prabhupāda: "Kṛṣṇabhāmini…"

Hayagrīva: Kṛṣṇabhāmini…

Prabhupāda: (with Hayagriva repeating word for word) "…my Godsister was so long under our care. Now we give her under your charge. You accept her as your wife and take care of her throughout the whole life. Now we give her under your charge. You accept her as your wife and take care of her throughout her whole life, not only materially but also spiritually for advancement of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness." You say, "Yes, I accept Kṛṣṇabhāmini "(Bhagavān repeats) "as my wife. I shall maintain her (?) throughout her life and look after her happiness both materially and spiritually." Now you say, "Bhagavān dāsa prabhu, I accept you…" You say? (Kṛṣṇabhāmini repeating) "I accept you as my husband. I shall serve you… I shall serve you throughout my life so that happily and peacefully we can execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Yes. Now you change this garland.

Hayagrīva: Change garlands. [break] (kīrtana) (end)

690716IN.LA

Lecture at Initiation Fire Sacrifice

Los Angeles, July 16, 1969

Prabhupāda: (devotees chanting responsively)

…pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato api vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahya abhyantaraṁ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

The purport of this mantra, namaḥ, namaḥ means "I surrender," or "I become submissive," namaḥ. So one has to become submissive. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā. Apavitraḥ means contaminated. This material world is contamination, infection of the spirit soul. We are suffering… Just like in ordinary diseased condition we suffer on account of infection, similarly the…, one who is intelligent, he should understand that this conditional life is suffering. One should not be foolishly very optimistic, that "I am very well situated. I am enjoying life." This is ignorance. Nobody is enjoying life in this material world; everyone is suffering. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka: ** this world is just like blazing forest fire; so everyone is suffering, contaminated. This is the sign, symptoms of contamination, that suffering, threefold miseries-ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. But as the animals, they suffer, but they do not understand, this is animal life. The animal is being taken to the slaughterhouse, but still he's happy. This is animal life. So when one cannot understand his sufferings of this material contamination, his life is animal life. He knows that he's suffering, but he's trying to cover the suffering by some nonsense means: by forgetfulness, by drinking, by intoxication, by this, by that. He's aware of his suffering, but he wants to cover his suffering in a nonsense way. Just like the rabbit. The rabbit, when he's in face to face of some ferocious animal, the rabbit closes the eyes. He thinks he is safe. Similarly, simply by trying to cover our sufferings by artificial means, that is not solution. That is ignorance. The suffering can be solved by enlightenment of spiritual life, spiritual bliss. That is the way. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Ānanda means bliss, transcendental bliss. And there is ocean of transcendental bliss. If you want to dip into this ocean, there is chance for you. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Vedānta-sūtra says that we spirit soul, we are by nature full of bliss. That is our nature, ānandamaya. But we have been contaminated by this material affection. So one has to come out of it. That is the process of self-realization, liberation, whatever you call. The process is to come out of this contamination.

So this mantra suggests that either you are contaminated or not contaminated… It is not that… The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that so long we are contaminated in the māyā, we can adopt any means of self-realization, and after self-realization, when we become liberated, we become one with the Supreme and there is no more any work. This is partially true. Partially true means when actually you realize yourself, then you have no material activities. That is the sign of self-realization. This is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

Self-realization, liberation, the sign is that he becomes joyful, prasannātmā, immediately. If you have actually realized yourself, simply by bluffing that "I am God, I am this, I am…" No. There are signs. If you are God, then you must be as joyful as God, as Kṛṣṇa. If you are suffering still and you are claiming that you are God, that is nonsense. You needn't become God. You, simply if you become in the light of God, you become joyful. Just like from the darkness of night, if you simply come to the sunshine, immediately your position is changed. It does not require that you have to become the sun. Simply by coming to the sunlight your purpose is fulfilled. So the sunlight and the sun is not different; they are one unit. But sunlight is not sun. That is knowledge. If we, if simply by coming you can come into the sunlight, if I think that I have become identical with the sun, that is nonsense. Sun, you cannot become identical with the sun. It is so powerful, the temperature is so high and great, that you cannot approach even sun. The scientists say even from so many millions of miles away, if a planet or somebody goes near the sun, immediately he will be burned into ashes. So this is false claim that brahma-bhūtaḥ means one becomes God. No. That means that you come to the light of God. That is also nice, to come to the light of God.

So brahma-bhūtaḥ… Anyway, if you realize yourself that you are not… That brahma-bhūtaḥ means simply to understand that I am not the material body. To be convinced firmly with all reasons and argument, firmly conviction, this is called faith. Faith is not flickering. One must be firmly convinced. So then you immediately become joyful. Just like if you are implicated with some undesirable affairs and if you, some way or other, your lawyer advises, "Oh, you are free from this implication. The law does not bind you," just like you feel pleasure, "Oh, I'm not in this implication?" "Yes," similarly, as soon as one is convinced that "I am not this material body," then immediately he becomes joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati [Bg. 18.54]. And what is that joyfulness? There is no lamentation and there is no hankering. If you have hankering, then you are not joyful. If you have lamentation, there is no hankering. If you have hankering, then you are not joyful. If you have lamentation, then you are not joyful. These are the signs. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. And if you are actually self-realized soul, in the light of God, then your treatment will be equal to all living entities. Not that "He is animal, he is man, he is black, he is white, he's this, he's Indian, he's American, he's Chinese." No. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Everyone is spirit soul, son of God, part and parcel of God. This realization. Prasannātmā. He has no enemy. He becomes enemyless immediately, because he sees everyone part and parcel of God, everything energy of God, everything belongs to God, everything enjoyable by God, by Kṛṣṇa. In this way he sees in everything Kṛṣṇa, and nothing else. Prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu… [Bg. 18.54]. That is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. Parām. That is transcendental situation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to take one from the material concept of life, material consciousness, to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then he will be joyful. He will be no more hankering for anything material, neither he'll be sorry for any so-called material loss. And he'll be equal to everyone, universal brotherhood. So they do not know… They simply talk of these high sounds. But here is the process. If you adopt the process, then you come to the platform. It is open for everyone. So this mantra suggests that either you are in the material consciousness or not, apavitraḥ pavitraḥ vā, or in spiritual consciousness. It is not that when you are delivered from the material consciousness and come to the spiritual platform your service stops to Kṛṣṇa. That is not. Our service is eternal. We are serving here Kṛṣṇa, and after leaving this body, when you go directly to Kṛṣṇa, faced with…, the service is there. The service is the main means and the end. Not that this is simply means, and the end is something else. No. It is so nice, it is means and end, both. We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa here, and when we go to Kṛṣṇa we shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, like that.

Devotee: Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: You see the pictures? They are also chanting.

ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis

tābhir ya eva nijarūpatayā kalābhiḥ

goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.37]

This picture is the symbolic… Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. There is a rasa, mellow-every ānanda. Just like if you take a nice fruit, mango, the taste is pleasing. That is called rasa, that taste. Anyway, anything enjoy, there is a rasa. Rasa. You love somebody, you kiss somebody, embrace somebody, there is a rasa. So this picture is ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. Here we have got that taste of rasa in a perverted manner. But cinmaya-rasa means it continues. This Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs, they are enjoying, dancing, chanting. That is eternally; that is never stopped. It is not that they become old and there is no more enjoyment or they are separated or somebody, Kṛṣṇa goes somewhere and the Rādhārāṇī goes to somewhere. No. Everything is eternal. They are enjoying. That is the difference between this rasa and that rasa. This rasa is temporary. Your youthful enjoyment will not exist; it will be finished. Your American life will be finished. Your this life, that life, everything will be finished-and finished forever. Not that you are going to have it again. Therefore this is flashing. It is coming and going. But that life is eternal. That is ānanda-cinmaya. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ [Bs. 5.37]. This ānanda-cinmaya-rasa is called hladini-śakti, Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, na tasya karyaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. These are Vedic versions, that "The Supreme has nothing to do." Just like here if we enjoy in the hotel some dancing, and next morning I'll have to go into the garbage for bringing money for that dancing. I'll work, go underground to dig out garbage. It is not like that, that Kṛṣṇa has to go next morning to garbage. (laughter) You see? It is not that I'll have to acquire money by flattering somebody or working some in hell. No. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitā… That is the expansion of His pleasure potency. Kṛṣṇa is Paraṁ Brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]. When Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, he says, confirms, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are Paraṁ Brahman, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead." This is understanding of Gītā. And after reading I understand that I am God. What is this nonsense? Where do you get this idea? Where it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā? Simply bluffing, all these rascals, scholars, and so-called commentators. They're all rascals. They do not know what is Bhagavad-gītā. Here is Bhagavad-gītā, understanding Kṛṣṇa, accepting, Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān śāśvataṁ puruṣam [Bg. 10.12]. The Supreme is puruṣam. He is not female. Just like some rascal thinks that He's Kālī, He's Durgā. No! Kālī, Durgā are His potencies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva. The Supreme has many kinds of potencies. Goddess Kālī is also one of the potencies, Durgā is also one of the potencies. Not that Durgā is the Absolute Truth. This is nonsense. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir eka chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā [Bs. 5.44]. Durgā. What is that Durgā? Durgā is the material nature, very powerful. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktiḥ. She has got the power of creating, maintaining and dissolving. She is so powerful. You have seen Durgā's picture. She has got ten hands. That's a long story, of course, Durgā, Caṇḍī. These are all described in the Vedic literatures. But she is not the absolute personality. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir eka chāyeva. She is working simply just like shadow. As the shadow moves when the original substance moves, similarly, she is only working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. She is the external potency. Similarly, Rādhārāṇī is a pleasure potency, and these gopīs are expansion of Rādhārāṇī, pleasure potency. So they are not ordinary girls, neither Kṛṣṇa is enjoying like us, that in the hotel at dance and in the morning the garbage. No. It is not like that. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis [Bs. 5.37].

So when you enter into the Kṛṣṇa science you get so much volumes of transcendental knowledge, and we are trying to present before you this knowledge in so many ways, by cleansing your heart from this material contamination. And this initiation is the beginning of cleaning the contamination. Therefore this mantra suggests, apavitraḥ pavitraḥ vā: either you be contaminated or not contaminated. When one is not contaminated, he's relishing this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra by associating with Kṛṣṇa. Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he's also chanting. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also chanting, but His chanting and my chanting, there is little difference. That chanting is on the transcendental platform, actually relishing with Kṛṣṇa. My chanting… In the beginning there are three stages: offensive stages, liberated stage, and relishing stage. So you will be initiated for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, there will be so many offenses. So we have to offend…, we have to defend ourself from the offenses. There are ten kinds of offenses. You'll get the list. So we shall try to avoid. Then our chanting will be purified. And when the chanting is purified, then immediately you are liberated. And after liberation? Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā: [Bg. 18.54] your life of devotional service actually begins. Then you relish reciprocation of love with Kṛṣṇa.

So everything can be attained simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Everything. The means is the end and the means is the whole. It is not that we accept something and give it up and again come to another stage. No. If you have got conviction, if you have got faith, if you are strenuous, immediately you are in the platform. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. So any stage of life, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam, anyone who remembers Puṇḍarīkākṣam, Kṛṣṇa… (aside:) Sit like this. Yes. Puṇḍarīkākṣam. Puṇḍarīka means lotus; akṣam means eyes. Puṇḍarīkākṣam. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ. Externally, internally, he becomes immediately purified. So keep on chanting, you keep yourself purified, māyā cannot touch you. Māyā's contamination will not touch you. Just like if you take vaccine, the infectious disease will not touch you. Similarly, if you keep yourself vaccinated with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the māyā has no power to touch you. And if you can keep, then you will be accustomed. Just like a child, when he learns walking, he requires little help. He may fall down, but that doesn't matter. He again stands up. Similarly, in the beginning there may be childlike falldown, but if you stick to the position, then one day you'll be able to walk freely, without any hamper. So this mantra, apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthām, any condition of life, you can simply remember Puṇḍarīkākṣam, Kṛṣṇa. As soon as you chant "Kṛṣṇa," you remember everything.

So this remembering is the whole thing. If you have got always within your heart Kṛṣṇa, by sound or by mental thoughts, by work, some way or other, by reading books, any way, if simply you keep your consciousness in Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. That's all. And in the Bhagavad-gītā such person who is keeping always Kṛṣṇa within himself, he's certified as the greatest of all yogis. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ, "Of all the yogis," mad-gatenāntarātmanā, "simply who is keeping Me within his heart…"

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

[Bg. 6.47]

"He's first-class yogi." You don't require to labor and pay somewhere some five dollars, ten dollars, and practice this gymnastic. No. It is not possible. And as soon as you come out, you'll again engage yourself in all nonsense activities. No. The first-class yoga system is to keep yourself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then it is always, you are pure. No contamination of this material world can touch you, and you are first-class yogi. All right. (chants fire sacrifice prayers responsively with devotees) Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

690827IN.HAM

Initiation Lecture

Hamburg, August 27, 1969

Prabhupāda:

…avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

This is a verse from Viṣṇu Purāṇa. It is stated there that viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā, "The energy of the Supreme Lord is spiritual." Energy and the energetic, they are nondifferent. Just like the sunshine is the energy of the sun globe, but the quality of sunshine and the sun globe is the same. It is not different. The sunshine is bright, illuminating, hot. Similarly, we can understand the sun globe, the temperature may be very high, but the quality is the same. So viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā [Cc. Madhya 6.154]. God has got one energy. That energy is spiritual energy. And kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā: and the same energy is manifested in another form, which is called kṣetrajña, or marginal energy, or the energy in which we living creatures are acting. Ksetrajñākhya tathā parā. And avidyā-karma-saṁjña, and tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. And besides these energies, there is another energy, which is avidyā, ignorance. Karma-saṁjña: and it is based on fruitive activities. Anyā means besides these two energies, spiritual energy and the marginal energy, living entities, there is another energy, which is called avidyā. Avidyā means ignorance. And karma-saṁjña: and in that energy, one has to enjoy his, the fruit of his own labor. This is the material world. This material world is also energy of Kṛṣṇa, or God, but here ignorance prevails. Ignorance is prominent. Avidyā, ignorance. Therefore one has to work. Practically one hasn't got to work, but because he is, one is in avidyā, ignorance, therefore he has to work. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate.

So actually, there is one energy, spiritual energy. Kṛṣṇa, or God, is the whole spirit, and the energies emanating from Him, that is also spiritual. Śaktiḥ śaktimator abhinnaḥ. In the Vedic language we understand that the śaktimān, or the energetic, Kṛṣṇa, and the energy, they are nondifferent. So this material energy is also nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. In other words of Vedic language it is said, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: "Everything is Brahman." In the Bhagavad-gītā also, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that māyā tatam idaṁ sarvam. Sarvam means all; idam, this manifestation, this cosmic manifestation, whatever you are experiencing… Kṛṣṇa says that "I am expanded as this cosmic manifestation." Māyā tatam idaṁ sarvam avyakta-mūrtinā. This impersonal feature, avyakta, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ: [Bg. 9.4] "Everything is resting on Me, or everything is expansion of Myself." Nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ: "But I am not there." This philosophy, acintya-bhedābheda, simultaneously one and different, is our philosophy, inaugurated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although it is in the Vedānta-sūtras. So everything is simultaneously one and different from the Supreme Lord. But there are two classes of philosophers. One class says that God and the living entities are different, and there is another philosopher, monist philosopher. They say God and the living entities are one. So this acintya-bhedābheda philosophy adjusts that "God and the living creatures, they are simultaneously one and different." They are one in quality, just like the energy and the energetic, the sun globe and the sunshine. In quality, in sunshine there is heat, there is illumination, light. In the sun globe also, there is heat, there is illumination. But the degrees are quite different. You can bear the heat and illumination of the sunshine, but you cannot go to the sun globe or you can bear the heat and temperature there. The scientist says that so many millions miles away, if somebody goes or some planet goes near the sun globe, it will immediately burn into ashes. Similarly, God and ourself, Kṛṣṇa and living entities, they are qualitatively one, but quantitatively, we are very minute. Aṇu. We are smaller than the atom. Nowadays there is atomic theory. We can see the atoms within the holes of the windows when there is focus of sunlight. That is called prasareṇu. Prasareṇu means six atoms combined together, then it is visible. Otherwise, atom is also not visible with our naked eyes. There is atomic theory, paramāṇuvāda, in Vedic literature also. And Bhāgavata says that the scientists may be one day able to count how many atoms are there within this universe. This is not possible, of course, but it is theoretically. The Vedic, er, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that "It may be possible one day by scientific research, one can count how many atoms are there within this cosmic manifestation. Still, it is not possible to know the Supreme Personality of Godhead by our ordinary sense perception." Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Kṛṣṇa, or God, is not perceivable by your material senses. It is not possible. Ataḥ, therefore, śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Nāmādi. Nāmādi means "beginning from His name." Because we try to understand Kṛṣṇa beginning by chanting His holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then, after chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, when our heart is purified, then we can understand His form, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1].

So either His name or His form or His quality or His paraphernalia or His activities-none of these can be understood by your material senses. It is not possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Indriyaiḥ, the senses. Then how it is understood? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When we take to the transcendental loving service of the Lord, then the Lord reveals Himself. We cannot understand. He reveals Himself. Therefore sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. Jihvā means tongue. The first business of is to engage the tongue in the service of the Lord. How you can engage the tongue in the service of the Lord? By chanting and glorifying His name, fame, quality, form, paraphernalia, pastimes. This is the business of the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. When the tongue is engaged, gradually all other senses are also engaged in the service of the Lord. The tongue is the most important sense within our body; therefore for controlling our senses it is recommended that one should control first of all the tongue. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings in his song: tā'ra madhye jihvā ati lobhamaya sudurmati. Our present conditional state is like this. Śarīra avidyā-jāl, we are packed up in the network of this material body. It is just like a fish is caught within a net. Similarly, we are caught up by this network of this material body. Not only this body-we are changing this net in various phases of life. There are 8,400,000's of holes of this network. This is a network of ignorance, avidyā-jāl. Avidyā means ignorance. Śarīra avidyā-jāl jaḍendriya tāhe kāl. And this network, my imprisonment within this network of ignorance, is being continued on account of these dangerous senses. Sense enjoyment. So out of these dangerous senses, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, the tongue is the most dangerous. Tongue is the most dangerous. The tongue… If we cannot control the tongue, then the tongue will oblige me to take different types of body, one after another. If I am very much fond of satisfying my tongue by flesh and blood, then nature, material nature, will give me facility to taste flesh and blood fresh and give me a body of the tiger. If I do not discriminate of eating, then material nature will give me a body just like a hog, when we have to accept as our food stool.

So we are so-called materially suffering and enjoying according to this body. Therefore this body, this human form of body, is a great opportunity, because God realization begins by engaging the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234]. By engaging the tongue in the loving service of the Lord, one can make advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, ultimate realization of God, the tongue. So this tongue in the human body can be engaged. In other body, in the cat's body, dog's body, tiger's body… Tiger may be a very powerful animal. No animal is powerful or better than human beings. That is accepted. So this human form of life is a great boon to the living entity who is traveling through the cycle of birth and death, perpetually changing different sorts of body. Here is the opportunity, human form of body. We can utilize the tongue properly and get out of these clutches. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. So sevā, sevā means service; jihvā ādau, beginning from the tongue. So if we can keep our tongue engaged, always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra… Because "Kṛṣṇa," this sound, is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Nothing is different from Him. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name is not different. In the material sense, everything is different. I myself is different from this body. I am not this body. But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's body is the same. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.11]. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "Rascals and fools, they deride at Me because I appear as a human being. They are thinking just like I am ordinary human being." Paraṁ bhāvam ajananto. "These rascals do not know what is My influence and what I am." Paraṁ bhāvam. "What is My nature they do not know. Without knowing Me, they consider, 'Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary human being.' " Avajānanti mūḍha. This very particular word has been used, mūḍha. Mūḍha means rascals. So in spite of this warning, there are so many rascals passing as big scholars. They say like this. When there is order of Kṛṣṇa that "You surrender unto Me," the rascals comment, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa but the unborn spirit which is within Kṛṣṇa." He does not know that Kṛṣṇa is not different from His body, Kṛṣṇa is not different from His name, Kṛṣṇa is not different from His fame. Anything pertaining to Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. They are monists, they are philosophizing that oneness, but as soon as they come to Kṛṣṇa, immediately they divide: "Kṛṣṇa is different from His body," or "Kṛṣṇa's body is different from Kṛṣṇa."

So ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. So Kṛṣṇa's name and Kṛṣṇa is not different. Therefore, as soon as my tongue touches the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, that means immediately it associates with Kṛṣṇa. So if you constantly keep yourself associated with Kṛṣṇa by chanting this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then just imagine how you are being easily purified simply by this process, chanting, jihvādau, engaging the tongue in chanting. And your tongue wants very palatable dishes to taste. So Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He has given you hundreds and thousands of palatable dishes, remnants of foodstuff eaten by Him. You eat. In this way, if you simply make it a determination that "I shall not allow my tongue to taste anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa, and I shall engage my tongue always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa," then all perfection is within your hold. All perfection. Two simple things: Don't eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Our Kṛṣṇa prasādam are so variegated, nice varieties… The variety is the mother of enjoyment. How much enjoyment you want with your tongue? You can have simply by eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam. And the more your tongue is purified, the more you relish the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Relish. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. It is stated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that it increases the ocean of bliss, transcendental bliss. Ocean does not increase. We have no experience within this material world. If ocean would have increased, then all the lands would have been swallowed up many long, long years ago. Ocean does not increase. But this ocean, transcendental bliss, is increasing. Some of you must have experienced, those who are actually relishing. The authorities like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he says that "What I shall chant with one tongue? If I would have millions of tongues, then I could chant a little more. And what I shall hear with two ears?" So he's expecting, he's aspiring to have millions of ears and trillions of tongues to relish this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So that is another stage, of course, when this chanting will be so melodious that we shall try to have more ears and more tongues to utilize it. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. By our present senses, we cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, or what is God, what is His name, what is His form, what is His quality. Therefore immediately, if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa by His picture, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is embracing Rādhārāṇī or the gopīs," we shall mistake. Because unless our senses are purified, we shall accept Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī as ordinary young boy or girl and their dealings. But actually it is not. It is pure. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kar has distinguished that the loving affairs of the gopīs with Kṛṣṇa and the ordinary, these lustful dealings of human beings, there is a gulf of difference. He compares that the gopīs' love with Kṛṣṇa is gold, and our so-called love here is iron. As there is difference between gold and iron, similarly there is difference between the loving affairs of gopīs with Kṛṣṇa and these mundane, so-called lusty affairs between men and women or boys and girls. It is never equal. Therefore, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved… [Brs. 1.2.234]. These present senses, these impure senses, contaminated senses, cannot understand Kṛṣṇa; therefore we should follow this principle: sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. First of all, engage chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Hara is Rādhā, and Kṛṣṇa, there is. But don't try to understand by the present senses, but simply chant their holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. When your, the dust on the mirror of your heart will be cleansed, and it will cleanse by simply chanting, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam, and there will be no more any material condition…

That is the next stage. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense, then immediately the stage will be that you are freed from all material anxieties. That is the test. How I am advancing in chanting will be tested how far you are free from material anxieties. That's all. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-māha-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Then real life begins. So long you are perturbed by material disturbances, you should know that your spiritual life has not begun. This is confirmed in everywhere. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. Prasannātmā. Bhagavad-gītā says, "When one is Brahman realized…" Brahman realized means one who understands that "I am not this body. I am pure spirit soul, eternal servitor of Kṛṣṇa." Simply understanding that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul," is not enough. That is not sufficient knowledge. Of course, that is good. That is just on the marginal step between matter and spirit. But you have to transcend completely this material existence and come to the platform of spiritual understanding. So for that purpose you have to go further after Brahman realization. Brahman, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. If you are actually Brahman realized, the symptom will be that you are always joyful, no anxiety. Anxiety, why…? Everything is very nicely discussed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād. When you forget Kṛṣṇa, or God, and if we think there is something else than Kṛṣṇa, then we are afraid. And those who are convinced and realized souls that there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa, where is the cause of fearfulness? Therefore those who are pure devotees, they are not disturbed even in most distressed condition of life. What they think? They think, tat te 'nukampa…: "My Lord, it is Your great mercy that You have put me into this distressed condition." Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ [SB 10.14.8]. So in the distressed condition, the devotees take it an opportunity that "I have got a very nice opportunity to remember God constantly. Kṛṣṇa, You are so kind that You have given me this distressed condition."

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very nice. If we try to make progress on this line, we'll feel even… Yasmin sthite guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate [Bg. 6.20-23]. Bhagavad-gītā says if one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even in the terrible situation, fearful situation, he is not afraid. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. You see? Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five-years-old boy, his father tortured him like anything. But he was not afraid. He was not afraid. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness state. The boy is not afraid. Even in such tortured condition, when his father challenged him, "Prahlāda, with whose strength you are so powerful that you do not care for me?" he immediately answered, "My dear father, by whose power you are talking like that?" So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that even one is put into the terrible condition of distress, he is not perturbed. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve… There are many verses like that. We can quote hundreds. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati [SB 6.17.28]. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is not afraid, any condition of life. Na kutaścana bibhyati. Svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api. If he is put into the hell or in heaven or in the spiritual world or any world, he is happy. Tulyārtha-darśinaḥ. He thinks everything is all the same. "Either you put me in the hell or heaven or this or that, (it) is all the same." Because he is always with Kṛṣṇa, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is always with him. So where is the cause of being afraid that "This place is not good; this place is very good"? No. Wherever Kṛṣṇa is there is very good. That's all.

So we have to practice and train the tongue very nicely. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234]. And the more our tongue is engaged in the loving service of Kṛṣṇa… It is very nice service. You simply chant and eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Is it very difficult service? Everyone will accept, "Oh, yes." But unfortunately, everyone does not accept. (laughter) (chuckles) You see. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, etādṛś ī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi: "My dear Lord, You are so kind that You have approached Me in…, by transcendental sound. Or You are always with Me." You can be. If I take, then Kṛṣṇa is always with me. If I reject, then… That is the ignora… "Kṛṣṇa is everywhere" means as soon as we accept, Kṛṣṇa is immediately with us. And as soon as we reject, oh, He is far, far away. So Kṛṣṇa can be with us very easily simply by this chanting or engaging the tongue in His service. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended this process, or He inaugurated this process in this age. Although it is not new system, but He especially introduced because His incarnation is to reclaim the fallen souls of this age. So He… [break] …before advent of Kṛṣṇa he's simply planning, "As soon as Kṛṣṇa will take birth, I will kill him." This is the plan of the demons, to kill God. Atheism. "God is dead." That is also killing, one sort of killing. "There is no God. I am God." These are all different processes of trying to kill. But God is never killed. [break] Rather, they are killed. That is the whole history everywhere.

Guest: I don't follow. Is it…? Whose choice is it to be a demon? Is it the living entity's choice, complete choice, to be demonic, against God, or is it a part of Kṛṣṇa's energy to put demons, or to have created him that way?

Prabhupāda: No…

Guest: Is it completely each individual's choice to be demonic, or…?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Demon means when he is forgotten, when has lost his sense, that is demon. When has lost his sense, that is demon. Demon means māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. Māyā, by the influence of māyā, the true aspect of knowledge is taken away. Anyone who is trying to establish it that "There is no God," he is demon. That's all. There are so many philosophers, so many atheists, so many scientists. Their only business is to deny God. They are demons. Yes.

Guest: Then is there individual complete choice?

Prabhupāda: That is ignorance. Yes. Apahṛta-jñānāḥ means just like a madman. For the time being, his natural knowledge is taken away. Crazy. What do we mean by crazy? For the time being, his knowledge is taken away. Similarly, when a living entity is in that position, as somebody has taken away his knowledge, that is demonic condition. But he can be reestablished again in knowledge. Just like a crazy man is sent, mental disorder, to hospital for treatment; again he comes as a sane man. Similarly, the demons are just like crazy men. Even they are treated with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they can be reverted to their own position. So this is temporary. This demoniac nature is temporary due to the contact with māyā. Therefore the whole business is how to get out of the clutches of māyā. Then there is no more demonic nature. It is artificial. [break] …superficial. It comes and goes. As it comes artificially, so it can go also. And the driving method is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Guest: So māyā is temporary, and the only thing that is eternal is Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual energies.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Spiritual energy. That is eternal. That is eternal. So we are… Due to our ignorance, we have been very much serious with the temporary situation of māyā and we have forgotten the eternal position. This is our present conditional life. Now this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means His treatment to reclaim the living entity from the clutches of māyā. Then he is situated in his natural position. [break]

…contaminated, impure. Impure condition. Apavitra. And pavitra means pure condition. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā. One may be in impure condition and one may be in pure condition. Sarvāvasthām, in all conditions. Avastha means all conditions. Gato 'pi vā, situated, in any condition situated; yaḥ, anybody; smaret, remembers; puṇḍarīkākṣam. Puṇḍarīkākṣam means "the Lord whose eyes are like the lotus petal." Lotus eyes. Puṇḍarīkākṣam. Sa, that person becomes; sa bahyābhyantaram. Bahya means externally and abhyantara means internally. Bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Śuciḥ means purified. Another śuci means brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is called śuci. A brāhmaṇa means a purified person. Not that by birth one becomes pure. No. The purificatory process. There are purificatory processes. Just like in infectious condition, those who are vaccinated, given injection, he is supposed to be purified. He cannot be attacked or infected by the disease. Similarly, in spiritual life also one has to remain purified. The whole process, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to purify the people in general from the contaminated condition of material existence. Purifying. It is purifying process. A living entity by nature is pure because he is part and parcel of the Supreme Pure, God. But due to his impure condition, he has forgotten his eternal relationship with God. So this initiation means that one is being accepted as student by the spiritual master to promote him gradually to the purified state, where he can realize himself and God. This is the whole process. In contaminated state we cannot approach. I have given this example many times. Just like if you want to enter into certain place, then you must be adjusted with the conditions. Just like people are going to the moon planet. There it is supposed to be it is very cold. So people go with a certain type of dress by adjusting. Similarly, if you want to enter into the spiritual kingdom, the abode, the planet where Kṛṣṇa lives, so you must be purified. Adjust yourself. Not only to the spiritual kingdom of Kṛṣṇa-any planet you want to enter, you must adjust yourself in that way. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni

mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām

[Bg. 9.25]

If you adjust yourself, then you can go to the higher planetary system. Deva-vratā devān. Devān means the planetary system or the different planets where demigods are living. Just like this moon planet. This moon planet is also another planet of the demigod Candra. I do not know the modern expedition of going to the moon planet, how far it will be successful. I think it cannot be successful. According to Vedic literature, it cannot be successful because people cannot adjust to enter that planet. One has to adjust, make the bodily condition in that way so that one can live there. In this planet also, there are different climates. In India the climate is different, and your Western country, the climate is different. So when one comes to the Western country, he also adjusts with different coats and shirts. In India we can remain naked body practically throughout the whole year, but you cannot live here. So there is adjustment. So this adjustment, the Bhagavad-gītā says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām [Bg. 9.25]. "Those who have adjusted themselves to come to Me, he can come." There is no obstruction. So this initiation process, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means to adjust your condition so that after leaving this body, you can enter into the planet where Kṛṣṇa lives. These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: [Bg. 15.6] "That supreme abode, where entering, one does not come back again to this material world, that is My supreme abode." There is…

na yatra bhāsayate sūryo

na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ

yad gatvā na nivartante

tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

[Bg. 15.6]

These kind are explained. In that spiritual kingdom there is no need of sunshine, there is no need of moonshine, there is no need of electricity. And one who goes there, he does not come back. He lives there eternally, blissful life of knowledge.

So the initiation process means to give the conditioned soul a chance. This chance can be available in this human form of life. The cats and dogs, they cannot take chance of entering into the spiritual kingdom, or they cannot… It is not possible they can take initiation for purifying the body. So everybody, every human being, should take advantage of this form of life, human form of life, and cultivate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And it is very simple and easy also. For this age, Lord…, by the grace of Lord Caitanya, we have got very easy method: simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This mantra also which we uttered just now, it is said, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam: "Anyone who remembers puṇḍarīkākṣam, Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, immediately he becomes purified." Śuci. Śuci. Śuci means purified. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. Three times. So the Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu is the same thing. Kṛṣṇa is the original person of all viṣṇu-tattva. So anyone who is keeping himself always in touch with the vibration of Kṛṣṇa consciousness-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare-that is the only, I mean to say, guaranteed platform where you can keep yourself purified without any material contamination. And in this purified state, if we can leave this body ultimately, then there is no doubt we enter into the supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead. These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, and you read carefully. This initiation does not mean… Of course, this chanting will save you, only chanting. But if you read some literatures also, and the philosophy also, then it will be more and more convincing that you are making progress. And in the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that this is the process by which you can understand practically whether you are making actually progress in spiritual life. Pratyakṣam avagamaṁ dharmyam. This bhakti-yoga system is so nice that one can directly understand how he is making progress, and very quickly. That's a fact. All of our students who have taken to this process, within very short time, they are realizing that actually they are making some progress. Therefore they are sticking to the principles and going on.

So my request to you all who are going to be initiated, that you keep always yourself in contact with this chanting and that will make you, I mean to say, able to be always purified, śuci. Material contamination cannot… And you avoid these four principles: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication of all descriptions. Intoxication does not mean simply liquor. Intoxication means even tea-drinking. Tea is also intoxication, in slight degree. Tea, coffee, cigarettes-everything should be avoided. In India they chew pan. So these things are to be give up, intoxication group, and meat-eating group. Then you make very quickly progress, and by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. After leaving this body, one hasn't got to take another material body and suffer. So long we have got this material body, we have to suffer the material pangs. There cannot be any adjustment. So if anyone is serious for ending all troubles… Everyone wants to live peacefully and happily. That is natural, because spirit soul is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), by nature joyful. He wants to keep himself joyful, but he does not know how eternal joyful life can be attained. That is spiritual life. You cannot become joyful by material adjustment. No. You may be joyful for the time being by drinking or by intoxication, but how long? So long the intoxication influence is there, you may feel something. That is artificially. But that is not actually the state of joyfulness. Real state of joyfulness is to be situated in spiritual life, and when you (are) actually in the spiritual kingdom, then you become sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], eternal life, joyful life, blissful life, with full knowledge.

So on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, we are trying to distribute this knowledge at least in this part of the world. Now, those who are fortunate, they will take it and be benefited. Our business is to distribute. Now it is up to you. Every individual soul is independent. He may accept or may not accept. That depends on him. But if he accepts, it is good for him. Otherwise, he may make his choice. Kṛṣṇa never…, God never interferes with your independence. No. He will never do that. Then what is the meaning of living being? Dull matter, it has no independence. Even it is a big mountain or big thing, it has no independence. It will stand still. But a small ant, even a microbe, it has got independence because it is living creature. So God has made you or given you little independence. That independence does not mean that you shall misuse it. You shall use it properly. And what is that proper use? To be engaged in His loving service. Just like you citizens of this German state, what you are meant for? You are meant for rendering service to the state. Similarly, the whole… This is a small state. America is a small… Or this planet is a small state. But there is a huge state which is called the cosmic manifestation. That state belongs to Kṛṣṇa, or God. So naturally, you have to render service to the supreme state, supreme will. Then it is all right. Your independence is there. So long you are rendering service to the state properly, your independence as citizen is there. But as soon as you rebel against the state, your independence is gone. Similarly, our, this conditional life is due to our rebellious condition towards God. As soon as we agree surrender and be one with Him by transcendental loving service, the whole thing becomes adjusted. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to teach people and to give them practical suggestion and help to… (end)

691226IN.BOS

Initiation Lecture

Boston, December 26, 1969

Prabhupāda: So this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is purifying your existence. Yasmād śuddhyed sattvam. Sattvam means existence. You are existing, I am existing, God is existing eternally. The temporary existence that we see at the present moment, this is not our existence. This is our diseased condition, crazy condition. Piśācī pāile yena mati-cchana haya. Piśācī means ghost or witches. When one is haunted by ghost he becomes upset of his own consciousness and talks all kinds of nonsense. Similarly, when our existence is covered by the material ghost we talk so many nonsense: "I am this body, and anything in relationship with this body is mine. I am dying. I belong to this family. I belong to this community, nation, this, that, planet." These are all just like a man haunted by ghost speaks nonsense, these are all nonsense. And the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to cure this disease. Śuddhyed sattvam, existence. That is called svarūpa, real identification. Mukti. Mukti means… This word is very popular, mukti, liberation. What is that liberation? Liberation means to come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is liberation. Svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ [SB 2.10.6]. Mukti is defined in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: muktir hitvānyathā rūpam. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpam. Anyathā rūpam. Rūpam means form. We are in a form which is not liberated form. Material form. This form which we have got just now, this form, when it will be finished, you'll never get this form. Another form. Another. Just like bubbles. Bubbles in the ocean, they come out. You cannot have the exact same bubbles, same measurement. No. That is going on. Similarly, this rūpam is anyathā. This is not our rūpam, our form. Therefore sometimes in Vedic literature it is stated, "formless." Formless does not mean has no form. Not this form. That is formless. But people with less intelligence, they think formless means there's no form. Formless means not this form. This is anyathā rūpam. This is different from our real form. So mukti means to give up this unreal form and accept your real form. Just like freedom from disease. Get free from the diseased condition and come to real healthy life.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for bringing men to the real life. Always remember this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. It takes… Just like to cure a disease it takes little time. But if you take to the process of cure, then that is very good. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead says,

api cet su-durācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ

samyag vyavasito hi saḥ

[Bg. 9.30]

Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. Those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, even there are some faults, still, they are saintly persons. That is the recommendation of Kṛṣṇa. Because that fault may be due to his past habits, but that is being stopped. Just like you make the switch off, no more electric current will act, but the fan still gives some rounds due to the past force. Similarly, a Kṛṣṇa consciousness person, even if he's found in fault, Kṛṣṇa says, "No." Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg. 9.30]. "He's saintly person, sādhu." Why? Now, the process he has taken up, that will cure him in due course of time. Śaṣvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati. So these who have fortunately come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness by association, by practice, this is the way. So stick to it. Don't go away. Even if you find some fault, don't go away from the association. Struggle, and Kṛṣṇa will help you.

So this initiation process means beginning of this life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And we shall try to be situated in our original consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Real consciousness, as it is recommended by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that He identifies Himself as eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and this is liberation, and this is mukti. If you simply stick to this principle, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80], that "I am nothing except the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then you are in the liberated platform. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. You keep yourself. And for keeping yourself in that consciousness, the simple method is this chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa. You keep yourself chanting as many hours, twenty-four hours. Why as many hours? Twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31]. Lord Caitanya says, "This is to be practiced twenty-four hours." And that you can do. It requires simply practice. Even in sleeping you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Even in sleeping. And there is no bar. In sleeping, in eating, in going to the toilet room, there is no restriction. You can go on, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." You see. That will keep you in your svarūpa, in your real identification, and you'll never be attacked by māyā. Just like if you keep yourself vaccinated and if the period… What is called? Active. Then there is no fear of being infected. That is practical. If you get yourself vaccinated of certain type of infection and you keep yourself active… Just like doctors, they go, treat patients suffering from infectious disease, but they keep themselves always unaffected. They know the remedial measures, antiseptic, prophylactic processes. So this prophylactic antiseptic process is Kṛṣṇa-kīrtanam. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-kīrtanam. That is Lord Caitanya's blessing. Paraṁ vijayate. All glories to the saṅkīrtana, śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana. Kīrtana means Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. Not any other kīrtana. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they introduce so many other kīrtanas. No. Kīrtana means Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma… Or any name glorifying the name of the Lord. That is kīrtana. But this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is especially recommended in this age, and Lord Caitanya personally chanted, so we should follow. Although every name of Kṛṣṇa is as potent as the name Kṛṣṇa… Viṣṇu name, or there are thousands and thousands of names… Nāmnām akāri bahudhā. Bahudhā means there is no counting. Innumerable names. And each name has the same potency like Kṛṣṇa. But this is recommended, especially, those who take advantage. This is one thing.

And other thing, to take precaution so that māyā may not attack you. You should be cautious also. And therefore we have to follow the four regulative principles: no illicit sex life and no meat-eating or nonvegetarian diet… We have no quarrel with vegetarian and nonvegetarian. We are after Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. If Kṛṣṇa accepts something beyond these vegetarian dishes, then we can accept also. But Kṛṣṇa says, "No. Give Me patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam [Bg. 9.26]." Kṛṣṇa can eat everything. He is God. But He says that "Give Me this." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. "Offer Me this flower, fruit, water. Like that." So we are after Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. That is our motto. We don't fight with vegetarian and non… We are not making propaganda… Just like there is vegetarian society. No. We have no business. Even if a man becomes vegetarian, what does he gain? In this material world, either vegetarian or nonvegetarian, they are on the same platform, birds of the same feather. You see? So that is not our propaganda. We are introducing Kṛṣṇa-prasāda; therefore we invite people to take nice prasāda. So these four principles we should follow. We shall not accept anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. And no illicit sex life, no gambling, no intoxication. We are already intoxicated, being haunted by the ghost of māyā. And further intoxication…? Do you think intoxication can be cured by intoxication? No. That is not possible. So these four rules you have to follow. And you keep to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is sublime. Very simple thing. Very simple thing. But it is simple for the simple, but it is very hard for the crooked. Yes. So those who are going to be initiated, they should always remember these restrictive four rules and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa at least sixteen rounds, and eat Bhagavat-prasādam, Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and be happy, dance. That's all. Is there any difficulty?

Devotees: No.

Prabhupāda: (laughter) No difficulty. And people will write, "the bright-faced." Yes. They have to admit it. Because it is purifying. There is no impurity. Without being pure, how can you expect to reach God? This is all rascaldom. To keep oneself dirty, impure in mind, in body, in feeling, in character, and you want to go to God? Rascal. (laughter) Forget! There is no entrance for you to God.

yaṁ brahmā varuṇendra-rudra-marutaḥ stunvanti divyaiḥ stavair

vedaiḥ sāṅga-pada-kramopaniṣadair gāyanti yaṁ sāma-gāḥ

dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino

yasyāntaṁ na viduḥ surāsura-gaṇā devāya tasmai namaḥ

God's position is that, that the yogis, they are trying to capture God by meditation. And demigods like Brahmā, Lord Śiva and others, they are offering Vedic prayers. And the Sāma Veda is always singing the glories of the Lord. The Lord is so exalted, so pure. So if you have to reach Kṛṣṇa, you must be pure, cent percent pure. And that is not very difficult. This ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you become purified, purified, more, more, more, more. And day will come when you find that you are completely pure from all material contamination and you become eligible to enter into the kingdom of God, and that makes a solution of all problems.

So it is so nice. Always remember this, that "We have taken the best in the whole creation of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Do not try to adulterate it. Keep it pure, and your life will be successful. This is an opportunity, this human form of life, this particular type of tongue which you can use. In other type of tongues you can chew, you can taste the blood and the flesh, and so many things. But you cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. But here is a tongue given by God. You can utilize it for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Don't miss this opportunity. That chewing facility, tasting facility, you'll get even in cat's life, dog's life. But this chanting facility you'll not get. This is in this life, human form of life. So don't misuse it. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa regularly and be happy.

Thank you very much. [break]

namaḥ apavitraḥ pavitraḥ vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gataḥ api vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa abhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

(devotees repeat) So mantra means… Namaḥ. Nama means surrender, to become submissive. Namanta eva. Namanta eva. That is the qualification. Namaḥ. When we utter this word namaḥ, means "I surrender." Anyone, I say namaskāra, namaskāra means the surrendering process: "I accept the surrendering process." So when we surrender to Kṛṣṇa or His representative, then apavitraḥ. Apavitraḥ means contaminated and pavitraḥ means purified. So one may be in contaminated stage or purified stage. It doesn't matter. One who… Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam, one who remembers Kṛṣṇa, the lotus-eyed… Puṇḍarīkākṣam means lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa. So bahya. Bahya means externally, and abhyantara, internally. Bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ. Śuciḥ means purified. And another meaning of śuciḥ is brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa means purified. So those who are going to be sacred-threaded today, they should remember that they are being accepted as śuciḥ, as brāhmaṇa. After chanting process for the six months or one year, it is supposed that he has already become purified. Now he should be recognized that he is purified. So this sacred thread means recognition. Sacred thread means one should understand… Just like one understands a man (is) learned by the degrees M.A., B.A., or Ph.D., similarly, when there is sacred thread, it is understood that he has undergone the purificatory process under superior management, or guidance of spiritual master. This is called upanayana, upanayana, in Sanskrit. Upanayana: bringing him more near. The initiation is the beginning of purification, and offering the sacred thread means bringing him more nearer. Therefore the principle is those who are ordinarily initiated, they should not touch the Deity. Only those who are in sacred thread, they should touch. This is the system.

But Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana is so nice that even without sacred thread, because he is regularly chanting, he is to be supposed to be purified. That is the recommendation given by Jīva Gosvāmī. Anyone who is chanting regularly Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra… Śvādo 'pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate. Śvādaḥ. Śvā means dog, and adaḥ, adaḥ means eating. Dog-eaters. The dog-eaters are considered to be the lowest of the mankind. But in the Bhāgavata says that śvādo 'pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate. Even if he is dog-eater, but by this process he immediately becomes qualified to offer sacrifice. Savanāya. This fire sacrifice is called savanāya. And Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī gives notes on this line that a person born in the family of a brāhmaṇa awaits the sacred thread ceremony. But one who has become surely (?) purified by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, he immediately becomes a highly qualified brāhmaṇa. So don't misuse the opportunity obtained by you. Use it properly, and the life will be successful. So apavitraḥ pavitro vā. In any condition of life, anyone who remembers Kṛṣṇa, Puṇḍarīkākṣam, so both wise-externally and internally-he becomes purified, śuci. Śuci means pure. And there is a verse written by one Vaiṣṇava in Bengali. Not ordinary. He's Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura is one of the ācāryas. He has written Caitanya-Bhāgavata. As there is Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, he has written Caitanya-Bhāgavata. Perhaps you have heard the name. So his opinion is, muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. Muci and śuci, just opposite. Muci means the most nasty cobbler. He eats everything and does all nonsense. He is called muci. Muci means cobbler. In India, when a cow or bull dies, these muci class are called to take away the carcass. So they take it away and they take out the skin and tan it for… This is the original system of shoe-making. And make some shoes and sell in the market. But not by killing cows. When it dies. So this business is done by the muci class. And they take the flesh also. After taking out the skin, the flesh they take. Therefore they are considered very low class, muci. And śuci means brāhmaṇa. So Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura says, muci haya śuci haya. A cobbler, muci, can become a śuci, yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje, if he's Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's all. If he's Kṛṣṇa conscious, never mind he is a cobbler, he becomes immediately brāhmaṇa. Muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. Śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje. And even if he's born in a brāhmaṇa family, if he gives up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's immediately cobbler. So don't lose this opportunity. Always remember Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) Don't become cobbler. [break]

(leads devotees in prayers for fire sacrifice) Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (all chant japa) [break] (kīrtana) Now this flower has to be… You can offer puṣpāñjali to Guru Mahārāja. Yes. Get some pots. Yes. Get out all these flowers. (end)

680509IN.BOS

Gāyatrī Mantra Initiation

Boston, May 9, 1968

Prabhupāda: "…such things in devotion and love," aśnāmi, "I eat." So one's purpose is served. If Kṛṣṇa accepts something from a person, that is the perfection of life. So there are many things, but today we are observing this ceremony, and the other day we also observed. Six boys were offered this facility of this second initiation stage, and today also, they have come from New York because I'll be going to Montreal, Canada, next week. So they have come and they are… This second process of initiation will be performed as far as possible. Real basic principle is bhakti, devotional service. So far lengthy process, in this age it is not possible. And pāñcarātrika vidhim, just like quoted from Rūpa Gosvāmī, it has made things very simplified. The Vedic vidhi is not possible at the present age. The pāñcarātrika-vidhim means… Vedic vidhi means one must be begotten by a brāhmaṇa and he must have followed the family tradition. Then, according to Vedic rites, he can be initiated or offered the sacred thread. But pāñcarātrika-vidhi is especially meant for this age, that anyone who has little, a slight tendency to become a devotee, he should be given all chance, all chance. That is Lord…, especially Lord Caitanya's special benediction. And He has actually performed this thing. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He happened to be born in a Muhammadan family, and Lord Caitanya made him the ācārya, nāmācārya, the authority of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, nāmācārya, by His grace. This Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī were rejected from brāhmaṇa society because they engaged themselves as ministers in the Muslim government.

So brāhmaṇa society was so strict that if anyone becomes a servant of, of a mleccha, he at once falls down. There are many such social, I mean to say, injustice. And by that, following such thing, the, practically the Vedic civilization is now demolished practically. There is simply fragmental things are there. But Lord Caitanya's principle is very nice, and Gosvāmīs, they recommended, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. His mission should be preached not only in India but pṛthivīte, means all over the world. Yata, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-all cities and all villages, all countries, sarvatra, everywhere, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be propagated. And He has openly said that anyone-doesn't matter in what, which family or in which country he has taken his birth, anyone-ye kṛṣṇa tattva vettā sei guru haya. Anyone who knows this science of Kṛṣṇa, he's eligible to become a Vaiṣṇava or a spiritual master. And He has also ordered that

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra sarva-deśa

yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

"By My order, everyone become the spiritual master, and the only duty of spiritual master is to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So we are following the same principles and expecting these young boys may preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness mission more, I mean to say, enthusiastically, because I am old man. I may die at any moment. Last year, practically, I was died, but Kṛṣṇa saved me. So tūrṇaṁ yateta. Let us try as quickly as possible before the next death comes. That is the perfectional stage of life. So we shall now begin our ceremony. If any question…? (pause) So we can begin. Any question?

Student: Is this the ceremony which is often referred to as mantra-dīkṣā?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Mantra-dīkṣā. Yes. The first ceremony is hari-nāma-dīkṣā, and then mantra-dīkṣā. Hari-nāma-dīkṣā, all these boys present, they were, one year before, they were initiated for chanting, and now they are being second time initiated by mantra-dīkṣā, yes. Any other questions?

Student: Has there been a fasting or other preparatory…?

Prabhupāda: No. According to Vaiṣṇava tantra, we do not require to fast because we are taking Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. Hare… Just like in Jagannātha Purī, there is no fasting, so long one is accepting Kṛṣṇa's prasādam. The fasting means purificatory, one, one who is taking all nonsense things, at least one day fasting to become purified. But one who is eating simply Kṛṣṇa prasādam and simple foodstuff, vegetable, grains, milk; they are not allowed to eat anything and everything. They are not allowed to take anything in the hotel. So practically, they are fasting. According to the general regulation, they are fasting every day. They are simply accepting Kṛṣṇa prasādam. That is already accepted. And because this ceremony is Vaiṣṇava smṛti, so we do not require particularly to fast.

Student: Do the disciples take on new injunctions and prohibitions at this time? You mentioned that there were four nisidhacara (?) mentioned…

Prabhupāda: No. This…

Student: …at the earlier stage.

Prabhupāda: Earlier, earlier stage, the injunctions were… They have already practiced those injunctions. They have already practiced and they now stand firmly situated in those practices and they have chanted. Therefore the second initiation. Just like in the school education-from one class to another is promotion stage-similarly, it is like that.

Student: Are there any formal rules that they agree to accept at this stage? Over and above the earlier…

Prabhupāda: Yes. Only form is that the mantra which will be given to him, he has to chant that mantra three times a day, morning, early in the morning, and in the noon, and in the evening. Tri-sandhya. Tri-sandhya means three times, junction of different moments. Morning, day and night, evening, day and night, junction, and the noon, afternoon and before noon. Three times.

Student: Does taking the initiation create a permanent bond between disciple and guru?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is already done. When they were initiated hari-nāma, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, that acceptance of… Tasmāt guruṁ prapadyeta. Just like one has to enter himself into some educational institution for being educated more and more, similarly, one has to first of all accept a bona fide spiritual master. Then he gives him education one after another, one after another. So that initiation means that is the beginning. But that is not the end. There is no end. It will go on. It will go on. This is the second stage only. But the rules and regulations, they have already practiced, and they are doing them.

Student: The first mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that's for, you say, that's to clean the mind of the material contam…

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the basic, that is the first principle. Lord Caitanya says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] "By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one becomes cleansed of the dirty things, material contamination."

Student: And this mantra. What's the purpose?

Prabhupāda: This mantra is secondary. Of course, one who has purified himself by Hare Kṛṣṇa, this mantra is not very important. But, according to the tradition of Vaiṣṇava smṛti, it is offered better, better, to make the position still confirmed and better. But even this mantra is not given, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, everything is done. This is extraordinary so that… In the other, other feature of this sacred ceremony, is that one may not commit offense at the feet of a Vaiṣṇava by thinking him, "Oh, he's a mleccha, he's a yavana, or he's lower class, he's higher class," like that. Therefore this is offered. No, he's brāhmaṇa. He's brāhmaṇa. Otherwise, still in India, a person born in a brāhmaṇa family, the most wretched condition and most abominable habits, and he claims to be a brāhmaṇa. And a person who is highly elevated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's not accepted. So in order to save one from the injustice, this ceremony is required that it is bona fide. He's a bona fide brāhmaṇa. As it is prescribed and ordered in the Nārada-pañcarātra or Vaiṣṇava smṛti. So my Guru Mahārāja, His Holiness Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, he introduced this, and we are following. So there is no question. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Follow the principles of a spiritual master who has come down in disciplic succession. That is very nice thing. If you have got a bona fide spiritual master and if you simply follow the instruction, the perfection is guaranteed. Just like a perfect engineer and a neophyte working under his instruction, however foolish he may be, all his work is perfect. Because following the instruction of the qualified man. Therefore it is said,

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deva tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

[ŚU 6.23]

This is Upaniṣads' injunction. So if anyone who has got implicit faith in the spiritual master and also in God, to him all the imports of Vedic literature becomes revealed, becomes revealed. That is spiritual way of understanding. So, if one has a bona fide spiritual master to guide, then his life is guaranteed to be perfect. This is the way. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo: * "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one gets immediately the mercy of the Lord." Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi: * "And if one dissatisfies the spiritual master, then he has no other way of perfection." So we have to follow. That's all. It doesn't matter that I'm not qualified. But if I follow the instruction of the superior, then automatically I become qualified. All right, let us go ahead. Oh, it is… Just everyone do like this. (sips water). You can now stop this (tape recorder?). (end)

700220IN.LA

Sannyāsa Initiation

Los Angeles, February 20, 1970

Prabhupāda: Anyad āhur… What is the next śloka?

Devotees: (Śrīla Prabhupāda chants with the devotees)

vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yas

tad vedobhayaṁ saha

avidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā

vidyayāmṛtam aśnute

andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti

ye 'sambhūtim upāsate

tato bhūya iva te tamo

ya u sambhūtyāṁ ratāḥ

anyad evāhuḥ sambhavād

anyad āhur asambhavāt

iti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁ

ye nas tad vicacakṣire

Prabhupāda: So today is a special function day. Some of our advanced students, they're accepting the renounced order of life. First of all, one of our students, Kīrtanānanda Brahmacārī, he was offered when I was in India, Vṛṇdāvana, in Janmāṣṭamī day he was offered this sannyāsa order in the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple. Similarly, here we have got also Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple. There is no difference between Rādhā-Dāmodara temple and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple. So we postponed this to be held on the Janmāṣṭamī day at New Vrindaban, but by some reason we are now postponing to go there, and we have decided to perform this function here. And I am very glad that we are all present. Now, this sannyāsa mantra should be studied very seriously and we shall chant this mantra after the regular function. Especially those who are accepting the sannyāsa order, they should try to understand the import of this important mantra. The import of this important mantra especially is that, as we prohibit several things during ordinary initiation, just like no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling, similarly there are many no's in accepting the sannyāsa order. Especially meat… not meat-eating, mating. And politics. If we remain in the materialistic order of life, then this sannyāsa order will be a facility for cheating. That responsibility you must have. That is the meaning of the sannyāsa order. San, sat-nyās. Renounced order means one has to renounce everything for Kṛṣṇa's sake. So this mantra will be chanted after these formal mantras, apavitraḥ pavitro vā, and then you'll change your dress, and then yajña will take place, then saṅkirtana movement, your business. So you have got all these? Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You all chant. (devotees chant japa) Namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. You know all this or I shall have to repeat? Or you say. (devotees repeat:)

namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

Again take. (repeats verse) Again. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (repeats again) Vande 'ham… (recites maṅgalācarana prayers, devotees repeating) Now take your… Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Open your dress. Later on when you come.

Viṣṇujana: The mantra's here on this sheet?

Prabhupāda: No. That's all right. You first of all dress. Why…? For others there is no garland?

Karandhara: Yes. Ārati. Should we have ārati?

Prabhupāda: Oh, all right. Finish ārati. In the meantime, you dress. Take that garland. So I shall give you. Give me that cloth. No, no. That… First of all cloth give me. This cloth I'll deliver you. No, no. This cloth. Yes. This is your cloth?

Viṣṇujana: Shall we put the garlands on now, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Bring it and… No. Garland I shall give later on when you will dress, come out. I will give you. Like this. Yes. Dress yourself and come. Brahmānanda? You come. There shall be no shirt. Open. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Now you can perform your daily program. Yes. [break]

Dayānanda: Should we offer the garland? (Karandhara leading maṅgalācarana prayers and doing fire sacrifice) (indistinct) upāsitām.

Prabhupāda: You can read the translation.

Dayānanda: Translation: "I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of darkness of ignorance simply by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Mukunda who gives all kinds of liberations and who is worshiped by many great previous ācāryas." Purport: "There are sixty-four kinds of rendering service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of which to accept the uniform dress of a tridaṇḍi sannyāsī is also an important item. One who accepts this order of life, surely by rendering service unto the Supreme Lord becomes eligible to cross over the insurmountable ocean of ignorance. All previous sages used to accept such order of life, and later ācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, adopted this order of life and specifically stressed on this procedure in order to achieve firm conviction in the matter of devotional service. Those who are unalloyed devotees, they add one more staff along with the original three. This extra one is representation of the living entity. There is another sect who are known as ekaṇḍa sect. They misunderstand the purpose of tridaṇḍa and by such deviation, Śivaswami sannyāsīs, who claim to belong to the Viṣṇu Svāmī sect, turn to be impersonalists and follow the footsteps of Śaṅkarācārya, accepting only the ekaṇḍa. Instead of naming themselves out of the 108 names of Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs, this Śivaswami sect accepts ten names of the sannyāsī, following Śaṅkarācārya. Lord Caitanya, although in terms of the then practice accepted ekaṇḍi (sic) sannyāsa order, but His acceptance of tridaṇḍi sannyāsa is understood. This mantra was first chanted by a learned brāhmaṇa of Avantīpura after being very much disgusted in this materialistic way of life. This happened long, long years ago because it is mentioned in the Bhāgavatam which was composed by Vyāsadeva at least five thousand years ago. So it is to be concluded therefore that this tridaṇḍi sannyāsī order is coming down since a long time. Since a time long, long years ago. And within five hundred years of time, Lord Caitanya adopted this order of life. In the latest years, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda adopted it personally and made many of his disciples tridaṇḍi sannyāsīs. We are also following his footsteps. In the purport of this mantra is that the ekaṇḍi sannyāsī is devoid of parātma niṣṭha, which is explained above. In other words, impersonalists…" On the first page it says, an explanation of parātma is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is given in the English synonyms. So it says, "We are also following his footsteps. And the purport of this mantra is that the ekaṇḍi sannyāsī is devoid of parātma niṣṭha, which is explained above." So that is right, Prabhupāda, that the impersonalist is devoid of the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

Prabhupāda: They have no idea. They say that we can imagine an idea. According to impersonalists, they say sādhakānām hitārthaya brahmaṇo rūpa kalpanaḥ. Because we cannot concentrate our mind in impersonal therefore they say, "Imagine some form." They think that Kṛṣṇa is imagination. Yes. (laughter) That is their Māyāvāda. Kṛṣṇa was personally present and He killed all the demons. Still, these demons says imagination. That is demonic. Therefore we do not agree with them.

Dayānanda: "In other words, impersonalists cannot have any faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and they prefer to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence. In the Śrīmad-Bhagavatam we do not find any mention of ekaṇḍa sannyāsa. This tridaṇḍa sannyāsa is accepted therefore as standard. Lord Caitanya accepts Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the supreme authority. Under these circumstances, persons who accept Lord Caitanya as ekaṇḍi sannyāsī are mistaken. So following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya still the tridaṇḍi sannyāsīs are in existence. Keeping the sacred thread and śikhā intact, distinct from the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, Māyāvādī ekaṇḍi sannyāsīs, who give up the sacred thread and śikhā. They have no inclination to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Being very much disgusted by the materialistic way of life, they do not understand the purpose of the sannyāsa order. But those who are strictly followers of the Vaiṣṇava principles, they do not accept the Māyāvādī way of sannyāsa. In the sect of Lord Caitanya, the most venerable learned scholar known as Gadādhara Paṇḍita Gosvāmī accepted this tridaṇḍi sannyāsa order and he offered this facility to his disciple known as Śrī Madhva-upādhyāya. This Madhvācārya is the origin of the Vallabhācārya sect. One of the Six Gosvāmīs, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who is the authority of Vaiṣṇava regulations, was initiated by another tridaṇḍi sannyāsī known as Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. Therefore this sannyāsī order is completely in pursuance of Vaiṣṇava authority."

Prabhupāda: So that daṇḍa you can take. Your daṇḍa take. You can take, come on. His name is there? No.

Devotee: No.

Viṣṇujana: You know which one is which?

Prabhupāda: No. According to the size we have made. So which size he is I do not know. I… That's your?

Viṣṇujana: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's your. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa… Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Dance. (break-prema-dhvani) So, this is now formal accepting of sannyāsa, but real sannyāsa purpose will be fulfilled when you'll be able to induce the people of the world dancing like you. That is real sannyāsa. This formal dress is not sannyāsa. Real sannyāsa is when you can induce other people to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and they dance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: If you can turn one man to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then your going back to Godhead, back to home, guaranteed. That is real purpose of sannyāsa.

Thank you very much. (end)

700622IN.LA

Initiation of Mṛga-netrī Dāsī

Los Angeles, June 22, 1970

Prabhupāda: Your name is Mṛga-netrī. Mṛga-netrī. Mṛga-netrī means staring eyes like she-deer. When Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī used to pass through the forest of Vṛndāvana, these deers and stags, they were looking with staring eyes-"When Kṛṣṇa will pass this way?" These animals were also attracted to Kṛṣṇa. The birds, everyone, the flowers, the fruits, everyone engage… Vṛndāvana means everything engaged in Kṛṣṇa. So if all of you similarly engage yourself always in Kṛṣṇa's service, this is Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana is not that… As Kṛṣṇa is not located… He is located, but by His inconceivable potency He can simultaneously become located and distributed. Akhilātma-bhūtaḥ. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ [Bs. 5.37]. He is always in Goloka Vṛndāvana, but still, He is everywhere. That is God's omnipotency. We say that God is omnipotent, but we do not know what does it mean. The omnipotency means simultaneously to do or to act or to remain everywhere. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa… You may not think that "Kṛṣṇa is (in) Goloka Vṛndāvana. Here is an idol of Kṛṣṇa." No. He is Kṛṣṇa. Just like the electricity is distributed, but in the plug there is also electricity, similarly, Kṛṣṇa… That is Kṛṣṇa's inconceivable potency. He can remain in everyone's heart, He can remain everywhere. Just imagine. Everywhere He is. Goloka eva. But His location is Goloka Vṛndāvana, but still, He is everywhere.

So try to see Kṛṣṇa with that staring eyes-"Where is Kṛṣṇa?" Here is… Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 18.61]. He is within the atom. He is everywhere. So by service, we can realize. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. If we want to see Kṛṣṇa, touch Kṛṣṇa, with our, these material senses, it is not possible. The senses are to be purified. How it is purified? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. The service. And wherefrom the service begins? The service begins jihvādau, from the tongue. The service begins from the tongue. You chant. Therefore we are giving you the beads to chant. That is the beginning of service, chanting. If you chant, then svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. By hearing Kṛṣṇa's name, you will understand Kṛṣṇa's form, you will understand Kṛṣṇa's quality, you will understand Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, His omnipotency. Everything will be revealed. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Svayam means the Kṛṣṇa science becomes revealed. You cannot make research to understand Kṛṣṇa science with these material senses. You have to purify your senses, sevonmukhe, by service. Tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. When you engage your senses in Kṛṣṇa's service, then it becomes purified. Hṛṣīkeṇa. That purified, your senses is not to be abolished like the impersonalists: "No more sense, finished." No. We… Our senses are… Because we are eternal, our senses are eternal. But at the present moment our senses are being used, contaminated; therefore you are not satisfied. The senses are not to be cut off. No. Liberation does not mean I become impersonal, all my senses are gone. No. Liberation means purification of the senses. And the symptom how the senses are purified, that will be manifested that when one's senses are simply engaged in the service of the Lord. Hands, legs, eyes, ears, mouth-we have got so many senses-everything. Hṛṣīkeṇa-hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Actually the proprietor of the senses is Kṛṣṇa. We have got this hand, but it is given to us. Actually it is the hand of Kṛṣṇa. He is all-pervading. Sarvato 'pāṇi pādas tat: "Everywhere, His hands and legs are there." You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā. So therefore these hands and legs which we have got, this is Kṛṣṇa's hands and legs. So when these Kṛṣṇa's hands and legs will be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is the perfection. That is the perfection. If our, our senses… Just like used to… We like to use our senses for own satisfaction, similarly… But actually the senses are not ours; it is Kṛṣṇa's. Hṛṣīkeṇa-hṛṣīkeśa. Therefore Arjuna addressed Kṛṣṇa in the battlefield, "Hṛṣīkeśa." Hṛṣīkeśa. The significance of this word is, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are Hṛṣīkeśa. You are sitting in my heart, and You are the master of my senses. So I personally cannot understand what is the benefit of this fighting, but You give me direction and use my senses as You like. That's all." He was not inclined to fight, but he surrendered his senses and mind, everything. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So sevonmukhe jihvādau. Jihvā. Jihvā means the tongue. The tongue has got two business: to articulate, vibrate, and to taste, taste Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and articulate, chant, vibrate Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then as soon as your tongue is controlled, become purified, all other senses becomes automatically purified. Tongue is the greatest enemy. If you cannot control your tongue, then you cannot control your other senses. And therefore we prohibit, "Not these…" They are all concerned to the tongue: intoxication-tongue; and meat-eating-tongue. So, intoxicant… Tongue dictates, "Oh, my tongue is becoming dry. Let me drink something or smoke something." So if you can control, if you become controller of your tongue-"No"-then you become swāmī or goswāmī. That means the senses do not become your master. You become the master of your senses. Then perfection, gosvāmī. That is… Go means senses; svāmī means master. So svāmī or gosvāmī, the same thing. So we have to become the master of our senses. That we can become only… Ourself, we cannot control our senses. If we engage our senses in the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa, then automatically it becomes controlled and purified. Then our life is successful.

Thank you very much. Now…

Pradyumna: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Could there be a name for their child? That little girl, Angie.

Prabhupāda: Oh, where is your daughter? She is not here?

Pradyumna: No, she is not feeling well.

Prabhupāda: All right. She may be named as Anaṅga, Anaṅga-mañjarī. That's a name of one of the assistant gopīs. Yes. So your daughter is fortunate. She is getting association of these devotees from childhood. So give her protection and raise her nicely. She is becoming attracted to the Vaiṣṇavas, to Kṛṣṇa. This is the opportunity, to get nice father and mother and become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Yes. So that is the duty of the father and mother, parents, to raise the children to complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then she will no more have to come back in the womb of any other mother. This is the… This finishes. That is the duty of father and mother. Father and mother should think that "This child will no more come in any other womb. I shall train him or her in such a way." That is the duty. That is the duty of spiritual master, that is the duty of parents, that is the duty of state. But it is Kali-yuga; everything is different. So somehow or other, so she should be taken care of. And as you train, so she becomes trained. That's all. (pause) Oh. (chuckles) Something…

Pradyumna: I have the list.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can explain the offenses.

Pradyumna: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is essential. Don't keep in the paper, but try to follow. All right. Go on. Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. (devotees chant japa) Formerly, the brāhmaṇas used to ignite fire by mantra. Yes. They did not use another fire. The mantra will ignite fire. In the Vedic age this was being done. Aruṇi. The sacrifice means to sacrifice one animal in the fire end give it again a new life. That was a test for the Vedic mantra, how one has chanted. It is not sacrifice, means killing. The animal sacrifice mentioned in the Vedas were not for killing. It was experiment of the Vedic mantra. They would sacrifice an animal and again it will be given new life, rejuvenation. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu said to Chand Kazi that "Because in this age the brāhmaṇas are not so powerful, therefore sacrifice is prohibited. Only this sacrifice: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21], this is…" [break] (japa) That's all right. Don't put any more. Yes. Put little ghee. Little ghee. That's all right. (japa) Let it burn. Then, later on… You can chant mantra.

Dayānanda: Vande… (end)

700703IN.LA

Initiation: Śrī Raṅga, Romaharṣaṇa, Śrīdhara Dāsās

Los Angeles, July 3, 1970

Prabhupāda: Ten kinds of offenses, they are mentioned in the paper. You should avoid, and follow the regulative principles. Just like if you ignite fire, if the wood is dry, then the fire very quickly takes place. And if it is moist, wet, then it takes time. So, so avoiding these ten kinds of offenses and following the rules and regulation will quickly ignite the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is powerful, even one is contaminated, but it will accelerate if you follow the rules and regulations and avoid the offenses. Therefore… So what are these ten kind of offenses? What is the first, first offense?

Devotee: Blaspheming the Lord's devotee?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Those who are engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord, they should never be defamed. That is the greatest offense. Then next?

Devotee: Considering the Lord and the demigods on the same level.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Those who are impersonalists, they think that "After all, the Absolute Truth is void or impersonal. So we can imagine any form." The Māyāvādī philosopher says, sādhakānām hitarthaya brahmaṇo rūpaḥ kalpanaḥ. "Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth, He is formless, but because we cannot concentrate our mind in the formless, therefore let us imagine any form we like, and that will make me advance." This is not the philosophy. The Absolute Truth, Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has His form and He is not equal, nobody is equal to Him. So according to Vedic literature, you cannot put Viṣṇu-tattva even on the equal footing with Brahmā and Śiva. His position, Viṣṇu-tattva, is mahato mahīyān. He's the greatest of the greatest. So this is offense. There are many Māyāvādī philosophers, they say "You can chant any name, either Kṛṣṇa or Kali or Durgā or…" And another mission says, "Any nonsense name you can chant. That doesn't matter." But our Vedic śāstra, scripture, does not say that. It is said, harer nāma. Not any other name. Harer nāma. only the name of Hari. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]. To hear and chant about whom? Viṣṇu. It is clearly stated there. So we have to chant Viṣṇu name, we have to chant Harer name, Hari and Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa. They're the same. So this is my… You should not misguide yourself by thinking that "Any name will do." No. This

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

Then what is the next? Guror avajñā?

Devotee: Neglecting the order of the spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are daily singing, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasāda. By pleasing the spiritual master we please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore if His order is disobeyed, if he is displeased, then yasyāprasādād na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. If he is displeased, then he has no shelter. He's thrown in the wilderness. Therefore this should be strictly followed. Then next?

Devotee: Minimizing the authority of the scripture or…

Prabhupāda: Yes. Scriptural injunction we should not minimize. We should not think contradictory. We should accept as it is. Then it will be good for us. Or interpretation. Scriptural interpretation is not required. Therefore, we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any false interpretation. As it is. Kṛṣṇa-Kṛṣṇa. Kurukṣetra-Kurukṣetra. Pāṇḍava-Pāṇḍava. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā [Bg. 1.1]. Kṛṣṇa uvāca. Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān uvāca: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said." And we should not add here that… What is called? Paramātmā uvāca. No. Kṛṣṇa uvāca. Paramātmā is feature. In the Gītā Press edition you will see "Paramātmā." They never say Kṛṣṇa. They're so much afraid that "If I say 'Kṛṣṇa,' He will at once capture me." You see? (chuckles) So in a different way. "Paraṁ Brahman," "Caitanya," like this, so many impersonal ways they will say. But that is not required. Bhagavān uvāca means Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes they say, "Blessed Lord said." No. Why you say? The Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa said. Then, what is that next? No interpretation of the scripture. Next? What is the next item?

Devotee: Committing sin on the strength of chanting.

Prabhupāda: Yes. On the strength of chanting, committing sin. Because as Dayānanda explained to you, that this is a purificatory process. So if we think that "We are chanting. It is… I am being purified, so let me become contaminated by acting some sinful activities. I'll purify by chanting," this motive is very bad. This is the greatest offense. Once purified, that's all right, but don't commit again sinful. Sinful life should be stopped. From this day of initiation these four pillars of sinful life-illicit sex life, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling-they should be broken. Not that "Let me do it. I have go the mantra machine, instrument for counteracting." No. You should not…, no more commit any sinful activities. Once you are purified, no more. Then, what is that?

Devotee: Instructing the glories of the Lord's name to the…

Prabhupāda: Yes. We (are) therefore cautious. Unless one is recommended by the president… If he is eager, he is, I mean to say, accept brāhmaṇa, then we see that how he is attending our classes, how he is becoming little interested. Then we offer this first initiation. Otherwise, if we see that he is unmindful, then we should not canvass. Let him come. Just like Kṛṣṇa says Arjuna that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You just surrender unto Me." He's saying. Not that by force making him surrender. That kind of surrender will not stand. We should not canvass. Let him become attracted by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and he personally asks for harer nāma [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, bhakativinoda prabhu-caraṇe paḍiyā. As soon as Lord Caitanya says that "I have brought this medicine for killing māyā." Hari-nāma mahā-mantra loilo. "Everyone can take from Me this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra." So bhakativinoda prabhu-caraṇe paḍiyā. The Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura immediately fell down on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya and begged, "Please give me." So this, this should, the chance should be given like that. One should beg. Not that canvassing. No. That is not required. That is another offense. Unless one has increased little taste and he's personally eager to accept this chanting process, we should not canvass. That is not our… That is an offense. Then?

Devotee: Comparing the holy name with material piety.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The whole thing is purification. Material contamination means desire to enjoy this material world. That is contamination. We have nothing to do with this material world. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. You are spirit. Unfortunately, we are put into this association. So that is another chapter. But now we are trying to come out of it. So at the same time I am trying to go back to home, back to Godhead, at the same time, desiring some material sense gratification, this is another offense. This should not be… We should try to forget. We shall try to forget, "No more I'll… No. There is no necessity of my materialness enjoyment." That sort of vow, determination, must be there. Then what is next?

Devotee: Becoming inattentive while chanting the holy name.

Prabhupāda: Yes. While you (are) chanting, you should hear also. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. You should hear at the same time. Then the mind and the senses are compact. That is samādhi. That is perfection of yoga. This yoga is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā [Bg. 6.47]. So everyone, while chanting, he should hear. All right. So what is your name?

Kevin: Kevin.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Devotees: Kevin.

Prabhupāda: Kevin. Oh. So your spiritual name, Śrī Raṅga. Śrī Raṅga. Śrī Raṅganātha is Viṣṇu. (It) is a very big temple in South India. Then, what is the name?

Robert: Robert.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Romaharṣaṇa. Romaharṣaṇa was a great learned scholar for explaining Vedic literature. But once upon a time he committed some offense. In a great meeting he was speaking about Vedic hymns, and Balarāma, He entered that sacrificial arena. So all the sages and brāhmaṇas and everyone stood up. This Romaharṣaṇa did not. So Balarāma punished him, killed him. But although he was killed, but he got salvation and he was recognized. But, he… It was an example that we should be always very careful about offering respects to the Supreme Lord. He was sitting on the vyāsāsana. Vyāsāsana, one who is sitting on the vyāsāsana, if somebody comes, he does not require to offer respect. That is the rule. But that is not applicable when God enters. No. (laughter) That was his offense. So exemplary. He was killed not with any weapon. One straw. He was immediately… Balarāma had some straw. So all the sages said that "Sir, we allowed him to sit on the vyāsāsana, and he was speaking. Now what is to be done? He's killed." So then Balarāma said, "All right. If you want, I can make him immediately alive." So they also considered that "If we say that 'Make him alive,' then… Balarāma's decision was to kill him. Then we overrule Him." Just see how the behavior. Then the saints and sages said, "No, Sir. We do not want. Whatever You have done, that is all right. But You do something, that we blessed this man for long life to speak. Now he is dead. So our version is also nullified. But we want that our version may not be nullified and Your action may not be nullified. You do something like that." (laughter) So then Balarāma said, "All right. You bring his son. I shall empower him and he shall be a great speaker on this Vedic literature." And because his son means he himself… Ātmaiva jayate putra. Son is born, there is no… The father and son there is no distinction. Just like in Bible sometimes it is said the son of God and God is one. That's a fact, because son is expansion of the body of the father. So Romaharṣaṇa's son was Sūta Gosvāmī. This Sūta Gosvāmī's name you have heard. He is speaking Bhāgavatam. So Sūta Gosvāmī was blessed by Balarāma that "You, on behalf of your father…" So their version and Balarāma's action was mitigated in this way. All right. Come one. So you be careful. Huh? Don't be like Romaharṣaṇa. You take the advantage, but don't make, commit mistake like Romaharṣaṇa. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then what is your name?

John: John.

Prabhupāda: So you name is Śrīdhara. Śrīdhara is another name of Lord Viṣṇu. Come on. Śrīdhara dāsa…, brahmacārī? You are brahmacārī? All right. Jaya. You know the mantra? What is that mantra?

Śrīdhara: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa…

Prabhupāda: No, not…

Śrīdhara: …Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Prabhupāda: No, this offering obeisances to the spiritual master. He knows it? Come on. What is your name?

Charles: Chuck.

Prabhupāda: John. Śrīdhara? He is John.

Charles: Charles.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Charles. Your name is Gopāla dāsa. Come on. Govinda jaya gopāla jaya jaya. So what are the restrictions?

Gopāla: No meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex connection.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla: No gambling or speculating, and no intoxicants.

Prabhupāda: So it will be possible? (laughter) Yes. For your country this is very, I mean, a big stricture, but one has to perform it, execute it for Kṛṣṇa's sake. Kṛṣṇas te bhoga-tyāga (?). For Kṛṣṇa's sake we can do anything. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Although it is very difficult for boys and girls in this country, but because they are taking Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should sacrifice their propensities for Kṛṣṇa's sake. That is a vow. That is an austerity. So Kṛṣṇa will be very much satisfied that "This boy, this girl has done so much. All right. Accept him." So strictly follow these rules and regulations. So every one of you know these regulative principles? Yes. Then you perform your yajña. [break] …kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. (end)

710702IN.LA

Initiation Lecture Excerpt

Los Angeles, July 2, 1971

Prabhupāda: …interested in material profit by devotional service, he is not fit at all to enter into the devotional service. There are… Everyone is trying to become happier, the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, devotees, because in the material world there is no happiness. So the karmīs are trying to be happier to increase their sense gratification. So one man has got hundred dollars income. He is trying to be happy, more happy, by increasing the income to a thousand dollars, because his sense gratification is not sufficient in one hundred dollars. He wants thousand dollars. So if one takes to devotional service, but, "My income is hundred dollars. Kṛṣṇa, give me thousand dollars," so this is not pure devotion. Kṛṣṇa can give. Why thousand? Millions of dollars He can give. But anyone who asks from Kṛṣṇa for this material benefit, he is not a pure devotee. And unless one is pure devotee, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. By devotional service, if you want material prosperity, Kṛṣṇa can give you. Kṛṣṇa can… Whatever you want, Kṛṣṇa can give you. But that is not pure devotion. Dhruva Mahārāja went to obtain his father's kingdom in the beginning, but at the end he said that "I don't want." That is the benefit. If anyone has got any desire for material benefit and takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa can give him, but the benefit is that one day he'll come to the stage he'll ask nothing from the Lord. Whereas, if anyone goes to demigods to ask some material profit, he will get, but it will be finished, and he'll never come to the stage of transcendental platform, that he has no material necessities.

So similarly, Kṛṣṇa's name, we should not try to exact some material profit by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is not pure devotion. Sarva… What is called? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. We shall simply aspire to serve Kṛṣṇa. The Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means, "He Kṛṣṇa, my Lord Kṛṣṇa." He, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare, "O the energy of Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your service." This is the sum total meaning of this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Simply praying, "Please engage me," that is real profit. Not that "Please give me, instead of hundred dollars, give me thousand dollars." No. This is not pure devotion. You should all understand this. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Completely freed from any material desire. That is pure devotion. That will make you happy. Go on. Go on with… You are finished?

Dayānanda: There's still one.

Prabhupāda: All right. Yes. (japa) What is your name?

Girl: Jean Pickman.

Prabhupāda: Your name is Śivani, wife of Lord Śiva. Who is this? Nicely wove it and sewn it. What is your name?

Boy: Jeffrey Seeler. (?)

Viṣṇujana: Gaṅgārāma.

Prabhupāda: Gaṅgārāma. Gaṅgārāma was a devotee of Lord Caitanya. Go on. Who's next?

Devotee: Suraci devī. Suraci.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Suruci. Suruci was one of the mothers of Dhruva Mahārāja. Take it. You know what are the rules and regulations? What is that?

Suruci: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: All right. (end)

710705IN.LA

Initiation Lecture Excerpt

Los Angeles, July 5, 1971

Prabhupāda: So your spiritual name is Rāma-rañjana. Rāma-rañjana. Rāma… One who pleases Lord Rāma, Rāmarañjana. So by your activities you have to please Lord Rāmacandra. Yes. What was the business of Rāmacandra? To kill Rāvaṇas. (laughter) To kill all the atheists. That was the Rāmacandra's business, to kill Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa was a very powerful atheist, and he was working with the ten heads. Just like materialistic karmīs, they work very hard, and they have got good brain also for wording hard. So Rāvaṇa had ten heads. But the plan was to cheat Rāma. With all intelligence, with all brain, his only plan was how to cheat Rāma. That was his… He became a sannyāsī and he went to take some alms from Sītā. The purpose was to cheat, to enter. Because according to Vedic civilization, a sannyāsī has open door. He can even go inside. But that… He was the only sannyāsī at that time who tried to cheat. But this kind of sannyāsī or this kind of intelligent persons are killed by Rāma. They may make plan very nice to cheat Rāmacandra, but ultimately they become vanquished with all their planning commission.

So you have to please Rāmacandra in that way, to kill all these cheaters, Rāvaṇas-those in the form of sannyāsī, in the form of priest, or religionist, (who) are trying to cheat the Lord. Their only business is, "There is no God. God is impersonal. God is void"-some way or other to say there is no God. All these propositions, "God is void," "God is impersonal," means indirectly to say there is no God. So this is Rāvaṇa's policy. And in order to please Rāmacandra, oh, we have to kill this atheist class of men who try to cheat Rāmacandra and take away His Lakṣmī, Sītā, the goddess of fortune… The materialistic persons, they are trying simply to accumulate wealth, and so they come to Rāmacandra. They want money. That is Sītā. Money is goddess of fortune. So the materialistic persons, their policy is to take, earn money like anything, and employ it in sense gratification. That is their policy. But our policy is to take away the money from the atheist and employ it to the service of Rāmacandra. Just like Hanumān. Hanumān was fighting not for his personal. He was trying to recover Sītā from the hands of Rāvaṇa to bring her again to the side of Rāmacandra. That was his policy. So devotee's policy should be that "These atheists, materialists, karmīs, they have taken Sītā, all the goddess of fortune, money, for their sense gratification, and we, following the footstep of Hanumān, the great devotee, Vajrāṅgajī, we have to fight with this atheist class of men, and snatch from him Sītā and place her again on the side of Rāmacandra." So we may make plan. As they are making plan to take away all the money, we have to also make plan to take the money from the Rāvaṇa and employ it for Kṛṣṇa. Of course, we are not going to cheat them, but our policy is pacifying him, that "Your money is not… Whatever you are thinking, your money, it is not your money. It is God's money, Kṛṣṇa's money. If you kindly spare for Kṛṣṇa's service, then your life will be successful. Otherwise, you will be killed like Rāvaṇa." This message we can convey to all the Rāvaṇas. So Rāmarañjana means find out the ways and means how to please Rāmacandra and how to vanquish the Rāvaṇas. That's all.

Thank you. (end)

710713IN.LA

Initiation Lecture

Los Angeles, July 13, 1971

Dayānanda: "… so blaspheming the Lord's devotee. The only way one can be forgiven of this highest offense is by a pure devotee of the Lord. So considering the Lord and the demigods on the same level or…"

Prabhupāda: In the śāstra it is said that if you commit some offense to Kṛṣṇa, He excuses, but if you commit offense to His devotee, He never excuses. Personal offense to Kṛṣṇa can be excused by Kṛṣṇa. He is so merciful. The Durvāsā Muni, he offended Mahārāja Ambarīṣa and he went up… He was so powerful that he went to Viṣṇuloka to see Viṣṇu for being protected because the sudarśana cakra was after him. So Viṣṇu said, "Oh, this is beyond My power. I cannot excuse you. You have to go to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja and ask his pardon. Otherwise there is no excuse." So that Durvāsā Muni, he was a great yogi and brāhmaṇa, and he was very proud, so he came back and fell down on the feet of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. Then he was excused. You see? Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was a kṣatriya, a king. He was neither yogi, but he was a great devotee. So this yogi, Durvāsā Muni, he wanted to supersede him, that "He is ordinary kṣatriya king, and because he is advertised that he is a devotee, I shall teach him some lesson." So that was the quarrel between the… The king was very nice, he never picked up quarrel, but this old man picked up quarrel and he was chastised by Viṣṇu like that. Yes. Go on.

Dayānanda: "…considering the Lord and the demigods on the same level or to understand that there are many Gods. There is only one God…"

Prabhupāda: This is a misconception that especially in your country, in the Western countries, it is advertised that the Hindus have many Gods. We are not concerned with the Hindu-Muslim; we are concerned with Kṛṣṇa. So actually in the Vedas accepted one God. Eka brahma dvitīya nāsti. There is no second. God cannot be two. God is one. It is a misconception, there are many Gods. There are Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that "You worship any demigod. It is the same thing." They misinterpret the Bhagavad-gītā śloka, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante: [Bg. 4.11]. "You can worship Me in any way." The Māyāvādī philosophers, there is a great missionary activities in India. They have got their branch here also. They propagate that "You may worship any demigod, goddess Kali or this or that. Everything is all right." No. God is one, and that is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān [SB 1.3.28]. Even incarnation of God, they are part and parcel. They are bigger part. Just like we are, living entities, we are also part and parcel, Viṣṇu-tattva, they are also part and parcel, but nobody can excel Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. That is the verdict. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. There are so many evidences, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. And Kṛṣṇa Himself says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nāsti: "There is no more superior than Me," in the Bhagavad-gītā. So God is one, and that is Kṛṣṇa. Go on.

Dayānanda: "Neglecting the orders of the spiritual master." At first we must accept a spiritual master and then we must become initiated by the spiritual master. So to neglect the orders of…

Prabhupāda: Unless one is prepared that "I am accepting somebody as my spiritual master. I must accept whatever he says," if there is any doubt, that "I cannot accept his words verbatim," then one should not accept him as spiritual master. That is hypocrisy. One must be first of all convinced. Therefore it is the duty of the spiritual master and the disciple to associate-that is the injunction of Sanātana Gosvāmī-for some time, and both of them should study. The disciple should study, "Whether I can accept this saintly person as my spiritual master." And spiritual master also will see, "Whether I can accept this boy, this person, as my disciple." That is the way. But sometimes the time is reduced. That doesn't matter. But the principle is this, that before accepting a spiritual master you can examine him, you can scrutinize him, but not after him, after accepting. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa just like friend, on equal level. But when he saw that the solution is not yet done, then he surrendered unto Him. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. So after accepting as spiritual master there was no talking on the equal level. But the point where he could not understand, he put some question. Just like when He was preaching, teaching him about the yoga system, so the yoga system is controlling the mind. So Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna flatly said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is very difficult for me." Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham: [Bg. 6.34] "Oh, it is not possible. You are teaching me this haṭha-yoga system by exercising, controlling mind. It is not possible for me." So that was not an important thing, to practice yoga. One who practices this Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga… Then Kṛṣṇa assured him, "It doesn't matter. You practice. If you like, you can practice. But real yogi is he…" He explained,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gata āntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo…

[Bg. 6.47]

"Arjuna, that's all right. If you cannot practice this yoga system, there is no harm. But the first-class yogi is he who is always keeping Me in his heart," thinking of Kṛṣṇa. He is first class. So that is bhakti. Go on.

Dayānanda: "Interpreting… Minimizing the authority of scriptures or Vedas." The authority of scriptures or Vedas are also absolute. This is the literary incarnation of the Lord. The Vedas or the scriptures are literary incarnation of the Lord.

Prabhupāda: The example is the same, just like the conchshell. In the Vedic injunction is that you should not touch dead animal's bone. If you touch, you become impure. But Vedas say the conchshell is pure. So that is being practically observed. We followers of Vedic injunction, we are using conchshell in the Deity room because Vedas says it is pure. You cannot argue, "Oh, one place you said that conch…, the bone is impure. Oh, here I can show you the book. You have said like that." Oh, that nonsense will not do. Whatever is said is all right. You have to accept that. Even it is contradictory, you have to accept. That is called no interpretation. That is wanted. There is meaning, but through your brain at the present moment you cannot understand. That is another thing. But you cannot say like that: "Oh, one place you have said this conch, yes, bone of an animal is impure, and now you are saying the conchshell is pure. It is contradictory." So that will not do. Therefore it is said you cannot interpret in that way. That is offense. Then you will not be able to make progress. Yes. Yes.

Dayānanda: The next is demons are for killing, but in this age ninety-nine percent of the population are demons, so it is not possible…

Prabhupāda: If you kill them, then there will be no population. (laughter) There will be nobody to pay tax. Yes. Go on.

Dayānanda: So as much as possible, let us try to instruct the innocent and… [break]

Prabhupāda: Actual aim of spiritual life-to come to the stage of loving God. That is real spiritual life. If one wants to take to spiritual life for some other gain, that is not. That is offense, that "I will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So my income is now one thousand dollar. It will be three thousand dollar." Not like that. It may be reduced (laughter) sometime. (laughs) Just like our Dayānanda is… His income is now reduced by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but he is not giving up. That is wanted. You see? Sometimes it is found that in incidents you will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, yasyānugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad… Therefore sometimes people do not come to worship because generally they say, "The Viṣṇu worship, or Vaiṣṇavas, they are generally poor. So I don't want to be poor." Yes. I was thinking like that. (laughter) When my Guru Mahārāja ordered me… When I was manager in Bose's laboratory, so he ordered me. So I thought, "Oh, I cannot do this. I cannot accept this sannyāsa." But he was so kind, and he is so kind still. Then he forced me, that "You must do it," taking, pulling my ear, he brought me to this line. In the beginning I was not willing. So it is his causeless mercy upon me. That I can understand now. I can understand now how much I have been relieved by accepting this life. So sometimes we find that our income is reduced.

There is a story-that's very interesting-that one doctor, medical man, came to a gentleman's house, and there were two patients, the lady, the wife of that gentleman, and the maidservant. So the doctor examined and informed to the proprietor that "Your wife's fever is only 100. That's not very… But your maidservant's fever is 104. So she has to be taken little care of." So when the wife heard… [break] So we want like that. This material civilization is like that, to increase the temperature to 108 and then atom bomb fall. You see? That is going on. We should not. Yāvad artha-prayojanam. We should not try for increasing simply the material comforts. No. That is not our business. That is 108 degree, then death. But yāvad artha-vinirṇayam. As far as we want, we must take, that much, not more than that. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā [Īśo mantra 1], the same verse. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. Whatever prasādam you are offered by the grace of the Lord, you accept. Don't take anything more. That is our motto. Go on.

Dayānanda: "To become inattentive while chanting the holy name." One must remain attentive.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is very important. When you will chant, you'll hear also. Then your attention will be there. And you are chanting and you are thinking something else, oh, that is also another offense. You should be careful. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. If you cannot hear, then you will chant loudly, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So you must hear. That is wanted. Otherwise you will be inattentive. That is offense. Go on.

Dayānanda: "Attachment to material things in spite of chanting the holy name."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That attachment means by chanting holy name we have to decrease the fever. But if we increase the fever, attachment… Material attachment means increasing the fever. And we are trying to detach from the, because our conditioned life is continuing because we are so much attached to the materialistic way of life. So by the by, as we chant, we shall try ourself. That means simple life. Unnecessarily we should not increase our demands of life. Then it will be nice. Go on. Finish.

Dayānanda: (devotees repeating) Vande aham… [break]

Prabhupāda: So Dr. Rao, your spiritual name is Rāmānanda. Yes. This Rāmānanda, he was also Rāya, Rāmānanda Rāya, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya and governor of Madras. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu picked up a very important persons, the Six Gosvāmīs, Rāmānanda Rāya, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, like that, eight or ten direct disciples. And later on, they preached the whole thing. In the Bhagavad-gītā there is a verse, yad yad ācarati śreṣṭha itaras tad anuvartate [Bg. 3.21]. If a śreṣṭha, if an important man, acts in some way, others follow. That is natural. So by the grace of Lord Caitanya we are meeting and you have got great responsibility, because you came here to take your doctorate degree. That's very nice. When one of my Godbrothers went to England during my Guru Mahārāja's time, so Lady Wellington, she challenged that Godbrother that "Your men from India, they come here, and we give them some degree, and they become big men there. So what you have got to teach us?" That was her challenge. Actually, that has become the mentality of Indians at the present moment, that "One has to go to the foreign countries, take some technological degree, and them impart the knowledge in India. Then we become big… And let us sacrifice our own culture." That is the mentality now. So your example… You have got by the grace of Lord some foreign degrees. If you present this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in India, many persons will follow. So you think in that way and try to understand our philosophy. You are very nice boy. And India's condition is not very satisfactory at the present moment. They are misled. So I came here with that purpose also, that "This movement I cannot start. They will not accept. But if I go to America, if the Americans accept and they preach, then they will be accepted." So that position has somehow or other come, so you together… It is not meant for either for American or Indian; it is meant for the whole human society. They are suffering grievously for want of this consciousness. So every one of us has got a great duty to broadcast this knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhagavad-gītā… Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on Bhagavad-gītā. It is very widely read all over the world. Simply the rascals, they have misinterpreted. Now we have to give the right interpretation and present what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our duty. So I know that you'll soon return to India, so Lord Caitanya and Lord Kṛṣṇa is giving you a great responsibility. Try to serve them to your best capacity. Thank you. So this is your beads? Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

So next, what is your name? Georgina. So your spiritual name is Gunamayī. Gunamayī… Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī [Bg. 7.14]. Guṇamayī is the name of the energy of Lord. Woman is the energy of man. Similarly, we are all energies. A man works very hard, being energized by his wife or mother. That is the history of the whole world. Any big man, behind that big man is a woman, either mother or wife, especially. You have heard the name of Vidya-sagara Pandit. The background was his mother. Gandhi, the background was his mother. Now, this Lord Wellington, the background was his wife. So woman has got a very responsible duty, to energize man with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So you are young girl. I am very happy that you have come to this. Try to execute this energy. That will be your duty. You know what are the restrictions?

Guṇamayī: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no… (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Thank you. So take your… So what is your name? [break] I asked this, what is your name? Georgina? No, now what is your spiritual name? Immediately forgot? (laughter) Guṇamayī. Guṇamayī. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. Guṇamayī means qualities, full of qualities. So this material nature is, has got three qualities, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. This is also guṇamayī. And the spiritual nature also has got three qualities-sandhinī, saṁvit, and… What is called, other?

Devotee: Hlādinī.

Prabhupāda: Ahlādinī, yes. Sandhinī, saṁvit, and ahlādinī. So both of them are guṇamayī. The spiritual nature is horrible for the conditioned soul, but she is not horrible for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā [Bg. 7.14]. So everyone Kṛṣṇa's…, related with Kṛṣṇa is not, he or she is not horrible. Just like a police department is horrible for the criminals and not for the President. The President is not afraid of the police department because the police department is under his control. Similarly, this material nature with three qualities, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, it is horrible for the conditioned soul. Therefore, if anyone surrenders to Kṛṣṇa-mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti-immediately he overcomes the horrible feature of this material nature. Otherwise, if one does not come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if one does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, this material nature is horrible. So therefore in both ways the spiritual nature or the material nature, they are guṇamayī. And the difference is that when one is conditioned, he is under the material nature guṇamayī, and when he is liberated, he is under the spiritual nature guṇamayī. But both of them are guṇamayī.

So your name is Holly? [break] Eh? Yes. So your spiritual name is Herā-pañcamī. Herā-pañcamī is the auspicious energy of Jagannātha Svāmī, yes. So you worship Jagannātha Svāmī very nicely. So now you can… So? There is no dakṣiṇā? Ghee?

Devotee: Yes, yes. We have dakṣiṇā.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. So who will keep this? You give. Now perform the yajña and let us finish. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]. Real yajña is Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. (end)

710717IN.DET

Initiation Lecture Excerpt

Detroit, July 17, 1971

Prabhupāda: So there are ten kinds of offenses. That is described. And the most important point is the committing sin on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is a fact that as soon you chant Kṛṣṇa, all your resultant action of sinful activities immediately nullified. But if we again commit that sins, that is up to you. So we should not make it a business that "Let me go on committing sins, and it will be counteracted by chanting." No. This is not good. This is the greatest offense. Sometimes in Christian Church there is confession, and again they go and commit the same sin, and next time, again confession. Not like that. That is not good. One confession admitting, excused. But not that you commit sins over and over again and it will be excused. Similarly, you cannot commit sins on the strength of chanting. That is the greatest offense. (end)

710718IN.DET

Detroit Initiations

Detroit, July 18, 1971

Prabhupāda: Beads. Give me beads. (chants japa) Where is that tulasī plant? Today's not very hot. Warm… It is all right. (Chants japa, devotee chants purificatory mantras. More japa. Devotee chants mantra again. Prabhupāda corrects his pronunciation. More japa. Jagadīśa gives lecture while Prabhupāda chants japa. Then more japa.) The ten offenses, explain. (Jagadīśa explains ten offenses from book) Give them chairs. Some ladies are standing.

Jagadīśa: (continues lecture on offenses) …the mind will be controlled. And we can fix the mind of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. The mind will be wavering here and there, but if we control the lower self…

Prabhupāda: Or, in other words, when you fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa, then senses will be automatically controlled. This way is difficult. That way is easy. You fix up your mind… Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane [SB 9.4.18]. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he was a emperor, but he was a great devotee. How? He always fixed up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Vacāṁsi. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor. Kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor, on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he fixed up his mind. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. The next is the tongue. Mind fixed up, then the next sense is, important sense, is the tongue. Next to the mind, tongue should be controlled. How? By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and eating Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Then other senses will be automatically controlled. (continues chanting japa)

Jagadīśa: (continues lecture) We must know the goal. We must know by intelligence…

Prabhupāda: That verse is not quoted there? Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Leg should be engaged to go to the temple of Kṛṣṇa. Hand should be engaged for cleansing the temple. Nose should be engaged for smelling tulasī which is offered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Ear should be engaged for hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Eyes should be engaged for seeing Kṛṣṇa beautifully dressed. These things are… In this way the temple worship means all these senses being engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, mind and senses. Then they can, cannot do any harm. They're already engaged. They cannot have any other engagement. And if you keep vacant the mind and the senses, then māyā will capture. Then eye will go to see the cinema and tongue will go to the restaurant, for rooster(?) (cocktails?), what is called? These things will be engaged. Yes. (continues japa)

Jagadīśa: (continues lecture) So we must always try to fix our mind on Kṛṣṇa's activities, Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet…

Prabhupāda: Bhavauṣadhi śrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are described as the medicine of the disease bhava. Bhava means repeated birth and death. This is a disease. So bhavauṣadhi. The medicine, panacea, for curing this disease, bhavauṣadhi. At the same time, śrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt: it is very pleasing to hear, and very enlightening to the heart. Kṛṣṇa's name is so nice, Kṛṣṇa's pastime is so nice, that it is very pleasing, very satisfying, at the same time, it is the medicine for the disease of repeated birth and death. (continues japa)

Jagadīśa: One of the qualities of…

Prabhupāda: The more you become free from material harassment, the more you make advance in spiritual life, or the more you make advance in spiritual life, the more you become detached to the material life. These are the tests. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt [SB 11.2.42]. Bhakti, devotional life, spiritual life, the test is that viraktir anyatra. Anyatra means beyond, without Kṛṣṇa, everything becomes detestful. The example is given just like a hungry man, when he's eating, as he's eating so he's feeling satisfaction and no hunger, proportionately. And at one time it will come, he'll say, "No, I don't want any more. I am completely satisfied." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He said, "I am now completely satisfied. I have, I haven't got to ask anything, benediction." That is the progress and ultimate goal of bhakti. As soon as one is saturated with bhakti, he has no more demand, no more attraction for this material world. Not… Kṛṣṇa attraction means decreasing attraction for the material world. Go on. (chants japa) One can test his advancement for spiritual life, how he is being detached to the material life. That's all. It is not to be taken certificate from others. Just like when you eat, you haven't got to take certificate from others. You'll feel, "Yes, I'm satisfied." That's all. You don't require, while eating nicely, you don't require to take certificate: "Am I eating nicely?" You'll know yourself. (japa) Another example is given: the candy. Candy, when a man is suffering from jaundice disease, if you give him candy, he'll taste it bitter. That means more one is materially suffering, he'll not be interested to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But the example is this: The candy is the only medicine for jaundice. So we have to give him candy by force. And as he cure, as he cures, he'll say, "Oh, candy's very nice. Candy's sweet." So in the beginning we have to force. We have to give the medicine just like horse is given medicine. Three men required to induce medicine to the mouth of the horse. So this is our duty, to inject Hare Kṛṣṇa medicine just like pushing medicine in the throat of a horse. By force. (japa) (devotees chant prayers) Then neck, neck beads. Let them… (devotees continue prayers; devotee begins lecture again) Go on. I shall distribute this. Who is the…?

Jagadīśa: Should I go on?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Jagadīśa continues lecture) [break] Ātmārāma dāsa. Ātmārāma means who is satisfied with self-realization. Next. Purañjana was a great king, devotee, in the history. (devotees coming up, taking initiation.) Aprākṛta. Aprākṛta means transcendental. Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then, next? There are different stages of understanding. First understanding is direct perception, pratyakṣa. In Sanskrit word it is called pratyakṣa, direct understanding. That tenth-class understanding, that is not actually understanding, direct perception. But people are giving stress that "I want to see. I want to touch." This is called pratyakṣa. Then next is parokṣa, hearing from authorities. Then aparokṣa, realizing. Then adhokṣaja means beyond the perception of the senses. Then aprākṛta, transcendental. These are the stages for going to the aprākṛta, transcendental stage. From direct perception, then, pratyakṣa, parokṣa, to take instruction from others. Then realization. Then beyond these senses. Then aprākṛta, transcendental. So Kṛṣṇa is aprākṛta. Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood by direct sense perception. Gradually you have to rise to the aprākṛta stage, which is called Vāsudeva stage, beyond this material understanding. That will take time. You have to practice that. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on.

Hiraṇyagarbha. Hiraṇyagarbha is Lord Brahmā's name. Or Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu's name. Generally Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu's. Hiraṇyagarbha dāsa. That's all right.

Then, next. Where is…? No neck bead? How is that? Where is neck bead? Huh? Oh, these things are not good. It must be well equipped. Otherwise, what is the meaning of initiation? Give… No neck bead? Go on. First of all get neck beads. Who is next? You have got neck beads? That's all right. Viśvakarmā. Viśvakarmā is the engineer of this universe. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. You know what are the rules and regulations? That's right.

Next? Come on. Dineśvara. Dineśvara is the name of sun, sun-god. Come on. We are all dāsa, not the person. When you call "Kṛṣṇa," "Kṛṣṇa" means Kṛṣṇa dāsa. When you call Dineśvara, Dineśvara, means Dineśvara's servant. Our position is always servant. Dāsa-anudāsa [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. Servant of the servant, servant of the servant, the more, the more you become on the lower status of servant, our position is greater. This is…

Come on. Next. You arranged for offering this sacrifice? You arranged? What is name? Mahā? Mahāvīra. Eh? M, h, r. Mahāvīra. Mahāvīra is the name of Hanumān, the servant of Lord Rāmacandra. He was very strong. He could raise even the hills for service of the Lord. Mahāvīra. Mahā means great, and vīra means hero.

Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Don't laugh. Then… Bahiṣmatī, one of the daughters of Manu. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know, what are the rules? Tell me. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Come on. Next. Who's this? Oh, all right. Then how many still remaining? All right. (chants japa) First of all grains mixed up. (more japa) Come on. Take your. Come on. Whose beads are lying on the floor there? Whose beads? Oh, you never put it in the floor. When there is no bag, you put like this. Mahāyajñi, Mahāyajñi is a name of Lord Śiva. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take. (more japa)

Uttamaśloka. Uttamaśloka means Kṛṣṇa who is chanted with best verses. Come on. (more japa, devotees chant prayers). You keep it. You keep it. (prayers continued) So where is that, he has come? Waiting. I'm going just now. (more prayers, japa)

Bhagavatī. Goddess Durgā's name. Goddess Durgā, external energy of Kṛṣṇa. (more japa, prayers) Tapasvinī: who performs great austerity. Svarga dāsī. (Prabhupāda leaves, devotees continue prayers) (end)

710721-22IN.NY

Initiations

New York, July 21-22, 1971

Prabhupāda: What is your name? Eh?

Susie: Susie.

Devotee: Kaṅkā dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Kaṅkā. Your name is Kaṅkā dāsī, the daughter of a great king. All our, I mean, girl disciples are named great devotees' daughter or wife, like that. So you know what are the rules and regulations?

Kaṅkā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Tell me.

Kaṅkā: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: And what is your name, spiritual? You forget immediately? (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. All right. How many rounds you will chant?

Kaṅkā: Sixteen rounds a day.

Prabhupāda: Only?

Kaṅkā: More if I can.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. (Kaṅkā offers obeisances) All right. Next. (japa)

Devotee: Rāṣṭrapālikā.

Prabhupāda: Rāṣṭrapālikā, governess, governeress. Is that?

Devotee: Governess.

Prabhupāda: Governess? Governess. You have to govern. So what are the rules and regulations?

Rāṣṭrapālikā: No meat-eating, no intoxication, (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: Who is your husband?

Rāṣṭrapālikā: Nitāi dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Nitāi dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Vidarbha-sūtā.

Prabhupāda: Garbha-sūtā.

Devotee: Vidarbha-sūtā.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Vidarbha-sūtā. Vidarbha-sūtā means the wife of Lord Rāmacandra. Come on. You are married? No, not yet. All right. Come on, next.

Devotee: Vilāsinī.

Prabhupāda: Vilāsinī. Vilāsinī means who enjoys with Kṛṣṇa. Come on. (japa)

Devotee: Uṣika.

Prabhupāda: Uṣika.

Devotee: Uṣika.

Prabhupāda: Uṣika is Brahmā's another name, Uṣiksaya. So you know the rules and regulations? What are they?

Devotee: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. (japa) Ceto-darpaṇa-marjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12].

Devotee: Romapāda.

Prabhupāda: Brahmapāda?

Devotee: Romapāda.

Prabhupāda: Roma?

Devotee: R-o-m-a-p-a-d-a.

Prabhupāda: Rāmapāda? R-o?

Devotee: R-o.

Prabhupāda: All right. So there was a great ṛṣi, Romaharṣaṇa, Romaharṣaṇa. So his disciple or servant. Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on.

Devotee: Cedirāja.

Prabhupāda: Cedirāja. Cedirāja was Kṛṣṇa's aunt's(?) husband. In connection with Kṛṣṇa. He was a great king. His son, Cedirāja's son was Kṛṣṇa's cousin-brother but greatest enemy. Yes. Kṛṣṇa killed him. Yes. (laughter) Come on. (japa)

Devotee: Kuśakratha dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Kuśakratha. Kuśakratha. You know the rules and regulations? What are they?

Kuśakratha: No meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex, uh, no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Which you like best? (laughter) Which of them?

Kuśakratha: You are reading my mind, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) All right. Don't do that again.

Devotee: Kirtīrāja.

Prabhupāda: Kirtīrāja. The king who is famous. Who is that king who is famous, very? Do you know? No? Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) What are the rules?

Kirtīrāja: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, and no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. [break] Kaṁsā was the sister of King Kaṁsa. Kaṁsā was not bad, but Kaṁsa was bad. Yes. Come on. So is there any thread?

Devotee: Yes. There's seven gāyatrīs in all.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Devotee: Four threads, seven gāyatrīs in all.

Prabhupāda: So they may come after. (end)

710722IN.NY

Initiations

New York, July 22, 1971

Aravinda: Śruta-kirtī.

Prabhupāda: Śruta-kirtī, whose activities are well famous. Come on. What are the rules?

Śruta-kirtī: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: How many rounds you'll chant?

Śruta-kirtī: Around twenty.

Prabhupāda: All right. (japa-break) Sudhamani. Sudhamani, yes. Brilliant night. You know the rules? Yes. (japa)

Aravinda: Puravī.

Prabhupāda: Puravī. Puravī means eastern, not western.

Devotee: Are these your beads? (devotee offers obeisances)

Prabhupāda: Śrutadeva. Śrutadeva means Viṣṇu. You know the rules and regulations? (Śrutadeva offers obeisances) Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Here.

Devotee: Harikeśa.

Prabhupāda: Harikeśa. (Harikeśa offers obeisances) Harikeśa means hairs of God. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Ravindra-svarūpa.

Prabhupāda: Ravindra-svarūpa. Just like sunshine. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. You know the rules and regulations? (devotees chanting japa)

Devotee: Rohiṇīdevī.

Prabhupāda: Rohiṇī. Rohiṇī, the mother of Balarāma. (laughter-it's a boy?)

Devotee: Devamīra.

Prabhupāda: Devamīra.

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Victory flag. Victory flag. That means Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) Madirā. Madirā means intoxication. So you be intoxicated by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So after performance (indistinct) they may to my room.

Devotee: After the yajña?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: After the yajña the brāhmaṇas, those who are going to be second initiated, can come to Prabhupāda's room.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

710723IN.NY

Initiations

New York, July 23, 1971

Aravinda: Mamatā.

Prabhupāda: Mamatā.

Mamatā: Mamatā?

Prabhupāda: M-a-m-a-t-a. Mamatā devī, "one who is very affectionate to everyone." Come on. You know the rules and regulation? What are those?

Mamatā: No meat-eating, no taking of intoxicants, no illicit sex, and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: That's all. How many rounds you will chant?

Mamatā: Sixteen good rounds every morning.

Prabhupāda: Come on, next. [break] Ādi-pati. Ādi-pati means king. So you should be king. What is the business of king?

Ādi-pati: To rule.

Prabhupāda: So where you shall rule? You cannot say?

Ādi-pati: What is the rule?

Trivikrama: Where.

Prabhupāda: Where you will rule? You will rule over your senses. (laughter) Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know how to rule?

Ādi-pati: Everyone.

Prabhupāda: The rules. You do not know the four rules?

Ādi-pati: Oh, the rules. No meat-eating…

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the ruling.

Ādi-pati: No illicit sex, no gambling…

Prabhupāda: Yes, if you… Then you become king. Come on, next.

Aravinda: Prācī.

Prabhupāda: Prācī, yes. Prācī means one of the directions. Come on. You know the rules and regulations? (japa)

Aravinda: Puru dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Puru dāsa. There was a very powerful king. His name was Puru. He was a devotee. The same thing, to become ruler of the senses. Come on. We are all ruled by the senses. Senses dictate and we follow. This is the general condition, and we have to become ruler of the senses. Then it is successful. Generally people are ruled by the senses. My sense says, "Please take me to the cinema," the eyes. I immediately go and stand there three hours for the ticket. You see? So I am ruled by the senses. And when you will be strong enough, the eyes will say, "Please take me to the cinema," and you will say, "No, you cannot go to the cinema." Then you are ruler. So one is go-dāsa. Go-dāsa means servant of the senses. And one is gosvāmī, master of the senses. That is the difference between gosvāmī and go-dāsa. Go means senses. When we are servant of the senses, then we are in the material world. And when we are master of the senses, then we are in the spiritual world. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have got. All right.

Aravinda: Indriyāṇi.

Prabhupāda: Indriyāṇi. Indriyāṇi, the queen of Lord Indra. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. You know the rules and regulations? Thank you.

Aravinda: Pratīci.

Prabhupāda: Pratīci, one of the directions. You are also. Come on. (japa-break)

Trivikrama: Bimali.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Trivikrama: Bimali, B-i-m-a-l-i.

Prabhupāda: Bimalā, Bimalā. Bimalā means spotless, where there is no dirty things. You know the rules and regulations? Yes. If you follow the rules and regulation, then there will be no dirt. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees chant japa) Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Our, this process is simply to make the mind dirtyless. We are… Our mind is full of dirty things, so this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa means ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, cleansing the heart. And as soon as one is cleansed of the heart, that pure consciousness comes. Then he is liberated. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. All problems solved immediately. Due to misunderstanding of our position we have created so many dirty things. (doorbell rings) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Is there somebody?

Viṣṇujana: Door. (pause) Maṇḍaleśvara.

Prabhupāda: Maṇḍeleśvara. Maṇḍaleśvara means a leader, leader of a group. He is called maṇḍaleśvara. Not ordinary rogues' group but Vaiṣṇava group. Hare Kṛṣṇa. There are different kinds of groups.

Viṣṇujana: Naradevī.

Prabhupāda: Naradevī. Naradevī means queen, like Queen Victoria. Is that all right? (laughter-girl offers obeisances) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Queen Victoria was very popular in British Empire. Yes.

Trivikrama: Hṛṣīkeśa.

Prabhupāda: Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa means the same thing, master of the senses. Hṛṣīka means senses, and hṛṣīka-īśa…, īśa means ruler or master. So actually hṛṣīkeśa means Kṛṣṇa. He is the master of the senses. And bhakti means hṛṣīka…, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Our hṛṣīkeśa means if we be under the control of Hṛṣīkeśa, then these senses now being used for other purposes, upādhi, designations… Just like one is very busy in his national work. Means he is giving service to a designation, falsely thinking that "I am this body," "This body is American," "This body is Indian," "This body is this." So under this false impression he is giving service. This is one stage. And when we are freed from this, all these false impressions, and give service to Kṛṣṇa, that is our perfect stage. So Hṛṣīkeśa means Hṛṣīkeśa dāsa, to become the servant of the Hṛṣīkeśa. Kṛṣṇa is Hṛṣīkeśa, so your name is Hṛṣīkeśa dāsa. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. All right.

Devotee: All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

710724IN.NY

Initiations

New York, July 24, 1971

Prabhupāda: [break] You know the rules and regulations? Rules and regulations? Yes. What is that?

Viṣṇujana: Pañcaratna.

Prabhupāda: Pañcaratna dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Pañca means five; ratna means jewels. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) You know the rules?

Viṣṇujana: Navaratna.

Prabhupāda: Navaratna. Navaratha. Nine chariots. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. "One who has got nine chariots." (japa)

Viṣṇujana: Aṣṭaratha.

Prabhupāda: Aṣṭaratha, "one who has got eight chariots." Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulations?

Viṣṇujana: Patrick. Daśaratha.

Prabhupāda: Daśaratha, the father of Lord Rāmacandra. Hare Kṛṣṇa. "Who could drive his chariot on ten directions." Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa)

Viṣṇujana: Daśarha.

Prabhupāda: Daśarha, a king in the dynasty in which Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulations? What are they? How many rounds you chant?

Girl: Sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Very good. Come on. What is her name?

Viṣṇujana: Śaśimukhi.

Prabhupāda: Śaśimukhi. Śaśi means moon, and mukhi means face.

Devotees: Ah!

Prabhupāda: Very nice, fortunate name. Come on. So…?

Viṣṇujana: Mahāmāyā.

Prabhupāda: Mahāmāyā. Mahāmāyā, the illusory energy. (chuckling) So illusory energy is not bad. Illusory energy is another face of Rādhārāṇī. Those who do not want to worship Kṛṣṇa, for them illusory energy is there. Come on. You know the rules and regulations? Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on.

Viṣṇujana: Hemalatā.

Prabhupāda: Hemalatā, golden leaf. (japa)

Viṣṇujana: Saptaratha.

Prabhupāda: Saptaratha, "one who drives seven chariots." Hare Kṛṣṇa. (aside:) Take care… (japa)

Devotees: All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

710725IN.NY

Initiations

New York, July 25, 1971

Prabhupāda: You know the rules and regulations? That's all right. Jamadāgni.

Devotee: Jamadāgni.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Jamadāgni was a great sage. That's all. Father of Paraśurāma. (devotees chanting japa in background) (chanting japa) You know rules and regulations? Hm… What are they? Rules. What are the rules?

Devotee: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication…

Prabhupāda: What is his name?

Devotee: Brahma-vit.

Prabhupāda: Brahma-vit. Brahma-vit, "whose profession is to realize Brahman." That's all right. (chants japa)

Devotee: Pāyasvinī.

Prabhupāda: Pāyasvinī dāsa. Pāyasvinī means the Surabhī cow who delivers milk as much as you like. (devotees laugh) Surabhīr abhipālayantam. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Come on.

Devotee: Bhārgava.

Prabhupāda: Bhārgava. Bhārgava means the descendant of Bṛghu. Bṛghu is one of the great sages, seven sages, in…, rotating around the polestar, seven sages. And Bṛghu Muni is one of them. Bhārgava. In India there is still a brāhmaṇa's family, they are called Bhārgava. Come on, next.

Devotee: Sumahat.

Prabhupāda: Sumahat. "Great personality." Come on. You know the rules and regulations?

Devotee: (inaudible)

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Devotee: Ricardo. Haihaya.

Prabhupāda: Haihaya, a great saintly king. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. What is this? Goblet? What is this? Oh! Thank you. Come on. What are the rules? The rules, regulative rules? Eh?

Devotee: The rules. What are the rules? The four regulative…

Prabhupāda: You do not know? No illicit sex… Tell her. Tell her.

Devotee: (repeats rules in background)

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughing) Repeat again. Repeat. Yes, what are the rules, you repeat!

Devotee: No meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex…

Prabhupāda: No intoxication.

Devotee: Narmadā.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Devotee: Narmadā.

Prabhupāda: Narmadā. Narmadā is a sacred river in India, like Ganges. What you have got here? Come on, next. Narmadā, Godāverī, Kāverī, Gaṅgā, Yamunā. All sacred river.

Devotee: (offering obeisances and praṇāma mantras)

Devotee: Vaijayantī.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Devotee: Vaijayantī.

Prabhupāda: Vaijayantī. Vaijayantī is one who becomes victorious everywhere.

Devotee: Urvasī.

Prabhupāda: Urvasī. Urvasī is the beautiful society girl in the heavens. (laughter) Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Gosita?

Prabhupāda: Gosita. Gosita was a great sage. Play that record, Govindam ādi-puruṣam…

Devotees: Jaya! (end)

710726I2.NY

Initiation and Brahma-saṁhitā Lecture

New York, July 26, 1971

Prabhupāda: Govinda means who gives pleasure to the cows, who gives pleasure to the senses. He's Govinda. Go means…, another meaning is earth. So He gives pleasure. Kṛṣṇa is all pleasure potency. And ādi-puruṣa. Ādi-puruṣam, original person. (sound) What is that? (pause) Ādi-puruṣa, original person. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. (aside:) Why don't you sit down? Sit down. Ādi, original; puruṣa, person. The origin… Unless the origin of everything is a person, how so many persons are coming? Every one of us, all living entities, either man or animal or demigod, even trees, plants, they're all persons. Everyone, individual person. So if every living entity is a person, how the original of, origin of everything can be imperson? The origin must be person. Therefore ādi-puruṣam. The origin, original, or origin of everything, janmādy asya yataḥ, Absolute Truth, is that from whom or from which everything is emanating. So everything is a person, individual. So origin must be person. Ādi-puruṣam. Therefore Brahmā…, this Brahma-saṁhitā is made by Brahmā. He's the original creature within this universe. He's recommending that "My origin is also a person." Ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi: "I worship that original person." Therefore the origin of everything, the Absolute, the summum bonum, cannot be impersonal. What is the reason? Where is the experience that from imperson a person comes? There is no such instance within our experience. From person, a person comes. My father is a person, so I am a person. His father is a person; therefore my father is a person. Go on searching, you'll find the original person. Try to understand this philosophy. The whole world is impersonal. They do not know anything, of course, but they have got an impersonal philosophy. How the impersonal philosophy can stand? Every individual entity is a person; therefore origin must be a person, ādi-puruṣam. And it is recommended by the authority, Brahmā.

Brahmā is the original creature within this universe. We, we do not know what is beyond this universe, but within this universe, he's the first creature. He's also known as ādi kavi. Ādi-kavaye. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you have read: tene hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavi means the original learned person. Brahmā is a learned person. Darwin's theory is that origin is void. That is nonsense. The origin also, even within this universe, is a learned person. Ādi-kavi. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Ādi-kavi is person. Ādi means original learned person, learned creature, he's person. And his origin also person. Brahmā's description is there. I forget that verse now. The purport of that verse is that Brahmā, the first creature, he's also receiving knowledge from the ādi person, ādi person, or original person. Tene. That is described in Bhāgavatam. Brahma… Brahma means jñāna, knowledge. Brahma-jñāna. Tene brahma. People may doubt how Brahmā can learn. "He's the original creature. Where is the other person? A spiritual master is also person. So if he was initiated, where is another person?" Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is tene hṛdā, from within, from the heart. God is situated in everyone's heart. So at that time, although Brahmā is the first creature and there was no other person, but the other person, ādi-puruṣa, is there, within the heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is situated in everyone's heart. Therefore it is said hṛdā. Sometimes we get education, instruction from hṛdā. That hṛdā, Kṛṣṇa, sitting in everyone's heart, instructs everyone. But those who are not devotee, they cannot understand what is the dictation. They deny. But those who are devotees, they can understand that "Here is the dictation from the Lord." Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam.

So therefore to hear from the Lord which is situated within our heart, that requires a qualification, a certain stage. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam: "I give instruction to them." To whom? Not all. Of course, He's giving all. But to a devotee, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam: [Bg. 10.10] "Those who are twenty-four hours, constantly engaged in My service." Satata. Satata means twenty-four hours. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām: engaged. Those who are engaged twenty-four hours, bhajatām. How engaged? Bhajatām: in devotional service. How devotional service can be done? Prīti-pūrvakam, in love. They must enjoy. Here is an opportunity of serving Kṛṣṇa. The more they engage in service, the more they become pleased. That is spiritual service. There is no retirement. Material service, you'll get tired, fatigued: "Oh, I have worked so much now." In the spiritual service you'll get more energy: "Let me serve more, serve more." To such devotees, the Lord, sitting in the heart, gives instruction: "Do like this," so that he'll very soon come to Him. "Do like this." And to the others? Yes, others also He gives instruction. What instruction? "You wanted to do this. Do it now. Here is opportunity. You wanted to steal. All right. Here is the opportunity. Steal." Because everyone's heart, Kṛṣṇa is there. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo [Bg. 15.15]. In the Fifteenth Chapter: "I am situated in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: "From Me, there is remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." Forgetfulness is also coming from Him.

So this is going on. Therefore the ādi-puruṣa, Kṛṣṇa is ādi-puruṣa; He's a person. But because He's not a person like us, therefore ordinary person cannot understand God can be person. He thinks that "God must be a person like me." His limited knowledge, speculator, poor fund of knowledge, he thinks that "God must be like me." Therefore in some of the scriptures He's denied personality, because this rascal thinks that "God is a person like me." Therefore it is said: not person. When it is said God is not person, that means He's not a person like you. He's not a rascal like you. That is description. When it is negatively described that He's not a person, that means He's not a person like you. But He's a person, a different person. Sac-cid-ānanda vigraha. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. His person is eternal. He does not die. We die. He's full of bliss. Our, this body, is not full of bliss; full of miseries. So how God can be a person like you? Therefore sometimes He is described as impersonal. Otherwise God is a person. He's a person like us, and He's the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So those who are in poor fund of knowledge, they can understand that the Absolute Truth is a person. Therefore we have to take lessons from Brahmā, the supreme poet, or learned person, who is the original person. And he says: govindam, govindam ādi-puruṣam. And he says, tam ahaṁ bhajāmi: "I worship."

So we are Brahmā sampradāya-our disciplic succession from Brahmā. Therefore we shall accept Brahmā's statement and we worship ādi-puruṣam, Govindam. We may not know that ādi-puruṣa, but we follow the footsteps of ācāryas. Brahmā says this. Brahmā's disciple, Nārada, says like that. Nārada's disciple Vyāsa says like that. Vyāsa's disciple, Madhvācārya, says like that. In this way, Īśvara Purī says like that. His disciple, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, says like that. His disciple, Gosvāmīs, Ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs, they say like that. In this way, we receive knowledge by paramparā, by step by step in the disciplic succession. Therefore our knowledge is perfect.

Go on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (initiation begins) (end)

710726I3.NY

Initiations and Sannyāsa

New York, July 26, 1971

Aravinda: Nārāyaṇa dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Nārāyaṇa dāsa. You know the rules and regulations? Thank you. Take this. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. This Deity photograph, this?

Aravinda: Pompā dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Pompā dāsī. Pompā is the sacred river. Flow with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Aravinda: Madhupurī dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Madhupurī. Madhupurī is Mathurā, Kṛṣṇa's birthplace. So you have to serve Mathurā and be associated with Rādhārāṇī. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulation? What are they?

Madhupurī: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication…

Prabhupāda: No gambling. She is not married?

Aravinda: Vārāṇasī.

Prabhupāda: Vārāṇasī dāsī. Vārāṇasī, the sacred conjunction of two rivers, Vāruṇī and Asī. Vāruṇī is Ganges, and Asī. So combination of two sacred rivers flowing from the lotus toe of Kṛṣṇa.

Aravinda: Prayāg.

Prabhupāda: Spelling?

Aravinda: P-r-a-y-a-g.

Prabhupāda: Prayāg. Prayāg dāsī. Prayāg is the chief holy place in India, where we held our… That is Allahabad. That is Prayāg. Another name is Prayāg. Real name is Prayāg. Tīrtha-rāja, the king of pilgrimage. So you have to serve. Come on. You know the rules and regulation?

Candanācārya: Do you know the rules and regulations?

Prayāg: Yes. No illicit sex, no intoxicants, no meat, fish or eggs, and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: Next. Come on. (japa)

Aravinda: Sītā-Rāma dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Sītā-Rāma. Raghupati rāghava. Lord Rāmacandra, husband of Sītā. You are servant of Sītā-Rāma. Very high position. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulations? All right. Thank you. Next.

Aravinda: Puṣpavana.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Aravinda: Puṣpavana. P-u-s-p-a-v-a-n.

Prabhupāda: Puṣpavana?

Aravinda: P-u-s-p-a-v-a-n.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Puṣpavana. Puṣpavana is the name of Cupid. He throws the arrow of flower. And Kṛṣṇa is the supreme Cupid. You know the rules and regulation? Yes. Come on. (sings softly) Rādhe jaya jaya mādhava dayite, gokula taruṇī maṇḍala… Hm?

Aravinda: Puṣkara.

Prabhupāda: Puṣkara dāsa. There is a sacred lake in India, Puṣkara tīrtha. Puṣkara tīrtha. So anyone who takes bath in that lake, he becomes a devotee. So you try to bring all people of the world to take bath in Puṣkara.

Aravinda: Tapas.

Prabhupāda: Tapas. From tapasya. You have to perform severe austerity. Without severe austerity nobody can achieve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11]. After many, many births' pious activities and austerity one can understand Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye yatatām api siddhānām [Bg. 7.3]. Siddhānām, those who have attained perfection, out of many of them, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. So by Lord Caitanya's grace we are distributing freely such thing, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53], Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulation? Then you come. [break] Open. You take this and… Yes. First of all take this. Then care of… Stand up. This side. Now where is that mantra? You chant this mantra. (Trivikrama repeats) Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām upāsitāṁ pūrvatamair maha… What is this? It is not properly… Oh. Pūrvatamair mahadbhir ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ tamo mukundam aṅghri niṣevayaiva. Yes. Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhā. This vow-today you are taking sannyāsa-so keeping oneself steady and fixed up in this position, etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhā… Parātmā, the Supreme Lord… Jīva, living entities, they are ātmā, and Kṛṣṇa is parātmā. Paramātmā and parātmā. So parātmā-niṣṭhām, to serve Kṛṣṇa. So "Taking sannyāsa, from this day my vow to serve Kṛṣṇa is more fixed up, steady." Upāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ: "This practice, this process was accepted by my previous ācāryas." Your spiritual master, his spiritual master, his spiritual master, they all accepted this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted at the age of twenty-four years. Therefore it is not a new introduction. Pūrvatamaiḥ. Pūrvatamaiḥ means previous ācārya, they accepted it, sannyāsa āśrama. That is Vedic civilization. Everyone has to accept sannyāsa āśrama at a certain period, generally at the end. But one who is advanced, he can take sannyāsa even at young age. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu took sannyāsa, Rāmānujācārya took sannyāsa very young age. My Guru Mahārāja took sannyāsa at very young age. So it is not that only old men should take sannyāsa, but there are many instances. Why? Now, parātma-niṣṭhā. Etāṁ sa āsthāya ahaṁ tariṣyāmi: "I shall cross over." Tariṣyāmi means cross over. Duranta-pāram: "which is very difficult to overcome." Tamo: "this darkness." This material world is dark. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Vedic injunction is, "Don't remain in this darkness. Go the other side, jyoti, where there is…" Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. There is another nature, where there is no need of sun, no need of moon, no need of electricity. There jyoti… Jyoti means effulgent light, only light. So we have to cross over this ocean of darkness and reach that jyotir dhāma. Jyotirmāyā dhāma, brahmajyoti. Tamo mukundāṅghri. How it will be possible? Mukunda. Mukunda means… Muk means mukti, or liberation. So one who gives liberation and gives ānanda… Unless one is liberated, one cannot understand what is ānanda, or pleasure. Here in the material world we are trying to be happy by false pleasure. Actual pleasure… Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasure. When we serve Kṛṣṇa, mukundāṅghri… Aṅghri means lotus feet, leg. When we appoint ourself, engage ourself in the service of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who can deliver liberation and transcendental bliss… Tamo mukundāṅghri niṣevayaiva: "Only by serving Him I shall be able." This mantra you shall take copy. Also Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja, you can read this portion and…

Kīrtanānanda: [break] "…they misunderstand the purpose of tridaṇḍa, and by such deviation…"

Prabhupāda: Our, this daṇḍa, there are four sticks. One stick is representing the jīva soul, another stick is representing body, another stick is mind, and another stick, speech. Kaya mana vākya. So the jīva engages himself with his body, mind, and words for preaching work. Go on. So there is another sect of sannyāsī, Māyāvādī sannyāsī. They take one stick, eka.

Kīrtanānanda: "They misunderstand the purpose of tridaṇḍa, and by such deviation…" (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Śiva Swami? What is that?

Kīrtanānanda: S-i-v-a?

Prabhupāda: Śiva Swami. All right.

Kīrtanānanda: "…accepted ekadaṇḍī sannyāsa order, but His acceptance of tridaṇḍī-sannyāsa is understood. This mantra was first chanted by a learned brāhmaṇa of Avantipur after being too much disturbed with the materialistic way of life. (reads sannyāsa speech-very faint)"

Prabhupāda: The ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī and Māyāvādī sannyāsī, they think that accepting sannyāsa, they become one with Nārāyaṇa or the Supreme Lord. But our process is different. Our process is that we give up everything material and simply engage ourself in Kṛṣṇa's service with body, mind, and speeches, and as I am, soul. This is the difference. So we should not mix up this ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī and tridaṇḍī sannyāsī.

Kīrtanānanda: "They have no inclination to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Being very much disgusted with the materialistic way of life, they do not understand the purpose of the sannyāsa order. But those who are strictly followers of the Vaiṣṇava principles, they do not accept Māyāvādī way of sannyāsa. In the sect of Lord Caitanya…" (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Bas. So you'll get a copy of this. So from this day your only business is to preach and collect alms for Kṛṣṇa. Give me that mango. So I give you first of all. Take this flower. And where is your…? Yes. Give him that flower garland.

Trivikrama: All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Devotee: It's something for Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: All right. Oh. Chant govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. (end)

710726IN.NY

Initiations

New York, July 26, 1971

Aravinda: Yogamāyā dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Yogamāyā. Yogamāyā, the internal energy of Kṛṣṇa. You are the servant of internal energy. Come on. What are the rules and regulations?

Yogamāyā: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: So you agree?

Yogamāyā: (laughs) Yes.

Prabhupāda: All right. Come on. Next. (japa) [break]

Aravinda: Chāyadevī dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Aravinda: Chāyadevī. Chāyadevī.

Prabhupāda: Chāyadevī. Chāyadevī. Chāyadevī means material nature. That is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. Acts according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Come on. You know the rules and regulation? All right.

Aravinda: Kaumadakī.

Prabhupāda: Kaumadakī, born of lotus flower. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Aravinda: Gandharvikā.

Prabhupāda: Gandharvikā. Another name of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Come on. You know the rules and regulation?

Gandharvikā: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: All right. Thank you. Right hand. Right hand you should… Yes.

Aravinda: Charaṇi.

Prabhupāda: Charaṇi devī. Celestial singers. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulations?

Charaṇi: Yes. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. (japa)

Aravinda: Kapindra.

Prabhupāda: Kapindra means Hanumānjī, servant of Lord Rāmacandra. Come on. You know the rules and regulations? That's all right.

Aravinda: Virendra.

Prabhupāda: Virendra. Virendra means Arjuna or Kṛṣṇa. Come on. The supreme hero. Virendra. (japa)

Aravinda: Surendra.

Prabhupāda: Surendra is also Kṛṣṇa's another name. Sura means gods, demigods, and the chief, the chief is Kṛṣṇa. Come on.

Aravinda: Viṣṇugadā.

Prabhupāda: Viṣṇu?

Aravinda: Viṣṇugadā.

Prabhupāda: Viṣṇugadā. You know Viṣṇu has got the club? Śaṅkha cakra gadā padma. Gadā, the club. So you are that. You have to punish all the demons.

Aravinda: Mahendra.

Prabhupāda: Mahendra. Mahā-indra. Mahā-indra is the heavenly king. Yas tu indra-gopa-mahā indra. There are two kinds of indra. One is a small insect which is called indra-gopa, and beginning from this indra up to the mahā-indra, the king of heaven, they are all under the reaction of fruitive activities. Yas tv indra-gopa-mahendra-mahā-sva-karma-phala-bhājanam āta… Everyone is enjoying and suffering the result of his fruitive activities. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs. 5.54]. But those who are in devotional service, they have no reaction of their work because they do not work for themselves. They are for Kṛṣṇa. Therefore there is no reaction. So Mahendra means the greatest king within this universe. So because he is representative of Kṛṣṇa, therefore we accept him as one of the devotees. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (aside:) Don't take this. (end)

710728IN.NY

Initiation Lecture

New York, July 28, 1971

Prabhupāda: …athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo [Bs. 5.34]. The sky is so vast. This is material sky. We cannot even travel all over the sky. The modern scientist says that you go to the end of the sky cover, it will take forty thousands of years by the light year. This sky is only insignificant portion of the whole sky. You have no information of the whole sky. Nobody has information, the unlimited. The balance sky is spiritual sky. So if you have got any plane which is running on the speed of mind and air… You know the speed of mind, it can run millions of miles in a second. So, if you have got any airplane which runs on the speed of mind, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso, either on the plane of air speed or even the mind speed, and you go on with that mind speed, koṭi-śata-vatsara, not only forty thousand years, but millions and hundreds of millions of years, and not forty thousand years, koṭi-śata… Koṭi means ten million. Koṭi, hundred millions koṭi means. One lakh equal to…, ten lakh is equal to one million. Ten millions, koṭi, and multiply by hundreds. For that period, if you go on with the speed of mind, still you'll find, avacintya-tattva, inconceivable. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām. And that plane made of not ordinary man. Muni-puṅga, highest learned, I mean to say, scientist, philosopher. Still avacintya tattva.

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām

so 'py asti yat-prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.34]

Still it will remain avacintya-tattva.

Avacintya means beyond our conception. Even though you are able to go in high speed, and for so many years, still Kṛṣṇa remains avacintya-tattva. Nobody can find out where is Kṛṣṇa's abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana. Therefore, the Māyāvādīs, in desperate frustration, they say that Kṛṣṇa is impersonal, because they want to approach Kṛṣṇa by mundane activities, by mental exercise, mental gymnastic. Kṛṣṇa is not available in that way. Kṛṣṇa is available only to His devotees. Kṛṣṇa is the property of His devotee.

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo

vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām

so 'py asti yat-prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.34]

That's all right. (chants japa with devotees)

Devotee: Rādhā-bhavānī

Prabhupāda: Rādhā-bhavānī, "always thinking of Rādhārāṇī." You know the rules and regulation? The rules and regulations?

Rādhā-bhavānī: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxicants and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. (japa chanting continues)

Devotee: Nimāi-sundara dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Nimāi-sundara. Nimāi-sundara is Lord Caitanya's name. Nimāi-sundara dāsa, you are servitor of Lord Caitanya. (japa continues)

Devotee: Māyāpura-śaśi dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Mahāprabhu?

Devotee: Mahāprabhu-śaśi dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Mahāprabhu Śaśi?

Devotee: Mahapura-śaśi.

Prabhupāda: Māyāpura.

Devotee: Māyāpura-śaśi.

Prabhupāda: Māyāpura-śaśi is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's another name. Śaśi means moon, and Māyāpura is the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulations? The rules and regulations?

Devotee: The rules?

Prabhupāda: Yes (pause). All right. (japa continues)

Devotee: Navadvīpa dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, very good. Navadvīpa is the place of Lord Caitanya, and you are servitor of Lord Caitanya. Come on. (japa continues)

Devotee: Viśvambhara.

Prabhupāda: Viśvambhara. Viśvambhara is another name of Lord Caitanya. Viśvambhara dāsa. Come on. You know the rules and regulations? Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: (offers praṇāma mantras in background)

Devotee: Jagannātha-sūta.

Prabhupāda: Jagannātha-sūta is Caitanya… Prabhu. His father's name is Jagannātha. Sūta means son. Jagannātha son. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's father's name was Jagannātha Miśra. So you know the rules and regulations. What are those?

Jagannātha-sūta: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. (japa)

Devotee: (chants praṇāma mantras)

Prabhupāda: So those who are initiated now, you're path is now open to Kṛṣṇa's abode. Satāṁ prasaṅga: by association of devotees. Satām, satām means devotees. Sat, sat means, that exists eternally, is called sat. Kṛṣṇa is sat, om tat sat. So devotees are also sat. So satāṁ prasaṅga, by association… Prasaṅga means very intimate association. Saṅga means association, and pra means still elevated or intimate association. Kṛṣṇa's words, Kṛṣṇa's teachings, Kṛṣṇa's topics, they become very palatable in the association of devotees. In the association of nondevotees one can not understand Kṛṣṇa, neither it becomes very palatable. Bhagavad-gītā is well known in your country, since a very long time. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā in your country, Indian and foreign editions. Many. But nobody could become a Kṛṣṇa conscious, a Kṛṣṇa's devotee, because they were not discussed amongst the devotees. They took it, Bhagavad-gītā, as table talks or some sort of philosophical… They could not seriously understand Kṛṣṇa, because the writing or discussing or discourses took place amongst the nondevotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. But if you actually (indistinct) Kṛṣṇa, then you have to talk of Kṛṣṇa amongst devotees. We are opening different centers just to give people chance. They may have intimate association with the devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvido. Vīrya-saṁvida. Vīrya means full potency. Mama vīrya-saṁvida bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. Hṛd means heart and karṇa means ear. Rasāyanāḥ means pleasing, very pleasing, tasteful, rasāyanāḥ.

So satāṁ prasaṅgam mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. First of all, in order to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness one has to be engaged about Kṛṣṇa. Just like Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is preaching a philosophy to Arjuna. People try to understand. That is Kṛṣṇa kathā. That Kṛṣṇa kathā becomes effective when they're discussed within the circle of devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido [SB 3.25.25]. Actually it is full of potency. Just contrary to this, there is another injunction by Sanātana Gosvāmī: Avaiṣṇava-mukham gīrṇaṁ puṇyaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam na suryatram. When Kṛṣṇa kathā, Kṛṣṇa topics, is discussed by a person who is not a vaiṣṇava, dedicated life to Kṛṣṇa, that is not to be heard. Avaiṣṇava mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. One fashionable speaker is teaching Bhagavad-gītā. Just like the other day a rascal came. He, he's announcing that he's the authority of Bhagavad-gītā. You know that rascal? Very well. Yes. He wanted to study from Sanskrit from the rascal. You could not understand that I see. So śāstra says, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. One should not hear from. Why? Kṛṣṇa kathā is nice. Why should not be heard from a person who is not a devotee, but he may be scholar? But Sanātana Goswami says, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. Never. So the reason the example here is given, sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Milk, everyone knows milk is very nourishing food, but as soon as it is touched by a serpent it is poison. You can say "Milk is very nice. What is the wrong if it is touched by the serpent?" But Sanātana Goswami warns that it is not to be touched, because it has become now poison. Instead of milk it has become poison. So you should be very careful not to discuss. It is meant for the kaniṣṭha adhikārī, those who are neophytes. They may be affected, but those who are strong enough, advanced, they are not affected. But that is different thing, generally.

So we should not discuss Kṛṣṇa kathā with a person who is a nondevotee. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has also said like that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was enquired by one nice householder devotee, "What is the general behavior of a Vaiṣṇava?" He immediately answered, asat-saṅga-tyāgī vaiṣṇava-ācāra: "One has to give up the association of asat." Sat, I have told you, sat means devotee, and asat means nondevotee. Asat-saṅga… Simply to give up the association of nondevotees. That is vaiṣṇava-ācāra. How a Vaiṣṇava should behave, how he should maintain his standard, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says in one word: asat-saṅga-tyāgī avaiṣṇava-ācāra. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, satāṁ prasaṅga mama vīrya-saṁvido. One can develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness in association with devotee. The same thing Caitanya Mahāprabhu said in a different way, asat-saṅga-tyāgī, not to associate with nondevotees. That is vaiṣṇava-ācāra. So in future we shall be very careful, all the devotees, not to talk with rascals, nondevotees. It will be impure, it will have poisonous effect, and that will kill Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I do not know how this man was allowed to stay here for so many months. Nobody could detect that here is a serpent?

So you should be very careful in future. That is very easy to understand, who is a serpent. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, because one may inquire, "Who is asat? How can I understand?" asat eka strī-saṅgī kṛṣṇābhakta. Asat means who is attached to, very much attached to woman. You see that man, he was posing himself as yogi, and he is living with one woman. It was God's grace that he came with that woman so that he disclosed himself. By Kṛṣṇa's grace. Asat eka strī-saṅgī kṛṣṇābhakta. Strī-saṅgī. One should not be attached to any woman except his wife. Then he becomes asat. Asat eka strī-saṅgī kṛṣṇābhakta. So we should be very careful, asat, who is asat. It doesn't matter if one is very highly educated; still he should not be associated. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has given instruction that vidhayalam krto 'pi san (?) tyaja durjana-saṁsargam. Durjana-saṁsargam, association of rascals, nondevotees; tyaja, give up. "Oh, he is very learned scholar in Sanskrit, but vidhalayaṁ kṛto 'pi san, in spite of his being very learned scholar, you should kick him out." Vidhalayaṁ kṛto 'pi san. How is that? Yes, he is giving example, maṇinā bhūṣitaḥ sarpaḥ kim asau na bhayaṅkaraḥ. A serpent, you know some serpent has got jewels on the head. Does it mean a serpent with jewel on hood is not ferocious because he has got jewel? He's as ferocious as ordinary serpent. That these things we should know. So I do not know how this man was given shelter in our temple. Nobody could understand that "Here is a serpent," and he was accepted as Sanskrit scholar. So you should be very much careful about this thing in future.

Thank you. (break-followed by lecture excerpt)

You are spirit soul. Woods and stone will not give you any pleasure. That is not possible. You are not wood and stone. You are spirit soul. You must have spiritual food. Therefore, in America especially, despite all material opulences, they…, you are becoming confused and frustrated and disappointed. Because wood and stone will not satisfy you. You must have spiritual food. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Thank you everyone. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

710822IN.LON

Initiation Lecture

London, August 22, 1971

Prabhupāda: (chants responsively with devotees:)

oṁ aparitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

The purpose of this mantra, apavitraḥ pavitro vā… Apavitraḥ means contaminated, infected, and pavitra means purified. So the mantras says, "Either one is in contaminated stage or purified stage…" Apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthām. Sarva means all, avastha means circumstances. "In all circumstances, in whatever circumstances one may be, either in contaminated stage or purified stage," yaḥ smaret, "anyone who remembers Puṇḍarīkākṣam…" Puṇḍarīkākṣam means Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Puṇḍarīka-akṣam, lotus-eyed. So Lord Viṣṇu's eyes are just like lotus petals, so He's called puṇḍarīkākṣam. So such person who remembers, chants the name of the lord, puṇḍarīkākṣam, sa bahya… Bahya means external, and internal, abhyantaram, śuciḥ. Śuciḥ means purified. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. So simply by remembering the holy name of the Lord, Viṣṇu, one is purified in any stage of life. That is a fact. It is said, there is a Bengali verse which says, eka kṛṣṇa nāme yata pāpa hare, ai haya tati pāpa karibare nare (?). "By chanting once the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, the sinful man can vanquish so much volumes of sinful activities, reaction, that he's unable to perform." A sinful man is very expert to commit sinful activities, but the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is so strong that he will be unable to commit so much sins as can be extinguished simply by uttering once the name of Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. This is a fact. But unfortunately, we, by chanting, vanquish all kinds of sinful activities. That's all right. But the next moment we again begin. So that is the defect. Just like I have taken some poison. Now you go to a doctor, he gives you medicine. The poisonous effect is finished or gone. You are now free. And just after coming from the doctor's house, again you take poison, and again go to the doctor. The doctor will give you medicine, but what is this business, that you go to the doctor and counteract the poisonous effect and again come back and again take poison? What is this business? Is it very intelligent business? If you want to take poison, then take poison and die. Why you go to the physician and counteract it and again take poison? You see?

So there are certain systems that… Just like in Christian religion, they go weekly to the church and confess their sinful activities, and it is counteracted. That's all right. God can counteract anything, or God's representative can do that. But again just coming from the church again I begin the same thing? It is the gravest type of sinful act. That is the Vedic injunction. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Anyone who commits sin on the strength of chanting the holy name of Viṣṇu, oh, his sinful activities cannot be vanquished even by so much attempt performing sacrifices or penances. No it is not possible. He's condemned. Just like you have committed some criminal act, and you are presented in the court, and you say, "My lord, I did not know this act. I have committed this. I may be excused. I'll not do this." Then you are excused, there is a… "That's all right." But if you are excused and again come back and again do the same sinful activities, criminal activities, and if you are again arrested, then you'll be very, very severely punished. It is a common sense. How people think that "Because I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or I take the holy name of God or I go to church, therefore I can commit so much sins, never mind. It will be counteracted next week or next moment when I shall chant." This is one of the gravest offense in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. You should always remember. By this initiation, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, your sinful activities will be counteracted, undoubtedly. But don't commit again. Then it will be the gravest offense. There are ten kinds of offenses. You should be careful. You have got those printed papers? Ten kinds of offenses? Yes, you take. This is a fact. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. As soon as you chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, you become relieved from all reaction of sinful activities.

Every one of us, anyone who has come to this material world, beginning from Lord Brahmā, what to speak of ourselves, down to the small ant, everyone is, to some extent we have committed sinful activities; therefore we are in this material world. This is a fact. Now, in this materialist world there are different stages, different species of life. That you know, that there are 8,400,000 species of life, and we are passing through all the species of life. And according to our sinful position we are placed in different kinds of places also in God's creation. There are different kinds of places also. So this is going on. We are traveling, wandering throughout the universe, through many species of life and in many planets. This is going on. So Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. In this way, the living entities while wandering throughout the whole universe… Sometimes in nice place, nice life, nice society… There is no nice place, but we accept, "This is good, this is bad." That is our mental concoction. Actually, in the material world there is no happiness, there is no nice place, because wherever you go… As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even if you go to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, then there also punar āvartinaḥ, means the four principles of material existence, namely birth, death, old age, and disease, they will accompany you. Wherever you go. You may have a long duration of life, but you have to meet death. That is compulsory. And as soon as you meet death, you have to enter into the womb of a certain type of mother and develop another body and come out again and begin another life. This is going on. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ā-bhrama-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even if you go to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, within this material world, that process will go on, repetition of birth, death, old age, and disease. Because this material body, wherever you get it, either you are American or Englishman or Indian or moon planet or sun planet or Brahmā planet, Brahmaloka planet, anywhere you go, you'll get a certain type of body, but that material body is subjected to these four principles: birth, death, disease, and old age.

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Thirteenth Chapter, that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. This prescription is given for the man who is cultivating knowledge. For fools, everything is all right. That is a different thing. For a child, if you give the child a little poison, oh, it will eat, because it does not know. Whatever he gets. If you'll give fire, oh, it will try to eat it. So… But those who are in knowledge, cultivating knowledge, for them there are twenty items in the Bhagavad-gītā. Amānitvam adambhitvam ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam ācāryopāsanam. [Bg. 13.8] Ācāryopāsanam, accepting spiritual master, this is also one of the items, twenty items, for advancing in knowledge. So this initiation process is ācāryopāsanam, beginning of worshiping the spiritual master. So in that, I mean to say, list of how to progress in knowledge, so these four principles, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam… One should always put in his front that "However expert I may be, I'll have to meet death, I'll have to take birth, I'll have to become old man, and I'll have to suffer the pangs of diseases." Then what is advancement? Either you become very rich man or become a Brahmā or become a small ant, you have to die. Just like when Hiraṇyakaśipu worshiped Lord Brahmā and asked him the benediction that "Sir, make me immortal." And Brahmā said, "I, myself, is not immortal. How can I make you immortal?" So immortality is not possible. Then how it is possible? We want immortality. Now we are sitting here. If there is some siren, then immediately on the roof of this house, atom bomb will be dropped. Then immediately we shall flee away from this place. Why? Because we are not prepared to meet death. We do not wish to die. That's a fact. But death is forced. This is knowledge, that "I do not wish to die. Why death is forced upon me? Or if there is any means to avoid death?" The śāstra says, "Yes, there is." Bhagavad-gītā says, Kṛṣṇa says that… Kṛṣṇa says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6], that if you… Mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. "If you come to my planet, dhāma," dhāma means planet, place, "then you'll never come back to take birth again in this material world."

So any intelligent man, if he's actually has got sense, he should try for this. And especially in this human form of life, it is possible to achieve this benediction, that I can become immortal, I can become blissful, I can become full of knowledge-sac-cid-ānanda. Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], and if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then ultimately you also become exactly like Him, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Vigraha means form, body, and sat means eternal, and cit means knowledge. Sat, cit, ānanda. Ānanda means blissfulness. So this body, however you may be… You may be American, you may be Englishman, you may be very rich man, you may be very poor man, you may be white man, you may be black man, whatever you may be, but this body is not sac-cid-ānanda. It is not eternal; it will end. It is full of ignorance. We do not know what will happen if I go just out of this door. Full of ignorance. We do not know what is happening beyond this wall. So… And always full of anxieties. Where is ānanda? There is no ānanda. So this body is not sac-cid-ānanda vigraha. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious and act accordingly, then you will, at the end, you'll get sac-cid-ānanda form. Your form is sac-cid-ānanda because you are part and parcel of sac-cid-ānanda, Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta [Bg. 15.7]. "All living entities are My parts and parcels," Kṛṣṇa says. And another place He says,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ

tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

He's the father of everyone.

So just like here also, the father is diseased, the son gets the body diseased, infects. If the father is healthy, the son is also healthy, child is also healthy. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda vigraha, if Kṛṣṇa is the original father, then we are also sac-cid-ānanda vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. But at the present moment, what is our condition? Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg. 15.7]. Now because we have got this material body, we have come in contact of this external energy, material energy, we have got this material body; therefore we are engaged in struggle for existence with mind and the material senses. That is our position. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi-prakṛti-sthāni. Prakṛti-sthāni means material. Karṣati, hard struggle. So this is our position. And if you want to get out of it… If you are foolish, that "Whatever it is, that's… Let it… Let us enjoy now. Don't talk talk of all these…," oh, that is another thing. But those who are sensible, those who are actually after knowledge, those who actually want a solution of this material miserable condition of life, they must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only remedy. Kṛṣṇa nāma kara āra saba miche (?). Simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All other things are simply illusion, false. Palaibe phat yei jo mache piche (?). You cannot escape. The death is awaiting always. You are given a chance. If you don't take, properly utilize use this chance, then another death is coming, and you are awaiting another type of body according to your karma. We are manufacturing our next body. This is our position. So this initiation means to enter into transcendental life. Why? Now, to make a solution, complete solution of this material existence. This is called illusion. Ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma-prcchāt sādhu-mārganugamanam. You will read all these things in our book, the Nectar of Devotion, and Bhagavad-gītā also. You should read all these books and appear in the next year examination. Just like this year, so many boys have appeared. They're going to get the title Bhakti-śāstri. So utilize you life. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not for a particular place. Kṛṣṇa is not Indian. Kṛṣṇa says, "Everyone, in all special of life, are My sons." He's claiming to be the father of everyone. You don't reject Him, that "Kṛṣṇa is Indian," "Kṛṣṇa is Hindu," "Kṛṣṇa is something." No. He's for everyone. So if Kṛṣṇa says, "I am everyone's father," why should you reject Him? That is intelligence. That is intelligence. Father claiming, "You are my son," and if the son says, "No, you are not my father," then what can be done? That is another thing.

So this initiation means beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are already associating with our society. You have already learned some of the elementary knowledge, and you should be careful about the four principles of prohibition. What are those? You tell me what are our prohibitions? Huh?

Devotee: No meat, no eggs, no intoxicants…

Prabhupāda: Tell me loudly so that others hear.

Devotee: No meat…

Prabhupāda: No meat-eating. No, no, no meat, no meat-eating.

Devotee: No meat-eating.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: No eating of eggs…

Prabhupāda: Meat is there. You cannot say, "No meat." (laughter) But no meat-eating. Yes.

Devotee: No intoxicants, and no smoking.

Prabhupāda: No intoxicant means including smoking. Smoking is also an intoxicant. Tea-drinking is also intoxication. Coffee-drinking is also intoxication. So in order to come, the position of… And…

Devotee: No illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: No meat-eating, no eggs, no fish, no chicken, nothing of the sort. Simply vegetarian. Kṛṣṇa… Not even vegetarian; Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. We don't accept even vegetarian diet. We simply accept Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. So Kṛṣṇa-prasādam which is vegetable. Kṛṣṇa does not eat meat because He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Kṛṣṇa says that "Foodstuff prepared from vegetable kingdom, anyone offering Me with devotion and faith, I eat." He says, "I eat." So when Kṛṣṇa says He eats, so you should offer Him such nice prasādam so that He can eat and you take Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate. So you take Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. And what is the other?

Devotee: No illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: No illicit sex. You cannot have illicit sex life. Here I have gotten married all these boys and girls. I don't allow to live as boyfriend, girlfriend. No. (laughter) That is not allowed(?) in our society. All these married girls and boys, they have been married by me. Perhaps that is the first instance that a sannyāsī is creating householders. (laughter) Sannyāsī creates sannyāsī. People are afraid of mixing with sannyāsī because they think that "A sannyāsī will make me a sannyāsī." But actually, that fear is not here. Here is a sannyāsī who is creating gṛhasthas.

Indian guest: Swamijī, (Hindi or Bengali)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi or Bengali) brahmacārī. (Hindi or Bengali) illicit sex. Illicit sex, (Hindi or Bengali)… one should not have more than one woman or one man. That is nice. And therefore in the human society there is marriage. Not in the animal society. Married means that one should be satisfied with one woman and one man. That's all. And there is no question of divorce. Divorce is introduced by the modern rascals, but it is not sanctioned by any religious person. You see? So we are observing these rules: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. So all my students, they strictly follow these rules, and therefore they're advancing so quickly. Yes. You see the advancement so quickly because they follow my instruction. They follow very obedient, and they have therefore, by grace of Kṛṣṇa… Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau [ŚU 6.23]. It is the statement of the Upaniṣad. "Anyone who has got unflinching faith in God and spiritual master…" Yasya deve parā bhaktir. Deve means God. Parā bhaktir, unflinching faith. Tathā gurau, and similarly, in guru. Tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ. To him all this Vedic knowledge becomes revealed automatically. So my students, all… Not only here in England, in London, in all places, if you go, if you travel, if you go to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, and many other places-I've got twenty branches-in Japan, and Honolulu, so they are strictly following, and they are making wonderful stride. Now here, I came here for the first time. Before me I sent my six students, married students. They were only with me utmost for one year. I sent them, "You go to London and try." And they tried their best. So they have created some impression amongst the Londoners, which… One of my Godbrother came forty years ago. He could not do. He was a sannyāsī. But how these boys and girls have done? Because they are so sincere. Yes. The sincerity… In spiritual life, sincerity is the first qualification. Ārjavam. Ārjavaṁ saralaksa (?). Ārjavam. Satyaṁ śaucam ārjavam. These are the brahminical qualifications. One should be very sincere. Duplicity may be very good qualification for this material world, but duplicity in spiritual life is no qualification. So these boys, although they are very young-they're not even thirty; within twenty-five, twenty-six years, all the boys and girls-but they have made some impressions. Many Indians, they have openly admitted, "Swamijī, you have made wonderful. These boys and girls are very nice." So that is my pride, that these boys and girls following my instruction, and… I am not giving you, them any money or any bribe. No. (laughter) They are simply sincerely following my instruction. I am a mendicant. I have no money, I'm a beggar. But Kṛṣṇa is helping them. So you follow these principles. Then surely, success will be there.

Rūpa Gosvāmī has said that how one can make success in devotional life. So,

utsāhān dhairyāt niścayād

tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt

sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge

ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati

These six principles, one must be very much enthusiastic: "Yes, in this life I shall complete my Kṛṣṇa consciousness business. I'll not wait for the next life. This life I shall finish." This is called utsāhān. And dhairya. Dhairya means patience. Not that "Sometimes I do not find that I'm making much improvement." But still, you should have patience. And niścayāt, with confidence. "Because we are following the standard rules and regulation, success is sure." That confidence must be there. Just like two plus two equal to four. That is a fact. Similarly, if you follow the principles as laid down in the śāstras, then success is sure. But if you don't follow, Kṛṣṇa says, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, na siddhiṁ savāpnoti [Bg. 16.23]. Anyone who does not follow rigid principle, then he cannot have success.

So our principle is very simple. We avoid these four principles of restrictions and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, sixteen rounds, and take Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Very happy life. So there is no difficulty, but if we simply follow the rules and regulation with faith and confidence… Utsāhān dhairyāt niścayād tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. Tat-tat-karma means you have to follow the prescribed rules and regulation. Tat-tat-karma-pravar… Sato vṛtteḥ, and you must be honest, not dishonest. You accept before the spiritual master that "I shall do it," and if you do not do it, that's not good. You must do it. So sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge, and the association of devotees. Asādhu-sange, those who are not devotees, if you mix with them, then whatever you learned, you'll forget. Their influence is so bad. Because we are not very strong; therefore there is every possibility that whatever we learn in bad association we may forget. Sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge ṣaḍbhiḥ. Ṣaḍbhiḥ, by following these six principles, bhaktiḥ prasidhyati, your devotional life will be developed, you'll be enlightened.

utsāhān dhairyāt niścayād

tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt

sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge

ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati

So you follow, success is sure. And cooperate with your Godbrothers, learn how to act, and your life will be successful. Now chant. (devotees offer obeisances) (end)

710907IN.LON

Initiation Lecture Excerpt

London, September 7, 1971

Prabhupāda: So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement… They are trying to go to the nature. Just like there is a propaganda, nature means to become animal. They live like animals, naked. They have sex life on the street. They say it is freedom. But the rascals do not know there is no freedom at all. Where is freedom? So long you are under the grip of material nature, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9], where is freedom? By nature does not mean that you have got freedom. There is no freedom. We are all conditioned. Simply falsely we are thinking of freedom. It requires little brain. Where is freedom? Nobody wants to die, and where is the freedom not to die? Who has got the freedom? Nobody wants to become old, and where is the freedom? Everyone becomes old. But I have got the desire. Even old man, old woman tries to remain young by cosmetic help, to be good looking, and where is the freedom? By nature he is becoming bad looking. So there is no freedom. It is false idea, freedom. Nobody wants to die; death is sure. (aside:) He's sleeping. Nobody wants to become old; he's becoming old. Nobody wants to take birth… Of course, that is very higher stage. Jñānī, they want mukti; that is also not possible. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]? To stop death, to stop birth, is not possible unless one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unless one (sic) does not come to the position of loving Kṛṣṇa, there's no question of freedom. That is the nature's law. We have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, we have habituated, we have developed a consciousness to love dog. Just like in your country they say, "Dog is the best friend." So instead of loving God, they have learned to love dog. But nature ways is that you have to forget loving dog, you have to come to the position to love God. That is nature's way. Therefore there is no freedom. There is no freedom. Just like a citizen becomes criminal. The criminal department, the prison, just to correct him: "Unless you become a good citizen, you'll have to be punished in this prison house." Similarly, our real position is to love God, to love Kṛṣṇa. Unless we are on that platform of loving God, the nature will give us trouble. There is no freedom. We should try to understand it. There's no question of freedom.

So the time is up? No. [break] By initiated process one is elevated to the highest position in this material world. Brāhmaṇas' position, in this material world, is the highest position. So this is a training to come to the brahminical stage. Then one has to surpass that brahminical stage also. That is called pure goodness. Brāhmaṇa is goodness, but there is chance of being contaminated with passion and ignorance, because it is material world. But when (one) surpasses that brahminical stage and becomes pure Vaiṣṇava, then Kṛṣṇa becomes revealed to him. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Vasudeva. Pure stage of life is called vāsudeva stage. Just like Vasudeva was father of Kṛṣṇa. That means when one is situated in the Vāsudeva stage, śuddha-sattva, pure goodness, Kṛṣṇa is born. Kṛṣṇa born means Kṛṣṇa becomes visible, revealed. So this initiation process is gradually to raise a devotee to that platform. Go on. [break] There is a list of lowborn human beings. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ [SB 2.4.18]. So many. So even they are born in low-graded family, still, they can be elevated to the highest position by purificatory process. The example is given by Sanātana Gosvāmī: just like bell metal, if one can mix with it mercury, it becomes gold. Anyone can try it. Bell metal. Bell metal means mixture of copper and tin. That makes bell metal. Eighty percent copper, eighty percent tin. And along with it, if some suitable percentage of mercury is mixed, it becomes immediately gold. This chemical suggestion is there in the Vedic śāstras. So it is clear that they were quite aware of all these chemical method. So the example is given, as the base metal or bell metal can be transferred into gold by mixture of mercury under certain process, yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ… Rasa, rasa means mercury. Tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena. Similarly, any lowborn, it doesn't matter what he is, if proper initiation is conducted, then tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām, he becomes a brāhmaṇa. He becomes a brāhmaṇa. Dvijatvam. Dvija means twice-born. Any man. In India there are many rascals who think that without being born in a brāhmaṇa family nobody can become brāhmaṇa. That is not the verdict of śāstra. Here is a verse in the Bhāgavata, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca papa [SB 2.4.18]. Not only all these mentioned, kirāta-hūṇāndhra… Hūṇa. Hūṇa class is found still on the northern side of Russia and Germany. When I went to Moscow I have seen, they're so much addicted to meat-eating. They're simply eating meat. In Russia also. They do not eat much fruits or vegetables, or not available. So these… Low class means the more they are addicted to meat-eating. Just like animals. They may be very strong. A tiger is also strong, but what is the use of it? Nobody cares for the tiger. Although tiger is very strong, one is afraid of it, but if you become a tiger what is the use of it? So this material civilization, they are trying to make this body tigerlike strong. They do not know that what is the usefulness of tiger. No use for… At least, for human society they are simply meant for being killed, shooting. So this demonic civilization is simply meant for being shooted by the laws of nature. Therefore you'll find revolution, war, in the western part of the world. They are being shooted by the laws of nature. They are thinking, "If we become tigerlike, our life is successful." But they do not know that if you become tigerlike, demon, you are just become suitable for being shooted. That's all. (laughter) They do not know this.

So it is not the aim of human life, to become a tiger. It is, the aim of human life is to become a devotee of Viṣṇu, Vaiṣṇava. That is perfection of life. So we are, this movement, we are giving the highest benediction to the human society. They are becoming Vaiṣṇava. There is great necessity of Vaiṣṇava at the present moment because everyone has become śūdras. Kalau śūdra sambhava. And because it is, everywhere the śūdras are there, how there can be peace? They do not know. They have no brain how to make the society peaceful and prosperous. They are śūdras. They have no intelligence. There is necessity of creating brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇava. This movement is meant for that purpose. So be careful. Don't be turned again to śūdra and mlecchas. Go on making progress to become pure Vaiṣṇava. Then your life is successful and you'll give the best service to the human society. (aside:) You can… But what can be done? Still you have to remain a Vaiṣṇava. And perhaps you know it, the tigers cannot eat daily. Tiger life means almost starvation. You'll find, if you have ever seen a real photograph in forest of a tiger, the belly is… There is no food. They cannot get food. Because they are ferocious, by nature's law, it is not allowed by the…, he'll take food every day. No. After fifteen days, one month, gets a prey and eats the blood. They cannot eat. So tiger life is not very comfortable life. (laughter) You'll have to starve. And if you become Vaiṣṇava, three times you get nice prasādam. (laughter) This is practical. You see. (laughter) You see. All these tigers, they are eating in the restaurant. What they are eating? Nonsense. And come here and see what we are eating. Practical. There is no theoretical. Practical, see. And we have no practically doctor's bill. All these tigers, they have to to pay half the income to the doctors in medicine. So many tablets advertised, in your country especially. For this disease, one tablet, for that disease, one tablet. Dozens of tablet he has to take daily. And at the night also, sleeping tablet. (laughter) But our devotees, they get good opportunity, sleeping very nicely without any tablet. Go on. [break] The centers, they should learn how to conduct this priestly work. You have practically seen, and gradually, you should take charge of everything. All right. (end)

720402IN.SYD

Initiations

Sydney, April 2, 1972

Prabhupāda: So being afraid, he wanted to be saved by his youngest son. Naturally we, anyone we love… But because the youngest son had the name Nārāyaṇa, the original Nārāyaṇa took notice of him, and he was saved, and he was immediately taken to the kingdom of God because he chanted the name of Nārāyaṇa. So those who are always chanting the holy name of God, they are in safety position. Safety position means next life, he is going back to home, back to Godhead. So this is an example that such a sinful man, if simply by chanting once at the time of his death-that was also desiring his youngest son-he could get so much benefit, those who are chanting always the holy name of God, they should be always in safe condition. Māyā, or the material contamination, cannot touch him. But one thing, those who are being initiated, they are being freed from the resultant action of past sinful life. But they should be careful not to commit again sinful activities. Then they are safe. That's all.

Next man.

Śyāmasundara: Yajñeśvara dāsa. Yajñe, Yajñe.

Prabhupāda: Yajñeśvara.

Devotee: Yogeśvara.

Śyāmasundara: Not Yogeśvara. Yajñeśvara.

Prabhupāda: It is not required.

Śyāmasundara: That's all right.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Take it. You know all the rules and regulations, regulative principles?

Yajñeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Yajñeśvara dāsa. Yajñeśvara means… This is yajña, so sacrifice, sacrificing or satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So yajña means sacrifice, and one who enjoys the resultant action of sacrifice… All our sacrifices should go to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His name is Yajñeśvara. [break] Whatever we shall do, as it is prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā, yajñārthe karma anyatra lokaḥ ayam… [break] …you do, act only for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then you are not entangled in the resultant action. Otherwise you'll be entangled. Entangled means for one resultant action we are now, we have got this body. Again we are going to take another material body. So this is a chain of birth and death. But if you dedicate your life for the satisfaction of the Yajñeśvara, then no more you are going to accept any material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. After quitting this body, he does not accept any more material body. The spiritual body is already there within this material body. So those who are engaged in Yajñeśvara's service, they are giving up this material body and developing a spiritual body. The example can be given: just like an iron rod. It, put into the fire, it become warm, then warmer, warmer, and at last, it becomes red hot. When the iron rod is red hot, it is no longer iron rod; it is fire. Similarly, if you practice this spiritual way of life, the same way, gradually you will become completely spiritualized. Completely spiritualized means that no more material activities. That is possible. If we follow the process, we can turn our life from material contamination to pure spiritual life. And that will help us going back to home, back to Godhead. That's all.

Śyāmasundara: Pārtha dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Pārtha. Come on. (devotee offers obeisances) So you know the rules and regulations? All right. Pārtha dāsa. Pārtha means Arjuna. Arjuna's mother's name was Pṛthā; therefore Arjuna is addressed sometimes as Pārtha. Pārtha means "son of Kuntī," in relationship with his mother's name. Kuntī was also great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So Pārtha dāsa, you are trying to become, follow the footsteps of Arjuna, how he was a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is the meaning of Pārtha das. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on, next man.

Śyāmasundara: Śyāmānanda dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Hm. So you know the rules and regulations? You have heard already? And how many rounds you shall chant?

Śyāmānanda: Sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Sixteen, at least, yes. So Śyāmānanda. Śyāma means Kṛṣṇa. Śyāmasundaram. So one who takes pleasure in serving Kṛṣṇa, his name is Śyāmānanda. Ānanda means pleasure. We take pleasure in serving so many nonsense things. Sometimes we take pleasure in serving a dog, but the same service attitude, when transferred to Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. Our… Everyone is giving service. Somebody is giving service to a country, to his society, to his wife, the children. And if he has nothing to serve, then he keeps a pet dog and gives it service. So service we must give. That is our constitutional position. But that service is meant for rendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So long we remain forgetful where our service should be given, that is called material life. When we come to that consciousness, that "I have to serve Kṛṣṇa," that is spiritual life. That is difference between material life and spiritual life. We are serving. There is no doubt. We cannot be master. Any one of you who are present in this meeting, none of you can say that "I am the master." Every one of you, servant to somebody. That is our position. But that service is being rendered to mistaken places; therefore we are not happy, neither the person whom we are serving, they are happy. This is the position. But as soon as you serve Kṛṣṇa, Śyāmasundara, then you become happy, the whole world becomes happy. This is a great science. Try to understand. Go on. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: Hari-śauri. Hari-śauri dāsa. Hari-śauri?

Prabhupāda: What is the spelling?

Śyāmasundara: H-a-r-i s-a-u-r-i.

Prabhupāda: Hari-śauri. So you know the principles, regulative principles?

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. How many rounds you will chant?

Hari-śauri: Sixteen rounds a day.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So your name is Hari-śauri. Śauri means learned scholar, and Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. "One who is a learned scholar in the science of Kṛṣṇa." It is a great science. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we don't take it very insignificantly. It is a great science. And Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Anyone who knows this science, he becomes spiritual master. It doesn't matter what he is." He has actually said,

kibā śūdra kibā vipra nyāsī kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

Kibā śūdra. Śūdra is considered to be the lowest in the civilized society, śūdra. No, if not lowest, lower, lower class, worker class, no intelligence. Kibā śūdra kibā… And vipra means brāhmaṇa, the most intelligent class of the human society. So either one is a śūdra-śūdra means born in a śūdra family-or vipra, similarly born in a vipra family… Kibā śūdra kibā vipra nyāsī kene. Nyāsī means sannyāsī. Sannyāsa order is the topmost order in social division. So whatever he may be, the only qualification-if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa-he becomes spiritual master. So śauri, one who is learned, Hari-śauri, one who is learned in the science of Kṛṣṇa. So try to be a learned scholar in Kṛṣṇa science and deliver the whole world. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Next man. Come on. Take your… You are forgetting real thing. Oh, you have got it? Oh, thank you.

Nanda-kumāra: Śrīla Prabhupāda, this dark one is for this boy.

Prabhupāda: Which boy?

Nanda-kumāra: The dark colored beads belong to…

Prabhupāda: This one?

Nanda-kumāra: The bigger one.

Prabhupāda: So what is his name?

Śyāmasundara: Ray? Rājghana dāsa.

Prabhupāda: What is the spelling?

Śyāmasundara: R-a-j-g-h-a-n-a.

Prabhupāda: So you are classified amongst the kings, Rājghana. Yes. So anyone who is a devotee is more than a king. You know what are the regulative principles?

Rājghana: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Take this. You are Rājghana. Next man, come on.

Śyāmasundara: Rājendra dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Which one? Which? So your name is Rājendra. Rājendra is the name of Mahārāja Parīkṣit. He was addressed by Śukadeva Gosvāmī as Rājendra. Śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ.

śrotavyādīni rājendra

nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ

apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ

gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām

[SB 2.1.2]

This king, at the time of his death, he inquired, "Now what shall I hear? My life is only for seven days." He was a very magnanimous emperor of this world. Unfortunately, he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa boy to die within seven days, but he did not take any reaction. He submitted. And at the time of his death, because there were seven days only, so he wanted to do something which may emancipate him. So the Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he arrived in the meeting and he advised him to hear about Kṛṣṇa. In this connection he spoke this verse, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ: [SB 2.1.2] "For ordinary man, there are many, many hundreds and thousands of subject matters for hearing. But this, these engagement are for those who are apaśyatām ātma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2], persons who do not know what is he, what he is, what is self. They have got many things to hear. But one who is interested for self-realization-that is the only business of human life-for him, he should only hear about Kṛṣṇa." Therefore he was addressed as Rājendra. Try to become like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take this. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Next.

Śyāmasundara: Durvāsā Muni dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Acchā. This one? White. So Durvāsā Muni was a great yogi, Durvāsā Muni. And amongst all the yogis, the bhakta-yogī, the devotee, is the greatest. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gata āntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

[Bg. 6.47]

Yogi, there are many yogis. They have got very exalted power, extraordinary power. Just like this Durvāsā Muni. He once traveled all over the space. Not only within this universe-he traveled outside the universe in the spiritual world, and he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. He was such a powerful yogi. And he took only one year to come back again. So still, he was defeated by a devotee. He was very angry. Anyway, he was a great yogi. And anyone, a great personality, we should ask his blessings for making advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's all. Next.

Devotee: (to guests:) We hope that you will all stay for a tremendous twenty-course feast after the ceremony.

So please be patient.

Prabhupāda: No, those who are going, you can give them prasādam. They should not wait.

Devotee: All right. For those of you… Prabhupāda, can we serve out now?

Prabhupāda: Yes. No. Those who are going, they must take. Yes. Next? Who is? Who is next?

Śyāmasundara: Who is next?

Prabhupāda: Come on.

Śyāmasundara: Wally. It's Vyāsadeva dāsa.

Devotees: Oooḥ!

Prabhupāda: Vyāsadeva had also long hairs and beard also. (laughter) But he is without beard.

Śyāmasundara: He is a professor also.

Prabhupāda: Oh. And Vyāsadeva is the greatest professor. He is the authority of Vedic literature. All right, very good name, Vyāsadeva dāsa: to become the servant of the greatest authority of Vedic literature. Thank you. Come on. That… They will be married later on.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. This is Kalki dāsa and Ambikā devī dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Now, with this dress you look so beautiful. This Vedic dress is also nice, very beautiful. It increases the beauty hundred times by this dress. So you know the rules and regulations? This is hers?

Śyāmasundara: Are those your beads?

Prabhupāda: So chant with your husband. That's all. Thank you.

Śyāmasundara: Her name. Her name. Kalki devī dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Ah, Kalki devī. Kalki is the incarnation. The last incarnation of Kṛṣṇa is Kalki. Kalki will come on this planet about 400,000's of years after. But his name and address is also given. (laughter) That is śāstra. Not… It is no laugh. Don't laugh. That is śāstra, that they can speak of future which will happen hundreds and millions of years after. That is mentioned, "This Kalki avatāra incarnation will come. He will appear in a place whose name is Sambhalapur." That is still in India. "And his father's name will be Viṣṇu-joshi." His father's name and his place of birth is mentioned in the śāstra. So Kalki is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, and that means you are servant of, maidservant of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Next. Come on.

Śyāmasundara: This is Ambikā devī dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Which one. Huh? This one?

Śyāmasundara: No. This is for a boy named Dave.

Prabhupāda: So Ambikā is the name of, another name of goddess Durgā, the material nature. So material nature is also another energy of Kṛṣṇa, God. So to become her maidservant means she will help you to approach Kṛṣṇa. Thank you.

Nanda-kumāra: Śrīla Prabhupāda? There was one too few sets of beads, so tonight you can chant on one new set and give to this girl. These belong to one boy.

Prabhupāda: All right. What is the name? What is her name?

Śyāmasundara: Lakṣmaṇā devī dāsī. Lakṣmaṇā.

Prabhupāda: Lakṣmaṇā. Sulakṣmaṇā. Lakṣmaṇā. Lakṣmaṇā was the daughter of Duryodhana. She was married with Kṛṣṇa's son, and there was some misunderstanding. The kṣatriya families, whenever there was marriage, there was fight also. That means they exhibited the valor of kṣatriyas. So Lakṣmaṇā became the daughter-in-law of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You can take it.

Śyāmasundara: Dvaipāyana?

Prabhupāda: So Dvaipāyana is another name of Vyāsadeva. You know the rules and regulations? All right. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So now you can get these married.

Nanda-kumāra: There is one more boy.

Śyāmasundara: Sahadeva. Sahadeva dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Sahadeva dāsa. That is his beads? Oh, all right, you can give it, then again chanting. So you know the rules and regulations?

Sahadeva: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Sahadeva, the youngest brother of Arjuna. That's all. Our names are so many, but the real name is dāsa, dāsa, "servant." Our position is servant of the servant. We don't want to become master of the master. Our position is servant of the servant. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. The more we become servant of the servant, the more we become advanced. It is very difficult to understand from material stand of… Here everyone wants to become master of the master. And the spiritual world, they want to become servant of the servant. That is a bigger position. So as we make advance in spiritual life, we understand this. So, that's all right. No. No. You perform the marriage, that change, and get them promise. Yes. Yes, take it.

So general instruction is that this marriage is being taken place in front of Kṛṣṇa, His devotees. There is no written agreement, but this promise is agreement, that none of you who are going to be married, there is no question of separation. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness marriage does not mean sense gratification. No. The marriage is for producing nice children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children. Because at the present moment the population is not being produced very nicely; therefore there is disturbance of peace all over the world. But if there are Kṛṣṇa conscious children, they'll grow up and they will possess all good qualities. So peace automatically will come if people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, because they become highly qualified, without committing any sinful activities. If such population is there in the world, there is no question of disturbance. Everyone will be peace, peaceful and happy. So our marriage, Kṛṣṇa consciousness institution encouraging marriage, on this ground: not to produce cats and dogs, but to produce highly qualified devotees. So you should always remember that. And there is no… Once married, there is no question of divorce or separation. That you should remember. We don't allow any divorce and separation. The husband and wife, there may be sometimes disagreement, but according to Vedic literature, when there is fight or disagreement between husband and wife, it should be neglected. Nobody take it seriously. The Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says,

aja-yuddhe muni-śrāddhe prabhate megha-ḍumbare

dampatiḥ kalahe caiva bāmbhārambhe laghu-kriyā

Aja-yuddhe: "Fighting of the goats, and a śraddhā ceremony performed by the sages in the forest, and sounding in the sky, vibration of cloud, rumbling of the cloud early in the morning, and similarly, fight between husband and wife-don't take it seriously." You have got experience that rumbling early in the morning-never there is heavy shower of rain. There may be very great rumbling, but the result is very small, maybe some drizzling. Similarly, a husband and wife may fight, but if you don't give them any seriousness, they'll mitigate. That is the process. But in the Western countries, in the name of liberty, so many family lives are dismantled simply by this divorce case. So according to Vedic civilization, there is no divorce. Once united, it cannot be disunited in any condition of life. That you should follow. That is our first. So I think you promise this, all of you? Say yes.

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Thank you very much. That's all. Now you change. And you instruct them. First of all… First of all, accept that, that "I take charge of…" Why do you forget? So why don't you do that? I tell you. (yelling) So why don't you do it? Do it.

Devotee: Do you, Raghunātha dāsa, do you take Gaurāṅgī devī to be your bride, to protect her, to help her advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and promise that there shall never be… (end)

720406IN.MEL

Deity Installation and Initiation

Melbourne, April 6, 1972

Prabhupāda: …or one is situated in his external existence, if he happens to remember Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, puṇḍarīkākṣam, sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ, he immediately becomes purified internally and externally. So you are getting initiation in this auspicious day when Lord Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī, His eternal consort, is now being situated, er, established, installed, on this auspicious moment, and you will be initiated to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in the beginning. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. As it is indicated in this verse, one who remembers the Supreme Personality of Godhead always, he remains always purified, śuciḥ. Śuciḥ. Śuci means… Another meaning of śuci is brāhmaṇa, purified. A brāhmaṇa… According to nature's division, there are four classes of men: the brāhmaṇa, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdra. Brāhmaṇa means the intellectual class of men who knows hygienic rules, keeps himself always purified and engaged in studying Vedic literatures for understanding this world, God, himself, the interrelation. They are called brāhmaṇa. And the kṣatriya means those who live their life under the instruction of the brāhmaṇa but they are engaged in administration of the state, they are called kṣatriyas. Then vaiśyas, still less intelligent class. The brāhmaṇa is the first intelligent class of men, the kṣatriyas, the next intelligent class of men, and the vaiśyas, or the mercantile class of men interested in money by trade, commerce, agriculture, industry, they are called vaiśyas. So next, the last class is called śūdra. Śūdra means workers. They haven't got much intelligence, neither they can work as administrator or traders but they work and get some salary. They are called śūdras. So śuci means the first-class intellectual class of men. So anyone who is always chanting the holy name of God and keeps himself purified, he is śuci. Śuci means the first-class purified intelligent class of men. So they are called brāhmaṇas in Sanskrit. So it is not that the brāhmaṇas are to be found in India only. Any intelligent class of men, anyone who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is brāhmaṇa. In this initiation ceremony there will be some persons who will be initiated for chanting the holy name, and some of them will be initiated for the second time. They were initiated before for chanting the holy name; now they will be initiated with a sacred thread. Sacred thread means recognition of complete brahminical culture.

So a brāhmaṇa is, the qualification of brāhmaṇa is,

satya śama dama titikṣa ārjavam

jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam

brahma-karma svabhāva-jam

[Bg. 18.42]

So a brāhmaṇa should be truthful in any circumstances. He will never speak lie. Truthful, satya. Śama. Śama means keeping the mind always in equilibrium. And dama, dama means keeping the senses under control. Śama dama titikṣa. Titikṣa means toleration. There may be so many tribulations, but a brāhmaṇa is supposed to be very, very tolerant. Toleration. The first-class example of toleration in the Western country: Lord Jesus Christ. He was being crucified; still, he did not take any steps. If he wanted, he could take steps, but he was tolerating. So this is the sign of brahminical symptom. Titikṣa ārjava. Ārjava means simplicity. A brāhmaṇa is not supposed to be crooked and duplicity. No. Simple. It is said even the enemy wants to know something from him, he will clearly say, "It is this." That is called simplicity. Then jñānam. Jñānam means knowledge, full knowledge. And vijñānam means scientific knowledge, practical application in life. That is called vijñānam. Āstikyam. Āstikyam means to have full faith in Vedic literature. That is called āstikyam. These are the signs of brāhmaṇa. So those who are going to be initiated with the sacred thread, they must always remember to follow all these rules and regulations. We should always remember that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for purifying the human society. Unless the human society is purified, there will be so many problems and disturbances in the human society. At least a certain percentage of the human society must be brāhmaṇa; otherwise the society cannot make any progress in spiritual life. And if we cannot make progress in spiritual life, then our human life is frustrated. After 8,400,000 species of life, evolution, one gets this human form of life. And if he does not properly utilize it, then he is committing suicide.

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the greatest welfare activity for the human society because this movement is educating everyone how to fulfill the aim of life. The purport of the verse:

apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now give them beads. (chants japa) These flowers, these flowers you can lay down. Flowers, flowers, yes. Flower, flower, here flower. Yes. This is not for Deity? This is not for the Deity? No, you can lay down, lay down on the floor, on the… Yes.

Devotee (1): They were for the wedding.

Prabhupāda: Wedding? There is wedding also? All right. Keep it.

Devotee (2): I have some flowers for the… (Prabhupāda chants japa)

Prabhupāda: So you know the rules and regulations? What is that?

Devotee (3): Four rules.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Yes.

Devotee (3): No meat-eating…

Prabhupāda: Speak loudly.

Devotee (3): No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling…

Prabhupāda: No intoxication.

Devotee (3): …and no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Including tea, coffee, cigarettes, everything. No more. Is that all right? And how many rounds you will chant? At least sixteen rounds. You'll begin from here, come here. Don't cross. Again begin from here. In this way, sixteen rounds at least. So what is the name? Oh, list.

Śyāmasundara: Dhaumya dāsa.

Prabhupāda: What is his original name?

Śyāmasundara: Doug.

Prabhupāda: Dhaumya. Your name is Dhaumya dāsa, Dhaumya dāsa, one of the commander in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, Dhaumya. (laughter) Don't laugh. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now bow down here. (chants japa) Chant. You'll get bead, bead bag. Keep it in that. Yes. (chants japa) You know what are the rules? What are the four rules?

Devotee (4): No intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling, and no illicit sex life.

Prabhupāda: So how many rounds you will chant?

Devotee (4): At least sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Yes. What is the name?

Śyāmasundara: Jayadharma dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Your name is Jayadharma dāsa. Yes. He is one of the ācāryas in the Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya. Bow down and take. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Go on chanting. Go on chanting like this. (japa) You know the rules? Yes.

Cheryl: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling, and no illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: And how many rounds you will chant?

Cheryl: Sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Minimum, yes. What is your name?

Cheryl: Cheryl.

Śyāmasundara: Satyavatī.

Prabhupāda: Satyavatī dāsī. Satyavatī dāsī was one of the queens of Kṛṣṇa. Bow down. (japa) What it is you have got? Do you know rules?

Girl Devotee (5): No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxicants.

Prabhupāda: What is your name?

Girl Devotee (5): Leone (?).

Śyāmasundara: Mekhalā dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Mekhalā dāsī, belt of the universe. Mekhalā. (japa) Mix it nicely and distribute. (japa) You wait. Stop(?) I have sent this.(?) You have not signed? If it is difficult, there is no…(?) Yes. All right. What is your name? You know the rules?

Girl Devotee (6): No meat-eating, no illicit sex, intoxication, and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Devadarśana dāsī, "who can see all the demigods." Right hand. (japa) Give them garland. After initiation they'll exchange it. Give them. Give them on the… Yes. On their neck. You can sit down here. Where is that red powder? Get some. You sit there. He sits here. After changing garlands they will change place and the bride will give the powder and cover her head. No, the bride, bridegroom, yes. Come on. Come on. What is the name?

Śyāmasundara: Sanaka dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Sanaka dāsa. Know rules and regulations? What is that?

Sanaka: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling and no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: That's good. And how many rounds?

Sanaka: Minimum of sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Yes, minimum. Now get them promised. You sit down here and ask him to… "I, such and such…"

Śyāmasundara: Henceforward from this day…

Prabhupāda: Let him promise. You promise, "I…"

Śyāmasundara: You, Sanaka dāsa…

Prabhupāda: Say, "I, Sanaka dāsa…"

Sanaka: I, Sanaka dāsa…

Prabhupāda: "…take charge of you…"

Śyāmasundara: "…take charge of you…" (girl laughs)

Prabhupāda: Why you are laughing? It is laughing thing? I told you first. Don't take anything very lenient. Very serious.

Śyāmasundara: "I, Sanaka dāsa, (Sanaka dāsa repeating) do hereby promise from this day henceforward to always protect and take for my wife Devadarśana dāsī."

Prabhupāda: Yes. And you say that "I shall serve you…"

Śyāmasundara: Now, "I, Devadarśana dāsī, (Devadarśana repeating) do from this day henceforward, I do promise to always serve and obey my husband, Sanaka dāsa."

Prabhupāda: Now change the garland. Now give her the vermillion, red powder. Cover her head.

Śyāmasundara: Cover her head with the sari.

Prabhupāda: Do like that. Now you come this side.

Śyāmasundara: Now you change places.

Prabhupāda: So you have agreed that there is no question of divorce in your life? In any circumstances you cannot separate. Is that all right? You also agree? You cannot separate. There is no question of divorce. Even if you fight, you can remain in one temple, he can remain, but there is no question of divorce. So take in mind. That's all. Now have this…

Śyāmasundara: Er, the Hanumān sannyāsa…

Prabhupāda: After this yajña. After this.

Śyāmasundara: They have a gift for you. Shall I give it now?

Prabhupāda: Yes. All right. Bow down. Now begin the fire. Give help. Ignite the fire. Come on. First of all… First of all… Burn, fire… Very fine. Oh, this is not. Very fine one put in the beginning. Yes, like that. (japa) Have you got little straw?

Devotee (7): Straw?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that will help. Oh, you do not know. You never done it.

Devotee (7): Yes.

Prabhupāda: How is that, it is…? Do. Do. Do. Yes. Let him. Let him do one more. Now you can put it. Simply… That's all right. Don't… Yes. Go on. Yes, like that. There is no need of… Do that. Yes. Yes, like that. Go on. You know the mantras? Then you can do. Go on putting fuel in. Yes. Yes. Like that.

Devotee (7): Should I begin to chant…

Prabhupāda: Yes. [Devotee (7) chants standard prayers for fire sacrifice with devotees and Śrīla Prabhupāda repeating and Śrīla Prabhupāda giving instructions on pouring the ghee]

Prabhupāda: Now stand with banana, all. Take the banana and stand up. You also take.

namo brahmaṇya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo namaḥ

(repeats mantra twice more)

Svāhā. Now put. Put those banana one after another. Put. (end)

720430IN.TOK

Initiations and Lecture

Sannyāsa Initiation of Sudāmā dāsa

Tokyo, April 30, 1972

Prabhupāda: …no intoxication. All right. Your name is Tukarāma dāsa, a great saintly person.

Sudāmā: Tukarāma.

Prabhupāda: Yes. T-u-k-a-r-a-m-a.

Sudāmā: Tukarāma dāsa.

Devotee (1): Take the beads.

Sudāmā: Take in the right hand.

Prabhupāda: Take, the right. (devotee offers obeisances) You know the rules, four prohibitive rules?

Devotee (2): Pardon?

Prabhupāda: Four prohibitive. What is that?

Devotee (2): No intoxication, no gambling, no eating of meat, fish, or eggs, no illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Śyāmasundara: Sañjaya dāsa.

Prabhupāda: So your spiritual name, Sañjaya dāsa. S-a-n-j-a-y-a. Sañjaya. Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee (2): Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Then next, Sudāmā you take, change your cloth.

Śyāmasundara: There is one Gāyatrī. You want to give a Gāyatrī now?

Prabhupāda: I will do there.

Devotee (2): Later.

Prabhupāda: Gāyatrī I shall give there.

Śyāmasundara: He'll give later.

Prabhupāda: Touch there. There on the altar first of all. Take this. This mantra. Etām, sa āsthāya, parātma-niṣṭhām, upāsitām, pūrva, tamaiḥ, mahadbhiḥ, aham, tariṣyāmi, duranta, pāram, tamo, mukundāṅghri, niṣeyevayaiva. (repeats several times word for word with devotees repeating) Now you read the balance. What is it?

Sudāmā: The meaning?

Prabhupāda: Meaning and everything else.

Sudāmā: "Etām-this; sa āsthāya-taking shelter of; parātmā-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; niṣṭhām-firm conviction; upāsitām-worshiped by; pūrvatamaiḥ-by previous ācāryas; mahadbhiḥ-great; aham-myself; tariṣyāmi-shall cross over; duranta-pāram-insurmountable; tamo-the darkness of ignorance; mukundāṅghri-the lotus feet of Mukunda, who gives all liberations; niṣevayaiva-simply by worshiping."

Prabhupāda: Then go on.

Sudāmā: Translation: "I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of darkness of ignorance simply by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Mukunda, who gives all kinds of liberations and was worshiped by many great previous ācāryas."

Prabhupāda: So? Read on.

Sudāmā: Purport. "There are sixty-four kinds of rendering service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of which, to accept the uniform dress of a tridaṇḍī-sannyāsa is also an important item. One who accepts this order of life, surely by rendering service unto the Supreme Lord, becomes eligible to cross over the insurmountable ocean of ignorance. All previous sages used to accept such order of life, and later ācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, adopted this order of life and firm conviction in the matter of devotional service. Those who are unalloyed devotees, they add one more staff along with the original three. This extra one is representation of the living entity. There is another sect who are known as ekadaṇḍī sect. They misunderstand the purpose of tridaṇḍa, and by such deviation, Śrīvāsa Swami sannyāsa, who proclaimed to belong to the Viṣṇu Svāmī sect, turned to be impersonalists and follow the footsteps of Śaṅkarācārya, accepting only the ekadaṇḍa. Instead of naming themselves out of the 108 names of Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs, this Śrīvāsa Swami sect accepts ten names of the sannyāsī, following Śaṅkarācārya. Lord Caitanya, although in terms of the then practice, accepted ekadaṇḍī sannyāsa order, by His acceptance of tridaṇḍi sannyāsa is understood. This mantra was first chanted by a learned brāhmaṇa of Avantipur after being very much disgusted in this materialistic way of life. This happened long, long years ago because it is mentioned in the Bhāgavatam, which was composed by Vyāsadeva at least five thousand years ago. So it is to be concluded, therefore, that this tridaṇḍī sannyāsīn order is coming down since a time long, long years ago. And within five hundred years of time Lord Caitanya adopted this order of life. And in the latest years His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thakur Prabhupāda adopted it personally and made many of his disciples tridaṇḍī sannyāsīs. We are also following his footsteps, and the purport of this mantra is that the ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī is devoid of paramaṁ niṣṭha, which is explained above. In other words, impersonalists cannot have any faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they prefer to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we do not find any mention of ekadaṇḍa sannyāsa. This tridaṇḍa sannyāsa is accepted, therefore, as standard. Lord Caitanya accepts Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the supreme authority. Under the circumstances, persons who accept Lord Caitanya as ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī are mistaken. So following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, still the tridaṇḍī sannyāsīs are in existence, keeping the sacred thread and śikhā intact, distinct from the Māyāvādī ekadaṇḍī sannyāsīs, who give up the sacred thread and śikhā. They have no inclination to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Being very much disgusted by the materialistic way of life, they do not understand the purpose of the sannyāsa order. But those who are strictly followers of the Vaiṣṇava principles, they do not accept the Māyāvādī way of sannyāsa. In the sect of Lord Caitanya, the most venerable learned scholar known as Gadādhara Pandit Gosvāmī accepted this tridaṇḍī sannyāsa order, and he offered this facility to his disciple known as Śrī Mādhava Upadhyaya. This Mādhava Ācārya is the origin of the Vallabhācārya sect. One of the six Gosvāmīs, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who is the authority of Vaiṣṇava regulations, was initiated by another tridaṇḍī sannyāsī known as Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. Therefore this sannyāsī order is completely in pursuance of Vaiṣṇava authority. Klīṁ gopījana-bhāvāśrayāya namaḥ."

Prabhupāda: This is the extra mantra for you. Klīṁ gopījana-vallabhāya svāhā. Hm? No. Klīṁ gopījana-bhāvāśrayāya namaḥ.

Sudāmā: Klīṁ gopījana-bhāvāśrayāya namaḥ.

Prabhupāda: So sannyāsa, sannyāsa, the derivative meaning is sat-nyās. Sat means the Supreme Truth. Oṁ tat sat. Here in this material world everything is relative truth. Nothing is Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Absolute Truth is a person like us, but He is the Supreme Person. That is the Vedic information. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Nitya means eternal. We living entities, we are all eternal. That is very nicely explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. Those who under the impression that after finishing annihilation of this body, everything is finished, they are not in perfect knowledge. The living entity continues to exist either in this body or in another body. Just like very simple example, we can understand. All of us sitting here, we had a small baby body. I existed, you existed, in that baby body, but that body is not now existing, but I am existing. I know that "I existed in a baby body, I existed in a boyhood body, I existed in a youthhood body. Now I am existing in this old age body. Similarly, when this body is finished, I shall again exist in another body." This is the right conclusion. Therefore na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. After the destruction of this body, ātmā, or the spirit soul, is not destroyed or annihilated. He continues.

So ātmā vastu, that ātmā is also part and parcel of the Supreme Truth sat. Now at the present moment I am given to this misunderstanding that "I am this body." Sannyāsa means to give up this false concept of bodily concept of life and surrender, nyāsa. Nyāsa means renounce-renounce everything for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Person. This is called sannyāsa. Actually this is the beginning of my liberated activities. Sannyāsa means that living entity is acting. Living entity for a second cannot be inactive. You know that even in sleeping we are acting: we dream, we go somewhere, we see something. Although the body is silent, I, the spirit soul, I create another subtle body, and with that subtle body I create so many things and try to enjoy it or suffer it. Therefore a living entity is not inactive even for a second. So these activities, when they are performed in the bodily concept of life-"I am this body," "I am Indian," "I am Japanese," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian"-in this way, so long we act on this bodily concept of life, it is called material existence. But when we understand that we are not this body-"I am spirit soul"-and on this understanding I understand that I am the part and parcel of the Supreme Absolute Person, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ situation.

It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. Now, this boy is very tender age. He has renounced this material life. He has got young wife, but still, he has given up with mutual consent. The wife also has agreed that "You take sannyāsa for the service of Kṛṣṇa." So this is actually renouncement. Young boy, young man, everyone wants young wife, enjoy this material life. But he has renounced everything. This is great sacrifice. Instead, in spite of presence of young wife and facilities for material enjoyment, one who renounces for the sake of serving Kṛṣṇa, he is sannyāsī. He is called sannyāsa. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. For better service he ceases to act materially. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. That is sannyāsī. He is therefore called gosvāmī. His name is, from this day, Sudāmā das Gosvāmī. Because go means the senses, and svāmī means the master. At the present moment, in the materialistic concept of life, everyone is servant of the senses. Everyone acts by the dictation of the senses; therefore they can be called, in other words, as godāsa, servant of the senses. Instead of becoming servant of the senses, one has to become the master of the senses. That is called gosvāmī, master of the senses. So how to become master of the senses? Senses are very strong. How one can become master? The simple method is when one engages the senses in the service of the Supreme Lord, it is automatically controlled. It is automatically controlled. The senses want… Just like your mind. If your mind is absorbed in certain subject, you cannot divert your mind to another subject. Sometimes, if your mind is engaged in some serious business, you are thinking and some friend has come before you, you cannot see him. He asks you, "Mr. such and such, don't you see me?" "Oh, you have come?" That means the senses, the chief sense is the mind. If you can engage your mind to Kṛṣṇa, in the service of Kṛṣṇa-sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa padāravindayoḥ [SB 9.4.18]-then your senses are automatically controlled-because mind is the chief sense. Under the mind, all other senses, namely the eyes, the ears, the nose, the hands, the legs, they work. If one is absent-minded, he cannot work nicely because mind is absent or not in order. Therefore our method of controlling the senses is to engage the senses in the service of the Lord.

The first engagement should be that mind should be always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. Always engaged. These boys, they are always engaged. Just like in offering arcana to the Deities from early morning up to ten o'clock at night, and then they go to rest. Again rise early in the morning. So somebody is engaged n cleansing the temple, somebody is engaged in dressing the Deity, somebody is engaged in cooking for the Deity, somebody is engaged going in Tokyo city for distributing literature, somebody is performing kīrtana here, somebody is reading our various books. In this way we have got twenty-five hours engagement instead of twenty-four hours. So mind cannot go outside Kṛṣṇa. That is called Kṛṣṇa conscious. We don't allow the mind go out of Kṛṣṇa's service. And this is sannyāsa. Practically anyone who is engaged in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, he is a sannyāsī. Never mind what is his dress. He may be in a dress of a family man, householder, or he may be in the dress of a sannyāsī-everyone is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Therefore in the essential sense, everyone is sannyāsī. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī [Bg. 6.1]. The Lord Himself is giving the definition of sannyāsī. What is that? Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ. Karma means action. Whatever you do, there must be some reaction. Whatever you do. You do something very pious or do something which is vicious, there will be some resultant action. But if you don't take shelter of the resultant action, anāśritaḥ karma, karma-phalaṁ. Karma-phalaṁ means resultant action of your activities. You don't take shelter of that action, good or bad… Kāryam: "It is my duty." Kāryam karma karoti yaḥ: "In this way, one who acts…" Sa sannyāsī. Everyone is trying to enjoy the result of his action. Suppose you are doing some business, and you get very huge profit. So you take the profit for enjoyment. But one who does not take the profit, he is sannyāsī. He may be engaged in business. He may make profit, thousand dollars per month or more than that, but he does not take even a paisa or even a cent out of it-he is a sannyāsī. So even a man in ordinary worldly life, a businessman, or in any other occupation, he can also become sannyāsī provided he does not enjoy the profit out of it. Then where the profit will go? It will be thrown away in the street? No. It should be given to Kṛṣṇa. So the real purpose is that whatever you do, yat karoṣi, whatever you eat, yat aśnāsi, whatever you sacrifice, yad juhoṣi, yad dadāsi, whatever you give in charity… Because these things are ordinary activities. Kṛṣṇa says, kuruṣva tad mad-arpanam: "You give Me that. If you are eating, the food must be given to Me first. If you are working, the resultant profit should be given to Me. Or even loss, that is also given to Me." Yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣi: [Bg. 9.27] "And whatever sacrificing," dadāsi yat, "whatever you give in charity, so give it to Me." This is sannyāsa. There is no, I mean to say, prohibition to act in any way. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna, he was a warrior, fighter, but he fought for Kṛṣṇa; therefore he is a sannyāsī. Although he appears to be a householder, fighting for his own interest, but he was declining to fight for his own interest. When Kṛṣṇa convinced him that "This fighting is arranged by Me, Kṛṣṇa, and I want this fighting," then Arjuna fought. He understood that "It is to be fought for Kṛṣṇa, not for my self interest." And because he fought for Kṛṣṇa, he is a sannyāsī.

So this is the technique of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and anyone who is ready to act for Kṛṣṇa, not for his personal sake, he is a sannyāsī. So actually anyone in this institution, they are all acting for Kṛṣṇa, but this sannyāsa order is accepted in pursuance of the great ācāryas, as we have already explained, great ācāryas. So for preaching work, especially in India, preachers are generally sannyāsī. And I know that even in Buddha philosophy, a Buddhist, a person following Buddhist religion, he has to take sannyāsa at least for some time. Is it not? Any Buddhists here?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: He has to take sannyāsa for some years. Again he may come back to householder life. So sannyāsa order is Vedic order. Lord Buddha also appeared in India, and he inaugurated the Buddha philosophy. That is also sannyāsa. Bhikṣu. They are called bhikṣu, Buddha-bhikkhu. So this is a spiritual order. Otherwise, anyone who is acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a sannyāsī. That is, practical sannyāsa. So our Sudāmā das Goswami Mahārāja, from this day will… He is already engaged in preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He will now take special advantage and preach all over the world Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make his life successful. That is the mantra: etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām; parātma-niṣṭhām. Parātma-niṣṭhā means working for the Supreme, niṣṭhām. Adhyāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ. Pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ, many great ācāryas. So we are coming through paramparā system. So we at the present moment we are Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He took sannyāsa. His spiritual master, Īśvara Purī, was also a sannyāsī. His spiritual master, Mādhavendra Purī was sannyāsī. My spiritual master was Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. He was also sannyāsī. I am also sannyāsī. So in this way, by the disciplic succession, we accept this sannyāsa order. That is a formality. We have to follow the formality. And this tridaṇḍī sannyāsa, this daṇḍa, rod, is consisting of four rods. Three rods means the body, mind… Karmaṇā manasā vācā. Karmaṇā means working; manasā, by thinking; vācā, by talking. Everything should be for Kṛṣṇa. And there is another rod that is the living entity. So within this packet there are four rods, symbolizing mind, body, and words. Word is very important thing. Now preaching will be through words, by presenting words. Vaikuṇṭha guṇanuvarṇane. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane [SB 9.4.18]. Vacāṁsi, our talks should be always engaged in describing the glories of the Lord. That is the proper use of our talking. Otherwise, there are frogs also, they are vibrating, "kakaka, kakaka, kakaka, kakaka." That kind of vibration is simply inviting death. You know in every country there are frogs, especially in rainy season they enjoy. They think, "We are now enjoying life," by "kakaka kakaka." So the result is that the snake, in the darkness they cannot see where is the frog, but by the sound he can understand, "Here is a frog," and he comes and swallows it. So our, this talking, nonsense talking whole day and night-in the assembly, in the conference, in the business, in so many ways we are talking, "kakaka, kakaka"-the result is that we are inviting death very soon. But if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra or engage our talking for glorifying the Lord, then death cannot touch. Death cannot touch means we are making our way to become immune from death. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Those who are talking nonsense, they will have to accept some sort of body, either human body or animal body or tree body or demigod's body. He has to take any body. But those who are talking of Kṛṣṇa always, to understand Kṛṣṇa and to make others to understand Kṛṣṇa, they are not going to do that. For them, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Who will preach unless one knows Kṛṣṇa, why He appears, janma, why He disappears, janma karma, why He works in the warfield of battle, battlefield of Kurukṣetra, karma? Or so many karmas, Kṛṣṇa, when He was present. So unless one understands why Kṛṣṇa comes and work like that, why He comes… Janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. But they are all transcendental. Yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Anyone who knows perfectly well, he can preach. Otherwise what he will talk? We'll have to talk about Kṛṣṇa. If we do not know about the activities of Kṛṣṇa, then what we shall talk? So this talking of Kṛṣṇa, vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane, will make him immortal. It is not the frog's crowing. The frog's crowing will gradually lead him to death. But this kind of transcendental, glorifying vibration will make him immune from death, will elevate to the eternal life, blissful life.

Therefore this mantra, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ tamo mukundāṅghri niṣevayaiva. Aham: "By accepting this order of life, I shall cross over this nescience of darkness." Tamo mukundāṅghri. Mukunda. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Mukunda. Muk means liberation; ānanda, He gives liberation and ānanda, eternal bliss. So aṅghri, aṅghri means lotus feet. So "By worshiping, by serving the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, I shall cross over the dark ocean of nescience." Ahaṁ tariṣyā… How? By talking about Kṛṣṇa. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Simply by describing the Vaikuṇṭha world. In the morning we are now having class, describing about the nature of Vaikuṇṭha world, how it is constituted, what kind of population there are, how they live, how the Supreme Personality of Godhead is living with goddess of fortune. These things we are discussing in the morning from seven to eight. So those who are interested may come. There is a Vaikuṇṭha world. Vaikuṇṭha. Vigata kuṇṭha yasmād. Vigata means gone; kuṇṭha means anxiety. Vigata. Here everything is full of anxiety. This is not Vaikuṇṭha. This is kuṇṭha, anxiety. Sada samudvigna-dhiyām. Samudvigna. Samudvigna means full of anxiety. Everyone, even a bird, he is also not peaceful. If he has comes to take some food from the ground, the bird sees this way, that way, that way. Kuṇṭha, always anxiety: "Is not one coming to kill me?" Therefore you will find the birds doing like this, anxiety. No anxietyless, nobody. Either human being, animal, birds, beasts, everyone. Therefore is called kuṇṭha jagat, full of anxiety. But there is another world, where there is no kuṇṭha. Everyone is free. Some of us trying to become free from all kinds of anxieties, but that is not possible here. We can become free from all kinds of anxiety when we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness; otherwise it is not possible. We are aspiring, every one of us, aspiring how to become free of anxiety. But that can be done only when we take shelter of the Vaikuṇṭha-pati. Vaikuṇṭha-pati, Vaikuṇṭheśvara. So, so long we are accepting asat, asad-grahāt… Here in this material world everything is temporary. Suppose this body, your body, my body. This is called asat. Asat means temporary. It will not exist. So because we have accepted everything which will not exist, therefore we are full of anxiety. This is the full definition of anxiety. And if we take the sat, the, which will exist, and we sacrifice everything for that, that is called Sannyāsī. Sat nyāsī, sannyāsī. If we accept asat, then we will be full of anxiety, and if we accept sat, then we will be free of anxiety. This is the secret of spiritual life.

So we shall invite every one of you. We have opened this temple in this country. So we invite all Japanese boys and girls, young men. Especially we invite them because they can understand. Old men, they are sophisticated. They, whatever they have understood, it will take hundred years to forget. (laughter) But young men, they are inquisitive, they are receptive. They can easily… Practically all over the world, all our followers, disciples, students, they are all young men, or teenagers, or some of them, about twenty-five years or thirty years, but no old men. That is the special feature of this movement. In all countries we have got branches, all over America, all over Europe, all over Canada, Australia, and in your country we are now making progress gradually. We have got center here. We are thinking of opening one center in Quoto. What is that?

Sudāmā: Kyoto.

Prabhupāda: Kyoto. So gradually, as you join, we shall enhance our activities, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Try to understand. We have got books, we have got philosophy. It is appreciated all over the world. So thank you for your coming here and joining this ceremony, and we shall continue to invite you more and more, and come here. Thank you very much. (end)

720523IN.LA

Initiations

Los Angeles, May 23, 1972

Prabhupāda: (Devotees chant prayers responsively) Chant. (devotees chant) Names? (japa)

Devotee: Serge?

Prabhupāda: You know the rules? What is that?

Devotee: No meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Your name is Śuklāmbara. Śuklāmbara was a great brahmacārī devotee of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You are servant of Śuklāmbara. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

(Another devotee is called; sounds like Carla) (japa) Kaumudī. Do you know the rules and regulations? Yes, tell. (devotee recites rules) So, your name is Kaumudī dāsī. Kaumudī is a nice flower liked by Kṛṣṇa. (japa)

Next. What is your name? You know the rules and regulations? What is that? (devotee recites rules) Hm. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So your name is Rūpa-mañjarī dasi. There are different gopīs. The assistant gopīs is mañjarīs. So Rūpa-mañjarī, you, this maidservant of Rūpa-mañjarī.

Come on. (another devotee is called) What are the rules? (devotee recites rules) Hm. Thank you. Brahmaṇya-tīrtha dāsa. (japa)

Devotee: Will? Will McLoughlin.

Prabhupāda: … just do it nicely. You know the rules and regulation?

Will: … meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no gambling, no illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Thank you. Varuṇa dāsa. Varuṇadeva. Varuṇadeva is the demigod of sea? Yes. You have to control the Pacific Ocean. (laughter) Preaching. (laughter) All the Pacific islands, you have to preach. Is that all right? (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kaumadakī(?)

(another devotee is called) (japa) So you know the rules and regulations? Yes. What are they?

Sheila: …meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication…

Prabhupāda: What is that, next? Four you have not mentioned.

Sheila: I have not mentioned four? No intoxicants, no eating meat, fish or eggs, no gambling and no illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: That's all. So your name is Śrīla dāsī, maidservant of the goddess of fortune. Śrīla. Yes. S-r-i-l-a. (japa)

Devotee: Next, ah, Laurie? Laura?

Prabhupāda: (japa) Hm, you know the rules? Yes.

Laura: …no meat, fish or eggs, no intoxicants, no illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Devotee: Lakaṅga-mañjarī dasi …

Prabhupāda: Lakaṅga? Lavaṅga.

Devotee: Lakaṅga …

Prabhupāda: What is the spelling?

Devotee: L-a-k(?)-a-n-g-a. Lavaṅga. Lavaṅga-mañjarī.

Prabhupāda: Lavaṅga-mañjarī is already there. (japa) The Lavaṅga is already there. Lavaṅga mañjarī, Lavaṅga-latika. Hm? Anaṅga-mañjarī, all right? No. Anaṅga-mañjarī is there?

Devotee (2): Yes.

Prabhupāda: So all right, Lavaṅga-mañjarī. Lavaṅga-mañjarī. Assistant of Lavaṅga-latā. (japa)

Pradyumna: Robert Dorman?

Prabhupāda: (japa) You know the rules and regulations? (indistinct) And how many rounds you have to chant? Thank you. Vyāsatīrtha, one of the ācāryas in our sampradāya. Vyāsatīrtha. Remember; don't forget. (laughter)

Pradyumna: Katherine?

Prabhupāda: (japa) Very good. Kalā … What is that? (indistinct) There is no such name. All right, give her name. Kalāvatī. So your name is Kalāvatī dāsī. You know the rules and regulations?

Kalāvatī: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. Come on, that's all right. Don't take …

Pradyumna: Dirk.

Prabhupāda: You know the rules and regulations? What are they? (indistinct) That's nice. So you are Dattātreya dāsa. Dattātreya dāsa, the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, Dattātreya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So ārati, begin. Bhaja bhakata-vatsala? (japa) (end)

720527IN.LA

Lecture at Sannyāsa Initiation

Los Angeles, May 27, 1972

Prabhupāda: Ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ tamo mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva. As explained in the beginning, the whole process is to engage in the service of Kṛṣṇa, whose another name is Mukunda. Muk means liberation, one who gives liberation and blissful life. So this Kṛṣṇa Conscious movement is meant for delivering the conditioned soul of this age, Kali-yuga, as it was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, accompanied by Nityānanda. He also took sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four years only, very young man. So according to Vedic system, one takes sannyāsa at the fag end of life. Just like I have taken. While I was going to die, I took sannyāsa. So, that is also, something is better than nothing. And now you have sannyāsa in prime youthful life. So you are all far better than me. You have got enough opportunity to serve Kṛṣṇa and His mission. I am old man. I may pass away at any moment. The wording is already there. So you remain and preach this cult.

The world is suffering for ignorance. They may be very proud of their advancement of education. After all, they have no education, no improvement. Simply, they are bold enough, just like the insects. The insects are bold enough to fall down on the fire. Similarly, this civilization without any control of the senses, adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30], being unable to control the senses, exactly like the insect, flies very boldly, falls on the fire. Similarly, these uncontrolled senses (are) leading them to the darkest region of materialistic life. They do not know it, and they don't care to know it, because they, they have got their own theory that after this body everything is finished, zero. But that is not the case. Not finished. There are so many species of life we have to enter, in any one of them, and this human form of life is the opportunity to get out of the clutches of māyā, this repetition of birth and death, and anyone can go back to home, back to Godhead, and become eternal associate of the Lord in blissful life. That opportunity is there.

So, but this foolish civilization, they do not know it. It is our duty on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants it. Lord Caitanya wants it. Therefore, success or no success, that doesn't matter, Kṛṣṇa will help us, but it is our duty to enlighten the whole human society with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. They do not know what is God, therefore they say that God is dead, there is no God, God is impersonal. So many theories they have got. Actually, they have no idea what is God. On the other hand, against this propaganda of godlessness, we are giving directly God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. We give His name, His father's name, His address, His activities (laughter), everything. So these rascals may be informed at least. This is our duty. Try your best, and be blessed by Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya.

Thank you very much. (end)

720621IN.LA

Initiations

Los Angeles, June 21, 1972

(chanting of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.3.24)

Prabhupāda: All right. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa… (japa)

Pradyumna: Now everyone can take the water which is in front of them when we say these prayers of purification and do just as I am doing. Take the spoon in your left hand… [break] (japa)

Prabhupāda: So you know all the rules and regulations?

Devotee: No meat-eating, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no gambling, no illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: Hm. And how many rounds you'll chant?

Devotee: At least sixteen.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Vrajeśvarī dāsī. Vrajeśvarī is the name of Rādhārāṇī. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: Lois?

Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules?

Lois: (indistinct) (recites rules)

Prabhupāda: How many rounds you'll chant?

Lois: Sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Minimum, yes? So, what is?

Śyāmasundara: Vṛndāvaneśvarī.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Vṛndāvaneśvarī dāsī. Vṛndāvaneśvarī is another name of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

Śyāmasundara: Sherry?

Prabhupāda: (japa) Hm. Thank you. So what are the rules?

Sherry: No… (indistinct) (recites rules)

Prabhupāda: That's all. How many rounds you will chant?

Sherry: At least sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Minimum. So your name is Śikhaṇḍī dāsī. Śikhaṇḍī is another name of Arjuna.

Śyāmasundara: Gail?

Prabhupāda: (japa) So what are the rules?

Gail: No meat-eating, no meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex …

Prabhupāda: So you're Satyadevī dāsī. Satyabhāmā was one of the wives of Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then?

Śyāmasundara: Pravīnacandra?

Prabhupāda: Are you still impersonalist? (japa) What is this?

Pravīnacandra: Uh, this is an (indistinct). I brought it for you.

Prabhupāda: You are still impersonalist or personalist?

Pravīnacandra: Not still impersonalist … For the learning, I am learning still. I am not yet… I want to learn more.(?)

Prabhupāda: All right. So, you know the rules and regulations?

Pravīnacandra: Chanting sixteen rounds, no meat eating, no illicit sex life, no gambling and no drinking wine.

Prabhupāda: What is?

Śyāmasundara: Pratibhānu dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Pratibhānu dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: Sandy Waxner? Satyamādhava dāsī. Her name's not on the list.

Prabhupāda: Mādhavī?

Śyāmasundara: Her name is not on the list that you gave me.

Prabhupāda: Then Mādhavī can, Mādhavī it can be. Mādhavī. So what are the rules and regulations?

Mādhavī: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: So your name is Mādhavī devī dāsī. Mādhavī is another name of goddess of fortune. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: Pierre?

Prabhupāda: So what are the rules?

Pierre: No illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat, fish, or eggs.

Śyāmasundara: Parvata Muni dāsa.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Parvata Muni dāsa. Parvata Muni was a great friend of Nārada Muni.

Śyāmasundara: This set of beads says Sandy Waxner on it also. Who is the other? There are two sets of beads. Who is left?

Prabhupāda: What is her name? What? I'll give her name.

Śyāmasundara: Oh, Sandy.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Sāndīpani dāsī. Sāndīpani was the teacher of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, He's teacher of the whole universe, but He had also a teacher. This is the example in character, that one has to accept a teacher, a spiritual master. Kṛṣṇa is giving knowledge. He's, His description is all knowledge. Samagra, full knowledge. But He is also going to a teacher's place to learn. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself; He's accepting a spiritual master, Īśvara Purī. Śrī Caitanya… Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya… Īśvara… That means Īśvara Purī became glorified by Caitanya Mahāprabhu's acceptance of him as spiritual master. But this is the etiquette, this is the Vedic principle, that even if you are God, if you, even if you know everything, still, you have to accept a teacher, a spiritual master. That is the Vedic system. So what are the rules?

Sandy: No meat, fish or eggs, no gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: All right, come on. So Sāndīpani dāsī. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

720630IN.SD

Initiations

San Diego, June 30, 1972

Prabhupāda: Where is book? Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha. Where is Pradyumna? He's not here?

Śyāmasundara: No.

Prabhupāda: So you read.

Śyāmasundara: We're a little early today. He stayed behind to watch the house. It's five to seven. (everyone starts chanting japa)

Nanda-kumāra: We didn't read the purport. Should we read the verse first or finish the purport?

Prabhupāda: No. Read the śloka first.

Nanda-kumāra: Same śloka, read again? (leads chanting, etc.)

śrī bhagavān uvāca

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

[Bg. 7.1]

Translation: "Now hear, O son of Pṛthā [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt."

Prabhupāda: So this yoga system is very simple and the sublime. You have to simply engage your mind only on Kṛṣṇa, on the form of Kṛṣṇa, meditation. Simply you think of Kṛṣṇa. And how? Āsakta, āsakti, with attachment. Just like if you love somebody, you want to see him, and attachment is so strong that without seeing him, you become restless. That is called āsakti. Āsakti. We have got āsakti, attachment, for so many material things. So we need not explain what is meant by āsakti or attachment. So different people have different attachments, but attachment is there. Somebody may be attached to a dog, and somebody may be attached to God, but the attachment is there. Rūpa Gosvāmī has explained this attachment, very simple. He says, "My dear Lord, as a young man awakens his attachment immediately by seeing a young girl, or a young girl increases her attachment immediately seeing a young boy…" This is natural. Nobody wants to learn in the university how to love a young man or young girl. That is natural. So Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "When my attachment unto You will becomes such naturally and simultaneous?"

This is very nice explanation. Simply by seeing, "Oh, here is a nice, beautiful girl," "Oh, here is a nice, beautiful boy," similarly, "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa, here is Kṛṣṇa's kathā, here is Kṛṣṇa's topics, oh, here is Kṛṣṇa's temple." Just like, another example is given. Just like the waves of the river. It goes down. We have seen that little river… What is that? Varta? Always going down. In Japan also, I have seen that little river, with sound, going down, going down. So similarly, as the river is going after the sea spontaneously, without any artificial attempt, so such spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa, or God, that is the perfection of yoga. This is yoga. Yoga means connection. So that connection… In the beginning we may make, revive that connection artificially, but when the connection will be spontaneous, without any check, just like the river water is going down incessantly… Nobody can check it. Ahaituky apratihatā. And why the river is going there? There is no cause. It is going there. Similarly, when our love for Kṛṣṇa will be gliding down like that, without any cause… Without any cause… Generally… The same example again, that spontaneous love does not depend on any cause without. Cause is there. Cause is there, love. There is no other cause. So it is called ahaituky apratihatā. Ahaitukī means without any cause. Just like we generally go to the temple, to the church, with a cause. Just like in Christian church they go. There is cause: "God, give us our daily bread." The cause is bread. "Therefore I have come to church." But when you go to church without any cause, that is real love. "God will give me bread; therefore, let me go to church," this is also nice, but this motivated faith may be lost. If we approach God for some material benefit, for personal sense gratification, that may break at any time. So that is not real love. Real love is without cause. And apratihatā. Apratihatā means which cannot be checked. My love for God cannot be checked by any material condition. Nobody can say that "Because I am poor man, I have to work so hard, I cannot love God now." People say like that. "We shall wait. When I get millions of dollars in my bank balance, then I shall take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now let me earn money." You see? This is not bhakti or attachment. Mayy āsakta. Mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means "under My protection." Kṛṣṇa says. So taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His representative… Mat means "My man" also. Mad-āśrayaḥ, take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, and try to practice the yoga by which you will have spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa.

So this practice, according to Vedic instruction… Because we have no attachment. So for making attachment, there are some regulative principles by which you can increase the attachment. Just like we say, "No illicit sex." That means… Illicit sex means those who are too much attached to sex; otherwise, there is no question of illicit sex. According to Vedic system one is married, and married means the girl has got a husband, and the boy has got a wife. So living on religious principles, they can satisfy their sex life for begetting nice children. So there is no prohibition. That is allowed. But illicit sex means your attachment for sex is increased, not for Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is forbidden. No meat-eating. Meat-eating or fish-eating or egg-eating, nonvegetarian diet, it is simply attachment of the tongue. Nobody dies without meat-eating. That's not a fact. When we were children, we were babies, we were depending on milk, either mother's breast milk or cow's milk. Therefore cow is also our mother. Just like we drink breast milk from my mother, similarly, we drink milk from mother cow. Therefore meat-eating is prohibited. You cannot kill your mother. That is a great sin. You cannot. But people have become so sinful that they have no consideration that "I am going to kill my mother. I am so ungrateful that the mother who supplied her blood to feed me, to keep me living, now I am grown-up, I am going to kill my mother." This is my advancement of education, that "I have learned how to kill my mother." Therefore, in every religion the killing is prohibited or very much restricted. So in your Christian religion, the first item is, "Thou shalt not kill." But everyone is violating this first commandment. Then where is your claim to become a Christian? If you violate the injunction given by Lord Jesus Christ, then where, how you become a Christian? That is our question. Either Christian or this or that, killing is most sinful. This should be avoided.

Therefore in the beginning, to increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa… Because my business is to increase my spontaneous attachment for God. That is the business of human life. This is a chance. Because in the human form of life you can do that. And as soon as you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Successful means that you haven't got to accept any more this material body. You will get a spiritual body and go to Kṛṣṇa, or go to home, go back to Godhead. So if you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, the benefit is that you make a solution for all the problems of life. It is scientific. Mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha. So in the beginning, in order to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, you have to follow the regulative principles, "Don't do this." Just like a doctor gives you prescription, "Don't eat this. Don't do this," similarly, there are so many "don't"s and so many "do"s. So we have to accept the "do"s, not the "don't"s. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. This is called favorably cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to accept the "do"s, not the "don't"s. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpa, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. We have to accept the favorable things. So if illicit sex life is unfavorable for my advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I must accept it. You cannot argue. That will not help you. Similarly, intoxication. Similarly, meat-eating. Similarly, gambling. Because these are the four pillars of sinful life: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. The roof of sinful life is held by these four pillars.

So these four pillars, in the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when you are actually going to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously… Just like some souls will be initiated today. This means that he is going to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness very serious. So one who is serious to take Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his first business is to break these four pillars of sinful life so there will be no chance of sin. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpam: "One who is freed from all sinful reaction of life…" Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Puṇya-karmaṇām, pious activity. "Those who are acting in pious life, simply executing pious activities…" Pious activities means yajña-dāna-tapa-kriyā. Pious activities means yajña, performing yajña. Just like there will be fire sacrifice. Dāna, charity, giving charity for Kṛṣṇa's propaganda. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is making propaganda, so they require money. Money is Kṛṣṇa's money. Everyone is holding Kṛṣṇa's money. So the sooner they spare that money… Because if I am holding your money, if I give it to you, then I become released from my criminal activities. Suppose I have stolen something from your pocket and I become conscious, "Oh, this stealing is not good," so as soon as I return unto you, "Please take this money; I was mistaken," so thing is settled up. But if you hold it, then you are criminal. You will be punished. Similarly, everyone who is holding Kṛṣṇa's money, not returning to Kṛṣṇa, he is a criminal. He will be punished. How they are punished? That you have seen. In India, in recent… Everywhere, the same thing is going on. There was war between Pakistan and India. So all the rich men had to contribute fifty lakhs, fifty hundred thousand, according to everyone's capacity. Many millions of rupees were collected, and it was put into the gun powder, "Svāhā!" (laughter) So if you don't execute this svāhā, then you will have to execute that svāhā. (laughter) (sings out the word "svāhā!") That's all. The Vietnam is going on-svāhā! So many young men-svāhā! So much money-svāhā! You have to do that. Therefore better learn how to make svāhā for Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you will have to make svāhā for māyā. That's all. The sooner you give up… Yajña-dāna. This is called yajña and dāna, and tapas, tapasya. Tapasya means this following, voluntarily accepting all restrictive principles. Because we are addicted to all this license or nonsense. Not license. It is nonsense. So unless you stop all these nonsense activities, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gatam… If you want to be serious… That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So in this way we have to increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, and if we increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha yogam… This yoga system… This yoga system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the topmost yoga system. Why it is topmost? Because it teaches how to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is topmost. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ [Bg. 6.47]. There are different kinds of yogis. "Of all the yogis…" Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. Sarveṣām means "of all." Mad-gata āntarātmanā: "One who is always thinking of Me." You can think of one if you are attached to him; otherwise, artificially you cannot do. That's not possible. If you love somebody, then you will always see his picture, his form, always. These are simple yoga. And it is said… As it is said in the Vedic literature, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. We have to create our eyes or purify our eyes to see God. And that purification is possible when you apply the ointment of love of God, daily. How to love Kṛṣṇa? Take it as ointment. As we apply some ointment to increase the sight of our eyes… Doctor gives some prescription. We use it also. So similarly, how to see God. You will see God with these eyes when it is clarified. Premāñjana-cchurita, by the ointment of love of Godhead. So these are the function, how to love. One has to rise early in the morning. He doesn't like, but, "No. I will have to satisfy Kṛṣṇa." This is the beginning. "Oh, I have to chant sixteen rounds." He is lazy. He doesn't want to do it. But if he loves Kṛṣṇa, he must do it. He must do it. So in the beginning we have to learn how to love, but when you come to the state, oh, there is no question of… You may follow the regulative principle or not, because love is there. But don't imitate. Just like in our ordinary love affairs, if I want to love some girl, I bring some flower, I bring some presentation. In this way she thinks, "Oh, it is very nice boy. He has brought me this, that." In this way there are six principles of love. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. You have to give and you have to take. I love somebody. I give him something: "My dear, you take this." And when he offers also, if he also loves you, he also return you. Not exactly for returning. It is love to give and take. Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca. Opening mind. "My dear lover, I like this." And the other party also opens his mind. Guhyam ākhyāti… Guhyam means very confidential things. Ākhyāti, disclosed, exchanged. Guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca. And bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva. And giving the lover to eat something and accept from him some eatable. These are the six ways of increasing love. If you act in that way with Kṛṣṇa…

You are taking so many things from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is giving you everything. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Whatever our necessities of life, that is being supplied by Kṛṣṇa. We are taking these fruits, flowers, grains. It is not possible to manufacture these in your factory. It is Kṛṣṇa sending, Kṛṣṇa giving you. So we are living at the cost of Kṛṣṇa, and after cooking these fruits, flowers or grains, if we do not offer to Kṛṣṇa, is that very good gentlemanliness? I take so much from you and simply, nicely, and very cleanly cooking the foodstuff, if we offer to Kṛṣṇa, then what is the wrong there? The rascals, they say, "Oh, they are heathens. They are worshiping some stone." Just see. So these are all less intelligent person. God eats. Kṛṣṇa says, tad aham aśnāmi. "I eat."

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ

yo me bhaktyā prayacchati

tad aham aśnāmi

bhakty-upahṛtam

[Bg. 9.26]

Kṛṣṇa says that "My devotee, when he brings something within the categories of vegetables, grains and fruits, because he has brought with devotion and love, I eat them." So when the devotee offers with devotion and love, "Kṛṣṇa, You have given us so many nice things. So I have cooked it. Kindly You take first," oh, how it is nice. Just like your father has given you so many things and you are obliged, "Oh, our father is maintaining us." And if you cook something and give it to the father first, "My dear father, I have cooked this. It is very nice. You first of all…" "Oh, it is very nice? All right, give me." The father will be so much pleased. "Oh, here is my dear son." It is father's property. You cannot give anything to the father. Similarly, you have nothing to offer to Kṛṣṇa. Simply you have to become little intelligent. That's all. Not rascal. If you remain rascal, then your human life is spoiled. If you become little intelligent, then your human life is successful. This is intelligence, that "God is giving us… God is giving us daily bread. Why not offer to God first?" That is intelligence. And simply, "God is giving me bread. I shall eat. That's all…" I am meant for eating only? And why not offering? God will not eat. Simply you feel gratitude: "Oh, God has given me this bread. Let me offer it to God first of all. Then I take." What is the wrong there? What is loss there? But these narādhama, lowest of the mankind, they even do not recognize this. Lowest of… They have been described in Bhagavad…, narādhama. Na māṁ duṣkṛtina mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. His intelligence, his knowledge, has been taken away by māyā. He has not this knowledge even, that "God has given me to eat. Why not offer first of all to God?" This intelligence has been taken away by māyā. Therefore they are narādhama. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]. So those who are narādhama, lowest of the mankind… Just like here, something being offered to Kṛṣṇa, to God, He will eat it, but He will leave everything for you as prasādam. How? Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate [Iso Invocation]. This is God's power. He will eat everything, but He will keep everything for you as prasādam. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya. Taking everything, but still, it is there.

So this is the process, how to increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. This bhakti-yoga or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nothing… We do not say that "You Christian, you are good. I am Hindu, I am bad." Or "You are bad, I am good." We don't say that. We simply say that "It is your right now, this human form of body, how to love God." That's all. "You have loved so long dog. Now you try to love God." That is our propaganda. So we don't criticize anyone. Simply we want to see whether he or she has developed his love of God. That's all. So you can do it either as Christian or as Hindu, as Muhammadan. We don't care for that. But we want to see you that you are actually lover of God. If you are not, then we tell you, "You try to love God in this way." What is that? Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Simply hear about Kṛṣṇa. Simply chant about Kṛṣṇa. Is that very difficult? If you have not yet learned how to love God, take this process, and you will learn how to love God. This is our propaganda. It is not difficult.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

These are the nine different processes. So you can execute all the nine processes or eight, seven, six, five, four. But at least, take to one. You will be perfect. If you simply come here in this temple, without doing anything, simply hear about Kṛṣṇa, your life will be perfect.

Thank you very much. [break]

(devotees start coming up for initiation) So what are the rules and regulations? (girl gives answer) So your name is Rasa-mañjarī, one of the gopīs. You are maidservant of Rasa-mañjarī. Take this.

Next, come on. What are the rules and regulation? (boy answers) How many rounds you will chant?

Devotee: Sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Minimum. Your spiritual name-Jñānasindhu dāsa. Jñānasindhu was one of the ācāryas in our disciplic succession.

(to next devotee) What are the rules and regulation? (devotee answers) Thank you. Akṣobhya. He was also one of the ācāryas in our disciplic succession. Come on. You want to speak? No. (end)

720901IN.NV

Initiation Lecture

New Vrindaban, September 1, 1972

Prabhupāda: We cannot manufacture any…

Kīrtanānanda: They have to be bona fide.

Prabhupāda: Yes, bona fide. That is accepted in the śāstra.

Kīrtanānanda: (reading) "The third offense is to neglect the order of the authorized ācārya or spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: This name is not different from the original Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That is Absolute Truth. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's form-we are seeing here Kṛṣṇa's form-it is not different from the original Personality of Kṛṣṇa. Or Kṛṣṇa's pastimes-we hear about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā-that subject matter is also not different from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Anything about Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. It will be realized gradually. For the time being you have to take it for acceptance, that "I am chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. This means that Kṛṣṇa is personally present on my tongue. Therefore I am in direct touch with Kṛṣṇa." And we should be very careful so that we may not…, offense, commit offenses, as they are being described. Another, Kṛṣṇa has got many names: nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis. So of all the names, two names are very important: Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are there, and Kṛṣṇa's potency, Hare. So in the śāstra it is said that one thousand names of Viṣṇu… There is Viṣṇu's one thousand names, viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma. If one chants Viṣṇu's names-there are thousands-that is equal to one name Rāma. And three times chanting the name of Rāma is equal to one "Kṛṣṇa." Therefore we should take advantage to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Although there are many names of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is the chief name, mukha, and Lord Caitanya chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So we should follow Lord Caitanya's footsteps. Although Kṛṣṇa has got many names, we should, by following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we should take advantage of chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Go on.

Kīrtanānanda: "The sixth offense… [break]… usually it is said that one can be liberated from the…" [break]

Prabhupāda: …impure. There is English word like that. So that we may not fall a victim of sinful activities, you shall go on always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa (devotees complete chanting), not that after committing sin, you'll utilize Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to counteract it. Don't do that. Then you'll give it up. Just to keep yourself aloof from sinful activities, you chant always Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, but don't utilize Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra to counteract your sinful activities. "So I am, I have got an instrument, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, let me do all nonsense and I shall chant in the evening Hare Kṛṣṇa and it will neutralized." Actually, they are doing. There are so many rascals, they are committing this offense, on the strength of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is the greatest offense. They will never make any progress in spiritual life if I utilize Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra for my material purpose. Go on.

Kīrtanānanda: "The eighth…" [break]

Prabhupāda: Chant the mantras first. Then I shall tell you all. Then after that you can perform sacrifice. [break] (maṅgalacaraṇa chanted responsively) (japa) [break] All right. The rules and regulation.

Devotee: (repeats four rules in background.)

Prabhupāda: How many rounds do you chant?

Devotee: I do sixteen a day.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sixteen rounds. So your name is Akulānanda. Akula means incomparable, and ānanda means blissfulness. So Kṛṣṇa is Akulānanda.

Devotee: John Swindler.

Prabhupāda: Akulānanda dāsa brahmacārī.(aside:) He's brahmacārī? (japa)

Devotee: Pyāri-caraṇa.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Pyāri-caraṇa? (devotee spells name) What are the rules and regulations?

Bhakta John: No intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex life, and chant at least sixteen rounds a day.

Prabhupāda: And no intoxication, also. So your name is Pyāri-caraṇa. Pyāri is another name of Rādhārāṇī. So caraṇa means lotus feet. So Pyāri-caraṇa dāsa. So you are servant of the lotus feet of Rādhā.

Devotee: Jayarāma. Harold? Harold Miller? (japa)

Prabhupāda: What is that? Jayarāma? What are the rules and regulations?

Bhakta Harold: No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling, and at least sixteen rounds a day.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Jayarāma. Jayarāma, "all glories to Lord Rāmacandra." (japa)

Devotee: Hara-kumāra.

Prabhupāda: Hara-kumāra.

Devotee: Susan II.

Prabhupāda: What is that? [break]

Devotee: Rādhā-kuṇḍa. (japa)

Prabhupāda: Rādhā-kuṇḍa dāsī.

Devotee: Is there any one else who hasn't got… (end)

720904IN.NV

Initiation Lecture and Ceremony

–

New Vrindaban, September 4, 1972

Devotee: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Monday, September Fourth, 1972, new temple room in Bahulaban, New Vrindaban, 7PM.

Prabhupāda: So, "All glories to the assembled devotees" means "including the children." Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that even children without any knowledge of Vedānta-and big, big philosopher-simply by attending the performance of devotional service even a child's mind can be glorious-without an education. That is…We are explaining in this statement of Sūta Gosvāmī: ahaituky apratiyatā. Apratiyatā means "it cannot change anymore." It doesn't matter what he is. He may be a grown-up man or a small child. He may be educated, noneducated; civilized or uncivilized; even man or animal. Everyone can take part in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhakti-yoga. This word is very important, that, ahaituky apratiyatā. Apratiyatā means "without any (indistinct)." Because, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is meant for the soul, not for the body. So far body is concerned, that is according to your past karma, it is destined. Sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, that here in this material world we are after sense pleasure-everyone-birds, beasts, animals, aquatics, human beings, even the demigods-anyone who is within this material world, he is concerned with the gratification of the senses in different degree. But the aim is sense gratification. Therefore, we are given by the laws of nature-not, nature is not independent-by the superior order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead… Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramātmā is sitting in everyone's heart: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhutānāṁ hṛd-deśe [Bg. 18.61]. It specifically mentions, "it is within the heart," hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati. So I am also there, and Supersoul is also there. So, the Supersoul's business is to witness: anumantā, upadraṣṭā. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gī… The Supersoul is simply observing what I am doing, and he is the supreme witness, upadraṣṭā. And anumantā. As I desire… Not according to my desire, but because I desire I have been given the freedom to desire. But without the sanction of the Supersoul I cannot do anything.

Just like a child; a child is persisting, crying, "Father, I must have. Give me." Father does not like to give him that undesirable thing, but because the child persists in crying, making disturbance, then my father says, "All right, you take." That is father's mercy. "Oh, why this child is crying? Let him have it. That's all." We have got practical experience. So, I may recite that in my younger days when my eldest son was only two years and half, so, he was trying to catch the table fan-the table fan was moving-so I was resisting(?), "No, don't touch." But he insisted, a child. So, one of my friends was sitting, he said that, "Make it slow and allow him to touch it." So I did it and the child touched it; then there was, in the finger, "Tunnng!" And, then I asked him if, "Again touch?"

"No, no! (devotee chuckles) No."

This is the process. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare. We all living entities, we have come here within this material world, to enjoy, to lord it over the material nature. It is going on, everyone can understand, that, What is this market? If you go to (indistinct)? Then what is the business there? The business is that everyone wants to enjoy this world to the full satisfaction. Either you call it "industry" or "trade" or "business" or "high-court." What is the aim? The aim is that, "I want to enjoy." This is individually. To take it nationally, statewide, one state wants that my (indistinct) must be extended-sense gratification. First of all you give your self gratification, then extended-my family, my sons, my grandsons, they will enjoy-make such arrangements. This is nature. And then you extend it from family-wise to community-wise from (indistinct) nationalize. Then international also-that we human being, we should combine together and send all the animals to the slaughterhouse and eat them. Their combined effort. What is that? Who is arranging?

This is going on. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare pāśate māyā… This is māyā. This disease has to be cured. That requires knowledge and religious (indistinct). That's required. So, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to train people to come to the original constitutional position. What is that? Every living entity is part and parcel of God; therefore the duty of the part and parcel is to serve the whole. The part and parcel cannot enjoy individually or independent-that is not possible. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. It has to enjoy at a certain cost. Not that a finger will catch up some rasagullā and enjoy it-that is not possible. It must go through the stomach. The rasagullā will be caught and put into the mouth-it must go to the stomach, and the stomach will digest it, and the energy will be distributed, not only to this finger but other fingers, other parts of the body. This has to be learned. That is called yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. We are discussing that point. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that immediately everyone comes into ecstasy, and he wants to serve Kṛṣṇa.

So, this temple, our Deity worship, arcanā, it gives chance to the people to take part in serving Kṛṣṇa. Just like this child is dancing. It is taken into account of his devotional service; it is not in vain. Anyone who comes here, who hears, who rings some bells, or dance, or offer obeisances, or… You'll find all this description is there in our Nectar of Devotion. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Anyone who comes before Him and renders a little service,

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

Little service. Out of these nine varieties of devotional service-one, two, three, or at least one-he is (indistinct). This is called ajñāta sukṛti: without knowledge, some balance of spiritual life is developed. Just like we collect money-four annas, four annas. Just like home savings, save, you can put it four annas, five annas, one rupee; one day check: it is fifty rupees. This is called ajñāta sukṛti. Without sukṛti, without being purified, without being pious, nobody can approach God-that is not possible. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. This very word is used by Kṛṣṇa, sukṛti, means those who are, whose background is, pious. And those are duṣkṛtina-two words have been used-one sukṛti, and one duṣkṛti. Kṛti. Kṛti, this word is used for one very expert. So the expert word is there: kṛti. But duṣ and su. There are men who are very expert, but some of them employing their expertness in sinful activities, and some of them employing there expertness in pious activities. That is the difference. You can apply your brain in two way-this way or that. But those who are applying their brains for pious activities, they can be devotees. And those who are applying their brains for impious activities they cannot-that is not possible. So, this Deity worship is open for everyone so that, knowingly or unknowingly, anyone who's coming here, he's becoming pious. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11]. Because, Kṛṣṇa worship or God worship is not possible for persons who are sinful-that is stated in the Bhagavad-gitā:

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

[Bg. 7.28]

Dṛḍha-vratāḥ: "firm determination." That kinds of devotional life is possible only when one is completely free from the resultant action of sinful activity, yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataḥ. Anta-gataḥ: "one who has finished." We are suffering and enjoying in this life. So, what we are enjoying, that is due to our pious activities in the past. Just like in our daily business, if you have to take some money from somebody, that is your income. And if you have to pay somebody that is your expenditure. Two things are going on. You cannot expect here in this material world simply income. There must be expenditure. So two things, they are known as sukha and duḥkha Sukha means "happiness" and duḥkha means "distress." So, as Prahlāda Mahārāja says, that this sukha and duḥkha-happiness and distress-is already destined. And soon as I get a certain type of body, my life's happiness and distresses are fixed up. That's all-you cannot change it. That is called destiny. But, the ātmā is-although encaged within this body-is always separated, apart from. Just like I give you so many examples: that a dog-the body is dog's body-it must be as dog. But even a dog can be made a devotee-it doesn't matter. Because he has got the body of a dog it does not mean that he cannot remain a devotee. It can be trained. As you train the dog how to bite others, at night, so you can train the dog also how to become devotee. Therefore this is training. This child is being trained up from the beginning of his birth, in the association of devotees. So if it is possible for one child, many thousands and millions of children can be taught in the devotional… What is (indistinct)? But there is no chance; there is no chance. And the Bhāgavata says that if you cannot train your children to become free from birth and death, don't beget. Pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. That is called rascaldom. Don't beget child. Or, "Go enjoy sense gratification and use some contraceptive method." No. The (indistinct) should be that "I am a human being, so I must have a child who must be human being." What is that human being? Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Here (indistinct) we have discussed last night. Tattva-jijñāsā. Everyone should be interested to enquire-athāto brahma jijñāsā, or tattva-jijñāsā, what is the aim of life, what is the absolute truth?

So, children should be educated also from the very beginning. (end)

730126IN.CAL

Sannyāsa Initiation Lecture

Calcutta, January 26, 1973

Prabhupāda: … and sat means om tat sat, the Absolute Truth. Sannyāsa. (aside:) So stop that sound. So renouncement, simply giving up something, is not very good idea. You must have something better. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. If you get something better, then you give up something inferior. Our Vaiṣṇava philosophy, renouncement means renouncement of sense gratification. The Māyāvāda sannyāsa means karma-tyāga, simply reading Vedānta philosophy, sāṅkhya philosophy, and everything given up. But our Vaiṣṇava philosophy is giving up the wrong thing and accepting the right thing. Side by side. Simply if I give up, it will not stay very long time. If I simply by sentiment give up, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "This world is false and Brahman is the real, reality," so there are so many sannyāsīs, we see, they give up the so-called mithyā world and come to the Brahman realization by meditation, by meditation, meditation… Then meditation means hospital and school. Because there is no Brahman, there is no reality. So after much meditation, (he) comes to the conclusion that "Now I am a sannyāsī. I must open schools, college and daridra-nārāyaṇa sevā and goat-nārāyaṇa killing." This kind of sannyāsa has no meaning. Daridra-nārāyaṇa sevā. By killing goat nārāyaṇa. Goat is not Nārāyaṇa. Simply daridras are Nārāyaṇa. If you accept one as Nārāyaṇa, why should you not accept the other as Nārāyaṇa?

So this kind of false sannyāsa is not accepted by the Vaiṣṇavas. Vaiṣṇavas, they accept sannyāsa for better activities. For better activities means dedicated life for satisfying the Supreme Lord. Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. Anyone who has sacrificed his life for Kṛṣṇa, he's sannyāsa. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī [Bg. 6.1]. Na niragnir na cākriyaḥ. One who has given up… A sannyāsī is not supposed to cook. Ni, niragniḥ. And na niragnir na yogī. But anāśritaḥ karma-phalam. Tyāgī means karma-phala tyāga. This is tyāga, real tyāga. Suppose you are working. You are doing some business and getting lakhs of rupees' profit. If you can give up that profit for Kṛṣṇa, that is sannyāsa. Otherwise, "I shall enjoy fully the profit and I have become a great devotee"? No. Sannyāsa means, as it is stated, anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ. Karma-phalaṁ. There must be some karma-phala, whatever you do. There must be some result, bad or good. So anāśritaḥ, without taking shelter of the result of activities, kāryaṁ karma karo… "It is my duty." Just like Arjuna did. Arjuna understood that Kṛṣṇa wanted the fight. He took it, kāryam, that "I, this, this, I must do. This I must do. Kṛṣṇa wants it. Because my business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. I cannot become nonviolent as I wanted to become falsely, 'Kṛṣṇa, I don't want to fight with my cousin-brothers, my nephews, my grandfather.' That was my sense gratification." Kṛṣṇa immediately said, "What kind of nonsense you are talking, that you won't fight, won't fight? This is not good." Kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame… "What kind of nonsense you are speaking? You have come to fight in the battlefield, and now you are talking that nonviolence. So don't talk all this nonsense because you are My friend, My cousin-brother. It does not look well." Anārya-juṣṭam asvargyam akīrti-karam. [Bg. 2.2] "These things are done by the anaryas, not by a gentleman." Anārya-juṣṭam akīrti-karam. "You, this, this will be infamous for you. Don't do like that." Then He explained to him Bhagavad-gītā. And when he understood, then he took sannyāsa. What is that sannyāsa? Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73] "Yes, I'll fight." That's all.

So this is sannyāsa. Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ [Bg. 6.1]. He was first of all judging, "If I kill my cousin-brothers, my grandfather, there will be bad result. I'll go to hell." Now, later on decided, "Hell or heaven, I don't care for it." That is called anāśritaḥ. "I don't take shelter of hell or heaven. I take shelter of Kṛṣṇa." A devotee does not discriminate what is hell or what is heaven. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kaścana na bibhyati [SB 6.17.28]. One who is Nārāyaṇa parāḥ, devotee, he doesn't care for what is hell or heaven. Svargāpavarga-narakeṣu api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ. A devotee… Just like Nārada: he goes to hell, he goes to heaven. He has got freedom to go everywhere. Tulyārtha-darśinaḥ. For him, there is no hell, there is no heaven. He's preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness wherever he goes. That's all. He has nothing to do. Just like we went to that Savarmati jail in Ahmedabad. We were received by the jail authorities, where Gandhi was put into jail. Who was with me in that…? You were… You were also there. No. So we went to jail. There, they made very good arrangement. The prisoners, they received us, they chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So it was a good function. So we want to, went to jail. But what we have got to do with the jail? We have no business with the jail. Similarly sometimes we are invited in a very rich man's house, governor's house. We go there. That is heaven. So we have nothing to take, either from this heaven or from that hell. We have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra anywhere. That is our business.

So,

nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve

na kutaścana bibhyati

svargāpavarga-narakeṣv

api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ

[SB 6.17.28]

So this renouncement, for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is real sannyāsa. Just like when I went to your country, actually sometimes I had to live in a hell according to our Indian standard, Vedic standard. So what can be done? Hell or heaven, I have to do my duty. It doesn't matter. Factually… I do not want to describe those things. So this sannyāsa means do not care for personal sense gratification-"Oh, this is inconvenience. This is convenience." Simply go on preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this sannyāsa. Anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī yogī. He's yogi, he's sannyāsī in everything, who is simply working for Kṛṣṇa. There will be some result, loss or gain. So if there is loss, that is Kṛṣṇa's. If there is gain, that is also Kṛṣṇa's. Not that loss is Kṛṣṇa's and gain is mine. No. Not like that. Everything Kṛṣṇa's. We have to work for Kṛṣṇa. So, so take this mantra.

Śyāmasundara: These are the copies of the two mantras. Two pages.

Prabhupāda: No. Come one. First Bhavānanda come. You also come. Chant this mantra: Etām… (devotees chant this mantra responsively with Prabhupāda.) No. Stand up. Etām…. Stand up.

etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām

upāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ

ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ

tamo mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva

(Śloka is chanted responsively two more times) Come on. Whose this is? Yours? Give that garland. Come on. Give him garland.

Devotee: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Yes. Stand up. So… So the purport of this verse, etāṁ sa āsthāya, this sannyāsa order I am accepting. Why? Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām. Just to fix up my mind steadily on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, parātma-niṣṭhā. My only life is meant for serving the Supreme Lord, original Nārāyaṇa, not daridra-nārāyaṇa. That is my iṣṭhā. Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhā. You… If we serve the Supreme Nārāyaṇa, the daridra-nārāyaṇa is automatically… There is no such word as daridra-nārāyaṇa. The poor souls, they can be served automatically. Just like taror mūla-niṣecanena tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ. If the root is watered, then the trunk and branches and the twigs and the flowers, automatically… Prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām. Prāṇopahārāc. Just like offering foodstuff to the stomach. Then every indriya, every sense is satisfied. Two, two examples are given. One may argue, "Suppose I am watering. That is also nice. I water to the root, I water to the leaf also." The injunction is that there is no necessity of watering the leaves. You simply water the root. But if you argue that "What is the harm…? Suppose I… Root, offer water to the root, as well as to the leaves and twigs." Just like somebody says, "All right. Why we shall only worship Kṛṣṇa? Why not other demigods?" although it is not necessary. But the next example is given that, prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām. Just like offering foodstuff to the stomach, the senses automatically become healthy, then now, if you say, in the same way… Just like offering to the root as well as to the leaves, that "Yes, I shall offer foodstuff to the stomach as well as to the ears and eyes." Then what the result will be? The result will be that your eyes and ears will be stopped functioning. Therefore this very example is given. This, this is not required at all. Similarly, by worshiping Kṛṣṇa, you don't require to endeavor to worship the demigods, to worship the daridras, to worship the this and that. It will be automatically done.

Just like in our temples, everywhere, we are daily feeding so many daridras. So many. In Los Angeles, in New York, and Māyāpur also, daily we are feeding five hundred to one thousand people. They are daridras. So that is the duty of every temple. There we're feeding not only Hindus and, only, but Muslims also. Anyone. Anyone come here and take prasādam. And the whole village is so satisfied with these activities. Temple means there must be sufficient foodstuff. Anyone who comes for foodstuff, he should be given. So by worshiping Kṛṣṇa, these things automatically done. There is no need of extra endeavor. Parātma-niṣṭhā. This is called parātma-niṣṭhā. Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhā. Not only now. From time immemorial, all the temples in India, they have got sufficient foodstuff. Even at Nātha-dvāra, if you pay them only one anna or four annas, they'll give you so much nice prasādam. The two annas, four annas, the priestly order, they take. Otherwise, prasāda is distributed. So by worshiping Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa is not hungry. He's fully satisfied. He doesn't require to eat. Temple worship means to distribute the prasādam to the poor. That is temple worship. Temple worship does not mean that you, you bring some rice from the neighborers and cook it and eat yourself and sit, sleep down, nice. No. Temple worship means you must distribute prasādam… You should… To the poor. Everyone is poor. Not that the rich man is not poor. Actually I have seen one rich man, he was coming for asking some prasādam. In my, before when I taking, when I was gṛhastha, I was going in so many temples, asking for some prasādam. That's a long history. So there is no question of, if one is financially poor, he should come to the temple. Everyone should come to the temple and ask for prasāda. That is required.

So parātma-niṣṭhām. The sannyāsī should worship the Deity in the temple and feed the poor. Poor does not mean that one who has no legs, no ears, or no… Poor… Everyone who is spiritually poor, he should be given prasādam. By eating, prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate. That is called paramātma-niṣṭhām. Yajña. It is called yajña-śiṣṭāśino santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. It is not poor-feeding. It is distributing the resultant action of yajña. This worship is yajña. So yajña-śiṣṭāśino… If you feed some men, not the so-called poor, everyone, then they'll be freed from their sinful activities. Yajña-śiṣṭāśino santaḥ mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Kilbiṣaiḥ means sinful activities. Therefore prasāda distribution. Because everyone is engaged simply duṣkṛtinaḥ, simply sinful activities. Eating everything, doing everything, and they're life is full of sinful activities. Therefore to deliver them this prasāda distribution is required. Mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. Not that cooking in an, like a hotel, and sometimes, out of compassion, we distribute prasādam. That kind of, means bhuñjate te aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt [Bg. 3.13]. Simply for feeding myself or yourself. Just like in marriage ceremony and other ceremonies we do. That, that bhuñjate te aghaṁ pāpā, they're simply eating pāpā. Therefore we are prohibited to take prasādam anywhere and everywhere. Because if there is no Deity worship, if we take food from their house, then we partake the sin, resultant action of their sinful activities. We should be careful. Unless it is prasādam, if we accept invitation from anywhere and everywhere, that means we are accepting the sinful activities, resultant action of the sin, person. Therefore a sannyāsī… And it was, formerly, this was the regulation, that sannyāsī would take prasādam in the house of a brāhmaṇa, because a brāhmaṇa is supposed to worshiper of Nārāyaṇa. In every house of a brāhmaṇa there was Nārāyaṇa-śilā. Still some rigid brāhmaṇas, they worship. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu even, He did not accept prasādam from a non-Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa. He must be brāhmaṇa, at the same time, Vaiṣṇava. Then He would accept.

So this regulation we should follow. We should not accept food, (only) prasādam. If anyone wants to give us food, then he must arrange for cooking food and offering to the Nārāyaṇa, to the Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa. Then we can take. This is the… Otherwise we… Bhuñjate te aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātmā… People who are cooking for eating oneself, that cooking, that eating is simply sinful. Without prasādam, whatever we eat, that is, we are eating sin, That's all. Therefore we must suffer. We should be careful. Bhuñjate te aghaṁ pāpā. This is parātma-niṣṭhā, that we should not accept anything which is not offered to Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. Parātma-niṣṭhām. Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām. This niṣṭhā is not invented by us. Pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ upāsitām. All great predecessors… There were other sannyāsīs, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, even Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was a sannyāsī. So pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ upāsitām. These actions were executed by our previous ācāryas. Pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ upāsitām. Mahadbhiḥ. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. You have to follow the ācārya. Ācārya upāsana. Aham… The, what will be the result? Now, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi. I shall cross over…. Tariṣyāmi. Duranta-pāram. The extensive, unlimitedly extensive, the ocean of material existence. Ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāraṁ tama. Tama means this material world, which is darkness. Because our business is to go out of this darkness to the light. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. We have to go to the light. So this is the process. Aham… And what is that process? Tama mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva. Mukunda means Kṛṣṇa, one who gives liberation. Hari. Hari means one who takes away all your sinful activities. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg. 18.66]. He's taking; therefore His name is Hari. Mukundāṅghri. Another name is Mukunda. Mukunda means… Muk means mukti, and ānanda means bliss. Kṛṣṇa gives you mukti, deliverance, deliverance from this tama, this material world, and gives you transcendental bliss; therefore His name is Mukunda. Mukundāṅghri: the lotus feet of Mukunda. Niṣevayaiva. Simply by serving the lotus feet of Mukunda, I can do this. This is the sum and substance.

So this sannyāsa order, although it is prohibited in this age… Because so many rascals will accept sannyāsa and do all nonsense things; therefore sannyāsa is prohibited. Just like nowadays in Kali-yuga the, some of the sannyāsīs, they are eating meat. Disastrous. So this kind of rascal sannyāsīsm is prohibited in the śāstra. Sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam, devareṇa sutotpattiṁ kalau pañca vivarjayet [Cc. Ādi 17.164]. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, they took sannyāsa for preaching work, not for doing rascaldom. Preaching work. So Mukunda ahaṁ niṣevaye. Mukundāṅghri-niṣevayaiva. Simply by serving… Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa, what does He want? He wants that this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā, should be spread all over the world. You take up this determination and be steady in your sannyāsī. That is my request.

Thank you very much. (end)

730416IN.LA

Initiations

Los Angeles, April 16, 1973

Prabhupāda: So, name? Come on, one after another.

Brahmānanda: Arlene?

Prabhupāda: Arlene. So you know the rules and regulation?

Arlene: Yes.

Prabhupāda: What are these?

Arlene: No meat-eating, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: How many rounds will you chant?

Arlene: Sixteen at least.

Prabhupāda: What is the…

Brahmānanda: Kīrtidā-kanyakā dāsī.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Kīrtidā dāsī.

Brahmānanda: Theresa?

Prabhupāda: What is the name, come on. Come here. What are the rules and regulations?

Theresa: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: And how many rounds?

Theresa: Sixteen.

Prabhupāda: That is the minimum. Yes, come on.

Brahmānanda: Taraṇī dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Tariṇī dāsī. You can deliver everyone. Come on. Next.

Brahmānanda: Cindy.

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?

Cindy: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: And now many rounds will you chant?

Cindy: Sixteen at least.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Brahmānanda: Bhagavat-citta-rathinī dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Big, big name. (laughter) So your name is Bhagavat-citta dāsī. Bhagavat-citta. Citta means consciousness. Come on.

Brahmānanda: Harold?

Prabhupāda: What is the name?

Brahmānanda: Hasta-yajña.

Prabhupāda: Hāsya-yajña? (pause) So? Make it Hāsyānanda. Now get up. Come on. (laughter) So you know what is the rules and regulation?

Hasyānanda: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling and no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: All right. Your name is Hāsyānanda, "who laughs in ecstasy, ecstasy, chanting."

Hāsyānanda: Thank you very much.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Next, come on.

Brahmānanda: Larry? Lakṣmaṇa dāsa.

Prabhupāda: So you know the rules and regulation? What are the rules?

Larry: No meat-eating, gambling, sex or intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Illicit sex. So, Śrī Lakṣmaṇa dāsa. You know Lakṣmaṇa dāsa? He is the younger brother of Rāmacandra. Lakṣmaṇa dāsa.

Brahmānanda: Stuart?

Prabhupāda: Why you are laughing? So everyone should have neckbeads immediately. You know the rules and regulations? What is that?

Stuart: No meat-eating, no illicit sex life, no intoxication and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Sutrajit.

Sutrajit: Jaya. Thank you, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. What are the rules and regulations? (child is crying in background, "I want my mommy!")

Girl: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Suśarmā dāsī. She is your child? So you are married?

Suśarmā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. (laughter)

Brahmānanda: Why is the child crying? Roy?

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulation?

Roy: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: And how many rounds you will chant?

Roy: At least sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Rāmalāla dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on, next.

Brahmānanda: Cheryl Nixon.

Prabhupāda: What are the regulations?

Cheryl: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Śaraṇāgatā? Śaraṇāgatā, it should be. Śaraṇāgatā, long 'a.' Śaraṇāgatā dāsī. "One who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa." (to next devotee:) What are the regulative principles? (boy answers) How many rounds you will chant? (answers) Thank you.

Brahmānanda: Bālika dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Bālika? It should be Bālaka, not Bālika. Bālaka. Your name is Bālaka dāsa. Bālaka, cowherd boy.

Brahmānanda: Michael Nixon.

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?

Michael: No eating meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no mental speculating.

Prabhupāda: Mahājana dāsa. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Mahājana means great authority. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Brahmānanda: Jim?

Prabhupāda: What are the rules?

Jim: No meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex and no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Kuvera dāsa. (laughter) Kuvera is the treasurer of the demigods. You have to bring money more. (laughter) We require money. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. When Kuvera wanted to give benediction to Dhruva Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja was very angry and was killing the descendants of Kuvera. And they were offender. The descendants of Kuvera killed Dhruva Mahārāja's brother; therefore he was retaliating. At that time somebody requested, Brahmā, I think, requested that "Now you just pacify yourself. You have done…" So he immediately stopped killing. So Kuvera became very much pleased that although he could kill all the descendants of Kuvera, he stopped it. So he came forward to give him some benediction. Kuvera is the richest treasurer. So he wanted to give some benediction. If Dhruva Mahārāja wanted, he could ask him that "Give me all the money of the universe." He could give. But what did he ask? He said, "Sir, give me benediction that I may remain attached to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa."

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: It is a great example. He could ask him for money, but no. "Give me benediction. You are offering me benediction, so give me this benediction, that my mind may always remain attached to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa." Come on. So what are the rules and regulation? (girl answers) That's nice. Revatī dāsī. Regulative principles? (boy answers) Everyone is giving up meat-eating. The slaughterhouse will be closed. (laughter) And the butchers are not very much pleased with us. (laughter) Never mind. We have to do this. Come on. What is the name?

Brahmānanda: Bṛhadbhānu dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Vratabhānu dāsa. That's nice. So everyone is unpleased except the devotees, for our movement. Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the rules and regulation? (girl answers) All right, come on. What is the…?

Brahmānanda: Rasaparagni dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Rasa…?

Brahmānanda: Rasaparagni.

Prabhupāda: Rasapara… Rasa-parāyaṇī. Rasa-parāyaṇī. Correct it. One of the gopīs. Rasa-parāyaṇī dāsī, "one who wants to dance with Kṛṣṇa in rasa dance." No ball dance. Finished? All right. Now who shall explain the ten kinds of offenses and the meaning of the oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā and then perform yajña?

Karandhara: I shall.

Prabhupāda: So I can go?

Karandhara: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Devotees: Jaya! All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! (obeisances) (end)

730515IN.LA

Initiation Ceremony

Los Angeles, May 15, 1973

Prabhupāda: So call. Come on. You know the principles? (devotee answers) You name is Arjuna dāsa. (pause) You know the rules and regulations? Yes. (devotee answers) So your name is Jagariṇī. Jagariṇī-who is always awake, never sleeps. (laughter) This life is for jagaraṇa. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata. Everyone is sleeping, dull, like animals. The animals are sleeping. Although they are running very fast, but according to śāstra, they are sleeping because they do not know what is life. So anyone who does not know what is the value of life, he is sleeping. And one who knows what is the value of life, he is jāgrata. The Vedic injunction is this, uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata: "Now, this time, in human form of life, you become awakened, and the benediction which you have got, utilize it." They do not know. They are just like animals, sleeping. Ignorance. Ignorance is sleeping. Does not know what is the value of life.

Come on. (pause) What are the rules? (devotee answers) So your name is Hāsyapriya, friend of Kṛṣṇa. (pause) You want? You want? Oh, they were not distributed prasādam? All right, wait. (laughter)

So what are the rules and regulations? (devotee answers) Actually or theoretically? Thank you. What is the name? Ah, your name is Brahma-rūpa. The impersonalists, they say Brahman has no rūpa. We say, "No, there is rūpa. That is Kṛṣṇa." Brahma-rūpa. Brahma-rūpa dāsa. (pause)

So you know the rules and regulations? (devotee answers) So you name is Nirakula dāsī. Nirakula. Akula means one who becomes confused, and nira means not. One who does not become confused, fixed up. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (pause)

What are the rules? (devotee answers) So your name is Loka-śaraṇya, one under whose lotus feet everyone takes shelter. That is Kṛṣṇa. Loka-śaraṇya. (pause)

What are the rules? (devotee answers) Cigarette allowed? Cigarette? That's all right. Rabindranātha. (pause)

So what are the rules? (devotee answers) Thank you. Your name is Tuṣṭī. Tuṣṭī means after eating, when you feel satisfaction, that is called tuṣṭī. So without eating, you have to become satisfied. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) (pause)

So you name is Tīrthārthī. Tīrtha means great saintly person. One who is hankering after a great saintly person, he is called Tīrthārthī. Come on. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So kīrtana? Next? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

731225IN.LA

Initiation Ceremony

Los Angeles, December 25, 1973

Karandhara: Prabhupāda, do you want to give the names to the new devotees before the kīrtana, and after the kīrtana go on the walk?

Prabhupāda: The name is not given?

Karandhara: No. I have the beads.

Prabhupāda: So without name, how can we give?

Karandhara: No, I have the names. Do you want to give them now?

Prabhupāda: Oh. Yes. We can give. So come on. No, no, mantra, one mantra. That mantra. Chant mantra, then I will give the names. [break] …such atmosphere. So we have to maintain this.

Karandhara: Jesus. (devotee comes up) (all spiritual names first told by Karandhara to Prabhupāda)

Prabhupāda: Virāha. Virāha dāsa. I am not asking individually about the four principles. I suppose you know this. But just I was explaining sat and asat. These two things are side by side. Just like there is darkness and there is light, you can see merging in the sunlight. You'll see, one side is light, and one side is dark. Similarly, sat and asat, they are existing side by side. If you don't remain this side, then you come to this side. So it is my choice. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa is the bright side, and the other things, material activities and sinful activities, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, illicit sex, the dark side. So it is your choice. If you remain the bright side, then your progress is certain, and if you fall down again on the dark side, that is your misfortune. So you should always remember that. Come on.

Karandhara: Marcos.

Prabhupāda: Your spiritual name-Virabāhu dāsa.

Karandhara: Ilan.

Prabhupāda: Your name is Havi Dāsa.

Karandhara: Argenis.

Prabhupāda: Your name is Tamohara.

Karandhara: Manuel.

Prabhupāda: Your name is Pramāṇa dāsa.

Karandhara: Lynne.

Prabhupāda: Manīndra. Manīndra. That's all.

Karandhara: Cary.

Prabhupāda: So she has got another?

Karandhara: No, those are extra sets.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So your name is Kusumikā.

Karandhara: Kellyn.

Prabhupāda: Kartā dāsī.

Karandhara: Elba.

Prabhupāda: Varā dāsī. Vara means excellent.

Karandhara: Audrey.

Prabhupāda: Dhattreyī. Dhattreyī dāsī. That's all.

Karandhara: That's all, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)

740110IN.LA

Initiations

Los Angeles, January 10, 1974

Prabhupāda: (All spiritual names first told to Śrīla Prabhupāda by Karandhara dāsa) So your spiritual name is Manobhirāma. Manobhirāma. Manobhirāma is Kṛṣṇa, who pleases everyone's mind. (pause)

There is all neckbeads, everyone? You knows the rules and regulation? Dhanurdharī. Not left. Yes. Dhanurdharī. Dhanurdharī is Lord Rāmacandra's name. (pause)

You know the rules and regulation? Here, take. Your spiritual name Gambhīra dāsa. Very grave. That is Kṛṣṇa. (pause)

Bāṅke-bihārī. Bāṅke means curved. Kṛṣṇa stands always this. That is Bāṅke-bihārī. He is not very straight, Kṛṣṇa. People are crooked, so He is the most crooked. (pause)

Hari-sevikā. Hari-sevikā, "maidservant of Kṛṣṇa." [break]

Greedy for Kṛṣṇa. Tatra leulyam eka laulyam. To get Kṛṣṇa, you have only one price: to become greedy for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That is the only… [break] Tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyaṁ na janma-koṭibhiḥ sukṛtibhir labhyate. (pause)

Divya. Divya. Your spiritual name is Divya. Divya means spiritual. (pause)

Dhīra-sevā. Dhīra-lalitā. Dhīra-sevā? No. Dhīra-sevī. She is woman. You know all the rules and regulation? Your name is Dhīra-sevī. Kṛṣṇa is Dhīra. Dhīra-lalitā. (pause)

Sajjana-jīvana. You know rules and regulations? Yes. Sajjana-jīvana. Sajjana-jīvana. Her life is very gentle.

So thank you very much. Now begin chanting and yajña. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtanaiḥ prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]. That is the yajña, saṅkīrtana. (end)

750222IN.CAR

Initiation Lecture

Caracas, February 22, 1975

(Hṛdayānanda translates into Spanish)

Prabhupāda: This evening we were discussing with some learned psychiatrist to solve the problems of the world. So we have tried to convince them that the problems of the world are due to ignorance of our spiritual life. So this body… Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. This body means combination of different senses. This body means we have got hands, legs, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, genital, rectum. All these different parts of the body are working. So these senses are working under the leadership of the mind, and the mind is activated by intelligence, and behind the intelligence there is soul. That is stated in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā:

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ

indriyebhyaḥ paro manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhiḥ

buddhes tu ya paraṁ saḥ

So we have to take information from authoritative scriptures. So the body is made of five material elements: earth, water, air, fire and ether. So mind is still finer than the ether, and intelligence is still finer than the mind, and the soul is still finer than the intelligence. So generally, we are on the bodily platform. They are called karmīs. Bodily platform means that everyone is working for the bodily comfort. Bodily comforts means how to eat nicely, how to sleep nicely, how to have sex nicely and how to defend nicely. So these activities are there also in the animal life. Then, above these activities, there is mental activities. So the bodily activities are visible in the animal kingdom also, but mental activities, they are lacking. So the human being can tackle the mental activities, which is called psychology, the science of thinking, feeling and willing. So when still we go further, intellectual platform, how the mind should be utilized? So if we can intellectually utilize the mind, then we can approach the spiritual platform.

So this spiritual platform, to reach, requires gradually process of cultivation, and there is no difficulty to reach the spiritual platform. But first of all, the training of the mind is practiced by the yoga system. Yoga means to control the mind. Our mind at the present moment, being too much attached to this body, it is busy in bodily comforts. Therefore the real yoga system is to divert the mind towards God, to control the mind from material engagement and divert it to spiritual engagement, or bhakti-yoga. The bhakti-yoga practice are in different nine spheres, that,

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

This means that first of all we have to hear about God from authorized persons. Then kīrtanam. Kīrtanam means glorifying the activities of God. Then there are other. These two items are very important, and there are other items also. Smaraṇam-smaraṇam means meditation. Vandanam means offering prayer. So smaraṇaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam arcanam. Arcanam, Deity worship. There are other items also. In this way there are nine items. So if one is interested to understand God, then he must take all these items or some of them or at least one of them.

So the most important item is śravaṇam, or hearing. If you do not do anything else, if you simply sincerely hear about God, then gradually you will be God conscious. That is also true in the material science. The students go to the school, college, and hear from the professor, and gradually he becomes learned in that subject matter. Especially in this age, śravaṇam, or hearing, is very, very important. We are therefore opening different centers in different parts of the world, and they are being given the chance of this bhakti-yoga system, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam [SB 7.5.23], like that. So all these devotees present here, they are not Indians. I have not brought them from India; neither I have bribed them here. But by hearing only, they are now coming to God consciousness and devotees. Therefore this śravaṇam item, or hearing item, is very, very important. So if you all, ladies and gentlemen present here, take advantage of hearing about God from this institution, you will also become God conscious. We have got many sense organs, out of which the aural sense, or the hearing sense, is very important. Therefore, for spiritual understanding, we have to use this ear. So therefore the Vedic literature is called śruti. Śruti means to receive the knowledge by hearing. So our process, or the Vedic process, is that… Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ [SB 3.25.25]. If one lends his aural reception of spiritual knowledge through the authorized person, devotee, then he relishes taste in spiritual life. And when you cultivate that stage, then, gradually, he becomes a devotee, he understands what is God.

Another place, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Brahmā recommends,

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva

(jīvanti) san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām

sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir

ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām

The fact is God is called Ajita-nobody can conquer Him. But any person who gives up this process of mental speculation-that means "God may be like this. Perhaps God is like this. Perhaps this, perhaps this…" This is called mental speculation. We have to give up this mental speculation. Jñāne prayāsam means endeavor in mental speculation should be given up. One should submissively approach the spiritual master. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Namanta eva means submissively offering respect, obeisances. And after that, if you hear from the self-realized soul, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva san-mukharitām. San-mukharitām means self-realized soul. From his mouth one has to hear. Bhavadīya-vārtām. In this way, although God is never conquered by anyone else, still, this man, who has adopted this process, he will conquer God someday. And who can conquer God? Only the devotees. Just like in Vṛndāvana, the gopīs, the cowherd boys, mother Yaśodā, father Nanda and all of them, even the cows and calves, they conquered God, Kṛṣṇa. So this is the science of God, and we have got all these books translated into English, and other things are being translated in other languages. So we shall request you to understand, to hear about God. Then some day will come-you will understand what is God, what is your relationship with Him, and you will act accordingly. Then your life will be successful.

So the boys and girls who are now being initiated, they are entering the path of understanding God in this way. So there are some regulative principles. I think you have explained to them that no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. God is pure. He is the purest. Therefore if we want to approach God, we must be pure. Just like without high temperature, nobody can enter into the fire, similarly, God is the topmost temperature. We must acquire that temperature; then we can enter into the kingdom of God. So if you want to increase the temperature, you cannot pour water again on it. Just like if you have got wet wood, you cannot burn it very nicely, but if you collect dry wood, you can ignite very easily. So our material life is now saturated with all kinds of sins. The four pillars of sinful life are these: illicit sex, meat-eating and intoxication and gambling. So if we stop these voluntarily, this is called austerity, austerity, tapasya. Austerity means voluntarily accept some painful condition. So those who are habituated to all these things, namely illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling, to give up these habits, it may become little painful in the beginning. But if you practice and pray to Kṛṣṇa that He will help, it is not difficult to give up these habits. And as soon as you give up this wetting process, the sinful life, then immediately you become fifty percent purified to approach God. Then, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you make further, further, more and more progress. And when you are completely free of all sinful reaction, then you understand God and you love him. In the contaminated stage, you are trying to love so many things, but you are frustrated. So if you can love God, then you will never be frustrated and your loving desires will be fulfilled. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are teaching all our students how to love God. That's all right.

So now you can go with your other function. (end)

Initiation Ceremony

Melbourne, July 1, 1974

740701IN.MEL

Prabhupāda: …pundarikaksam sah bahya abhyantarah sucih: "I offer my respectful obeisances whose name, holy name, by remembering, by chanting, one becomes purified in either condition, purified or impurified," apavitraḥ, pavitraḥ, sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā, "in all circumstances."

So, so long we are in this material encagement we are supposed to be impurified. Because we are not purified, therefore we have to accept birth, death, old age and disease. Just like diseased condition is impurified. It requires to be purified by medical treatment to get out of the disease. So, we living entities, we are part and parcel of God. Our original position is purified, but at the present moment we are contaminated. So, by chanting the holy name of the Lord we become purified. The holy name of the Lord and the Lord, identical. By association with the Supreme Lord directly, by chanting the holy name, we become purified. Oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam. Kṛṣṇa, His name is puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ. Puṇḍarīka means lotus flower; akṣam means eyes-whose eyes are just like the lotus flower. Lord Visnu, or Kṛṣṇa, is identified with lotus flower in so many places. His navel is like lotus flower, His eyes are like lotus flower, His feet, lotus feet. So, lotus is the comparison o the beauty of different limbs or parts of the body, transcendental body of Kṛṣṇa.

So those who are going to be initiated, they should understand that chanting of the holy name means directly associating with the Supreme Lord. So as I have given several times the example of the iron rod and the fire: if you touch the iron rod with the fire, it becomes warmer, warmer and then red hot. Similarly, when you chant offenselessly the holy name of the Lord, gradually you become purified, and when we chant holy name without any offense, then we immediately live at the shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa. When we are almost free from contamination, then we become liberated, and when we chant purely the holy name, we are situated on the lotus feet of the Lord. And the more we go on chanting, we enjoy loving exchange affair between the Lord and ourself.

So we will explain the ten kinds of offenses, and the initiated members should avoid the ten kinds of offenses. (aside) You have got the ten kinds of offenses? So first offense is to blaspheme great personalities who are engaged in glorifying the Lord within this material world. And, śruti-śāstra-nindanam, and to decry the Vedic literature. And third, to interpret the holy name in different way according to our own whims. This is also offense. And the most dangerous offense is namnaḥ balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhir. Anyone who thinks that "I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, so I am becoming free from contamination of sinful life, therefore let me commit sinful life and counteract it by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa," this is the greatest offense. We should not commit offenses on the strength of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And then considering the different names of the demigods, they are independent-no. The Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name, Viṣṇu's name, is Supreme; it cannot be equalized with other names. And, in spite of chanting he holy name, if one is attached to material enjoyment, that is also offense. And to instruct about the glories of the name to a person who is out of the jurisdiction of devotional service. Of course, sometimes we have to do this, but that is for preaching sake. But generally we should not do that. I think these ten kinds of offenses are there. Anything more?

Devotee (1): To take the chanting as auspicious material ritual.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (indistinct)-karma. Just like to…, there are many auspicious activities to counteract inauspicious activities. So this chanting of holy name should not be taken as that. It is just for the matter of pleasing the Absolute Personality of Godhead. So, you chant mantra. Hmm.

Devotee (2): Bhakta Johnny, your name now is Rāmāi dāsa.

Prabhupāda: You know what are the prohibitive rules? Prohibitive rules?

Rāmāi dāsa: (indistinct).

Devotee (2): The four rules.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Rāmāi dāsa: (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Rāmāi dāsa: No illicit sex. No meat-eating. No gambling. No intoxication.

Prabhupāda: So your spiritual name… How many rounds do you chant?

Rāmāi dāsa: Sixteen rounds.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Devotees: Jaya! Hari bol! … (break)

Prabhupāda: It is not properly done. It should be stuck up. So, what are the prohibitive rules?

Bhakta: No meat-eating. No illicit sex. No gambling. No intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Mmm, and you will chant?

Bhakta: Sixteen rounds.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So what is his name?

Devotee (2): His spiritual name is Pūrṇacandra dāsa.

Devotees: Hari bol!

Prabhupāda: The neck beads must be tight.

Devotee (2): Next, next initiate is Bhakta Kenny… Bhaktin Penny.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Devotee (2): Big books.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Devotee (2): Distributes big books.

Prabhupāda: Acchā. So you are serving very nicely. I am very glad. So, what are the prohibitive rules?

Bhaktin Penny: No illicit sex. No gambling. No meat-eating. No intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. How many rounds will you chant?

Bhaktin Penny: Sixteen rounds every day.

Prabhupāda: Very good. What is her name?

Devotee (2): Bhaktin Penny's name is Śubha Lakṣmī dāsī.

Devotees: Hari bol! (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Bring money more.(laughter) Lakṣmī means money, (laughter) and śubha means auspicious. So long you bring money, you are auspicious. (laughter)

Devotee (2): The next initiate is Bhaktin Carol.

Prabhupāda: So your name is Rāja Lakṣmī.

Devotee (2): Rāja Lakṣmī. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Royal, Rāja means royal. So, what are the rules and regulation?

Rāja Lakṣmī dāsī: No illicit sex. No meat-eating or eating anything that's not prasādam. No intoxication. No gambling or speculation.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. How many rounds will you chant?

Raja Lakṣmī dāsī: Sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Raja Lakṣmī dāsī: Sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Minimum. (laughter)

Devotees: Hari bol!

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Devotee (2): The next initiate is Bhaktin Eleanor… (break)

Bhaktin Eleanor: No intoxication. No illicit sex. No meat-eating. No gambling or speculation.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. What is the name?

Devotee (2): Bhaktin Eleanor's name is Mohinī Śakti dāsī.

Devotees: Hari bol!

Prabhupāda: Very nice name. It is Kṛṣṇa's incarnation. She allured the demons. Kṛṣṇa in the form of a beautiful woman allured the demons. The demons become allured by Kṛṣṇa's mohinī śakti. And devotees they are inclined to serve Kṛṣṇa being blessed by Rādhārāṇī. Hare Kṛṣṇa! Come on.

Devotees: Hari bol!

Devotee (2): The next initiate is Bhaktin…, Bhaktin Sue.

Prabhupāda: What are the rules?

Bhaktin Sue: No illicit sex. No meat-eating. No gambling and no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: How many rounds will you chant?

Bhaktin Sue: Minimum sixteen.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. What is her name?

Devotee (2): Bhaktin Sue's name is Guṇavati dāsī.

Devotees: Hari bol!

Prabhupāda: Full of good qualities. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ [SB 5.18.12]. Anyone who is pure devotee of the Lord, all good qualities…(break ) (end)

750710IN.CHI

Lecture and Initiation

Chicago, July 10, 1975

Prabhupāda:

anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau

samarpayitum unnataḥ ujjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam

hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ

sadā hṛdaya-kandare (sphuratu vaḥ) śacī-nandana

This verse is given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, has many expansion or incarnation, but this expansion, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is unique because in other incarnation the duty is paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8]. In Kṛṣṇa avatāra, Kṛṣṇa had to fight with the so many demons, but this incarnation, there is no question of fighting with the demons, but simply by mercy they were delivered, just like Jagāi, Mādhāi. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta hoilo sei: "The same Personality of Godhead who was formerly the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Vrajendra-nandana, He has now appeared as the son of mother Śacī." Balarāma hoilo nitāi: "And Balarāma, Rohiṇī-nandana, He has become Nityānanda." The same Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma has become Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu. So what is Their business? The business is: pāpī-tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. They delivered simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra all people who were sinful and suffering. In the material world we are suffering. This is a place of suffering. Duḥkhalayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15], Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā. So there are different methods of mitigating suffering, but in this age, Kali-yuga, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the pāpī-tāpī, those who are sinful and suffering, they can be delivered. This is the unique contribution of this incarnation, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is composed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

There are many other verses, and there is special one verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto:

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

[SB 11.5.32]

Yajña, sacrifice… Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā. Human life is meant for performing yajña, give in charity and practice austerities, three things. Human life means that. Human life does not mean to live like cats and dogs. That is failure. That kind of civilization, dog civilization, is failure of human life. Human life is meant for three things: yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā. One should know how to perform sacrifices, how to give in charity, and how to practice austerities. This is human life. So yajña-dāna-tapasya, in other ages they were performing according to the means. Just like in the Satya-yuga, Vālmīki Muni, he practiced austerities, meditation, for sixty thousands of years. At that time people were living hundred thousands of years. That is not possible now. Meditation was possible in those ages, but now it is not possible. Therefore the śāstra recommends that yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ: "You perform this yajña, saṅkīrtana." So by performing saṅkīrtana-yajña, you can get the same result. As Vālmīki Muni got the result after meditation of sixty thousands of years, you can have the same result simply by performing saṅkīrtana-yajña maybe a few days. It is so kindness.

So I am very glad that in the Western countries, especially in America, you fortunate boys and girls, you have joined in this saṅkīrtana-yajña. People are appreciating. I am also very much pleased. So this yajña, as you have taken the Deity in buses, going to the interior and performing yajña… Continue this process until your whole country nationally accept this creed.

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: They will accept. It is predicted by Caitanya Mahāprabhu,

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired that in every village, every town, every county, every city, this saṅkīrtana movement will be there, and people will feel obliged to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: "My Lord, You have given us so sublime thing." This is the prediction. Simply we have to try our best. So it is not very difficult. You have installed the Deity. Take in different buses and go from city to city, town to town, village to village. And you have got now experience, so expand this movement. As I have repeatedly told you that your country, America, is fortunate, and they require only this, saṅkīrtana… Then they will be perfect. I was discussing so many things yesterday-perhaps you have seen in the paper-that a thorough overhauling required, spiritual overhauling. Now, at the present moment things are going not very nicely. Materially, don't be sorry that this racing will not help us in our spiritual life. Materially be advanced, but don't forget your spiritual duty and spiritual identity. Then it is loss. Then it is śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8], simply working for nothing, just like your moon expedition, simply a waste of time and unnecessarily expenditure of money. So many billions of dollars you have spoiled, and what you have got? A little dust, that's all. Don't be foolish in that way. Just be practical. If such huge amount of money, dollars, would have been spent in distributing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over your country, then immense benefit would have been achieved. Anyway, we cannot say anything. Your money you can squander away. That is your business. But we request the authorities and the sane men that you take up this saṅkīrtana movement, especially in America, and expand this to other parts of the world, Europe, Asia. You have got already honor as the richest nation of the world. You have got intelligence. You have got everything. Just take up this movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, with patience and with diligence and intelligence. It is very easy. You are already experienced. Do not stop it. Increase more and more. Your country will be happy, and the whole world will be happy.

Thank you very much. So?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think now we have to give the spiritual names to these devotees?

Prabhupāda: Yes, but they have to…, purification mantra. Nama apavitraḥ pavit… So who will lead?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Viṣṇujana Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: Do it. Nama, (devotees respond) apavitraḥ, pavitro vā.

Viṣṇujana: (leads chanting of mantra three times)

Devotee: (asks Prabhupāda during the chanting of mantras:) Should we arrange all the men to come up and…?

Prabhupāda: It is not possible. [break] …later on. In the meantime, you can take your beads, and after it is distributed, you can explain and then perform yajña. Give me. Come on.

Śrī Govinda: Sai?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where's Bhakta Sai? (end)

750711IN.CHI

Bābājī Initiation

Chicago, July 11, 1975

Prabhupāda: …I am accepting this dress following the footprints of other ācāryas. This dress was accepted by Rūpa Gosvāmī, not ordinary person. The six Gosvāmīs, they accepted. It is called paramahaṁsa stage, sannyāsī's highest stage. Sannyāsī has got four stages: kuṭīcaka, bahūdaka, parivrājakācārya and paramahaṁsa. Kuṭīcaka means when he takes sannyāsa, he is not accustomed to beg; therefore he makes a small cottage outside the village, and the foodstuff comes from the home or somebody sends. In this way, when he is little practiced, then he goes door to door, begs, bahūdaka. Then he is more practiced: parivrājakācārya, he travels all over the world. And after that, when he is fully mature, he can chant one place Hare Kṛṣṇa. He has no more business. So this is the last stage of mature sannyāsa. But because you are thinking that you may not live many years, so you simply sit down, go to Māyāpur. You have no other business. Simply go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and whatever little prasādam available, you take. And the rest of your life simply engage in chanting. That will be success.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is he supposed to get a name, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Name is the same.

Brahmānanda: Audolomi dāsa Bābājī?

Prabhupāda: Ah, Audolomi dāsa Bābājī. That's all. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this is the first time in our institution: a bābājī. So it is not to be imitated. It is the paramahaṁsa stage when one is very mature in sannyāsa life, for that, not for ordinary person. Don't request, "Give me sannyāsa. Give me bābājī." Don't do that. It is not a fashion. It is a stage of realization. That's all. (end)

750721IN.SF

Gurudāsa Sannyāsa Initiation

San Francisco, July 21, 1975

Prabhupāda: So the mantra means etām, "by accepting this daṇḍa or sannyāsa order," sa āsthāya, "taking shelter of it," parātma-niṣṭhām… This accepting of this daṇḍa means full faith in the Supreme. There are four rods within this bundle. One rod is representing himself, and the other three rods means his body, mind, and word. So the person who is accepting sannyāsa order, he is dedicating from this moment his personality, his body, his mind and his words. Why? Now, parātma-niṣṭhām, simply for service of the Supreme. So am I accepting something new? No. Upāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ. All the great personalities in our guru paramparā system, all the four ācārya system, they have done it. Rāmānujācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka-there are four Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas. So they were all sannyāsīs. Now, directly, our sampradāya is Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya. Gauḍīya-sampradāya means the Vaiṣṇavas of the Bengal. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is accepted as the supreme guru of this sampradāya. So His guru was Īśvara Purī, and his guru was Mādhavendra Purī. And this Mādhavendra Purī belonged to the Madhva-sampradāya; therefore our sampradāya, this disciplic succession, is called Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also accepted sannyāsa in very young age, when He was only twenty-five years. So why? Tyaktvā tūrṇam, rājya-lakṣmīṁ dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very, very well situated. He was born in a very respectable high brāhmaṇa family, Jagannātha Miśra, and mother's side, the Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, he was very respectable brāhmaṇa. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu's learning, nobody could excel Him, He was so learned scholar. And when He was sixteen years old, He defeated one of the most learned scholar of India, Keśava Bhāratī. So learning, family… And wife? Personally goddess of fortune, Lakṣmīpriyā and Viṣṇupriyā, most beautiful and young. Viṣṇupriyā was His second wife, so faithful, so beautiful, personally goddess of fortune, such wife. And mother, most affectionate. There is no comparison with Śacī-mātā. So this was… And influence? When He was twenty years old, He could, by His command, gather 100,000 people to protest against Kazi, He was so popular. So popularity, born in high family, having good wife and good mother, everything complete-still, He took sannyāsa. Therefore it is said, pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ. Why? Now, just to show mercy to the fallen souls. Māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayā [SB 11.5.34]. Just to show mercy to the fallen souls. This the the meaning of sannyāsa. One must be very merciful. Vaiṣṇavas, they are merciful. All devotees of God, Vaiṣṇava, they are merciful. You know Lord Jesus Christ, how he was merciful.

So this human life is meant for paropakāra, for doing good to others. So therefore sannyāsa order means one that dedicates his whole life by word, by body and by mind, everything. So the result is that because he is sacrificing his all material connection-sannyāsa means all material connection-so the result will be, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāram. Result will… Because he is sacrificing everything for dedicating life for the service of Kṛṣṇa… And Kṛṣṇa warns that all these rascals should give up everything and surrender to Him. So you have to teach this, that's all. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. What Kṛṣṇa desires? He comes personally, and He instructs rascals like us, "You rascal, give up all these things, material engagement. Come to Me, back to home, back to Godhead." This is Kṛṣṇa's desire. So we have to preach that. We haven't got to manufacture anything. Kṛṣṇa says everything. We have to simply bear the message. Kṛṣṇa says like this. You do like this. That's all. You become a perfect sannyāsī and you perfect. And by doing this, result will be, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāram. This material world, the ocean of nescience, it is very, very difficult to cross it over, but by doing this service to Kṛṣṇa, one can easily… Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām [SB 10.14.58]. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam. Bhavāmbudhiḥ, the great ocean, becomes just like a water spot in the hoofprint of a calf. There is hoofprint, and there is some water. So there is no difficulty to cross over it. So the bhavāmbudhiḥ becomes like that. Duranta-pāram. Why it is duranta? Tama, darkness. So mukundāṅghri-niṣevaya. Mukunda means Kṛṣṇa. Muk means liberation, mukti. So Mukunda, "one who gives liberation." That is Kṛṣṇa's name. Mukundāṅghri. Anghri means His lotus feet.

So this is our life. Everyone should take sannyāsa. But because it is Kali-yuga, it is restricted because it is very difficult. But as far as possible, we have to preach the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So although it is little difficult, so we should practice it, especially those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and for preaching work should take sannyāsa, particularly of our Guru dāsa. Now he is Guru dāsa Swami, his name is. So his particular life is: since the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is my faithful disciple, and from 1965 or '6, he is with me. And he is very innocent boy, and I got him married. His wife is also great devotee, you know, Yamunā. So now Yamunā has taken a very nice path. She has also become sannyāsīnī. Although there is no sannyāsīnī for women, but she has voluntarily taken. She is doing very nice; therefore I advised her husband that "You also take sannyāsa." Because wife's affection is very, very tight knot. It is stated, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etad tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ [SB 5.5.8]. Naturally there is tendency-a man wants woman; a woman wants man. This is the material world, puṁsaṁ striyā mithunī-bhāvam, sex impetus. That is natural. But when they are united, that impact becomes very, very tight. It is very difficult. It is very difficult to give it up. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that his wife has voluntarily has become like sannyāsīnī. So it is very good fortune. Therefore I advised him that instead of accepting another wife, you also become sannyāsī. So he is my faithful disciple. He has accepted. And all of you Vaiṣṇavas, give your good wishes that he can keep the sannyāsa order very nicely and preach Kṛṣṇa through the rest of the life. His life will become successful.

Thank you very much. [break] Next? Your spiritual name, Kavirāja dāsa.

Nitāi: Ramyaka dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Ramyaka dāsa. Ramyaka means very beautiful. That is Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. Asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. Although He is blackish, but nobody is more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. You are all white. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

(next devotee approaches) Alambana dāsa. Alambana means reference to the context. Just like there was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, Murāri Gupta. He was a physician of the Nawab. So he was going on the back of the elephant with the Nawab, and he saw one peacock. So as soon as saw the feather of peacock, immediately he fell down. How? Because the peacock feather is on the head of Kṛṣṇa, he immediately remembered Kṛṣṇa. This is called alambana, "with reference to the context."

(next devotee approaches) Meru-devī, yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Nitāi: Next, Tom… Gohita dāsa.

Prabhupāda: So Gohita dāsa, yes.

Nitāi: Mahākrama.

Prabhupāda: Mahākrama dāsa.

Nitāi: Pravala-devī.

Prabhupāda: Pravala-devī. Sundarī-dāsī. Darpada dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Dānakelī dāsī. Vaiyāsaki dāsa. Vaiyāsaki means Śukadeva Gosvāmī's another name. So Badarāyaṇi dāsa. Sadārtheya dāsa. Samapriya dāsī. That's all? So, I shall go?

Devotees: Śrīla Prabhupāda! Śrīla Prabhupāda! Śrīla Prabhupāda! (end)

751118IN.BOM

Sannyāsa Initiation

Bombay, November 18, 1975

Prabhupāda: Sannyāsa means that finishing all material desires. The sannyāsa means, real sannyāsa, means no more material desires. It is the beginning of spiritual life. Etāṁ sa āsthāya parātma-niṣṭhā. Parātmā, Bhagavān… To completely devote one's life for service of the Lord. There are āśramas, four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. So sannyāsa means everything sacrificed for Kṛṣṇa's sake. Anāśrita-karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī. Anyone who is working without any aspiration for resultant action…. Our sannyāsīs, they work very hard, preach, they collect money-but not a single farthing for himself. The first of all, the brahmacārī is trained up. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānto guror hitam [SB 7.12.1]. Brahmacārī is trained up to live at the place of guru for the benefit of guru. The same principle, when it is matured and when one dedicates his life for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa… Benefit of Kṛṣṇa means benefit of the whole world. Kṛṣṇa wants sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. A sannyāsī should go door to door. Mahad-vicalanaṁ nṛṇāṁ grhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasām. A sannyāsī is called mahātmā. Why he is mahātmā? Because his ātmā is now broader. Gṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasām. Mahad-vicalanam. Mahātmā travels or wanders country to country, door to door-mahad-vicalanaṁ nṛṇāṁ gṛhiṇām-especially for the householders, dīna-cetasām, whose consciousness or mind is very crippled. They are dīna-cetasām. All these materialistic person, they are simply interested how to enjoy senses; therefore they are called dīna-cetasām, cripple minded. They have no other idea. So to enlighten them it is the duty of the sannyāsī to go from door to door, country to country, just to teach them about the aim of life. That is still going on in India. Still, if a sannyāsī goes in a village, people will come to invite him, try to hear from him.

So you are taking this pledge for serving in front of Kṛṣṇa, Vaiṣṇava, guru, and fire. So you shall be very much cautious not to forget your duty. You have got good opportunity. You are going to Africa to deliver these persons. Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā [SB 2.4.18]. These groups of men are considered very fallen, kirāta, the black men. They are called niṣāda. Niṣāda was born of Vena, King Vena. So they are habituated to steal; therefore they have been given a separate place, African jungles. That is there in the Bhāgavatam. So, but everyone can be delivered. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ ye 'nye ca pāpā. These are known (as) sinful life. But Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "There may be others which is not mentioned here." Ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ: "If they take shelter of a Vaiṣṇava," śudhyanti, "they become purified." So you have to become very rigid Vaiṣṇava; then you will be able to deliver them. Śudhyanti. How they can be purified without taking another birth? Yes. Prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ. Because Vaiṣṇava is going to deliver them, by the power of Viṣṇu they become empowered. So practically we have seen last time when I went to Nairobi, so many, these Africans, they are making progress very nicely. They are making nice questions. They are following rules and regulation. So African people, they are not so much sophisticated or so-called civilized to forget God. But if you work sincerely and if you can deliver one person only by your endeavor, then immediately you become recognized by Kṛṣṇa. Na ca tasmād manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ. This is the quickest way to become recognized by Kṛṣṇa, by preaching work.

So be seriously… You take. This business is very nice, and there is good prospect. Prospect is there for everywhere. It is not that… Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that as there are as many villages and as many towns on the surface of the globe. So His word is not a trifle thing. Yes. There is potency in all the parts of the world to become Vaiṣṇava.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grama

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

So with Caitanya Mahāprabhu's blessing and spiritual strength and with the good wishes of Vaiṣṇavas, just proceed and preach and always think of Kṛṣṇa. He will help. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. If you sincerely work… Kṛṣṇa is within yourself. He will give you strength, instruction. Simply you have to become… But we should always remember that sannyāsa means material activities finished. This is sannyāsa: no more material activities. Only for the service of Kṛṣṇa to live, that's all. (aside:) Give the daṇḍa. So this daṇḍa, there are four daṇḍas. Daṇḍas mean rods. One rod is body, one rod is mind, and one rod is speaking. Kaya mana vākya. And the fourth rod is the self. So you should always remember that taking this daṇḍa means that "My mind, my body, and my words-everything is dedicated to Kṛṣṇa. It will be used only for Kṛṣṇa and for no other purpose." This is called tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa. Come on.

Devotees: Jaya. Haribol. Jaya Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) (end)

760205IN.MAY

Excerpt from Sannyāsa Initiation

of Viraha Prakāśa Swami

Māyāpur, February 5, 1976

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (reading:) "This was spoken by a brāhmaṇa from Avantī deśa. 'I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. This was approved by the previous ācāryas, who are fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramātmā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.' " Purport. "In connection with this verse, which is a quotation from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, Twenty-third Chapter, fifty-eighth verse, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that of the sixty-four items required for rendering devotional service, acceptance of the symbolic marks of sannyāsa is a regulative principle. If one accepts the sannyāsa order, his main business is to devote his life completely to the service of Mukunda, Kṛṣṇa. If one does not completely devote his mind and body to the service of the Lord, he does not actually become a sannyāsī. It is not simply a matter of changing dress. In Bhagavad-gītā, Sixth Chapter, first verse, it is also stated, anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ, sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca: [Bg. 6.1] 'One who works devotedly for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa is a sannyāsī.' The dress is not sannyāsa, but the attitude of service to Kṛṣṇa is. The word paramātmā niṣṭhā means being a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Parātmā-vigraha. Parātmā, the Supreme Person, is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Those who are completely dedicated to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in service are actually sannyāsīs. As a matter of formality, the devotee accepts the sannyāsa dress as previous ācāryas did. He also accepts the three daṇḍas. Later, Viṣṇu Svāmī considered that accepting the dress of a tridaṇḍa was parātma-niṣṭhā. Therefore sincere devotees add another daṇḍa, the jīva daṇḍa, to the three existing daṇḍas. The Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī is known as tridaṇḍī-sannyāsī. The Māyāvādī sannyāsī accepts only one daṇḍa, not understanding the purpose of tridaṇḍa. Later, many persons in the community of Śiva Swami gave up the ātma-niṣṭhā, devotional service of the Lord, and followed the paths of Śaṅkarācārya. Instead of accepting 108 names, those in the Śiva Swami sampradāya follow the path of Śaṅkarācārya and accept the ten names of sannyāsa. Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the then existing order of sannyāsa, namely ekadaṇḍa, He still recited from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about the tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa accepted by the brāhmaṇa of Avantīpura. Indirectly He declared that within the ekadaṇḍa, one daṇḍa, four daṇḍas existed as one. Accepting ekadaṇḍa sannyāsa without parātma-niṣṭhā, devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, is not acceptable to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In addition, according to the exact regulative principles, one should add the jīva-daṇḍa to the tridaṇḍa. These four daṇḍas bound together as one are symbolic of unalloyed devotional service to the Lord. Because the ekadaṇḍī-sannyāsīs of the Māyāvāda school are not devoted to the service of Kṛṣṇa, they try to merge into the Brahman effulgence, which is a marginal position between material and spiritual existence. They accept this impersonal position as liberation. Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, not knowing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a tridaṇḍī, think of Caitanya Mahāprabhu as an ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī. This is due to their vivarta, bewilderment. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no such thing as ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī. Indeed, the tridaṇḍī-sannyāsī is accepted as the symbolic representation of the sannyāsa order. By citing this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted the sannyāsa order recommended in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, who are enamored of the external energy of the Lord, cannot understand the mind of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. To date, all the devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu following in His footsteps accept the sannyāsa order and keep the sacred thread and tuft of unshaved hair. The ekadaṇḍī-sannyāsīs of the Māyāvādī school give up the sacred thread and do not keep any tuft of hair. Therefore they are unable to understand the purport of tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa, and as such, they are not inclined to dedicate their lives to the service of Mukunda. They simply think of merging into the existence of Brahman because of their disgust with material existence. The ācāryas who advocate the daiva-varṇāśrama, the social order of cātur-varṇyam mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā, do not accept the proposition of asura-varṇāśrama, which maintains the social code of varṇa is indicated by birth. The most intimate devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, namely Gadādhara Paṇḍita, accepted tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa and also accepted Mādhava-upādhyāya as his tridaṇḍī-sannyāsī disciple. It is said that from this Madhvācārya, the sampradāya known in Western India as Vallabhācārya sampradāya has begun. Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Bose(?), who is known as smṛti-ācārya in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, later accepted the tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa from Tridaṇḍipāda Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. Although acceptance of tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa is not distinctly mentioned in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava literature, the first verse of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī's Upadeśāmṛta advocates that one should accept the tridaṇḍa-sannyāsa order by controlling the six forces:

vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ

jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam

etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ

sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt

[NoI 1]

'One who can control the forces of speech, mind, anger, belly, tongue and genitals is known as a gosvāmī and is competent to accept disciples all over the world.' The followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu never accepted the Māyāvāda order of sannyāsa, and for this, they cannot be blamed. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Śrīdhara Swami, who was a tridaṇḍī sannyāsī, but the Māyāvāda sannyāsīs, not understanding Śrīdhara Swami, sometimes think that Śrīdhara Swami belonged to the Māyāvāda ekadaṇḍa sannyāsa community. Actually this was not the case."

Prabhupāda: So you should understand the purpose of taking sannyāsa by the example given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

tyaktvā su-dustyaja-surepsita-rājya-lakṣmīṁ

dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam

māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvad

vande mahā-puruṣa te caraṇāravindam

[SB 11.5.34]

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was resident of this place where you are taking sannyāsa. So what was the purpose of His taking sannyāsa? He was very respectable brāhmaṇa, Nimāi Paṇḍita. This tract of land, Navadvīpa, is the place of highly educated brāhmaṇas from time immemorial. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu belonged to a very respectable brāhmaṇa family, the son of Jagannātha Miśra, His grandfather, Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, very respectful, respectable persons. He took birth in that family. Personally He was very beautiful; therefore His another name is Gaurasundara. And He was very learned scholar also; therefore His another name is Nimāi Paṇḍita. So, and in His family life He had very nice, beautiful young wife, Viṣṇupriyā, and very affectionate mother, and He was very influential. You know that. In one day He collected about one hundred thousand followers to protest against the Kazi's order. So in this way His social position was very favorable. Personal position was very favorable. Still, He took sannyāsa, left home. Why? Dayitaye, in order to favor, in order to show mercy to the fallen souls of the world.

So He left a legacy that anyone who has taken birth in India,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

So He exhibited personally how to do para-upakāra, welfare to others, fallen souls. So this sannyāsa means following the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that,

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tara' ei deśa

yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

So not only… We are trying to create a position that not only the Indians have got this responsibility, but according to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, anyone-pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma-they should take up this missionary work. And I am so much obliged to you, you American boys and girls also, that you have taken this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously. And by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu you are taking sannyāsa, some of you. Keep it very perfectly and go from town to town, city to city, village to village, all over the world and spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement so that everyone will be happy. People are very much suffering. Because they are mūḍhas, rascals, they do not know how to adjust living condition in human form. This is the bhāgavata-dharma everywhere. So the human form is not to become a dog, hog, pig. You should become a perfect human being. Śuddhyet sattva. Purify your existence. Why you are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease? Because we are impure. Now if we purify our existence, then there will be no such thing as birth, death, old age, and disease. That is the version of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Kṛṣṇa Himself. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, you become purified and you escape the contamination of birth, death, old age and disease. So try to convince the people in general, the philosophers, the religionists. We have no such thing, sectarian view. Anyone can join this movement and become purified himself. Janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra. So I am very much pleased. You have given already service to the society. Now you take up sannyāsa and preach all over the world so that people may be benefited.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: The daṇḍa. Take this and offer obeisances. So add to your name "Swami," that's all. What is his name?

Devotee: Viraha.

Prabhupāda: Viraha Prakāśa Swami. Bow down. Viraha Prakāśa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the symbolic of viraha prakāśa. Govinda-viraheṇa me. He says, śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. That is viraha-prakāśa, that "Everything is vacant for me without Govinda." That is called viraha. So we should be mad after Govinda. That is govinda-viraheṇa me. Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

760316IN.MAY

Sannyāsa Initiation

Māyāpur, March 16, 1976

Prabhupāda: The mantra,

namaḥ apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

So this purificatory process… According to Vedic system, there is purificatory process. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. "By birth everyone is born a śūdra." A śūdra means without any knowledge and simply full of lamentation. Śocati. So the Vedic process is that, from the low-grade position, to bring the human society to the highest, topmost position. Generally it is… The first, topmost position is to become a brāhmaṇa in the society. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. Four divisions of the social system are there according to quality and work. That is very natural in this world. Everyone is accepted on quality and work. If you have got a qualification of a good lawyer and if you have done very nicely your activities, then you are selected as the high-court judge. The high-court judge is selected amongst the lawyers in the court. It is not appointed from outside. The… A lawyer who has done his legal profession very nicely, the government offers him the post, that "You become a high-court judge." So this quality and work is estimated everywhere and in all circumstances. So Bhagavad-gītā recommends-Kṛṣṇa says personally, the Supreme Personality of Godhead-cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. So that process is applicable at all times. And Nārada Muni, he also gave description to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja while they were talking about the varṇāśrama. So Nārada Muni gave different symptoms of different varṇa: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Then, at the conclusion, he said,

yasya hi yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ

(puṁso) varṇābhivyañjakam

yady anyatrāpi dṛśyeta

tat tenaiva vinirdiśet

[SB 7.11.35]

He said that "I have already explained the different symptoms of different varṇas-'Brāhmaṇa will be like that. Kṣatriya will be like that. Vaiśyas will be like that. Śūdras will be like that.' So," he says, "if these symptoms are found," anyatra… Suppose one is not born in the brāhmaṇa family, he might have taken birth in a lower family, but he has acquired… If he has acquired the qualities of a brāhmaṇa, he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa. This is the process. Or if one is born in a brāhmaṇa family but he has not attained the qualities, neither he is working as a brāhmaṇa, then he should be accepted-either kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. So this is the system. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also wanted to introduce this system.

kibā śūdra kibā vipra nyāsī kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

He never accepted this, that by birth, no. Either he is a brāhmaṇa or he is a śūdra, by caste or by birth, kibā vipra kibā śūdra nyāsī kene naya, either he's a gṛhastha or a sannyāsī, it doesn't matter. He can become a guru. How? Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā. One who knows the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one who understands Kṛṣṇa, he can become a guru. So guru is the post given to the sannyāsīs, to the brāhmaṇas. Without becoming a brāhmaṇa, nobody can become a sannyāsī, and sannyāsī is supposed to be the guru of both all the āśramas and all the varṇas. So the preaching work… We require so many sannyāsīs. People are suffering all over the world for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that there is no scarcity. This is false propaganda. The only scarcity is that there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the difficulty. Actually that is the fact.

Take some practical example. I have traveled all over the world many times. I have seen America from village to village, Africa, Australia. There is so much land vacant that if we properly utilize that, we can produce so much food grains that we can feed ten times as many population as it is now. That's a fact. We do not utilize the land properly. And Kṛṣṇa has given us the formula, annād bhavanti bhūtāni: "You produce anna." Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Then the animals and the human being will be well-fed and they will be happy. If anyone, either animal or man has his belly filled up with sufficient food, he'll never be dissatisfied. That is the nature. So unfortunately we are not following the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. If we follow the whole social system, political system, economic system of the whole world will be very, very nice, and everyone will live very peacefully and there will be no fight, no ism, no schism. Everything will be all right. That is the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a matter of sentiment. No, it is practical. The…

Just like in America they produce huge amount of grains. Sometimes they throw it in the sea on account of overproduction. Why overproduction should be given on the sea? It should be utilized. There are so many people starving. But this political situation is there that everyone is thinking "This is my country. This is my home. This is my land." This is called māyā. Ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti. Everyone is under this impression, "I am this body, and anything belonging to this body, that is mine." or "my nation." This conception should be given up. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Everything belongs to the Supreme Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, the same thing is confirmed.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

[Bg. 5.29]

The śānti… Everyone is trying to have peace-peace of the mind, peace of the society, peace of the nation. Very good. But you do not know how to get this peace. That is described in every Vedic literatures. Therefore Vedic knowledge is so important. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is the leader. He's also a living being like us. He's not a dead stone. He is… Just like Kṛṣṇa. When He comes, He lives like us, just like human being. So similarly the… No, not similarly. Kṛṣṇa is a living being like us. He has got also two hands, two legs, one head, as you have got. But what is the difference between you and Him? The difference is that eka, that singular number living being, vidadhāti kāmān bahūnām, He maintains everyone, and we are maintained. That is the difference. We plural number living entities, we are maintained, and He, the Supreme Lord, being Supreme Being…

In the dictionary, English dictionary, God means Supreme Being. So Supreme Being, He's also living being. He's not a dead stone. The difference is that He is the maintainer, and we are maintained. He is the ruler; we are ruled. This difference we have to understand. And He is the proprietor; we are servants. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy is this. That is a fact. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. So this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is being spread all over the world for the peace of the world, for the peace of the mind, for the peace of the society. So take it very seriously. It is very authorized. It is not a concocted speculation, it is fact. And it is happening so. Now these American boys and girls who have come, spending thousands of rupees here… And they have no such distinction that "Here is Indian. He is African. He is brāhmaṇa. He's kṣatriya." Why? Because they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So this movement is so important that everyone from every part of the world, they should take part in this movement, and there will be peace in the world. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's birthday is today. In this land, in this very spot we are sitting now, He appeared for this mission. And He said that

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haile yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

And that is being done. And the people from all parts of the world, they are responding. There is very, very good scope for spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and learned circle, important men in all parts of the society and world, they are appreciating this mission. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya… It was Caitanya Mahāprabhu's desire that especially those who are born in India, and especially in Bengal, because Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in this land of Bengal, so it is the duty to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But unfortunately they are not coming forward.

Anyway, it doesn't matter whether he is Bengali or am Hindu or Muslim. Anyone who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And there is great necessity, great necessity. And the preaching work is meant for the sannyāsīs. So we have got some sannyāsīs who are doing very nicely, so today we shall make a number of sannyāsīs more to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. And those who are going to take sannyāsa, they should remember how much responsibility they have got. So live like a very strict sannyāsī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu took Himself sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four years. So it is not that in old age one has to take sannyāsa. That is not in the śāstra. From brahmacārī āśrama one can enter into the gṛhastha-āśrama or vānaprastha-āśrama or sannyāsa-āśrama as he thinks fit. There is no such rules and regulation that only the old man without any energy, he'll take sannyāsa. No. Rather, the young men…

Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu did personally. He was twenty-four years old. He had beautiful wife, young wife, sixteen years old, at home, very, very affectionate mother, and His position was very great. Not as a brāhmaṇa, but still, as young man He could collect 100,000's of men by His order only, to make civil disobedience movement upon the Kazi, in this land. So the civil disobedience movement was started by Caitanya Mahāprabhu for a good cause. So there are so many things. I especially appeal to the native of this land to take part in this movement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu for the benefit of the world. And we are trying to construct a very attractive temple here. Let them cooperate. It doesn't matter whether he is Hindu, Muslim. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is for everyone. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Haridāsa Ṭhākura as His chief disciple. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was born in a Muhammadan family, and his mission was to introduce this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva… [Cc. Ādi 17.21].

Devotees: Nāsty eva gatir anyathā.

Prabhupāda: And He made Haridāsa Ṭhākura Namācārya, the ācārya to introduce Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura was chanting three lakhs, counting daily. That means the whole day and night. So, so nice movement, everyone should take part in it and dedicate to the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And it is not at all difficult. It is very easy. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa

yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Anywhere, either you are in this district or that district, it doesn't matter. Either you are at home or outside home, it doesn't matter. You become a guru. Everyone. "How shall I become guru? I have no qualification." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "You don't require any qualification. You simply require one qualification, that you repeat the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. That's all." Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. That's all. You become a guru. Don't adulterate kṛṣṇa-upadeśa like a rascal or nonsense. Present it as it is, Bhagavad-gītā. Then you become a guru. You can become a guru in your family. You can guru your society, your nation, wherever you are. And if it is possible, you go outside and preach this mission of Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore our movement's name is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Whatever Kṛṣṇa says, you accept and preach. You become guru.

Thank you very much. (end)

760404IN.VRN

Initiation Talk Excerpt

Vṛndāvana, April 4, 1976

Prabhupāda: …that we manufacture devotees from any part of the world. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ [SB 2.4.18]. Just immediately we initiated a devotee, Bhrgu Muni dāsa. He is from Iran. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is this, that

pṛthivite āche yata nagarādi-grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted that in every village and every town on the surface of the globe should at least hear Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. So what is your country?

Devotee (1): The United States.

Prabhupāda: The United States. United States, of course, it is going on. In Brazil, other countries, now they spreading. So do it very nicely. What is that?

Devotee (2): Parama-karuṇa.

Prabhupāda: Parama-karuṇa dāsa. Come on.

Devotees: Jaya. Haribol.

Prabhupāda: [break]

…kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

(Hindi?) Huh? And the name? [break] Those who are initiated this evening, I have several times explained what is the meaning of initiation. Initiation means beginning of receiving transcendental knowledge. In the Vedas it is enjoined that in order to understand the transcendental science, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. The human form of life is meant for understanding transcendental knowledge. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. So everyone should be interested to understand the Absolute Truth. But this is Kali-yuga. Practically nobody is interested. The symptoms of Kali-yuga is mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ [SB 1.1.10]. They are very slow or all bad, mandāḥ. And even if one is little anxious, he is victimized by some false way. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. And manda-bhāgyā. Therefore preaching is required to awaken them to spiritual consciousness. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to awaken the victimized soul to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa personally comes to awaken this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's servants, they also try to do the same business on behalf of Kṛṣṇa; therefore Kṛṣṇa recognizes such preachers as very, very dear to Him. Na ca tasmād manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ. So the whole world is suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So those who are initiated, they should decide that "In this life we shall simply serve Kṛṣṇa." That should be the… Dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Bhajanti māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ.

So this is the… Initiation means beginning. Now, if you follow the rules and regulation-no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication up to the drinking of tea and smoking and chewing pan… So these are considered as the four pillars of sinful life. So nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa with sinful activities. That is not possible.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmāṇām

te dvanda-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

So if you are actually serious, approaching Kṛṣṇa-He is paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramam [Bg. 10.12]-you have to cleanse yourself from all sinful activities. So therefore we request everyone to give up these habits: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. Then he becomes gradually purified. And if he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra… Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. One side, he should personally endeavor, and other side, he should chant, ceto-darpaṇa, the method of cleansing the heart.

So we have got many śāstric evidences how one can become completely sinless simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and observing very strictly the four prohibitive rules and regulations. I hope those who are initiated today, you have promised before Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Deity, before Vaiṣṇava, and before the fire to give up these habits and do not take to… Even if you are practiced now, you do not take it again. This is the process of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's initiation. Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to deliver all the sinful men. Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, harināme uddhārilo, tāra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said that "Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (is) so merciful that He delivered all kinds of sinful men," pāpī tāpī, "all types of suffering from material disease." And what is the medicine? Pāpī tāpī yata chilo, harināme uddhārilo. And evidence? Tāra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. You see Jagāi-Mādhāi. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited one example, to deliver Jagāi-Mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi means they were born in a very aristocratic brāhmaṇa family but by bad association they became illicit sex, woman-hunter, drunkards and meat-eaters and gamblers. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, through the mercy of Nityānanda Prabhu, delivered them. And the only promise was that "You promise no more this sinful life. Then I accept you." So if we give up our sinful activity, immediately Caitanya Mahāprabhu takes you. There is no condition, because in this age everyone is addicted to sinful life, but he simply promises that "Henceforward I shall not act anything sinfully," these four principles. Then you go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much. Where is the hat?(?) Give some. Yes, give him five rupees. You have got? (Hindi) (end)

760423IN.MEL

Initiation Lecture Excerpt

Melbourne, April 23, 1976

Prabhupāda: …in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, while teaching Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

The living entities, they are transmigrating from one form of life to another and wandering from one planet to another, sometimes low-grade life, sometimes high-grade life. This is going on. This is called saṁsāra-cakra-vartmani. Last night we were explaining, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. This very word is used, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Very difficult ways of life, to die. Everyone is afraid of dying because after death nobody knows what is going to happen. Those who are foolish, they are animals. Just like animals are being slaughtered, the other animal is thinking that "I am safe." So any person with little intelligence will never like to die and accept another body. And we do not know what kind of body we are going to get. So this initiation by the grace of guru and Kṛṣṇa, do not take it very leniently. Take it very seriously. It is a great opportunity. Bīja means seed, seed of bhakti.

So whatever you have promised before the Lord, before your spiritual master, before fire, before Vaiṣṇavas, never deviate from this promise. Then you will keep fixed up in your spiritual life: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication-these four no's-and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa-one yes. Four no's and one yes. That will make your life successful. It is very easy. It is not difficult. But māyā is very strong, sometimes deviates us. So when there is endeavor by the māyā to deviate us, just pray to Kṛṣṇa, "Please save me. I am surrendered, fully surrendered, and kindly give me protection," and Kṛṣṇa will give you protection. But don't miss this opportunity. That is my request. I have all my good wishes and blessings upon you. So let us take the opportunity of bhakti, bhakti-latā-bīja. Mālī hañā sei bīja kare āropaṇa. So when you get a nice seed, we have to sow it within the earth. The example is, just like if you get very nice seed of first-class rose flower, so you sow it on the ground and just offer little, little water. It will grow. So this seed can be grown by watering. What is that watering? Śravaṇa kīrtana jale karaye secana [Cc. Madhya 19.152]. This watering of the seed, bhakti-latā, is śravaṇa-kīrtana, hearing and chanting. So you will hear from the sannyāsīs and the Vaiṣṇavas more and more about it. But do not miss this opportunity. That is my request.

Thank you very much. (end)

760615IN.DET

Initiations

Detroit, June 15, 1976

Prabhupāda: You go on with your mantra. You can perform bathing ceremony. (chants Brahma-saṁhitā and Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā ślokas responsively for installation of Gaura-Nitāi Deities) That's all. Now what is next? [break] What are the regulative principles?

Initiate: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, (pauses) no eating meat.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughter)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mitrātmaja dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Your name is Mitrātmaja. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Randy prabhu?

Prabhupāda: Oh, he is not shaven-headed? You have not shaven your head? Why you have not shaven your head?

Randy: Umm, because I have a full-time job. I work in a company.

Prabhupāda: Hmm? What is that full-time job?

Mādhavānanda: He's working at a very responsible job.

Prabhupāda: Somewhere. Where?

Mādhavānanda: At Burroughs Corporation.

Prabhupāda: All right. So what are the rules and regulations?

Randy: The four principles are no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex life.

Prabhupāda: So, what?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Ramiya.

Prabhupāda: Ramiya dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jim prabhu, Jim from Detroit.

Prabhupāda: Tad-viddhi praṇipātena [Bg. 4.34]. Praṇipātena. This is praṇipāt. So what are the rules and regulations?

Jim: No eating of meat, fish or eggs, no illicit sex, no intoxication, and no speculation.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jiyātulya.

Prabhupāda: Jiyātulya dāsa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: John from Detroit. Not John D., just John.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. You are also responsible officer?

Mādhavānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So what are the rules and regulations?

John: No illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no gambling and no intoxication.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Juṣya.

Prabhupāda: Juṣya dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Margaret.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know what are the rules and regulations?

Margaret: No meat-eating, no illicit sex life, no intoxication, and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: She's married.

Mādhavānanda: To that boy

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mihira-kanyā.

Prabhupāda: Mihira-kanyā.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: John D.? From Detroit. John D.

Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?

John D.: No gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no eating meat.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Paramparā dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Paramparā das.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: From Chicago, Glenn.

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?

Glenn: One must not engage in meat-eating, illicit sex, gambling or mental speculation, or intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Gaura dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Gaura dāsa. (japa)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jim from Chicago. Ann Arbor, Miles from Ann Arbor.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: He's working, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So, what are the rules and regulations.

Initiate: No meat-eating, no illicit sex life, no intoxication and no gambling.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mitravān dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Mitravan dāsa. Come on.

Mitravān: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Linda from Ann Arbor.

Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Amara prabhu.

Prabhupāda: Amara is male name. Amarā. Make it Amarā. Amarā. Amarā dāsī. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Matthew from St. Louis.

Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?

Matthew: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. What is name?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mathurā-pati.

Prabhupāda: Mathurā-pati das.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jim from (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?

Jim: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Citta-vratā.

Prabhupāda: Citta-vratā dāsa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: From the Rādhā-Dāmodara traveling party, Lenny.

Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?

Lenny: No meat, fish or eggs, no intoxication, no gambling, no illicit sex.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Cakrī.

Prabhupāda: Cakrī dāsa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: John?

Prabhupāda: You did not… What are the rules and regulations? (japa) What are the rules and regulations?

John: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, and no gambling.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Śāśvata.

Prabhupāda: Śāśvata dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: John prabhu, from Rādhā-Dāmodara party, is he here? John Rhode? Is he here? Lazlow?

Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?

Lazlow: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Viśva.

Prabhupāda: Viśva das.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jim from Chicago.

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?

Jim: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no gambling.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jitendriya.

Prabhupāda: Jitendriya das.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: John from Rādhā-Dāmodara?

Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations? [break]

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sergio! (devotee comes up)

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations? Huh? What are the rules and regulations?

Sergio: No meat, fish or egg eating, no gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Śaṅkhi.

Prabhupāda: Śaṅkha dāsa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Henry?

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?

Henry: No meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex, no intoxication.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Ajñāya.

Prabhupāda: Ajñāya das.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Are there any prabhus I may have overlooked? First initiations?

Prabhupāda: Now, where is the yajña? Will perform yajña? Begin, begin. (japa) Begin, begin. (gives some instructions) (fire sacrifice continues, Pradyumna recites prayers) (end)

760617IN.TOR

Initiation Lecture

Toronto, June 17, 1976

Prabhupāda: I have to speak something?

Pradyumna: If you like. There are some Indians, if you want to speak.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Pradyumna: You could if you wish.

Prabhupāda: Where is Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa?

Pradyumna: He's very behind on typing or something, so he wanted to…

Prabhupāda: Oh. So this is… So many devotees are being initiated. So initiation means, the Sanskrit word is dīkṣā. Dīkṣā, divya jñānaṁ kṣapayati iti dīkṣā. Divya-jñāna. There are two kinds of knowledge: divya and mundane. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. This is the instruction of Mahārāja… What is? Bhārata Mahārāja's father?

Pradyumna: Ṛṣabhadeva.

Prabhupāda: Ṛṣabhadeva. Ṛṣabhadeva is the father of Mahārāja Bhārata, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. From Mahārāja Bhārata. Formerly, the king of Bhāratavarṣa… The whole planet was called Bhāratavarṣa. So this… Before that, it was known as Ilāvativarṣa. So Mahārāja Bhārata, the eldest son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Ṛṣabhadeva was incarnation of God. So He advised His one hundred sons, "My dear boys, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam [SB 5.5.1]." Before retirement and making Bhārata Mahārāja the emperor of the world, He gave them advice. It is the duty of the father. Generally, we do also. Before retirement, the instruction is given by the father how to rule over the kingdom or manage the business. Anyone, as it is. So retirement was compulsory. Not that unless he's shot dead he's not going to retire. No. This was not Vedic civilization. At the present moment there is no Vedic civilization. Nobody is going to retire unless he shot dead. But Vedic civilization was not like that. Retirement compulsory. Brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Four divisions of spiritual order. Human life is meant for spiritual realization. And sense gratification is animal life. This meeting is for the human beings, not for the cats and dogs. They cannot come here, neither they will understand what is going on here. A human body, human being, has the chance to understand the philosophy of life as it was enunciated by Ṛṣabhadeva.

He said,

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke

kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye

tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ

śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam

[SB 5.5.1]

He said, "My dear boys, this human form of life," ayaṁ deha, this body… Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājām. Everyone has got body. The Brahmā has got body and the small insect, it has got also body. The spirit soul is encaged in this material body. So lower than human being up to the animals, there are so many forms of life. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. In this way, varieties of life. But Ṛṣabhadeva said, "Now you have got this human form of life, don't spoil it like the hogs and dogs simply by sense gratification." Sense gratification is available by the hogs and dogs also. That was the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva. And what is the duty of human life? Tapo, tapasya. Tapasya. Voluntarily accepting some inconvenience. That is called tapasya. Generally, we want loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityasta jantu. Jantu, when one is not on the platform of spiritual understanding, they are called jantu. Jantu means anyone who has got life. The cats and dogs, they have also got life. So loke, in this material world, vyavāya āmiṣa madya sevā. Vyavāya means sex indulgence, sex life. And āmiṣa means meat, fish, egg-eating. Āmiṣa. Therefore vegetarian diet is called nirāmiṣa, not āmiṣa. So it is general tendency of the living being to become āmiṣa, to eat meat. That is the general laws of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. One living entity is the life for another living entity. Ahastāni sahastānām. There are animals, two-legged animals, and there are four-legged animals. The four-legged animals is the food for the two-legged animals. So long we remain as animals, then there is the necessity of eating meat. Ahastāni sahastānām. Hasta means hands. So those who are living like animals, only two legs. The other animals, four legs, and here is an animal of two legs, dvipad-paśu. For them, the animal is eatable, āmiṣa-madya sevā. And drinking wine, or intoxication, and vyavāya, sex life. Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya sevayā nityastu jantu. So long he is jantu, these things are required. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. That is general tendency. But when one gives up voluntarily for higher status of life, that is called nivṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-mārga and nivṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-mārga means to fulfill these desires, āmiṣa vyavāya madya sevā. But when one is trained up to give up these habits, that is called nirvrtti-mārga. So we have got so many pravṛttis, inclinations. But when you voluntarily give up all these nonsense habits, that is called nivṛtti-mārga and tapasya.

So human life is meant for tapasya. Tapo-divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. Don't be carried away by the general, menial, abominable tendencies. Therefore tapasya required. Tapa, we prescribe for tapasya no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling. This is tapasya. This is tapasya. We have to accept if we want superior position of life. Tapo divyam. Tapasya, the aim of tapasya is to be situated on the transcendental platform of knowledge. Tapo divyam. So this life, this human form of life, is meant for tapasya and transcendental knowledge. This is the purport. Not to waste this life, this human form of life, ayaṁ deha. The cats and dogs also have deha, body. The… Analyze the body of a dog and analyze your body, what is the difference? No difference. There is blood, there is flesh, there is vein, there is so many things, all common things. Then what is the difference between the cat's body and dog's body and your body? The advancement of knowledge and consciousness. So for that divyam, knowledge, one has to be initiated. Divyam, dīkṣā means beginning of transcendental knowledge. So Vedic civilization is janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. By birth, everyone is born a śūdra, fourth-class man. But there is chance of the fourth-class man to become the first-class man. That is possible. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Everyone, when he's born by the sex behavior of the father and mother, he's a śūdra. Then saṁskārād-bhaved dvija. By saṁskāra, by the purificatory method, this tapasya, he's becomes a dvija. Dvi means twice and ja means birth, second birth. Saṁskārād-bhaved dvija. Then when he becomes dvija, properly initiated, then he's allowed to read Vedic literature. Veda-patha. Śūdra cannot. If you remain a śūdra, no saṁskāra, no purification, then you have no right to understand Vedic knowledge. Either you have no right or you cannot understand. Why… The Bhagavad-gītā is there throughout the whole world. Everyone knows Bhagavad-gītā. But they have misunderstood, because they are kept śūdra. Veda-patha. First of all, by birth, he's a śūdra, and when he's purified, then he becomes dvija. Dvija, the sacred thread is, means that this man… Upanayana. This is called upanayana. Upa means near and nayana means bringing. So when one is brought nearer to the spiritual master and he accepts him as his disciple, he gives the sacred thread as badge, that "This man is now dvija, twice-born. He's no more śūdra. He's brāhmaṇa." So he has the right to read the Vedic literature.

So the Bhagavad-gītā is the summary of all Vedic knowledge. So if we pass through this process of divya-jñāna, dīkṣā, then we rightly understand what is Bhagavad-gītā or we become interested that what is the lesson of Bhagavad-gītā. Veda pathād bhaved vipra. After reading… Bhagavad-gītā is the summary of Vedic literature. You cannot read all the Vedas at the present moment, neither you have time, nor you have got the capacity. In this Kali-yuga, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo [SB 1.1.10], everyone is fallen. Manda-bhāgyā. So this human life should be utilized for understanding the Vedic knowledge, divya-jñāna; then he'll be purified, tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyed sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. My existential identity will be purified. At the present moment it is not purified. Because it is not purified, therefore we are repeatedly dying. But there is no knowledge how to stop death. They think death is natural. It is not natural. It is unnatural. They do not know it. But in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll get the information, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin: "The soul is never born, never dies." Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. "I see he's died, he is dead." No, he's not dying, his body is being annihi…Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. By seeing the body is destroyed don't think he's destroyed. He'll get another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. So this is our position. We have accepted one body, and we live in that body for some days, and then again we give up this body, tathā dehāntara-prāptir. So this is disease. So in order to get out of this disease there is necessity of tapasya, how to stop this disease.

So this initiation means… Don't think that it is something official, ritualistic ceremony, and as soon as we get the initiation, now we have become perfect, and then whatever nonsense I like I can do. No. Tapasya must continue. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. In order to purify yourself, your existence, you have to continue the tapasya-no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. If you follow these five principles, then your existence will be purified, you'll understand Kṛṣṇa from the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll know Kṛṣṇa, you'll know what is the purpose of life. The purpose of life is to understand Kṛṣṇa. There is no other business in this human form of life, but because we have given up Kṛṣṇa we have invented so many occupational duties. So these so-called occupational duties, running here and there on motorcar, is not the end of life. There is something more for the human being, and that is divya-jñāna. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam, yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam [SB 5.5.1]. Why shall I purify my existence? Because you want happiness. That is your desire. So you'll get brahma-saukhyam, the greatest happiness, which will never end. If you purify your existence by tapasya then you will be happy eternally. There will be no end. Here in this material world any happiness is temporary-either for five minutes or five days or five years or five hundred years or five millions of years. It will end. But if you purify your existence, then the happiness will never end. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam [SB 5.5.1]. Anantam means unlimited. It is very serious thing, and it is offered to the human being. So anyone can take advantage of this opportunity and make his life successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya!

Hari-śauri: …all mixed up. [break] …got to do the men first, then the women… [break] …initiated.

Prabhupāda: No. Why the men? Anyone can come. Take one, yes.

Devotee: Steve? Steve? (devotee offers obeisances)

Prabhupāda: So you know the rules and regulations?

Steve: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling, and no illicit sex life.

Prabhupāda: And chanting?

Steve: Sixteen rounds per day.

Prabhupāda: Minimum.

Pradyumna: Sthiti-kartā dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Your spiritual name, Sthiti-kartā dāsa.

Devotees: Jaya, Haribol. (another devotee offers obeisances)

Devotee: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: You know what are the rules and regulations, regulative principles?

Devotee: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: Your spiritual name, Gauḍīya dāsa.

Hari-śauri: Robert Richards? (devotee offers obeisances)

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees chant japa) What are the rules and regulations?

Robert: No illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no gambling, and no intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Prabhu-pati dāsa.

Hari-śauri: Bhakta Lloyd?

Prabhupāda: Is he a doctor?

Hari-śauri: Bhakta.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. What are the rules and regulations?

Lloyd: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling and no meat-eating.

Prabhupāda: Līlā-kīrtana dāsa. (another devotee offers obeisances) What are the rules?

Devotee: No illicit sex life, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating, and minimum sixteen rounds.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Pradyumna: Devideva dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Devideva dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. What are the rules and regulations?

Devotee: No illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat-eating, chanting minimum sixteen rounds of Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Pradyumna: Deśikā dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Diksik?

Pradyumna: Deśikā

Prabhupāda: Oh. Deśikā dāsa.

Hari-śauri: Bhakta Ivan?

Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?

Ivan: No intoxication, no meat-eating, no sex illicit, no gambling.

Pradyumna: Īśāvatāra dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Īśāvatāra dāsa.

Hari-śauri: Richard Hoffman?

Prabhupāda: (japa) What are the rules and regulations?

Richard: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling.

Pradyumna: Ṛṣi dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Ṛṣi dāsa.

Hari-śauri: Gary Hannon?

Prabhupāda: What are the rules?

Gary: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling.

Prabhupāda: Gurubhāvanā dāsa.

Hari-śauri: Bhakta Allen?

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?

Allen: No gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no illicit sex.

Prabhupāda: So after performance of the sacrifice, those who are to be doubly initiated, how many? Eight. They may come upstairs, one by one. So one thing I request that these promises-no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling-these promises are made by you before Kṛṣṇa, before the fire, before the Vaiṣṇavas and before your spiritual master. Don't break it. It will be great sin. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)

760822IN.HYD

Initiation Lecture

Hyderabad, August 22, 1976

Prabhupāda: So this morning we are having initiation ceremony for some devotees. The initiation means beginning. The Sanskrit name is dīkṣā. Dīkṣā, divya-jñānaṁ kṣapayati iti dīkṣā. Initiation, beginning of spiritual life. This is the Vedic function. Every human being must be initiated in Vedic culture, to make his life fulfilled, successful, because we are born animals. Animal means one who does not know except four things: eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. These are animal life. So a dog is interested in eating, sleeping, sex life, and defense, and if the man also remains in the same platform-eating, sleeping, sex life and defense-then he is no better than dog. Human beings, from this dog platform, can be raised to God platform. That is possible. And human life is meant for that purpose. Therefore in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said athāto brahma jijñāsā. Human life is meant for inquiring about Brahman, the Absolute Truth.

So this brahma-jijñāsā, if one is actually interested in brahma-jijñāsā, then he requires a guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. If one is actually interested. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. So guru is required for one who is actually interested in the highest status of life. Those who are like cats and dogs, they do not require guru. A dog does not require. He knows very well how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, how to defend. That does not require any guru. By nature all animals know it. So the human life has got special knowledge, special advancement of consciousness. He can understand. So if he is refused or if he is kept in darkness, as it is being done by the modern civilization… Everyone is being kept on the platform of eating, sleeping, sex and defending. That's all. This is going on in the name of humanity, nationality and so on. But the business is the same. The business is the same: eating, sleeping, mating and defending, as the cats and dogs are doing. In a different way only. The dogs, they enjoy sex life on the street without any shame, and if a human being arranges for the same purpose, nice apartment, sixth-floor building and all… But the purpose is the same. Eating is the same. No. Beyond this one has to go. Therefore the Vedic injunction is tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham [MU 1.2.12].

So some of the devotees who are now eager to accept the spiritual life very seriously, and they have come to take initiation, this is the first initiation. And after some time when they are accustomed, they… Now they have to promise that they'll give up four sinful activities. Sinful activity… If you indulge in sinful activities there cannot be any spiritual advancement. That is not possible. Just like here there will be fire. If you favorably ignite the fire, it will be blazing. But if you ignite the fire and pour water at the same time, then there will be no blazing fire. Similarly, to advance in spiritual life and at the same time indulge in sinful activities will not help us. The sinful act… The basic principles of sinful activities are mentioned in the śāstra-striya, sūnā, dyūta, pāna. Pāna means intoxication, including chewing pan and drinking tea. Chaya pāna. So one has to give up this pāna. And drinking, smoking, drinking tea, chewing pan should be given up. Pāna. This is one of the pillar of the sinful activity. And meat-eating. Meat, fish, eggs, they should be given up. And gambling, dyūta, pāna dyūta [SB 1.17.38], that should be given up. And avaidha stri-saṅgi should be given up. In this way, if you become cleansed, then… Just like if we get dry wood, then the fire ignites very easily. If we get moist wood, then it takes some time. So voluntarily we should give up these sinful activities. Then spiritual advancement of life will be very quick. And those who are being first-initiated, they must chant at least sixteen rounds. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ. The Gosvāmīs, they showed us the way. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka. So many rounds we must chant, at least. Haridas Ṭhākura was chanting three hundred thousand times. We cannot do that. That is not possible. So we have made a minimum, sixteen rounds. So those who are being initiated, they must chant at least sixteen rounds. If they can increase, it is better. But not less than that. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ. So these things should be observed, and always pray to Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa, I have taken shelter of You. Kindly guide me." And He is prepared to guide. He says, "If a devotee surrenders and wants My guide…" He says,

teṣām evānukampārtham

aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ

nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho

jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā

[Bg. 10.11]

So Kṛṣṇa is always ready to help us provided we are eager to take His help. Then jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā. When Kṛṣṇa takes charge of making you enlightened in knowledge, who can be better person of knowledge, man of knowledge, or wise, than a devotee? A devotee, they say a devotee… Only the foolish person who has no knowledge, he becomes a devotee. That is a wrong conception. Without full knowledge, nobody can become devotee. Because he has no scarcity of knowledge. Kṛṣṇa says, jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā. He gives special-teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ [Bg. 10.11]. "Darkness I drive away." Ajñāna-jaṁ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho. So take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and avoid these four principles of sinful life and chant sixteen rounds. Then easily you become advanced in spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, you become liberated immediately. Janma karma ca divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9].

īhā yasya harer dāsye

karmaṇā manasā vācā

nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu

jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate

Anyone who has sincere desire to serve Kṛṣṇa by his work, karmaṇā, manasā, by his mind, by his words,… So either you engage your activities, your mind, your words, in the service of Kṛṣṇa… Or out of three, at least two, at least one. Then your life is successful. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that this simple activity doesn't require…, nobody requires a very high standard education to understand Kṛṣṇa or to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Very simple thing. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Here is Kṛṣṇa Deity. You see every day and think of Him. It is very easy. As soon as you become practiced to see the Deity, the impression is within your mind. So you can think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā. And because you come to the temple and always see Kṛṣṇa and His daily program, then you become a bhakta. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. Mad-yājī, you worship Kṛṣṇa. Whatever you have got, little patram, puṣpam, phalam, toyam [Bg. 9.26], just try to offer. And at last just offer respectful obeisances. Then you become perfect. You become eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. Very simple thing. It is not at all difficult, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anyone. There is no distinction. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. Never mind one is born in low-grade family, but still he can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya, striyo śūdrās tathā te 'pi yānti parām. Everything is open.

So not only the devotees who are being initiated today, I request all of you, please come here daily. See the Deity. Even if you cannot offer anything. I think everyone can offer, I think, a flower can be offered, a little fruit can be offered. Even if you do not offer, just come here, see the Deity and take the impression within your mind and offer obeisances. Just see. And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everyone, there is no restriction. So that is our request. We have opened this branch in your city. It is a very prominent place. You can come and take the advantage.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break]

Harikeśa: Kṛṣṇa-kiśora dāsa.

Prabhupāda: What are the rules?

Devotee (1): Four rules.

Devotee (2): No intoxication, no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling.

Harikeśa: Kṛṣṇa-kiśora dāsa.

Prabhupāda: So your spiritual name, Kṛṣṇa-kiśora dāsa. What are the rules and regulations? (Hindi) He does not understand English? Hindi?

Devotee (3): No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex life, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Harikeśa: Sudhīra dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Sudhīra. Dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. You are sudhīra.

Harikeśa: Vrajeśvara Prāṇa?

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations? (Hindi)

Devotee (4): (Hindi) And chanting sixteen rounds daily.

Harikeśa: Viśvarāja dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Very good name. Viśvarāja dāsa. Viśvarāja is Kṛṣṇa.

Harikeśa: Rangachala Pati Veo?

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?

Devotee (5): Pardon?

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?

Devotee (5): (Hindi) No meat, onions, tea, wine, and all these four principles.

Prabhupāda: Illicit sex.

Devotee (5): Illicit.

Harikeśa: Rāmasvarūpa dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Rāmasvarūpa dāsa.

Harikeśa: Rādhā-sakhī dāsī.

Prabhupāda: Rādhā-sakhī dāsī. That's all?

Harikeśa: For second initiation, Śrīkāra dāsa and Yoga dāsa.

Prabhupāda: So they can come to me at three o'clock. Or in the evening after…

Hari-śauri: We'll be here tomorrow, also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They can come in the evening about five o'clock. So now you can perform yajña. So I can go?

Harikeśa: Yes. (end)

760831IN.DEL

Delhi Initiations

Delhi, August 31, 1976

Prabhupāda: They have got neckbeads?

Pradyumna: Everyone has their neckbeads? Yes. Bhakta Adira?

Devotee (1): Kṛṣṇa dāsa.

Prabhupāda: His family?

Pradyumna: His name is Abhayāśraya.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) So kya niyama hai?

Adira: (says four rules in Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Abhayāśraya.

Pradyumna: Bhakta Allen? Ātmānanda? Ātma-tattva dāsa.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Kya niyama hai?

Allen: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no gambling.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Ātmānanda dāsa.

Pradyumna: Ātma-tattva dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Ātma-tattva dāsa.

Devotees: Jaya!

Pradyumna: Lakṣmaṇa? Bhakta Lakṣmaṇa?

Devotee: Pay full obeisances. Fall flat.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Kya niyama hai?

Laksman: (Hindi)

Pradyumna: Lakṣmīśa dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Lakṣmīśa dāsa.

Devotee: Lasmīśvara.

Devotees: Jaya.

Pradyumna: Robin?

Prabhupāda: While coming they should be careful not to touch feet anything. These people, they do not know. Especially…

Lokanātha: (Hindi) Do not touch any of these things with your feet.

Prabhupāda: What are the rules and regulations?

Robin: No egg or fish, no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, and no gambling.

Pradyumna: Atīndra dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Atīndra dāsa.

Pradyumna: Roger?

Prabhupāda: Walk very carefully. You should come very carefully to get beads.(?)

Lokanātha: Excuse me, prabhus. I'll repeat one more time, do not touch any of these things. Be careful.

Prabhupāda: Not touch nor cross.

Lokanātha: Not even go over it. It is offensive. Please make a way.

Prabhupāda: What are the rules?

Roger: No intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex. Chant sixteen rounds daily.

Pradyumna: Revatī-kumāra.

Prabhupāda: Revatī-kumāra dāsa.

Pradyumna: Satyānanda?

Devotee: Namaḥ oṁ should be uttered, should be a vibration. Otherwise, Nectar of Devotion says it's offense.

Satyānanda: (Hindi) …chaya, coffee, cigarettes, bidi, gañja.

Pradyumna: Siddhārtha dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Siddhārtha dāsa.

Pradyumna: Dharma?

Lokanātha: Prabhupāda? These are his beads you were chanting on before.

Prabhupāda: No shaving?

Lokanātha: He's Tejas's man. I don't know. He is just a visitor, householder. He's in business.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but give him initiation. (Hindi)

Lokanātha: (indistinct) initiation, do it first?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Lokanātha: I'll ask him.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jaya, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Nobody said to him? You did not know. Let him shave up. Then we shall… You should. You are introducing, you did not know? Then who has introduced?

Lokanātha: Tejas.

Prabhupāda: Tejas is not saying and you also not detect. You should be very careful. If you remain ignorant, all ignorant, then where is progress? Everything ignorant I have to find out. So many big, big monkeys, nobody could find out. Big, big monkey, big, big belly. You also did not. That's all… Who is next?

Pradyumna: That is all, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So? (Hindi) [break] Yes. Because some of them, they could not follow Hindi.

Pradyumna: I'll just do it fast. First nāma-aparādha is (Sanskrit verse) Paramam aparādham The saintly persons who are spreading the glories of the holy name, if we abuse them, if we make offense at the people who are spreading the glories of the holy name, then the holy name will never tolerate that. How can the holy name tolerate the abuse of those who are spreading the glories of the holy name? So we must understand that a saintly person, a sādhu, satām, spreading the glories of Kṛṣṇa, talking about Kṛṣṇa, must never be offended. Must always be very careful. Sādhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. You must know how to associate with the sādhus, to always honor them and worship them and not to make offense. The second offense is that we should not put the…, understand that the names of Śrī Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu-tattva personalities, which are completely spiritual, are the same as the material designations of jīvas like ourselves. There's Viṣṇu-tattva, there is jīva. Viṣṇu-tattva is God; jīva is this ordinary living entity. The name of the Supreme is the same as the Supreme. The name of the jīva is different from the jīva. So we should not confuse these. We should understand the name of Viṣṇu is the same as Viṣṇu. The name of jīva is not the same. So the names of demigods-the demigods are also jīvas-their names are not spiritual. If we call names of some demigods, it will not do us the same spiritual…, it will not give us this spiritual result as calling the name of Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Therefore during the time of initiation we change the name. A spiritual name is given. Go on.

Pradyumna: Because that spiritual name has…, because the name of Kṛṣṇa, a name of Hari, has the spiritual potency; therefore we use the name of Hari as much as possible. Haridāsa…

Prabhupāda: Dāsa. Not that name, but the name's servant. Dāsa. When one is named Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa dāsa, he is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Not that Kṛṣṇa. If he thinks, "I have become Kṛṣṇa," that is Māyāvāda. Kṛṣṇa dāsa. Go on.

Pradyumna: The next offense is guror avajñā, to neglect or disrespect the orders of the spiritual master. Because the spiritual master is the external representation of the internal Kṛṣṇa, whatever the spiritual master says is to be taken as exactly what Kṛṣṇa's desire is. Kṛṣṇa is within all of us as Paramātmā, but because we cannot see Him, because He is adhokṣaja, or above our senses, therefore that same Kṛṣṇa within appears without as the spiritual master, and he gives us instructions, and these are taken to be the same as Kṛṣṇa's instructions. So to disrespect the orders of the guru is not to make any progress on the spiritual path. Na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. There can be no gatiḥ, there can be no spiritual achievement without following the orders of the spiritual master. Because the order of the spiritual master is the same as Kṛṣṇa's order. Śruti-śāstra-nindanam. One should not make blasphemy the śruti, which are the Vedas, and śāstra, the śāstras which follow the Vedas. This is Mahābhārata, the Purāṇas, the itihāsa, the smṛti. Śruti-smṛti. These are the two eyes. It is said the brāhmaṇa has two eyes: one is śruti, one is smṛti. So by these śāstras we can understand, because the śāstras are made by God, because they are emanating from God; therefore they are perfect. As Kṛṣṇa…

Prabhupāda: Not different. Not different from God.

Pradyumna: Because God is perfect, because Kṛṣṇa is perfect, therefore His words and His ideas are also perfect. So these śāstras are the words of God. So they are also perfect. So the śruti-śāstra-nindanam means to think that there may be something wrong in the scripture or to take one verse out of Bhagavad-gītā and reject another verse. Because it is all coming from Kṛṣṇa and is all perfect, therefore everything is perfect within it. We must accept everything. We must accept it without any…, as being without any fault. So śruti-śāstra-nindanam. We should not think that it has any imperfection, that "This may be wrong." Śruti-śāstra-nindanam hari-nāmni kalpanam. We should not think that the…, should not speculate on the nature of the holy name.

Prabhupāda: Go on, next. Nāmnād balād pāpa-buddhiḥ.

Pradyumna: Nāmnād balād pāpa-buddhir na tasya śuddhiḥ, na tasya vidyate śuddhir yamaiḥ. The next offense is that…, if by chanting the holy name one becomes relieved from all his past sinful reactions. So if one thinks that "I will perform sinful activities. I'll have illicit sex, I'll eat meat, fish… (end)

Cornerstone Ceremonies

750123CS.BOM

Cornerstone Laying

Bombay, January 23, 1975

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) Hm? You bring. You can bring one chair here. (pause)

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca

janā na vidur āsurāḥ

na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro

na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate

[Bg. 16.7]

asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te

jagad āhur anīśvaram

aparaspara-sambhūtaṁ

kim anyat kāma-haitukam

[Bg. 16.8]

etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya

naṣṭātmānaḥ alpa-buddhayaḥ

prabhavanty ugra-karmāṇaḥ

kṣayāya jagataḥ ahitāḥ

[Bg. 16.9]

Just like we were talking of industries. The industries, they are mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā as ugra-karma. Ugra-karma means ferocious activities. For livelihood, we require our maintenance. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-mai… These are the primary necessities of this body, material body. For that, Kṛṣṇa has said, annād bhavanti bhūtāni [Bg. 3.14]. Anna-means food grains-we require. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. That food grains we can produce very easily by agriculture. In another place, Kṛṣṇa says, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]. We can produce sufficient food grains for our maintenance, and the whole world has got sufficient land. I have traveled over the world at least fourteen times. During the last eight years, I have traveled all over the world, even interior. I have seen there is enough land, especially in Africa, in Australia, in America, and we can produce so much food grains that ten times of this present population can be easily maintained. Ten times. There is no scarcity of food. But the difficulty is that we have demarcated, "This is my land." Somebody says, "This is America, my land," "Australia, my land," "The Africa, my land," "India, my land." This "my" and "I." Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This is called illusion, that "I" and "my." "I am this body, and this is my property." This is called illusion. And this illusion, if we stand on this platform of illusion, then we are no better than the animals.

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ

yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij

janeṣu abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

[SB 10.84.13]

Go means cow, and kharaḥ means ass. Those who are in the bodily concept of life, ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8], they are no better than these asses and the cows, means the animals. This is going on. I'll not take much of your time, but I shall try to convince you what is the purpose of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The purpose of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to save the human society from becoming animals, cows and asses. This is the movement. They have established their civilization… As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, animal or asuric civilization, asuric civilization, beginning is pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ. The asuric, demonic, civilization, they do not know in which way we have to guide ourself for attaining the perfection of life, pravṛtti, and nivṛtti, and which we shall not take-favorable and unfavorable. Human life… Everyone knows, "This is favorable for me, and this is unfavorable for me." So āsurāḥ janā, those who are demonic persons, they do not know this, that "What is favorable for me and what is not favorable for me." Pravṛttiṁ nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ, na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ: "There is no cleanliness, nor good behavior." Na satyaṁ teṣu vidya…: "And there is no truth in their life." This is asuric. We have heard many times, "asuras," "asuric civilization," "demonic civilization." This is the beginning.

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca

janā na vidur āsurāḥ

na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro

na satyaṁ teṣu…

[Bg. 16.7]

Satyam, there is no truthfulness. And just the first-class life means the brāhmaṇa life. Satyaṁ śaucaṁ tapo. The beginning is satyam. The asuric life is no satya, no truth, and the first-class life in human society, the brāhmaṇas, is satyaṁ śaucaṁ tapo, and titikṣa ārjavaḥ āstikyaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam. This is first-class life.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to create a class of men ideal, first-class men with satyaṁ śaucaṁ tapo śamaḥ damaḥ titikṣaḥ. This is godly civilization. And this godly civilization can be given to the whole world by India. That is India's special privilege. Because in other countries beyond India they are almost āsuri-janā and ugra-karma. The industries and other ugra-karma has come from the Western countries. But by this way people will never be happy. That is very elaborately explained in the Sixteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā. Duṣpūra akaṅkṣa. Their desire will never be satisfied by this material advancement. They do not know. They are forgetting. So we selected this Bombay. Bombay city is the best city, most advanced city in India, the best city in India. And people are also very nice. They are religiously inclined. They are opulent. They can take up better things very nicely. Therefore I wanted to start this center, Bombay, for spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Although there have been many impediments in my endeavor, still, ultimately it is Kṛṣṇa's business. It will come successful. So today… The foundation and cornerstone establishment was done two years before, but there were many, many impediments from the asuric janā. Now, some way or other, we have got little relief from such impediments. So we are putting this cornerstone this auspicious day, and I am very glad that you have joined us.

So the mission is very, very authorized, and it comprehends a very large jurisdiction of activities. Therefore my request is that the inhabitants of Bombay, especially those who are our members, they will kindly take active part, how to make this institution very successful in Bombay. So many ladies and gentlemen are present here. We are, whatever we are doing it is not whimsical or mental concoction. It is authorized and just to the standard of Bhagavad-gītā. Our present movement is based on Bhagavad-gītā-Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We don't interpret. We do not interpret foolishly because… I say purposefully this word "foolishly," that why should we interpret Kṛṣṇa's words? Am I more than Kṛṣṇa? Or did Kṛṣṇa leave some portion to be explained by me by interpretation? Then what is the importance of Kṛṣṇa? If I give my own interpretation, thinking myself more than Kṛṣṇa, this is blasphemy. How I can become more than Kṛṣṇa? If actually we want to take advantage of this Bhagavad-gītā, then we must take Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Just like Arjuna took. Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he said, sarvam etam ṛtaṁ manye: "I accept all the words, my dear Keśava, whatever You have said. I accept them in toto, without any change." This is understanding of Bhagavad-gītā, not that I take advantage of the Bhagavad-gītā and I interpret in my foolish way so that people will accept my philosophy. This is not Bhagavad-gītā. There is no question of interpretation in the Bhagavad-gītā. Interpretation is allowed when you cannot understand. When the things are clearly understood… If I say, "This is microphone," everyone understands this is microphone. Where is the necessity of interpreting it? There is no necessity. This is foolishness, misleading. There cannot be any interpretation in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is… Everything is clear to the point. Just like Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says… Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You all become sannyāsī and give up your occupational duty." No. Kṛṣṇa says, sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhiḥ labhate naraḥ [Bg. 18.46]. You remain in your business. You remain your occupation. There is no need of changing. But still, you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious and make your life successful. This is the message of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is not going to make any topsy-turvy of the social order or spiritual order. No. It should be standardized according to the authority. And the best authority is Kṛṣṇa.

So make this center successful, you ladies and gentlemen of Bombay. We have got very nice place. We are building so that you can come here, stay, at least in weekend. If you stay, all those who are retired or elderly gentlemen, ladies, they can come here and stay. We will have sufficient place. But try to organize these principles of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world. That will be the gift of India. Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired that anyone who has taken birth in India as human being, not cats and dogs… Cats and dog cannot take any part for doing good to others. He said,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

"Anyone who has taken his birth as human being in India, Bhārata-bhūmi, first of all make your life successful." Because you have got the standard, how to make life successful. Here is Bhagavad-gītā. Try to understand it, make your life successful, and then broadcast this message all over the world. That is paropakāra. So actually, India and India's people, they are meant for paropakāra. We are not meant for exploiting others. That is not our mission. Actually that is being done. Everyone goes out of India. They go there to exploit. But it is for the first time that India is giving something to the outsiders, this spiritual knowledge. And the proof you can see. We are giving, we are not taking. We do not go to beg, "Give me wheat, give me money, give me this, give me that." No. We are giving something substantial, and they are feeling obliged. Otherwise, why these young men and girls, they are after this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? They are feeling something, that they are getting something tangible. So it has got potency, very good potency. They are not feeling like Americans or Canadians or Australians. We are also not feeling as Indians. On the spiritual platform we are one.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

This is real learning. Ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. Even the great politician, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he says,

mātṛvat para-dāreṣu

para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat

ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu

yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ

So this is a great culture, Bhagavad-gītā as it is. So those responsible ladies and gentlemen are present here, make this center very successful and come here, study Bhagavad-gītā as it is without any foolish interpretation. I say foolish again and again because interpretation is not at all required. Everything is clear, from the very beginning.

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre

samavetā yuyutsavaḥ

māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva

kim akurvata sañjaya

[Bg. 1.1]

So very clear. Kurukṣetra is dharma-kṣetra still. In the Vedas it is stated, kurukṣetre dharmam ācaret: "One should go to Kurukṣetra and perform religious rituals." Therefore it is dharma-kṣetra from time immemorial. And why should we interpret it that "This Kurukṣetra means this body, dharmakṣetra, this body"? Why? Why mislead people? Stop this misleading. And Kurukṣetra is still there. Kurukṣetra station, railway station, is there. So try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, make your life successful, and spread this message all over the world. You will be happy; the world will be happy. Of course, I am now very old man. I am eighty years old. My life is finished. But I want some responsible Indian and combined with other countries… Other countries, they are giving good cooperation. Otherwise, it was not possible for me to spread in so short time, only seven or eight years, to preach this cult all over the world. So I require the cooperation of the Indian, especially young men, educated men. Come forward. Stay with us. Study Bhagavad-gītā. We haven't got anything to manufacture. Nothing to manufacture. And what we can manufacture? We are all imperfect. Whatever is there, let us study it and practically apply in life and spread the message all over the world. That is our mission.

So today is very auspicious day. With great difficulty we have got now sanction. Now please cooperate with this attempt as far as possible with your prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā, four things: by your life, by your words, by your money… Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā. This is the mission of human life. Whatever you have got… It is not that "Because I am poor man, I cannot help this movement." No. If you have got… You have got your life. So if you dedicate your life, that is all-perfect. If you cannot dedicate your life, give some money. But if you can…, poor man, you cannot give money, then you give some intelligence. And if you are fool, then give your words. So any way, you can help this movement and do the welfare activities for India and outside India. So that is my request. I welcome you. Of course, today is ekādaśī. We are, mostly we are fasting. Some prasādam will be given. So it is not the question of prasādam; it is the question of the important work we are taking in hand, how to spread a God consciousness movement. Otherwise, you will never be happy. Simply material consciousness, gṛha-kṣetra… Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This material civilization means the sex desire. Woman is hunting after man; man if hunting after woman. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhavam etaṁ tayor mithaḥ. And as soon as they are united, they require gṛha, apartment; gṛha-kṣetra, land; gṛha-kṣetra-suta, children, friends, money; and the moho, the illusion, ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8], "It is I, it is mine." This is material civilization. But the human life is not meant for that. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB 5.5.1]. So you study. We have got now enough book. There is no difficulty to study our books. We have given in English translation. Everyone, any gentleman, knows English. And we are going to give in Hindi, in Gujarati, in all other languages. Our friends, they have already begun translating. So there will be no scarcity of knowledge. Please come here, sit down at least once in a week, study all these books, try to understand the philosophy of life, and spread all over the world. That is the mission of Bhāratavarṣa.

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

This is paropakāra movement, to do welfare to others, not like cats and dogs, simply bring money and sense enjoy. This is not human life. Human life is for paropakāra. People are in ignorance, without any knowledge of God, without the ideal of life. They are simply working like cats and dogs and hogs. So they should be educated. Human life is the chance for getting such education. So this is the center for educating the human society to become actually human being and make his life successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

770202CM.BHU

Foundation Stone Ceremony Speech

Bhuvaneśvara, February 2, 1977

Prabhupāda: My foreign disciples, they could not understand either Hindu or Oriya. So for this movement, I am very much obliged to these American boys. The history of this movement is that my Guru Mahārāja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and before him, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, they had an intense desire to preach Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message throughout the whole world. That was the intense desire of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

He wanted it. Because this is the only message to bring the human society into oneness. There is no other alternative. That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhagavatam:

kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann

asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ

kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya

mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet

[SB 12.3.51]

So this Kali-yuga, as described by our Gaura-Govinda Mahārāja, a bhankara (?) yuga. But there is one opportunity, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. This is the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and a little attempt was made at the age of seventy years. Of course, my Guru Mahārāja asked me… When I was twenty-five years old, I first met him. He asked me to do this task. But I thought that "Let me adjust my family life, and then I shall do this." But I took it very seriously. But family life, never it was adjusted, so he forced me at the ripe old age to take up this work. So I tried to make an experiment that nobody had done: "Let me try." But I tried sincerely, so by the grace of my Guru… Guru-Kṛṣṇa, they favored me. When I was on the Commonwealth Jetty, Pier, yes, I was thinking that "Who will hear me? As soon as I shall say to these people that 'No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication and no gambling,' immediately they will say, 'Please go home. Don't talk here.' " Because I know that. This is their daily life. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa they agreed. All these students, all these disciples… I do not accept anyone as my disciple that "You can do whatever you like." No. My first condition is that "You must be sinless." At least you must try to become sinless, because in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand,

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante mām…

[Bg. 7.28]

Without being sinless, one cannot make any advance.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced this movement. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. That is the first installment. Actually, if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the first installment is that we cleanse our heart. It is simply misunderstanding. Kṛṣṇa also wanted to start this movement. When He instructed Arjuna, the first word He spoke,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanam jara

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

So in this age practically there is nil who is a dhīra. Everyone is adhīra. But the saṅkīrtana movement is so nice, as it is spoken by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya on behalf of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna-nartana parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. This movement is so nice that it will be pleasing to the dhīras and the adhīras.

dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

So the disease is there, but the remedy is also there. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. We are misunderstanding. The human society, they are trying to adjust things by the United Nations, but it is not possible. United Nations cannot do. In Melbourne I was speaking, so I accused the United Nations, "They're assembly of barking dogs." Because you cannot be united on this material platform. If you keep yourself that "I am dog," "I am tiger," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," then there is no question of United Nations. United Nations is possible when sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. You have to become purified on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not "I am American," not "I am Indian." No. This will not help.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-

sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

So factually we see that these Americans, Europeans, they are Christian, Jews, or there are Muhammadans also in our movement, Africans, all over the world, but they no more think that he is African or Indian or American. They think Kṛṣṇa dāsa. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Unless we come to that platform, that we are servants of Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of unity. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

Unless you come to that brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, that "I am not this body. I am soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman"-paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12]-there is no question of unity. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to introduce this movement how actually there can be possibility of being united. That is possible. That is not difficult because they are all sons of Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhevanti…, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā [Bg. 14.4]. He's the original father. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to introduce in the human society, and not on my conviction, on the assurance of the śāstras, that if you want to be united, you'll have to come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; otherwise it is not possible.

So I do not wish to take much of your time. It is already late. Kindly take little prasādam, whatever they have arranged, and I thank you very much for your coming in this occasion. And I must also thank Śrīmatī Cori (?) Ānanda, this young girl. Out of her own accord, she contributed this piece of land so that we can begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in this city.

Thank you very much. (end)

Wedding Ceremonies

680722WL.MON

Paramānanda & Satyabhāmā's Wedding

Montreal, July 22, 1968

Prabhupāda: Gurudāsa, you don't feel?

Gurudāsa: Yes, very good.

Prabhupāda: This last verse… It is not last. It is the third of Brahma-sūtra, Brahma-saṁhitā. Ālola-candraka-lasad-vanamālya-vaṁśī-ratnaṅgadaṁ praṇaya-keli-kalā-vilāsam [Bs. 5.31]. This verse… There are about one hundred verses in the Brahma-saṁhitā, and this verse, I think, about thirty-eighth verse… So description of Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The picture is here. So Govinda is not impersonal. And it is distinctly stated here that ālola-candraka-lasad-vanamālya-vaṁśī: [Bs. 5.31] "The Lord is decorated with flower garland, and He has got a flute in His hands." And praṇaya-keli-kalā-vilāsam: "And He is engaged in transcendental, conjugal love, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa." So this love which is in our experience within this material world, man and woman, it is not unnatural. It is in God also there. And the Brahma-sūtra, Vedānta-sūtra, in the beginning says that "Who is Brahman, the Supreme Person or the Absolute Truth?" Athāto brahma jijñāsā, questioning "What is that Absolute Truth?" The answer is janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] "The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates." Very simple definition. That means the fountainhead of everything, the source of everything. Therefore here in this material world we see that the attraction for man and woman, woman's attraction for man, man's attraction for woman, is so prominent. Not only in human society, but in other than: animal society, cat society, dog society, bird society, there is always the attraction, man and woman, or male and female. Why? The answer is in the Vedānta-sūtra: janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Because it is there in the Absolute Truth. Without being present in the Absolute Truth, how it can be manifested in the relative truth?

This world is called relative world. It is not Absolute. Relative. Difference, two, duality. We cannot understand a man without knowing a woman. We cannot understand father without understanding a son or a mother. Relativity. But in Absolute world, everything is one. So this love between male and female, conjugal love, we Vaiṣṇava philosophers… Because everyone, according to Vedic system, everyone has to follow the Vedānta-sūtra. There are two section of philosophers in India, approved; not, I mean to say, manufactured philosopher, mental speculators, but actually those who are counted valuable. There are two classes of philosophers, namely the impersonalist and personalist. The Vaiṣṇava, they accept that the Absolute Truth is person, and the Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that Absolute Truth is impersonal. That is the difference. Otherwise their process of other paraphernalia, execution of understanding, is almost the same. Now our Vaiṣṇava philosopher's argument is that how the Absolute Truth can be impersonal? Because here, in this world, in our experience, we see everything personal. So unless the personality, the individuality, or the individual attraction is there in the Absolute Truth, how they can be represented here in the relative truth?

So apart from that argumental point of view, our presentation is that this conjugal love between man and woman is not unnatural. It is quite natural because it is in the Absolute Truth, as we find from Vedic description, that the Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, is engaged in conjugal loving affairs, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. But the same Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love matter has permeated through matter. Therefore it is perverted reflection. Here in this material world, the so-called love is not actual love. It is lust. Here the male and female are attracted not by love but by lust. So in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society, because we are trying to approach the Absolute Truth, the lust propensity has to be converted into pure love. That is the proposal. So in India still, amongst the strict followers of Vedic principles, this lust affair is adjusted spiritually. What is that? The boys and girls, they are not allowed free mixing before marriage. Especially… Both the boys… Here, one of our students, he was in India, and he tried to talk with a young girl on the street, and he (she) was insulted. He was surprised. Because the practice is there that no young boy or young girl can talk with… Of course, now it is different. Even up to our young time we have seen that without being married, no girl, no boy, could mix together. So this lust affair, this attraction, was little bit controlled. The father, the parents of the girl, and the parents of the boy would select. They had no personal selection. And that selection was made very scientifically, taking the horoscope of the girl, taking the horoscope of the boy, and calculating, "How this boy and girl will amalgamate? How their lives will be happy?" So many things, they were considered. And when everything was settled, then the marriage would take place. That is the system of old Indian, Vedic principle. And so far free love is concerned, as we understand, that was allowed only very in high circles, princely order. Because the girls were educated and grown up and she was given to select her husband, but not directly. We find in so many historical evidences from the Vedic literature that the girl used to express her desire that "I want to marry with that boy," and the father… This was amongst the kṣatriyas, the princely order, not with others. And the father would give a challenge, a bet. And if somebody will come and become victorious, then the girl would be offered. That was in special cases.

Anyway in this age, marriage, according to our Vaiṣṇava principles, marriage is allowed because there is male, there is female. Why they should not unite? But not illegally. So when I came in this country in New York, the boys and girls, they were coming, and some of them offered me to become disciples. So I saw that most of the boys and girls, they are keeping the boyfriend, girlfriend. So I requested them that if you want to make progress in spiritual life, you have to refrain from four kinds of sinful activities, and these four kinds of sinful activities are illicit sex life, first; second, nonvegetarian diet; third, intoxication; fourth, gambling. Unless one is free from these four principal activities, one cannot make progress in spiritual life. Because God is pure, pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, so no impure soul can approach Him. This body is the sign of impurity because soul has no material body. So anyone in this material world who has this material body is to be considered as sinful. But how to get out of this? To get out of it, everything, dovetailing with spiritual life. Nirbandhe kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yukta-vairāgyam ucyate. The example is just like milk. If you take too much milk, then there will be disorders in the bowels. You'll have to pass so many stools. But when you approach to a physician… Of course, I am speaking of the Āyur-Vedic Indian physician. If one has got diarrhea or loose bowels, then the physician prescribes curd or yogurt with some medicine. Now, this yogurt or curd is also mixed with medicine. So the man who has got the disease by drinking milk is also cured by the same milk preparation under the direction of the physician. Nobody can argue. The patient cannot argue to the physician that "I have become diseased by drinking milk, and you are prescribing another preparation of the milk?" Yes, because it is treated. Similarly, this lust propensity between man and woman, if it is properly treated, then it can turn into love of Godhead.

So I am a sannyāsī. I have renounced my family life. I have got my children, my grandchildren, I have my wife still living, but I have separated from them. This is called sannyāsa. Why I am taking interest again, this family life of my students? Because I want to see them properly progress towards spiritual life. Therefore, although it is not the business of a sannyāsī to take part in marriage ceremony, in this country, just to save my students, both boys and girls, from sinful activities, I am personally taking interest that they may become good gentleman and lady by marriage. So I am very happy that those boys and girls who have agreed, and they are now married and getting children, and they are feeling very happy. Many of them are present in this meeting. From their face, from their activities, it appears that they are very happy. So in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society we have got this program that if some boy or girl wants to get married, I help. So this marriage ceremony is today arranged on that principle. But the present bride and bridegroom must know it certainly that this marriage is not for sense gratification. This marriage is for purification of life. So there is no question of divorce. There is no question of separation. So don't get into married life if you have got such propensity. Our first principle is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and other things, secondary. Putrārthe kriyate bhāryā. If you can produce nice children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children, it will, you will do greatest service to the human society. Because the human society is producing children like cats and dogs, the whole human society is in trouble. How you can expect peace and prosperity in the society of cats and dogs? Therefore there is necessity. There is necessity to produce children of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to train them from the very beginning. You will be all glad to know that some of our students, very small boys in San Francisco, they are being trained, and they are making wonderful progress. So there is no fault of these hippie boys and girls. They have not been trained. Not only here, every part of the world, the educational system is not very satisfactory. From the very beginning of their life they are allowed to mix freely, and they are allowed to enjoy sex life unrestricted. This is neither good for their health nor for education. So therefore we are getting now the result of education: communists and hippies. So people, those who are guardians of the society, should take serious note of it and make life very regulated.

What is…? The necessities of this life is, because we have got this material body, we must eat, we must sleep, we must defend, and we must mate. These are the demands of this body. But they should be so regulated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that it will not be disturbing element, but we shall make progress further and further towards spiritual realization of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, not only the new bride and bridegroom, I request every one of my students who are present that this… The aim of married life is to produce nice children, Kṛṣṇa conscious children. That is the best service to the human society: produce nice children. Don't produce cats and dogs. That is my request. Otherwise don't produce. Remain separate. Separate means there is no separation, but don't produce children. That is my request. Putrārthe… Pitā na sa syāj jananī sā syāt. The Bhāgavata says, "One should not become a father, one should not become a mother, unless they are able to protect the children from the imminent danger of death." What is that? The cycle of birth and death. If you can train your children to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your child will go back to Godhead in this life. That should be the aim. As you will try to go back to Godhead in this life, similarly, you shall take charge of your children that he can also go in this life back to Godhead. The mother's and father's duty should be that "This child is born out of my womb, and this is the last phase of his life, to come into this womb of any animal or man-no more material body." That should be the responsibility of father and mother. That is the direction of Bhāgavata.

So my dear children, boys and girls, I request you that live happily. There is no restriction. We don't restrict eating, sleeping, or mating, or defending. But do it in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, pure life, and be happy in this life and next life.

Thank you very much. Now come forward. I shall begin our… Where is your father and mother? You can please come here. Yes. You can sit down here with the girls. Or give them some pads. They will feel… They are not accustomed to sit. (chuckles) Yes. My disciples, they have been accustomed. (chuckles)

Satyabhāmā: Paramānanda's parents are here also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Let them come also.

Satyabhāmā: (aside:) Would you like to sit on cushions?

Prabhupāda: So both the parents agree in this marriage.

Satyabhāmā's father: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, thank you. Now those who are initiated, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa on your beads. (devotees chant japa) [break] (recitation of fire sacrifice prayers)

Prabhupāda: Now, you are father?

Satyabhāmā's father: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So you can say to your son-in-law that "So long my daughter such and such was under my custody. From today I am giving this daughter under your custody." Say it.

Satyabhāmā's father: Kate has been under me until now, and I give her unto your custody.

Prabhupāda: You say, "Yes, I accept."

Paramānanda: Yes, I accept.

Prabhupāda: And you say, "Yes, I agree."

Paramānanda's father: Yes, I agree.

Prabhupāda: Now you say that "My dear such and such, I agree to serve you throughout my life."

Satyabhāmā: Paramānanda, I agree to serve you throughout my life.

Prabhupāda: And you say, "My dear such and such, I take your charge of life throughout without hesitation."

Paramānanda: My dear Satyabhāmā, I take your charge of life throughout without hesitation.

Prabhupāda: So there is no separation in any circumstances. Promise that. There is no separation in any circumstances.

Paramānanda: So there is no separation in any circumstances.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you garland this… You change the garland. Now you come to this side. You go to that side. Now you are legal husband and wife. Is that all right? Yes. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break] (prayers, fire sacrifice) Now offer this plantain like this, slowly. Thank you.

Satyabhāmā: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees repeat last prayer of sacrifice after Prabhupāda, the mahā-mantra.)

Prabhupāda: Now bow down. (leads in recitation of praṇāma mantra) You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

681225WE.LA

Wedding of Śyāma dāsī and Hayagrīva

Los Angeles, December 25, 1968

(fire sacrifice)

Prabhupāda: (devotees chant responsively:)

oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

Yes, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) (devotees chant responsively:)

oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

(japa) That is that… That mantra? Thank you.

Govinda dāsī: There's more if you want to give more. I didn't know what you had in mind, so I made two, three of each.

Prabhupāda: Three? You have got three? (responsively:)

oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

Vande 'ham… (chants prayers standard for fire sacrifice) So today's wedding ceremony between Śrīman Hayagrīva brahmacārī and Śrīmatī Śyāma dāsī is practically negotiated by me. I am the marriage maker and I am the negotiator also. How? Because I have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in this country to make people happy: happy in this life, happy in next life. This is not temporary sense happiness. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that,

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

"Anyone who comes back to Me," Kṛṣṇa says, "anyone who goes back to Godhead, then he does not require to come back again to this place, which is full of miseries." Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Duḥkhālayam means it is a place of misery, this material world. And aśāśvatam. Aśāśvatam means temporary. Even if I agree, "All right, it is a miserable place. Let me live here perpetually," no. That also will not be allowed. As soon as there will be order, "Please get out," you have no power to remain. Suppose… We are Indian. We are poverty-stricken or we are not very happy materially. You American people, you are very happy. But the nature of law is stringent both for the Indians and Americans equally. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is particularly to go back to Godhead, giving up this material world, which is full of miserable life. It is actually full of miseries, but those who are thinking that "I am happy," or "We are happy," they are under illusion, māyā. That is called māyā. Actually, there is no happiness, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead says it is a place of misery. How you can make it comfortable place?

So this is one side. Another side, that some way or other, since I have begun this movement in this country, generally, the youngsters, they come to me. Maybe to some other reasons. But my disciples up to date, they're all from twenty to thirty years old. Those who are thirty, thirty-two years, they're old. They're amongst the elder generation. But I see the boys and girls, they come to me as friends. But according to our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we do not allow boys and girls living without any marriage bondage. Illicit sex life we don't allow. We prohibit four things: illicit sex life, intoxication, and meat-eating and gambling. Those who become our student, we prohibit first of all these four things. And if we find some of the girls and some of the boys, they are strictly following, and if they are agreeable, then we arrange for their marriage. So there are many instances of marriage like this. They were living very irresponsibly in the former life. Now they are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Some of my students, they are married couples, young men. Six of them have gone to England. They are preaching very nicely. Very nicely. They have attracted the attention of respectable gentlemen like Lord Mountbatten, Lord Sorenson, and the High Commissioner of India, Mr. Dhavan. So they're doing very nicely. So our principle is to make people God conscious; thereby they will be happy. And the method is very simple. Just like we do not deny anything. We give nice wife, we give nice husband, we give nice foodstuff, we give nice philosophy, and at last, we give the nicest thing, Kṛṣṇa. So our program is very nice. Any gentleman come and discuss with us. We shall prove this is the nicest program at the present moment.

So I am very happy that Professor Howard Wheeler, he is very obedient student. And by God's grace, Kṛṣṇa's grace, we practically met on the street. You see. When I first started my class in New York, 26 Second Avenue, I was just going out after entering the storefront and this boy met me. He asked me, "Swamijī, you are coming from India?" And I told him, "Yes, my dear boy." So that was our first acquaintance, and I think that is eternal.

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: That is eternal. Similarly, this girl also met me in San Francisco, and she is very faithfully living with this society. She is very mild. So I have selected, "Śyāma dāsī, you should marry Hayagrīva." So they have agreed. And there is no separation. Our relationship is eternal. There is no separation. And this marriage is primarily for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bodily relationship is secondary. That is not a very important thing. Our first engagement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So in this happy ceremony, I have got my heartfelt blessings upon you. You be happy. Our parents are present here. It is a very nice arrangement. And forget… In any circumstances… This material world we have to pass through many circumstances, but sometimes, even it is intolerable, we have to tolerate. So according to Hindu conception of life, even there is some misunderstanding between husband and wife, it is not taken very seriously. Never taken very seriously. But in your country, in the name of liberty and freedom, there are so many things. I do not wish to discuss all those things. But according to Vedic system, husband and wife, united together, there cannot be any separation. Perhaps you have heard the name of Mahatma Gandhi. He was married when he was student, sixteen years old, and his wife was also of the same age. Later on Mahatma Gandhi became a very famous man. So one day there was husband and wife quarrel. So Mahatma Gandhi, he has written in his own biography, he drove away the wife: "You get out from my house." So the wife got out of the house and was crying in the street, "Where shall I go?" And again Mahatma Gandhi went there, "Come on." So even there was quarrel between Mahatma Gandhi and his wife. So this quarrel of husband and wife is not very serious thing. So I'll request you, even there is some misunderstanding, forget it. Don't take it seriously. Simply you concentrate on Kṛṣṇa consciousness business. You have got nice business now, both of you, conjointly working for editing my Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You consult in that business and live peacefully. You are educated, she is also educated. If there is any misunderstanding, don't take it seriously. That is my request. Besides that, I am always at your service, I am always (here) to help you. So this marriage ceremony is very happy occasion. I shall request all friends, relatives, parents, to give their blessings to this nice couple and let us perform.

Now I shall request Mr… What?

Mr. Morris: Morris.

Prabhupāda: Morris. So you say that "Howard, this girl was in my charge so long. Now I give you in your charge." You say and…

Mr. Morris: Howard, this child was mine for so long, and now I give her care to you.

Prabhupāda: You say that "I take charge of Śyāma dāsī, of you, throughout your whole life." You say.

Hayagrīva: I take charge of you, Śyāma dāsī, throughout your whole life.

Prabhupāda: And Śyāma dāsī, you say that "I promise I shall serve you to my best capacity throughout my life."

Śyāma dāsī: I promise that I will serve you to my best capacity throughout my life.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you change your garland. All right. So somebody go and bind this cloth. Yes. Some girl may do that. Yes. (chuckling) Yes. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So, it is very nice combination.

Devotee: Kīrtana?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can take photograph of this nice picture. Come here in the front. (kīrtana) (responsively:)

oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

vande 'ham… lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

svāhā, svāhā, svāhā

(chants fire sacrifice prayers with oblation after each) Now stand up with one banana each.

namo brahmaṇya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo namaḥ

(repeats twice) Just put like this, slowly. Yes. Thank you. (responsively:) Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. (repeats twice more responsively) Bow down. Bow down. (responsively:)

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

Jaya. Go on. Be happy. Hare Kṛṣṇa. So next. Come on. You have no dress? You have no dress? All right.

Devotee: Kīrtana, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on, kīrtana. (Prabhupāda gives first line of Gāyatrī, devotee repeats word for word) Now, you Godbrothers will teach you how to… Who is next? Who is next? Who is next? (kīrtana) (some conversation with Prabhupāda in background) …otherwise they will go away. Little, little. Very little, little. There are so many varieties. (kīrtana) (end)

690506WE.BOS

Wedding Ceremony and Lecture

Boston, May 6, 1969

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this is very simple method: chant, dance, eat nicely, and realize God. First of all give to the audience, then… (devotees chanting japa) Why don't you collect something, door? Right side bride, left side bridegroom.

Jāhnavā: Right side bride. (wedding fire sacrifice begins)

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all right.

Devotee: Your right side. (devotees chanting japa)

Prabhupāda: And who is going to be this grain ceremony?

Himāvatī: Dayal Nitāi?

Prabhupāda: Little, little. You have not learned your hand? Left-handed. Three times. Just see. You are old. You should learn it. One, two, three, four. That's all. One, two. You don't see? What I'll do? Come on. I'll show you again. One, two, three, four. Do it again. Is it open? (devotees chanting japa)

Satsvarūpa(?): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Anyone's father, mother has come?

Rukmiṇī: My father and mother.

Prabhupāda: Your father, mother? Any other? No. (chants with devotees responding:)

oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

Chant it three times. Three times (devotees responding:)

vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca

śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam

sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ

śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gana-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]

(chants standard prayers for fire sacrifice)

This evening we are going to hold a marriage ceremony for three couples of our students. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to understand to always bear in mind or always be in consciousness that we are eternally related with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So the process is to utilize this human form of life for elevating oneself to the highest perfectional stage. There is evolution of life from lowest animal in the water and up to the highest platform or highest planetary life, where the duration of life is many, many millions of years. The highest planetary system is called Brahmaloka, or where the first created being, Brahmā, lives. The duration of Brahmā's life is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that forty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by one thousand makes one twelve hours of that Brahmaloka. Just like there is distinction of the duration of life between the microbes and the human being, similarly, there are different grades of different duration of life in different stage of planetary system. So the life is evolving. Now after evolutionary process from the lower animals, from the aquatics to plant life, vegetable life, then microbes, reptiles, birds, beasts, then we come to the human form of life, this civilized form of life. Now here it is just like crossing. Where we should go next life? Whether I shall promote myself to the higher planetary system or into the spiritual sky, Vaikuṇṭhaloka, or I shall go down again in the evolutionary process of lower animals? That is to be decided. So if we want to go to the higher planetary system, we can go there. If we want to stay here, we can do that. If we want to go down, that we can do. And if we want to go back to Godhead, that also we can do. So this facility is given in this human form of life. Now it is our choice, where shall I go? Shall I go down to hell, or shall I go up to heaven, or I shall go back to Godhead, back to home? Everything we can do. So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directly approaching the spiritual sky, back to home, back to Godhead. No more evolutionary process. That is the advantage of this Kṛṣṇa conscious… If you make your consciousness completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa, if you understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is your relationship, how you have to act in that relationship, simply if you learn this science in this life, then it is assured by the Lord Himself, Kṛṣṇa, in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya: [Bg. 4.9] "After leaving this body, one does not come again back to this material world to accept one of the 8,400,000's of species of body, but he goes directly unto Me." Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. "And if one can go back there, then he does not come back again in this material world to accept this material body." And material body means three kinds of miseries, threefold miseries always. And at least threefold miseries are exhibited in four kinds of distresses, namely birth, death, old age, and disease.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new movement. It is there always in the Vedic scriptures, but people have forgotten. So we are trying to revive that movement, although in India the movement is there always, especially since the last five hundred years, introduced by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In your country it is introduced since 1966. But people are appreciating. We have got many books and literature, magazines, to convince people about the importance of this movement. And those who are coming to be a serious student of this movement, initiated, they require to follow four principles of regulation. That one, first regulation, is that the student is not allowed to have illicit sex life. In this country, the guardians, the teachers, the government allows the boys and girls to meet together and have illicit sex life without marriage. That is not allowed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If any boy or girl wants sex life, then he should regularly be married. That is civilized way. Because in the civilized society there is marriage ceremony. According to Vedic system, the father and mother's responsibility is for the child unless they are married. It is the duty of the parents to see that the girl and the boy is married by the supervision of the parents. That is the Vedic way of civilization. In India the… Especially for the girls. If the girl is above the age of 13 years old, and if she is not married by the father, or in the absence of father, the elder brother… Mother has not so much responsibility. But the father or the elder brother… Then it is said that that man, father or elder brother, will go to hell. So it is a great responsibility to take care of the girls. According to Manu-saṁhitā, Vedic principle, woman has no independence. She must be taken care of by somebody. In the early age the father is to take care, in the younger age the husband, a good husband has to take care, and when she is old, the elderly son, he has to take care. But a woman is never allowed to remain independent. That is Vedic principle of life. Actually, the woman is the weaker sex. They require protection by good father, good husband, and good child also. In my case also… There are many cases. I've left my home. I have got my wife, my elderly children, my grandchildren. So they are taking care of my wife. She has no concern. So that is the way of social system. And especially in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we want to give the students complete peace of mind, because without peace of mind nobody can cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ

mukta-saṅgasya jāyate

[SB 1.2.20]

There is a process. This science of understanding God, the science of God, is a great science. People have no knowledge about it, but it is a great science. And the ways and means of understanding God is different from ordinary material science. So the ways and means and the process of understanding the science of Godhead is to hear.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

[SB 1.2.17]

God is situated in everyone's heart. Simply you do not know. He is situated. He is everywhere. Within the atom also, He is present. Andantarastham paramanu cayantarastham. God is present within this world, within everything, everywhere, even within the atom. Now, at the present moment, the atomic theory is very prominent, but in the Vedic literature it is said that God is existing even within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu. Paramāṇu means atom. Therefore īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Ṅśvara, the Supreme Lord, is sitting within your heart. I am also sitting. This is dress. This body is dress, but my place is within the heart. The medical science also says all the energy is coming from the heart. The heart stops to work, that means man is dead. So the soul and the Supersoul both are sitting in the heart. We get this information from Vedic literature. So as soon as we begin hearing about the Supersoul or the Supreme Lord, then the contamination which are accumulated on the covering of our heart for so many years of our past work, by simply hearing, by electrifying or by lighting, it becomes clear. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. To hear about God is itself a pious activity. Even if we do not understand, simply if we hear this chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma…, one becomes gradually a pious man. Apart from any other realization, he becomes a pious man. In this way, as soon as we hear about God, we become cleansed of all material contamination. Then our three modes of material nature, namely we are… This world is moving under three modes: the modes of goodness, the modes of passion and the modes of ignorance. So generally, people are influenced by the modes of passion and modes of ignorance. Very few people are on the modes of goodness. But this process of hearing about God will gradually place one on the platform of the modes of goodness. Sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. And the symptoms, as soon as he's placed on the modes of goodness, the symptom will be that he'll feel satisfied. He'll feel satisfied. Prasīdati. In this way, when he is satisfied, when he is on the platform of goodness or the platform of satisfaction… That is wanted. Prasanna-manaso. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso [SB 1.2.20]. How it is attained? Simply by hearing, the process. Process is simply hearing, submissively hearing. Then he comes to the platform of goodness, and at that time, the passion and ignorance is completely moved out. And then he can understand what is the science of God, what is God, what is relationship.

So we want to give chance to all to raise oneself on that platform of goodness. And on the platform of goodness, there is no chance of indulging in passion and ignorance. Therefore although it is not my duty… Because I am a sannyāsī, I have nothing to do with social activity. Still, because in this country, mostly I see the boys and girls are not married, I have introduced this marriage system in our society, and the result is very good. You'll be very pleased to know that in London I have sent six boys and girls who were married by me in my presence. Formerly, they were not married. You know as the other boys and girls lived, they were also living in that way. But the result has been very excellent. They are preaching there Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are not very big philosopher, nor Vedantist, neither, I mean to say, born in the Vedic civilized way-just like ordinary way-but they have been trained only under my direction for only two years. But they are working in London very wonderfully, so much so that people have come to know that there is a movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and London Times, in big heading, they wrote, "Kṛṣṇa Chanting Startles London." So formerly many sannyāsīs went there to introduce this movement, but they failed. But these sincere boys and girls… They are not very aged also-not more than twenty-six years, any one of them. But they are doing very nice. So the platform of purity is so nice that they can play tremendous…

So we want such pairs in our society. We are not dry. Everything is there. The hedonists, they want eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. These four things for the hedonists, they are going to hell. But our, the same things are there. We are dancing, we are chanting, we are eating, and we have love also between husband and wife, between boys and girls. We allow everything. But everything is targeted to achieve to the highest goal of life, Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa. That is the significance of this life. We don't stop anything, but we regulate everything to achieve the highest perfection of life. That is our aim. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram [SB 7.5.30]. One who does not know this technique… Everyone, every living entity, is by nature hankering after joy, joyful life. That is his nature. Because… Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī, you see. They are also transcendental unity. Kṛṣṇa is representing as a young boy, sixteen years. Similarly, Rādhārāṇī is also a young girl. They are chanting and They are playing on flute and They're enjoying life. They have got Their associates. So it is not dry, but it is highest perfectional stage, in purity. Not in the material modes of passion and ignorance. So everyone is hankering after that pure, joyful life, but he does not know where to get it. That is the defect. That information we are giving. Here is the life. You just try to approach Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and you'll have full life of enjoyment. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra it is stated that the Supreme Person, the Supreme Lord, is full of enjoyment. He's not morose. He's not old. He is not without a joyful life. He is full of joyful life. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to transfer everyone to that platform of full joyful life. So in order to give them facility for acquiring this highest goal of life, we have introduced the marriage… The marriage system is there also according to our Vaiṣṇava smṛti. Smṛti means regulative, the law book, the statute book. Married life is there. We are preaching the cult of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He also married. All the five associates of Lord Caitanya, they also married. Kṛṣṇa also married. So marriage is not bad. Marriage is… It is not that unless one becomes a sannyāsī or a strict brahmacārī, he cannot attain the highest perfection of life. No. Even in married life. But one has to adjust it. Married life means not sex enjoyment. It is not a license for sex enjoyment. Although it is some sort of license, but it can be utilized. It can be utilized for producing children of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And at least, one should be satisfied. The husband will help the wife, the wife will help the husband advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the benefit of their country, for the benefit of the total human society.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (obeisances)

Prabhupāda: You're, nobody is guardian? First of all, you come here. Both of you, come sit down. Satsvarūpa? Where is Satsvarūpa?

Satsvarūpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Come here. So you can say that "Śāradīyā, my Godsister, was so long under my care. Now I give Śāradīyā to you, Vaikuṇṭhanātha, in your charge."

Satsvarūpa: Śāradīyā, my Godsister, has so long been in my charge. Now I give you unto my Godbrother Vaikuṇṭhanātha.

Prabhupāda: Now you say that "I accept her as my wife."

Vaikuṇṭhanātha: I accept her as my wife.

Prabhupāda: "And take charge of her…"

Vaikuṇṭhanātha: And take charge of her…

Prabhupāda: "…throughout her life…"

Vaikuṇṭhanātha: …throughout her life…

Prabhupāda: "…and shall see to her comfort, provide with all necessities of life, without thinking of any personal gratification." (Vaikuṇṭhanātha repeats) You say that "I accept you as my husband. (Śāradīyā repeating) I shall serve you throughout my life as your most obedient servant." (chuckling) Yes. "And we shall live together peacefully for prosecuting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, forgetting everything else, and live happily." Now change your garlands.

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Now you sit down and cover the head. Yes. Cover the head. Yes. Just like… There is no, that red? Vermillion?

Himāvatī: Where is that red crayon?

Prabhupāda: Now you can sit down there, next her. No, you sit left. Now change. You sit here. Yes. Now she'll always remain on your left. You come forward. Now you say…

Satsvarūpa: Jāhnavā has so long, my Godsister, has so long been in my care. I now give her over to Nanda Kiśora prabhu.

Prabhupāda: You say you shall "take charge of Jāhnavā, my wife, (Nanda Kiśora repeating) and I shall look after her comforts throughout her life, and I shall supply her all necessities of life." And you say that "I accept you as my husband. (Jāhnavā repeating) I shall see to your comfort throughout my life. Without any separation we shall live peacefully, in happiness and distress, without any separation, for executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Change your garland and place. Jaya. Now you cover her head like that. Yes. Not in that way. From this part. All right. Change your seat. Yes.

Devotee: Should he apply it?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You apply it. That's all right. Now you come, You, sit down here. Sit down here. First of all, sit down. Your father is present?

Rukmiṇī: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You may come sit here. You can say that "My daughter was in charge of me so long, now I give in charge to this boy."

Rukmiṇī's father: My daughter was in charge of me so long. I now give her to…

Prabhupāda: His name is Baradrāja.

Rukmiṇī's father: Baradrāja.

Prabhupāda: So you say, "I accept (Baradrāja repeating) Rukmiṇī as my wife. I shall maintain her throughout my life, supply all necessities of life, and we shall work together for prosecuting Kṛṣṇa consciousness." You say that "I accept you (Rukmiṇī repeating) as my husband, and I shall serve you as your most obedient wife, to keep you in all comforts, in all distress and happiness, and we shall continue our life for Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Now change. Change the garland. Mind that this promise has been made before Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. You cannot change all these promises. Change your seat. Cover the head. Cover the head and give her this red. Cover it nicely. You see, here. You should keep your wife always covered. (laughter) Don't allow this miniskirt or minishirt. (laughter) According to Vedic civilization, respectable woman cannot be seen even by the sun. Asūryaṁ paśyat. How can you avoid sun? But it is said like that. The sun will find difficulty to see one man's woman. Yes. Asūryaṁ paśyat. Asūryam. Sūrya means the sun. Sun cannot. Sun will also hanker after her: "How can I see that woman?" (chuckles) So woman should be always in privacy. They should be respectfully protected by the husband and the father. That is the way. All right. Then it is finished. Now let us perform yajña. (devotees offer obeisances) Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. After performance of yajña. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Mix it. Mix it.

Satsvarūpa: …can use that?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Hand. Now you can sit comfortably. (devotees chant japa) Now take, you know, little, little, everyone. When I say "svāhā" three times, very little, little take. We'll have to continue. (responsively with devotees:) Namaḥ apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthām… No, why you are not chanting? (devotees were responding softly, now more loudly) …gato 'pi vā yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ. Śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu. (continues prayers for fire sacrifice). Why not take a group photo of these newly married couples? It will be nice.

Guest: That'd be great. It'd be beautiful. Sure.

Himāvatī: Should they go behind or should they turn around?

Prabhupāda: As you like.

Guest: Could the wife be seated and the husband in back of her?

Prabhupāda: Just like they are sitting, left and right.

Guest: …if we had a better place to…

Prabhupāda: (continues chanting) Svāhā svāhā svāhā. So you want to take just now or after finishing this?

Satsvarūpa: Prabhupāda, he wants a couple there, a couple there, and a couple behind you.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Guest: Or maybe two couples here and a third couple over there or something.

Prabhupāda: You come here. Sit down there. Yes, sit down. Yes, like that. Why you are standing? Sit. (continues prayers)

namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye

vipralambha-rasāmbodhe pādāmbhujāya te namaḥ

svāhā svāhā svāhā

namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine

gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te

svāhā svāhā svāhā

(continues prayers for fire sacrifice) Now you take one banana, this part of banana, and stand up. Take each one of you. Supply. Stand up.

namo brahmaṇya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo namaḥ

(repeats twice) Now take this, silently. Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. (repeats) Now bow down.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

(Prabhupāda repeats twice) All right. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Prabhupāda: And be happy.

Devotees: Haribol! All glories to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga! Haribol! All glories to Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Dance, chant now. Enjoy life. (kīrtana-Prabhupāda talking in background) (kīrtana, prema-dhvanī) (obeisances) Prasāda? You are sitting uncomfortably?

Guest: No. (devotees chant japa)

Prabhupāda: Now distribute prasāda. (bhajana: Govinda jaya jaya)

Haṁsadūta: There's no draft? The window's not open? (kīrtana in background)

Prabhupāda: No, no. That's all right. I have informed your brother in Germany, Kṛṣṇa dāsa, "Your sister is going to be married…" Stop. You can now eat. Stop. (kīrtana stops)

Devotee: Take prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Take prasādam. You can play the records. That's all. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa… You also eat. Everyone eat. Yes. I think it is nicely prepared. You can take one plate. (laughter) Yes. ("Hare Kṛṣṇa Happening" record comes on as everyone takes prasāda) Let me see (?).

catur-vidha-śrī-bhagavat-prasāda-

svādv-anna-tṛptān hari-bhakta-saṅghān

kṛtvaiva tṛptiṁ bhajataḥ sadaiva

vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam **

The spiritual master is satisfied when nice foodstuff, prasādam, is distributed, and it is eaten by the devotees. Our is not dry speculation. Everything substantial.

Himāvatī: We need another plate.

Prabhupāda: These Press representatives, they are taking?

Haṁsadūta: Yes, they're all from the Press.

Prabhupāda: So you have not offered them prasādam?

Himāvatī: Everyone has.

Prabhupāda: They should have been given. Anyway, something should have been given. You are going? She is going with her father?

Himāvatī: He was once in Montreal. Remember? Rukmiṇī's father once came to Montreal?

Prabhupāda: Yes. She is her mother?

Himāvatī: Yes.

Prabhupāda: She is not elderly. Mother is eating?

Himāvatī: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Forty, thirty-five years.

Himāvatī: Yes. Rukmiṇī is only seventeen. Rukmiṇī is seventeen. She's not very old.

Prabhupāda: She is only… She is the first child?

Himāvatī: I don't know. I think so, first child. She has one sister.

Satsvarūpa: Just one announcement. Tomorrow night is Swami Bhaktivedanta's last appearance, last lecture, last kīrtana in Boston, and that's at the International Student's Association. They have a place at 33 Garden (?) Street. He'll be speaking there. But we'll be carrying on this sublime teaching, especially in the form of saṅkīrtana. We'll be chanting in the streets. We'll be pushing this more than anything. Then the feast, of course, Hare Kṛṣṇa Love Feast. But especially if you see us in the parks and the streets, join us and feel this real transcendental bliss by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, all summer, as long as the weather is nice. (indistinct) a basket around. If you can give something it will help for the cost of this feast and wedding. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

690514WE.COL

Initiation of Śrī-Caitanya dāsa and

Wedding of Pradyumna and Arundhatī

Columbus, May 14, 1969

Prabhupāda: It is stated, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. The Lord says that "The four divisions of social order-namely the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, śūdras-these divisions were created by Me," and guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, "not by birthright but by identification of qualities and actual work." In the similar way, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also, it is stated that yasya hi yad varṇābhivyañjakam, lakṣaṇaṁ syāt. Yasya hi yad lakṣaṇaṁ syād varṇābhivyañjakam, tat tenaiva vinirdiśet [SB 7.11.35]. The whole Vedic system is to pick up qualitative persons. There is no such thing as birthright qualification. And Śrīdhara Swami, the greatest commentator on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he has commented on this verse, yasya hi yad lakṣaṇaṁ syād varṇābhivyañjakam tat tenaiva vinirdiśet, yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiśet: [SB 7.11.35] "If such qualities are found in another platform, then he should be designated in that position." Just like if a boy born of a brāhmaṇa family, he has got the qualities of a śūdra, he should be indicated as śūdra. And if a boy born of a śūdra family but he has got the brāhmaṇa's qualities, then he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is accepting persons who are developing the qualities of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas. It is not that because they were not born in India and not born in Hindu family… It is not… There is no such consideration. Anyone. Ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that,

kibā śūdra kibā vipra nyāsī kene naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

It doesn't matter whether a man is a śūdra or a brāhmaṇa or a sannyāsī or a householder. It doesn't matter. If he actually knows the science of God, Kṛṣṇa-tattva… Kṛṣṇa means God, the Supreme Lord, and tattva means scientific knowledge. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vetta sei guru haya. And another place Lord Caitanya says that āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra sarva deśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. To become a spiritual master, one may think it is very difficult job. Yes, it is very difficult job, but it is also very simple thing. Very difficult job in this way: If one cannot assimilate the Vedic knowledge, veda-vāda-paraḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ, if they become simply Vedic student only, without assimilating, then it is very difficult. But if one can understand what is the idea of Vedic principle, then it is very easy. So what is the idea of Vedic principle? The Lord says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15]. By different scriptures, Vedic literature, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata… There are so many allied scriptures. The whole aim is, target is, Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam. So actually the Vedas are searching Kṛṣṇa. In the Brahma-saṁhitā also it is stated,

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.33]

It is very difficult to find out Kṛṣṇa within the Veda. But if you are fortunate enough to contact a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then he can deliver you. And if one understands Kṛṣṇa, then he understands the whole Vedas.

So this merciful benediction was given by Lord Kṛṣṇa, er, by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam [SB 11.5.32]. He is Kṛṣṇa. Categorically, He is Kṛṣṇa, or chanting Kṛṣṇa. But by complexion He is akṛṣṇa. Tviṣākṛṣṇam. So He gave us this greatest benediction, that you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and you get all knowledge. The greatest impediment of acquiring knowledge is congestion of our heart with dirty things. And Lord Caitanya says that if you chant without any offense very nicely, then your heart becomes cleansed of all dirty things. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And then you are liberated. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati [Bg. 18.54]. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is based on Lord Caitanya's teachings and teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā. It is not a new thing. Of course, in this country it is being presented for the last two years, but the thing is not new. It is the oldest because, if we take the version of Bhagavad-gītā, Lord (Kṛṣṇa) says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: [Bg. 4.1] "This yoga system, Bhagavad-gītā, was spoken by Me to Vivasvān, the sun-god." Vivasvān manave prāha: "And the sun-god said to his son Manu." Manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam: [Bg. 4.2] "In this way it is coming." So kaleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa: "But unfortunately that link has been broken; therefore I am speaking again to you the old philosophy, yoga system, Bhagavad-gītā, unto you, Arjuna." "Why You are speaking to me? I am not a Vedantist. I am not a sannyāsī. I am not even brāhmaṇa. Why You want to teach me?" Bhakto 'si: "Because you are My devotee." Therefore the first qualification of understanding the Vedas or Bhagavad-gītā is to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa; otherwise it is blocked. Just like if you take a bottle of honey and lick it on the bottle, you won't get the taste. It has to be opened, who has got the key. Then you get the taste of honey. So Bhagavad-gītā cannot be understood by academic scholarship. It is not possible, the same bottle-licking. But it has to be opened by the devotee, just like Arjuna opened it: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ādyam [Bg. 10.12]. He understood Kṛṣṇa. So we have to follow the opener of the bottle, honey bottle. Then you will taste what is Bhagavad-gītā.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to purify the human society. And the purification process, simply by chanting, is sufficient. But still, our Gosvāmīns, they have given us some ritualistic ceremonies. That will help the process of purification. Sacrifice, offering, these things are there. But the main thing is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is sufficient. So in our society we want to establish divine society. Therefore there is need of all classes of men and all classes of social orders. Our Vedic conception is varṇāśrama-dharma. The "Hindu" term is not found in any Vedic literature. It is a name given by the Muhammadans, so far I know. It is not… Real term is varṇāśrama-dharma, sanātana-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas. Four varṇas: brāhmaṇa kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, according to qualification… And Bhagavad-gītā also says these are the qualification, brāhmaṇas: satya śama dama titikṣa ārjavam, ācāryopāsanam, brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. Similarly, there are indication of the kṣatriyas, vaiśyas; and śūdras' one qualification: paricaryātmakaṁ karmaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]. Paricaryā, to serve others. And in this age, because everyone is after employment-without employment he cannot survive-therefore it is said, kalau śūdra sambhava. In the Kali-yuga… A brāhmaṇa is not expected to serve anyone. A kṣatriya is not expected to serve anyone, nor the vaiśyas. Only the śūdras. So kalau śūdra sambhava. Therefore actually there is no Vedic ritualistic performance for the śūdras. It is meant for the brāhmaṇas only. But there is pāñcarātrikī-viddhi for this age, when śūdras can be elevated to the position of brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava by the Vaiṣṇava-viddhi. That viddhi is a voluminous book by Sanātana Gosvāmī. But there is everything, how a brahmacārī will live, how a gṛhastha will live, how a vānaprastha will live. The summary is being practiced. And we are holding now, today, two ceremonies. Some of the boys and girls will be initiated, primarily, and one couple will be married. So according to Hindu rites, there are many kinds of marriage, eight kinds of marriages. So in this age, as we find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, marriage can be performed simply by agreement. Svīkāram eva hi udvāhe. That is sufficient. And actually it is being carried on in every country. The boys and girls go to a magistrate and give their statement and agree. That is marriage. Here also the same principle will be carried under some Vaiṣṇava rites, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and offering prayers to the ācāryas and Deities.

So we have got all the Vedic arrangement, varṇāśrama-dharma, but our only aim is to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. It doesn't matter whether one is householder or a sannyāsī or a brahmacārī or a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or a vaiśya, śūdra. Sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.46]. Everyone should engage his energy to satisfy the Supreme Lord. That is saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam.

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

[SB 1.2.13]

You never mind in whatever condition you are. You may be a brāhmaṇa. You may be a kṣatriya or a śūdra or… You have got particular duty. That's all. That makes you a brāhmaṇa and a śūdra or a brahmacārī. But whatever particular duty you may have, just try to see whether by your duty this Supreme Lord is satisfied. Then it is perfect. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. That is the test: if you have satisfied Kṛṣṇa through His representative. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Just like we work in some big establishment, and if we can satisfy our immediate boss, that is the satisfaction of the whole company. You haven't got to see whether all the members of the company have become satisfied. Simply the immediate boss under which you are working, if he is satisfied, then you know the company is satisfied because he will submit the report of his work. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He is helping you in different ways. He is within your heart. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Antaryāmī. Caitya-guru. And is presenting Himself as spiritual master both ways, externally, internally. He is trying to help you. And when you are actually taking the advantage of that help, and if you are engaged with love and affection in the transcendental service of the Lord, then you can talk with God from within. God is within you. You haven't got to find out God in so many places. Anywhere you can sit down. But if you are sincere, if you are actually wanting to offer your service to the Lord-teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam [Bg. 10.10]-He will give you intelligence. Simply we have to become sincere servitor.

So it doesn't matter whether one is householder or a brahmacārī or sannyāsī. He has to become first of all sincere servitor of the Lord. Then everything is complete. The Lord is within you. He will give you all knowledge, all enlightenment, all dictation, and He will make your life progressive. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ tato bhajana-kriyā, anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā tato rucis tato bhāvas tato prema [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. In this way your life will be sublime. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. And if you can contact the Supreme Personality of Godhead by some way or other by discharge of this devotional service in any position, never mind, then you will feel no more profit. Everyone in the material world, they are working hard day and night for some profit. But if you can be engaged in the service of the Lord, you will feel that you are so much profited that you will say, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: [Cc. Madhya 22.42] "I don't want any more profit. I have got all the profits now. I am fully satisfied." That is required. Yayātmā suprasīdati. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. You can… If you can develop that stage of life, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje… Adhokṣaje. The Lord is beyond your sensual perception; therefore He is called Adhokṣaja. Avāṅ-manasā gocaraḥ. But He can reveal Himself. That is His power. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. He reveals Himself. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ [Bs. 5.38]. You cannot reach the Absolute Truth simply by mental speculation because He is beyond your mental speculation. Avāṅ-manasā gocaraḥ. Sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. If you are absorbed in love of Godhead, then you will see God everywhere, within your heart and outside. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. That real purpose is bhakti. So anywhere you be situated, you take this process of loving service to the Lord, and the Lord will reveal Himself. Lord will reveal Himself.

So, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31].

kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā

bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā

anityam asukhaṁ lokam

imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām

[Bg. 9.33]

Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. So the aim of life should be to become a pure devotee of the Lord. Then your life is successful. In whatever condition you may be, it doesn't matter. You will be situated in the highest stage.

yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ

manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ

yasmin sthite guruṇāpi

duḥkhena na vicālyate

[Bg. 6.20-23]

If you are situated in that position, then if you are put into the test of severe difficulties, you will not be moved. You will be steady. Na vicālyate. Just like we have got many instances. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was a little boy, five years old, and his only difficulty was that he became a devotee of the Lord. His father became enemy, atheistic father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. He tortured him like anything, but he was not to be moved. He was stuck, sticking to his own position. This is… And you have many instances in your, this part of the world. Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified, but still, he remained steady in his position. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was Muhammadan. When he took up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the Muhammadan government chastised him like anything. He remained steady. So these religious persecution, this and that, that is the history of the whole world. But if one sticks to the position of becoming pure devotee of the Lord, he has nothing to be afraid of. He will be steady, and he will prosecute his business steadily. Kṛṣṇa will help him. There is no doubt about it.

Thank you very much.

(ceremony follows, repeating prayers) [break] You shall begin here, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then you go to the next bead. In this way come to this side. Again begin from here. Come to this side. And do sixteen rounds. And you know the four rules and regulations? What is that?

Śrī Caitanya: The four rules? No gambling, no meat-eating, no sex out of marriage… [break]

Prabhupāda: Then other offenses he will give you, ten kinds of offenses. There is a list. So you should take from him now. Bow down.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-presthāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

(devotee repeats) So your name is Śrī-Caitanya dāsa. I think there is no…

Devotees: Oh!

Prabhupāda: Come on. Now here. Give me this. [break] …bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa! Haribol! [break] (fire sacrifice)

Arundhatī's father: Arundhatī.

Prabhupāda: (Arundhatī's father repeats) "…was so long under my care. Now I give you a charge. You please take and accept her as your wife." (Pradyumna repeats:) "Yes, I accept Arundhatī as my wife and I take charge of her life in all conditions. I will never separate with her and jointly we shall execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Prabhupāda: You say, (Arundhatī repeats) "I accept you as my husband, Pradyumna, and I shall help you in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout my life. I shall never separate from you in all conditions, in happiness or distress." Now you change the garland. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Now you… You put this cloth upon… Now cover the head. Yes. And give her head vermillion, red. [break] (prayers continue) Put silently on this. Now chant, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. (devotees repeat) (Prabhupāda repeats) (end)

711117WE.DEL

Wedding Lecture

November 17, 1971, New Delhi

Prabhupāda: This marriage is being performed as gandharva marriage, simply by changing the garlands. In the Kali-yuga, the other kinds of marriage, selected by the parents, that is not possible. Therefore, one of the marriage system, gandharva marriage, is accepted. And simply by changing the garlands and promising. (Sanskrit) That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In the Kali-yuga, simply by accepting, the man accepts the woman as wife and the woman accepts the man as husband, that is the vow. Svīkāra eva hi udvāhe. Simply by acceptance. Because other things are not possible. And without marriage, that is not civilized life, because in the animal society there is no marriage. But in any form of civilized society there is marriage. Everyone has got sex appetite. Therefore, marriage is allowed by the Vedic system. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that dharmāviruddho kāmo 'smi, "Kāma, lust, which is not against religious principles, that is I am."

So marriage is essential. So far our society is concerned, we don't allow anybody to remain in our society as friends, girlfriend or boyfriend. No. They must be married. And these boys and girls, after being married, they are preaching nicely Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All my students who are married, they are doing preaching work more than sannyāsī. Yes. In the Kali-yuga, practically it is forbidden. Sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam kalau pañca vivarjayet, aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ.

aśvamedhaṁ gavālambhaṁ

sannyāsaṁ pala-paitṛkam

devareṇa sutotpattiṁ

kalau pañca vivarjayet

[Cc. Ādi 17.164]

Formerly there was a system: if the husband is unable, then a son can be begotten by the husband's younger brother, devareṇa. But in this age, Kali-yuga, that is forbidden. Similarly, aśvamedha yajña, gomedha yajña is also forbidden, because there is no yajñic brāhmaṇas. Formerly when an animal was put into the fire, sacrificed, and by Vedic mantra it was given a new, fresh life. That was the test of Vedic mantra pronouncing. But that is not possible nowadays. In the Kali-yuga, the only yajña is the sañkīrtana yajña.

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

[SB 11.5.32]

Those who are highly intellectual, su-medhasaḥ, they perform the saṅkīrtana yajña, and by that saṅkīrtana yajña, the Lord, whose complexion is not black and who is always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and is accompanied by His associates, sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ.

So in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, everything is being performed according to the scriptural injunction. It is not that we are manufacturing something.

yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya

vartate kāma-kārataḥ

na sa siddhim avāpnoti

na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim

[Bg. 16.23]

So our initiation, our accepting a disciple as brāhmaṇa, they are all strictly according to Vedic injunctions. In this Kali-yuga, there is no vaidika dīkṣā because vaidika dīkṣā depends on the persons being a-I mean to say-sanctified brāhmaṇa. A sanctified brāhmaṇa means that before his birth, the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is observed. If it is not observed, then he immediately falls down to the category of śūdra. Kalau śūdra sambhava. But there is pāñcarātrikī-vidhi given by Nārada, who said that one should be accepted in the category of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra according to symptoms. Yasya hi ya svabhāvasya.

yasya hi (yal) lakṣaṇaṁ (proktaṁ)

(puṁso) varṇābhivyañjakam

yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta

tat tenaiva vinirdiśet

[SB 7.11.35]

There are symptoms of brahminical qualification, there are symptoms of kṣatriya qualification. So if these symptoms are observed in a different place, namely if the brahminical qualification is observed in the person of a śūdra, then that śūdra should not be called a śūdra, he should be accepted as brāhmaṇa. Similarly, if the śūdra qualification is observed in the family of a brāhmaṇa, then that person should be accepted as śūdra. This is the definition given by Nārada Muni while he was speaking about varṇāśrama-dharma to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, the initiation ceremony, the marriage ceremony, the sacred thread ceremony, whatever we observe, they are strictly according to the śāstra. That is our point. So for spiritual progress of life, it is necessary that all kinds of sinful activities must be stopped. Without being free from contamination of sinful life, nobody can make progress in spiritual life. Therefore, who is strictly observe these four principles to avoid sinful life, one of them is avaida stri saṅga. Therefore marriage is necessary. [break] (Hindi) (end)

731204WE.LA

Address at Wedding of Bali-mardana

Los Angeles, December 4, 1973

Prabhupāda:

parama karuṇa, pahū dui jana

nitāi gauracandra

saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi

kevala ānanda-khanda

Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, he sings that "This Nitai-Gaura incarnation, parama karuṇa-very, very merciful." Parama karuṇa, pahū dui jana: "Two lords, Nitai-Gaura." Parama karuṇa, pahū dui jana. Dui jana means two. Parama karuṇa, pahū dui jana, nitāi gauracandra: "Nityānanda and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, or Gaura Hari." Saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi kevala ānanda-khanda: "There are many incarnation, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda-simply ānanda, bliss." Ānanda, bliss, kevala ānanda-khanda. Now, for spiritual advancement, generally according to the Vedic system, so one has to accept the order of renounced life. Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally taught it, but He never condemned gṛhastha life, householder life. He rather said,

kibā vipra kibā śūdra nyāsī kena naya

yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya

[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

One may be a gṛhastha or sannyāsī-it doesn't matter-but he must be Kṛṣṇa-tattva-vit. He must know the science of Kṛṣṇa. That is required. So in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we have got four orders: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. Whichever position one can find himself suitable, he can accept that, and… But the main business is kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, and preach the cult all over the world, sei guru haya. Guru means preacher, to enlighten. One who can enlighten, he is guru.

ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

Guru means one who can open the eyes of the ignorant by the light of knowledge. He is guru.

So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is all-round movement, all-round movement. Just like Kṛṣṇa, He took part in everything. Not that Kṛṣṇa simply was interested in Vedic ritualistic ceremony. Of course, everything is based on Vedic ritualistic ceremony. But Kṛṣṇa also took part in everything. He was a politician, He was a philosopher, He was a socialist, He was a communist-everything. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa. So we recommend that in whatever position you feel comfortable, you can accept that, but, I mean to say, spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Parama ānanda-khanda. People will be happy. Our mission is to see sarve sukhino bhavantu: everyone become happy. We don't want to see that we exploit somebody else and I become happy. No. We want to see everyone happy. But they do not know how to become happy. Therefore we are trying to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement that everyone will be happy. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg. 9.2]. In Bhagavad-gītā it is… Su-sukham; to execute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very easy. Kartum avyayam: and whatever you perform, it is permanent. Avyayam and su-sukham, very pleasing. There is nothing very painful in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Because Kṛṣṇa is ānanda, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), we are going under the protection of Kṛṣṇa, there must be always ānanda. But people do not know how to enjoy ānanda. They have been put into ignorance. The so-called leaders, so-called politicians, so-called philosophers, scientists, they are simply keeping the people in darkness. So we want to counteract this action of keeping people in darkness. Lokasya ajānataḥ vidvān cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. Vyāsadeva compiled this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam…

anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād

bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje

lokasya ajānataḥ vidvān

cakre sātvata-saṁhitām

[SB 1.7.6]

So people do not know it. So we are trying to spread this knowledge, how to become happy. So everyone should come forward and cooperate with this movement.

Thank you very much. (end)

General Lectures

660825LE.NY

Lecture Excerpt

New York, August 25, 1966

Prabhupāda: "You take to your teacher and give it to him." "All right. This will do?" "Oh, yes, this will do. This cup will do." Now, when the teacher saw that he is coming with a cup of yogurt and promised that he will supply, he would supply, whatever required, he would supply, oh, he became very angry: "You cheated me like that?" and so on. So he, out of anger, he throw it. Now, after some time, when he came back, he saw that the yogurt is fallen down on the ground, but the pot is full. Then he tried again; again got it. So as much as he could take, he took, but the pot is always full. The pot is always full. So this is the position of spiritual. From spiritual, you may draw as much as you can, but it always full. That is the spiritual idea. So God is so full. He's paripūrṇa, pūrṇa. So even God comes out of God, still, God is there. That is incarnation. If God Himself comes out of God… So therefore, God in the heart of so many millions and billions of living entities does not mean that God has lost Himself. God is still there. That is the spiritual idea. And this is not… I am not talking to you some manufactured, coining some word. No. There is Vedic hymn,

pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ

pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate

pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya

pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate

[Iso Invocation]

All right. If there is any question, you can make… (end)

660908LE.NY

Lecture on Mahā-mantra

New York, September 8, 1966

Prabhupāda: The door is open? You can keep the door open. Yes. Īśvara… Just try to cite, recite this. (devotees repeat each word)

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

(repeats twice) Now, some of you members have asked me to explain the meaning of this chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Now, this sound is transcendental sound, transcendental sound, incarnation, sound incarnation of the Absolute Truth. Just try to understand what is incarnation. Incarnation means… The Sanskrit word is avatāra, and that is translated into English as "incarnation." Of course, the root meaning of incarnation I cannot exactly explain to you, but the root meaning of the… (aside:) Somebody stop. Yes. The root meaning of avatāra is "which comes from the transcendental sky, the spiritual sky to the material sky." That is called avatāra. Avataraṇa. Avataraṇa. Just like… Avataraṇa means "coming from up to down." That is called avatārana. And avatāra is understood that when God or His bona fide representative comes from that sky to this material plane, that is called avatāra.

So this sound, this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord. The sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. The whole thing, either material or spiritual, whatever we have got experience, nothing is separated from the Supreme Absolute Truth. Nothing is separated. Everything has emanated from the Absolute Truth. (aside:) Come on. Sit down. But just like… The example… Just like earth. Earth, then from earth, you have got wood, fuel. From fuel, when you get fire, first of all there is smoke. Then, after smoke, there is fire. And the fire, from fire, you can take work. Now, beginning from earth, from earth there is wood; from wood there is smoke; from smoke there is fire. There is a link between the fire and the earth. But the work of the fire, the benefit of the fire, can be had at the last stage, when there is real ignition of fire. Similarly, there is link. The whole material cosmic situation, manifestation, what we see, it is just like the smoke. The fire is behind it. That is spiritual sky. But still, in the smoke, you can feel some heat also. So similarly, this sound vibration of the spiritual world is here so that even in this material world, where there is a scarcity of that spiritual fire, we can appreciate, we can feel, the warmth of that fire.

So this is the meaning of, in a nutshell, meaning of this, I mean to say, spiritual vibration. And grammatical meaning is these, all these words, sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, sixteen… Now, according to grammatical rules, when somebody is addressed… Just like in your English language it is, note of address is, "O Mr. such and such," similarly, in grammar, Sanskrit grammar, the same note of address, which is called sambodhana, that is expressed in this way. So Hare, Hare is the note of address form of the sound Harā. Harā. Harā means the potency of the Supreme Lord, potency. The Supreme Lord is represented everywhere by His potency. There is a nice verse in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. It is said like that: Just like a fire, the fire situated in one place, it distributes its heat and light. Just like… Take the example for the sun. The sun is located at a certain fixed-up place. That we can see. But the heat of the sun and the light of the sun is distributed all over the universe. Ekadeśa-sthitasyāgneḥ. Ah, yes. The verse is like…

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner

jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā

tathā sarvam akhilaṁ jagat

brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ brahmaṇaḥ

Akhilaṁ jagat. In this world, whatever you are seeing, it is nothing but distribution of the energy of the Supreme Lord. Just like you can feel the light and the heat of the sun. This light and heat of the sun are different energies of the sun. The energy and the energetic, the thing from which the energy is generated and the energy, they are nondifferent. The sunshine or the sun heat is not different from the sun. Because there is heat in the sun, therefore we feel the heat of sunshine. And there is light in the sun, therefore we see the sunshine. So this sunshine and sun heat is not different from the sun as it is. But still it is different. Still it is different. You cannot say that "Because I am feeling the heat of the sun, therefore I have approached sun." No. Sun is far, far away from you. And because the sunshine has entered your room, you cannot say that "Sun has entered my room." No. Still, sunshine and sun heat is not different from the sun.

Similarly, the whole creation, anything… Generally there are three things: the potent, God, and His three energies. This is the sum total: internal energy, external energy, and marginal energy. External energy is this material manifestation. Just like this body is my external energy. I am soul, so my external energy is this body. Similarly, I have got my internal energy. That is my consciousness. Consciousness is my internal energy, and this body and the mind and this material demonstration, or manifestation, is my external energy. The body has developed, the mind has developed, from me, soul, not that I, consciousness, is developed from this body. No. That is a wrong conception. That is a wrong conception. You cannot develop consciousness from this body. Otherwise a dead man could have been again revived to consciousness. Because if matter is the cause of consciousness, then the whole matter is there already. Whole matter. The dead body means, so far material substance is concerned, everything is there, present. Nothing has disappeared. If you say there is no blood-oḥ, that is not very difficult thing, blood, a red substance. Do you mean to say something red injected within this body will bring back the life? No. If redness is the cause of life or consciousness, then modern chemical can make immediately by chemical combination the whole thing red. Or take example: there are many natural stones, they are by nature red. If you say that "This artificial redness cannot give life; the natural redness is the cause of life," then you take the stone. It has got natural redness, but there is no life. But there is no life. So redness is also not the cause of consciousness of life. That is a wrong theory. That is a complete… Consciousness is completely different thing, qualitatively different. Nothing is different from one to another, just like I have explained already that the earth, wood, then smoke, then fire-everything is linked up, but everything is also different from one another.

So the whole thing… The Supreme Lord is represented throughout everything, whatever you see, matter or spirit or anything, physical, chemical-whatever you can give name-there are so many things. But they are not separated from God. God is linked up in everywhere. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Just like our Bhagavad-gītā, we have begun that yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "That thing which is present all over the body, that you are." So this is individual consciousness: "I am present all over my body." Similarly, the supreme consciousness, he is present all over the universe, all over. This is only a small manifestation of God's energy, very minute. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find, ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. This jagat… Jagat means this material manifestation. This material manifestation is a one-fourth part demonstration of this whole energy of the Supreme Lord, one-fourth part. So nothing is different from God. But there are certain philosophers, they say, pantheist or monotheist… There are so many theists. They are also be… They believe in the Supreme, but impersonal. But we followers of this Kṛṣṇa philosophy, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, we do not follow that philosophy. What is that philosophy? The other sections, they say that "Because God is distributed all over everywhere, therefore there is no separate existence of God." But we do not say that. We say that, the example, that because the sun is distributing his heat and energy, therefore you cannot say that there is no existence of sun. Sun is separately existing. In spite of distributing for millions of years heat, the reservation of heat in the sun is intact. It is not diminished. But everyone knows that for millions and billions of years the sun is distributing heat. Nobody knows the history, how long. Your distributing center, the powerhouse, if you fail to supply coal or oil, then after one hour the whole New York City will be dark. So just you can imagine who is supplying the fuel in the heat of the sun so that for millions and billions of years the heat of the sun is in the same temperature. So this is only one of the creation of the God, God's creation. But just imagine. If God's creation is so unlimited and so much energetic, then how much energetic and how much powerful is the creator? That is to be… These things are to be thought. In everything, everything, we can have God consciousness. If this watch is so wonderful workmanship and we are struck with wonder how nicely it is giving time, how the machine is adjusted, now, before appreciating this watch, how much we have to appreciate the person who has discovered this watch, how much brain he has got? Before appreciating a powerful brain in this world, one should appreciate who has given him this powerful brain. If the man has attained that powerful brain out of his own accord, then great powerful brain like Professor Einstein, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, they could create another brain like them so that in their absence there would not have been scarcity of scientist and powerful brain. But they could not do that. Therefore they are not creator of the powerful brain. The powerful brain is gift of the supreme powerful brain.

So in every respect, if we think… This is called philosophy. If we have got thoughtful propensities, if we can little think over every matter, you will find that God is present everywhere, and still, He is personally present in His own place. The same example: the sun is present everywhere by heat and light; still, sun, the sun, has its own location. That you cannot deny. Similarly, God is present everywhere. Not only everywhere… We learn from Brahma-saṁhitā,

eko 'py asau racayituṁ jagad-aṇḍa-koṭiṁ

yac-chaktir asti jagad-aṇḍa-cayā yad-antam

aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.35]

This Govinda, anādir ādir govindaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. So the prayer is, "I worship that Govinda," sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam, kāraṇa, "who is the cause of all causes." Cause of all causes. Now, in this verse of Brahma-saṁhitā we find that one of His plenary portion… In the Vedic hymns we find that God has become many. Eko bahu śyām. God is one without second, but He has become Himself many. We are also God. Out of that many, we are one. We are one. We are not separate from God. So, but there are amongst the "many"s there is a difference of potency, difference of potencies. Just like what you can do, I cannot do. Your workmanship may not be equal with my workmanship. Your brain work may not be equal to my brain work. There are differences. Each and every living entity, they are different from each other so far individual capacities are concerned. So in spite of many… That is God's creation. In spite of many, each and every thing, you will find there is some difference. You can sit down at a place in New York and go on counting and seeing all people passing before you-you won't find one man is exactly like the other man. Not only that, in court, you know, every one of you know, that they take impression of the left hand thumb impression. Now, this thumb impression… You go on taking millions and millions of thumb impression, and you won't find one thumb impression is exactly like the other. And because there is difference of thumb impression, therefore the identity is taken in that way, that "This particular man's thumb impression, even if he denies his signature, the thumb impression will corroborate that his signature is this." So that is God's creation.

Similarly, there are two kinds of expansions of the Lord. One kind of expansion is called Viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva means the expansion, they are as equal as the God Himself. And there are expansions which are called the jīva-tattva, the living entities. This expansion of the living entities, they are not equally powerful, but the expansion of Viṣṇu-tattva is equally powerful, as good as God Himself. So the incarnation… Incarnation of God means the expansion which is as good as God Himself. That is called incarnation. So this, I mean to, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, is the expansion, incarnation, sound incarnation, of God. It is expansion and a plenary expansion, sound, sound representation… Not representation. God, present Himself in this form of sound. Because we cannot see God with our present eyes, present eyes, because this is not our proper eyes. They are material eyes. You don't think that this eye, the transparent thing which is floating in this, I mean to say, hole… That is not seeing. Similarly, if you can present, or if you take this eye… You cannot see. That cannot see. It is simply a lens only. It is only lens. So none of this body, bodily part, is actually the thing which is taking part. So therefore with these eyes, with these material eyes, you cannot see. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. The present senses, the present senses cannot have any knowledge of the Supreme God. But how then we can have knowledge? If my senses are unfit, then how can I make it fit? Oh, that is the thing. That is the thing, that you have to spiritualize, spiritualize these material sense, I mean to say, organs. And then, when you spiritualize, then you can have the spiritual vision and see God and yourself. The same example which I have recited many times: just like the iron rod. Iron rod, you put into the fire. It gets warm-warm, warmer, warmer. And when it is red hot, then it is no longer iron. Iron it is, but it does not act as iron, but it acts as fire. That iron rod which is red hot in association with fire, you can take that rod and touch anything; it will burn. That means it is no longer acting as iron; it is acting as fire. Similarly, if you associate with this transcendental incarnation, sound incarnation of God, then you will be gradually godly. You will be godly. You can become godly with God's association, not by any other material, extraneous things. No. Just like you can have fire only in association with fire, not with water. If you want to get yourself warm, then you have to associate with fire, not with water, not with air. Similarly, if you want to spiritualize your vision, if you want to spiritualize your action, if you want to spiritualize the whole constitution of your existence, then you have to associate with the supreme spirit. And that supreme spirit is very kind because He is everything. That we have already explained. Everything is interrelated with the Supreme; therefore He is interrelated with sound also. So by God's inconceivable potency, He can present before yourself in sound incarnation. That is His potency. That is His potency. He can do that. And therefore this name, Kṛṣṇa, and the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference.

So our, this sound representation of the Supreme Lord constantly will make us… Just like our association with the fire, the, I mean to say, iron rod's association with the fire makes the rod equally qualified, exactly-not equally qualified, but almost the quality of burning it gets-similarly, by our constant association with Lord… Lord is not only incarnation in a sound form. He is incarnated in many other forms, in many other forms. Just like arca. Arca means the form of the Lord situated, I mean to say, established in some temple and worshiped. That is also incarnation of God. That is not idol worship. People do not know that this is an authorized process of realizing God, or they have never tasted or practiced it. They cannot understand. They say it is idol worship. No. It is not idol worship. It is not idol worship. I'll give you one example. Just like in the front of your door there is a box-"U.S. Mail," it is written. And you put your letters within that box, and after few days you get reply from your friend that "I have received your letter, and this is such and such, such and such." Now, if somebody puts another box like that, exactly imitation: "Then why shall I spend postage to putting letters in this box, U.S. Mail? I require postage. But then why shall I not put up a box like that? Let me prepare a box like that so that it can go without postage. I want to save postage." Now, he is going on, putting letters in that without postage. And after sometimes he sees all the letters are lying there; it has not been dispatched-because it is imitation. And the box which is supplied by the post office, that is authorized. In the matter, in material, you will find this box and that imitation box is the same thing. So this is a science. You see. Although we find that "This form of the Lord… The Hindus, they have established one statue in the temple, and they are worshiping as the Lord? How is that? Is it Lord is a stone? It is wood?" But he does not know that because it is authorized, because it is authorizedly worshiped, therefore even it is stone or wood, it can act. It can act. Just like the authorized post office, although seemingly it is a box which I can prepare, but it is acting because it is authorized, similarly, the authorized, authorized symbol or representation of God is also God. He's not different from God. Then why God is like that? It is His mercy. Because I cannot see God with my these eyes-I can see stone and wood and material things-therefore God is kind enough (to appear) in a form suitable to my seeing and accept my service. It is His kindness. And besides that, if everything is God, because everything has link with the God, with the Supreme Truth, then God, being omnipotent, why He cannot represent Himself in everything? If everything is God, everything is emanation of God, then God has got the power to manifest Himself in everything. That is His omnipotency. So these are consideration.

So the explanation of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is addressing, addressing the Supreme Lord through the energy, Hara. Hara is the energy, internal energy. Just like when there is… Of course, in your country there is no sun worship, but in India there are persons who are sun worshipers. So they worship sun with so many things. And there is a lamp also. Now, this lamp is a light, but it is being offered for satisfying the sun. Now, sun is so lightful, this light is merely insignificant before the sunlight. But still, because I have no other means, I am getting a sunlight, imitation of that light, and offering, and that offering is accepted. So these are spiritual conception. When we gradually make our progressive advancement, these things will be realized. But for the present we can take this instruction from authorized scripture that,

ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi

na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau

svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ

[Cc. Madhya 17.136]

The God's name, God's form, God's quality, God's paraphernalia, God's entourage, like that, and anything in relation to God cannot be realized with our present senses. But when we are in service attitude, then God is so merciful, He is so pleased, that our tiny efforts to realize Him attracts Him, and He becomes manifested gradually as we make our progress in spiritual service or devotional service.

So this method, chanting, chanting of the transcendental name of the Supreme Lord, is a part of devotional service. There are nine kinds of devotional services, of which

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sākhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

These are different, nine processes. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Śravaṇam means hearing, and kīrtanam means chanting, chanting. So by this process… Just like I chant and you hear, and you chant and I hear. Parasparam. Bodhayantaḥ parasparam. This is the factual activities of devotion in devotional society. This bodhayantaḥ parasparam: I chant, you hear, and you chant, I hear. So by this process, the transcendental name, the sound incarnation of the Supreme Lord, becomes manifest, manifest so that we can realize God simply by chanting and hearing. Simply by chanting and hearing that will be realized. Of course, there are some rules and regulations for chanting, but in the beginning we haven't got to observe those rules and regulation at the present. First of all let us have the taste for chanting; then we shall be little careful that the rules and regulations are followed. In the beginning, if we stick up to the… Rules and regulations are subordinate, subordinate thing. Just like you enter into an office. You are appointed in some office to work. So on the very day, you do not know all the rules and regulations. But because you do not know all the rules and regulation, that does not mean that you cannot be appointed. First of all let yourself be appointed. Now, working, working, yourself you will know that rules and regulations: "This is the rules, and this is the regulation." Just like in my life, I will say one instance. When I met my spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, so as a gentleman meets as a gentleman, so he was sitting in a couch like that. So, and I also sat down on that very couch. So I did not know that what are the rules and regulations. Now, when I saw that his other disciples are coming, and they are sitting down, (laughs) so I thought myself, "Oh, I have done this wrong. I should not have sat with His Divine Grace." So of course, I did not get down immediately, but I took it, and from next day I did not sit. So rules and regulations automatically was taught. So that rules and regulations is not very important. The important is… The thing is that we must take up. The first rules and regulation is that we must have some attachment for this. Attachment for this. Then, automatically, rules and regulation we shall learn. There will be no difficulty.

So this transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, you don't think that I have come here-it is my personal manufacture. No. It is not. No. It is not my personal manufacture. It is authorized just like the post box is authorized, because all previous ācāryas, all previous authorized persons in this line, they have done it. Just like see Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is chanting and dancing, chanting and dancing, you see, the same thing. This picture is before you so that gradually, when you feel ecstasy, you will also dance like Him. And when you automatically dance, then you will know that the thing is already realized. Not artificially, but when you feel, "Oh, let me dance. It is so much ecstatic. Let me dance." Nothing should be done artificially. Let everything come automatically. And only we have to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. This is a verse from scripture, that tarko apratiṣṭhaḥ, if you simply go on arguing about spiritual matters-"This is not, this is not, this is not, yes, this is not…" I say something; you say something. No, no, no. You cannot realize spiritual objects simply by this speculation, argument. Our argument or logical, I mean to say, strength has no access in the spiritual world. The Vedic mantra says, nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena: "Atma, the supreme self, cannot be realized pravacanena." Suppose I am very expert speaker, I can present things very nicely-but without any substance. Oh, that won't help you. Simply by jugglery of words, if I can captivate you, oh, that won't help you. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena. This is pravacana.

Of course, we are delivering speeches from authoritative book, Bhagavad-gītā. I am not speaking before you of my own imagination. I am speaking from the authorized book. Therefore it is not exactly pravacana, neither I am squeezing out some meaning for my purpose. I am just presenting you the same principle. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. As Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached, I am trying to present the same thing before you in a different language only. That's all. Because in India He preached in Sanskrit. He was a very learned scholar in Sanskrit. Formerly, any big man, any big scholar, they would be big scholar in Sanskrit. Sanskrit was the written language. Even in the beginning of the British period, Sanskrit was written language. It is the policy of Lord McCauley that he transformed the whole attitude. They made a plan that "If Indians remain as Indian, then we cannot rule over. Then we cannot rule over. We must make them Anglicized." So that policy was followed for two hundred years, so India has lost its original culture. So therefore the original point is that tarko apratiṣṭhaḥ. We cannot realize the Supreme Truth simply by argument or logical presentation or philosophical speculation. No. Tarko apratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Śrutayo means scriptures. Now say, for example, Bhagavad-gītā and your Bible and the Muhammadans, they'll present Koran. So of course, this Bhagavad-gītā is little different from Vedic scripture. That we have already explained. It is an independent something, universal. So Vedic scripture, Koran, Bible, or Zoroastrian… There are so many religions, Buddhist religion, so many. So there may be some difference of opinion. Śrutayor vibhinnā. Vibhinnā means different. Now, you cannot realize the Absolute Truth simply by your mundane arguments and by your logical strength, neither you can catch up the right thing by reading different scriptures. Śrutayor vibhinnā. Nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And if you follow great philosophers, great thinkers, then also you will find one thinker is different from another thinker, one philosopher is differing from another philosopher. So whom to follow? This philosopher says that God is a person; another philosopher says God is imperson; another philosopher says that God is everywhere and there is no separate existence of God. So many philosophies there are in the world. And one person is not actually philosopher if he does not differ from other philosophers. That is the philosophical basic principle. You are a philosopher. If I cannot make your philosophical conclusion null and void and make my philosophy established, then I am not a philosopher. You see? That is the way, going on. Nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam: "He is not a philosopher if he cannot present a separate theory." He is not a philosopher.

Then how to catch up the Absolute Truth? What is the way? Now, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām: "Therefore the Absolute Truth is concealed within your heart." Nihitaṁ guhāyām. Now, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ: [Cc. Madhya 17.186] "You just try to follow the great personalities, what they are doing, what they are doing." Now, about this mahājana, there is also difference of opinion who is mahājana. But so far our Vedic culture is concerned, there are specific mention, mahājana. And so far Lord Kṛṣṇa is concerned, so there is no two opinions about His authority throughout the whole world. And so far we are concerned, Hindus, or the followers of the Vedic religion, there is no difference of opinion so far Kṛṣṇa's authority is concerned. There are five authorities, recognized authorities, in India so far this is…, spiritual life is concerned. One of them is Śrī Rāmānujācārya and other is Śaṅkarācārya. The other is Madhvācārya, other is Viṣṇu Svāmī, and other Nimbārka, Nimbāditya (?). Principal. The whole, I mean, some of them flourished, say, two thousand years before; some of them 1,500 years before; some of them eleven hundred years before. Just like there are different ages, they have come. But all of them, in spite of their coming in different ages, they all are in one opinion-kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam: [SB 1.3.28] "Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Just like we have cited, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]: "The supreme controller, the Supreme Lord, is Kṛṣṇa." Now, we can see from His presentation of this Bhagavad-gītā how supreme He is. He spoke this truth five thousand years before, and continually, for five thousand years, all scholars are studying this scripture, and studying very devotedly to understand it. You know our present president in India, Dr. Radhakrishnan. He is a renowned scholar of the world, Dr. Radhakrishnan. When he came to your country, your president, late Mr. Kennedy, oh, he welcomed him as his own teacher, because when Mr. Kennedy was a student in the Oxford University, Dr. Radhakrishnan was a visiting professor. In the open meeting Mr. Kennedy admitted that "Now Dr. Radhakrishnan has come as the president, but he is always my teacher. He is still my teacher." It was very kind of him that he received him as a teacher, not as contemporary. So even that Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is also studying this Bhagavad-gītā very, I mean to say, profoundly. You know your Professor Einstein. Oh, he was a profound, I mean to say, student of this Bhagavad-gītā. Hitler was a great student of Bhagavad-gītā. So many, in all the countries. There are so many Muhammadans in India, oh, they are devout student of Bhagavad-gītā. I know one Dr. Inrai(?) of Allahabad University. Oh, he is so devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa that on the birthday of Lord Kṛṣṇa he must write one nice article and publish in the paper. So this instruction, that mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ… [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. We cannot have the knowledge of the Absolute Truth simply by argument or simply by philosophy or simply by big brain or speaking power. No, no. All these things will not do. Simply we have to follow the great authority.

So Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, He introduced this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare for this age. And He recommended, kalau… Not recommended by His own brain, but it is recommended in the scriptures:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

If you want to realize the Supreme Truth, then you must realize this: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, whenever you get… Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam: "Only this." And if you think, "Oh, only this? Why not other?" No. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Nāsty eva means "There is no alternative." And He repeats this: "no alternative, no alternative, no alternative," three times. Three times. That means He is giving too much stress. So our process is like that, that we are following a great personality, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He introduced from the scripture, not in His own way. Nothing should be accepted which is not recognized. You see? So this is recognized method. Now it depends on us. Let us follow this process and see how we are making progress in the spiritual path. You see?

Thank you very much. Now, if there is any question, you can raise. (end)

680202LE.LA

Lecture

Los Angeles, February 2, 1968

Prabhupāda:

vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-

śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī

kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye

[Cc. Madhya 6.254]

This verse was composed by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. You know Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya? You have not heard?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Who was he? Who was Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya?

Nandarāṇī: He was a great impersonalist who was converted by Lord Caitanya to Vaiṣṇavism.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And Nandarāṇī knows better than you. (laughter) So girls are intelligent. Yes. Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was a great impersonalist and a great logician. The impersonalist school, amongst them, there are very, very learned scholars. Śaṅkarācārya himself, he was unique scholar. At the age of eight years only, he studied all the Vedas. And not only he studied, he became a critical student, Śaṅkarācārya. He was incarnation of Lord Śiva; therefore nobody can be compared with him.

So amongst the impersonalist school, there are many great logicians and high class scholars. But according to Vedic principles, God realization does not depend on material intelligence or scholarship. It is stated in the Vedas, nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ: "You cannot realize the self simply by arguments or very scholarly speeches." No. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na bahunā śrutena: "Neither by studying many, many different types of Vedic literatures." Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na bahunā śrutena na medhayā: "Neither by sharp brain or memory." These are good qualifications-to be scholarly, to be a very good speaker, and to have very good memorizing power. These are materially very good qualifications. But they are not qualification for realizing God. Then what is the qualification of realizing God? Yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyaḥ: "God can be realized only to whom He reveals-labhyaḥ Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23." You cannot oblige God to become manifest before you because you are very good scholar or you are a very rich man or you are very good looking or you have got very good memorizing power. No. Yam evaiṣa vṛṇute. When He is pleased, then He reveals unto the devotee. Therefore our business should be, for God realization, to please Him. And that pleasing process is this devotional service. Let us engage in His service, and when He becomes pleased, "Yes. He's very sincerely…" Just like the gopīs. They were village girls, not even born of very high family. Cowherds, ordinary agriculturists, cowherds men. So their daughters. So how much education you can…? There was no education practically. In the village even men… In India still, they are ninety-percent illiterate. And what to speak of the girls, the men are not even literate. Because according to Vedic civilization it was not necessary that everyone should go to school. There was no necessity. Because things were being learned by śruti, by aural reception. Knowledge from the perfect man, one would hear, and he would become learned. There was no necessity of, I mean to say, learning ABCD. No. Even in Vedic age, everything was memorized. There was nothing in writing. People were so sharp in brain that once heard from the spiritual master, they will never forget. The brahmacārī system made their brain so powerful that whatever they will hear from the spiritual master, they will keep in the brain and never forget. They will repeat verbatim. Smṛti. It is called retaining power.

So God realization does not depend on material opulence. Material opulence means to take birth in high family, janma. Janma means high parentage. Then… Janmaiśvarya, and wealthy, great riches. These are material opulences: high parentage, great riches, and great learning, and great beauty. These four things are material opulences. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī [SB 1.8.26]. Janma means birth, aiśvarya means wealth, and śruta means education, and śrī means beauty. So for God realization these things are not essential, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement can utilize everything. So nothing is neglected. That is another point. But if somebody thinks that "I have got all these opulences; therefore God realization is very easy for me," no, that is not. So God realization depends on God, because God, you cannot oblige God by some force. Just like if you have got money, oh, you can do anything nowadays. If you have got strength of wealth, you can have any power, you can do anything. But that does not mean that you can purchase God. No. That is not possible. If you have got beauty, you can conquer over very stalwart, very strong men. Just like what is the… Cleopatra. You have heard the Grecian history. She was very beautiful, and she conquered many great warriors. So beauty sometimes can conquer even the greatest man, but that does not mean beauty can conquer God. No. That is not possible. So the vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. To conquer God is bhakti. If you are advanced in devotional service, then you can conquer God. Just like the gopīs, as I was speaking, their parentage was not very high, not at all high. Village, agriculturists, farmers, no education, practical… No education at all. And they were not rich at all. Agriculturists, farmers, they are not very rich. So how they conquered Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa was just a play toy in their hands. Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī. They conquered Kṛṣṇa simply by devotional service. That's all. They did not know anything except Kṛṣṇa. They did not, I mean to say, care anything. Simply they were…, always they were thinking of Kṛṣṇa. The one instance of their absorption in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is explained, that when Kṛṣṇa was going on the pasturing ground, the gopīs were crying at home. Why? They were thinking that "Kṛṣṇa's body is so delicate, so soft, that we, when we take His lotus feet and place on our breast or chest, we think it is hard, very hard for Him. So Kṛṣṇa is walking in the forest. There are so many particles of stones. They are pricking, and how much Kṛṣṇa is feeling pain." This thinking made, caused their crying, "How Kṛṣṇa is feeling pain." And the whole day, they will think of Kṛṣṇa like that, and when Kṛṣṇa will come back from the pasturing ground, then they will be relieved that "Kṛṣṇa has now come back." This was their business. Now, this sort of thinking of Kṛṣṇa does not require any riches or any high parentage or any beauty or any education. So we have to develop such Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our, this Gauḍīya-sampradāya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, in Caitanya Mahāprabhu's descendants, our line of God realization is that separation, feeling of separation. Not that we have got Kṛṣṇa within our hand. No. The feeling of separation, worship of Kṛṣṇa by feeling of separation is better than the worship by directly meeting. Vipralambha-sevā.

So this vairāgya-vidyā, renunciation… Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Bhakti-yoga means vairāgya-vidyā. Vairāgya-vidyā means no more attachment for this material world. That is vairāgya. So bhakti-yoga means vairāgya-vidyā. So this Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya said, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam. This vairāgya-vidyā means bhakti-yogam…, śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ. So Kṛṣṇa, the supreme original personality, He has come down to teach us this vairāgya-vidyā. Vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has appeared in the form of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya says, "My respectful obeisances unto Him." So naturally this context came into my mind-these boys' vairāgya. So one who becomes advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, naturally they become disinterested for any material pompous name.(?) They do not care. So vairāgya. This bhakti-yoga means vairāgya-vidyā. You can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break]

Karandhara: …Vaiṣṇava earlier.

Prabhupāda: Oh. What is the price of this?

Gargamuni: No charge.

Prabhupāda: No. What do they sell?

Gargamuni: Oh. This drum was broken, but he gave it to us free. I do not know what the…

Prabhupāda: It was, it is broken?

Gargamuni: It was broken, but we fixed it.

Prabhupāda: Oh. All right. When they give in charity, they give something broken. (laughter) (Bengali) Khana goruke brāhmaṇake dana (?). In India there is a…, charity is given to the brāhmaṇas. So a man saw that his cow is blind. "All right, give it in charity." So charity means… Charity should be the first-class thing if it is really charity. But nowadays people give in charity just for name. "Oh, I am giving something." This charity… You have read Bhagavad-gītā. There are three kinds of charity: sattvic, rajasic, tamasic. Sattvic, charity in goodness, is with due consideration that "Here should be given the charity." Just like the Vedic injunction is to give charity to the brāhmaṇas. Why? That is the worthy place, to give charity in the hands of brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇava. Real brāhmaṇas. I don't say caste brāhmaṇa. Because they will employ whatever you give them in the service of the Lord. Therefore charity, that is sattvic charity. There is no question of profit or name. But, "Charity should be given here. Here is something, God's service." That is sattvic. And rajasic means for the sake of name. "Oh, people will say I am so charitable." That is rajasic. And tamasic, one who does not know where the money is going… Just like in the Bowery Street some, that drunkard comes and polishes the motorcar, and somebody gives five dollars, and he immediately goes to drink. That means this charity means give him impetus for drinking. So if charity creates such drunkard, oh, that is very dangerous. He has to suffer, the man who is giving in charity. Therefore in charity also there must be consideration. It must be sattvic. So anyway, it has come here. So it is sattvic. Whatever his mind may be, anyway, he has given to this temple; so it is sattvic. Chant. (end)

680402LE.SF

Lecture

San Francisco, April 2, 1968

Prabhupāda: …consciousness movement was started five hundred years before by Lord Caitanya. This is not a new movement. Practically, it is as old as the creation of this world, but as things change in course of time, so it required rejuvenation. So this movement was rejuvenated about five hundred years ago. Before that, Lord Kṛṣṇa… You might have heard His name. Most of you have read Bhagavad-gītā, the famous philosophical doctrine of Indian Vedānta philosophy. Lord Kṛṣṇa instructed Bhagavad-gītā in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra five thousand years ago. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means the last instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. In the Bhagavad-gītā we find everything complete so far God consciousness is required. The first and foremost qualification to understand the science of God or to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is to understand yourself. The first thing is what you are or what I am. In the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra this perplexed question was there before Arjuna. Arjuna was to fight with his brothers and relatives on the other side to decide who shall be the emperor of the region. So in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, when he actually came in front of his relatives, he decided that "It is no good fighting with my relatives and taking the kingdom. Better I shall beg. I don't want this kingdom." That is a very nice proposal, nonviolence, not to fight. But on this point the Bhagavad-gītā, or the science of God, developed from the lips of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa said that "Why you are deviating from your duty? You are kṣatriya. Your business is to fight." Now this term kṣatriya also to be understood. Kṣatriya means one who protects others from being hurt by others. This material world is so made that everyone is prepared to attack another person. And one who protects that person who is attacked, he is called kṣatriya. And the kṣatriyas were in charge of administration. That means the person who can protect the citizen from being hurt or from suffering, they are called kṣatriyas. So just like it is the duty of the police department or law order department to protect the citizens, and sometimes violence is required, similarly, the kṣatriyas also were meant for that purpose, and they were entrusted with the administration of the government. So when Arjuna decided not to fight, Kṛṣṇa instructed him this Bhagavad-gītā. It is very interesting. He said that "You do not deviate from your duty. Do not think that you are killing your relatives, because you, Me, and all the persons who have assembled in this battlefield, they were existing before, they are existing at the present moment, and they will continue to exist. It is simply changing the dress." That means you, I, or all of us present here, we are all individual spirit souls and we are present here as in different dress. Similarly, we are present here in this world and in any other world with different kinds of bodies. According to Vedic literature there are 8,400,000's of different kinds of bodies. So He gave very nice example. If we study this example with little intelligence, we can understand this doctrine of transmigration of the soul very quickly.

Lord Kṛṣṇa said,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

This is Sanskrit language. I'll explain it in English. He said that within this body there is soul, and the body is changing every moment, but the soul is there. He is giving example, just as a soul comes from the womb of his mother with a small body, and that small body changes-it becomes the body of a boy, it becomes the body of a youth, then it becomes the body of an old man, then it vanquishes… That we have to admit. We may say that the body is growing, but actually, the fact is, body is changing. It is medically admitted that we are changing our body every second. We are changing our blood corpuscles, and therefore a change of the body is taking place, and that is being manifested in a different shape only. Actually, we are changing every moment our body. So the ultimate change, when this body cannot be worked any more, just like a dress, when it is torn, when it is too old, you have to change it. Similarly, when this body becomes useless, no more, it cannot be pulled on any more, you take another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir. As we are, in our practical life, we are changing our body every moment, similarly, the last stage of changing this body is called death. Death means, according to Vedic literature, sleeping for seven months. Just as I give up this body, I have to enter into the womb of some kind of mother. These things are explained in the Vedic literatures. I am not manufacturing. That karmaṇā dehopapattaye. We are preparing our next life, next body rather… Life is continuing. I am eternal. Next body-according to my present one. Just like in this meeting we have got two hundred ladies and gentlemen, but you cannot find out any lady or any gentleman exactly like the feature of the other. Differences. That means different consciousness, different work, and we have got different body. According to Bhagavad-gītā, the soul is transmigrating from one body to another, but the soul is eternal and permanent. And there are evolutionary process also. There are nine million species of life in the water. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. And the trees and plants are two million. Similarly, there are reptiles, birds, then beasts, three million beast life, beastly life. Then at the end, we come to the form of this human being, and there are four hundred thousand species of different kinds of bodies. Just like your body in America and our body in India, there is some difference. Similarly, there are four hundred thousands of human form of life. So this is the process of evolution. And these bodily changes are taking place according to different consciousness. And the highest perfectional consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our life becomes perfect.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just an endeavor to bring people to the original consciousness. The consciousness is… [break] And as we are forming our consciousness, so we are changing our body. If we make our consciousness doggish or hellish, then we get the body of a dog or an animal or something like that. And if we make our consciousness godly, then we make our next life as good as God. This is the process. So we have to… This is the opportunity. The highest intellectual form of human body when every, the senses perception, sense perception, consciousness, everything is perfect-we have to utilize that for becoming Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that our this process of birth and death can be stopped and we get our eternal body. If we practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our next life is as good as Kṛṣṇa, which means that there is no more birth, there is no more death, there is no more disease and no more old age. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that one who is intelligent, he will see four things before him. You may be very great scientist. You may be very much advanced in material science. You may be able to construct very high building, skyscrapers, and many millions of motorcars, but you have to think whether you have solved the real problem of life. The real problem of life is birth, death, disease, and old age. Not that to live in a high skyscraper our problems of life is solved. No. The problem of life is how to stop these four things: birth, death, old age, and disease. But we have neglected the real problems of life. And we are misusing our intelligence for constructing big buildings and constructing or increasing the so-called bodily necessities of life. The bodily necessities of life are four only. What is that? Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. To maintain this body you require to eat something. Everyone is eating. You are eating, the cats are eating, the dogs are eating, the birds are eating. They have no economic problem. Eating is there already. Have you seen ever that a bird is dying for want of eating, eatables? No. So these things are already arranged. That is no problem. In every form of life your eatables are there by nature's supply. Similarly sleeping. The bird is sleeping, the dog is sleeping, the cat is sleeping, and you are also sleeping. But you have got a very nice apartment. Does it mean that you have solved the problem of sleeping? No. Then defending. The birds, the dogs, the cats, the animals, everyone knows how to defend in their own way. You go every day in the, what is called, Stowe Lake path. And as soon as you go, the swans immediately jump to the water because that is their defending. As soon as they go to the water, they know that "These human beings, they cannot come to the water. We are now secure." So that defending process is there even in the swans, in the birds, in everything. You don't think that because we have manufactured atomic bombs, therefore we have become very good. What is this atomic bomb? Killing. Killing is going on. Have you manufactured anything by which you can save from death?

So our problems of life, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, is to solve these four things: no more birth… Because we are… Always remember that we are all eternal. Just like in this body, beginning from my mother's womb up to this old age, I am the same eternal soul, but my body is changing. So after changing this body also, I shall remain the same. Simply I shall have another body. This plain truth, there is no difficulty to understand. Now if I am eternal… If I am eternal means no death, no birth, no disease, no old age. That is eternal. So if I am eternal, whether it is possible to get an eternal body? Or eternal happiness? That is the problem of human society. If you can solve that problem, then you be proud of your civilization. Otherwise there is no difference between cats' and dogs' civilization and your civilization. Because you are simply trying to solve the problems of eating, sleeping, defending and mating. But these problems are already solved by nature's law.

So our developed intelligence should be utilized for solving these problems by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are presenting this movement before you, your country, because you are intelligent, you are materially advanced. You are greater than all other countries. Therefore I present this movement, scientific movement before you. You just try to understand it. Lord Caitanya's movement… This is Lord Caitanya's movement. And the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta… That is in Sanskrit. We have translated it into English, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you like, you can purchase that book. So in that book it is stated that caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. "Ladies and gentlemen, you just…, scrutinizingly you try to understand the mercy of Lord Caitanya, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how it is solving the problems of our life." Vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra. If you scrutinizingly test it and try to understand this movement, then you'll feel yourself that it is wonderful. And actually it is wonderful. So… And the process is also very simple. You do not require to be highly educated or philosopher or talented or rich or poor, or black and white. Doesn't matter what you are. It is universal. Any human being with little intelligence, he can understand. And even he does not understand, this process is so nice that if you continue this process for a few weeks you'll be able to understand. This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is transcendental vibration, sound. Sound is the origin of all creation. So this transcendental sound, if you vibrate, you will understand very quickly this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And there is no loss on your part. Suppose you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa; you do not lose anything. But if there is any gain, why don't you try it? We simply request you with folded hands that you kindly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. We are simply requesting you. We're not asking you to pay us something or to suffer something or be educated or be engineer or be lawyer, then come to us. Never mind what you are. Stay in your position. Simply try to chant these sixteen words, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. You can try for one week. And there is no hard and fast rules. You can chant anywhere and everywhere. While walking you can chant, while driving you can chant. Nobody is going to tax, that "You are chanting. Give me this tax." It is very easy.

So kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31]. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If you chant, the result will be that your mind will be cleansed. The whole misunderstanding is that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. But I am identifying myself with this body-'I am Indian,' 'I am American,' 'I am Christian,' 'I am Hindu.' " These are all your designations. You are spirit soul. Just try to understand that you are spirit soul, and try to understand on the platform of spiritual understanding. All problems will be solved. And so long you are standing on this designated platform-"I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that"-there is no solution of problems. Take it for granted. There is no solution of problem. You stand on this platform of spiritual understanding; there will be solution of all problems. This is authentic, and those who have followed, they have got result. And take it from me that there is no cheating, there is no bluff. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and see the result practically. With my request, you can chant for one week and see the result. We are always prepared to serve you. We have got our temple here. Not only here, we have got our temple in Los Angeles, we have got our temple in New York, in Santa Fe, Montreal, Boston, and recently we're trying to open one temple in Buffalo. And two of my students, they have gone to Florida. They are also trying to open. So it is very nice movement, and it is very easy to chant. Now before me… I am Indian, you are all Americans. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, this vibration may be foreign to you, but there is no difficulty to chant. The words may be in Sanskrit, but it is not difficult to chant. And if you simply chant, you get the result because it is transcendental vibration. Just like when television or radio vibration is there, either in India, America, everywhere the vibration is equally beneficial. Similarly, this transcendental vibration is coming down from the transcendental world. It is not material sound. It is not hackneyed. If you chant, if you practice, you'll realize it. So our request is that without any charges, without any fee, without any bluff, we say that you please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much. [break] Raghupati rāghava rāja rāma. Can you sing? I'll sing if you can repeat. You can note down. Raghupati rāghava rāja rāma, patita-pāvana sītā-rāma. Can anyone play in this harmonium melodious?

Devotees: Mālatī. [break]

Prabhupāda: …rāghava rāja rāma, patita-pāvana sītā-rāma. R-a-g-h-u-p-a-t-i. Raghupati. Rāghava, r-a-g-h-a-v-a. Raghupati rāghava rāja, r-a-j-a, rāja, rāma, r-a-m-a. Raghupati rāghava rāja rāma. Patita, p-a-t-i-t-a, pāvana, p-a-v-a-n-a. Patita-pāvana sītā-rāma, s-i-t-a-r-a-m-a. Raghupati rāghava. (end)

680505LE.BOS

Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.)

Boston, May 5, 1968

Prabhupāda:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

This prayer is offering respectful obeisances to the spiritual master. Why? Because the spiritual master is the person who opens our eyes, complicated in ignorance, with the torch of transcendental knowledge. Timirāndhasya. Every one of us born ignorant, and we require specific education and training for seeing things as they are. Today I am very glad to meet you. You are all students of technology. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also another technology. Unfortunately, in the modern state of civilization there are different department of knowledge. There is department of teaching medical science, there is department of teaching engineering, there is department of educating-so many other departments of knowledge. Unfortunately, there is no department for distributing knowledge in the science of the soul. But that is the important, most important thing, because the soul is the mainstay, is the background of all our movements.

In the Bhagavad-gītā there is a nice verse:

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur

indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir

yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

[Bg. 3.42]

The idea is that in the present consciousness I am thinking that I am this body, although actually I am not this body. This is ignorance. And body means the senses. I am acting means… Just like I am talking. That means I am using my tongue for vibration. So these bodily activities means sensual activities. But if you go deep into the matter, the senses can only act when the mind is sound. If the mind is not sound, a crazy man or a madman cannot use his senses properly. Therefore higher science. First of all technology of the senses, and then, next higher technology is of the mind, which is known as psychology. Thinking, feeling, willing. They are trying to understand how they are working. And above this mind, mental science, there is the science of intelligence. And above the science of intelligence, the background is the soul. Unfortunately, we have got technology for the bodily senses, we have got technology for psychology, but we have neither any technology for intelligence nor for any technology in the science of the soul. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the technology of the science of soul.

There is a nice story. You'll appreciate it. In India, especially in Bengal, there are many rivers. The land is full of rivers. Because it is on the bank of the Bay of Bengal, all rivers are falling. Therefore Bengal, the land of, especially the east Bengal, is full of rivers. One student of technology was going home, and he was on the boat. So the student was asking the boatman, "Do you know what are the stars?" The boatman said, "Sir, we are ordinary boatman. What do we know about these stars?" "Oh. Then your fifty percent of life is wasted, useless." Then he was asking, "Do you know what are these trees? Do you know any science of botany?" He said, "Sir, we are ordinary laborer. What do we know about botany?" "Oh. Then seventy-five percent of your life is useless." In this way the student of technology was asking the boatman, "Do you know this? Do you know that?" And he said that "I am ordinary man. What do I know all these things?" Then all of a sudden there was a black cloud, and there was storm, and the river began to be inflated, and the boatman said, "My dear sir, do you know swimming?" "Oh," he said, "no." Then he said, "Then your cent percent knowledge is spoiled. Now you have to go down to the river. Your life is finished." In this way they dropped in the river, and the technological student, because he did not know how to swim, so the storm and the waves grabbed him.

The idea is that we are making progress, certainly, in technology, in economics, in so many other departments of human necessities. But Bhagavad-gītā says that real problem of this world, or real problem of our life, it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. If you are intelligent enough, then you should see the real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. Janma means birth, and mṛtyu means death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā. Jarā means old age, and vyādhi means disease. So actual material problem is this, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. We have forgotten that "In the abdomen of my mother, how precarious condition I was living in." Of course, we can know from the description of medical science or any other science how the child is packed up there and how much suffering is there. The worms bite the child and he cannot express; he suffers the suffering. Similarly, the mother eats something and the pungent taste also gives him suffering. So these descriptions are there in the śāstras, in the scriptures and authentic Vedic literature, how the child suffers within the abdomen of mother. So these are the sufferings of birth. At least, one child has to remain in that air-packed condition at least for ten months. Now just imagine if you are put into that air-packed condition for three minutes now, you will immediately die. But actually, we had that experience to remain in the mother's womb in that air-packed condition for ten months. So suffering was there, but because the child was incapable of expressing, therefore… Or his consciousness was not so elevated. He could not cry, but the suffering was there. Similarly, at the time of death there is suffering. Similarly, old man. Just like us, we have got so many complaints, bodily complaints. Because now everything, the anatomical or physiological condition, is deteriorating. The stomach is not digesting foodstuff so nicely as when I was young I could digest. So the sufferings are there. Similarly, disease. Who wants disease? So modern technology, they have advanced undoubtedly, but there is no remedy for, I mean to say, to stop birth, death, old age and disease. This is real problem. But because these problems cannot be solved by the modern scientific advancement of knowledge, they have practically set aside or neglected because they cannot solve it.

But there is a solution. There is a solution. That solution of this problem is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that,

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

"My dear Arjuna, if somebody comes to Me…" "Me" means here the Supreme Personality of Godhead is saying, Kṛṣṇa. "If somebody comes to Me, then he hasn't got to take birth again in this miserable material condition." Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Duḥkhālayam means the place of miseries. We are thinking that we have made a paradise, but actually the place is miserable, because the threefold miseries, they are there. Either in America or in India or in any other country, China, or any other planet, the material miseries which are three kinds, ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika… Ādhyātmika means miseries pertaining to the body and the mind. Sometimes we are feeling headaches, sometimes we are feeling some other pains. Any things which are pertaining to the body and mind, there is some pain. These are called ādhyātmika. Similarly, there are other pains, inflicted by other living entities. They are called ādhibhautika. Similarly, other pains also, which is offered by the nature, by the laws of nature. All of a sudden there is earthquake, all of a sudden there is famine, or similar other which we have no control over. So these three kinds of miseries are always there. But under the spell of illusion we are thinking that we are happy. And the illusion means that the material energy is so illusory that however a living entity may be in abominable condition, he thinks that he is happy. You take any animal, just like take the hog-that life is most filthy life. Of course, you have no experience to see in your city, hogs. In India there are many hogs in the city, and they are living in filthy place-they are eating stool, and most abominable life. But even you ask a hog that "You are living in such abominable condition. Let me do you something good," he'll refuse to accept. If you give him something, nice preparation, as we have got in India, halavā, he'll not accept it. He will accept stool, because his body is meant for that purpose and he will not like any palatable foodstuff. He will like that stool. This is the spell of māyā.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that if we want, if we are actually educated, then we must try to question that "Why I am suffering?" This is called brahma-jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra the first aphorism is athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should inquire about his existence as soul, not as body or as mind. Because he is neither body nor mind. So this Vedānta-sūtra says that athāto brahma jijñāsā. Atha ataḥ means this is the time, this human form of life, developed consciousness, with greater intelligence than the animals, one should inquire about his spiritual existence. That is real technology. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. So long one does not inquire about his spiritual existence… Every one of us is born ignorant because we do not know what is our real identity. Generally, we accept that "I am this body," but actually I am not this body. These things can be understood very easily. Suppose you are seeing all along a friend. All of a sudden he dies and you say, "My friend is gone." Well, your friend is lying there with all the body, hands, legs, everything. He's lying there. Why do you say that your friend is gone? Then you have never seen your friend. You have seen only his bodily structure. That's all. Similarly, at the present moment the humanitarian work is going on, but we do not know what is the basic principle of humanitarian work. The Bhāgavata answers this: yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. A person who is in the knowledge that "I am this body and…," sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ, and if one thinks that "In relations with this body, my kinsmen, they will protect me," and if he thinks that "The land where the body is grown, that is the worshipable land," then he is, I mean to say, accepted like animal. Sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13].

So these instructions are there. Unfortunately, we have no time, neither we have desire to understand actually what I am, why I am suffering, what is this world, what is my relationship with this world, what is God, what is my relationship with God. These questions are very important questions, and there is technology to understand these questions. And the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedānta-sūtra, all these literatures are there. If you kindly, of course, see to these literatures, you'll find the solution of the problems of life. But we are not interested. That is the difficulty. We are thinking that we are happy, we have no problem, although there are so many problems and we are not happy. This is called māyā. Māyā means what is not. Mā means not. Yā means this. This is called māyā. We are thinking that we are happy, but actually we are not happy. And even if we are happy, how long we are happy? Suppose, taking for example you Americans, you are the richest nation of the world. Your material comforts and everything is greater than other countries, standard of living. But just try to think how long you can remain as American. Say, for fifty years or hundred years, at most. Then… But we do not know what is going to happen in my next life because we do not believe in the next life. But actually there is next life. So if you don't take care of my next life and if we irresponsibly waste our valuable human form of life like ordinary animals… The ordinary animals, they demand something for eating, they want to sleep, they want to defend, and they want to mate. So similarly, if human being is also busy with the four principles of bodily demands, namely eating, sleeping, mating and defending, then, according to Vedic literature, it is said that he is not human being. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. If the human being does not understand his real spiritual identity and simply busy with the four demands of bodily necessities, then paśubhiḥ samānāḥ-he's as equal as with lower animals, cats and dogs.

So Bhagavad-gītā gives you clue. It is not very difficult to understand this science. The Bhagavad-gītā gives you the information of the spirit soul very simply. The Bhagavad-gītā says,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

Just like within this body, when you were a child you were within this body-not exactly this body, but another body, which was so small. Now where is that body? That body is gone. You have got another body. So Bhagavad-gītā says, as we are changing body moment to moment, dehino 'smin yathā dehe… [Bg. 2.13]. Dehinaḥ means the soul, the spirit soul, who is embodied within this body, as he is changing body from moment to moment. This is a fact, a medical fact, that you are changing body every moment. Similarly, the last change is called death. But we have to take…, we have to accept another body. But we do not know what sort of body we are going to accept. That technology is wanting in the modern civilization. But there are 8,400,000's of different bodies, and after leaving this body you may enter any of such bodies. You may become, after leaving this body, you can become American or you can become Indian or you can become Chinaman or you can become god in the moon planet or some other planet, or you can become dog, you can become hog, you can become serpent-anything. That requires… That is under the control of the material nature. That is not under your control. But if you take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it will be under your control. How it is possible? The Bhagavad-gītā answers this:

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni

mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām

[Bg. 9.25]

If you want to enter into another planet, say moon planet or sun planet or Venus planet… There are innumerable planets. The ultimate, highest planet is called Brahmaloka. And the advantage of going to Brahmaloka is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that you can get a life, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ [Bg. 8.17]. You can get there life for millions and millions of years. But still, there is death and there is birth and there is that old age and there is that disease. But mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. But if somebody is transferred to that planet which is called Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana, or Vaikuṇṭha, then one hasn't got to come back to this material, I mean to say, temporary existence. So these informations are there, and they are very scientific. They are not dogmatic. If you accept them with reason and argument and with human consciousness, the solutions are there.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the movement. It is not new movement. This movement is at least, current, since five hundred years before. Lord Caitanya, He started this movement in the fifteenth century. So this movement is current everywhere in India, but in your country, of course, it is new. But our request is that you kindly take this movement little seriously. We do not ask you to stop your technological advance. You do it. There is a nice proverb in Bengal that a woman who is busy in household work is also…, she also takes care for dressing herself nicely. It is the nature of women. When they go out they dress very nicely. So similarly, you may be busy with all kinds of technology. That, that is not forbidden. But at the same time, you try to understand this technology, the science of soul. That is there. It is not a bogus propaganda. It is factual. It is science. As science is not bogus propaganda, similarly this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also not bogus propaganda. As science means two plus two equal to four, similarly Kṛṣṇa consciousness means mitigating the all problems of life. So… And the process is very easy. We are… Not we are. It is recommended by Lord Caitanya that in this age, for self-realization it is this process:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

Lord Caitanya says that in this age, when our life is very short, we are not very much enlightened in spiritual matters and we are very lazy at the same time, and at the same time we are unfortunate, so under these conditions the people are recommended simply to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam. Now this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, you may say that "This 'Kṛṣṇa' is Indian name or Hindu name. Why shall we chant 'Kṛṣṇa'?" But if you have got any name of God, you can chant that also. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that God has millions and billions of names. So any name is as good as "Kṛṣṇa." It doesn't matter. Then why we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa? Because we are following the footprints of Lord Caitanya, and He chanted this holy name, we are chanting. So we shall request you most humbly that it is…, there is no loss on your part, but the gain is immense. If you take to this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, then gradually your misconception of this life will be cleared off. You will understand your real identity and you will act in that way. And the technology is so nice that you may remain in your business, that doesn't matter. Simply you have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Suppose you are walking on the street. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, nobody is taxing you, nobody is bothering you. But if by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, if you derive some benefit, why do you neglect it? That is our submission. So this movement is for making solution of the problems of life, and it can be easily done. And anyone can accept it. It doesn't matter whether he is Indian or American or Hindu or Muslim or Christian. It doesn't matter. Simply this vibration: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

So I shall thank you if you join us with this kīrtana and at least for few minutes you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much. Any question you can put. Yes?

Student (1): If I understood you, I think you said that this approach, that you feel that it's appropriate to you because people are lax in their approach to spiritual problems.

Prabhupāda: It is not Hindu approach. It is… We are recommending that you chant the holy name of God. Why do you say it is Hindu approach?

Student (1): I didn't. But as I understood you, I thought you said that this was appropriate here because people aren't terribly interested, therefore are lax in spiritual matters, which I feel is true. But if this is true, is there something that would follow? In other words, could you progress to some other form of this more…?

Prabhupāda: There are many other forms, of course, but this form is the easiest, and just suitable for the people of this age. Just like you gather together and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Anyone can. Actually we are doing that. In your country, wherever I go I chant this, and the American boys and girls, they take part in it in parks, in our class. So there is no difficulty. And this is the easiest. Simply we do not ask that you must be very highly educated, you must be philosopher, you must be expert in breathing exercise or this way or that way. No. We don't require any qualification. Simply come and sit with us and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the result.

Student (1): Do you imagine in this life an attainment of a follower…?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. There are many followers. You can ask how they have changed. We have got many letters. And here there are my students. You can ask directly how they have changed. This is practical. Yes.

Student (2): I want to make sure I understood-that chanting this over a long time will also help affect where our body will go after we die, what form we'll come back in?

Prabhupāda: First thing is by chanting your misconception of life will be cleared. At the present moment I am thinking that "I am this body," and therefore, because my body is born in this land, therefore I am thinking, "I am American." And because I happened to take my birth in a certain family, so I am thinking, "I am Christian" or "Hindu." But all these things are designations. When we clear the misconception of my life, then I can understand that I am pure soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Vedic language says that "I am spirit soul." And as soon as you understand, then brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as you realize yourself as soul, then you become immediately free from all anxieties, prasannātmā. Prasannātmā means jolly. Spiritual life means natural joyful. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The Vedānta-sūtra says that spirit is by nature joyful. So because we are spirit, we are always hankering after joyous life. But because our expression is through this material mind and body, it is not being fulfilled. So as soon as you stand on the spiritual platform, you actually stand on the platform of joyous life. That is the immediate gain. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Immediately. Yes?

Student (3): What is the meaning of the sign at your back?

Prabhupāda: What is the meaning of your sign in the neck? What is the meaning of your sign in the neck? Oh, this? I do not know. (laughter) That is not my sign. That is technological sign. (laughter)

Student (4): Your Holiness?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Student (4): Could you estimate how many people in India have found true spirituality through Indian religion?

Prabhupāda: What do you mean by Indian religion?

Student (4): By any of the true religions which are offered in India. Not only yours, but…

Prabhupāda: You do not know what is Indian religion. The Indian religion is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Have you read Bhagavad-gītā? Then you do not know what is Indian religion. Indian religion is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says, there is no greater higher authority than Kṛṣṇa. You can accept it. At least, the Indians, they accept. So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said in the beginning that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati: [Bg. 4.7] "Whenever there is discrepancy in the matter of discharging religious principles, I appear." Now, if you accept this religion means the Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion or Buddhist religion, Kṛṣṇa does not propose such religion. He, at the end of Bhagavad-gītā, He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You give up all other religious principles. You simply surrender unto Me." So religion, either you take it Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion, religion means to surrender unto God. And the Bhāgavata explains, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. That is the perfect type of religion which teaches surrendering unto the Supreme Lord. That is religion. Either you take it Hindu religion or Christian religion or Muslim religion or any religion, real religion means surrendering unto God. If there is no surrender unto God, that is no religion.

Student (4): Well, in India how many followers do you feel…

Prabhupāda: Why do you ask for India? I am talking of religious principle. How many of you Christian, you surrender unto God? First answer this. Then you go to India. Anyone, Christian or Muslim or Hindu, it doesn't matter. The conception of God is there. If you do not surrender unto God, you have no religion. Yes?

Student (5): In the Bhagavad-gītā, when Kṛṣṇa asks Arjuna to go forth in the battle and not to, to slay his relatives and not to be caught in the material world and see that the slayer and the slain are one, should the young American faced with the war in Vietnam go forth to Vietnam realizing that the slayer and the slain are one and that all this slaughter, just slaughter karma, and follow the way of the sage.

Prabhupāda: In the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna, he was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, a friend of Kṛṣṇa. Perhaps you know it. So in the beginning he did not like to fight. He denied. So any devotee of God or Kṛṣṇa is not fond of war or fighting with any others. But if there is necessity, if Kṛṣṇa wants that fight, a devotee of Kṛṣṇa will accept such fight. If you think that your Vietnam fighting is ordered by Kṛṣṇa, then it is all right. If it is not, then it is not. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If Kṛṣṇa says, if God says, "This is right," we accept it right. If God says it is wrong, we accept it wrong. Because we think, we have poor fund of knowledge. We do not know what is right and wrong. Therefore if God says or Kṛṣṇa says this is right, we accept it right. If God says or Kṛṣṇa says it is wrong, we accept it wrong. Yes?

Student (6): In order for one body to perceive another body, you need your eye. You have to look and see the other person and another person… In order for a body to perceive itself, it needs a mirror. But how does one body perceive its soul?

Prabhupāda: Yes. When you see your body you think that "This is my finger, this is my hand, this is my head, this is my chest, this is my leg." You see simply you will find, "This is my, this is my, this is my." But if you try to find out "Then what is I?" then you will find out. That is called self-realization. We are simply now engrossed with things "my," but we do not know what is "I." The identification of myself or I with this body is wrong. The identification of I with the mind is also wrong. The identification of I with intelligence is also wrong. When you actually come to the platform of spiritual understanding, then you understand that "I am neither this body, neither the senses, neither this mind, nor intelligence, but I am spirit soul." That is called brahma-jñāna, or Brahman realization. And the symptom will be, as soon as you are actually in self-realization, you will feel happy. You will have no anxiety. That is the test. Just like when you're free from disease, then there is no pain. Similarly, when you actually realize that you are spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, then the symptom will be that there will be no anxiety and no lamentation and no bereavement or no so-called, I mean to say, happiness.

Student (7): How can you be sure?

Prabhupāda: Here is the surety. As soon as you see that you're free from all anxiety, then it is sure that you have realized yourself.

Student (7): Well how can you be sure you're free from all anxiety if you're incapable of perceiving happiness? And to perceive happiness, you…

Prabhupāda: Well, you have to follow the process. Then you will feel. Just like if you are diseased, if you have to be under the treatment of the physician and you have to take medicine, and when you're actually free, you will yourself feel, "Yes, I am free." But without going under treatment of an expert physician, or taking the medicine, how you can be free from disease? Yes?

Student (8): I don't understand exactly how Kṛṣṇa consciousness is different than the other religions. Like in Christianity, Judaism and Moslem they have the idea that a person can pray and sometimes chant, communicate with God, understand His way. And all religions seem to have this. So I don't see how it's different.

Prabhupāda: There is no difference. I have already explained that we are recommending that you chant the holy name of God. If you have got any holy name of God in your religion, you can chant that. We don't say that you chant Kṛṣṇa. Just like you are thirsty, you want water. Somebody may call "water," somebody may call "pani," somebody may call "jala." That doesn't matter. But you want water. Similarly, if you have got any name for calling the Supreme Lord, you call in that name. It doesn't matter. That is our recommendation. When we say, harer nāma. Harer nāma means the holy name of the Supreme Lord. Yes?

Student (9): There are different techniques for reaching Christ consciousness or God consciousness or self-realization. What test do you recommend for finding out which technique is the best?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That I have already explained. That technique is best by which you develop your love of God. That is the test. If by following Christian religion or Muhammadan religion or Hindu religion you actually develop your transcendental love for God, that is the best technique. If you have no love for God, simply you follow the technique, then it is simply laboring. That's all.

Student (9): I mean especially the variations of Indian technique.

Prabhupāda: I don't say any variation. I say that is the best technique by which you develop love of God. Now you find out what is that best technique. If you find that in your technique you are developing love of God, it is best. We don't say that you accept this technique or that technique. Any technique by which… Just like a man is diseased. Any medicine by which he is cured, that is best medicine for him. Similarly, the criterion is whether you have developed love for God or you are still in love for the matter. That is the test. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. This is the definition of technique in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That technique is the best form of technique of religious activity by which you can develop your service attitude towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The service attitude is there. You are serving. Either you are serving your family or you are serving your body or you are serving your society or serving your country, or if you have no engagement to service, you are serving some dog, you are serving some cat, you are serving some animal. So serving spirit is there, but we do not know where to place our service and become actually benefited by that service. Therefore you have to develop that spirit of service attitude toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When you develop that consciousness, that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness or whatever technical name you may give. Yes?

Student (10): According to the belief, how many… Is there a fixed number of souls or fixed number of spirits in the universe?

Prabhupāda: No. The souls are innumerable. Asaṅkhyaya. It is stated in the Vedic literature, asaṅkhyaya. You cannot count. Asaṅkhyaya. And in the Upaniṣad it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God is also a living entity. As we are living entity, He is also living entity. But He is the chief living entity. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. He's the leader of all living entities. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one Supreme is supplying all the necessities of these many. So living entities… Just like sparks of the fire. The fire is…, big fire is one, but the sparks, there are millions. Similarly, we are all qualitatively one with God. Just like fire and fire sparks. Qualitatively all of them are fire, but the big fire and small fire is different. Similarly, we are also of the same quality as God, but we are very minute and God is great.

Student (4): When some new animal or person is born, is the soul always a reincarnation of some previous soul, or can it be that a new soul has…

Prabhupāda: No. The same soul is changing, just like you are changing your dress. Now you are in some colored dress. You may have some white dress or some red dress. Similarly, vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya [Bg. 2.22]. As soon as your dress is old enough, you cannot use it any more, you have to change the dress. Similarly, the present body, as soon as it is no more workable, you have to accept another body. Now, taking it accepted as dress, that the next body means next dress, so that dress will be offered according to the payment, or according to your work. If you have worked just like a god, then you get the dress of a god, and if you have worked like a dog, then you'll get the dress of a dog.

Student (4): Then how can the dog then become a higher soul, a higher form after the dog?

Prabhupāda: Yes, there is gradual evolution. From dog life, from animal life, again by evolutionary process… That is accepted by anthropo… What is called? Anthropology. That they come to the human being, again there is a chance to get out of this bodily embodiment, and you can get yourself free life in the spiritual world. So if you lose this chance, then you again go to the cycle of birth and death in so many forms of bodies. Therefore we should utilize this enlightened body, the human form of body, the civilized form of life, for our next eternal life. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. We should prepare ourself to go to that form of life which has no more birth, death, or disease or old age. Eternal life. Yes.

Student (11): Does it do atheists any good to chant your verses if they only want to be happy through chanting them?

Prabhupāda: Certainly. You may be atheist or theist. The chanting is so powerful, the atheist will be theist. If you are atheist, you can try it. Yes?

Student (12): Is this continual reincarnation only occurring on this earth, or does it occur on other planets?

Prabhupāda: Oh, other planets. All throughout the whole material world.

Student (12): Is there interchange between the planets?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. You can go in another planet also. Because it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-gā. Sarva-gā means the soul can be transferred to any place. It may be in America, it may be India, in moon planet, sun planet, or any…, anywhere.

Student (13): Has the universe existed forever, or does soul have a beginning?

Prabhupāda: No. This material universe is created and dissolved. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. Just like this body: it is born for some time, it will stay for some time, it will go for some time, then it will become old, and it will vanish. Similarly, the whole universe is like that. It has its creation, it stays for some time, a long duration of time, and it creates so many other things, by-products, and there will be time when everything will be vanquished.

Student (13): And where were the souls before the universe began?

Prabhupāda: That is called spiritual kingdom. In the spirit.

Student (13): And is that where they will all end up again when the universe comes to an end?

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you are not liberated, then you have to come to this material world and change one body after another. That will be your business. But if you get yourself transferred to the spiritual world, then there is no more coming back to this material world, and you get your eternal, blissful life of knowledge.

Student (13): What happens if the universe ends and there are some souls that have not yet transferred themselves to the other universe?

Prabhupāda: The same thing. What happens when your body will be vanquished? Nothing happens. The same thing will go on. There are many bodies, there are many universes. It is coming and going and vanquished. It is the law of nature.

Student (13): Do you mean the universe is likely to go on forever?

Prabhupāda: No. It is created. As your body is created, similarly anything material, it has got a life. It has got a period of creation, it stays for some time, then it is finished.

Devotee: Uh, I think questions…

Prabhupāda: Yes. Very nice. Thank you. Yes. So you can all chant. Come on. (kīrtana) (end)

680508LE.BOS

Lecture at Engagement

Boston, May 8, 1968

Prabhupāda: You can speak? You can take this.

Brahmānanda: My name is Brahmānanda Dāsa Brahmacārī. I'm the president of the New York chapter of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was established in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who had come to this country from Calcutta, India, to preach the science of God realization which is recommended for this age, this age of Kali, this age of disagreement. This process was started by Lord Caitanya five hundred years ago in India. [break] You may want to ask the Swami about Bhagavad-gītā or transcendental philosophy. Now I present His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.

Prabhupāda: The primary principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement have been briefly described by my disciple Śrīman Brahmānanda Brahmacārī. It is a very important science of God, understanding what is God. Of course, in every religion this conception of God is there. Simply by understanding "God is great" is not sufficient. We must have knowledge about our relationship with God. Generally, we take it for granted that God is our order-supplier. We take it that God is great because He… That is also not the conception of the atheist class of men. Those who believe in God, generally they approach God in distress, when they're in need of money, and somebody wants to study what is God out of inquisitiveness, and somebody wants to understand the science of God. There are four classes of men. They are called persons with pious activities on the background. Without pious activities on the background, nobody is interested in the science of God. And those who are unfortunate or impelled by impious activities, they do not believe in God. They never care for God. And this class of men are always known as atheist class of men.

So, so far atheist class of men, it is very difficult for them to understand. But atheist or theist, it doesn't matter. Everyone is conscious. That is a fact. It doesn't matter whether you believe in God or do not believe in God, but you are conscious. As soon as I pinch in any part of your body, you at once protest. You feel that "Somebody is pinching me. I am feeling pain." This consciousness is there even in the animal or in man and everyone. Now what is this consciousness? The Bhagavad-gītā replies what is this consciousness. The Bhagavad-gītā says, avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. That consciousness which is spread all over your body, that is eternal. How it is eternal? That also you can understand by practical experience. Just like in your childhood, there was consciousness. When you were in the womb of your mother, of course, at a certain stage there was consciousness. In your boyhood, there was consciousness. In your youthhood, there is consciousness, and as you make progress, in your old age, there is also consciousness. Now, your body is changing but consciousness is continuing. That you cannot deny. Therefore the Bhagavad-gītā says, avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. That consciousness is eternal, and that does not vanquish with the destruction of the body. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. Now as soon as this consciousness is over, the body is called dead body. Now what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the symptom of the soul. That is… Just like in a light, in a fire, there is distribution of heat and light. Similarly, the spirit soul being present in your body, the consciousness is spread all over your body. This is the fact. Now this consciousness is being carried. Just like from your childhood this consciousness is being carried. From childhood body to boyhood body to youthhood body, the consciousness is continuing. Similarly, this consciousness will also carry you in another body, and that transformation or transmigration from one body to another, it is called death. Death means when this body cannot be carried any more, the consciousness has to be transferred to another new body. Just like when your garment is too old, it has to be changed; similarly, when this material body is too old to carry on, then this consciousness is transferred to another body and you begin another life. This is the process of nature.

But unfortunately, in the modern education system, there is no departmental education about this consciousness or spirit soul, although it is the most important factor. Without consciousness, without the soul's being present, this body is useless. But unfortunately we take care very much for this body, but we have no knowledge of the consciousness or the spirit soul. This is called illusion, ignorance, or māyā. We are very much serious about the nonpermanent things, the body which will not exist, which will be vanquished after certain period of years, but we do not take care of the eternal consciousness, which is changing from one body to another. This is the defect of the modern civilization. And so long we are unaware of the presence of the spirit soul in the body, so long we do not inquire what is the spirit soul, so long our all activities are simply wasting our time. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that parābhavas tāvad abhodha-jātaḥ. The foolish person or the foolish living entity… Anyone who has accepted this temporary body is understood to be foolish. So every one of us is born foolish because we identify with this temporary body as myself. Therefore we are foolish. Everyone knows that the body does not exist, and still, everyone identifies himself with this body. This is called ignorance, or illusion.

So the whole world, or the mostly people are hovering in ignorance, and he does not know that he is spirit soul, and he is transmigrating from one body to another. He does not want to die, but the death, cruel death, is enforced upon him. So these problems, they do not consider very seriously, and they are thinking very happy on the principles of animal life. The animal life is based on four principal things: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. And at the present moment the human civilization is very much proud of advancement of knowledge, but they are concerned with these four principles of life, namely eating, sleeping, defending, and mating. So according to Vedic literature, this way of life is no better than animal life. Human life is meant for advanced knowledge. And what is that advanced knowledge? To know oneself, what I am. In every civilized country, in every civilized form of society, there is some kind of religious principles, either you accept Muhammadanism or Christianism or Jewism or Hinduism or Buddhism. And what is the purpose of the scriptures and religious principles? To understand this consciousness, to understand the spirit soul and how it is fallen into this material conditional life, how they are transforming or transmigrating in different species of life. There are 8,400,000's of species of life, and we are wandering in so many species of life. And this is the opportunity, when we have got this human form of life, to understand "What I am." If we do not understand "What I am," then I am missing the opportunity. If I simply waste my time in the propensities of animal life-the same thing: eating, sleeping, defending, and mating-and if you do not inquire that "I do not wish to die. Why death is enforced upon me? I do not want to be diseased. Why disease is enforced upon me?" They do not inquire. They simply think, "All right, I am diseased. Let me go to the doctor and have some medicine." But from innermost part of his heart, he doesn't want to be diseased, or doesn't want to be dead. Why? Because he is eternal. His real position is eternal life, blissful life, without any death, without any birth, without any disease.

So this is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to achieve that highest perfection of life. If we do not make progress with that vision of life, then we are simply spoiling our, this opportunity of human civilized life. Especially I mean this civilized form of life with developed consciousness, developed education. If you do not take care "What I am? Why I am meeting death? I do not wish to die. Why calamities are enforced upon me?" Nobody wants to meet calamities. In your country, especially I see in every city, the fire brigade, ambulance car is always wandering in the street. That means who wants that his house should be set in fire? Who wants that he should meet an accident? But these things are being enforced, but there is no question that "Why these things are enforced? I do not want this. Why this…?" This is self-realization. As soon as we become inquisitive that "I do not want all these miserable condition of life. Why they are enforced…?" They are trying to solve these problems by so-called scientific research or so-called philosophical research, but actually the solution is to reform or to purify your consciousness. If you purify your consciousness, as by impure consciousness we are transmigrating from… Now this time, you may be very happy that you have got a very nice body, American body, or you are enjoying life. But do you know what is the next life? That you do not know. Either you do not believe in the next life or you do not know. But you should know that life is continuity. This platform is a flash only. Why there are so many species of life if it is not a flash? You are changing. So these questions are there.

So this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is the movement for purifying consciousness. If you take to this movement, it is very simple. Just like our president, Brahmānanda, explained to you, that it is simply sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Simply to chant these sixteen words. We are simply requesting you to chant these sixteen words. There is no loss on your part, but there is immense gain. Why don't you make an experiment? It is not very difficult. These American boys, they are also chanting. Similarly, although it is written in Sanskrit words symbolically, but it is vibration. It is transcendental vibration. If you take to this vibration, then we become directly in touch with the Supreme Lord. That makes us purified. Just like if you go to the fire you become warm, similarly, if you be directly in touch with the Supreme Spirit, then our purification begins. So if you take to this movement, if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then this impure consciousness will be purified and you will know what you are. Just like Brahmānanda said that it is the process of cleansing the mind, cleansing the mind from all dirty things. And as soon as you are cleansed of all dirty things, then your material anxieties are immediately over. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

Brahma-bhūtaḥ means as soon as you come to the platform of your spiritual understanding, then immediately you get free from all material anxieties. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. You are no more hankering after any profit, neither you are very sorry when there is a great loss. Then you can see everyone on the equal level, and then your relationship or your lost relationship is again established with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then your real life begins.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to begin our real life, and to get free from this temporary life, changing from one body to another. So this is very important movement. Try to understand this movement. We have got magazine, Back to Godhead. We have got publication, we have got our branches in several places in your country. We have got here one branch in the 95 Glenville Avenue. So we invite you that you come. You have no expenditure. We simply request you that you come. You try to understand this movement. It is very scientific movement. It is not a bogus, bluffing. You try to understand with all your arguments, reason, logic, and whatever way you want to understand, we are prepared to answer you. So this is for your benefit. It is not an institution to make some profit. It is just to render service to the whole humanity so that they may understand the scientific knowledge of God and be benefited in this human form of life. That is our program(?), and we present this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement before you. Now it depends up to you to accept it or not.

Thank you very much. If there is any question you can… Yes.

Student: How does Kṛṣṇa consciousness relate to Advaita philosophy?

Student: Yeah. Total nonbeing.

Prabhupāda: Advaita philosophy means nondifferent from God. Have you studied Advaita philosophy? Yes. The basic principle of Advaita philosophy is nondifference from God. That is a fact. We are nondifferent from God. Just like the president of your country, he is American; you are also American. So there is no difference so far "American" is concerned. You are nondifferent. But at the same time, you are not the president. Because you are American it does not mean that you are on the equal level with the president. Is it not a fact? Similarly, we are qualitatively one with God. Qualitatively means that whatever you have got as spirit soul, the same thing is also in God. There is no difference in quality. Just like you take a drop of water from the vast Atlantic sea and you chemically analyze the ingredients. The composition of the drop of water is equal to the composition of the vast Atlantic water. Drop of water is equal to the vast mass of water in the Atlantic Ocean. Similarly, you are a spark of the Supreme Spirit Soul. You have got all the chemical qualities or composition as God has. But God is great; you are minute. He is infinite; you are infinitesimal. Qualitatively one, but quantitatively different. So those who are simply accepting the feature of being qualitatively one, they are called Advaitavādis. They are mistaking that quantitatively they cannot be equal. If quantitatively the living entity is equal to God, then why he is fallen in this conditional life of material existence? That means being his constitutional position very infinitesimal, he is prone to be caught up by the influence of māyā. And if you say that you are also the Supreme, then how you are caught by the māyā? Then māyā becomes great; God is not great. These things are to be considered. So our philosophy, the Vedānta philosophy, acintya-bhedābheda: we support the philosophy of simultaneously being one and different from God. Simultaneously. We are qualitatively one with God, but quantitatively we are different. That is our philosophy. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. So advaitavāda and dvaitavāda, they are facts. Dvaitavāda means different, and advaitavāda means nondifferent. So we are both nondifferent in quality, different in quantity. That is perfect philosophy. Is that clear to you?

Student: Another question.

Prabhupāda: Well, water is being poured and water is being taken out. That is a fact. From the sea water, water is evaporated, and the cloud…, and the cloud again falls down in water. So that does not mean water is fixed up. Water is not fixed up. That is eternally going on. Water is taken out from the sea, and again it is poured out. So you cannot stop this process. You do not think that because once you have mixed with the sea water, then there is no chance of coming out again. You have to come out. But if you enter within the water and be one of the living entities in the water, then you haven't got to come back. So our philosophy is not to mix with the water. We go deep into the water and become one of the aquatics in the water. Therefore we haven't got to come back again. And if you remain water, then you have to come back. Even you think that "I am mixed with water in the vast sea," that is your false identity. You have to come out. Therefore in the Bhāgavata says that,

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas

tvayy asta-bhāvad aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ

patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ

[SB 10.2.32]

It is a very nice verse. It is said that those persons are thinking that they have become liberated by Brahman realization, their thoughts are not yet purified, because after severe austerities they may come to the brink of the water, but being given shelter by the water, he comes back again. So if you don't want to come back again, then you have to enter deep into the water and remain as one of the living creatures in the water. That is the philosophy of Vaiṣṇava philosophy, that we want to enter into the spiritual kingdom and we want to live in our spiritual identity. Not superficially simply we mix with water and again evaporate, again come back. So advaita philosophy, the example which you have given, they generally give this example, but any sane man can understand that by mixing superficially with the water there is no solution. There is chance of coming out again, being evaporated. If you take that example, you have to accept this also. How you can say that you are not coming back? It is a fact. So if you don't want to come back again, you go deep into the water and live as one of the living entities under the shelter of the water. They have no problem. They do not come back. The big animals, or big aquatics, they peacefully live within the water. They never come into the river because in the river there is no place to accommodate them. There are so big gigantic aquatics. So if you want to live perpetually in the water, then you have to keep your identity as one of the aquatics in the water. Then you'll be perfect. Otherwise you'll be baffled. That's all. Is that…, your answer is satisfactory? Yes. Any other question?

Your question is very intelligent. Unfortunately, people are not intelligent enough even to put questions and to answer this great science. And we are very much proud of our advanced education. They do not know what he is. Simply coming, accepting a body, and living for some time, and just dying like cats and dogs. That's all. They are most abominable condition of human civilization at the present moment that they do not take care about the real identity of his self. He's simply mistakenly identifying himself with this body, which he's not. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. The Bhāgavata says one who identifies this body with his self, and one who thinks that the bodily relationship is the protector of his kinsmen, and the body produced in certain part of the land is accepted as worshipable-there are so many descriptions-such man is no better than an ass or cow. Sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]. Go means cow and khara means ass. So these are the description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is a challenge. But people are so much engrossed in ignorance that they don't care. "All right. Let us go on like this." And if I say that "You are God. You can do whatever nonsense you like, you do," then you'll be very pleased. You'll be very pleased. And people will be very much eager to hear me, you see? But we cannot say such thing, bluffing thing. Any other questions? Let us have kīrtana. Or at least chant with us Hare Kṛṣṇa for some time.

Brahmānanda: Simply chant the mantra, then I repeat(?), Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Prabhupāda: Chant. (kīrtana) [break] So… You may, you make one dozen pictures like this.

Jadurāṇī: What? One dozen?

Prabhupāda: Pictures. You make them. Yes. [break]

Prabhupāda: …from Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction, I'll request you to practice another prayer. I'll pray the last line, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. You'll repeat that. Now try to under… (chants one word at a time with devotees repeating:) govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. (sings:) Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (repeats several times, devotees trying to sing along). The meaning of this line is govindam, the Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, and govindam ādi-puruṣam. Ādi-puruṣam means the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam, "unto You," bhajāmi, "I offer my respectful obeisances." This is the meaning. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. Repeat.

Devotees: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. (repeats, devotees respond)

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.29]

Repeat. (devotees respond, repeats, response)

veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ

barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam

kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.30]

Repeat.

Devotees: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi.

Prabhupāda: Loudly. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. (devotees respond) Yes. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. (devotees respond)

ālola-candraka-lasad-vanamālya-vaṁśī-

ratnāṅgadaṁ praṇaya-keli-kalā-vilāsam

śyāmaṁ tri-bhaṅga-lalitaṁ niyata-prakāśaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.31]

(devotees respond) Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. (repeats)

aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti

paśyanti pānti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti

ānanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.32]

(devotees respond, repeats)

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.33]

(repeats with response) Thank you. So in this way, Brahma-saṁhitā you'll learn, and there is Brahma-saṁhitā book, discuss translation, purport… (end)

680611LE.MON

Lecture at a School

Montreal, June 11, 1968

Prabhupāda: Is it working?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So one intelligent boy should come forward. Who is intelligent, most intelligent boy? You come forward? Come on. Eh? Somebody come forward, some of the boys. Come on. You come on. No? All right. Very good. Stand up here. Can you say what is this? What is this?

Boy: Hand.

Prabhupāda: Whose hand?

Boy: Your hand.

Prabhupāda: Your hand. And what is this?

Boy: Your head.

Prabhupāda: My head. Yes. And what is this?

Boy: Your knee.

Prabhupāda: Yes. My leg. And what is this?

Boy: Your clothes.

Prabhupāda: My cloth. Similarly, you have got your head, you have got your hand, you have got your leg, you have got your coat, you have got your pant, but do you know where you are?

Boy: I am here. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: You are here, but that is your coat, that is your pant, that is your hand, that is your leg, that is your head. But where you are? It is your coat, it is your pant, it is your hand, it is your leg. Where you are? Do you know that? Can you say, any of the boys or girls here, where you are?

Boy: No.

Prabhupāda: No? Oh. So you are not taught in this school where you are? Then what is that education? You do not know where you are.

Boy: I do know where I am. I'm in this school.

Prabhupāda: You do not know, because as you say you are here, here your coat is there, your pant is there, your hand is there, your body is there, but you cannot explain where you are. All right. Sit down. I shall explain. (laughter) This is the defect of modern education. We are educated in a way in which we have misunderstood, "This is my body. This is my hand. This is my leg. This is my country. This is my mother. This is my father. This is my school." "This is my," I know. I have the concept of "my." But who is conceiving "my"? We have no information where it is. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. Under misconception we understand my body as myself. I say, "It is my body," but I misidentify my body with myself. Is it not?

So the basic principle of mistake… Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. According to Vedic literature, this body is prepared in three elements: fire, water, and clay. So I am not the combination of fire, water, and clay. Then I am this house, I am this room. So yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. So basic principle of my knowledge is false, that I am considering this material body as "I am." And if the basic principle is wrong, then, in relationship with this body, because I am born in this land of America… "I am born" means my body is born. Or because my body is born from another body, my father and mother, so I think that "This body is my kinsman, and this country is mine," and so on. But the basic principle is false, that "I am considering, falsely identifying myself with this body. But I am within this body." That is a fact. And how can I understand how I am within this body? I can understand I am within this body by my feeling. If there is some pain or pleasure on my body, I can feel. I am conscious that I am there. In consciousness, I am there. And what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the reflection of real myself. Myself means soul. So as soon as the soul is within this body, there is perception of pains and pleasure, heat and cold, and so many things. That is consciousness. And as soon as the soul is out of this body, there is no more pain, pleasure, or heat and cold. A dead body, if you cut it into pieces, it will not protest. Therefore the soul, or consciousness, the symptom of soul, consciousness, is my self. My consciousness is the symptom of my real self. Similarly, there is another consciousness.

In the Bhagavad-gītā there are description of two consciousness. Just like I am conscious throughout my body. If you pinch any part of my body, then I feel. That is my consciousness. So I am spread, my consciousness is spread, all over my body. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, avināśi tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "That consciousness which is spread all over this body, that is eternal." And antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ: [Bg. 2.18] "But this body is antavat," means imperishable. "This body is perishable, but that consciousness is imperishable, eternal." And that consciousness, or the soul, is transmigrating from one body to another. Just like we are changing dress. I may have this dress. You may have another dress. I may exchange your dress with me. So this changing of dress going on every moment. How? Now, these children, they are now so small. When they'll become young, this body will grow. We do not know… We say, "It is growing," but growing or not growing, this body will not remain. This body will go; another body will come. Medical science also says that every second we are changing blood corpuscles, and therefore change in the body is going on. So you say or I say that "Body is growing," but in the Vedic language it is said that "Body is changing." Just like a child is born so small from the mother's womb, and it changes body every second. Then he becomes a young child or a boy, then young man, then old man like me, and so on. In this way this changing, body changing, is going on. And the final change is called death. Death means… Just like the too much old garments cannot be used, similarly, this body is the garment of the soul. When it is…, no longer can be used, we have to accept another body. This is called transmigration of the soul.

Now, consciousness, the symptom… The presentation of the soul within this body is proved by consciousness. So from Bhagavad-gītā we can understand there are two different qualities of consciousness. One consciousness is that I know about the pain and pleasure of my body, you know about the pains and pleasures of your body, but I do not know the pains and pleasure of your body; neither you know the pains and pleasure of my body. Therefore each and every one of us is individual soul, and our consciousness is limited within the body. Similarly, there is another consciousness and another body. That body is universal body, and that consciousness is universal. That universal consciousness knows your pains and pleasure, my pains and pleasure, and millions and trillions of living entities and bodies. He knows the pains and pleasures of everyone. These are the statements in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṣetrajñaṁ ca māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata: "As individual soul is conscious, is, only of his body, similarly, I am also conscious of everyone's body." The Supreme Personality of Godhead says that "I am conscious of everyone's body," because He is all-pervading. He is all-pervading. That is all-pervading consciousness. So this all-pervading consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are preaching, consciousness, all-pervading consciousness, universal consciousness. So our consciousness, when it is dovetailed with universal consciousness, them our consciousness also becomes universal consciousness. What is that? I will give you one example. Just like a motorcar is running at hundred miles speed, and you are running on your cycle at ten miles speed. But if you catch that motorcar, you will also run in hundred miles speed. Although your capacity of bicycle is only ten miles speed, you also run at hundred miles speed. So unless we dovetail our activities with the supreme consciousness, or God consciousness, there cannot be equality, fraternity, or universality as we are hankering after. It is not possible. You can go on crying in the wilderness for universal fraternity, friendship, equality, but if you keep your individuality, individual consciousness, selfish consciousness, there is no possibility of peace or tranquillity in the world. Therefore people are very much anxious at the present moment for peace and tranquillity over the world, but they do not know how that peace can be attained. Peace can be attained. The formula is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. You can attain peace only when you understand that God is the proprietor of everything.

Actually, God is proprietor of everything. Now, take for example this house. This house is made of wood, stone, clay, sand, and everything, materials. But who is the proprietor of this wood, sand, clay? God is the proprietor. You cannot produce wood. You cannot produce sand. You cannot produce clay. You can simply work as a laborer to bring the clay, to bring the wood, to bring the stone and collect them and stand, make, construct a very big skyscraper house. But actually, the proprietor is God. This land, this land, America, it was lying before you came from Europe, before you colonized. And it may be, some days after, it will be lying here, and you shall have to go. Therefore who is the proprietor of this land? God is the proprietor. In this way, if we study that "Everything belongs to God. I also belong to God, my self, my body, my mind, my activity, my energy, everything…" Just take for example. I am claiming that "This is my hand," but if God withdraws the energy of the hand, your claim for "my hand" at once goes. So we have to develop that God consciousness and Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is God consciousness. People have become degenerated, forgetting God consciousness. Therefore in the present world there is no peace. Materially, they are very much advanced. They are advanced in so-called education, but they do not know what is "I." The everything, they are claiming, "my and mine," but they do not know what is "I."

So this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is scientifically presented. It is not a sentiment. It is not a sentimental movement. It is very scientific movement. And the easiest process to come to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So we are presenting very easy formula for coming to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform. Just a moment before, we were dancing and chanting equally, the boys, the girls, the men, the women. So there is no distinction. Even if we do not understand the language, what is the meaning of Hare Kṛṣṇa, but because it is transcendental, because it is spiritual, from the spiritual platform, everything is equal. We forget that we are American, or we are Indian, we are child, we are youth, or man, or woman, because in the spiritual platform there is no such bodily distinction. So our request to all the guardians of the boys and girls present here, or the teachers, that they should teach from the very beginning this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. Otherwise the future of the world is not very bright. It is recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We are having our class in our temple: the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja was a five-years-old boy, and he was agitating this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement in his school. The schoolteacher would not allow him to speak about God, but as soon as there was some recess and the child, the boy, five-years-old boy, he would take the opportunity, call his friends and speak on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And he said, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha [SB 7.6.1]. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, should be taught from the very beginning of education. This is the greatest drawback of modern education, that not only in your country or any country they have completely neglected what is meant by God. And in India, they are especially… Now, as soon as there is any question of God, they see phobia: "Oh, this is all nonsense." They have become so clever.

So anyway, my appeal to you, American people, that you are considered to be the leader of all nations of the world. You should take this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement very seriously. It is good for you. It is good for the whole world. It is individually, collectively, without any consideration of caste, creed, or color. Everyone can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, anyone and everyone, at home, on the street. There is no expenditure. Suppose while walking if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, there is no loss, there is no expenditure, but you see how much you are profited by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is practical. We don't say that "You come to our temple and give us some subscription. Become our member." That is a secondary question. Our primary movement is that everyone may take advantage of this movement and simply chant wherever possible, at home, at work, on the street, anywhere. There is no regulation where you have to chant and how you have to chant. It is spontaneous. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. There are only three words there: Hare, Kṛṣṇa, and Rāma, but they are adjusted in a different position. There are sixteen words. So it is not very difficult. You can make an experiment. The children also may take pleasure. We have got our records. If you play those records and chant with it, you will find a transcendental pleasure in you. These are facts. So our request to you, that you take this movement a little seriously, and you will be happy by grace of Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you very much. If you have got any question, you can ask. (pause)

Devotee: We should chant about five minutes. Then we'll serve milk.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, let, if there is any question, we shall answer. That is not yet one hour.

Devotee: Some of the older boys want to stay after, and you can discuss with them then. They may have some questions.

Prabhupāda: So first of all you have to chant? All right. Please join with us and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Yes?

Yamunā: Swamijī, may I say something before we chant?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yamunā: I want everybody to listen very carefully. This is a new song that… It would be very nice if you should learn how to sing and learn how to sing it very well. And the only way you can do it is by listening very carefully, everybody, So give your attention to these words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Now, if everybody will do this, and stand up, close your eyes very tight, put your hands up in the air and sing this song, so you really learn the words, and you can go home and teach it to your brothers and sisters and your mother and your father, and tell them what you learned today. You have to say you learned something. So if you teach them this song, that would be very nice. But you must learn it by listening. So listen to the words. Then get up, close your eyes and just sing. And you'll find it's a very nice song. But unless you try it, you won't learn it. Just like all the other songs you learn in your class. So try it. So I'm going to say the words, and then you say the words after me. We're going to practice it once. Okay. (with children repeating) Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Okay. Now we're going to clap our hands too. [break]

Devotee: Do you want this? It's pineapple.

Prabhupāda: Distribute prasāda. What is this?

Devotee: Pineapple. There's apples too.

Prabhupāda: Pineapple? Oh. There is what? What is that?

Devotee: Oh, this is milk and bananas.

Prabhupāda: Oh!

Devotee: Warm milk and bananas. (end)

680615LE.MON

Lecture Engagement

Montreal, June 15, 1968

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) Ladies and gentlemen, this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is reviving our original consciousness. At the present moment, due to our long association with matter, the consciousness has become contaminated, just like when the rain water falls down from the cloud, the water is uncontaminated, distilled water, pure, but as soon as the water falls down on this earth, it becomes mixed up with so many dirty things. When the water falls it is not salty, but when it is touched with the matter or earth, it becomes salty, or tasty, or something like that. Similarly, originally, as spirit soul, our consciousness is uncontaminated, but due to our association with the matter at the present moment, our consciousness is contaminated. Therefore we have got so many varieties of consciousness. Disagreements between one person to another is due to this contaminated consciousness. I think some way; you think otherwise. Therefore we do not agree. But originally, your consciousness and my consciousness were one. And what is that one? That conscious, pure consciousness, is "God is great, and I am His eternal servant." That is pure consciousness. As soon as we want to imitate or artificially want to become one with God, immediately the contamination begins. There is a Bengali verse in which it is stated that,

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare

pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

The English translation is that "When an individual soul forgets his eternal relationship with God and tries to lord it over the material nature or resources, that condition, that forgetful condition, is called māyā, or illusion." So at the present moment, especially in this age, the forgetfulness of our eternal relationship with God is very strong. And by chanting this transcendental sound, Hare Kṛṣṇa, the first installment is that our heart or the mind becomes cleansed of all dirty things. This is not a theoretical proposition, but it is a fact. If you go on chanting this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is not difficult. Although it is pronounced in Sanskrit language, everyone can chant it just like in this meeting we began to chant, and you also joined with us. Here, all my students, they are all Americans. None of them are Indian, but still, they have learned it very nicely, and it is not difficult. And there is no expenditure.

So what is this Hare Kṛṣṇa? Hare means the energy of the Lord, and Kṛṣṇa means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So it is a prayer. There are three words only: Hare, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, three words. That has been arranged in sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So our movement is that we request you to take up these sixteen words-not sixteen words, three words, Hare, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma. But is is arranged in such a way that there are sixteen words. So anyone can take it by heart, these three words, and chant it. It is universal. And if you think that "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is the name of Hindu god," if you have got any objection, then you may not chant Kṛṣṇa, but you must have a name for God. Just like somebody, the Muhammadans, call Allah, the Jews call Jehovah, or somebody calls something. That doesn't matter. If you think that "Why shall I chant the Indian name Kṛṣṇa, Sanskrit name Kṛṣṇa?" so Lord Caitanya says that there are millions and billions of names of God. If you think that this Kṛṣṇa name is not very suitable, you can accept any name. That doesn't matter. Our proposition is you chant God's name. That is our proposal. Therefore it is universal. If you like, you can chant Jehovah or you can chant Allah, but we request you that you chant God's name. Is it very difficult? It is not at all difficult. Lord Caitanya said that there are innumerable names of God according to different languages, different countries, different societies. And each and every one of them has the potency of God Himself. If there is any God, so God is Absolute; therefore there is no difference between His name and He Himself. Just like in the material world, in the world of duality there is difference between the name "water" and the substance water. The name water is different from the substance water. If you are thirsty, if you simply chant, "Water, water, water, water," your thirstiness will not be quenched. You require the substance water. That is material, but spiritually, the name Kṛṣṇa or the name Allah or the name Jehovah is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Therefore if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa… You may inquire why we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, this name, was chanted by Lord Caitanya, who introduced this movement five hundred years ago in India. We are following the footprints of Lord Caitanya. Because He chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. But Lord Caitanya has recommended that God has innumerable names, and any one of them can be chanted, and there is no hard and fast rules and regulations for chanting. It is not that you have to prepare yourself or you have to educate yourself or you have to adjust yourself for chanting. No. Everyone. Just like immediately we began to chant. You were not prepared, but you joined with us, you clapped with us, you danced with us. So similarly, there is no preoccupation or any rules and regulation. You simply chant. And this is very easy. While walking, you can chant whatever name you like. We like Kṛṣṇa. We chant always: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. While walking the streets, while you are going in the bus, and whatever, even while working with your hands, you can chant. There is no loss on your part. There is no expenditure on your part, but the gain is very great. Why don't you try it? Try it. That is our request.

So the benefit will be that gradually you shall understand what you are. The whole civilization, modern civilization, is going on under a wrong impression that "I am this body." In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that "One who goes on with the concept of the body, he is no better than an ass or cow." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke… [SB 10.84.13]. It is a very long verse. But actually we are not this body. So if we chant this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then I can understand what I am. And as soon as I understand that I am not this body, then my activities become different, because at the present moment I am acting on the concept of my life as this body. Because this body is born of a particular place in a particular country, therefore I am saying that "I am American," or "Indian," or "China" or "German," due to this body. And because I have got relationship with some woman with this body, therefore I accept the woman as my wife. There are hundreds of thousands of women, but the woman who has got relationship with this body is my wife. There are thousands and millions of children, but one child who has got intimate relation with this body I call my son. So if the body falsely identified, then we can understand that our identification with this world is also false. The real identification is, as it is stated in the Vedic literature, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." "I am Brahman" means "I am spirit soul. I am not this matter." So this misconception has to be removed. Of course, it is not possible that everyone will understand or everyone will be able to understand it, but even a certain percentage of the human society can understand, immediately there is solution of so many problems-to understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi. And how that solution is made, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.

This Bhagavad-gītā is the science of God. Just like in your Christian Bible or any other scriptures, Muhammadan or Christian or Jews or Buddhists… So ahaṁ brahmāsmi means that "I am spirit soul," this realization. As soon as this realization is there, then the other things immediately follow. What is that? Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. Immediately one becomes cheerful. So long we have got this bodily concept of life, we cannot be cheerful. Full of anxiety. And as soon as we understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," the next moment you will be cheerful. There will be no anxiety. I am full of anxiety because on account of this bodily concept of life. Just like one man has got very costly motorcar, and he is running the car on the street. He is very careful so that there may not be any accident in the car, the car may not break. So much anxiety. But a man who is walking on the street, he has no such anxiety. Why the man in the car is so anxious? Because he has identified himself with the car. If the car, if there is any accident to the car, if the car breaks, he thinks, "I am gone. Oh, my car is gone." Although he is different from car, he thinks like that due to identification, false identification. Similarly, because we are falsely identified with this body, therefore we have got so many problems of life. So if we want to make solution of the problems of life, then we have to understand what I am. And unless this question arises in your mind-not only in your mind, everyone's mind-then we should, we must consider that whatever we are doing, that is our defeat because we are doing everything in false consciousness.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Abodha-jātaḥ means one who is born fool. Every one of us is a born fool. Why? From the beginning of our life I know that "I am this body," although I am not this body. Therefore we are all born fools, everyone. And therefore, according to Vedic civilization, one has to take his second birth. One birth is made possible by conjugation of the father and mother. That birth is called animal birth. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Everyone, by birth, is śūdra, or the lowest class of man. And saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ: "By reformation, one becomes twice-born." And what is that reformation? By understanding oneself, "What I am." Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ, veda-pathād bhaved vipraḥ: "And after twice, after his second birth, if he tries to understand the spiritual science, the science of God, then he is called vipra." Vipra means quite congnizant. And brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ: "And when he understands that he is Brahman, he is spirit soul, then he becomes a brāhmaṇa." Perhaps you have heard that in India the brāhmaṇas are called the topmost men of the society. Why? Because he knows that "I am Brahman; I am not this matter." Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. So by understanding Brahman your position will be that prasannātmā, you'll be joyful, na śocati na kāṅkṣati, you will never lament any loss, neither you will hanker after any so-called gain, na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, and you will look every living entity on the same level. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54]. In that stage of realization, you can understand what is God and what is your relationship with God.

Therefore this movement is that one understands himself what he is. It is, of course, very plain question and answer. The other day we had some lectures in a, one Sunday school, and I called one, a small boy, and I asked him that "What is this?" He said, "It is my hand, it is my head, it is my leg, it is my body, it is my pants, it is my…" And I asked him, "Where you are? You are simply saying 'my, my, my,' and where you are?" So similarly, everyone can understand that what I am? If you think yourself, if you meditate on yourself, if you see your hand, "Am I this hand?" you will say, "No, it is my hand." "Am I this leg?" You will say, "No, it is my leg." "Am I this head?" "No, it is my head." Then where you are? So that person who is thinking within that "It is my hand, it is my head, it is my leg, it is my pant, it is my coat," that you are. So have you seen that thing? You have seen your father, you have seen your mother or you have seen your son. But have you seen the real father who is within the body of the father? Have you seen the real son which is in the body of the son? No. Then your whole conception of education, your whole conception of living condition and problems-in the false world. Therefore this movement is required at the present moment in the world. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This will cleanse the status of your mental condition. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. And as soon as you understand yourself, then the whole problem-social, political, economical-everything will be solved. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇam. And gradually you shall realize your transcendental life. Your transcendental life is joyful. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. Transcendental life means always full of joy, joyful. That is our nature. We are hankering after joyful life, but we do not know where to hanker, how to get it. By nature we are joyful. It is said in the Vedānta-sūtra, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12) "By nature a living entity is joyful." But my joyfulness is covered by this material understanding. So I have to remove this material understanding; then again I shall become joyful.

So this movement is very scientific movement, and we have got authoritative statements. You cannot defy authority, authority. As an authority, minister of this Unitarian Church, in one place he has denied authority, and in another place he has quoted so many authorities. So many authorities he has quoted. Why? If you deny authority, then why you quote other authority? So you cannot defy authority. This is not possible. From the beginning of your life, when you were child, you asked your parents, "Mother, father, what is this?" Why? That is the beginning of life. You cannot go even a step without authority. You are governed by authority. You are running your car by authority-"Keep to the right." Why? Why don't you defy it? So authority we have to obey. But the difficulty is: who is authority? That we require to learn who is actually authority. So authority means who has no mistakes, who has no illusion, who does not cheat, and whose senses are perfect. That is authority. That is the definition of authority. A conditioned soul who… Just… "To err is human." Any human being is sure to commit mistakes. However learned he may be, however advanced he may be, he must commit mistake. Therefore this word is, "To err is human." And one must be illusioned. And there is cheating propensity of every man. Even a child, he wants to cheat. The mother asks, "Oh, what is in your hand?" Oh, the child says, "No, mother, nothing," although the mother can see he has got something. So the cheating propensity is there. And above all, your senses are imperfect. You are proud of your eyes: "I want to see." What you can see? If the light is off, your seeing power is immediately gone. If there is no sun, your seeing power is gone. Therefore we see under conditions. Therefore imperfect. So you cannot get perfect knowledge by imperfect senses, by speculative knowledge. You have to accept authority. Just like if you want to know who is your father, the authority is your mother. The mother says, "Here is your father." You have to accept. You cannot make research. Mother is the last authority, who is your father. Similarly, we have to accept authority, and if the authority is not a conditioned soul, if he is liberated soul, if he is not a cheater, if his senses are not imperfect, if he does not make any mistakes, if he is not in illusion, if you receive knowledge from that authority, then your knowledge is perfect. That is the process.

So we have got such authoritative, I mean to say, literature, Vedic literatures. You can test it by your reason, by your arguments, by your philosophical talks, everything. Religion without philosophical basis, without scientific basis, is sentiment. That religion based on philosophy and science, that is right. So Bhagavad-gītā is that book. Any question, any inquiry, any doubt-all the answers are there, and very nicely. Just like one or two verse I shall explain to you. In one place Bhagavad-gītā says that…, the Lord says that,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ

tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

The Lord says that there are eight hundred, er, 8,400,000 species of life, different forms of life, species of life. There are aquatics, there are plants, trees, worms, germs, then birds, beasts, and at last, the human species of life, only 400,000's. So Kṛṣṇa says that "All the species of life-never mind whether he is man or he's a dog, he's a cat-he's a living entity, and I am the seed-giving father of all living entities." Now, how nice, you can understand simply. This verse, if you can understand, then you can have some idea of universal brotherhood. If you want to make universal brotherhood, you must find out the center-the universal father. So these questions and answers are there, and we have got the science of God, the education of science of God, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So these books are meant for human society, and if you take advantage of the knowledge imparted in this book and if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you will see how your life becomes improved, how you become full of knowledge, full of bliss, and how you advance in your eternal life.

Thank you very much. If any question, you can make. (end)

680626LE.MON

Lecture

Montreal, June 26, 1968

Prabhupāda: …how Kṛṣṇa's money is being stolen by this coward. Stena eva sa ucyate [Bg. 3.12]. Anyone who is using Kṛṣṇa's money without acknowledging, he is a thief. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Stena eva sa ucyate: he's a thief. So in this material world, one who has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one who is not using things in Kṛṣṇa consciousness… Everyone is using Kṛṣṇa's… Nobody has got any property. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. That is the version in Īśopaniṣad. Now, in this American land, now divided into Canada, North America, South America, but originally, to whom this land belongs? It belongs to Kṛṣṇa. You have come here and have divided Kṛṣṇa's property and you have named "This is Canada, this is North America, this is South America," and you are claiming proprietorship. But if you are asked, "Are you really proprietor?" No. You have come here, encroached upon others' property. So originally, you are thief. Actually this is the position, that anyone who is unlawfully claiming something, "It is mine," that is illusion. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. This ahaṁ mameti, "It is mine, and it is I. This body, I. And in bodily relation, everything mine," these two things are illusion. Ahaṁ mameti. Aham means "I." What "I"? This body. And what "mine"? This, "My wife is mine, my children, my home, my country." Why? Because the bodily relationship is there.

So the original platform, that I am not this body, then every relationship becomes false, illusion. This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how this illusion develops. The illusion develops because it is the kingdom of māyā. Māyā is attracting us. What is that attracting force? That attracting force is for man, woman; and for woman, man. This is attractive. This whole world is going on, not only in the human society, but in dog society, cat society, hog society, bird society-everywhere-the woman is attractive for man, and man is attractive for woman. This is māyā. This is māyā. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that this attractive feature is pulling on this material existence. Therefore the training is how to detract. In the beginning the brahmacārī training is given because to know that this body, woman body, is actually not attractive. What is this attractive? This is made of flesh and blood. Similarly for woman, if I analyze the man's body, or woman's, what is there? Flesh and blood. But that flesh and blood is very attractive? That story, perhaps I have enunciated, that beauty was kept in a pot? Do you remember? Huh? I may repeat that story again, that one girl was very beautiful, and one boy was after him (her). But in India the boys and girls are not allowed to mix freely unless they are husband and wife. So this girl was married, but she was not very rich. But that boy was very rich and he was after her. He was always proposing her. And she became perplexed, that "He is rich man. If I don't agree, then he may do some harm to my husband, to me." So she made a plan that "All right. I agree to your proposal. You come to my house in such and such night. I'll be engaged with you." Oh, he was very… In the meantime, (s)he took some purgative pill, strong. So for six, seven days, she simply purged out all the beauty in vomiting and in passing stool. So those vomits and stools were kept in two pots. And naturally, if you pass stool for one day, your feature becomes immediately ugly. That is a fact. So she passed stool and vomiting seven days. Naturally, she became very ugly. So when the boy came, she was sitting there on the door. The boy was asking, "Where is such and such girl?" She said, "Yes, I am. I am here." "No, you are not her. Oh, she is so beautiful, and you are so ugly." "No, I am the same girl." "Why you have become so ugly?" "Because I have extracted my beauty.' "Where is that?" "Just see in these two pots." (laughter) "So if you like, you can enjoy this beauty." (laughter)

So actually, if we dissect our body, then the beauty things, they are within, some stool, some urine, some intestines, some brains, some muscles, some blood. These will be found. This is called māyā. But that stool, urine, muscle, brains, and intestines are so nicely decorated that it can attract you. It has got a full attraction, both for the boys and the girls. Bhāgavata has done nice that the illusion of this world is that attraction. What is that attraction? False attraction. The man is attracted by woman, woman is attracted by man. And the business is going on. Especially in this country, I see the girls are attracting by their bodily features in so many ways. You see? So similarly boys are attracting girls by so many features, especially by nice motorcar and so many things. So in every society, according to the standard of living, according…, these attractive features are going on. In birds, beasts… And when they are united… Everyone is trying to attract others. A girl is trying to attract another boy, the boy is trying to attract another girl. These attracting features is going on. And as soon as they are actually attracted and joined together, the illusion becomes doubly knotted. Tayor mitha hṛdaya-granthim āhur. Hṛdaya-granthim means everything is within the heart. If I study, "Oh, what is this attraction?" if I understand how it is simply combination of blood, stool and urine and intestine and muscle and skin and hair and nails, then if I study philosophically, so what is there? Have I got any attraction for all these things? No. So it is all false. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], that if we clarify our heart, then we become liberated. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting process is clarifying.

So tayor mitha hṛdaya-granthim āhur. As soon as a man and woman is combined together, that means the knot of material attraction becomes doubly tightened. Then they want apartment, gṛha. Ato gṛha-kṣetra. Kṣetra means… Of course, nowadays everyone is seeking after employment, but formerly nobody, there was no industry, no big business. Everyone has to produce something, foodstuff, out of the kṣetra, field. So if you become a family man you must have some source of income. That source of income is land, as Rāyarāma was explaining you. Actually the land is the source of income. If you can utilize the land, then there is everything stocked there. This same example can be given. This American land was lying vacant, but since the Europeans took possession of that, at least they have exploited the resources. So everything was on the land. So land is really property. So gṛha-kṣetra, apartment, land. Gṛha-kṣetra-suta. As soon as they have married, they require, they at least desire to have a child. At least, the girl wants. Although now the process is different, but the hankering is that girls, women, they want child. That is sentiment. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-suta āpta. Āpta means relatives. Gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair [SB 5.5.8]. Vittair means wealth, some bank balance. In this way go on increasing. Janasya moho 'yam. This is the moha, this is illusion. So this illusion is so strong that we are going on increasing, increasing, increasing, increasing. Nobody is thinking that "I am increasing the requisites of the body, but I am not this body; I am soul. What is the requisition of the soul?" This is conclusion. They have forgotten. Real interest they have forgotten. The superficial interest. The same example can be given. Just like if you simply soap your shirt and coat and do not take care of your real body, or do not feed your body, then how long we shall exist? My Guru Mahārāja used to give one nice example that a man was drowning. Another man came, that "I shall save this man." So he jumped on the water, and when coming out of the water he brought the shirt and coat: "Now I have saved the man." The so-called service, or any service which is going on, that is serving the shirt and coat. Nobody is serving the soul. That is the mistake of modern civilization. There are many hospitals to cure the bodily diseases, but there is no hospital to cure the disease of the soul.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to cure the disease of the soul. Disease of the soul. Every soul, every person, is mistaken to accept this body as his self or the mind as his self. This is the difference. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke, sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]. Anyone who is accepting this body as self, he's either an ass or a cow. Misconception. So people are not interested. We are trying, the Bhagavad-gītā is trying. In the beginning, beginning of the instruction… Just like Arjuna was identifying himself with this body in the beginning, and he was thinking that "He is my grandfather, he is my son, he is my nephew, he is my…,." so on, so on. Kṛṣṇa replied him. When Arjuna was unable to make a solution of his problems, he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and said, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] "I surrender unto You as Your disciple. Please save me from this (sic:) perpetry." Then Kṛṣṇa in the first instance replied, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: [Bg. 2.11] "My dear Arjuna…" Because he accepted Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master, so spiritual master has the right to chide his disciple. So He immediately chided him, that aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase. "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like a very learned man, but you are fool number one." That was His first words. Of course, He did not say directly "fool number one," but He said indirectly that "No learned man speaks like this, as you are speaking." That means, "You are not learned man. You are fool." He indirectly said, nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Paṇḍita means learned. "No learned man speaks like that. But because you are speaking like that, that means you are not learned man. Or in one word, you are fool." Because before Kṛṣṇa, he was speaking that "If I kill my family members, then such and such thing will happen. Then the women will become polluted and there will be unwanted children, varṇa-saṅkara. And as soon as there is varṇa-saṅkara, full of unwanted children, this world will be hell." These are facts. These are facts. The world has become hell due to unwanted children. That is the fact. So Kṛṣṇa was speaking… Arjuna was speaking just like ordinary gentleman on the material field, but Kṛṣṇa, when He took up his charge, He said that "You are hovering over the material plane. That is not your learning. The learning is when you understand from the spiritual platform."

aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ

prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase

gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca

nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

[Bg. 2.11]

"The paṇḍitāḥ, the learned man, he does not lament over the body, either living or dead." Because bodily platform is not the subject matter for understanding of philosophical research. Bodily platform is not very important. The spiritual platform is important, but nobody is discussing about spiritual platform. Everyone is, all the education centers, the universities, they are, I mean to say, busy studying chemistry, physics, and biology, mathematics. At most, little philosophy. That is also on mental speculation, theory. Somebody is giving some theory; somebody's giving (another) theory. But nobody discussing about the eternal spirit soul. That is the defect of this modern civilization.

So it is very hard task for us to convince them, but the fact is this. Either they accept or not accept, it is our misfortune or their misfortune, but the fact is this, that as Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, or as Lord Kṛṣṇa said, that mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: [Bg. 15.7] "All these living entities are My part and parcels." So what is the duty of part and parcel? The part and parcel is… Of course, the same example. Just my, this hand is part and parcel of the body. So the duty of the hand is to serve the whole body. That's all. There is no other duty. The hand cannot eat out of his own account. The hand cannot do anything out of its own account. The direction should be from the whole, from me, and then the hand should work. This is the part and parcel duty. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Just like my hand, my leg, or my tongue, they are all servants of me and the whole, similarly everyone, every living entity, is the eternal servant of the Supreme, supreme controller. So the duty of everyone is to serve Him. That is natural duty. That is natural. Any other position is diseased condition. In other words, who is not acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is diseased. The treatment is this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Just like when a man is bitten by a serpent, there is some mantra. Of course, I do not know whether you have got this experience, but India there are experts who, simply by chanting mantra, he can give life to a man who is bitten by serpent. Mantrauṣadhi-vaśaḥ sarpaḥ. Mantra and auṣadhi. Auṣadhi means there are herbs. Of course, these things are now gone, but there, still there are persons. So even the mantra can give a so-called dead man bitten by serpent. Similarly, we are bitten by the serpent of māyā, and this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, will raise him to consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is effect.

Now you can speak.

Janārdana: The predicament of mankind… [break]

Prabhupāda: There is nice verse in which it is stated that,

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo

mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca

vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaṁ

vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛd cāham

[Bg. 15.15]

The purport of this verse is that "I am situated in everyone's heart." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna… [Bg. 18.61]. Everyone's heart, Kṛṣṇa is there, or the Paramātmā is there. And mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]. And all the speculation or real understanding or forgetfulness or real knowledge, they are coming, being initiated from Him. Mattaḥ: "from Me." Smṛtir means memory; jñāna means knowledge. Apohanaṁ ca: "forgetfulness." Everything is… Forgetfulness is also from Him. Knowledge is also from Him. Memory is also from Him. And vedais, vedais means all books of knowledge. Vedaiś ca sarvair. Sarvair means all varieties. It is not that simply the four Vedas, as we accept in India, Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva. No. Any authorized scripture, that is Vedas. Any authorized scripture. Vedaiś ca sarvair. "All kinds of Vedas, they are searching after Me." The knowledge… Actually, the destination of knowledge, as Śrīman Janārdana… What we are searching after? He has summarized that we are searching after happiness. That's a fact. But we do not know where the happiness is there. That is our… Searching, I am… Subject matter of searching is happiness. Everyone in this material world is after happiness. But unfortunately, one has no information where is the happiness. That remembrance can be… Where is the happiness? That can be had from the Supersoul, who is sitting with you within your heart. Within your heart. Because Kṛṣṇa says that "I am sitting in everyone's heart as Supersoul, and from Me, intelligence, memory, knowledge, forgetfulness-everything-is being happened."

Now the question is why one is in forgetfulness and why one is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Is it a fact that Kṛṣṇa is dealing with different persons differently, that one is being fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and another is in different consciousness, or forgetting Kṛṣṇa? Apohanam. That is also due to Kṛṣṇa. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa is very merciful. The why answer can be given that Kṛṣṇa is very merciful. How merciful? One is given forgetfulness. How Kṛṣṇa is merciful? Yes, He's merciful. How is it? Because he wanted to forget Kṛṣṇa. He wanted to forget Kṛṣṇa, so Kṛṣṇa will give him such sources of forgetfulness that he'll never be able to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. "You enjoy. You want to forget Kṛṣṇa, or God? All right. I'll give you intelligence so that you will never be able to understand what is God." Not exactly memory… Because living entity, sometimes by good association will come… So this is not Kṛṣṇa's partiality. He has given everyone a little quantity of independence. Just like these boys who have come here, that is out of independence. They are playing, but out of independence they have come. And they may sit down for some time and out of independence may go away. So this independence is there even in the ant, even in the worm and everywhere, because we are part and parcel of God and God is fully independent. But we cannot be fully independent. Just like in the state. You are belonging to an independent state, but that does not mean that you can do anything and everything. You have no such independence. There is state law and order. Similarly, as in the state we are independent citizens, but if we violate law and order, then we shall be punished. It is very simple thing. But the rascal civilization, they say God is dead. How God can be dead? The law of God are acting so nicely. How God can be dead? That means he wanted to forget God, so he has come to the conclusion, "God is dead." He has come to this conclusion. While, on the other hand, who wants God, they are perfectly visioning that "Next life I am going to meet God face to face." This intelligence is given to him by God also. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayanti te

[Bg. 10.10]

"Those who are constantly engaged with love and faith in My service, teṣām, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi, I give them such intelligence by which gradually they make progress to come back to Me."

So actually, although we have got independence, we have got consciousness, we have got power of thinking, of understanding, but it is limited. Therefore we don't agree with one another. However I may be big philosopher, I may be very big philosopher, very logician, but as soon as another big logician, another big philosopher comes, he defeats me. That is the way. And every philosopher, every logician is trying to defeat your theory, as you are trying to defeat others' theories. This is going on. So as Śrīman Janārdana said, the knowledge which you are searching in different ways, that is impossible to come to the conclusion. Because we are searching with… However I may accept this method or that method or that method, but accepting the method means employing my senses. But the senses are imperfect. Either I accept this or that, I have to work with my senses. There are no other instruments. So when senses are imperfect, so whatever method you accept, that will be imperfect. Then which method will be perfect? That method will be perfect, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg. 15.15]. When Kṛṣṇa from within yourself will give you right direction, then you'll come to the ultimate destination. Otherwise, whatever, however a great philosopher, scientist, or anything you may be, you'll simply hover on the material, mental plane. That's all.

So either you call perfect knowledge or you call happiness, anything, what you call, if you want to know the ultimate goal of your life perfectly, you have to follow a different method. A different method. That method is called avaroha-panthā. There are… All methods of acquiring knowledge can be divided into two groups. One group is called āroha-panthā, or research, inductive process. And another method is called deductive process, or avaroha-panthā. The knowledge coming from the supreme source, that is called avaroha-panthā, and the knowledge which is being sought after by using our imperfect senses, that is called āroha-panthā. Ascending process and descending process. So by ascending process, we can never come to the real knowledge. That is not possible, because our senses are imperfect. How we can ascend? Just like people are trying to ascend to the higher planetary system, but the instrument, sputnik itself, is imperfect. How you can go there? You can go 25,000 miles, again come back. Punar mūṣiko bhava. So this is going on. Because we are imperfect in every respect, so therefore we have to receive knowledge from the perfect. That is the process, real process. If your knowledge… Just like Janārdana suggested three processes, one by applying our senses, another by accepting knowledge from others, and another, rejection. Two ways. Or skepticism, make void. So this is out of frustration. So make the mind void, no more thinking. And knowledge by imperfect senses, that will always remain imperfect. And knowledge from others, that is real goal. But provided you receive that knowledge from the perfect… As we have given several times the example, just like a child wants to know who is his father. Now if he searches out "Who is my father?" he asks everybody, "Are you my father? Are you my father? Are you my father?" he will have to go on searching. Then again if he asks his neighbor, "Who is my father?" the neighbor also may not know and may give him misinformation. So that is also not possible. But if he goes to his mother and his mother is sincere and perfect, she can give, "My dear boy, he is your father." That is perfect. So neither by researching one can find out his father, neither by employing his imperfect senses. But if he receives the knowledge from the sincere mother, then the knowledge is perfect. And he has no other alternative to know who is his father except the source of a sincere mother. Similarly, the Bhāgavat says, acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Things which are beyond your power of realization, don't try to understand by your so-called logic and argument. All nonsense. All nonsense.

Tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ. This process of argument and logic, gymnasium, is imperfect always. You cannot realize what is the ultimate goal of life. Tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā. Śruta means Vedas or books of knowledge. There are different kinds of theories and doctrines. So if you read those books, unless you are very nicely directed, that will create also perplexity. Śrutayo vibhinnam. And so far philosophical speculation is concerned, the Bhāgavata says that nāsau muni yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. Muni means mental speculator. So you cannot find any mental speculator who is not differing from another mental speculator. So tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ, the path of so-called logic and argument, is not perfect. Then, simply if you study different books of knowledge, that will also not give you perfect knowledge. If you consult so-called mental speculators, their different views, then dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. The ultimate goal of life is very confidential and mysterious. And how to know it? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Mahājana means the perfect realized souls who have realized, you have to follow them. That's all. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Therefore this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is accepting the mahājana, the authority. The first authority is Kṛṣṇa. From Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna is hearing. There is no question about it. Now if you simply understand as Arjuna understood, then you have got the perfect knowledge. And if you speculate, if you try to comment in your own nonsense way, then you are misled immediately. So this is the way. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Mahājana means those who are perfect personalities. That will give you (?). That will do (?). Now, there are, according to Vedic system, there are twelve mahājanas. They are all in agreement that the supreme power is the Absolute Personality of Godhead. And they have become all devotees, they have served, they have prescribed rules and regulations. You can… So if we follow these rules and regulations and the mahājana, and many… As it is stated in Bhāgavatam, that those who have followed, they have got perfection. You can get also perfection, there is no doubt about it. Simply you have to follow the footprints of the ācāryas. Then your life will be perfect.

Thank you. If there is any question, you can ask.

Guest: What is the best time to (indistinct)?

Devotee: Early in the morning. (talking very low in background)

Guest: How do you know how to follow the footsteps of the mahājanas?

Prabhupāda: There is a paramparā, or disciplic succession of mahājanas. Just like Kṛṣṇa is the original authority. Now the paramparā system is there. From Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā heard; from Brahma, Nārada. If we do not go so far… Now, Kṛṣṇa spoke to Arjuna. Arjuna is mahājana therefore. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that "Because you are My devotee, you are in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore I am speaking to you this confidential yoga system, Bhagavad-gītā." Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me [Bg. 4.3]. Rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam. "The process was there. Now it is lost. So I am speaking to you again the old system because you are My devotee." Similarly those, or one person who is accepting the version of Arjuna, as Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, he is mahā jana, and you have to follow him. That's all. If somebody is speaking something against as Arjuna understood, he is not a mahājana. He's a rascal. The simple test. And you go to the Tenth Chapter, Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna says, "Kṛṣṇa," sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yan vadasi keśava [Bg. 10.14], "whatever You are speaking, I accept it in toto, without any minus." This is mahājana. Not that according to my whims, I cut something, I accept something. No. One who is accepting the version of Arjuna or Kṛṣṇa, he is mahājana. You can follow him. That's all. It is simple thing. You haven't got to find out who is mahājana. The mahājana means who is following another mahājana, say follow Arjuna. He is mahājana. [break] …to read Bhagavad-gītā and try to understand how Arjuna understood it, then you get… And anyone following the footprints of Arjuna, he's mahājana. (end)

680629LE.MON

Lecture Excerpt

Montreal, June 29, 1968

Prabhupāda: …ātmā and Paramātmā the same, but quantitatively ātmā and Paramātmā different. So the Supersoul is present everywhere. Supersoul is present within you, Supersoul is present within me, Supersoul is present in all ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls present here. But ātmā is individual ātmā. He is present in his body. For example, that you can feel what is happening in your body, the pleasure and pains of your body you can feel, but you cannot feel the pleasure and pains of other's body; therefore you are individual. Others are also individual. And the Paramātmā, He is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. This ātmā and Paramātmā, kṣetra, kṣetrajña is very nicely explained in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. You'll profit by reading that. The Lord says that this body is kṣetra. Kṣetra means the field of activities. Everyone is acting according to the body he has got by the grace of material nature. So the body is the field of activity, and you or me, ātmā, we are the proprietor of the body. We are called kṣetrajña. And Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarve kṣetreṣu bhārata. Now I am present in my body, you are present in your body, but the Paramātmā, or Supersoul, is present in everyone's body. Another example can be given. Just like this house, there are many apartments. So I am occupying this apartment, another tenant is occupying another apartment. But the landlord is occupier or the proprietor of all the apartments. That is the difference between ātmā and Paramātmā. I am proprietor of the things which has been offered to me by material nature, but God, or Paramātmā is the proprietor of everything. That is the difference. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. Prakṛti, the material nature, is offering me as I want. She is supplying ingredients. If I want to be human being, then she supplies a similar body, and if I want to become a dog, she supplies similar body.

So actually, we are under the grip of this material nature, and we are being pushed life after life in different bodies by the influence of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. How prakṛti, nature, is working? According to the quality we acquire. Gunaiḥ. There are three qualities: the good quality, the quality of passion, and the quality of ignorance. So we are being contaminated by certain type of quality, and the nature is supplying me a type of body. And there are 8,400,000's of bodies, and we are going through them in a cycle. And as soon as we become, I mean to say, devotee, or we look forward to the Paramātmā, then we can be free from the cycle of repeated birth and death. This yoga system is…, meditation means to find out the Paramātmā. The Paramātmā is described in the śāstras: His feature, His body, His hand, Supersoul. And one has to meditate. And by meditation, when one is in samādhi, always thinking of the Supersoul, then he becomes freed from this material entanglement. That is self-realization. That is liberation. So Paramātmā and individual ātmā, or the living creature, they are qualitatively one but quantitatively different. Yes. Yes?

Indian man: Bhagavad-gītā explains that every devotee is protected by the Lord, and Prahlāda Mahārāja, in this life as Prahlāda Mahārāja, his father becomes a demon, demon, and he has to fight Nṛsiṁha. That means it is the karma of a previous life, and he's praying, he has to pray to the Lord to protect him. Or is it understood that he'll get the protection? So why this prayer?

Prabhupāda: He was protected. Devotees are not under the karma. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām [Bs. 5.54]. Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured by his father in so many ways, but he was not affected. He was not affected. Superficially… Just like in the Christian Bible also, that Lord Jesus Christ was tortured, but he was not affected. This is the difference between ordinary man and the devotees or transcendentalists. Apparently it is seen that a devotee is being tortured, but he is not tortured. There is one example, nice example. Just like the cat. The cat carries the kitties in the mouth, and it carries a mouse also in the mouth. So apparently it is seen that a cat is carrying its kitties in the mouth means it is in pain. But it is not in pain. That is a fact. Rather, she feels very comfortable. You see? But when the cat, the same cat, catches one mouse, his life is gone. But you see that she is carrying in the mouth both of them. Similarly, whenever you'll find that a great devotee is placed into torturing condition, he does not feel. But the demon thinks that "I am torturing him." Yes?

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes. Govinda is another name of Kṛṣṇa. Go means cows and go means land and go means senses. There are three meanings of go. So… And vinda means pleasure-giving. So He gives pleasure to the senses, He gives pleasure to the cows, and He gives pleasure to the land. That means whenever Kṛṣṇa appears, the land becomes very pleasing. The production, the situation, everything becomes very pleasing. So Govinda means one who gives pleasure to the senses and to the cows. Kṛṣṇa in His abode, Kṛṣṇaloka, is always busy as a cowherd's boy. Surabhīr abhipālayantam [Bs. 5.29]. He's always nursing the cows. He's always surrounded by cows. Surabhīr abhipālayantam. You see here is the picture. It is a cow. Govinda means the cowherd's boy, or one who gives pleasure to the senses. Gopāla. Go means cows and pāla means herds. So one who keeps the cowherds, that is also Gopāla. (end)

680718LE.MON

Lecture Excerpt

Montreal, July 18, 1968

Prabhupāda: Cloud cannot cover the sun. There may be a cloud overcast in the sky for hundred miles, but even hundred miles, is it possible to cover the sun, hundred miles cloud? The sun is itself so many hundreds of thousand times more than this earth. So māyā cannot cover the Supreme Brahman. Māyā can cover the small particles Brahman. So we may become covered by māyā or cloud, but the Supreme Brahman is never covered by māyā. That is the difference of opinion between Māyāvāda philosophy and Vaiṣṇava philosophy. The Māyāvāda philosophy says that the Supreme is covered. The Supreme cannot be covered. Then how He becomes supreme? The covering becomes supreme. Oh, there are so many arguments and so many… But we follow that the cloud covers the small particles of sunshine. But sun remains as it is. And we practically see also when we go by jet plane, we are over the cloud. There is no cloud outside. Sun is clear. In the lower status there is some cloud. If you go thousands of miles up, we don't see any cloud. Everything sunshine. Is there any question?

Devotee (1): Is the cloud in our mind or is the cloud in the sky also?

Prabhupāda: Everything is in your mind. Yes. So you have to clear your mind. That's all. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. The whole process is to clear the mind. Yes?

Devotee (2): Prabhupāda, even when the mind is cleared, does there not continue to be an objective temporary existence of material phenomena? Even when the mind is cleared, the material world still exists for so long as the (indistinct), so there's still temporary existence.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (2): So is that material principle which is manifested in beings is gone…

Prabhupāda: No. Material principle is side by side. Just like the cloud is always there in the sky, but if you be above the cloud, then it is all right. So you have to become above the material principles. And to become above the material principles means to accept everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa. That will save you. You have to become above the cloud. Just like the jet plane takes the friendly sky. So we have to take the friendly energy, the spiritual energy. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]. Mahātmā, those who are mahātmā, great souls, they take shelter of the nature where there is no more cloud. Then it is very nice. You go on. So we have to become above the cloud. Not to be influenced by the material nature, but we take shelter of Rādhārāṇī, the spiritual nature. Not of Durgā.

Devotee (2): But the cloud still exists within the mind.

Prabhupāda: That doesn't matter. The police exists, but if you are not criminal it has nothing to do with you. You are not afraid of the police. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Police has nothing to do with law-abiding persons. Let the māyā remain there. You have nothing to do with her. Yes?

Guest: Swamijī, we always think of the pictures of Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa. There are, full of pictures, here, and also the usual pictures which you… When you think of the word "consciousness" and "life," as applied to the image of God, it seems to make sense. But how do you apply the concept of consciousness and life to a God conceived of in the terms like this image here?

Prabhupāda: Image… The image, we are not worshiping image.

Guest: No, what I meant was in the vague, abstract sense of thought, as we're talking about with Brahman…

Prabhupāda: There are stages, stages of God realization. Brahman realization is the first realization of God. Just like if you want to go to the… If you come to the light, sunshine, your first experience is the sunshine. But if you go still further, you…, if you are able to enter into the sun planet, that is another stage. And if you can find out the predominating deity in the sun planet, that is another stage. Similarly, the Brahman means you come out of the darkness of ignorance or māyā. That is Brahman realization. But if you go further, then you realize Supersoul, Paramātmā. And if you go further, then you realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. The… Just like the same example, the sunshining, sun and the sun-god, they are one and the same. But when you are in the sunshine, you cannot say that you are seeing the sun-god. That will be mistake. But one who is in association with the sun-god, he's already in the sun planet, he is in front of the sun-god, and he is in sunshine. Is that clear? Yes. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Advaya-jñāna. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam [SB 1.2.11]. Advayam, that light, is everywhere. Either sunshine or sun planet or sun-god, there is light. There is no darkness. Similarly, either you remain in the impersonal Brahman or absorbed in Paramātmā or in association with the Supreme Personality, it is all spiritual stage. But when you compare, then a person who is in direct touch with sun-god, he's far superior than the person who is in the sunlight. He cannot claim equal status. Sunlight may be possible within your room. That does not mean that you are associating with the sun-god.

So impersonal Brahman realization is also Brahman realization. The personal Brahman realization is the highest platform. Brahmaṇo 'ham pratiṣṭhā. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll see that Kṛṣṇa says that "The impersonal Brahman is resting on Me." Ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Just like this bag is resting on this table. The table is more important than this bag. Similarly… Just like the sun planet. Although we are seeing it is just like a disk and the sunshine is overcast all over the universe, that does not mean that sunshine is more important than the sun disk. It is due to the sun disk that the sunshine is all over the universe. And if you think that sunshine is distributed all over the universe, therefore it is greater than the sun disk-no. The importance of the sun disk is more than the universally distributed sunshine. So impersonal Brahman realization is just like realization of the sunshine, but there are other stages. And the highest stage is to associate with the Supreme. Just like this picture, they are associating person to person. Another point is, as individual soul we require association, person to person. That is our nature. The Bhāgavata replies, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvad aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. If somebody thinks by simple impersonal realization of Brahman, if he thinks that he has become liberated, then his intelligence is polluted. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvad aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Aviśuddha means not free from contamination. His intelligence is not free. Why? Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho [SB 10.2.32].

The same example can be given. Suppose you are taking a jet plane to go to the sun planet or moon planet, but you are in the sunshine. You are more higher above the cloud region. Cloud is after, say, a few miles up, if you go, there is no more cloud. Finished. If you go above seven miles up, there is no more clouds. There is no question of māyā. That's all right. But if you go continually, if you do not get shelter in any other planet, then the next stage will be you have to come back. You cannot remain in that impersonal sunshine. You have to take shelter. If you don't get shelter, then you come back. Similarly, the impersonalist, for the time being they may think that they have Brahman realization, but because by nature he wants association, without getting association of the Supreme Lord he has to come back to make association with this nonsense. And this is practically we have seen. Many sannyāsīs, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "Brahman is truth and the world is false." They take sannyāsa, and after some time they come to the hospital opening business. They come down again to politics, hospitals, philanthropy, welfare work. Why? If brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, if this whole world is false, why you are taking this hospital business? Because there is no place. He has no engagement and he wants association. He wants to render some service, but there is no service to Kṛṣṇa. He comes to give service to the nonsense māyā. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam [SB 10.2.32]. After accepting sannyāsa and all this renunciation, because he has no shelter to render service to the Supreme Lord, he comes down to render service to this nonsense thing which he left. Mithyā, it is false. He again comes to the false. I have seen one sannyāsī in India, very learned, very good scholar. Now he's rotting in the jail. He has taken to political movement. He wants to make, nullify this Pakistan and so many things. Now he has become a politician. Vivekananda came here to preach in 1893 to Vedānta. Now he learned the business of opening hospital. If you have taken sannyāsa, that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "The world is false; Brahman is reality," then why you come to the false platform again? He has to, because he has no information of the reality. He wants to render service, but because he has not found out where to render service, he has to come to engage himself in this mithyā platform, which he has rejected as mithyā. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho [SB 10.2.32]. Even by their austerity and penances they go so up… Just the same example. A very nice sputnik, and running 20,000 miles an hour… (end)

680720LE.MON

Lecture Excerpt

Montreal, July 20, 1968

Prabhupāda: It is simply troublesome, kleśa. Kleśa means troublesome. Because they cannot concentrate. Avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhir avāpyate. Those who have accepted this body, for them, to think of something impersonal is simply artificial, is simply artificial. Therefore the impersonalists or the void philosophers, their process of so-called yoga is simply troublesome, and maybe some profit there, but the ultimate profit, they cannot have. It is not possible. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ: [Bg. 6.47] "Of all the yogis, the one who is thinking of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu…" Because that is the ultimate goal. One has to come to the point. That point, of course, one has to come ultimately, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19], after many, many births. It is simply obstinacy. One who does not take to the meditation of God, or they want to meditate in something other, void or impersonal-that is not possible; that is simply troublesome-so simply they are wasting time because ultimately they have come to this point of personal conception of the Supreme Lord. Bahūnāṁ janmanām, after many, many births, if they are fortunate enough to meet some real devotee, then he becomes enlightened. And vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. He then accepts Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, as everything. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ: "Such kind of great soul is very rare."

So here is an opportunity to get directly that post of great soul by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So it is very scientific. We can present this formula to any person who wants to understand this movement scientifically, philosophically, logically. There is no dearth of all these things in this movement. We are not sentimental at all. Of course, there must be sentiment. Without sentiment, nobody can come to the stage of ecstasy. But that sentiment is transcendental sentiment. This is not ordinary sentiment. Sentiment, when religion or any faith is devoid of philosophy and logic, then it is material sentiment. And philosophy and logic without understanding of God is simply waste of time, mental… [break] So both should be combined, religion plus philosophy. One should understand the principles of religion with philosophy and logic. We are claiming college students, university students, because we are presenting religion on the basis of philosophy and logic. We are not blindly following. We have not dogmatism. We have got reason, philosophy, and everything, science. If you want to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness on the basis of philosophy, logic and science, we are prepared to present to you. But the ultimate goal is to surrender unto the Supreme. So although you will find some of the students joining us, they are not very great philosopher or great scientist or great educationist, but they have accepted the reality, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are the highest yogis. They are highest yogi. Just like if somebody is offering one million dollars, one may understand it or may not understand it, what is the value of one million dollars. But if one has got that one million of dollars, then he is rich man undoubtedly. Similarly, the boys and the disciples and the followers of this movement, who are accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, oh, they have already got that millions of dollars. They are richest. They may not understand it, that what is the value of Kṛṣṇa, but because… Just like fire. If you touch knowingly or unknowingly, it is fire and it will burn your body. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then one who has taken Him, then he will derive the highest benefit undoubtedly.

Thank you very much. Any questions? [break]

Devotee: …"the conqueror of sleep" is one of his names. How and what relation can develop greater love for Kṛṣṇa through conquering sleep?

Prabhupāda: Sleep?

Devotee: Resting.

Pradyumna: He said Arjuna's another name was Guḍākeśa.

Prabhupāda: Guḍākeśa. Guḍākeśa. Guḍākeśa means one who has conquered sleep. Sleeping means māyā, or darkness. Just like in sleeping you do not know where you are, similarly, a person who is in the darkness… Everyone is, in this material condition of life, everyone is in darkness. He does not know wherefrom he has come, what for he has come, what he has to do, and where he is going next. All these questions are darkness for him. So anyone who has conquered over this darkness, he is called guḍākeśa. So Arjuna did it. He knew, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa; therefore his another name is Guḍākeśa. Everyone is in darkness. Ask him, "What what you were in your past life? What you are going to become in your next life? Why you have come here?" "Why you have become American?" "Why you have become Indian?" "Why you are white?" "Why you are black?" "Why you are suffering?" "Why you are enjoying?" So many "whys." Ask them. They will not be able to answer. Therefore they are in darkness. So anyone who knows all these things, he is out of darkness. So try to be like Arjuna, to become out of darkness. That is the Vedic injunction. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in darkness. Just try to go to the light." This is light. Just like it is very commonsense affair that I, the soul, is eternal. I am changing my body from the very inception in the womb of my mother. And because I am changing this body, therefore I am nowhere? I am gone forever? Ask the greatest scientist. He will say like that. It is a commonsense affair. Just like a child. Because he cannot see the sun at night, he may say, "Oh, sun is gone, dead and gone." But no scientist, no intelligent man will say. "My dear child, the sun is not gone. The sun is there. I cannot see now." That is the fact. Similarly, these foolish persons, because they cannot see the soul and because the body is left there and it is destroyed, he says that there is no soul. Just see how childish and how much darkness is there. It is commonsense affair. How this body…? I am taking this body so important, the body of such and such professor, such and such scientist, such and such philosopher. But as soon as I, the soul, go away, where is the importance? If the body is important, why it becomes nonsense immediately after the departure of the soul? Therefore the soul is important. One who does not know the soul, his all activities are defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jato yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Anyone who has not inquired about the soul, because he is born ignorant, born in darkness, he does not know what is soul, what is this body, what is this world. Therefore born in darkness. So if in that darkness and ignorance he is acting so many things, what is the profit? It is simply defeat. So a person who does not inquire into the existence of soul, his real identity, all his so-called improvement is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. Simply laboring, that's all. The whole world is doing that, beating the bush, laboring for nothing. He does not know that how long he will remain. Suppose you are in America. You are now Mr. Ford. You have constructed a very skyscraper building. But how long you shall remain in this skyscraper building? How long you shall remain American or Mr. Ford? Next life, as soon as your body is changed, then you are Mr. Dog or Mr. Cat or Mr. this or Mr. Chinaman, Mr. Indian. That means if, in my next life, I become Mr. such and such instead of Mr. Ford, then all the activities that I have done as Mr. Ford is simply waste of time. That he does not know. This is ignorance. And one who has conquered this ignorance, he is Arjuna. Is it clear?

Devotee: Thank you Prabhupāda.

Guest: Is Kṛṣṇa consciousness the knowing or the awareness of the Absolute?

Prabhupāda: Certainly. Otherwise, why you are laboring so hard? To know yourself, know the Absolute. Three, five things. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to know perfectly well five things. What are those? God, living entity, and this material nature, the time factor, and the activities. God, the supreme controller. However you may declare there is no God, there is a supreme controller. That we have to admit. There are so many things that which does not depend on our so-called scientific advancement of knowledge. It depends completely something else. Supreme controller. So that is God. They may call it nature, but they do not know nature, what is nature. So God, and we are living entities. We are godly. We have got the same activity. As God is the creator of the whole universe, we are also creator of some skyscraper building or a city like Montreal or New York. We may do that. But in comparison to the God's creation and my creation, there is no comparison. It is very insignificant. If you go high up on the sky, you will see this globe is just like a point. And there are millions and trillions of globes and planets like this. They are full of all opulences as you find here. So that is God's creation. In comparison to that creation, suppose if you have created a city or a skyscraper building. What is there? That is called living entity, minute; and the Lord: greatest. God is great; you are minute. Understanding of God, understanding of the living entities. Then try to understand this material nature. What is this material nature? The material nature is exactly like your body. This body is working so nicely because you, the soul, is present within this body. That is a fact. You do not know how your hairs are growing, how your nails are growing. You are claiming, "It is my hair; it is my nail," but can you explain how it is growing? No. Similarly, the nature's work is going on wonderfully. Just like my… That is… So many things are going on wonderfully due to the presence of the spirit soul. Similarly, all this nature's work is going on so wonderfully due to the presence of God, the Supersoul. This is understanding of the material nature. Then God, living entity, material nature, and then time. Time is eternal. There is no past, present, and future. It is my calculation, according to… That is relativity. That is the modern scientific proposition by Professor Einstein. Your time and my time, he has also stated that the time factor in the higher planets are different. In the higher planet the time factor-our six months makes their one day. Just like our so many yugas makes twelve hours of Brahmā. So time is according to the different object. But time is eternal. Actually, there is no past, present, future, or limitation. This is understanding of time. So God, living entity, material nature, time, and the activities. What are these activities? The activities are not eternal; they are temporary. You have got this temporary American body. You are thinking American. You are busy twenty-four hours as American. I am Indian. Or these boys… The boy's activities are different, the woman's activities are different, man's activities are different, the Russian's activities are different, and American's activities, different. All different activities. So therefore activities are temporary. Temporary, according to the time, according to the atmosphere, according to the body, the activities are… Just like the dog, unnecessarily running this side, this side. He thinks that "I am very busy." He is very busy. He is businessman. But you are calling, "A nonsense dog is running here and there." Similarly, all these activities by your motorcar, they may think it is very important, but those who are in higher status, they are thinking like dog is going this side, that side, this side, that side. So the activities are temporary.

So we have to find out our eternal life, our eternal activities, our eternal place, and eternal bliss. Those things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā and further explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And that is, we are moving as Kṛṣṇa consciousness… [break] A sane man should take very serious view of this movement and it should be pushed all over the world. Otherwise you remain in darkness. You never become guḍākeśa. You remain in guḍāka. Never īśa. Guḍāka-īśa, guḍākeśa. Guḍāka means darkness, and īśa means master. So you remain in guḍāka, but not guḍākeśa. So if you want to become guḍākeśa, master of this ignorance, then surrender to Kṛṣṇa. You'll get it.

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

[Bg. 7.14]

"It is very difficult to surmount this darkness of ignorance, but anyone who surrenders unto Me, he immediately surmounts."

So this is the greatest service to the human society, to get out them from the darkness of ignorance. That is the greatest gift. If you put him into the darkness… Suppose a man is suffering from disease and he is asking, "Sir, I am very hungry. Give me some food." If you give him some rasagullā or some very nice foodstuff, neither he cannot eat, neither he can enjoy. And by supplying such things you are making him more and more diseased. You have to cure the disease. Then give him. That's right. So there is no curing process. Simply sense gratification. I want to satisfy my senses, and if somebody talks about my sense gratification, oh, I receive him very nicely. You see? And as soon as one says that "You are diseased. You cannot satisfy your senses without restriction. Then you will continue your disease," "Oh, this is not good. This doctor is not good." This is going on. You want to be cheated; therefore there are…, so many cheaters are coming. Just like this Maharishi came. "Yes, enjoy your senses. Enjoy. Simply pay me thirty-five dollars. I give you some mantra." People gave him thousand, millions of dollars, and at the end both of them became dissatisfied. He said, "It is failure," and who were followers, they left him. So what is the use of? Don't try to be cheated. If you want to be cheated, then Kṛṣṇa will send you some cheater. And if you want to be really profited, if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa… (end)

680727LE.MON

Lecture Excerpt

Montreal, July 27, 1968

Prabhupāda:

…caitanya prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ

bhakta-rūpa svarūpakam

bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ

namāmi bhakta-śaktikam

So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is full representation of Kṛṣṇa in six aspects. That is… In the beginning of Caitanya-caritāmṛta it has been explained, vande 'haṁ gurūn īśam īśāvatārakān īśa-bhaktān [Cc. Ādi 1.1], prakāśāṁś ca tac-chaktīḥ, like that. So the Supreme Personality of Godhead is principally not divided, but He is understood under six primary features. The primary, first feature is guru, because guru gives the initiation to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That feature is represented by Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. He is the original guru feature, and He is first manifested expansion of Kṛṣṇa.

There is a prayer of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura in which it has been established that vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta haila sei, balarāma haila nitāi. Vrajendra-nandana means Kṛṣṇa, the son of Mahārāja Nanda. Mahārāja Nanda was very rich man. He had ninety hundred thousand of cows. Formerly people were considered rich by possession of cows and grains-not by paper. (laughter) At the present moment, we have got bunch of paper. As soon as the particular government is finished, we are all…, we shall be finished. You simply… Just like in Germany it happened. The mark was selling like anything. You see? So these are not money. Actually money means… Either you say livestock or grain stock, that is money. So in Sanskrit literature we find dhānyena dhanavān. One who has got large quantity of paddy, rich, he is rich man. Still in India, in villages, when a daughter is to be offered to a particular house, it is inquired, "How much stock of grains that family has got?" They do not inquire, "How much stock exchange he has got in the bank?" No. But factually, if you have got grains at your home, then there is no question of economic problem. If you have simply got grains and cow, then you won't have to go other place. You are… That was the basic principle of civilization, that you possess some cows and some land so that you can produce foodstuff. That's all. Your whole economic problem is solved. You see?

So therefore so much stress is given for cow protection. Amongst the division of society, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas and the śūdras… Śūdras means non-Aryan. And Aryans, they are divided into three higher castes. Caste means according to profession and quality. That is caste. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. That is factual everywhere. If you have got the quality and if you are working… (end)

680728SP.MON

Speech to Indian Audience

Montreal, July 28, 1968

Prabhupāda: …vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Lord Caitanya instructed this verse. He gave us eight verses, known as Śikṣāṣṭaka. Śikṣa means "instructions"; aṣṭaka, "eight." This Śikṣāṣṭaka poetry, containing eight verses, are very valuable, and they were given by Lord Caitanya for understanding of the whole human society. It was not meant for any particular country or particular society, but it was meant for the whole human race. Lord Caitanya entrusted His countrymen, who are known as Bhāratīyas, to distribute this message througho ut the whole world, in every village and every town. There is a nice Bengali verse in Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

The Lord predicted that "As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the world, everywhere this message will be known." And He also said,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

He entrusted his countrymen-means any Indians. Not that because He appeared in Bengal it was entrusted to the Bengalis, but He said that bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra: "on the land of Bhārata-varṣa." India is known as Bhārata-varṣa. Perhaps most of you know it. This is after the name of King Bhārata. There was a great king, Bhārata, who was the emperor of the world, and this planet was named Bhārata-varṣa after his name. Before that this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after Mahārāja Bhārata, this planet was named as Bhārata-varṣa. But gradually, there was partition. As recently also there has been partition of India-Hindustan and Pakistan-similarly, this planet, known as Bhārata-varṣa, was partitioned gradually, one after another. So then the other names-Europe, Africa, or America, or Germany-these names gradually developed. Actually the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. That we understand from the Vedic history. And there was one king. That king also belonged to Hastināpura, which is called at the present moment New Delhi, near about that.

So anyway, Lord Caitanya entrusted to spread this message to the Indians. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]. There are many kinds of living entities. There are men, there are animals, there are birds, beasts, trees, aquatics-all of them are living entities. But He is entrusting to the manuṣya. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra. "One who has taken his birth as human being, Indian human being, to him I am entrusting this message, that this should be distributed all over the world in villages, in towns, this message." So I am especially speaking to the Indians present here, that you have got a responsibility on behalf of Lord Caitanya. If you believe in our śāstras, in our ācāryas, then those who are present here as Indians, I will request them to take this responsibility of spreading the… (aside:) This is disturbing. …this message of Lord Caitanya all over the world. And He said, bhārata-bhumite manuṣya-janma haila yāra, janma sārthaka kari [Cc. Ādi 9.41]. Janma sārthaka kari means "First of all make your life successful." You cannot distribute this transcendental message without making your life successful. Janma sārthaka kari. That means persons who are born in India, they have got the facility for making life successful. How? Because there is immense treasure-house of transcendental knowledge in India. It is known to everyone, in every part of the world. Unfortunately, we Indians, we do not know the value of our spiritual treasure-house. I have got one German Godbrother. He was formerly known as Mr. Hans Sulyea(?). He is now Sadānanda Swami. He is living in Sweden. And one of his disciples, Vāmana-datta… What is his German name?

Devotee: Dr. Eisen (?).

Prabhupāda: Yes. He has written a very nice authorized book on Lord Caitanya in German language, and it is very big book, paperback, five hundred pages. It is approved by the Sweden University, and he has sent me. So even a German gentleman, he is taking so much interest. And this Mr. Sulyea, he told me long, about forty years before… At that time I was also householder. So he told me that "If some student come to Europe and then come to Germany, first of all we try to test him, how much he has got his original cultural knowledge." He said that "If we find that this boy, the student, knows something of Indian original cultural life, then we welcome him. Otherwise we reject him."

So we Indians, we should know that we cannot imitate the Western countries. They are far advanced. So far materialistic way of life is concerned, you cannot compete with them. Just like some years before there was industrial exhibition in India in which the government was very proud to show that they are manufacturing cycle and sewing machine. When Western part of the world, they are manufacturing so many complicated machineries, we are proud of manufacturing cycle and sewing machine. Similarly, in every respect… In medicine also, there are so many laboratories in India, but still, seventy-five percent of the medicines are imported from foreign countries, because they are lagging behind. So my point is that in every country, in every human society, there is a special qualification. The day before yesterday I was seeing one picture in that church, of Hardwar. Millions of people assembled there for taking bath in the Ganges. In 1958 there was a special fair in Jagannātha Purī. It was written in the almanac that on that particular day, if somebody takes bath in the sea and has an audience of Lord Jagannātha, then he will be liberated. I was also there and with other friends. You'll be surprised to know that for a few-hour visit, about six million people assembled from all parts of India. And government had to make a special arrangement for their taking bath in the sea and visiting the temple. Similarly, there is Kumbha-melā. These assemblies are not advertised. People know it by paramparā. I am speaking to you; you are speaking to your friend. In this way they know it, and on that particular day they assemble at a place, just like Prayāga, on the confluence of Ganga and Yamunā. Millions of people will assemble. So still, in spite of our present leaders' policy to completely eradicate all religious ideas… They have made secular state. But people are so born that naturally they are inclined to take part in spiritual movement. That is the nature. Therefore Lord Caitanya said that bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]. To take one's birth in the land of India, to take one's birth as human being, is great opportunity undoubtedly. But still more great opportunity is there who has taken his birth in India. We are… We must be proud, provided we do not forget our own Vedic culture.

Unfortunately, the present policy is that students are being taught to forget their old Vedic culture and try to imitate the Westernized way of life, industrial life, technical life. That is being encouraged. But here I find that the young men and young girls and boys, both, they are very much interested about Indian original culture of spiritual life. Recently, you know, some yogi came, and he simply bluffed so many people that "If you pay me thirty-five dollars, I will give you one personal mantra, and you will be in transcendental life," or so many things. So thousands and thousands of European boys and girls, as well as in America, they flocked together, but later on, they were frustrated. That means while the Indian youths are coming to the Western countries for advancement of technological knowledge, the Western boys and girls, they are hankering after spiritual life. This I have very particularly studied. I am here, not in Canada, in America. I came here in 1965, and I am studying the mind of the younger generation especially. They are hankering after something, spiritual enlightenment, not only in America, also in Europe. And they expect something from India because… It is a fact. I have read one book written by one Chinese gentleman. That book is recommended in the New York University for study. That Chinese gentleman is very learned man. He has given comparative studies of all religion and philosophies, but he recommends that "If you want to study religion as it is, then you have to go to India." So our Indian spiritual culture is still adored and worshiped by the learned section of every part of the world. And especially in America and Germany and England, they are hankering after it. We should be little careful that this knowledge, transcendental knowledge, as distributed by Lord Caitanya, should be seriously taken up by the responsible Indians present here. Unfortunately, I see that Indians are not very much interested, but that is our misfortune. Actually, Caitanya Mahāprabhu entrusted this mission that anyone who has taken birth as human being on the land of Bhārata-varṣa should learn this spiritual science very seriously, make his life successful, and distribute all over the world so that people of the world may become happy. That was His mission. Now, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started on this mission, on the mission of Lord Caitanya, that to distribute,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

That in this age of Kali there are many differences of opinion for self-realization, or transcendental life, or religious life, but this common formula, chanting of the holy name of God, can be accepted by everyone.

Unfortunately, people in the present age, they think that God is dead. And what is the use of chanting something, somebody who is dead, chanting the holy name of God, who is already dead? The other day I was speaking in the church that God is not dead. God cannot be dead. Neither you or me cannot be dead. There is living symptom in your body, and there is living symptom in the cosmic manifestation also. Just try to understand what is God. Then place your verdict, whether God is dead or not. How God can be dead? Just like when a man is lying on the floor, if his vital condition, his pulses, his heart is going on, then how you can say that that man is dead? Similarly, if you study the cosmic manifestation… Of course, it is a subject matter to be learned very scrutinizingly with calm head, that as your body is functioning nicely by physiological arrangement, similarly, the body of the cosmic nature, by physical arrangement it is also moving nicely. Therefore, so long your bodily functions are going on nicely, you are not dead. Similarly, the Supreme Soul is also not dead because by the symptom of His gigantic body, universal body, we see that everything is nicely going on. So God is not dead. This is a statement of the crazy fellow. God is not dead; neither we are dead. Now, we, being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, our function is just to serve the Supreme. This example of body I have said many times in this class, that as the part and parcel of your body, namely the hands, the legs, the eyes, the ears, they are meant for serving the whole body, similarly we, being part and parcel of the Supreme Whole, we are also meant for serving the Supreme Whole. So God is not dead; we are also not dead. We shall be dead when we cease to function as part and parcel of the Supreme Whole. That is our death.

It is very nicely analyzed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

ya eṣāṁ puruṣaṁ sākṣād

ātma-prabhavam īśvaram

na bhajanty avajānanty

sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ

Now, just like this finger or this hand is grown from this body, similarly, the different parts of human social body is also born out of the whole body of universal body of God. They analyze that the intelligent class of men, they are born of the mouth of the universal form of God. The administrative class of men, they are born out of the arms of the universal form of God. The mercantile class of men, they are born out of the abdomen of the universal form of God. And the laborer class of men, they are born out of the legs of the universal form of God. Now, so far the body is concerned, either the mouth or head or the legs, no part of the body is less important, because every part of the body is required for proper function of the body. But by comparative study, the head is most important than all other parts of the body. If head is cut off from the body, then body becomes immediately dead. But if your hand is cut off from the body, the body still remains alive. It is not dead. So the intelligent class of men who form the head of the society, if they are lacking, if there is no intelligent class of men, then it is to be considered that sort of human society is dead, because the head is not there. Similarly, at the present moment there is lack of intelligent class of men. Intelligent class of men… Who is intelligent class of men? There are so many intelligent class of men. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, intelligent class of men can be tested by some qualification. What is that? Satya śaucaṁ samaḥ damaḥ titikṣa ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. Intelligent class of men means… First qualification is that he must be truthful. Then satya, śaucam. He must be always clean. Bahyābhyantaram: he must be clean without and within. "Without" means…, on the external body, cleanliness means soap and water. But inside cleanliness means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ. Satya, śaucam and śamam, controlling the mind, and damam, controlling the senses. Then ārjavam, simplicity; and titikṣa, tolerance; jñānam, full knowledge; vijñānam, practical application of the knowledge; and āstikyam, and full faith in God. They are called intelligent class of men.

Now, if you put to this test of intelligent class of men, hardly you will find one in thousand or one in million. Therefore the present social structure is practically without any intelligent class of men, or without any head. At the present moment the whole society is going on by manufacturing some schemes that "This scheme will be successful for the proper execution of our human activities." But another man gives you another plan. Therefore in the political world there are so many "isms," and they are fighting with one another. That means there is no standard intelligence. I differ from you; you differ from me. Now, nobody knows who is intelligent. So by this analytical study we can understand that at the present moment there is need of intelligent class of men. Not that everyone should be intelligent, but even a small percentage of people, if they become intelligent, with these qualifications-truthful, clean, and controlling the mind, controlling the senses, simplicity in behavior, and tolerance, knowledge, application of knowledge in practical life, and full faith in God… That, these nine symptoms, brahma-karma svabhāva-jam… [Bg. 18.42]. The intelligent class of men is called brāhmaṇa, according to Vedic literature. And the next class, the administrative class, is called kṣatriyas, and the next class is called the vaiśyas, and the general class of men is called the śūdras. So even in that, according to Vedic literature, it is said that kalau śūdra sambhava. In this age, practically all men are on the standard of śūdra category. Kalau śūdra sambhava. So this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is started so that even one is born a śūdra by qualification, he can be raised to the standard of the highest intelligent class of men, brāhmaṇa, by pāñcarātrikī-viddhi. By pāñcarātrikī-viddhi it is said that it doesn't matter what a man is, but if he is trained up by dīkṣā process, tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām… Dvijatvam means twice-born. Twice-born, they are, the brāhmaṇas are twice-born, the kṣatriyas are twice-born, and the vaiśyas are… That means higher class of men, they are called twice-born. Why twice-born? Because one birth is made by father and mother and the next birth is made by Vedic knowledge and spiritual master. This is the system. So nobody is born brāhmaṇa or intelligent class of men, but by cultivation of knowledge, by practice, by good association, one can come to the higher standard of life. And when one is on the platform of goodness, then one has to transcend that platform of goodness and come to the platform of pure goodness. In the material world, even a man is supposed to be very good man, there is possibility of his being affected by the modes of passion and ignorance. But in the transcendental platform, which is called viśuddha-sattva, pure goodness, there is no possibility of interaction of these three qualities of material nature, namely goodness, passion, and ignorance.

The Bhagavad-gītā concludes, therefore,

yo mām avyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

[Bg. 14.26]

If anyone engages himself fully and seriously in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa… Yo mām avyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena. Avyabhicāriṇi means without any deviation, firmly fixed up. And bhakti-yogena, in devotional service, if one is engaged, sa, that person, guṇān… Guṇān means these three qualities: passion, ignorance, and goodness. Sa guṇān samatītya. Samatītya means completely transcending. He transcends completely. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. He becomes situated on the platform of Brahman, and that is the highest perfection of knowledge. Now we are identifying ourself that "I am part of this material world. I am part of this land or that land." "I am Indian because I am born in India." "I am American because I am born in America." Everyone is thinking like that. That means "I am part and parcel of this material world." But by this transcendental elevation to the platform of Brahman, when one becomes self-realized or understands himself as part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7], "All these living entities are My part and parcels," similarly, when the living entities in highest perfection understand that he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Brahman, his life is on the transcendental platform.

So that transcendental platform is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as one is situated in that Brahman platform, he is free from all anxieties immediately. Caitanya Mahāprabhu explains that brahma-bhūtaḥ situation, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Immediately. So the brahma-bhūtaḥ platform, which we have to ascend after so much qualification, so much understanding, so much practice of yoga, dhyāna, meditation, can be achieved in this age by the blessings of Lord Caitanya simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Simply by chanting. Caitanya Mahāprabhu… As I have explained, that one has to lift himself to the platform of brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, when one is free from all anxieties. Now, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam-what is the gain? The first gain is ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], cleansing of the heart. What is that cleansing? That I am thinking at the present moment in my material concept of life that "I am part and parcel of this matter." And when we come to the understanding that "I have nothing to do with this matter; I am accidentally in contact with the matter, but my real position is that I am spirit soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ…" Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahma. Lord Śaṅkarācārya, he preached this philosophy, that… Just try to understand, but don't try to misunderstand. Unfortunately, this understanding that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, people are misunderstanding that "I am God." He is not… Nobody can be God. God is supreme. God is great. We are very small. If I am God, if I am great, then how I have come to this position? How I have fallen from my brahma-bhūtaḥ stage? That is not actually understanding. Brahma-bhūtaḥ, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, means "I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman." This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā and every Vedic literature, that the living entities are just like sparks of the fire, just like there is big fire and there are sparks also, small particle of fire. That small particle of fire is also fire, but it is not as big as the big fire. Similarly, in quality we are as good as Brahman, but in quantity we are minute, infinitesimal, and He is infinite. That is the difference.

So this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā, supported by the movement of Lord Caitanya, chanting the holy name of Hare Kṛṣṇa, we are trying to push on in this part of the world, in pursuance of the order of Lord Caitanya, that pṛthivīte ache yata nagaradi grāma. So I'll request Indian ladies and gentlemen who are present here to join this movement. This is your duty. Because you are Indian, you have got this duty. If you forget your duty, then you are forgetting your identity. So my special request in this meeting is for the Indian ladies and gentlemen to support this temple, and by supporting this temple, to support this movement. It is good not only for the Indians-for everyone. It is no sectarian religion. It is completely scientific and philosophical. Everyone can accept it, not dogmatically, but with reason and argument. And you can practically see that all my students, none of them are Indians. Until now, they are all American. They are educated, they are intelligent. They are trying to understand it with all logic and philosophy, and when they understand it nicely, they take to it very seriously. So my request is that this is a very nice movement. Everyone, either Indian, American or Canadian, should take part in it and encourage us.

Thank you very much. (end)

680823LE.MON

Lecture Excerpt

Montreal, August 23, 1968

Prabhupāda: So to love Kṛṣṇa we don't require anything. Ahaituky apratihatā. It is open for everyone, but we should learn to sacrifice for Kṛṣṇa. That is the sign of love. Yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣ [Bg. 9.27]i. If you… You are eating. If you simply decide that "I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa," then Kṛṣṇa will understand, "Oh, here is a devotee." "I shall not see anything except Kṛṣṇa's beauty." Kṛṣṇa can understand. "I shall not hear anything except Hare Kṛṣṇa and topics on Kṛṣṇa…" These things are there. It does not require that you become very wealthy, very beautiful, or very learned. You have to decide that "I shall not do this without Kṛṣṇa. I shall not do this without Kṛṣṇa. I shall not mix with any man who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious. I shall not talk anything which does not speak about Kṛṣṇa." So your… "I shall not go anywhere except Kṛṣṇa's temple. I shall not engage my hands in anything except Kṛṣṇa's business." In this way, if you train your activities, then you love Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa is purchased-simply by your determination. Kṛṣṇa does not require anything from you. Simply He wants to know whether you have decided to love Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

Ahaituky apratihatā. Ahaituky apratihatā means it is not dependent on anything. You can yourself automatically, by whatever asset you have got-thinking, feeling, walking, eating, sleeping-whatever you have got. By such things, by using those things in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you can purchase Kṛṣṇa. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You haven't got to acquire something extra for loving Kṛṣṇa or purchasing Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa becomes purchased. Therefore… Kṛṣṇa cannot be purchased. His name is Ajita. He cannot be conquered, but His devotee can purchase Him, can conquer Him. Just like you have seen the pictures in our Back to Godhead about Bhīṣma, that it was just joking, but he knew that "Arjuna cannot be killed because he is very dear friend of Kṛṣṇa. So these people are requesting me to kill Arjuna. So I shall show my capacity of fighting." And actually Arjuna became perplexed. Bhīṣma wanted to see that Kṛṣṇa shall have to break His promise for His devotee. "I know I shall not be able to kill Arjuna, but at least I shall see that Kṛṣṇa has broken His promise." So Kṛṣṇa actually did not break His promise. He did not accept any weapon, but He simply showed Bhīṣma that "I have come to kill you with this wheel of the chariot." His sudarśana-cakra is different. These are the reciprocation. Kṛṣṇa can do anything for His devotee. Personally He may be very severe, but for devotee He can do anything. That means devotee can purchase by his devotion. (end)

680914LE.SF

Lecture Excerpt

San Francisco, September 14, 1968

Prabhupāda: So we have to continue this chanting, either imperfectional stage or in the perfectional stage. Satatām kīrtayanto mām [Bg. 9.14]. In the Bhagavad-gītā, you will see that this kīrtana is recommended continuously. Satatam. Satatam means always. Either in the imperfect stage or in the perfect stage, the process is one. It is not like the Māyāvādīs, that first of all you chant, and by chanting, when you become yourself God, then there is no chanting-stop. This is Māyāvāda philosophy. This is not real, the position. Chanting will continue even in your highest perfectional stage. But that chanting and at the present moment chanting, there is little difference. Yes.

Upendra: Swamijī, if our rasa with Kṛṣṇa is eternal, and we want to have the rasa of lover with Kṛṣṇa, is it possible to change? If our rasa is like father to son, we can never become lover?

Prabhupāda: No. You have got eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That cannot be changed. You're constitutionally in position, in a certain position. Either you have got… But every relationship is spiritual and nice. If you have got that inclination that you want to be Kṛṣṇa's lover, then that means originally you are already in relationship with Kṛṣṇa in that stage. That will be revealed when you are in perfectional devotional stage.

Devotee: Swamijī, the other night you said that one who uses his body for the purpose of Kṛṣṇa, then his body becomes spiritual. How then is the body still subject to change?

Prabhupāda: Spiritual in the sense… Just like… This example also I have given several times. Just like you put an iron rod in the fire. When it becomes warmer, warmer, red hot, it is fire. It is no longer iron. Similarly, when you are completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and service, you are completely spiritual. Your material activities… Because your material activities have stopped, therefore your body is no longer material. Materialism means… Just try to understand. Material…, what is materialism and spiritualism. Materialism means sense gratification, and spiritualism means to love God. That's all. Personal sense gratification. Here the relationship is just like a girl or a boy. The so-called love is temporary. That's all. There is no love. As soon as there is some discrepancy of sense gratification, oh, there is separation. There is divorce. There is separation. Because the so-called love is based on sense gratification. That is materialism. And when there is no sense gratification, the satisfaction of the lover only, that is spiritualism. So in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when your business will be only to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, then you must know that your senses and your body have become spiritualized. Actually, in higher platform, there is nothing material thing. Higher platform means when a person sees nothing but Kṛṣṇa as everything. Even himself, he's also Kṛṣṇa. (end)

680925LE.SEA

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Seattle, September 25, 1968

(kīrtana, prema-dhvanī)

Prabhupāda: (chants:) Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (devotees respond)

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.29]

So we are worshiping govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. Ādi-puruṣam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original. You have to find out the original. That is called philosophy. Philosophy means searching out the original. Darśana. In Sanskrit word it is called darśana, to see the original, to find out the original. So the original information is given by Vedānta-sūtra. What is that origin? Athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should be inquisitive to understand about the origin. That is the chance in this human form of life. We do not know the origin. The scientists, they explain, "Perhaps," "Like this; it was like this," 'Perhaps," "It might be like this." That is not explanation. So the direct explanation is…, very nice explanation is given by the Vedānta-sūtra what is that origin. The Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The origin is that from which everything is born. That is the origin. Now we have to find out what is that thing from whom everything is born. That is Kṛṣṇa. The great sages, they have searched out what is that origin. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said,

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam means the cause of all causes. They have searched out. Scientifically they have searched out that Kṛṣṇa is the origin.

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is described, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. There may be different kinds of Bhagavān, or the Personality of Godhead. Not different kinds, but different expansion, extension. But Kṛṣṇa is the origin. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. The expansion of Kṛṣṇa may be understood just like a person. He is, at home, a father, a husband, like that, and when he's office, he's boss, or when he's clerk, he's secretary. In this way, a man may be in different position, in different circumstances, but the man is the same. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the original Personality of Godhead, might have assumed the form of Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Govinda, so many. But this original form is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. And in the Bhagavad-gītā also Kṛṣṇa explains Himself, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: [Bg. 10.8] "I am the origin of everyone." Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: "Everything emanates from Me, all the energies." Just like from the sun globe the energies are coming out incessantly just like flows of water, and everything is being created in this material world through the sunshine, similarly, the shining principle which is emanating from Kṛṣṇa, which is known as brahmajyoti, is the origin of everything. So kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

So this Kṛṣṇa science is a very great science, and Bhagavad-gītā explains this Kṛṣṇa science very nicely, the origin of everything. And we should take advantage of this great book of knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā. It is already known in your country, Bhagavad-gītā. There are many editions, but unfortunately, sometimes Bhagavad-gītā is misinterpreted and people are misled to understand the origin. Therefore we have the opportunity to publish the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We have entrusted the matter to Messrs. Macmillan Company. They are going to publish the book next month. So try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is without any interpretation. Then you will understand the origin.

So the process of understanding Bhagavad-gītā is very nicely stated in the Bhagavad-gītā itself. And in our disciplic succession the Ṣaḍ-gosvāmī, the six Gosvāmīns, of whom I offered a prayer in the beginning, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau… So we are publishing another book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So the printing is complete. That book also will come next month. So I shall request some of you to read the teachings to Lord…, teaching to Sanātana Gosvāmī. Will somebody come here? You'll read? Yes. Sit down there.

Girl: Right here?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Open page number twenty-nine. What is that, heading?

Girl: "Teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Read it.

Girl: "In the instructions of Lord Caitanya to Sanātana Gosvāmī we can understand the science of God in the matter of His transcendental form, His opulences, and His devotional service, where everything is being described to Sanātana Gosvāmī by the Lord Himself. By that time Sanātana fell at the feet of the Lord and in great humility asked about his own real identity."

Prabhupāda: Read little slowly so that…, and loudly, so that others can hear.

Girl: "He spoke as follows. 'I am born of a lower family. My associations are all abominable and I am fallen. The most wretched of mankind, I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never knew the actual goal of my life. I do not know what is beneficial to me. Although in the mundane sphere I am what is known as a great learned man, I am in fact so much of a fool that I even accept that I am learned.' "

Prabhupāda: "I am…? I am so much fool that I accept…?" What is that?

Girl: "…that I am learned."

Prabhupāda: "I am learned." Now, this Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was formerly known as Dabira Khāsa. He was born in a high aristocratic family, brāhmaṇa family, and he was finance minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah, the then Bengal governor of Bengal. It is about five hundred years ago India was governed by the Pathans, Muslims, and in Bengal the governor was known as Nawab Hussain Shah. Under his government this Dabira Khāsa was minister of finance, and his brother also, Sākara Mallika, he was also a departmental minister. So both the brothers were in very high position. They were great scholar in Sanskrit and Parsi, Urdu. Parsi, Urdu, you know the language spoken in Arabia, in that part of the world. So they were very good scholar and born in very aristocratic family and associated with rich men, aristocratic persons. Because they were ministers, no ordinary person could mix with them. So that was their position. And when they met Lord Caitanya, they decided to retire from the service and propagate the movement of Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So he resigned from the service. The Nawab was very much sorry. He did not like that he should resign from the service because the Nawab was so much dependent on his good service. But he decided that "I must resign." So some way or other he got rid of the service and approached Lord Caitanya in a very humble way. Now he's presenting himself before Lord Caitanya that "I am very low born, and my association is abominable. And people call me a very learned man, and I also accept that I am very learned man. But actually, I am not, because I do not know what I am." It is very nice picture, you see? In the Vedas the injunction is that if anyone wants to understand the transcendental science, he must approach to a bona fide person or a spiritual master in such humbleness as Sanātana Gosvāmī is approaching. He is born of a very high aristocratic family, but he says that "I am born very low." He's very learned man, but he says that "People say me learned man, but actually I am not." Just the position. So why he's saying that? That will be explained. Because actual learning means to know oneself. That is real knowledge. This knowledge that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am born of this family," "I am father of this person," "husband of that lady," and this and that, so many designations, that is not real knowledge. Real knowledge is to know oneself. That is being taught by Sanātana Gosvāmī, that "I do not know what I am. I am simply identifying myself with this body. That is not real knowledge." He's presenting in that way. Read next.

Girl: "You have accepted me as Your servant and You have delivered me from the entanglement of material life. Now You can tell me what my duty is in this liberated state of life."

Prabhupāda: Now he, he was a minister. Now he thinks that after resigning this service he's feeling liberated. Because he hasn't got to obey somebody who is a materialistic person, therefore he's thinking liberated. And he's asking Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whom he has accepted as his master, "Now You have liberated me. Now You can say what is my duty." Go on.

Girl: "In other words, as we see by this plea, liberation is not the final word in perfection."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Here is one point. He says that "You have liberated me. Now let me know what is my duty." This is very important point. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they think that liberation is the ultimate goal. Just like in Buddha philosophy, the nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means annihilation of material existence. Nirvāṇa. They think that as soon as there is annihilation of this material existence, that is the final goal. The Māyāvādī philosopher or the impersonalist, they think that not only to get freedom from this material existence, but to remain in spiritual status, jñānam, simply in the knowledge that "I am spirit soul. I am merged into the spirit soul," that is their goal. But here, the Sanātana Gosvāmī, he belongs to the Vaiṣṇava philosophy. He says, "Now what is my duty?" That means after liberation it is not that everything is void or activity is stopped. No. Actually activity begins after liberation. At the present moment our activities are not liberated activities. At the present moment all our activities are conditional, but actually I am not… Because I am spirit soul, therefore I'm not under material condition. But somehow or other, I am now put into material conditions. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. When one is actually liberated, brahma-bhūtaḥ, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. When one is not liberated he's called jīva-bhūtaḥ. Just like we are, ordinary living entities, we are under designations, and in the concept of this body, we are thinking everything. But actually I am not this body. I am not matter. I am a spirit soul. When this understanding comes, that is the point of liberation. And after that liberation, actual duty begins. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā also.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

Liberation means there is no more anxiety. In the conditioned state we are always full of anxiety, and the liberated state… Just like when a man is attacked with fever, he's always suffering. As soon as the fever is gone, he is liberated. Similarly, the material concept of life, when we are freed from the material concept of life, that is the beginning of our liberation. Actually, liberation will be maintained by liberated activities. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like a man is suffering from some disease, so he cannot act freely. But when he is out of the disease, then he can act freely. To get out of the disease does not mean that there will be no activity. The Buddha philosophy and the Māyāvāda philosophy say that after liberation, activity stops. But this Vaiṣṇava philosophy says no. After liberation real activity begins. Go on.

Girl: "There must be activities in liberation. Sanātana clearly asks, 'You have saved me from the entanglement of material existence. Now after liberation what is my duty? Kindly explain it to me.' Sanātana further inquired, 'Who am I? Why are the threefold miseries always giving me trouble? And finally, tell me how I will be relieved from this material entanglement.' "

Prabhupāda: Now here is another question, that when… Our inquiries should be how to get out of the threefold miseries. In the conditioned state… Just like an animal. Animal is always suffering. That is a fact. Everyone knows. In the lower grade of life than human being, every animal is always under very strict condition. Why? What is the difference between civilization and not civilization? The difference is that their life is most conditional life. In the civilized life there is a pinch of liberation. So what is that statement? Yes. Threefold miseries. Threefold miseries are there in every living condition, but when a man is enhanced or advanced in knowledge he can understand that "I am under always threefold miseries." What are those threefold miseries? Miseries, that I explained the other day. The threefold miseries means first, pertaining to the body and mind, and second, miseries inflicted by other living entities, and miseries by nature or higher authorities. Just like severe cold or severe heat or famine or earthquake. They are also miseries. This is beyond our control. So miseries which are beyond our control. So far bodily disease, mental disturbance, we can get some remedy in our own way. We can go to a psychiatrist or we can go to a doctor and get some medicine and get relief. And so far miseries from other living entities, we can take protection, we can defend ourself. But so far miseries offered by the demigods, daiva, there is no remedy. If there is all of a sudden here earthquake, oh, there is no remedy. You have to suffer. If there is, all of a sudden, there is inundation, you cannot. If there is, all of a sudden, there is thunderbolt, you cannot make any remedy. So threefold miseries are always there, either one or two or three. So Sanātana Gosvāmī is presenting himself that "People call me very learned man, but I am so learned that I do not know why I am suffering from these threefold miseries." These question do not arise. Actually, when people will come to the understanding, when they will inquire that "Why I am suffering from the threefold miseries…?" The threefold miseries is summarized in Bhagavad-gītā by four principles: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. If a man is actually learned and intelligent, he should always see before him that there are four kinds of distresses. What is that? The distress of taking birth, the distress of dying procedure, janma-mṛtyu, and distress of old age, and distress of diseases. So we are very much proud of our advancement of knowledge, but actually there is no solution for these four principles of miseries. There is no remedy. They are trying to control birth rate, janma, but still, every minute there are increasing, the population of the world is increasing. Similarly, they are trying to save people from death, but still, people are dying in hundreds and thousands. And they are trying to get out of this old age. So many medicines, so many cosmetics, but old age is taking place. And so far disease, we can discover many high-grade medicines, but there is no stoppage of disease. So one should be very intelligent that there is no remedy for these four kinds of miseries, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. And a learned man should be inquisitive, "If there is any remedy?" So Sanātana Gosvāmī is presenting himself before Lord Caitanya, that "People say that I am very learned man. But I am so learned man that I do not know what I am and why I am suffering from these miseries although I do not like to suffer." Go on.

Girl: " 'I do not know how to question You about the advancement of spiritual life, but I beg that You kindly, mercifully, let me know everything that I should know.' This is the process of acceptance of a spiritual master by the disciple. One should approach a spiritual master and humbly submit to him and then inquire from him about one's spiritual progress. The Lord was pleased by Sanātana's submissive behavior, and He replied as follows. 'You have already received benediction from Lord Kṛṣṇa.' "

Prabhupāda: Here… Here is another point, that Sanātana Gosvāmī approached his spiritual master, Lord Caitanya, and he submitted himself in such a way that his spiritual master, Lord Caitanya, was very pleased. So that should be the point of disciples, how to please the spiritual master. And Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, he has composed eight stanzas as prayers of spiritual master. And in the seventh stanza he says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ *. If you can please your spiritual master, then you know that God, or Kṛṣṇa, is pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyaprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi *. And if you cannot please your spiritual master, then you must know that you do not know your whereabouts. You do not know where you are going. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was actually following the disciplic principles. He wanted to please Lord Caitanya submissively. To please the spiritual master means to approach him submissively, not in a challenging mood. The Bhagavad-gītā also explains in this way:

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti jñānina

tad jñānaṁ tattva-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 4.34]

Tad viddhi praṇipātena. If you want to understand the spiritual science, then you have to approach to a person where you can completely surrender yourself. Because everyone is proud: "Oh, who can teach me? Why shall I go to a spiritual master? I know everything." That is the general mentality. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā gives us direction that you should go to a person where you can fully surrender. So you have to find out a bona fide spiritual master where you can surrender your pride. Then tad viddhi praṇipātena. Praṇiptena means surrender. Paripraśnena. If you find out such, if you are fortunate enough to find out some person where you can surrender, then you can put questions before him. That Sanātana Gosvāmī is putting, that "What is my position? I think that I am very learned man, I am born of very aristocratic family and so on, so on, but actually, I do not know what I am. What is my position?" This is paripraśna, inquiry. Surrender, inquiry, and sevayā. That answer should be received in service mood.

So these are three formulas. Simple questions will not help us. The question should be put to a person where you have got full surrender and you have got the service mentality. You cannot ask spiritual master or any person whom you think is greater than you in a challenging spirit. Then you will be deceived. In a submissive way, of course, you have got right to place questions, and with service mood. So Sanātana Gosvāmī is the vivid example of this disciplic succession. Tad viddhi praṇipātena [Bg. 4.34]. In the Vedas also the same injunction is there. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. If you want to learn that transcendental science, then you must approach to a person who is heavier than you. Guru. Guru means heavier. You don't go to a person who is lighter than you. Heavier. Heavier means heavier in knowledge. So the same thing is explained everywhere. And Sanātana Gosvāmī is ideal disciple and Lord Caitanya is the ideal teacher, and we should learn how to approach a teacher and what is the qualification of a teacher. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was talking with Kṛṣṇa in the beginning on friendly terms, just like a friend talks with his friend. But when he saw that his problem was so great that it could not be solved on friendly talks, it must be seriously understood, so he also surrendered himself. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] "My dear Kṛṣṇa, now from this point I accept You, my spiritual master, and I surrender unto You. Please teach me." And then He began teaching. These are the process. Then?

Girl: " 'And therefore you know everything and you are free from all the miseries of material existence.' The Lord further replied that because Sanātana was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, naturally, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, he was already conversant with everything. 'But because you are humble, a humble devotee, you are asking Me to confirm what is already realized by you.' "

Prabhupāda: This is another point. Even one thinks that he knows everything, still, he, before the spiritual master, he should be blank slate, that "I do not know anything." That is the qualification of the disciple. He should approach the spiritual master as if he does not know anything. Go on.

Girl: "These are the characteristics of a true devotee. In the Nārada-bhakti-sūtra, it is said that one who is very serious about developing his Kṛṣṇa consciousness by the grace of the Lord has his desire for understanding Kṛṣṇa fulfilled very soon. The Lord said, 'You are a suitable person for protecting the devotional service of the Lord. Therefore it is My duty to instruct you in the science of God.' "

Prabhupāda: Here is another point, that one should not accept somebody as spiritual master all of a sudden. At the same time, the spiritual master also should not accept anybody as his disciple immediately. Now Sanātana Gosvāmī is proving himself that he's qualified disciple, and Lord Caitanya is accepting him, that "You are just the suitable person; therefore I shall accept you as My disciple and teach you the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Yes.

Girl: " 'And I will explain to you everything, step by step.' It is the duty of the disciple approaching the spiritual master to inquire about his constitutional position. In conformity to that spiritual process, Sanātana has already asked, 'What am I and why am I suffering from the threefold miseries?' The threefold miseries are called ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, and ādhidaivika. Ādhyātmika means caused by the body and mind. Sometimes the living entity suffers bodily and sometimes he is distressed mentality. Both are ādhyātmika miseries. We experience these miseries even in the womb of our mother. There are many forms of miseries that take advantage of our delicate body and give us pain. Miseries inflicted by other living entities are called ādhibhautika. There are many living entities such as bugs born of eggs that cause us miseries while we are sleeping in bed. There are many living entities like cockroaches that sometimes give us pain. And there are other living entities born on different kinds of planets, and they also cause us miseries. So far as ādhidaivic miseries are concerned, they originate with the demigods from the higher planets. For instance, sometimes we suffer from serious cold weather, sometimes we suffer from the thunderbolt, sometimes from earthquake, tornadoes, droughts, and other natural disasters. So we are always suffering one or another of three kinds of miseries. Sanātana's inquiry was 'What is the position of the living entities? Why are they always undergoing these three kinds of miseries?' Sanātana has admitted his weakness. Although he was known by the mass of people as a greatly learned man, and actually he was a highly learned Sanskrit scholar, and although he accepted the designation of a very learned man given him by the mass of people, yet he did not actually know what his constitutional position was and why he was subjected to the threefold miseries. The necessity of approaching a spiritual master is not a fashion, but is for he who is seriously conscious of the material miseries and who wants to be free of them. It is the duty of such a person to approach the spiritual master. We find similar circumstances in the Bhagavad-gītā…"

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is very important point, that a spiritual master should not be accepted as a matter of fashion. Somebody thinks that "Everyone gets a spiritual master, so I may also have some spiritual master." Or "I may keep some spiritual master as my pet." Just like somebody keeps some pet dog or pet cat. So they want also, "Somebody must be my spiritual master, and whatever I order him, he'll carry." So such kind of fashionable spiritual master is useless. A spiritual master, it is defined in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Who requires a spiritual master? That is stated: tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta [SB 11.3.21]. Tasmād. Tasmād means "therefore." "Therefore one should approach a spiritual master." What is that "therefore"? Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. If one is actually inquisitive to understand about the spiritual existence, then he requires a spiritual master. A spiritual master does not mean that he'll teach you how to keep your body fit, how you can reduce your fat, how you can remain a young man, so many nonsense. This is not the duty of the spiritual master. However you may try to keep your body fit, how long you shall keep your body fit? As soon as you are born, the death is also born along with you. Suppose one man is twenty-five years old. That means he has already died twenty-five years. So you cannot protect yourself from death, however you may become very strong, stout. Therefore actual education, actual spiritual knowledge begins, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā… The Bhagavad-gītā, the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā is that when Arjuna surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, He immediately said that "My dear Arjuna, you are posing yourself as very learned man but you are fool number one." Why? "Because you are identifying yourself with this body." Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase [Bg. 2.11]. "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like very learned man, but you are lamenting on the subject matter of your body." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. Actually one who is learned, he has no necessity for lamenting on the subject, on the body, either living or dead. So the whole process of education in the materialistic way of civilization is on the body, how to keep the body fit, how to avoid death, how to avoid disease. Simply concentration on the body. So this bodily concept of life is immediately discouraged in the Bhagavad-gītā.

aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ

prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase

gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca

nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ

[Bg. 2.11]

Paṇḍitāḥ means those who are learned, they are not affected by this body, either dead or alive. So that means one should be inquisitive to learn about the soul which is sitting in the body. That is real knowledge.

So one who is inquisitive about understanding that knowledge, he requires a spiritual master. Not that one who wants to keep this body fit or wants to reduce fat. No. For him there is no necessity of spiritual master. That he can go to a doctor or a medical physician. That's all. He can advise. What is the use of going to a spiritual master? Spiritual master means jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Who can teach you about the highest benediction, he is spiritual master. So we shall discuss in next meeting. This is very interesting, and you'll be profited if you please come and hear.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (offer obeisances)

Prabhupāda: Any question? (pause) No question? Yes?

Jaya-gopāla: Prabhupāda? These days there are so many men who claim to have found the Absolute, who claim to be spiritual masters in their own way. How does one tell who is a bona fide spiritual master?

Prabhupāda: Yes. What is your idea of bona fide spiritual master?

Jaya-gopāla: One who can teach the Absolute.

Prabhupāda: So a spiritual master… Just like Kṛṣṇa is spiritual master, and Lord Caitanya is spiritual master. We are talking about Lord Caitanya's teaching to Sanātana Gosvāmī. That means Lord Caitanya is the spiritual master. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā we find Arjuna is taught by Kṛṣṇa Bhagavad-gītā. So there is no difficulty to understand who is spiritual master. Is there any difficulty? Because we see that Lord Caitanya is teaching Sanātana Gosvāmī and Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna. So both Lord Caitanya and Kṛṣṇa are spiritual master. Is there any difficulty to understand? So anyone who represents Lord Caitanya and Kṛṣṇa, he is spiritual master. That's all. Anyone who speaks exactly what Lord Caitanya said, exactly what Kṛṣṇa said, then he is spiritual master. Just like a teacher who says that "I have passed M.A." Now what is the proof? That means if he speaks exactly like persons who have passed M.A. examination, then he is M.A. A medical practitioner who is approved by other medical practitioners in the medical college, he is medical practitioner. Similarly, if you want to test who is spiritual master, you have to see the standard spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya and similar. Even Lord Jesus Christ, there are…, Lord Buddha, they are also spiritual masters, but they spoke in different circumstances. That is different thing. But if you want to know who is a spiritual master, then you have to test him whether he is speaking exactly like the bona fide spiritual master. Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has explained about this, who is spiritual master. What is that? He says, sādhu śāstra guru vākya tinete kariyā aikya. If you want to advance yourself in spiritual science, then you have to test these three things. What is that? Sādhu, saintly person. Sādhu, śāstra, scriptures, and spiritual master. Now suppose you want to know who is a spiritual master. Then you have to test whether he's speaking just like other saintly persons and whether he's following scriptures. Sādhu śāstra. So you have to test a spiritual master by corroborating whether he is speaking according to the scriptural injunction, whether he's speaking to other saintly persons. So in the world, anywhere you go, the standard spiritual master… Take it, Lord Jesus Christ or Buddha or Śaṅkara or Rāmānujācārya or Caitanya-nobody will say that you make adjustment here and live peacefully. Everyone will say that you have to extinguish this material existence. Lord Buddha says nirvāṇa, and Śaṅkara says brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, and Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Lord Jesus Christ says that "You have to go the kingdom of God. Just come with me." So nobody says that "Let us make United Nation organization and stick up to thousands of flags, and let there be peace and prosperity, and let the war go on in any part of the world." That is not spiritual master. Spiritual master means that he is interested with the other world beyond this material world. That is spiritual master. Yes?

Woman: What then is a master?

Prabhupāda: Master means who is master of the science. That's all. He must know everything of spiritual life. That is master.

Woman: Are there not many planes in mastership?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Upendra: "Are there not many planes in mastership?"

Prabhupāda: Yes, there is. But you have to accept the standard platform by your advancement. Just like somebody accepts somebody as master, that is according to his own mentality. And somebody accepts somebody else as master, that is his mentality. But the highest, according to Vedic literature, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme master. Because all the ācāryas, all the spiritual masters of Vedic perfection, just like in the recent years Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, and Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya, all of them, they have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme spiritual master. All of them. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he's impersonalist, still he has accepted Kṛṣṇa. Sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa. He says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. That is mentioned in his commentary of Bhagavad-gītā. And what to speak of Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, they accept. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. If you want to become a spiritual master, then try to disseminate the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So that is our, so far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our ideal spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa. Yes?

Upendra: Swamijī, someone approached me and we were discussing about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And I said to approach Kṛṣṇa one must be pure, but he said, "What is purity?" Could you explain that technically? What is purity?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Purity means standing on the spiritual platform. That is purity. In the material platform there is no purity. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, that standard of purity, that means standing on the spiritual platform, which is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. So Kṛṣṇa says this purity,

māṁ ca vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

[Bg. 14.26]

This Brahman understanding, or to stand on the Brahman platform, is purity. How one can attain that platform of purity? Kṛṣṇa says that "One who is engaged in devotional service to Me without any deviation," that means twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, "he is pure." He is pure. If you can keep yourself always, constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then you are pure. Otherwise… Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, it doesn't make any difference. So just like if you keep always in touch with fire you are warm-there is no possibility of being cold-similarly, some way or other if you always keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, then you are pure. Therefore we advise our students, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." As soon as you chant this sound, Kṛṣṇa, immediately you are in touch with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore you are, you keep yourself pure. Is that clear? Yes. So try to keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any deviation. Then you remain pure. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī… [Bg. 7.14]. [break] It is very difficult to get out of the clutches of this māyā, contamination. Very difficult. Mām eva ye prapadyante: "But one who keeps touch with Me, with full surrender," māyām etāṁ taranti te, "he's out of these clutches of māyā." So just like there is antiseptic, what is called, vaccination, to keep yourself from the contamination… There is epidemic, and under government order everyone is vaccinated, that "You take this. So you shall keep your…" This is material way of keeping oneself from contamination. Similarly, if you keep always yourself in spiritual understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you remain pure. Yes?

Woman: What then are the guides? Are they also masters in a sense?

Upendra: What then are the guides? Can you repeat the question again?

Woman: What then are the guides? Are they also masters of a sense? Spiritual guides.

Prabhupāda: Yes. One cannot be a spiritual guide unless he's not master of the senses. Therefore the spiritual guide is called svāmī or gosvāmī. Svāmī means who is master of the senses. He's not servant of the senses. Generally, people are servant of the senses. One who becomes master of the senses, he can become spiritual master. Otherwise not. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees offer obeisances) You chant. Chant. Mādhavī-latā, you can chant. You. You and Mādhavī. Mādhavī. All right. (end)

680927LE.SEA

Lecture

Seattle, September 27, 1968

Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (response) Thank you. So our program is to worship the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. In this material world everyone is trying to get happiness and to get relief from distress. Two things are going on, attempt. There are different processes. Material process is completely absurd. That is already proved. No amount of material comforts or happiness, so-called happiness, can give us the actual happiness that we are hankering. That is not possible. Then there are different other processes also. There are three kinds of miseries due to our material conditional life: ādhyātmic, ādhibhautic, ādhidaivic. Ādhyātmic means pertaining to the body and to the mind. Just like when there is some disarrangement of the different functions of metabolism within this body, we get fever, we get some pain, headache-so many things-so these miseries are called ādhyātmic, pertaining to the body. And another part of this ādhyātmic misery is due to the mind. Suppose I have suffered a great loss. So the mind is not in good condition. So this is also suffering. So for diseased condition of the body or some mental dissatisfaction there are miseries. Then again, ādhibhautic, sufferings offered by other living entities. Just like we are human being, we are sending millions of poor animals to the slaughterhouse daily. They cannot express, but this is called ādhibhautic, sufferings offered by other living entities. Similarly, we have to suffer also sufferings offered by other living entities. God's law you cannot, I mean to say, supersede. So material laws, state laws, you can hide yourself, but God's law you cannot hide yourself. There are so many witnesses. The sun is your witness, the moon is your witness, the day is your witness, the night is your witness, the sky is your witness. So how you can supersede the laws of the Lord? So… But this material nature is so constituted that we have to suffer ādhyātmic, pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind, and sufferings offered by other living entities, and another suffering ādhidaivic. Ādhidaivic, just like somebody is ghost-haunted, a ghost has attacked him. Ghost cannot be seen, but he's suffering delirium, speaking something nonsense. Or there is famine, there is earthquake, there is war, there is pestilence, so many things.

So sufferings are always there. But we are trying to adjust by patchwork. Sufferings are always there. Everyone is trying to get out of sufferings, that is a fact. The whole struggle for existence is to get out of the suffering. But there are different kinds of prescription. Somebody says that you get out of the sufferings in this way, somebody says you get out of the sufferings in that way. So there are prescription offered by the modern scientists, by philosophers, by atheists or by theists, by fruitive actors, so many there are. But according to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you can get out of all sufferings if you simply change your consciousness, that's all. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As I have given you several times the example… All our sufferings are due to lack of knowledge, ignorance. That knowledge can be achieved by association of good authorities. There is a nice Bengali verse,

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare

pāsate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

As soon as our original consciousness becomes polluted with the consciousness of material enjoyment, that "I want to lord it over the resources of matter…" As soon as we turn our consciousness in this way, then our troubles begin. Immediately māyā. This very consciousness, that "I can enjoy this material world to my best capacity…" Everyone is trying to do that. Every one of us, beginning from the ant up to the highest living creature, Brahmā, everyone is trying to become one of the lords. Just like recently in your country there were so many canvassing for becoming the president. Why? The same idea. Everyone is after becoming some kind of lord. This is māyā. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is completely opposite. We are just trying to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Just opposite. Instead of becoming the lord, we want to be the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80].

So in the modern trend of civilization, people may say that this is slave mentality. It is very good idea. "Why shall I become a slave? I shall become the master." But one does not know that this consciousness, that "I shall become the master," is the cause of his suffering. This philosophy has to be understood. Because constitutionally we are all servants. In the name of becoming master of this material world we have become the servant of our senses. Because constitutionally we are servants. We cannot do without serving. Every one of us who are sitting in this meeting is a servant. Now, these boys who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have agreed to become servant of Kṛṣṇa. So their problem is solved. But others, who are thinking that "Why shall I become the servant of God or servant of Swamijī? I shall become the master…" But actually, he cannot become the master. He's the servant of his senses, that's all. Just try to understand. Servant he must be, but he's servant of his lust, he's servant of his avarice, he's servant of his greediness, servant of his anger, servant of so many things. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. In higher state, somebody has become the servant of humanity, somebody has become the servant of the society, somebody has become the servant of the country, but actual purpose is that "I shall become the master." That disease is there. The candidates for presidency, they are presenting their different manifestations…, no, manifesto, that "I shall serve the country very nicely. Please give me your vote." But the real idea is that "Some way or other, I shall become the master of the country." So this is māyā. So if we understand this small philosophy, that constitutionally I am servant… There is no doubt. Nobody can say that "I am free, I am master." Nobody can say. If he thinks like that, that is māyā. It is false. Can anybody say in this meeting that he's not servant of anybody or anything? He must be, because that is his constitutional position. But the difficulty is that by serving our senses, there is no solution of the problem, of the miseries. For the time being, I may satisfy myself that I have taken this intoxication, and under the spell of this intoxication I may think that "I am nobody's servant. I am free," but that is artificial. As soon as the hallucination is gone, he comes to the point, again servant. Again servant.

So this is our position. But why this struggle is there? I am being forced to serve, but I don't wish to serve. What is the adjustment? The adjustment is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that if you become servant of Kṛṣṇa, then your aspiration to become master, at the same time your aspiration of freedom, is immediately achieved. Just like here you'll see one picture of Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. Arjuna is a living entity, living being, a human being, but he is in love with Kṛṣṇa as friend. And in exchange of his friendly love, Kṛṣṇa has become his driver, his servant. Similarly, if every one of us, we become reinstated in the transcendental platform of loving Kṛṣṇa, then our aspiration of mastership will be fulfilled. That is not known at present, but if we agree to serve Kṛṣṇa, then gradually we'll see that Kṛṣṇa is serving you. That is a question of realization. But if we want to get out of this service of this material world, of the senses, then we must transfer our service attitude to Kṛṣṇa. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās

teṣāṁ mayi na karuṇā jātā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ

(utsṛjyaitān atha yadu-pate) sāmpratam aham labdha-buddhis

tvām āyātaḥ (śaraṇam abhayaṁ) niyuṅkṣvātma-dāsye

One devotee is praying to Kṛṣṇa that "So long, in my life, I have served my senses," kāmādīnām. Kāma means senses, lust. "So even what I should not have done, still, by the dictation of my lust I have done it." One has to do. When one is a slave or servant, then he's forced to act something which he does not like to act. He's forced. So here, a devotee's admitting that "I have done, dictated by my lust, something which I should not have done, but I have done it." All right, you have done, you are serving your senses. That's all right. "But the difficulty is that teṣāṁ karuṇā na jātā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ. I have served so much, but I find that they are not satisfied. They are not satisfied. That is my difficulty. Neither the senses are satisfied nor I am satisfied nor the senses are kind enough to give me relief, pension from the service. That is my position." If I would have seen that, rather if we would have felt that "I have served so many years my senses, now my senses are satisfied…" No. They are not satisfied. Still dictating. Still dictating. "I am very…" Of course, it is very natural, but I may disclose herewith that some of my students said that in an elderly age of his mother, he's(she's) going to marry. Just see. She has got grown-up children. And somebody complained that his grandmother also married. Why? Just see. In seventy-five years old, in fifty years old, the senses are still so strong that she is being dictated: "Yes, you must do it." Try to understand practically how the senses are strong. It is not that simply the young men are servant of the senses. Even seventy-five years old, eighty years old, or at the point of death, they are all servants of senses. The senses are never satisfied. That is the material dictation. So I'm servant. I am servant of my senses, and by serving my senses, neither I am satisfied nor my senses are satisfied nor they are pleased upon me. There is chaos. So this is the problem.

So best thing… Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, Lord Kṛṣṇa says,

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

[Bg. 18.66]

You have served your senses so many lives, life after life, 8,400,000 of species of life. The birds, they are also under senses. The beasts, they are also under senses. The men, human being, and everyone, the demigods, everyone within this material world, they are after senses, serving the senses. But Kṛṣṇa says that "You just surrender unto Me. Just agree to serve Me. Then I take charge of you." That's all. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. Because by the dictation of the senses we are committing sinful activities life after life; therefore we are in different grades of bodily presentation. Don't think that everyone is of the same standard. No. According to one's own work he gets a type of body. So these different types of bodies are due to different grades of sense gratification. So sense gratification is there in the hog's life also. Why he has been offered a body of the hogs? So much sensuous that it has no discrimination who is mother, who is sister, or who is this, or who is that. This is practical, you'll see. The dogs and hogs, they are like that. In human society also there are many who don't care who is mother, who is sister, or who is this. The senses are so strong. And this is our cause of all miseries, try to understand. The threefold miseries that we are suffering, that we are trying to make a solution, is due to this dictation of the senses. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is there. Kṛṣṇa is there. His name is Madana-mohana. If you try to transfer your love from sense to Kṛṣṇa, then you see the result. Immediately you'll find. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234]. So this false endeavor, that "I want to be master of all I survey," "I am the monarch of all I survey," this attitude should be given up. Every one of us is constitutionally servant. Now, at the present moment, we are servant of the senses. Now, this servitorship should be changed to Kṛṣṇa only. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. And as soon as you change your servitorship to Kṛṣṇa, then gradually, as you become sincere, so Kṛṣṇa reveals to you, and reciprocation of service between Kṛṣṇa and yourself will be so nice. Either you love Him as friend, or master, or lover, or… There are so many items. Any way you can try to love Him and see how much you are satisfied. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Please try to understand. It is…

Now in your country these boys are trying to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So my humble request to you all is to try to understand this sublime benediction of life. Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, you'll gradually develop a transcendental loving attitude for Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you begin to love Kṛṣṇa, your all troubles… That means you will feel complete satisfaction. Trouble or distress is of the mind. One man is getting $6000 a month; one man is getting $200 a month. But I have seen one gentleman in Calcutta, he was drawing 6,000; he committed suicide. Committed suicide. Why? That money could not give him satisfaction. He was trying to have something else. So this material atmosphere, by earning great amount of money, will never give you satisfaction, because every one of us is the servant of the senses. This platform of service of the senses should be transferred to the platform of service to Kṛṣṇa, and then you will find all problems solved.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) Any question?

Devotee: Prabhupāda, a picture of Kṛṣṇa is absolute, right? That is Kṛṣṇa. Is the picture of a pure devotee absolute in the same way?

Prabhupāda: Picture of devotee?

Devotee: A pure devotee.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: It's absolute in the same way that a picture…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: Let's say a picture of Prahlāda Mahārāja and Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is also… Prahlāda is there as much as Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The Lord and the devotee, they are on the same status. Every one of them. Lord, His name, His form, His quality, His associates, His paraphernalia. Everything, they are absolute. Nāma guṇa rūpa līlā pari… And pastimes. Just like we are hearing about Kṛṣṇa, so this is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. When there is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, this Hare Kṛṣṇa, this vibration, is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Everything is absolute. Therefore pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. This is simultaneously one and different. Acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. This philosophy has to be understood, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person energetic, and everything, what we see, what we experience, they are all different energies of Kṛṣṇa. And the energy and the energetic cannot be separated. Therefore they are all on the absolute platform. Simply when it is covered by māyā or ignorance, it is different. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, what if we know we should serve and we want to serve, but the service is so bad.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Never think that service is perfect. That will keep you in the perfect stage. Yes. We should always think that our service is not complete. Yes. That is very nice. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us that… He said that "My dear friends, please take it from Me that I have not a pinch of faith in Kṛṣṇa. If you say that why I am crying, the answer is that just to make a show that I am great devotee. Actually, I have not a pinch of love for Kṛṣṇa. This crying is simply My show, makeshow." "Why You are saying so?" "Now, the thing is that I am still living without seeing Kṛṣṇa. That means I have no love for Kṛṣṇa. I am still living. I should have died long ago without seeing Kṛṣṇa." So we should think like that. That is the example. However perfect you may be in serving Kṛṣṇa, you should always know that… Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, so your service cannot reach Him perfectly. It will ever remain imperfect because we are limited. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind. If you offer a little service sincerely, He accepts. That is the beauty of Kṛṣṇa. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. And if Kṛṣṇa accepts a little service from you, then your life is glorious. So it is not possible to love Kṛṣṇa perfectly, to render service to Kṛṣṇa, because He is unlimited. There is a process, worshiping the Ganges in India. The Ganges River is considered sacred river. So they worship Ganges, the river Ganges, by taking water from the Ganges and offering it. Suppose in a small pot like this, either pot or your handful, you take some water from the Ganges and with your devotion and mantra you offer to the Ganges water. So you take a glass of water from the Ganges and offer it to the Ganges, what is there, gain and profit or loss or gain for the Ganges? If you take a glass of water from the Ganges and again offer it, so what is the gain and profit of Ganges? But your process, your faith, your love for mother Ganges, "Mother Ganges, I offer you this little water," that is accepted. Similarly, what we have got to offer Kṛṣṇa? Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. Now we have offered these fruits. Do the fruits belong to us? Who has produced these fruits? Have I produced? Is there any brain of the human being who can produce fruits, grains, milk? They're very great scientist. Now let them produce. The cow is eating grass and delivering you milk. So now, by scientific process, why don't you transform grass into milk? Still the rascals will not agree that there is God. You see? They have become so rascal: "Science." And what is your science, nonsense? You see the cows are eating grass and delivering you milk. Why don't you give to your wife and take milk? Why do you purchase? But if you offer this grass to a human being, she will die. So everything, the law of Kṛṣṇa, or law of God, is working, and still they say that "God is dead. There is no God. I am God." You do this like that. They have become so rascals and fools. Why they do not come to this meeting? "Oh, the Swamijī is speaking of God, old things. (laughter) Let us discover something new." You see? And if somebody speaks all nonsense, then "Oh, he's…" He spoke four hours on zero. Just see. Somebody in Montreal, one gentleman, "Swamijī, he is so wonderful, he spoke four hours on zero." They're such a fool that four hours he wanted to hear on zero. You see? (laughter) What is the value of zero? And you waste your time, four hours? After all, it is zero. So people want this. People want this. If we say simple things-"God is great. You are the servant, eternal servant. You have no power. You are always dependent on God. Just turn your servitorship to God, you'll be happy"-"Oh, this is not very nice." So they want to be cheated. Therefore so many cheaters come and cheat and go away, that's all. The people want to be cheated. They don't want simple things. Yes.

Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, what was exactly predicted by Lord Caitanya when He predicted the Golden Age of Kali, the age in the Age of Kali when people would be chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra?

Prabhupāda: Yes. People… Just like we are now preaching Hare Kṛṣṇa. In your country there was no such preaching. So we have sent our students in Europe, Germany, London-you are also spreading. In this way it is only, we are, our activities since 1966 practically. We have registered the association in 1966, and this is '68. So gradually we are spreading. And of course, I am old man. I may die. If you have taken up this formula very nicely, then you will go on preaching, and it may be spread all over the world. Very simple thing. Simply we require a little intelligence. That's all. So any intelligent man will appreciate. But if anyone wants to be cheated, then how he can be saved if one willingly wants to be cheated? Then it is very difficult to convince him. But those who are open-hearted, they will certainly accept this nice movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yes.

Jaya-gopāla: When we engage inferior energy, internal energy, in the service of Kṛṣṇa, it becomes spiritualized, doesn't it?

Prabhupāda: No. When you apply your energy, it is no more material; it is spiritual. Just like when the copper wire is in touch with electricity, it is no more copper; it is electric. So service to Kṛṣṇa means as soon as you dovetail yourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa, you are not different from Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. This very word, sevate. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. "Anyone who seriously engages himself in My service, immediately he becomes transcendental to the material qualities and he's on the platform of Brahman." Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. So when you apply your energy in the service of Kṛṣṇa, you do not think that your material energy is there. No. Just like these fruits. These fruits, one may think, "What is this prasāda? This fruit has been purchased, we also eat fruit at home, and this is prasāda?" No. Because it is offered to Kṛṣṇa, immediately it is no more material. The result? You eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda and see how you are making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just if the physician gives you some medicine and if you get yourself cured, that is the effect of medicine. Another example is that how the material things become spiritual. A very nice example. Just like you have taken a large quantity of milk. So there is some disorder in your bowels. You go to a physician. At least, according to Vedic system of…, they will offer you a preparation which is called yogurt. That is milk preparation. That yogurt with little medicine will cure. Now your disease was caused by milk, and it is cured by milk also. Why? It is directed by the physician. Similarly everything. In the higher sense there is no existence of matter; it is only illusion. Just like this morning I was giving the instance of the sun and the fog. The fog was there; the sun could not be seen. The foolish person will say that "There is no sun. It is simply fog." But intelligent person will say that "Sun is there, but the fog has covered our eyes. We cannot see the sun." Similarly, actually, everything being energy of Kṛṣṇa, there is nothing material. Simply our, this mentality that we want to lord it over, that is false, illusion. That is covering our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. So that you will gradually understand. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ [Brs. 1.2.234]. As you make progress in the service attitude, everything will become cleared, how your energy has become spiritualized.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is Māyā a pure devotee? Māyā.

Prabhupāda: Pure devotees, no, he's not under māyā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no. Is Māyā, Māyādevī, a pure devotee?

Prabhupāda: Yes, certainly. The police force, are they not honest servant of the government? Does it mean the police force tortures you; therefore they're rejected from the government servant? Their task is thankless task, that's all. Similarly, Māyā is also serving Kṛṣṇa, but there is no thanks. That is the difference. She has taken a thankless task to punish persons who are godless, that's all. So Māyā as it is, it is not that she is out of touch of Kṛṣṇa. Vaiṣṇavī. In the Caṇḍī, in the book of Māyā, it is state that "Vaiṣṇavī." The Māyā is described as Vaiṣṇavī. Just like pure devotee is called Vaiṣṇava, she is also described there as Vaiṣṇavī.

Viṣṇujana: How do you make everything that you say so simple to understand?

Prabhupāda: Because the whole philosophy is so simple. God is great; you are not great. Don't claim that you are God. Don't claim that there is no God. There is God, and He is great, and you are small. Then what is your position? You have to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is simple truth. So that rebellious attitude is called māyā. Anyone who is declaring that "There is no God. God is dead. I am God, you are God," they're all under the spell of māyā. Piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya. Just like when a man is ghost-haunted, he speaks all kinds of nonsense. So all these persons are haunted by māyā, and therefore they are saying, "God is dead. I am God. Why you are searching God everywhere? There are so many Gods loitering in the street." They're all ghost-haunted, deranged. So we have to cure them by this transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the curing process only. Simply let them hear and they'll gradually be cured. Just a man who is sleeping very sound, you cry by the side of his ear and he awakes. So this is the mantra to awake the sleeping human society. Uttiṣṭha uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata. The Vedas says, "O human race, please get up. Don't sleep any more. You have got this opportunity of human body. Utilize it. Get yourself out of the clutches of māyā." This is the declaration of Vedas. So you are doing that job. Hare Kṛṣṇa, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and they'll be cured (?).

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Jaya-gopāla: Is past, present and future, in the material sense, a perverted reflection of the same…

Prabhupāda: Yes, past, future, present is according to the different kinds of relativity. That is a scientific proof. Professor Einstein has proved it. Just like your past is not past of Brahmā. Your present is not the present of an ant. So past, present, future-time is eternal. It is according to the different dimension of body relativity. Time is eternal. Just like a small ant. In twenty-four hours he has twenty-four times past, present and future. In the sputnik, in the Russian sputnik, circumambulated round this earth in one hour, twenty-five minutes, or something like that. They, I mean to say, went round the earth for twenty-five times. That means within one hour, twenty-five minutes, the sputnik man saw twenty-five times day and night. So in the higher atmosphere the past end present is different. So this past, present, future is relative according to your body, according to circumstances. Actually, there is no past, present, future. Everything is eternal. You are eternal, nityo śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. You do not die. Therefore… The people do not know that I am eternal. What is my eternal engagement? What is my eternal life? They're simply captivated on the spot life: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." That's all. This is ignorance. So one has to search out this eternal engagement with Kṛṣṇa. Then he'll be happy. Thank you. (devotees offer obeisances) Chant, Upendra, chant. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant. (kīrtana) (end)

680930LE.SEA

Lecture

Seattle, September 30, 1968

(kīrtana) (prema-dhvanī)

Prabhupāda: You have sold 120 copies?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Now you have to sell 120 copies at least daily. Thank you. [break]

(kīrtana) (prema-dhvanī)

Girl: Would you like the window open a little?

Madhudviṣa: Do you want the window to be open?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (devotees respond) (sings) Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. (Prabhupāda chants Brahma-saṁhitā verses, devotees respond) So our program is to worship with love and devotion Govinda, the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are teaching people to love Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Our program is to love, to place your love in the proper place. That is our program. Everyone wants to love, but he is being frustrated on account of his love being misplaced. People do not understand it. They are being taught, "First of all, you love your body." Then little extended, "You love your father and mother." Then "Love your brother and sister." Then "Love your society, love your country, love the whole human society, humanity." But all this extended love, so-called love, will not give you satisfaction unless you reach to the point to love Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be satisfied. Just like if you throw a stone on some reservoir of water, on a lake, there immediately begins a circle. The circle expands, and expanding, expanding, expanding, when the circle touches the shore, it stops. Unless the circle reaches the bank or the shore of the reservoir of the water, it goes on increasing. So we have to increase. Increase. The increase means there are two ways. If you practice, "I love my society, I love my country, I love my human nation," then "Living entities," go on… But if you directly touch Kṛṣṇa, then everything is there. It is so nice. Because Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive, includes everything. Why everything? Because Kṛṣṇa is the center. Just like in a family, if you love your father, then you love your brothers, sisters, the servant of your father, the home of your father, the wife of your father, namely, your mother, everyone. The central point is father. This is crude example. Similarly, if you love Kṛṣṇa, then your love will be expanded everywhere. Another example, just like if you love a tree, the leaves, the flowers, the branches, the trunks, the twigs, everything. You simply pour water on the root, then your loving affairs for the tree will automatically serve. If you love your countrymen, if you want to see that your countryman becomes educated, advanced economically and mentally, physically, then what you'll do? You pay tax to the government. You don't hide your income tax. You simply pay tax to the central government and it will be distributed to the educational department, to the defense department, to the hygienic department, everywhere. Therefore… These are crude examples, but actually, if you want to love everything, then you try to love Kṛṣṇa. You'll not be frustrated because that is complete. When your love is complete, then you will not be frustrated. Just like you have got complete feeding. If you are satisfied with food completely, then you say, "I am satisfied. I don't want any more."

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very simple. Very simple. It is inaugurated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu especially, although it is very old, in the Vedic scripture, but still, taking from the historical point of view, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is since Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared on the surface of this planet five thousand years ago, and later on, Lord Caitanya, five hundred years ago, He expanded that movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. His mission, Lord Caitanya's mission, is ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ. If you want to love or if you want to be subordinate… Everyone is subordinate. This is false. Everyone wants to be independent, but nobody is independent. Everyone is subordinate. Nobody can say that "I am independent." Can you say, any one of you, that you are independent? Is there anybody? No. Everyone is subordinate willingly. Not by force everyone becomes subordinate. A girl says a boy, "I want to become your subordinate," willingly. Similarly a boy says to a girl, "I want to be your subordinate." Why? That is my nature. I want to be subordinate because my nature is to be subordinate. But I do not know. I prefer, I reject this subordination; I accept another subordination. But subordination is there. Just like a worker. He works here. He finds some better wages another place, he goes there. But that does not means he becomes independent. He is subordinate. So Lord Caitanya teaches that if you want to be subordinate or if you want to worship somebody… Who worships somebody? Unless you feel somebody is greater than you, why shall you worship? I worship my boss because I think that he is greater than me. He gives me wages, salary, monthly six hundred dollars. Therefore I must worship him, I must please him.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that you become a subordinate of Kṛṣṇa. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ. If you want to worship, worship Kṛṣṇa. And next, tad-dhāmaṁ vṛndāvanam. If you want to worship somebody, then love Kṛṣṇa or worship Kṛṣṇa, or His place Vṛndāvana. Because everyone wants to love some place. That is now nationalism-some country. Somebody says, "I love this American land." Somebody says, "I love this Chinese land." Somebody says, "I love the Russian land." So everyone wants to love some land. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. People are naturally inclined to love some material land. Generally, where he is born he tries to love. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "Because you are inclined to love some person, you love Kṛṣṇa. Because you want to love some land, you love Vṛndāvana." Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. But if somebody says, "How to love Kṛṣṇa? I cannot see Kṛṣṇa. How to love Kṛṣṇa?" then Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. If you want to know the process of worshiping Kṛṣṇa, or loving Kṛṣṇa, just try to follow the footprints of the gopīs. Gopīs. The gopīs, their love, the highest perfectional love. Ramyā kācid upāsanā. There are different kinds of love or worship in the world. The beginning is, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is beginning. When we are, I mean to say, taught to love God, we are instructed that "You go to temple, go to church, and pray to God for your necessities, for your grievances." That is the beginning. But that is not pure love. Pure love, perfection of pure love, can be found amongst the gopīs. That is the example.

How? How they love Kṛṣṇa? They love Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa went to… Kṛṣṇa was a cowherd's boy, and with His friends, other cowherd's boy, He used to go with His cows in the pasturing ground the whole day. That was the system. Because people at that time were satisfied with land and cows, that's all. That is the means of solution of all economic problems. They were not industrial, they were not servant of anyone. Simply get production from the land and take milk from the cows, the whole food problem solved. So Kṛṣṇa used to go to the pasturing ground, and the gopīs at home… They were girls or women. They… Women or girls were not allowed to work. That is the Vedic system. They should keep at home, and they should be given protection by the father, by the husband, or elderly sons. They were not meant for going out. So they kept themselves at home. But Kṛṣṇa was, say, miles away in the pasturing ground, and the gopīs at home thinking, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa's feet is so soft. Now He's walking on the rough grounds. The particles of stones are pricking His sole. So He must be feeling some pain." In this way thinking, they used to cry. Just see. Kṛṣṇa is miles away, and what Kṛṣṇa is feeling, they are simply thinking of that feeling: "Kṛṣṇa may be feeling like that." This is love. This is love. They are not asking Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, what You have brought from Your pasturing ground? How is Your pocket? Let me see." No. Simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. They used to dress themselves because…, and go before Kṛṣṇa with nice dress, "Oh, He'll be happy to see." Generally, a boy or a man becomes happy to see his lover or wife nicely dressed. That is… Therefore it is the nature of the woman to dress nice. And according to Vedic system, a woman should dress very nicely just to satisfy her husband. That is the Vedic system. If her husband is not at home, then she should not dress nicely. There are injunctions. Proṣita bhartṛkā. There are different dresses of woman. By seeing the dress one will understand what she is. One can understand by seeing the dress that she is unmarried girl. One can see simply by the dress that she is married wife. One can see by the dress that she is widow. One can see by the dress that she is prostitute. So dress is so important. So proṣita bhartṛkā. So we are not going to discuss about the social. We are discussing about love affairs of Kṛṣṇa. So gopīs… Kṛṣṇa and gopīs, the relationship was so intimate and so unalloyed that Kṛṣṇa Himself admitted, "My dear gopīs, it is not in My power to repay you about your loving affairs." Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He became bankrupt, that "My dear gopīs, it is not possible for Me to repay your debts which you have created by loving Me." So that is the highest perfection of love. Ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū.

I'm just describing the mission of Lord Caitanya. He is giving us instruction, His mission, that the only lovable object is Kṛṣṇa and His land Vṛndāvana. And the process of loving Him is the vivid example, the gopīs. Nobody can reach. There are different stages of devotees, and gopīs are supposed to be on the highest platform. And amongst the gopīs, the supreme is Rādhārāṇī. Therefore nobody can surpass the love of Rādhārāṇī. Ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā, śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. Now to learn this, all this science of loving God, there must be some book, some authoritative literature. Yes. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it is spotless description of understanding how to love God. There is no other description. From the beginning it is teaching how to love God. Those who have studied Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the first verse in the First Canto is janmādy asya yataḥ, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi [SB 1.1.1]. The beginning is that "I am offering my unalloyed devotion unto the Supreme, from whom everything has emanated." Janmādy asya yataḥ. So it is a… You know, it is a great description. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If you want to learn how to love God, or Kṛṣṇa, then study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the preliminary study is Bhagavad-gītā. So study Bhagavad-gītā to understand the real nature or identification of God and yourself and your relationship, and then, when you are little conversant, when you are prepared, that "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the only lovable object," then next book you take, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And you go on. Just like Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, is entrance. Just like students, they pass their school examination then enters into the college. So you pass your school examination, how to love God, by studying Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Then study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and… That is graduate study. And when you are still farther advanced, post-graduate, then study Teachings of Lord Caitanya.

So there is no difficulty. The fact is that we have to learn how to love Kṛṣṇa. So direction is there and method is there, and we are trying to serve you as far as possible. We are sending our boys on the streets and the town to invite you. And if you kindly take up this opportunity, then your life will be successful. Premā pum-artho mahān. Because this human form of life is meant for developing love for God. Because in all other life we have loved, we have loved. We have loved our children, we have loved our wife, we have loved our nest in the bird's life, in the beast's life. There is love. There is no necessity of teaching a bird or beast how to love the children. There is no necessity, because that is natural. To love your home, to love your country, to love your husband, to love your children, to love your wife, and so on, you go on, all this love, more or less they are all in the animal kingdom also. But that sort of love will not give you happiness. You'll be frustrated because this body is temporary. Therefore all these loving affairs are also temporary and they are not pure. They are simply a perverted reflection of the pure love that is existing between you and Kṛṣṇa. So if you want really peace, if you really want satisfaction, if you don't want to be confused, then try to love Kṛṣṇa. This is the plain program. Then your life will be successful. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not something manufactured to mislead and bluff the people. It is a most authorized movement. Vedic literature, the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedānta-sūtra, Purāṇas, and many, many great saintly persons adopted this means. And the vivid example is Lord Caitanya. You see His picture, He is in the dancing mood. So you have to learn this art, then our life will be successful. You haven't got to practice anything artificial and speculating and bother your brain and… You have the instinct for loving others. That is instinctive, natural. Simply we are misplacing love and therefore we are frustrated. Frustrated. Confused. So if you don't want to be confused, if you don't want to be frustrated, then try to love Kṛṣṇa, and you'll feel yourself how you are making progress in peacefulness, in happiness, in everything that you want.

Thank you very much. Any question?

Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda? Is it all right for us to read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam after we've received your Bhagavad-gītā when it comes out? Or should we just completely devote all our time to studying the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and then we…, and then progress from there, or should we continue our study of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?

Prabhupāda: No. You should read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. This is only a preliminary division. In the spiritual platform, everything is absolute. If you read Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find the same proposition as in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is not that because you are studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that you haven't got to study Bhagavad-gītā. It is not like that. You read these literatures and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, follow the rules and regulations and live happily. Our program is very happy program. We chant, we dance, we eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam, we paint nice pictures of Kṛṣṇa and see them nicely decorated, and we read philosophy. So what you want more? (laughs)

Jāhnavā: How and why did we lose our awareness of our true love for Kṛṣṇa in the beginning?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How and why… How and why did we lose our love for Kṛṣṇa in the beginning?

Jāhnavā: No, not the love. Just the awareness of the love, of our true love for Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Our awareness is there. You love somebody. But you are meant to love Kṛṣṇa, that you have forgotten. So forgetfulness is also our nature. Sometimes we forget. And especially because we are very small, minute, therefore even I cannot remember exactly what I was doing last night at this time. So forgetfulness is not unnatural for us. And again, if somebody revives our memory, to accept that, that is also not unnatural. So our loving object is Kṛṣṇa. Somehow or other, we have forgotten Him. We don't trace the history when we forgot. That is useless labor. But we have forgotten, that is a fact. Now revive it. Here is reminder. So take opportunity. Don't try to history why you have forgotten and what was the date of my forgetfulness. Even if you know, what is the use? You have forgotten. Take it. Just like if you go to a physician, he'll never ask you how you got this disease, what is the history of this disease, at what date, at what time you were infected.

No. He simply feels your pulse and sees that you have got a disease and he gives you the medicine: "Yes. You take it." Similarly, we are suffering. That is a fact. Nobody can deny. Why you are suffering? Forgetting Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Now you revive your memory about Kṛṣṇa, you become happy. That's all. Very simple thing. Now don't try to find out the history when you forgot. You have forgotten, that is a fact, because you are suffering. Now here is an opportunity, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Revive your memory, your love for Kṛṣṇa. Simple thing. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, dance, and take Kṛṣṇa prasāda. And if you are not educated, you are illiterate, hear. Just you have got natural gift, ear. You have got natural tongue. So you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you can hear Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from persons who are in the knowledge. So there is no impediment. No impediment. It does not require any prequalification. Simply you have to use whatever asset you have got. That's all. You must agree. That is wanted. "Yes, I shall take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That depends on you because you are independent. If you disagree, "No. Why shall I take to Kṛṣṇa?" nobody can give you. But if you agree, it is here, very easy. Take it.

Guest: Maybe you've already answered this. I'm not sure. I didn't hear. But I have always been taught since I was a little kid to love God and then I will love everything. Is God Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You have got any other God? Any other God than Kṛṣṇa?

Guest: Ah, what was the question again? Oh, no, no…

Prabhupāda: Just try to understand what is God.

Guest: I didn't know that God was Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: No, everything has got definition. Just like if I say "This is watch." So it has a definition. Watch means it is round and there is a white dial and two hands, there are so many figures indicating time. Like that, I can give you some description. So anything, whatever you see or experience or try to understand, there must be some definition. So when you speak of God, do you know what is the definition of God?

Guest: Yes. I thought He was love.

Prabhupāda: Love is not definition; love is the action. Yes, love. I love God. Love is my activity. But there must be some definition of God. That also you know. You now forget. Now, in one word, they say "God is great." So how do you test one's greatness? Next point. If you say that "This man is very great," now there must be an understanding how you estimate that he is great. These are different stages of understanding. So how do you understand that God is great? What is your calculation, that from, on this point, God is great? Just like in your Bible it is said, "God said 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation." Is it not? Is it not statement? So here is greatness. He simply said, "Let there be creation," and there was creation. Can you do that? Suppose you are very nice carpenter. Can you say, "Let there be a chair," and at once there is a chair? Is it possible? Suppose you are manufacturer of this watch. Can you say that "I say, let there be watch," and there is immediately watch? That is not possible. Therefore God's name is satya-saṅkalpa. Satya-saṅkalpa. Satya-saṅkalpa means whatever He thinks, immediately it is present. Not only God, but those who have attained yogic perfection, they cannot desire like God, but almost. Wonderful things… A yogi, if he has got perfection, if he desires something, that "I want this," immediately it is there. This is called satya-saṅkalpa. In this way, there are many examples. That is greatness. What I… Just like the modern scientists, they are trying to fly some space machine in the good speed so that they can go to the moon planet. So many scientists of America, Russia, and other countries, they are trying. But they cannot. Their sputnik is coming back. But just see God's power. Millions of planets are floating just like swabs. This is greatness. So any nonsense, if he says that "I am God," he's a rascal. God is great. You cannot compare yourself with God. There is no comparison. But the rascaldom is going on. "Everyone is God. I am God, you are God"-then he's dog. You show the power of God, then you say. First deserve, then desire. What power we have got? We're always dependent. So God is great, and we are dependent on God. Therefore natural conclusion is that we have to serve God. This is the whole comment.(?) Serving means with love. Unless… Now just like these boys, my disciples, they are serving me. Whatever I say, they are immediately executing. Why? I am an Indian, I am a foreigner. Two or three years ago I was not known to them, nor they were known to me. Why they are doing that? Because it is love. Serving means developing love. So unless you develop your love for God you cannot serve Him. Anywhere. Whenever you give some service, it is based on love. Just like mother giving service to the helpless child. Why? Love. So similarly, our life will be perfect when our love is perfect with the perfect Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then it is all right. You have to learn this. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness: in a relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Just like I am loving my disciples, my disciples are loving me. Why? What is the medium? Kṛṣṇa. Yes?

Woman: Is Rāma synonymous with Jesus?

Devotee: "Is Rāma synonymous, the same as Jesus."

Prabhupāda: Synonymous…, not exactly synonymous, but identical. Synonymous cannot be said, identical.

Woman: Oh, identical.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In the absolute platform everything is identical. In the relative world also. Just like anything you take, it is material. So material identity. Similarly, in the spiritual world everything is spiritual. So in the spiritual world God and God's son or God's friend or God's lover, anyone is the… They're in the same platform, spiritual. Therefore they are identical.

Woman: Doesn't Rāma refer to a man that was born…, I'm not…, in India or somewhere, and Christ was born in Europe? Two different men, but still the same, the same…

Prabhupāda: Yes. The sun is every day born in India, born in Europe, born in America. Does it mean that he's Indian or American or Chinese?

Woman: No, that's not what I mean.

Prabhupāda: Then? Therefore it is like that. When… This is our limited knowledge. We have been taught in that way, that God is great. Just like the sun is great; therefore even the sun is seen in India or in America or China, anywhere, any part of the world, any part of the universe, the sun is one. Nobody can say, "Oh, it is American sun" or "It is Indian sun." So either Jesus Christ or Rāma or Kṛṣṇa, whoever comes from the kingdom of God, they are the same. There is no difference. But the difference is… Just like in your country temperature of sun is less, and in a tropical country the temperature of the sun is very great. Does it mean the sun's temperature is changed? It is according to the reception. The atmosphere of this country is so surcharged that you cannot receive the sunshine properly, but the sunshine distributes its shining everywhere the same. Similarly, according to the country, according to the circumstances, according to the planet, God is manifested differently, but He is not different. You are wrapping your body with some winter clothes. Same time, telegraph in India, oh, they are running fan. Why the temperature is different? Therefore whatever Lord Jesus Christ says or whatever Kṛṣṇa says or what Rāma says, that is in terms of the place, in terms of the circumstances, atmosphere, persons, hearer. There is different. One thing which I try to convince a child is not possible to teach the same thing to his father. Or a child cannot understand what is sex life, but a young man can understand. The same child, when he'll be grown up, he'll know. So you do not think that everyone can understand everything. So Bible is spoken under certain circumstances; Bhagavad-gītā is spoken under certain circumstances. It is the difference of the circumstances. Otherwise, the principle is the same. In the Bible also it is said, "Love God," and Bhagavad-gītā also says, "Love God." There is no difference.

Upendra: Prabhupāda, what is the nature of anger? How is anger…

Prabhupāda: Anger means lust. When you are lusty and your lust is not fulfilled, you become angry. That's all. It is another feature of the lust. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. When you are too much influenced with the modes of passion, you become lusty. And when your lust is not fulfilled, then you are angry, next stage. And next stage is that there is bewilderment. And then next stage is praṇaśyati, then you are lost. Therefore one has to control this lust and anger. This controlling means you have to put yourself in the modes of goodness, not in the modes of passion. There are three modes of material nature: modes of ignorance, modes of passion and modes of goodness. Therefore if anyone wants to know the science of God, then he has to keep himself on the modes of goodness. Otherwise he cannot. Therefore we are teaching our students that "You don't do this, you don't do this, you don't do this, you don't do this," because he has to keep himself on the modes of goodness. Otherwise he'll not be able to understand. Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be understood on the platform of ignorance and passion. The whole world is under the influence of ignorance and passion. But this method is so simple that if you simply follow the four principles of restriction and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you are immediately surpassing all the modes of material nature. So the anger is on the platform of passion. Yes?

Young man: Can you explain subordination again?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Explain subordination again.

Prabhupāda: Subordination, it is simple. You are subordinate. You don't understand what is subordination? Is it very difficult? Are you not subordinate to somebody?

Young man: Well, yes, I suppose you could say I was.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You must. Everyone. Everyone must be subordinate, in subordination.

Young man: Yes, in a spiritual sense though, I don't feel subordinate to…

Prabhupāda: First of all you understand what is spiritual life, then… In the spiritual sense also you are subordinate because your nature is subordination. Spiritual, what do you mean by spiritual and material?

Young man: Well, like, my body is in a particular place and time and all of these, caste (?). If I have a job then I'm subordinate to my boss, but the real, my whole being, my real being, my inner being doesn't… I don't think that I am subordinate to my boss. I think that we would be more or less equal. In a temporary sense, we are…

Prabhupāda: Yes. This consciousness is very nice, that you are feeling dissatisfaction being subordinate to your boss. Is that not?

Young man: No, that's not right.

Prabhupāda: Then?

Young man: I don't especially…

Prabhupāda: Anyone.

Young man: I don't think that… Speaking about this specific incident, it isn't necessarily true that I would feel jealous of this guy because he was over me. But I just feel as beings we are more or less all equal. I mean, you know, it's kind of a philosophy that I have. I don't feel that I have to bow down to anybody and I don't feel anybody should bow down to me.

Prabhupāda: Why? Why? Why do not bow down? Why?

Young man: Because I don't feel that I owe him anything or he owes me anything.

Prabhupāda: So that is the disease. We are forced to bow down and we think that "I don't like to bow down." This is the disease.

Young man: He didn't force me to bow down.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Young man: He isn't forcing me to do anything. I'm just kind of there and he's kind of there.

Prabhupāda: No. Just try to understand. It is a very nice question. You say that "I do not want to bow down." Is it not?

Young man: That's basically true, yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why?

Young man: Because I don't feel like I'm inferior to…

Prabhupāda: That is the disease. You have diagnosed your own disease. That is the disease of materialism. Everyone is thinking that "I want to be master. I don't wish to bow down myself." Everyone is thinking, not only yourself. Just try…

Young man: Uh…

Prabhupāda: Let me finish this. This is the disease, material disease. First of all try to understand. It is not your disease or my disease. Everyone's disease is this, that "Why shall I bow down? Why shall I become subordinate?" But nature is forcing me to become subordinate. Now who wants to meet death? Why people are dying? Can you answer this?

Young man: Why are people dying?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nobody wants to die.

Young man: I thought it was a biological…

Prabhupāda: Just try to understand. Who is here… That means biological force. You are subordinate to biology. Then why do you say that you are independent?

Young man: Well, I feel that I'm…

Prabhupāda: You are feeling wrongly. That is my point. That is your disease.

Young man: I'm feeling lonely?

Prabhupāda: Yes, wrongly.

Young man: Wrongly?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are subordinate. You must have to bow down. When death is there, you cannot say, "Oh, I don't obey you." Therefore you are subordinate.

Young man: I am subordinate to God, yes.

Prabhupāda: No, no, don't… Forget God. Just now we are speaking common sense.

Young man: Kṛṣṇa… I don't…

Prabhupāda: No. Don't speak of Kṛṣṇa. That is far away. You just try to understand that you do not want to die, why you are forced to death?

Young man: Why am I forced to death?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because you are subordinate.

Young man: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then you understand your position, that you are subordinate. You cannot declare that "I am free. I am not subordinate." If you are wishing that "I don't wish to be subordinate, don't wish to bow down," that is your disease.

Young man: What do you want me to… What…

Prabhupāda: No, first of all try to understand your disease. Then we shall diagnose your medicine.

Young man: I'm feeling wrongly, okay, but… But who do I or what… What exactly do I bow down to… I mean…

Prabhupāda: You are bowing down to everyone. You are bowing down to death, you are bowing down to disease, you are bowing down to old age. You are bowing down to so many things. You are forced. And still you are thinking that "I cannot bow down. I don't like." Because you are saying "I don't like," therefore you are being forced. You have to bow down. Why you forget your position? That is our disease. Therefore the next process is that "I am being forced to bow down." Now we have to find out "Where I shall be happy even by bowing down?" That is Kṛṣṇa. Your bowing down will not be stopped, because you are meant for that. But if you bow down to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's representative, you become happy. Test this. You have to bow down. If you don't bow down to Kṛṣṇa and His representative, then you will be forced to bow down something else, māyā. That is your position. You cannot be free at any moment. But you'll feel… Just like a child is twenty-four hours bowing down to his parents. He's happy. He's happy. Mother says, "My dear child, please come down, sit down here." "Yes." He's happy. This is the nature. Simply you have to seek out where you have to bow down, that's all. That is Kṛṣṇa. You cannot stop your bowing down, but you have to see where you have to bow down. That's all. If you artificially think that "I'm not going to bow down anyone. I am independent," then you suffer. Simply you have to seek out the proper place where you have to bow down. That's all. All right. Chant. Give them prasādam. They are going. (kīrtana) (end)

681002LE.SEA

Lecture

Seattle, October 2, 1968

Prabhupāda: You have got fan? Fan, fan. (sings) Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (devotees respond) So our program is to worship the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, find out who is the original person. Naturally, everyone is anxious to find out the original person of a family, original person of a society, original person of a nation, original person of humanity… You go on, searching. But if you can find out the original person from whom everything has come out, that is Brahman. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The Vedānta-sūtra says Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is that from whom everything has emanated. Very simple description. What is God, what is the Absolute Truth, very simple definition-the original person.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to approach the original person. The original person is not dead, because everything emanates from the original person, so everything is working very nicely. The sun is rising, the moon is rising, the seasons are changing, so…, there is night, there is day, just in the order. So the function of the body of the original person is going on nicely. How you can say that God is dead? Just like in your body, when the physician finds by feeling your pulse that the heart beating is going on nicely, he does not declare that "This man is dead." He says, "Yes, he is alive." Similarly, if you are intelligent enough, you can feel the pulse of the universal body-and it is going on nicely. So how you can say God is dead? God is never dead. It is rascal's version that God is dead-unintelligent persons, persons who have no sense how to feel something dead or alive. One who has got the sense to feel how a thing is dead or alive, to understand, he'll never say God is dead. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: [Bg. 4.9] "Any intelligent person who can simply understand how I take my birth and how I work," janma karma… Now, mark this word janma, birth; and karma, work. He never says janma mṛtyu. Mṛtyu means death. Everything that is born, that has death also. Anything. We haven't got any experience which is born does not die. This body is born; therefore it will die. The death is born with the birth of my body. I am increasing my age, number of years of my age, means I'm dying. But in this verse of Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says janma karma but never says "My death." Death cannot take place. God is eternal. You also do not die. That I do not know. I simply change my body. So this is to be understood. Kṛṣṇa consciousness science is a great science. It is stated…it is not a new thing. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā… Most of you, you are well acquainted with Bhagavad-gītā. In the Bhagavad-gītā, it does not accept that after the death of this body-not exactly death-after the annihilation, appearance or disappearance of this body, you or I do not die. Na hanyate. Na hanyate means "never dies" or "is never destroyed," even after the destruction of this body. This is the position.

Now this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we have to understand through the teachings of Lord Caitanya. He is the… Five hundred years ago, He appeared in Bengal, a province of India, and He specifically preached Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. His mission is that anyone who is born in India should take this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and distribute it all over the world. To execute that order we have come to your country. So my request is that you try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement with all your knowledge, scrutinizingly. Don't accept it blindly. Try to understand with your arguments, knowledge, logic, realization-you are human being-and you'll find it sublime, sublime, undoubtedly. We have published this book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and other books also, many books. So try to read them. And we have got our magazines, Back to Godhead. We are not sentimentalists, that we are simply dancing. The dancing has got great value; that, if you dance with us, you'll feel. It is not that some crazy fellows are dancing. No. The most intelligent persons, they are dancing. It is so nicely made that even a boy like here, he is a boy, he can take part. Universal. Join, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance, and you'll realize. Very simple method. You haven't got to understand any high standard of philosophy or jugglery of words, this or that. Simple thing. What is simple thing? God is great, everyone knows, and we are part and parcel of the great. So when we are combined with the great, we are also great. Just like your body, a small part of your body, a little finger or toe, that is also the same value of the whole body. But as soon as that small part or big part is separated from the body, it has no value. It has no value. This finger, a very small part of your body. If there is any pain, you spend thousands of dollars. You pay to the physician to cure the pain thousands of dollars, and when the physician says that "This finger has to be," what is called, "dislocated or cut off, separated, otherwise the whole body will be infected," so when this finger is cut off from your body, you don't care for it. No more value. Just try to understand. A typewriting machine, a small screw, when it is missing, your machine is not working nicely, you go to a repairing shop. He charges ten dollars. You pay immediately. That little screw, when it is out of that machine, it has not a value even one farthing. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of the Supreme. If we work with the Supreme, that means if we work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, that "I am part and parcel…" Just like this finger is working fully in consciousness of my body. Whenever there is little pain I can feel. Similarly, if you dovetail yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you are living in your normal condition, your life is successful. And as soon as you are separated from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the whole trouble is there. The whole trouble is there. So there are many examples we cite every day in this class. So we have to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness if we at all want to be happy and be situated in our normal condition. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

So we are reading the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. We have begun from our last meeting, and we shall again read it. You'll read it? Yes. It was began from page twenty-nine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Page twenty-nine, but where did you finish reading?

Prabhupāda: Read it anywhere, that's all. Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. "In the Bhagavad-gītā we are informed that the constitutional nature of the individual entity is spirit soul. He is not matter. Therefore as spirit soul he is part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. We also learn that it is the duty of the spirit soul to surrender, for only then he can be happy. The last instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā is that the spirit soul is to surrender completely unto the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, and in that way realize happiness. Here also Lord Caitanya is answering the questions of Sanātana, repeats the same truth, but without giving him information about the spirit soul which is already described in the Gītā."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The point is that what is the constitutional position of the spirit soul is very elaborately discussed in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā. Now the last instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. He has instructed to Arjuna all kinds of yoga system, all kinds of religious ritualistic process, sacrifice, and philosophical speculation, the constitutional position of this body, constitutional position of the soul. Everything He has described in the Bhagavad-gītā. And at last He says to Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, because you are My very intimate and dear friend, therefore I say the most confidential part of Vedic knowledge." And what is that? "You simply surrender unto Me." That's all. People are not inclined to surrender; therefore he has to learn so many things. Just like a child, he has simply a feeling of surrender to the parents, he's happy. There is no need of learning philosophy how to live very happily. The child is completely dependent on the care of parents and he's happy. Simple philosophy. But because we have advanced in civilization, in knowledge, therefore we want to understand this simple philosophy in so many jugglery of words. That's all. So if you want to learn in jugglery of words, then this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not lacking. We have got volumes of books of philosophy. But if you accept this simple process, that we have to… God is great and we are part and parcel; therefore my duty is to serve and surrender unto God. That's all. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, without discussing all the constitutional position, philosophy, knowledge, and so many other things, yoga system, He immediately begins that the constitutional position of the living entity is to serve the supreme whole. That is… That is the beginning of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. That means where the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā ended, Caitanya Mahāprabhu begins from that position. (aside:) Yes. Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "He begins from the point where Kṛṣṇa ended His instruction. It is accepted by great devotees that Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself, and from the point where He ended His instruction in the Gītā, He now begins His instruction again to Sanātana. The Lord said to Sanātana, 'Your constitutional position is that you are pure living soul. This material body is not the identity of your real self, neither is your mind your real identity, nor your intelligence, nor is false ego the real identity of the self. Your identity is that you are the eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa.' "

Prabhupāda: Now here is some important points, that in our self-realization, those who are grossly on the material platform, they think that this body, "I am this body, I am this body." Body means the senses; therefore my satisfaction means the satisfaction of the senses-sense gratification. This is the grossest form of self-realization. This body is also self. The body is self, the mind is self, and the soul is also self. Self, the synonym. The body and the mind and the soul, three of them are called self. Now in the grossest stage of our life we think that this body is the self. And in a subtler stage we think that the mind and the intelligence is the self. But actually, self is beyond this body, beyond this mind, beyond this intelligence. That is the position. Those who are grossly on the bodily concept of self-realization, they are materialists. And those who are on the concept of mind and intelligence, they are the philosophers and poets. They are philosophizing or giving us some idea in poetry, but their conception is still wrong. When you come to the point of spiritual platform, then it is called devotional service. That is being explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (aside:) Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: " 'Your position is that you are transcendental.' "

Prabhupāda: Transcendental. "You are beyond." This is explained in Bhagavad-gītā:

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur

indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir

yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

[Bg. 3.42]

First of all, you realize this body. Body means the senses. But when you go further, we see the mind is the center of these sensual activities. Unless the mind is sound, we cannot act with our senses. So indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ. So transcendental to the senses, mind is there, and transcendental to the mind, there is intelligence, and transcendental to the intelligence, there is soul. That we have to understand. (aside:) Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: " 'The superior energy of Kṛṣṇa is spiritual in constitution, and the external energy is material. You are between the material energy and the spiritual energy, and therefore your position is marginal. In other words, you belong to the marginal potency of Kṛṣṇa. You are simultaneously one with and different from Kṛṣṇa. Because you are spirit, therefore you are not different from Kṛṣṇa, but because you are only a minute particle of Kṛṣṇa, you are therefore different from Him.' "

Prabhupāda: Now here is one word used, marginal potency. Marginal potency, the exact Sanskrit word is taṭastha. Just like at the end of the land, the sea begins. So there is a marginal land. Just you go on the coast of the Pacific beach, you'll find some land. Sometimes it is covered by water and sometimes it is open land. This is marginal. Similarly, we spirit souls, although we are constitutionally one with God, but sometimes we are covered by māyā and sometimes we are free. Therefore our position is marginal. When we understand our real position, then… The same… Just like the same example. Try to understand. On the beach you'll find a certain portion of land which is sometimes covered by water, and again it is land. Similarly we are sometimes covered by māyā, the inferior energy, and sometimes we are free. So we have to maintain that free state. Just like in open land, there is no more water. If you come little far away from the sea water, then there is no more water; it is all land. Similarly, if you keep yourself from the material consciousness, come to the land of spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you keep your freedom. But if you keep yourself on the marginal position, then sometimes you'll be covered by māyā and sometimes you'll be free. So that is our position. (aside:) Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "This simultaneous oneness and difference always exists in the relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Soul."

Prabhupāda: Now this simultaneously one and different, just take the same example, land. Somebody says, "Oh, I saw that portion is water." And somebody says, "No. I saw that some portion is land." So simultaneously one and different. Simultaneously one and different. Our position is… Because we are spirit soul and Kṛṣṇa, God, is spirit… He is whole spirit and I am particle of that spirit. Just like sun, the sun globe, and the sunshine, molecules of shining particles, they are also sunlight. The combination of those atomic particles of sunshine giving us the sunshine rays. So we are also shining just like the particles of the sun globe, but we are not equal to the complete sun. The glowing particles, molecules of the sunshine, is not equal in quantity with the sun globe, but in quality it is the same. Similarly, we living entities, we are minute particles of that supreme spirit soul, Kṛṣṇa or God. Therefore we are also shine. We are of the same quality. Just like a small particle of gold is gold. It is not iron. Similarly, we are spirit soul; therefore we are one. But because I am minute… Just like the same example. The marginal portion being very small, it is being sometimes covered by the water. But the large portion of the land, that is without any water. Similarly, māyā can cover the minute particles of the spirit soul, but māyā cannot cover the supreme whole. Just like the same example, the sky, the sunshine. The sunshine, portion of the sunshine, is covered by cloud. But if you go by airplane, jet plane, above the cloud, you'll find the sunshine is without any cloud. The cloud cannot cover the whole sun. Similarly, māyā cannot cover the supreme whole. Māyā can cover the small particles of Brahman. The theory, the Māyāvāda theory that "I am now covered by māyā. As soon as I am uncovered I become one with the whole…" We are one with the whole in the same way. Just like the sunshine and the sun globe, there is no difference in quality. Wherever there is sun, there is sunshine, but the small particles, the molecules of the sunshine, are never equal to the complete globe sun. That is being described by Caitanya Mahāprabhu in this chapter. (aside:) Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The living entity is just like a molecular part of the sunshine, whereas Kṛṣṇa is compared to the blazing shining sun. Lord Caitanya compared the living entities to the blazing sparks from the fire and the Supreme Lord to the blazing fire of the sun. The Lord cites in this connection a verse from Viṣṇu Purāṇa in which it is stated that everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but an energy of the Supreme Lord. For example, as the fire emanating from one place exhibits its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere."

Prabhupāda: Now, this is very simple. Try to understand. Just like this fire, this lamp, is located at a certain place but the illumination is distributed all over this room, similarly whatever you see, display of this cosmic manifestation, they are display of the energy of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is situated in one place. That we cite in our Brahma-saṁhitā: govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He's a person. Just like your President, Mr. Johnson, he's sitting in his room in Washington, but his power, his energy, is acting all over the state. If it is possible materially, similarly Kṛṣṇa, or God, the Supreme Person, He is situated in His place, abode, Vaikuṇṭha or kingdom of God, but His energy is acting. Another example, the sun. The sun, you can see sun is located at a certain place, but you see the sunshine is overflooding the whole universe. The sunshine is within your room. So similarly, whatever you are using, you yourself also, we are all display of the energy of the Supreme Lord. We are not different from Him. But when the cloud of māyā or illusion covers my eye, we cannot see the sun. Similarly, when the material concept of life covers me, we cannot understand what is God. We say God is dead. So we have to uncover our eyes from this illusion. Then you'll see directly God: "Here is God." Yes. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said,

premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti

yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.38]

That Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is Śyāmasundara. Śyāmasundara. Śyāma means blackish but very, very beautiful. That beautiful person, Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, is being observed and seen by saintly persons always. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. Why they are seeing? Because their eyes have been cleared by the ointment of love of God. Just like if your eyes are defective, you apply some ointment, some lotion from the physician, and your eyesight becomes clear and bright, you can see things very nicely. Similarly, when your, these material eyes will be ointmented with love of God, then you'll see God, "Here is God." You will not say God is dead. And that covering has to be moved, and to move that covering you have to take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much. So any question? First of all from audience. We invite questions, if you have any question, doubt, about the statements, you can inquire. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. Everything, if you are serious to understood, we should submit our doubtful questions and then understand. You see. Yes?

Young man: Does one attain a consciousness that is beyond words? Or, I dare say, is there a communication that is not the word itself but perhaps a vibration which is much like sound or sound itself? Perhaps reaching for the oṁ. Is there a communication, something understood between you and myself, myself and my brother, others, all of us? Is there an experience perhaps where we're… Does it sound like "dong," "aung." Is there something else beside the verbal? Talk?

Prabhupāda: Yes, this Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Young man: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Young man: Could you elaborate? Could you tell me how this can be? How it can be all the time? Rather than to be a man, rather than to have to talk English alone or other languages? How to talk that one language?

Prabhupāda: Well, sound can be vibrated in any language. It doesn't matter that Hare Kṛṣṇa can be sounded in Sanskrit only. You can sound it in English tone also: "Hare Kṛṣṇa." Is there any difficulty? These boys, they are also sounding in Hare Kṛṣṇa. So there is no difficulty. It is the sound that matters. It doesn't matter who is sounding. Just like in piano, if you touch, there is "dung." It doesn't matter whether an American is striking or an Indian striking or a Hindu striking or Muslim striking, the sound is sound. Similarly, this piano, Hare Kṛṣṇa, you just touch it and it will sound. That's all. Yes?

Young man (2): Do you sit and meditate alone? What do you do with your mind as it wanders? Do you think of something? Do you put it on something or do you let it wander by itself?

Prabhupāda: First of all let me know what do you mean by meditation?

Young man (2): Sitting alone quietly.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Young man (2): Sitting alone quietly.

Prabhupāda: Sitting alone quiet. Is it possible? Do you think it is possible?

Young man (2): If you listen to your own mind.

Prabhupāda: Then mind is always acting.

Young man (2): It chatters to you.

Prabhupāda: How can you sit, silent mind? Mind is always acting. Is there any experience that mind is not acting when you sit silently? When you sleep, the mind is acting. You are dreaming. This is the action of mind. So when do you find that your mind is silent?

Young man (2): That's what I was trying to ask you.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So therefore mind is never silent. You have to engage your mind to something. That is meditation.

Young man (2): What do you engage it to?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is Kṛṣṇa. We engage our mind to Kṛṣṇa, the beautiful Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not only simply engaging the mind, but engaging the mind in action with the senses. Because mind is acting with our senses. Your mind said, "Let us go to that newly started ISKCON Society," so your legs carried you here. So mind… Thinking, feeling, willing, these are the functions of the mind. So mind thinks, feels, and they works. So you have to fix up your mind not only thinking of Kṛṣṇa, but also working for Kṛṣṇa, feeling for Kṛṣṇa. That is complete meditation. That is called samādhi. Your mind cannot go out. You have to engage your mind in such a way that the mind will think of Kṛṣṇa, feel for Kṛṣṇa, work for Kṛṣṇa. That is complete meditation.

Young man (2): What do you do with your eyes? Close your eyes?

Prabhupāda: Yes, eyes are one of the senses. Mind is the general sense, and under the governor general, there are particular commissioners or subordinate officers. So the eyes, the hand, the leg, the tongue, ten senses, they are working under the direction of the mind. So mind is expressed, manifested through the senses. Therefore unless you engage your senses in the same way as your mind is thinking, feeling, there is no perfection. There will be disturbance. If your mind is thinking of Kṛṣṇa and your eyes are seeing something else, there will be disruption or contradiction. Therefore under the… You have to first of all fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa, and then all other senses will be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-

sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

Hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means senses. When you engage your senses in the service of the master of the senses… Kṛṣṇa is called Hṛṣīkeśa, or the master of the senses. Master of the senses means, try to understand. Just like this hand. The hand is working very nicely, but if the hand is paralyzed or Kṛṣṇa withdraws the power, then your hand is useless. You cannot restore it. Therefore you are not master of your hand. You are thinking falsely that "I am master of my hand." But actually, you are not master. The master is Kṛṣṇa. (aside:) I'll answer… Therefore when your senses will be engaged in the service of the master of the senses, that is called bhakti, devotional service. Now the senses are engaged in my designation. I am thinking that "This body is meant for the satisfaction of my wife or my this or that," so many things, "my country, my society." This is designation. But when you come to the spiritual platform, you understand that "I am part and parcel of the Supreme; therefore my activities should be to satisfy the Supreme." That is bhakti. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170], being liberated from all designation. When your senses are purified, and when that senses are engaged in the service of the master of the senses, that is called acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What is your question? So meditation, the engagement of mind, should be in that way. Then it will be perfect. Otherwise, the mind is so flickering and changing that if you don't fix up at a certain point… Fix up means… The mind is want to do something because the symptom of mind is thinking, feeling and willing. So you have to train your mind in such a way that you will think of Kṛṣṇa, you'll feel for Kṛṣṇa, you'll work for Kṛṣṇa. Then it is samādhi. That is perfect meditation.

Young man (2): How does one train the mind?

Prabhupāda: This is the training. You just engage yourself in activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is practical. Just like chanting, the boy of ten years old, he's also engaged. His mind is concentrated on the vibration Hare Kṛṣṇa. His other senses, legs or hand, they're working, dancing. So in this way we have to practice our mind, our senses always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will make you perfect. And that is possible by everyone. You don't require to sit down at a place to artificially meditate upon something. As soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, immediately your mind is diverted, immediately you remember Kṛṣṇa, instruction of Kṛṣṇa, work of Kṛṣṇa, everything. That requires practice.

Young man (2): Since you are a ray of the sun, so to speak…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Young man (2): Could you think of yourself? And when you think, you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Why not? I am individual… Although I am small, but I am individual. I have got all the power of thinking, feeling, willing. We are doing that. We are individual. You have come here by your individual will. Nobody has forced you. If you like, you can go. Somebody comes here, somebody never comes, somebody comes daily. Why? Even you are small, you have got individuality. Even in this conditioned state, you are so free, so much free. And when you are unconditioned, purely spirit, you do not know how much freedom you have got. It doesn't matter you are small, but you are a spiritual spark. Don't you see that a small spiritual spark which no physician, no medical science has still discovered, where is the soul, but the soul is there. That is a fact. As soon as the soul is gone from this body, it is useless. Find out what is that important particle. That is not possible, because it is so small that your, with these material eyes or microscope or any scope you cannot find out. Therefore they say there is no soul. But they cannot explain what is gone. Even that small particle of spiritual soul is so powerful that as long as it is within this body, it keeps it fresh, nice, beautiful. And as soon as it is gone, immediately it becomes to decompose. Just see. Just like a drug, injection. A little, one grain, it keeps fit. It is something like that, it is so powerful. You do not know what is the power of that soul. That you have to learn. Then that is self-realization. This meditation process, sitting in a silent place, is recommended in the grossest stage of bodily concept of life. Let one thing, meditate, "Am I this body?" then make analysis. You'll see, "No. I am not this body. I am different from this body." Then further meditation: "If I am not this body, then the bodily actions, how it is being done?" It is being done for that presence of that small particle, myself. How the body is growing? Because on account of presence. Just like this boy, this boy has got a small stature of body. Now, this boy will grow a very stout and strong body in his young age, as at the age of twenty-four years. Now, this body will go, another body will come. How it is being possible? On account of presence of the small particle of the soul. But if that particle of the soul is taken away or gone away, this body no more will increase or change. These are the subject matter of meditation. But when you come to the point of understanding that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul," then the next stage will be "What is the function of the soul?" That function of soul is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, working in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So in the present age one has to take directly to the function of the soul; then other things will automatically come. It is not possible at the present moment that you can go to a secluded place and peacefully sit there and meditate upon… It is not possible in this age. It is impossible. If you try artificially, it will be failure. Therefore you have to take this process,

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

In this age of Kali, there is no other alternative for self-realization than this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the practical, real fact.

Madhudviṣa: Is there any way for a Christian to, without the help of a spiritual master, to reach the spiritual sky through believing in the words of Jesus Christ and trying to follow his teachings?

Prabhupāda: I don't follow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can a Christian in this age, without a spiritual master, but by reading the Bible and following Jesus's words, reach the…

Prabhupāda: When you read Bible, you follow spiritual master. How can you say without? As soon as you read Bible, that means you are following the instruction of Lord Jesus Christ, that means you are following spiritual master. So where is the opportunity of being without spiritual master?

Madhudviṣa: I was referring to a living spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: Spiritual master is not the question of… Spiritual master is eternal. Spiritual master is eternal. So your question is without spiritual master. Without spiritual master you cannot be, at any stage of your life. You may accept this spiritual master or that spiritual master. That is a different thing. But you have to accept. As you say that "by reading Bible," when you read Bible that means you are following the spiritual master represented by some priest or some clergyman in the line of Lord Jesus Christ. So any case, you have to follow a spiritual master. There cannot be the question without spiritual master. Is that clear?

Madhudviṣa: I mean like we couldn't understand the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā without your help, without your presentation.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, you have to understand Bible with the help of the priest in the church.

Madhudviṣa: Yes. But is he receiving a good interpretation from his disciplic succession or his bishop? Because there seems to be some kind of a discrepancy in the interpretation of the Bible. There's many different sects of Christianity that interpret the Bible in different ways.

Prabhupāda: Of course, there cannot be any interpretation in the Bible. Then there is no authority of Bible. If you interpret something… Just like "Call a spade a spade." So if you call something else, that is a different thing. He's not spiritual master. Just like this is watch. Everybody has called it watch, and if I call it spectacle, then what is the value of my being spiritual master? I'm misleading. (laughter) It is watch, that I must say. So when there is misinterpretation, he's not a bona fide spiritual master. He's not spiritual master, what is called a bona fide. If I want to teach you how to see this watch, I can say that "This is called watch and this is called hand and this is called time indication; this is, this called…," so that is nice. And if I say that "Everybody says it is watch. I say it is spectacle," then what kind of a spiritual master I am? Reject him immediately. That intelligence you must have, who is a pseudo spiritual master or real spiritual master. Otherwise you'll be cheated. And that is being done. Everyone is interpreting in his own way. The Bhagavad-gītā, there are thousands of editions, and they have tried to interpret in their own way, all nonsense. They should be all thrown away. Simply you have to read Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then you'll understand. There is no question of interpretation. Then the authority is gone. As soon as you interpret, then there is no authority. Lawbook. Do you mean to say in the court if you say before the judge, "My dear lord, I interpret this passage in this way," will it be accepted? The judge will at once say, "Who are you to interpret? You have no right." Then what is the authority of this lawbook if everyone comes, "I interpret in this way"? And interpretation when required? When a thing is not understood. If I say, "It is watch," and everyone understands that "This is watch, yes," then where is the opportunity of interpreting that this is spectacle? If anyone can understand the clear passage… Just like in the Bible, "God said, 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation." Where is the question of interpretation? Yes, God created. You cannot create. Where is the opportunity of interpretation? So unnecessary interpretation is not required and that is not bona fide, and those who are interpreting unnecessarily, they should be rejected immediately. Immediately, without any consideration. God said, "Let there be creation." So there was creation. Simple thing. Where is the question of interpretation? What can be the interpretation here? Suggest that this can be interpretation. Am I right? In the beginning of the Bible it is said like that? "God said, 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation. So what is your interpretation? Tell me what is your interpretation. Is there any possibility of interpretation? Can any one of you suggest? Then where is the opportunity of interpretation? One can explain. That is different thing, but the fact that God created, that will remain. That you cannot change. Now, how that creative process took place, that is explained in Bhāgavatam: First of all, there was sky, then there was sound, then there was this, that. This is the process of creation, that is another thing. But the fact, the primary fact that God created, that will remain at any circumstances. Not the rascal scientist says, "Oh, there was a chunk and it is split up, and there was these planets. Perhaps this and likely this," all this nonsense. They'll simply interpret, "likely," "perhaps." That is not science-"likely," "perhaps." Why perhaps? Here is clear statement, "God created." That's all. Finish. Yes.

Mahāpuruṣa: Prabhupāda, is there any contradiction, because Lord Jesus Christ and Lord Caitanya both appeared in the Kali-yuga and Lord Jesus Christ said that "The only way to God is through me. Just believe in me or surrender to me," and Lord Caitanya taught that hari-nāma is the only means of spiritual realization in this age?

Prabhupāda: So where do you find the difference? If Lord Jesus Christ says, "Through me," that means he's representative of God, and hari-nāma is God. So either through the representative of God or God, the same thing. God and God's representative, there is no difference. Even in these ordinary dealings, if I send some representative, if he signs something on my behalf, I have to accept that, because he is my representative. Similarly, God has to be approached through God or through His representative. The same thing. Only the difference may be of understanding. Because Lord Jesus Christ spoke to a society that was not very much advanced. You can understand that such a great personality, God conscious person, was crucified. Just see the condition of the society. In other words, they were low-grade society. So they were not able to understand the whole philosophy of God. That is sufficient. "God created. Just take it." They were not intelligent to understand how the creation took place. Had they been intelligent, they would not have crucified such a great personality like Jesus Christ. So we have to understand what is the condition of the society. Just like in the Koran it is said by Muhammad that "From this day you have no sex intercourse with your mother." Just find out the condition of the society. So we have to take account of the time, circumstances, society, and then preaching. So to society like that it is not possible to understand the high philosophical things as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. But the primary fact, the authority is God, that is accepted both in Bible and Bhagavad-gītā. Bible begins, "God is the supreme authority," and Bhagavad-gītā concludes, "You surrender." Where is the difference? Simply the description is according to the time, society, and place and people. That's all. They are not Arjuna. You see? So the things to be understood by Arjuna is not possible by the persons who had crucified Lord Jesus Christ. You have to study in that light. The same thing. A dictionary, a pocket dictionary, child's dictionary, and the dictionary, international dictionary, both of them dictionary, but the value is different. That dictionary is meant for a class of children, and that dictionary is meant for high scholars. But none of them you can say it is not dictionary. That you cannot say. Both of them are dictionaries. So we have to take consideration of the time, place, persons, everything. Just like Lord Buddha, he simply said that "Stop this nonsense animal killing." That was his propaganda. They were so low-grade people, simply taking pleasure in animal killing. So in order to elevate them, Lord Buddha wanted to stop this nonsense: "Please stop killing." So in every time a different representative of God or God comes to teach people at different circumstances. So according to the circumstances there may be some difference in explanation, but the primary factor remains the same. Lord Buddha said, "All right, there is no God, but you surrender to me." Then where is the difference? That means one has to accept the authority of God either this way or that way.

Child: Um, when Lord Buddha was here, did he sit down and meditate?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Child: Well, I thought that in this age you can't meditate, but Lord Buddha, who was God's son, he meditated.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Child: But that wasn't the age of Kali?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Child: It was?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Child: Then how can you meditate?

Prabhupāda: Very good. (much laughter) Therefore we are better than Buddha. We say meditation is not possible. Do you see? Do you understand now? Lord Buddha said, "Meditate," but the followers of the Lord Buddha could not. They failed. We are giving new light, that "Meditation will fail. You take this." Is that clear? Yes. If somebody has said you something, and if you are failure, then I say, "You don't do this. Take this. It will be nice." Just like you are a child, you cannot meditate, but you can dance and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Lord Buddha knew that they cannot meditate. You are a very intelligent boy. But in order to stop their nonsense, he simply said, "Sit down. Meditate." That's all. (laughter) Just like a naughty boy, he's creating mischief. His parent says, "My dear John, you sit down here." He knows that he cannot sit down, but for the time being he'll sit down. The father knows that he'll not sit down, but at least for the time being let him stop these mischievous activities. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant. (kīrtana) (end)

681004LE.SEA

Lecture

Seattle, October 4, 1968

Prabhupāda: (sings) Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (audience responds) Somebody is helping him? Yes, it is all… So we are interested in capturing the original person. (chuckles) We are not interested with any subordinate. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ. But if one can capture the original person, then he captures everyone. Just like the same example. In the Vedas it is said in the Upaniṣad, yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If you can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the Absolute Truth, then you understand everything. There is no need of understanding separately. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam etaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said,

yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ

manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ

yasmin sthito na duḥkhena

guruṇāpi vicālyate

[Bg. 6.20-23]

Now we are, everyone, searching after some standard of life where we will have no anxiety. That is the aim of everyone. Why we are struggling? We are trying to approach a certain point. Just like two parties playing on football, they are, each one of them, trying to approach the goal. That is victory. So everyone is trying to gain something, according to different position, according to different idea. Not everyone is searching after the same thing. Somebody searching after material pleasure, somebody searching after intoxication, somebody is searching after sex, somebody is searching after money, somebody is searching after knowledge, somebody is searching after so many things. But there is one thing. If we can get that, attain to that perfection, then we shall be satisfied and we shall say that "We do not want anything." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. There are many instances. So there is like that, and that is Kṛṣṇa. If you can simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then your knowledge is perfect, you understand everything. You understand science, you understand mathematics, you understand chemistry, physics, astronomy, philosophy, literature, everything. It is so nice. So Bhāgavata says therefore that saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. Whatever department of knowledge or whatever department of activities you are engaged in, it doesn't matter. But if you can find out the Supreme by your pursuit of knowledge, that is your perfection. You are a scientist, all right, it doesn't matter. By your scientific research work you find out the Supreme. Then it is your perfection. You are businessman? Oh. With your money just find out the Supreme. You are a lover? Just find out the supreme lover. You are after taste, aesthetic, or… Atheistic not; aesthetic sense, taste, beauty, if you find out the Supreme, your searching after beauty will be satisfied. Everything. Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. You are searching after something. If you find Kṛṣṇa then you'll see yes, your goal is attained. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." He is attractive to the lover, He's attractive to the wise, He's attractive to the politician, He's attractive to the scientist, He is attractive to the rogues. Rogues also. When Kṛṣṇa entered the arena of Kaṁsa, different kinds of people saw Him differently. Those who were invited from Vṛndāvana, they were young girls. They saw Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, the most beautiful person." Those who were wrestlers, they saw Kṛṣṇa as thunderbolt. They also saw Kṛṣṇa, but they say, "Oh, here is thunderbolt." Just like however strong you may be, if there is falldown of thunderbolt everything is finished. So they saw Kṛṣṇa as thunderbolt, the wrestlers. Yes. And the elderly persons, elderly ladies, they saw Kṛṣṇa as loving child. So you can establish relationship with Kṛṣṇa any way. There are twelve kinds of rasas, humor. Just like sometimes we want to see a very pathetic scene in some drama, some ghastly scene. Somebody is murdering somebody and we take pleasure in seeing that. There are certain kinds of person… There are different kinds of sporting. One of our student in Montreal, he was saying that his father took pleasure in bull fighting in Spain. When the bull is killed by fighting, he was taking pleasure. So different kinds of men. One person is seeing, "It is horrible," another person is enjoying, "Oh, it is very nice." You see? So Kṛṣṇa can accommodate. If you want to love horrible things, Kṛṣṇa can present yourself as Nṛsiṁhadeva, "Ah."(laughter-Haribol) Yes. And if you want to see Kṛṣṇa as very loving friend, He is Vamśī-dhārī, Vṛndāvana-vihārī. If you want Kṛṣṇa as loving child, then He's Gopāla. If you want child as loving friend, he's Arjuna. Just like Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. So there are twelve kinds of humors. Kṛṣṇa can be accommodated with all the humors; therefore His name is Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Akhila means universal; rasa means mellow, humor; and the ocean. Just like if you try to find out water and if you go before the Pacific Ocean, oh, unlimited water. There is no comparison how much water is there. (chuckling) Similarly, if you want something and if you approach Kṛṣṇa, you'll find unlimited supply, unlimited supply, just like ocean. Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If anyone can approach or gain that Supreme Absolute, then he will be satisfied and he will say, "Oh, I have no more hankering. I have got everything complete, in full satisfaction." Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ yasmin sthite. And if one is situated in that transcendental position, then what happens? Guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate [Bg. 6.20-23]. If there is very severe test of distress, he's not, I mean to say, faltering.

There are many instances in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā the Pāṇḍavas were placed in so many distressed condition, but they were never faltering. They never asked Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are my friend. You are our friend, the Pāṇḍavas. Why we are undergoing so much severe test of difficulties?" No. They never. Because they were confident that "In spite of all these difficulties, we shall come out victorious because Kṛṣṇa is there. Because Kṛṣṇa is there." This confidence. This is called śaraṇāgati, surrender. There are six points of surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. One point of surrender is to believe that "Kṛṣṇa will protect me." Just like a small child has got full faith in his mother: "My mother is there. There is no danger." Confident. I have seen it. Everyone. I have got… I'll narrate one practical experience. In Calcutta, in my younger days, I was traveling in tram, and my youngest son, he was with me. He was only two years old, or two or two and a half years old. So the conductor, out of joke, asked him, "Give me your fare." So he first of all said like this: "I have no money." So the conductor said, "Then you get down." He immediately said, "Oh, here is my father." (makes some gesture) (laughter) You see. "You cannot ask me to get down. My father is here." You see? So this is the psychology. If you have approached Kṛṣṇa, then even the greatest fear will not agitate you. That is a fact. So such a thing is Kṛṣṇa. Try to achieve this greatest boon, Kṛṣṇa. And what Kṛṣṇa says? Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati [Bg. 9.31]. "My dear Kaunteya, son of Kuntī, Arjuna, declare in the world that My devotees will never be vanquished." Will never be vanquished. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati.

Similarly, there are many passages in the Bhagavad-gītā. I'm quoting from Bhagavad-gītā because this book is very popular all over the world, and… Try to understand, read this book, very valuable book of knowledge. So Kṛṣṇa says,

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

[Bg. 10.8]

Who can worship Kṛṣṇa? That is described here, that budhā. Budhā means most intelligent person. Bodha, bodha means knowledge, and budhā means one who is wise, full of knowledge. Everyone is after knowledge. Here you have got this Washington University. There are many students. They have come here to acquire knowledge. So one who has acquired the perfection of knowledge or the highest platform of knowledge, he is called budhā. So not only budhā but bhāva-samanvitāḥ. Bhāva means ecstasy. One must be very learned and wise, at the same time he must feel ecstasy spiritually. "Such person," Kṛṣṇa says, iti matvā bhajante mām. "Such persons worships Me or loves Me." One who is very intelligent and one who is transcendentally very full of ecstasy, such person loves Kṛṣṇa or worships Kṛṣṇa. Why? Because iti matvā, "by understanding this." What is this? Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo [Bg. 10.8], "I am the origin of everything, sarvasya." Anything you bring, that is, if you go on, search out, then you will find ultimately it is Kṛṣṇa.

The Vedānta also says the same thing. What is Brahman? Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life, this human life… We have now… In other life we have enjoyed sense pleasure to the fullest extent. What we can enjoy in this human life? In other life… Of course, according to Darwin's theory, just prior to this human life there was monkey life. So the monkey… You have no experience. In India we have got experience. Each and every monkey has got at least hundred girls with him. Hundred, one hundred. So what we able to enjoy? Every, each, they have got party, and each party, one monkey has got a least fifty, sixty, not less than twenty-five. So a hog's life, they have got also dozens of… Dozens. And they have no distinction, "Who is my mother, who is my sister, who is my relative." You see? So they're enjoying. So do you mean to say that human life is meant like that-like monkeys and hogs and cats and dogs? Is that perfection of human life, to satisfy sense gratification? No. That we have enjoyed in various forms of life. Now? The Vedānta says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is for inquiring and understanding Brahman. What is that Brahman? Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ brahma or parama, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. And Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahma. Brahman, we are all Brahman, but He is Para-brahman, the Supreme Brahman. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Just like you are all Americans, but your President Johnson is the supreme American. That is natural. Vedas says that the supreme of everyone is God. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Who is God? He is the most perfect eternal, He is the most perfect living force. That is God. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.

Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. The meaning is that one living force is supplying all the demands of all other living entities. Just like in a family the father is supplying the necessities of the wife, the children, the servant, a small family. Similarly, you expand it: the government or the state or the king is supplying the necessities of all the citizens. But everything is incomplete. Everything is incomplete. You can supply your family, you can supply your society, you can supply your country, but you cannot supply everyone. But there are millions and trillions of living entities. Who is supplying food? Who is supplying hundreds and thousands of ants within the hole in your room? Who is supplying food? When you go to the green lake there are thousands of ducks. Who is taking care of them? But they are living. There are millions of sparrows, birds, beasts, elephants. At one time he eats hundred pounds. Who is supplying food? Not only here, but there are many millions and trillions of planets and universes everywhere. That is God. Nityo nityānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Everyone is dependent on Him, and He is supplying all the necessities, all the necessities. Everything complete. Just like this planet, everything is complete.

pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ

pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate

pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya

pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate

[Iso Invocation]

Every planet is so made that it is complete in itself. The water is there, reserved in the seas and oceans. That water is taken away by the sunshine. Not only here, in other planets also, the same process is going on. It is transformed into cloud, then distributed all over the land, and there is growing of vegetables, fruits and plants, everything. So everything is complete arrangement. That we have to understand, that who has made this complete arrangement everywhere. The sun is rising in due time, the moon is rising in due time, the seasons are changing in due time. So how you can say? There is evidence in the Vedas there is God. In every scripture, every great personality, devotee, representative of God… Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he gave information of God. Although he was crucified, he never changed his opinion. So we have evidences from scripture, from Vedas, from great personality, still, if I say, "God is dead. There is no God," then what kind of man I am? This is called demon. They'll never believe it. They'll never believe… Yes. Just the opposite demon is budhā. Budhā means very intelligent, wise man. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, therefore, kṛṣṇa ye bhaje se baḍa catura. Anyone who becomes attracted by Kṛṣṇa and loves Him… Worshiping means loving. In the beginning it is worshiping, but at the end it is love. Worshiping.

So iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā. Anyone who is wise, who is intelligent, who knows that Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes…

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

Sarva-kāraṇa: everything has got cause, cause and effect. So you go on finding out what is the cause of this, what is the cause of this, what is the cause of this, then you'll find Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. And Vedānta says, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. You cannot say something has sprang automatically. That is foolishness. Everything has a source of generation. Everything. That is intelligence. Don't say… Just like in modern science says that "There was a chunk and there was creation-perhaps." That is also "perhaps," you see. So this kind of knowledge is useless. You must find out. If I ask the scientist, "What is the cause of this chunk?" they cannot reply. So find out the cause, and you'll find that… If I cannot find, then we have to follow… Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186], we have to follow the authorized ācāryas. If you be Christian, just follow Jesus Christ. He says, "There is God." Then you accept there is God. He says that "God created this. He said that 'Let there be creation,' and there was creation." So we accept this, "Yes. God created." Here also in the Bhagavad-gītā God says, Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo [Bg. 10.8], "I am the origin." So God is the origin of creation. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam: [Bs. 5.1] He is the cause of all causes.

So we have to take the examples of great personalities, we have to study authorized books and Vedas, and we have to follow their example; then Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God realization or God consciousness is not difficult. It is very easy. There is no, I mean to say, any stumbling block on the path of your understanding what is God. Everything is there. The Bhagavad-gītā is there, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata is there. Even you accept, your Bible is there, the Koran is there, everywhere. Without God, there cannot be any book or scripture. Nowadays, of course, they are manufacturing so many things. But in any human society the conception of God is there-according to time, according to the people, but the idea is there. Now you have to understand, jijñāsā. Therefore Vedānta-sūtra says that you try to understand God by inquiry, inquiry. This inquiry is very important. In our process, ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma pṛcchāt. One has to accept a bona fide spiritual master and he has to inquire from him, sad-dharma pṛcchāt. Similarly, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also says that jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. "One who is inquisitive to understand the Absolute Truth, he requires a spiritual master." Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. Jijñāsuḥ means inquisitive, one who inquires. Inquiry is natural. Just like a child: with the development of his life he inquires from the parents, "Father, what it is? Mother, what it is? What it is? What it is?" This is nice. A boy, child, who is inquiring, that means he is very intelligent boy. So we should be intelligent and inquire, jijñāsā. Brahma-jijñāsā. This life is for brahma-jijñāsā, to understand, to inquire about God. Then a life is successful. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. And after inquiring, inquiring, inquiring, understanding, understanding, understanding, then what is the ultimate stage? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births of inquiry, when one becomes actually a wise man, man of knowledge, then what happens? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: "He surrenders unto Me," Kṛṣṇa says. Why? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. He understands that Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is the cause of all causes. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. But such kind of great soul is very rare, to understand it. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, sei bado catura: he is very intelligent.

So these are the definition of intelligent person. So if we want to be intelligent, we can adopt the process how to become intelligent. But on the other hand, if we are actually intelligent, why not take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness immediately and become intelligent? Without, without going to the process, you take… It is offered to you by the most magnanimous incarnation, Lord Caitanya. He's offering you, kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. He's giving you love of Kṛṣṇa. Rūpa Gosvāmī offered his obeisances to Lord Caitanya, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: "O my dear Lord Caitanya, You are the most charitable, magnanimous of all incarnations. Why? Because You are directly giving love of Kṛṣṇa. The love of Kṛṣṇa which cannot be achieved after many, many births, You are delivering cheaply, 'Take it immediately.' " Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya. They could understand that "You are Kṛṣṇa"; otherwise it was not possible by anyone to offer Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa, so cheaply. "You are Kṛṣṇa, You have got that power." And actually He is so. Kṛṣṇa failed to give Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa, when He came personally and taught Bhagavad-gītā. He simply said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. But people misunderstood Him. Therefore Kṛṣṇa came as a devotee and offered Kṛṣṇa-prema to the people in general. So our request to everyone that you take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and you will feel that "I don't want any more, anything more. I am satisfied, fully satisfied."

Thank you very much. Any question?

Viṣṇujana: How do we render perfect service to Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: By your anxiety. (laughter, "Haribol!") If you are anxious to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is the real asset. Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. What service we can offer to Him? And He has got unlimited servants also. What service He requires from you and me? He's perfect in Himself. He doesn't require any service also. But if you are anxious to serve Him, then He does not refuse. That is His mercy; that is His magnanimity. So the more you increase your anxiety to serve Kṛṣṇa, the more it becomes perfect. He's unlimited. Your anxiety, you become unlimited. So there is competition. The more you serve Kṛṣṇa, the more He accepts you and the more He gives you intelligence. You see? So the spiritual world is unlimited. There is no end of service, and there is no end of accepting the service. It is not that. So eagerness. Tatra laulyam eka mūlyam. I am not manufacturing the answer, but I am giving you evidence from Rūpa Gosvāmī, our ācārya. He says, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate: "My dear gentlemen, my dear boys and girls, if you can purchase a…, your sense of loving Kṛṣṇa-'How I can love Kṛṣṇa more and more'-this, this much, this anxiety, if you can purchase this matiḥ,"-means intelligence; it is very nice intelligence-" 'How I shall serve Kṛṣṇa…' " Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ. Matiḥ means intelligence or status of mind, that "I'll serve Kṛṣṇa." "If you can purchase this status of mind anywhere, please immediately purchase." Then next question will be, "All right, I shall purchase. What is the price, do you know?" "Yes, I know what is the price." "What is that price?" "Laulyam, simply your eagerness, that's all." Laulyam ekaṁ mūlyam. "Ah, that I can have." No. Na janma koṭibhis sukṛtibhir labhyate. This eagerness, how to love Kṛṣṇa, this is not available even after many, many births. So if you have a pinch of that anxiety, "How I can serve Kṛṣṇa?" you must know you are the most fortunate man. A pinch only, laulya, this anxiety, "How I can serve Kṛṣṇa?" it is very nice. Then Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence.

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam…

[Bg. 10.10]

"Anyone who is engaged with love and affection in My service, without any hypocrisy," then Kṛṣṇa can understand everything. He is within me, within you. Then He will give you intelligence: "My dear boy, you do like this." And by doing that, what he will achieve? Yena mām upayānti te: "He'll come back to Me." And what profit he will get by going there? Ah, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. Duḥkhalayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. There are so many. Please read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. You'll get perfect knowledge, the science of God. That is the only study for human being.

So simply your eagerness is the perfection for serving Kṛṣṇa. Increase that eagerness. And eagerness means if you love Kṛṣṇa, that eagerness will increase with your increase of love: "How I shall serve Kṛṣṇa?" Because you are voluntary servant, nobody is forcing. That means unless you love Kṛṣṇa, how that eagerness will increase? So there are so many things to love Kṛṣṇa. Beginning is this śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. This śravaṇam, hearing, and chanting. Hearing, you are hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa, you are hearing Bhagavad-gītā, you are hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about Kṛṣṇa, and chanting. This is the beginning. Then, naturally,

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

These nine kinds of different varieties of service to Kṛṣṇa will enlighten you, will advance you in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and your life will be successful. Any other question? Try to understand, question. It is not a thing that we are forcibly pushing. You have got intelligence. Kṛṣṇa has given you intelligence. Try to understand with your intelligence but do not try to avoid. Make your question to understand it, not making question to avoid it. There are two kinds of question. That question will not help you. If you try to avoid, then Kṛṣṇa will help you to avoid, and if you want to capture Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will help you how you can capture. Two things are going on. Whatever path you want, you can accept. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11]. Kṛṣṇa helps according to the person's attitude. If… There are… Just like so many philosophers, they want to forget Kṛṣṇa. Just like you will find in Dr. Radhakrishnan's book, in the Ninth Chapter Kṛṣṇa said, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. The translation is all right, but he comments, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa that you have to surrender." Just see. That means his whole process of writing the book is to mislead persons how one can forget Kṛṣṇa. So if anyone wants to forget Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will give him such intelligence that he will never be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. But if anyone tries to love Kṛṣṇa, understand Kṛṣṇa, He'll give full of intelligence. You can understand. That is Kṛṣṇa. You have got full liberty. But if you forget Kṛṣṇa, then you have to serve māyā, and if you love Kṛṣṇa, then māyā will leave you.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, after Lord Caitanya took sannyāsa, in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya it says He met His mother. I always thought that a sannyāsī could not do that.

Prabhupāda: No, a sannyāsī cannot meet his wife. A sannyāsī is forbidden to go home, and never meet his wife, but he can meet if other… But that… Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not go to His home. It is by arrangement. Advaita Prabhu brought His mother to see Caitanya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, after accepting sannyāsa He was just like mad after Kṛṣṇa. He was going on the shore of the Ganges forgetting that this is Ganges. He thought that "This is Yamunā. I am going to Vṛndāvana, following the…" So Nityānanda Prabhu sent one man, that "I am following Caitanya. Please inform Advaita to bring one boat in some ghāṭa so that He'll be able to take Him to His home." So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was in ecstasy. Then He saw all of a sudden that Advaita was waiting with a boat. So He asked Him, "Advaita, why You are here? Here, it is Yamunā." Advaita said, "Yes, My dear Lord, wherever You are it is Yamunā. So You come with Me." So He went, and when He went He went to Advaita's home. Then He saw, "You have misled Me. You have brought Me at Your home. It is not Vṛndāvana. How is that?" "All right, Sir, You have come by mistake, so…," (laughter) "please remain here." So He immediately sent one man to His mother. Because He knew that Caitanya Mahāprabhu has accepted sannyāsa; He's never coming back again to home. So His mother is mad after the son. He was the only son. So He gave a chance to His mother to see Him for the last time. That was arranged by Advaita. So when mother came, Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately fell down on the feet of His mother. He was a young man, twenty-four years old, and the mother, when she saw that her son has accepted sannyāsa, there is daughter-in-law at home, naturally woman, she was very much affected, began to cry. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu tried to pacify her with very nice words. He said, "My dear mother, this body is given by you, so I should have engaged My body in your service. But I am your foolish son. I have done some mistake. Please excuse Me." So that scene is very pathetic-separation between mother and son. (long pause) All right, chant. Chant loudly. Loudly. (kīrtana) (prema-dhvanī) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Today's kīrtana?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We collected fifty dollars.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Oh, that's nice. And Back to Godhead? How many copies sold, Back to Godhead?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: About fifty-two.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That's nice. What is that? (end)

681007LE.SEA

Lecture

Seattle, October 7, 1968

Prabhupāda: (sings) Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi *. (devotees repeat) So we are worshiping Govindam, the reservoir of all pleasures, Govinda, Kṛṣṇa. And He is ādi-puruṣaṁ, the original person. So govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi *. Bhajāmi means "I worship," "I surrender unto Him and I agree to love Him." These are the terms offered by hymns by Brahmā. That Brahma-saṁhitā is a, considerably a large book. The first verse in the Fifth Chapter it is said that the Lord, Govinda, He has got His particular planet, which is known as Goloka Vṛndāvana. It is beyond this material sky. This material sky you can see as far as your vision go, but beyond that material sky there is spiritual sky. This material sky is covered by material energy, mahat-tattva, and there are seven layers of covering of earth, water, fire, air. And beyond that covering there is an ocean, and beyond that ocean the spiritual sky begins. And in that spiritual sky, the highest planet is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. These things are described in the Vedic literature, in the Bhagavad-gītā also. Bhagavad-gītā is very well known book. There also it is stated,

na yatra bhāsayate sūryo

na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ

yad gatvā na nivartante

tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

[Bg. 15.6]

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that there is another spiritual sky, where there is no need of sunshine. Na yatra bhāsayate sūryo. Sūrya means sun, and bhāsayate means distributing the sunshine. So there is no need of sunshine. Na yatra bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko. Śaśāṅka means moon. Neither there is need of moonlight. Na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ. Neither there is need of electricity. That means the kingdom of light. Here, this material world is kingdom of darkness. That you know everyone. It is actually darkness. As soon as there is sun on the other side of this earth, it is darkness. That means by nature it is dark. Simply by sunshine, moonshine, and electricity we are keeping it light. Actually, it is darkness. And darkness means ignorance also. Just like at night people are more ignorant. We are ignorant, but at night we are more ignorant. So Vedic instruction is tamasi mā jyotir gama. The Vedas say, "Don't remain in this darkness. Just transfer yourself to the kingdom of light." And the Bhagavad-gītā also says that there is a special sky, or a spiritual sky, where there is no need of sunshine, there is no need of moonlight, there is no need of electricity, and-yad gatvā na nivartante [Bg. 15.6]-and if anyone goes to that kingdom of light, he never comes back again to this kingdom of darkness.

So how we can transfer into that kingdom of light? The whole human civilization is based on these principles. The Vedānta says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Atha ataḥ. "Therefore you should now inquire about Brahman, the Absolute." "Therefore now" means… Every word is significant. "Therefore" means because you have got this human body-"therefore." And ataḥ means "hereafter." "Hereafter" means you have passed through many, many lives, 8,400,000 species of life. Aquatics-900,000. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. This is the… Darwin has taken the idea of evolution from this Padma Purāṇa. You won't find any philosophy, any doctrine in the world which is not found in the Vedic literature. It is so perfect, everything is there. So the anthropomorphism or-what is called?-anthropology… Anthropology of Darwin is there in the Padma Purāṇa. It is very nicely described. Darwin cannot explain what are the number of the species of different, but Padma Purāṇa states that there are 900,000 species of life within water, within the ocean. And above the ocean, as soon as the ocean water is dried up, the land is coming out, immediately the vegetation begins. Different types of plants and trees then come out. So jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Two millions, lakṣa-viṁśati, twenty hundred thousand. That is two million? Anyway… Sthāvarā lakṣa. Sthāvarā means those who cannot move. There are different types of living entities. The trees, the plants, they cannot move. The other type of living entities, just like the birds, the beasts, the human being, they can move. So sthāvarā and jaṅgama. Jaṅgama means those who can move, and sthāvarā means those who cannot move. The hills, the mountains, they are also amongst the sthāvarās. They are also living entities. There are many hills, they are growing. That means there is life, but in the lowest stage of: stone. So in this way we are making progress. Sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Reptiles and worms. Rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ means eleven hundred thousands. Then from reptiles, worms, the wings grow-birds. From wings grow… Then it comes to the bird's life. Pakśiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam: ten hundred thousands of birds. And then paśavaḥ triṁśal-lakṣāṇi, four-legged animals, there are thirty hundred thousand. So nine and twenty, twenty-nine, then eleven, forty, then birds, ten, fifty, beasts, thirty, eighty-eighty hundred thousands. And then… Eight millions-and four hundred thousand species of human life. Human life is not in large quantity. Out of that, mostly they are uncivilized, and very few Aryan families. The Aryan family-the Indo-European family, they are also Aryan-they are very few. The Europeans, they belong to the Indo-European group. The Americans, they also come from Europe. So this group of human society is very few. There are other, many uncivilized groups. Therefore Vedānta says, atha ataḥ: now you have got developed human form of life, civilized life, you have got nice arrangement for your comfortable life. Especially in America you have got all material comforts. You have got cars, you have got good road, nice food, nice building, nice dress, nice feature of your body. Everything God has given you very nice. The Vedānta advises, "Now you take to about the inquiry of Brahman." Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

This is applicable for everyone, civilized men. I don't speak of the Americans, in Europe, in Asia. Anywhere. Aryans means those who are advanced. Non-Aryans means those who are not ad… This is the Sanskrit meaning, ārya. And śūdras… Aryans are divided into four castes. The most intelligent class is called brāhmaṇa, and the less than the brāhmaṇas means those who are administrators, politicians, they are kṣatriyas. And next to them the mercantile class, traders, merchants, industrialists, less than the administrative class. And less than that, the śūdras. Śūdras means worker, laborer. So this system is not new. It is everywhere. Wherever there is human society, these four classes of men are there. Sometimes I am questioned why there is caste system in India. Well, this caste system is there. It is by nature. Bhagavad-gītā says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: [Bg. 4.13] "The four classes of men are there. That is My law." How they are four classes? Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. Guṇa means quality, and karma means work. If you have got very nice quality, intelligence, brahminical qualities… Brahminical qualities means if you speak truth, you are very clean and you are self-controlled, your mind is in equilibrium, you are tolerant, and so many qual… You believe in God, you know scriptures practically. These qualities are for the higher class, brāhmaṇa. The first qualification of a brāhmaṇa is that he's truthful. He'll disclose everything even to his enemy. He'll never, I mean to say, hide anything. Satyam. Śaucam, very clean. A brāhmaṇa is expected to take bath daily thrice and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Bahyābhyantara, clean outside, clean inside. These are qualities. So when these opportunities are there, then the Vedānta-sūtra, Vedānta advises, "Now you begin to inquire about Brahman." Athāto brahma jijñāsā.

Athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one has reached to the material perfection, then the next business is to inquire. If we do not inquire, if we do not try to understand what is Brahman, then we must be frustrated. Because the hankering is there, advancement, advancement of knowledge. The theory of advancement of knowledge is that nobody should be satisfied by the knowledge, what he already knows. He must know more and more. So in your country in comparison to other countries at the present age, you have advanced materially very nicely. Now you take to this brahma-jijñāsā, inquiry about the Supreme Absolute: What is that Absolute? What I am? I am also Brahman. Because I am part and parcel of Brahman, therefore I am also Brahman. Just like part and parcel, a little particle of gold is also gold. It is no other thing. Similarly, we are also particle of Brahman or the Supreme. Just like the molecules of sunshine, they are also as illuminating as the sun globe, but they are very small. Similarly, we living entities, we are also the same as God. But He is just like as big as the sun globe or the deity in the sun globe, but we are small particles, the molecules of sunshine. This is the comparison between the Supreme and us. We cannot become the Supreme. At least, we don't find in authorized Vedic literature that a living entity can become as powerful as God. No. It is not possible. God is great. He's always great. Even if you are liberated from the material clutches, still He is great. That is… Therefore this verse, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Our perpetual relationship with God is to worship Him, or to serve Him. That service is very pleasant. Don't take it… As soon as we talk of service, we may think that "Oh, we are suffering here by adopting service." Just like the other evening one boy was questioning, "Why should we bow down?" I do not know if he's present here. The bow down to surrender to somebody is not bad, but because we are in a different situation, by surrendering to other, it is very uncomfortable. Just like nobody wants to be dependent on other nation, nobody wants to be dependent on other people. Everyone wants to be independent, because this material world is perverted reflection of the spiritual world. But in the spiritual world, the more you surrender, the more you are servant, you are happy. You are happy. But we have no such understanding at the present moment. We have no spiritual idea, no spiritual realization; therefore we shudder as soon as we hear that we have to become servant of God. But there is no question of shuddering. It is very pleasant to become servant of God. You see so many reformers, they came, they served the mission of God, and they are still worshiped. So to become servant of God, servitor of God, is not very insignificant thing. It is the most important thing. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. But don't accept it. First of all try to understand. Therefore Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. Try to understand what is Brahman. (microphone is making sound) Why this sound? Try to understand what is Brahman and try to understand your relationship. And then, when you actually surrender, you'll feel your eternal blissful life, full of knowledge.

And this is very nicely explained in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, the same teaching is there, but… We have got two books already published, one, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is; another book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So Bhagavad-gītā teaches surrendering process. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. "You surrender unto Me," the Lord says. And the Lord teachings, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching is how to make surrender. Because we have been accustomed in our present conditional life to revolt against surrender. There are so many parties, so many "isms," and the main principle is that "Why shall I surrender?" That is the main disease. Whatever political party is there… Just like the Communist party. Their revolt is against the superior authority they call capitalists. "Why shall we…" Everywhere, the same thing is, "Why shall I surrender?" But we have to surrender. That is our constitutional position. If I don't surrender to some particular person or particular government or particular community or society or something, but ultimately I am surrendered. I am surrendered to the laws of nature. There is no independence. I have to surrender. When there is call of the cruel hands of death, immediately I have to surrender. So many things. So we should understand… This is brahma-jijñāsā, that "Why there is the surrendering process?" If I don't like to surrender, then I am forced to surrender. In the state also, if I don't mean to abide by the laws of the state, the state obliges me to surrender by police force, by military force, by so many things. Similarly, I don't want to die, but death forces me to surrender. I don't want to become old man, but nature forces me to become old. I don't want any disease, but nature forces me to accept some sort of disease. So this surrendering process is there. Now we have to understand why this is so. That means my constitutional position is to surrender, but the present difficulty is that I'm surrendering to a wrong person. When we understand that I should surrender to the Supreme Lord, then my constitutional position is revived. That is my liberty.

I do not know that my position is to surrender, and that surrendering principle is my life, is my happy life. Just like a small child, if he surrenders to the wishes of the parents, his life is very pleasing, very happy. A young girl, if she surrenders to the wishes of the parents, and… That is the system, Vedic system. A woman, by nature, is dependent. Artificially, if woman wants liberty, then his (her) life is unhappy, her life is unhappy. Therefore Vedic system is… I am not manufacturing, I am speaking authorizedly on the Vedic principle. The Manu-saṁhitā, the law of Vedas, Manu, the master of the humankind, Manu… Manu is the father of the mankind. So he has got his lawbook. That Manu-saṁhitā lawbook is still followed in India so far as the Hindus are concerned. So in that book Manu-saṁhitā, it is stated, na striyaṁ svatantram arhati. He gives the law that woman should not be given independence. Then? What should be the life? The life should be so long she's not married, she must live under the guidance, dependent on the parents. And as soon as she is married, she should live dependent on her husband. And when the husband is gone out… Because according to Hindu system, the husband does not remain at home for all the days, till death. No. When children are grown up, he gives up wife and children and becomes a sannyāsī, just like I have become. I have my children, I have my grandsons, I have my wife still exist… But I have given up all connection. So how my wife is being maintained? Oh, she has got grown-up children. So there is no anxiety. So dependence is not bad if there is dependence on the proper place. No father neglects to look after the comforts of an unmarried girl, of his unmarried girls and boys. According to Hindu system, a father, mother responsibility ceases after he gets the children married, either daughter or son. So much obligation. Then they are free. So dependence, I am speaking on the dependence. So dependence is not bad; surrender is not bad. I have seen practically that woman surrendering to the husband… Still there are so many women in India, they are so happy and their life is so glorious. So we have to learn how things are to be done. Independence, artificial independence is no good always. Practically, we have no independence. I may think of independence, but practically I have no independence. I am servant of my senses. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśa. We are all serving the senses. So where is my independence? I may declare independence from my father, from my state, from my country, from my community, but I am servant of my senses. So where is my independence? So we should know our constitutional position, that in all circumstances we are dependent. Therefore the best method of my perfection of life is to become dependent on God, Kṛṣṇa. That is the solution of all problems. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that. Try to understand your constitutional position and be surrendered to God, to Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be happy. Very simple thing. The moment you surrender unto God, immediately you become happy. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te.

So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not very difficult either to understand or to execute. Simply we shall be willing to do this. That's all. That willing is in your hand. If you like, you can accept it. Because you have got little independence to accept something or reject something. That independence you have got. And by rejecting something good, we are in distress, and accepting something good, we are happy. So this acceptance and rejection is in your hand. So here is the offering, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by great authorities, by Lord Kṛṣṇa, by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and we are humble servants only. We are simply distributing. We have not manufactured a new type of religious sect or method of philosophy. No. It is very, very old system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply we are trying to distribute in a process which can be accepted by the people in general. So our request to you all who are present here or who are not present here, that you try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and if you do not understand immediately, if you kindly associate with us, put your questions, try to understand… We don't say that you blindly accept it. Put your question, try to understand, read our literature, and you'll understand. There is no doubt about it. And you'll take to it. And if you take to it, you'll be happy. In other processes… Just like a political creed. Unless it is nationally accepted… Just like there are so many political parties in every country. Everyone is trying to bring in the forefront the party politics because the leader cannot be successful unless the whole country accepts his philosophy, his party. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that it does not require that a community or a nation or a family or any group has to accept, then you will be happy. No. Individually, if you accept. If your family does not accept, if your community does not accept, if your country does not accept, it doesn't matter. You will be happy. But if your family accepts, if your community accepts, if your nation…, you will be more happy. So… Because it is absolute, independent, so any person takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be happy immediately. So we invite you. We have got classes, we have got different branches in different cities, we have got books, we have got magazines, and we try to convince you by our morning and evening classes. So my humble request to you all that you try to understand. Caitanyer dayā kathā karaha vicāra. We put for your judgment to understand. We put this Kṛṣṇa consciousness before you for your judgment. And if you scrutinizingly see and try to understand, then you'll feel, "Oh, it is so sublime. It is so nice." That is our request.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) So you have got any question, you can put. You have got any question? That girl. Anyone, if you have got any question.

Jaya-gopāla: Prabhupāda? How do we explain to impersonalists inductively the existence of the Personality of Godhead?

Prabhupāda: This example I have given you several times. Just like you try to understand the sun. This is daily affair. Now when you try to understand what is this sun, you first of all come to the sunshine light. If you are covered with cloud and if you have not known what is sun, that is a different thing. Or even if it is covered, you can go up to the over the cloud and see the sunshine and sun. So the cloud is compared with māyā. So sun is compared with the kingdom of God, and the president of the sun planet is God. This is example. God is far away and He's the greatest. He has created so many millions of suns. But I am giving that example. Now to study the sun, first of all you come to the sunshine. The sunshine is distributed all over the universe, and the sun planet is situated in a localized place. And within the sun planet, there is the predominating deity who is called sun-god. But if you want to study all these things, first of all you come to the sunshine. The sunshine is impersonal. Similarly, there is a transcendental rays from the planet where Kṛṣṇa, or God, is there. Just a few minutes before I recited one verse from Bhagavad-gītā that na tad bhāsayate sūryo [Bg. 15.6]. That means it is illuminating. There is no need of sunshine. Just like this planet is not illuminating; therefore we want light from the sun, from the moon, from electricity. But Bhagavad-gītā says that the planet of the Lord, there is no… Why planet? The sky. There is no need of sunshine. Every planet in the spiritual world is illuminating. So because every planet is illuminating, the whole spiritual sky is dazzling illumination. So one who approaches that dazzling illumination called brahmajyoti, they are called impersonalists. Is it clear?

Jaya-gopāla: But how does one show such an impersonalist with absolute proof logically? I was told Śrīla Bhaktivinoda has such a proof.

Prabhupāda: Apart from Bhaktivinoda, try to understand in your common sense.

Jaya-gopāla: Yes, I can see this.

Prabhupāda: Just like sun planet, there is sunshine. The sunshine is impersonal, but if you have got power to enter into the sun globe, then you will find there, there are so many persons, they have got fiery body. It is not a fact in other planets there is no life. That is a nonsense. Every planet there is life, but they have got different situation, different atmosphere. The moon planet is very cold. Even the modern scientists, they agree that the temperature in the moon planet is below two hundred degree zero. So it is very cold. Similarly, sun planet is very hot. Similarly, there are other planets which is made of air, some planets made of water. These five elements, earth, water, air, ether, this is the, these are the ingredients of material world. So some planet is made of something, some planet is made of something. But this earth is made of earth only, and water. So in the sunshine you see, you go by airplane, go in the "friendly sky" above the… You see everything impersonal. Simply glaring sunshine, that's all. But that does not mean it is impersonal. There are many planets within the sunshine, millions of planets, but you cannot see. Similarly, persons who cannot see beyond the brahmajyoti, the transcendental rays of the spiritual sky, they are impersonalists. They are impersonalists. But one who goes to the transcendental planets, Vaikuṇṭhas, Goloka Vṛndāvana, they see God is there person. As you are person, I am person, you'll find person.

So it is poor fund of knowledge only that these conclude that the ultimate Absolute Truth is impersonal. No. Because Vedānta says, Vedānta-sūtra says, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The Supreme Absolute Truth, or Brahman, is that from whom everything generates, everything is born. Now, everything is born. Then you have got personality, I have got my personality, everyone has got personality. How you can think of Him that He is not person? We have got experience that a father is person, therefore his son is also person. So if we are born of the supreme father, then if we are person, how He can be imperson? It is simple reason. But His personality is different, our personality is different. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. His body is different, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. His power is different, His potency is different. Different means that is all spiritual. The difference of spiritual matter we can understand that spirit is the basic principle of movement of matter. Because the spirit soul is within this body, therefore it is moving. Because the spirit soul is there within this body, therefore it is growing. So spirit soul is the basic principle of all material expansion. Similarly, God being full spirit, whole spirit, He is the basic principle of all cosmic manifestation, but He is person. These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll read. Arjuna says that "It is very difficult to understand Your personality." People are bewildered, but He is person. And in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad and many other Upaniṣads it is said, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "He is the chief eternal amongst all eternals." That means we living entities, we are also eternals, but He is the chief eternal. So if we are persons, then He is also person. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, the Lord says that "Myself, yourself, My dear Arjuna, and all these kings and soldiers who have come here, assembled here, they are all persons. They were all persons in the past, they are persons at present, and they will continue as persons in the future." These things are there. So individual soul or God, every one of us is person. Each and every one of us-person. Imperson is another feature of the person. Just like the same example. In sun planet there is person, the predominating deity, and his personal effulgence is the sunshine. The sunshine is imperson, but the planet is localized, and the predominating deity is person. The Bhagavata confirms it, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. The Absolute Truth is one. Just like the sun, the sunshine, and the deity within the sun, that is one unit. But some portion is called sunshine, some portion is called sun planet, some portion is called the deity. Similarly, the Supreme Brahman is one. His person, His localized position, and His influence and energy, they are one. This is the śuddhādvaitavāda, pure monism. The Śaṅkarācārya's philosophy is monism, one, and Śrī Rāmānujācārya explains, "Yes, one-unity in diversity." So this is unity. The sun deity, the sun planet and the sunshine is one unit, but still, there is diversity. The division of the sunshine is different from the sun planet, the sun planet is different from the predominating deity in the sun planet. If you try to understand this way, then you will understand what is Paramātmā, the Supersoul; the individual soul; the impersonal Brahman; the personal Brahman-everything. Is that clear? So any other question? Yes?

Upendra: Prabhupāda, can you explain mahāmāyā and yogamāyā? Was Arjuna under yogamāyā or mahāmāyā?

Prabhupāda: Arjuna, when he was thinking in terms of his personal sense gratification, he was under mahāmāyā. And when he agreed to execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he's under yogamāyā.

Upendra: How is it Arjuna, if he was eternally liberated…

Prabhupāda: Because he is living entity, he is marginal. There is chance of… Marginal means… I have explained several times. Just like the land. Between the ocean and the land, there is a portion of land which is sometime merged within water, sometimes it is land. So a living entity's position is like that, marginal energy. He may be under the influence of yogamāyā or he may be under the influence of mahāmāyā. When he is under the influence of mahāmāyā, that is his conditional life. And when he is under the influence of yogamāyā, he's free. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (kīrtana) (end)

681009LE.SEA

Lecture

Seattle, October 9, 1968

Prabhupāda: Why don't you sit on the chair if you feel inconvenient? I'm asking you. You can sit down on the chair. That's all right? Hare Kṛṣṇa. (chants) Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (devotees respond)

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.29]

(repeats, devotees respond) So we are worshiping the ādi-puruṣa, the first person. Generally, in grammatical knowledge, first person means "I." Here, first person means "the Supreme Lord," ādi-puruṣa, the original person, not the first person, original person. The original person is in the original planet. There is the original planet. Just like here the original planet, scientists accept the sun. Similarly, the sun is also one of the millions of many other suns. There are millions of sun. So sun, in the estimation of this universe, is the original planet. But there are innumerable universes, and in each and every universe there is a sun. So therefore there are innumerable sun and moons. That is accepted by the modern science, and it is stated in the Vedic literature also. So sun is not the original planet, but the original planet is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. But the sun has similarity. Just like the sun is shining, the shining planet, and on the sunshine there are other planets, they are moving by the heat of the sunshine in their orbit. So similarly, sun is also moving. According to modern science, sun is fixed up, but according to Vedic literature, sun is also moving.

In the Brahma-saṁhitā we understand the movements of the sun:

yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ

rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ

yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

The meaning of this verse is that "I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead Govinda, asya ajñayā, by whose order this sun, which is considered to be the king of all planets…" Sun is the king of all planets. That is a known fact. Without sun, all these planets, they cannot live. Without sunshine, their life will be extinct. Therefore sun is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā, rājā samasta-grahāṇām, of all the planets. And aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ means unlimited heat, fire. Unlimited fire. Nobody knows what is the source of this fire, but there is unlimited fire. Some ninety-three millions miles away from this planet, still, the heat is sometimes unbearable. Just see what is the fire. And it is so many times, fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet, earthly planet. So Brahma-saṁhitā says in spite of the sun's so many, I mean to say, high qualification, it is moving under the order of Govinda. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. It has got its own orbit, it is moving, kāla-cakro. Kāla-cakro means limited. Nobody is unlimited. Just like we are also moving within the time limit, kāla-cakra. So the planet, this planet is moving, other planet is moving. Similarly, the sun planet is moving. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, I think if I am not mistaken, the speed of the sun is sixteen thousand miles per second, but it is moving. Sixteen thousand miles per second it is moving. So Brahma-saṁhitā gives us this information. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Savitā means the sun planet. Yac-cakṣur eṣa. This savitā, the sun, is considered to be the eyes, one of the eyes of the Lord. In His universal form the sun is considered to be one of the eyes of the Lord, and the moon is also another eye. Take it figuratively or universal form of the Lord, but you cannot escape the seeing power of Govinda. He is seeing always. There are so many witnesses according to Vedic literature. So we cannot do anything hiding from the eyes of the Lord. He is seeing. He is witness. And that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: upadraṣṭā anumantā. Upadraṣṭā. Upadraṣṭā means overseer. Overseer.

Now in our childhood… Not childhood. We were at that time college student, Scottish Churches College in Calcutta. So that is Christian college, Scottish Churches. So we had to read Bible also. There was a Bible class from 1:00 to 1:30. So I remember our professor, he was a great philosopher also, Dr. W.S. Urquhart. He was very nice man, very friendly. So he was explaining from Bible. I do not know… The Christians, they do not believe in karma. Is it a fact? They do not believe in karma?

Govinda dāsī: They have a verse that "You reap what you sow," which means whatever you do, you receive the reaction of. It's sort of…

Prabhupāda: So… But karma is accepted? But I do not know. Dr. Urquhart was arguing that if I am suffering or enjoying as the effect of my previous life, so who is the witness? His argument was like this. Just like if I have committed some criminal act, in the court there is need of witness. Then one has to prove that somebody has seen that he has done this. This is simply a legal formality. Who is going to steal while keeping one witness? Nobody's going, but court wants that who has seen that he has stolen. Anyway, Dr. Urquhart's argument was that "Who is the witness? I am suffering the reaction of my previous bad or evil activities, but who is the witness?" But at that time we were not so intelligent. We could not answer. But later on, when we were grown up and studied Bhagavad-gītā, then here, in the Bhagavad-gītā, we saw that upadraṣṭā. The Lord is upadraṣṭā, He is witness. Upadraṣṭā. Anumantā. Anumantā means ordering. You cannot do anything without being sanctioned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You have no power. Therefore we are, in all respect, we are dependent. That we have got very nice experience. This hand is moving, but if the power is withdrawn, I cannot move my hand. Therefore I am not independent to move my hand. So upadraṣṭā anumantā. We cannot do anything without being sanctioned by the Supreme Lord. There is an English word, that not even a grass moves without the sanction of the Lord. So that is a fact. So how one is doing nice thing and how one is doing evil things if He is the order giver? That is our independence. We can take sanction from the Lord. If we want to do something evil, I cannot do it without the sanction of the Supreme. Or even if I do something very nice, that also I cannot do without the sanction. So how the Lord gives such sanction? The sanction is like this: just like a child is crying to get something from the parent, and the parent, being disgusted, gives him something, "All right. Take it." Such kind of sanction. When we do something evil, the sanction is from the Lord, but it is not willing sanction. Against the will of the Lord. And when you do something in cooperation with the Lord, that is called bhakti. We are doing everything… In the material world we are doing everything, all nonsense for sense gratification. There is also sanction of the Lord, but that is unwilling sanction. But when we execute devotional service, loving devotional service, that is very pleasing to the Lord.

So the bhakti-yoga means acting by pleasing the Lord. That's all. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You are not forbidden to do this thing or that thing, but you have to see only whether by your action the Supreme Lord is satisfied. That's all. That much knowledge you must have. Then your life will be successful. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says,

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

[SB 1.2.13]

Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā. This verse was spoken by Sūta Gosvāmī, who was speaking before a very learned gathering at Naimiṣāraṇya. It is the system of Vedic system, that… Not Vedic system; everywhere, all over the world. Any civilized society there is nice speaker, learned speaker, and many persons hear him. That is the system from very old time. So Sūta Gosvāmī, he was representative of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the speaker of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and he was addressing very learned brāhmaṇas. So he's addressing, dvija-śreṣṭhā. Śreṣṭhā means the, I mean to say, picked-up, the topmost of the brāhmaṇas. They were topmost of the brāhmaṇas; still, they require knowledge. Knowledge is so nice that even if you think that you are very learned, you are well versed in everything, still, you require knowledge. That should be our motto. Don't think that "I have finished." Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught this lesson in His life, that He represented Himself as a fool. So everyone should think of himself that "I am still a fool." Just like it is said that Sir Isaac Newton… He was such a learned man, but he used to say that "I have simply collected a few grains of sand from the beach of knowledge." Knowledge is so vast that his knowledge was simply a few grains of the vast amount of sand of knowledge. So everyone should think like that. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaj, the author, he says that "I am lowest than the germs in the stool. I have no knowledge." So the more you become advanced in knowledge, you'll know that how insignificant you are in comparison to the Supreme. Yes.

So although they were learned brāhmaṇas, or dvija… Dvija means not only brāhmaṇas, but the kṣatriyas or the vaiśyas. Kṣatriya means ruling class, administrative class, politicians. They are called kṣatriyas. And brāhmaṇas means learned scholar in philosophy, in science, in theology, they are brāhmaṇas. And kṣatriyas, and vaiśyas… Vaiśyas means traders, mercantile people. And śūdras means worker, laborer. So the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas, they are called dvija. Dvija means twice-born. The śūdras, those who are once born simply by the father and mother, they are called śūdras. They are not counted amongst the higher class. But those who are twice-born. That means once born by the father and mother, and the second birth is the spiritual father and Vedic knowledge. Once born by this material bodily father and mother, and the second birth is Vedic knowledge, the mother, and the spiritual master, the father. So that is second birth. So second birth, those who accept the second birth, they are called dvija, twice-born. So he is addressing dvija. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā: the topmost of the twice-born. Topmost of the twice-born means brāhmaṇa also, or these three classes. Take it for granted that the brāhmaṇas. But the next line is, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. There are four kinds of classification: the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdras, and… This is called varṇa. And āśrama, āśrama means spiritual situation: the brahmacārī, the gṛhastha, the vānaprastha, and the sannyāsī. They are spiritually situated. So anyone, either a brahmacārī or a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or anyone, he will fall down in either of these eight divisions of human social order. So Sūta Gosvāmī said that anyone, that means anyone, must have some occupation. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. If you are engineer, then you have got some occupation. If you are medical man, you have got some occupation. If you are a philosopher, you have got some occupation. If you are laborer, worker, you have got some occupation. Even if you are a thief, you have got some occupation. So everyone has got occupation. So just see how nice it is. So Bhāgavata says, it doesn't matter what is your occupation, but simply try to see whether by your activities or a particular type of occupation you have satisfied the Supreme Lord. That's all. Then,

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

[SB 1.2.13]

Hari-toṣaṇam: that your perfection of life will be considered in relation with the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. That you have to learn, how you are satisfying the Supreme Lord.

Now at the present moment, immediately… We were, of course, taking Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was present before Arjuna. So he was receiving direct order, He was speaking directly. But if somebody says that "How I can know that I am satisfying the Supreme Lord, because the Lord is not directly present before me?" this argument is not a very strong argument. The Lord is present by His words. Just like in your Bible, there are ten commandments. So if you follow… Just like the state is present by the lawbooks. If you follow the law, then you are satisfying the state. Just like "Keep to the right." If you are following the rules, you are keeping your car on the right side, you are stopping when there is red light, that means if you are satisfying the regulation, then you are satisfying the state. Similarly, if you satisfy the regulative principles, then you are satisfying the Lord. It is very nice. It is very simple thing. But you must try to satisfy. Whether by your work, by your activity, you have satisfied, then your life is perfect. Ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, svanuṣṭhitasya. It doesn't matter whatever you are doing, but you have to see whether by your action the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied.

Now, to facilitate these activities of the human being, there is spiritual master. Spiritual master is the representative of God. Therefore Vedic literature says, tad-vijñānārtham. In order to understand whether God is being satisfied or not, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12], one must approach a spiritual master in order to know. Because my life is meant for satisfying God, but understanding that God is not present in my front, I cannot see Him face to face, how can I know that He is satisfied or not? But there are books, scriptures, literatures. Apart from that, the Vedic injunction is that tad-vijñānārtham. In order to understand whether your action or activities has pleased the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you have to take information from the guru, or the spiritual master. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. Abhigacchet means "must." And in the Viśvanātha Cakravartī's prayer for the spiritual master, this is also said: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasāda. The last version of his prayer is yasya, "whose"; prasādāt, "satisfaction"; bhagavat-prasāda, "the Supreme Lord is satisfied." This is the test. If by your action… Because when you accept a spiritual master, then you have to work under his guidance. There are so many, I mean to say, rules and regulation. But ādau gurvāśrayam. The first thing is to accept a spiritual master. And if you have got a bona fide spiritual master, then it is to be understood that you have approached God because he is His representative. And if you act according to his direction, then it is to be understood that you are satisfying the Lord. This is the way, Vedic way. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasāda yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. If you cannot find out a bona fide spiritual master or if you cannot satisfy the bona fide spiritual master, then you must know you do not know where you are going. Na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī says, dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya guṇārṇavasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam. This is the process.

So we, we should make this our goal of life, how to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. This is the real purport. We chant this, that we are trying to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. There are so many verses of this govindam ādi-puruṣam, the Brahma-saṁhitā. And Bhagavad-gītā also, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also. So there is immense knowledge of understanding. It is a great science, science of God. So if anyone is interested about understanding the science of God, then he should take seriously this movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now one may question, "Why should I be interested to understand the science of God? Why not to understand the science of so many material things? Why one should be…" No. This is the necessity. That is the Vedānta's injunction. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to understand the science of the Absolute. Either you say God or Absolute Truth or the Supersoul, the same thing. But this life is meant for understanding. If we miss this opportunity, we do not know where we are going. The defect of the modern civilization is they don't care. Hedonism, Cārvāka's theory. There was, long, long before, there was an atheist philosopher. As there are many atheist philosophers nowadays, in former days also. He was known as Cārvāka Muni. According to his opinion, he says that don't care for next life. Don't care. Bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kuto punar āgamano bhavet. He says… Because according to Vedic system, the body is burned after death. As you bury underground… There are three processes everywhere. Somebody throws away for being eaten up by birds, or somebody puts within the ground, or somebody burns it. So Cārvāka Muni says that "After burning this body, who is coming and who is responsible? You see. You live merrily as far as possible. Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet. If you have no money, then borrow or steal, but live very nicely for sense pleasure." That is Cārvāka Muni's theory, and mostly, at the present moment, that theory is being followed. But the question is that Cārvāka Muni says there is no next life. What is the proof? Does it mean that his word is proof that there is no next life? Then everyone will say something. Of course, that is being accepted. Anyone discovers or says something nonsense, it is accepted.

But the process of Vedic understanding is not like that. You have to accept knowledge from the authority. Therefore the Vedic system has rejected the Cārvāka Muni. He has no authority. He is authority himself. He says that there is no life, but what is the proof? But there are many proofs that there is next life. So who will accept Cārvāka Muni's theory? Nobody. No sane man will accept. And suppose if there is life. There are two philosophers: one says that there is no life, other says there is life. Now we have to study both, if there is life and if there is no life. But if there is life, the next answer to Cārvāka theory, if there is life, then if I'm working irresponsibly, then I am becoming victim to my next life. So there are… But we have to take from the authority. Just like the Bhagavad-gītā says that na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin: "The soul is never born and never dies." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: [Bg. 2.20] "Even after the annihilation of this body there is no destruction of the soul." And soul is migrating in different species of life. So we have to take Kṛṣṇa the authority, Veda-Vyāsa the authority. There are many such authorities. So there is next life. There is no doubt. The practical proof there is… And Kṛṣṇa has given many proof. I have spoken in this meeting many times. There is next life. So we should be responsible. This human form of life should not be wasted simply for sense gratification. That sense gratification facility is in every… Even in the cats and dogs, there is that facility. By nature it is already arranged. But the special qualification of this human form of life is to know himself, and to try to understand that "Why I am in miserable condition? Wherefrom I have come? Where I have to go? What is God? What is this world?" This is called Vedānta. Vedānta means to understand all these things.

So Veda means knowledge and anta means the last stage of understanding. So last stage of understanding is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Vedānta. So our request… Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that we are requesting everyone that you do not spoil your life in pursuit of sense gratification like animals, but think that this life is very responsible life. You try to understand yourself, what you are, why you are put into this miserable condition of material existence, if there is any remedy. There is remedy. So we must take advantage of it and make our life successful.

Thank you very much. Any question?

Young man: If our first concern should be to serve God, or Kṛṣṇa, then why should there be a movement…

Prabhupāda: Because you do not know.

Young man: Well, you do it… You're telling people out of…

Prabhupāda: Certainly. Kṛṣṇa also tells. Kṛṣṇa tells. Kṛṣṇa comes Himself.

Young man: But you might get so caught up in the movement that you're forgetting about you're serving God. Is this…

Prabhupāda: Why? I am serving God. This movement means I am serving God. What do you mean by serving? If Kṛṣṇa says that "You obey Me," and if I say that "You obey Kṛṣṇa," is it not service?

Young man: Yes.

Prabhupāda: If your father says, "My dear boy, you obey me," and if your oldest brother says, "My dear brother, you obey father," is it not service to the father? So we are doing the same business. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You give up all other engagements, just surrender unto Me. I shall give you protection." And we are saying the same thing, that you surrender to Kṛṣṇa and you'll be happy. So we are voluntarily giving service to Kṛṣṇa; therefore it is service. Preaching work is the best service, if you preach rightly. If you preach wrongly, that is disservice. You have to simply say the same thing as Kṛṣṇa has said. Kṛṣṇa has said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "You simply surrender unto Me." So we have to say the same thing, that "You simply surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." Then it is all right. If I add something by my concoction, then it is not service. If I say, "You don't serve Kṛṣṇa. You serve me. I am God," then I am going to hell. We have to say, "You serve Kṛṣṇa." I have no right to accept any service from you, but I can accept anything on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. That is the spiritual master position. So what is your question?

Young man: The movement might get in the way of serving Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is service of Kṛṣṇa. Because… You have understood. What Kṛṣṇa wants, we are preaching the same thing.

Young man: Was there always a kind of a movement?

Prabhupāda: Yes, the movement is always there. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya

tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

[Bg. 4.7]

He says, "My dear Arjuna, whenever people are misguided and there is too much manifestation of irreligiosity, at that time I appear Myself." So this movement… This material world is such that suppose one thing is now set right, but still, the time is so cruel, after some time it will be distorted. This is the way of material existence. Therefore movement is required. Whenever there is deterioration of the real truth, there is necessity of movement. But the same movement, not a new movement. The movement means God is there, He is great, we are all subordinate; therefore our duty is to abide by the order of God. Then we are happy. The movement is very simple. There is no misunderstanding. The same movement was preached by Lord Kṛṣṇa. The same movement was preached by Lord Jesus Christ. The same movement we are also preaching. So there is no difference: simply accepting the authority or the greatness of the Supreme Lord and engage ourself. That's it. There is nothing new. You don't try to see something new. It is not new. It is the oldest because God is oldest, you are oldest, and your relationship is also oldest. Therefore the movement is also oldest. You cannot manufacture anything new. People are after something new. What new you'll have? Everything is old. The sun is old, the world is old, the moon is old, the atmospheric change is also old, the seasonal change is… What is new there? Millions of years ago there was sun, and still the sun is there. At that time the sun was hot; still it is hot. At that time people were dying; people are still dying. So what is new? It is simply waste of time for manufacturing something new. A concoction. There is nothing new. The old law is doing… History repeats itself. That is well known to everyone. So our movement is not new. It is the same movement, that you accept the supreme authority of God or Kṛṣṇa. That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But the process adopted is suitable for this time. That is also not new, not manufactured. It is recommended that in this age… Just like during winter season the process is to protect your body from being affected of cold. So that process is not new. Similarly, in this age… This age is called Kali-yuga. So it is recommended, kalau tad hari-saṅkīrtana, where God realization is only possible by this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Simple process. You come on. Sit down. It doesn't matter what you are, whether you are Indian or you are American, or Christian, or Hindu, or man, woman, black, white. It doesn't matter. You simply come, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and realize God. Because in this age very severe method cannot be followed. The people are so fallen that even four principles we have ordered, that "Don't take meat, don't have illicit sex life, don't participate in gambling, and don't," I mean to say… What is the other?

Govinda dāsī: Intoxication.

Prabhupāda: Intoxication. Oh, it is very difficult. Why they avoid Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Just like our friend Allen Ginsberg, he says, "Swamijī is very conservative." And so many friends, they ask me, "Swamijī, why you impose these rules?" You see? The people are so unable. Their inability is so strong that these four principles only… You want sex life? All right. We say that you get yourself married. But that is also difficult. Intoxication? Nobody has learned smoking from the beginning of his life. It is simply by association. So if you associate with us, you'll forget smoking, drinking. It was learned by association, you can forget it by association. No child used to eat meat from the very birth. It was milk. So this is all artificial, the so-called conventions of human society. Natural life does not allow all these things. So by good or bad association you have acquired so many artificial, I mean to say, habits. So simply by association you can forget also. Then you come to the pure life. And God is pure. Just like without being heated, you cannot stand in a place which is very heated. The temperature must be the same. This is known to everyone. So God is pure. You cannot approach God being impure. So the whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is purificatory process. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means senses, and Hṛṣīkeśa means the master of the senses, the Lord of the senses, Kṛṣṇa. So by engaging your senses in the service of the master of the senses, that is called bhakti. Now, how you can do that? Tat-paratvena nirmalam. You have to simply purify. Then it is easily possible. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to adopt the purificatory process, and then you have got natural engagement in the service of the Lord, your life is perfect. Yes?

Young man (2): You mentioned that it was natural for a child to drink milk and not eat the meat of an animal. And you stressed natural. Is it natural for a child to grow up and then shave his head and serve God, or is it just a form of socialization?

Prabhupāda: No, it is natural. Because he is fond of his mother, fond of his father. So we should be fond of our, the supreme father. That's all. It is natural. No child you can see, he's not fond of his father and mother. When he's grown up, when he associates with his friends, he tries to forget his father and mother. But at the beginning… Oh… The other day I was citing the example, naturally, our natural affection. Father's affection is there, mother's affection is there, child's affection is there. So father, mother never forgets the affection, but child forgets by bad association. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa does not forget us, but we have forgotten. So this process is to revive our natural position to love Kṛṣṇa. Now we are unnatural, in unnatural condition, forgetting Kṛṣṇa. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to bring back everyone to his original consciousness, affection, love between the child and the father. And that is the best service to the society. Suppose a child… Nobody is greater than God, and we are all children of God. Therefore we are children of the richest man, because who can be richer than God? Who can be powerful than God? And we are sons of God. So… But we have forgotten. Just like a boy, from his childhood he has left his home, very rich father. Loitering in the street, he has no sufficient food, sufficient clothing. So somebody sees, "Oh, this boy belongs to that rich man. He is living in such wretched condition." So the best service to that boy is to bring back to his father. Not that "My dear boy, I know that you are very rich man's son. You have now forgotten. You have no proper eating. I am giving you a morsel of bread. You eat it." That is also a service. But the best service is to bring him back to his rich father. Similarly, people are trying to serve the human society by so many morsel of food. That's all. And we are trying to bring back to his father. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the best service to the humanity, because his all problem will be solved as soon as he goes back to his father. No more problem. Therefore everyone should take seriously about this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Yes?

Young man (3): I saw a card last night which said, "The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc." A friend of mine asked me why the word "Incorporated"?

Prabhupāda: Because you want it.

Young man (3): Pardon?

Prabhupāda: Because you want it incorporated. Your state wants it. Your state means you.

Young man (3): The Washington state government.

Prabhupāda: Yes, government wants it. You cannot be revolting against the government. (chuckling) You have to live keeping pace with the government. We are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That does not mean we shall not use this electricity, we shall not take an apartment or we shall not sleep. Something unnatural we have to do. Why? Everyone abides by the law. We have to abide by the law. There is no difficulty. And government provides that religious society or this society, they should get themselves incorporated so that it is recognized. In so many activities they want to know whether this society is recognized. So we have to take all these measures. We cannot go out of the purview of the general rules and regulations.

Young man (4): The sādhus in India who have long hair and wander in the woods and stuff, I guess, do they have spiritual teachers? The sādhus in India. The ones who live in the forest and places like that? You know? Wander around…

Prabhupāda: Of course, those who are living in the forest, there is no barber. Naturally they have got long hairs. But why the sādhus in the city imitate them? There is no meaning. If a man is living in the forest, there is no facility of the barber. So he can keep long hairs. Why in the city?

Young man (4): No, I didn't mean the hair. I meant does a sādhu who lives in the woods, does he have a spiritual master or…

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Young man (4): How does he live in the woods without a spiritual master and learn?

Prabhupāda: No. In the woods also there are many saintly persons. People go there, accept spiritual master, and live with the spiritual master. But that is not very much convenient in this age. So in this age nobody is going to the forest to find out spiritual master, but the spiritual master has to come and canvass from India to New York. (laughter) This is a different position. Yes?

Young man (5): You said that everybody who has laws should live under them. Does an individual have a right to choose his own laws?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like when you go pass "Keep to the right," you have got the right also to go to the left. But as soon as you go to the left, you are criminal. That's all.

Young man (5): But taking one of the commandments of the Christian Bible, "Thou shall not kill," and applying that to a federal law or our American scriptures, there you have two laws that are not stemming from the same law, with different interpretations…

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The law in the Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill." But the federal law of the United States says you must go into the Army and kill. So which to follow? There is a difference. They both say opposite things.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The thing is… It is very simple to understand that… Just like a soldier is killing and the state is awarding him medal. And the same soldier when comes home, if he kills somebody, he's hanged. Why? He can say, "When I was in the war field, I have killed hundreds of men and I was given gold medal. And now I have killed simply one man I am going to be hanged? Why?" So it is the cause. If the cause if great, then killing is no sin.

Young man (5): How does one interpret if the cause is great?

Prabhupāda: By satisfy… That I have already explained. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. You have to see whether God is satisfied. That cause is great. Perfection of your activity will be judged whether by your action God is satisfied.

Young man (5): But you say that the way we hear from God is through words. And if these words are printed by the men that are making you fight, that's by the men that are making you fight. I have no assurance that it's the word of God unless every movement is God movement. Therefore…

Prabhupāda: No, I don't say this movement or that movement. The general principle is that if you think by certain type of fighting God is not satisfied, then you should not fight. But if in some fighting God is satisfied, then you should fight. We do not say anything outright that this is bad or this is good. We say, anything that has given satisfaction to God, Kṛṣṇa, that is good. Anything which has not given satisfaction to Kṛṣṇa or God, that is bad. Now you have to judge yourself how Kṛṣṇa is satisfied. That requires training; that requires understanding. But the standard of… The same example, that the same state, the same man, when he was fighting in the battlefield, he was being elevated to higher position, rewarded. But same man coming back from the battlefield, he has killed somebody, some of his neighbor, he's hanged. But the same state is there. But man is there, the action is there, the same, but why the judgment is different? Similarly, we have to satisfy the great, and the greatest of the great is God, or Kṛṣṇa. If by your action Kṛṣṇa, God, is satisfied, then it is all right. I don't say that this fight is good, that fight is bad. Fight or no fight. Even without fighting, he may be bad. Just like the instruction which we get from Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna was denying to fight and he was considered by Kṛṣṇa bad, because He was not satisfied. This is the evidence. And when Arjuna decided to fight to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, it was taken as good. So whole thing should be tested, judged, by the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. The perfection of any action… In the material world, "This thing is good," "This thing is bad," that is our mental concoction. Everything is bad here. Everything is bad. We have simply manufactured by our own imagination that "This is good," "This is bad." But to keep pace with the human society or peace in the human society, there is necessity of doing or adopting something which is approved by somebody, or the state. That is different thing. That is material. But actually at the ultimate end, as we have cited the quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, good or bad means satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the Lord. If any action is approved or gives satisfaction to the Lord, that is good. If any action gives dissatisfaction to the Lord, it is bad. That is the general. Now you have to adopt yourself in the service of the Lord in such a way that you can know that this action is giving satisfaction and this action is not giving satisfaction. Then your life is all right.

Viṣṇujana: Then all our faculties of perception will be purified by adopting this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and we can understand.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means purification of all faculties. Because the faculties work on the basis of consciousness. If your consciousness is pure… Just like I am seeing. I am not seeing; my mind is seeing. So if my mind is pure, then my seeing is pure. Similarly, if my consciousness is pure, my mind is pure. It is superficial. I am moving my hand. I am not moving; my mind is moving. So all the senses, ten senses… And the central sense is mind. And behind mind, there is intelligence, and behind intelligence, there is consciousness. This consciousness, if purified, then whole thing is purified. If this consciousness is polluted, then the whole thing is polluted. So we have to purify the consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Viṣṇujana: So then a man who is not, does not have a purified consciousness has no way of knowing what is good or bad.

Prabhupāda: No. He is illusioned. Māyā. That is called māyā. He is accepting something bad as good. Just like one is accepting this body as self. The whole world is moving, accepting this body as the self. Dehātma-buddhi. But I am not this body. That's a fact. So it is illusion. Yes?

Young man (1): You referred earlier to some proofs of after-life. And I came in late. So I don't know if you've mentioned it earlier, but I wonder are these available in writing in English, and do people here know of them? That is, where would I look at such a thing?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He wishes to see proof of after-life, either in writing or he wants to know if there is something…

Prabhupāda: After-life proof?

Young man (1): I'm interested in that idea. What proof is there, and is it available in English so that I could read it and study it and examine it carefully?

Viṣṇujana: Is it available in writing.

Madhudviṣa: He wants to read it in a book, something that explains the validity of the statement that there's an after-life.

Prabhupāda: Read Bhagavad-gītā. You study Bhagavad-gītā, you'll understand everything.

Young man (1): That's sixty-eight volumes?

Prabhupāda: No.

Young man (1): How many volumes?

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā is one volume only, eighteen chapters. So it is not very… Seven hundred verses. You can read it in three days. It is not very difficult. So we have published Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and I think if you read, you'll get so many nice informations. And after reading Bhagavad-gītā, you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Then you get further enlightenment. Then you read Teachings of Lord Caitanya, you get further enlightenment. And for general information we have got this Back to Godhead. You can read. So we have got sufficient literatures. It is not that simply we are talking. We are backed by sufficient knowledge and literatures. Yes?

Young man (6): It has been suggested that perhaps the battlefield in the Bhagavad-gītā is the battlefield of Arjuna's mind, and Kṛṣṇa is trying to push him to go into battle against the forces of his senses, as characterized by Duryodhana. What do you think about that?

Prabhupāda: That means you think that battlefield is an imagination?

Young man (6): Well, that that, the battlefield is symbolic of Arjuna's mind, and that the forces that Kṛṣṇa is…

Prabhupāda: Who is Kṛṣṇa? Who is Kṛṣṇa? Suppose Arjuna is talking with Kṛṣṇa. Then who is… Mind is Kṛṣṇa, you mean to say?

Young man (6): No. I mean to say that if the battlefield is symbolic of…

Prabhupāda: What is… You give the example, "This is this symbol," "This is this symbol." What is the symbol of battlefield? That you do not know?

Young man (6): Are you saying that it should be taken literally?

Prabhupāda: No, no. What is your idea? You are putting question. Are you clear in your question? Or you are simply questioning without any clear idea? What is your position?

Young man (6): You mean what am I asking?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Young man (6): I'm asking if the battlefield in…

Prabhupāda: Why you are asking that? Why that question is in your mind, the battlefield is imaginary?

Young man (6): Because that's what I read, and I wondered…

Prabhupāda: That means you are misled. You have no read very nicely.

Young man (6): Don't you think that perhaps it could be symbolic?

Prabhupāda: No.

Young man (6): Men have written…

Prabhupāda: No. Not at all. (laughter) You have to… If you present symbolic, then you should give, "This is the symbol of this. This is the symbol of this." What is the symbol of battlefield? (pause) That means you are misled. Don't study all these nonsense. You'll be misled. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. The battlefield, Kurukṣetra-Kurukṣetra. It is dharmakṣetra-dharmakṣetra. Pāṇḍava-Pāṇḍava. We have explained in that way. Not that we have accepted battlefield is this or that. No.

Young man (6): But men have written with symbolism, pointed things out through symbolism all through the ages.

Prabhupāda: No. Why? Do you think any historical fact are symbolism?

Young man (6): Pardon me?

Prabhupāda: If there is historical facts, do you take it as symbolism? Suppose somebody is describing the World War number two. Is it symbolism?

Young man (6): (laughs) Well, I suppose not.

Prabhupāda: Then? So similarly, this Bhagavad-gītā is described in the history of India, Mahābhārata. So how you can take it symbolism? Mahābhārata is the history. Mahā means great; great history of India, Mahābhārata. It is historical fact. How you can take a symbolism? Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā… [break] …verse is dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre [Bg. 1.1]. [break] …in the battlefield. That Kurukṣetra is still lying in India from very old time. So how you call it symbolism? And it is dharma-kṣetra. In the Vedic literature the injunction is kuru-kṣetre dharmam ācaret. And still people go to Kurukṣetra for religious, performing religious rituals. Still they go. That Kurukṣetra battlefield is there. It is being treated as the place of pilgrimage. How you can say that it is symbolic? This is all nonsense. Historical facts is still being, I mean to say, followed. The Pāṇḍavas, that is historical. Still there is one old fort. People say this fort belonged to the Pāṇḍavas. The Indraprastha, New Delhi is called Indraprastha. Everything is historical. How you take symbolical?

Young man (5): Possibly every action is from a law of Kṛṣṇa, and law is that which pleases Kṛṣṇa. And from some act within His mind or within… I'm not sure what he was talking of there (?) because if it was in the mind, it was projected into history to please Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: What is his question?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says something about Kṛṣṇa has something in His mind; therefore it becomes factual. He projected it from His mind, and thus it became history.

Young man (5): No. No. Not that He projected it, but people trying to please Kṛṣṇa did it through misinterpretation.

Prabhupāda: You have to please Kṛṣṇa.

Young man (5): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Not trying, but if you don't please Kṛṣṇa, then you are in difficulty. That is your position. It is not Kṛṣṇa's interest. It is your interest. Just like if you want to live peacefully, you have to please the state. There is no question that by pleasing the state, by yourself, the state becomes very enriched. It is for your interest. If you please the state, then you can live very peacefully. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is full in Himself. He's great. He does not require your, some action so that He may be pleased. He's pleased already. But if you please Him, then you are happy. That is your interest. Yes?

Young man (6): Don't you think that since there are people of different temperaments, different kinds of people, that… How should I say it? Don't you think that by denying rāja and jñāna and some of the other yogas that you're denying the infinite aspect of mankind? Don't you think that by asserting bhakti-yoga as the only way that you're saying that…

Prabhupāda: Yes. Infinite aspect. We are publishing one article, "Dr. Frog." Dr. Frog means… Perhaps you know, everyone. The frog lives in a well. That is only a few feet. And one, another frog, he's giving information to his friend in the well, "My dear friend, I have seen a vast water, Atlantic Ocean." But this frog has never seen Atlantic Ocean. He's calculating, "It may be so much big. It may be so much big. It may be so much big." So how this infinity can be calculated by the frog? So those who are calculating infiniteness of this tiny soul, they're all Dr. Frogs. You are not infinite. You are finite. How you can be infinite? You can be infinite only when you dovetail yourself with the infinite. Individually you are finite. That is the position, real position. In the Bhagavad-gītā in the Fifteenth Chapter… You have read Bhagavad-gītā? So did you not read this verse in the Fifteenth Chapter, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loka sanātanaḥ [Bg. 15.7]? Have you read this? That "These living entities, they're My parts and parcels, fragmental parts." So you are… God is infinite. You are infinitesimal part and parcel. So how you can be infinite?

Young man (6): I mean that the aspects of… Well, you said yourself that there are people of many different temperaments, many different kinds of people.

Prabhupāda: But there must be one standard temperament. What is the standard temperament? You may have different views of something, but there must be some standard view. We are not concerned with the different views of different persons. We have to accept the standard view.

Young man (6): What's that?

Prabhupāda: That Kṛṣṇa.

Young man (6): Well, but don't you think that perhaps bhakti-yoga isn't the way for everyone?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Young man (6): That for some people other yogas would apply more to their…

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is in the preliminary stage. Just like the same example, that you have to go… In New York that Empire State Building, 102 story. So everyone is going to the top, but somebody has passed ten steps, somebody has passed twelve steps, somebody has passed twenty. But there may be thousands of steps. So one who has gone to the top, he has passed all the steps. Similarly, there are different process of yogas-karma-yoga or jñāna-yoga… They are divided into three. All these three yogas are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga. But you'll find the yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. When yoga is described in the Sixth Chapter, you'll find the Lord says, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ: "Of all the yogic process," yoginām api sarveṣāṁ madgatenāntarātmanā [Bg. 6.47], "one who has taken Me within himself," śraddhāvān bhajate yo mām, "and with faith and love is engaged in My service, he is first-class yogi." So the first-class yogi are all these Kṛṣṇa conscious boys and girls. First-class yogi. Because they're always thinking of Kṛṣṇa within. And that is recommended by Kṛṣṇa, the author of all yogic principles. He's called Yogeśvara, the master of all yogic principles. So He said that "Here is a first-class yogi." Who? "Who is thinking always within himself Me, Kṛṣṇa." Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā śraddhāvān: "With faith and love," bhajate, "he's engaged in My service." Sa me yuktatamo mataḥ. "He is the first-class topmost yogi." So all yogic process must culminate in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So anyone who has accepted Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is supposed to be the first-class yogi. Actually, what is the ultimate end of yoga? The meaning of yoga is " 'contact." Contacting whom? The Supreme. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. So one who has contacted Kṛṣṇa, he is the highest yogi. [break] If somebody says that "I am incarnation of God," then why you cannot say that you are incarnation of God? What is the difference?

Young man (6): Well, I think the difference is that Ramakrishna was accepted in India as…

Prabhupāda: No, not in India. Don't say like that.

Young man (6): He wasn't?

Prabhupāda: No. Rāma was accepted as incarnation. Kṛṣṇa was accepted as incarnation. In every home, there is Rāma and Kṛṣṇa worship. Not this Ramakrishna. Neither any ācārya accepts him. If Ramakrishna… He said himself that "One who was Kṛṣṇa, one who was Rāma, I am the same." So his disciple accepted. Vivekananda accepted. But in that way, if somebody dies, he says, "One who was Kṛṣṇa, one was Rāma, I am," his sons accept. That is not the way of. There must be proof. Kṛṣṇa is accepted by Vyāsadeva, by Nārada, by Caitanya, by Rāmānuja, by so many great scholars, stalwarts. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is accepted by all Indians as God. And He has proved Himself, His activities. There is Vedic proof, scholarly proof, authority proof. There are so many things. And people… There are thousands and millions of temple of Kṛṣṇa worship in India, and how many temples they have got Ramakrishna?

Young man (6): Well, Ramakrishna is pretty recent also.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa, because He's old, therefore people have taken? People forget old things. Why they are adhering to the old things? At Vṛndāvana only, one place, there are five thousand temples of Kṛṣṇa. Only in Vṛndāvana. So this is all propaganda. We have to test who is incarnation, who is not, by the authorities.

Young man (6): And who are the authorities?

Prabhupāda: Vedic literatures. Lord Buddha is accepted as incarnation in the Vedic literatures.

Young man (6): What about people that have come since the Vedic literatures?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says what about people who have come since the Vedic literatures, since the time the Vedic literatures were written. What about them?

Prabhupāda: Vedic literature is not written. It is before the creation. Vedic, Vedas, before the creation. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is statement, tene brahma hṛdā. Brahmā is considered to be the first created living entity, so he learned Vedas from within, from the Supersoul. Tene brahma hṛdā. So Vedic literature is not written at a certain time. It is coming. It is called apauruṣeya. It is not man-made. So you have to study very scrutinizingly, then you will understand. Thank you for your questions. Now chant. An incarnation has to be accepted by the evidence of Vedic literature, by his activities, by his features, and by authorities. There are so many things. Not that if somebody says, "I am incarnation," and therefore I become incarnation. No. Not in that way. If somebody comes here and says, "I am President Johnson," so any sane man will accept him simply because he says? And if somebody accepts him blindly, then he's a fool. Oh, he must… He says. Let us test whether he is bona fide, his credentials, how he is President Johnson. So we cannot accept even a man. How can we accept God without credentials? What is the credential of Ramakrishna that he is incarnation of God? These things are to be considered. Not that because Vivekananda accepted, therefore one has to accept. What is the credential? What is the proof? What is the extraordinary work? Lord Rāma is accepted God. There are so many extraordinary work. Kṛṣṇa is accepted as God. He has got so many extraordinary work.

Young man (6): Well, I don't know that much about Ramakrishna.

Prabhupāda: All right. Yes?

Young man (5): If we can believe the Beatles, you are not the only wise man to come out of the Indian hills to New York. What do you know of this Maharishi Yogi that has become so world famous, and what could you tell us of his teachings by way of comparison?

Prabhupāda: He's famous amongst the fools. He's not famous for me. (laughter)

Young man (5): Is he famous in India?

Prabhupāda: No. He cheated some fools because they wanted to be cheated. That's all. And he finished his business. After befooling, then he retired. That's all. Because you want to be cheated, some cheap method of become God immediately.

Young woman: Is it better to inquire directly a question to the spiritual master directly, or is it better… Is it better to wait for the answer to come in an indirect, or in a less direct way? Is it better to…

Prabhupāda: No. You should find out a spiritual master. Everyone should find out. That is the injunction of the Vedas. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva… [MU 1.2.12]. [break] If you are interested to understand the spiritual science, then you must find out. That is your business. All right. It is past ten, uh, nine. No? Yes. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (kīrtana) Come here. I'm asking you, come here. Come here. (end)

681011LE.SEA

Lecture

Seattle, October 11, 1968

Prabhupāda: (chants) Govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (devotees respond, repeats several times) Thank you very much. So all newcomer students, you are welcome. Thank you very much. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme leader. Human society cannot work without leader. Anywhere you go, any country, any nation, any society, any community, any family, there is a leader. So the Vedas instruct that there is a supreme leader. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This (is) very important mantra in Kaṭha Upaniṣad. You have heard the names of Upaniṣad. They are Vedic literatures. Originally, the Veda was one, Sāma Veda. Then it was divided into four, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda, Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda. Then the Vedas verses were explained in Upaniṣads. There are 108 Upaniṣads. Then the whole conclusion was made shortened, cream. That is called Vedānta-sūtra. And again, this Vedic knowledge was, I mean to say, compiled in simple way for understanding of less intelligent class of men. That is called Mahābhārata. And in the Mahābhārata there is one chapter which is called Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is only a chapter of the great history of India, Mahābhārata. And then Vedānta-sūtra is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So Vedic literature is very old. Nobody can trace out the history. So far we understand, it is not man-made. It is coming out from transcendental world by disciplic succession.

So in that Vedic literature this is, this verse is there, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). A leader, the supreme leader of all living entities-God, or whatever you say, the Absolute Truth, the Absolute Person. Generally, we say God. God is also a person like you and me. Just like whenever you find out some leader, he must be a person. Impersonal cannot be leader. Is there any instance… In the modern history they have abolished monarchy, personal government. They have got democratic government or republican government. But still, they have to find out a president. Why? Why not without president? No. That cannot be done. There must be one leader. Any movement, any organization, there must be. And he must be a person. So you can judge from this how God can be imperson? He's person. And Vedic literature informs that He's a person like you and me. And your Bible also says that man is made after God. Not that God is made after man. Your feature, your two hands, two legs, one head, nice eyes, nice face, everything, this is imitation of God's feature. Therefore man is made after God. Not that because we have got two hands, two legs, or one head, therefore artists have imagined a God like us. No. Actually, this version of Bible is truth. Any scripture, there is truth. So the Vedic literatures also say that He is the supreme living entity above all other living entities, every individual living entity. The Bhagavad-gītā, most of you might have seen Bhagavad-gītā. It is clearly stated in the Second Chapter when Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was explaining Arjuna, He said that "Yourself, Myself, and all these people, or the soldiers or the kings who have assembled here, they were individuals in the past, they are individuals at present, and they'll continue individuals in the future." So individuality cannot be cancelled. That is not possible. The only difference is, my individuality or Kṛṣṇa's individuality, is that my individuality is limited, but Kṛṣṇa's individuality is unlimited. That is the… Just like you select one person leader because his intelligence is greater than you, something greater than you. Therefore you select somebody as your leader. So in the Vedic literature the definition of God is also there, who is God. Now everyone is claiming, "I am God," but they do not know what is God. They are falsely claiming. But if you find out Parasara-sūtra, there is definition of God. What is that? Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. God is the owner of all wealth, vīryasya, all strength, yaśasaḥ, all fame, all intelligence, all beauty, and all renunciation. These six items in full strength, cent percent possession, that makes the God. So our position is always subordinate according to Vedic literature or any literature. If you reject God, then you will have to select somebody else you will have to worship as God. Take for example Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha's philosophy that there is no question of God, but we are suffering due to this material encagement and combination of matter, this body is combination of matter, and when the matter is dismantled, which is called nirvāṇa, then there is no question of feeling pains and pleasure. That is Buddha philosophy. But there is no question of God there. But fortunately or unfortunately, they are worshiping Lord Buddha. Try to understand that personality cannot be imagined at any circumstance. Somebody has to be found out. So the Vedas gives us the information that you accept the leadership of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then everything, all questions, all problems will be solved.

So here is… Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to dovetail your consciousness with the supreme leader, Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be happy (aside:) They are feeling inconvenience while sitting in this way. So we have no arrangement for chairs. You'll please excuse us. It is just developing. (people apparently getting up and leaving)

Govinda: Should we give them prasādam?

Prabhupāda: No. Now you read that article, "Superconsciousness," in the paper.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Superconsciousness."

Prabhupāda: You can sit down here face to face.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then I'll turn my back to you.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is from Back to Godhead, which is a monthly publication that we put out in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There's an article in it called "Superconsciousness," by our spiritual master. "Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest yoga performance by trained devotional yogis. The yoga system, as it is stated in the standard yoga practice formula given by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā and as recommended in the Patañjali yoga discipline, is different from nowadays-practiced haṭha-yoga as it is generally understood in the Western countries. Real yoga practice means to control the senses, and after such control is established, to concentrate the mind on the Nārāyaṇa form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the original absolute personality, the Godhead, and all the other Viṣṇu forms, with four hands, decorated with conch, lotus, club and wheel, are preliminary expansions of Kṛṣṇa." Should I wait a second? Wait for them to leave?

Prabhupāda: This will go on. They are not comfortably seated.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "In the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended that we should meditate upon the form of the Lord. For practicing concentration of the mind one has to sit down in a secluded place, sanctified by a sacred atmosphere. And the yogi should observe the rules and regulations of brahmacarya, to live a life of strict self-restraint and celibacy. Nobody can practice yoga in a congested city, living a life of extravagance, including unrestricted sex indulgence and adultery of the tongue. We have already stated that yoga practice means controlling the senses. And the beginning of controlling the senses is to control the tongue. You cannot allow the tongue to take all kinds of forbidden food and drink and at the same time improve in the practice of yoga. It is a very regrettable fact that many unauthorized and stray so-called yogis now come to the West and exploit the learning of the people towards yoga. Such unauthorized yogis even dare to say publicly that one can indulge in drinking and at the same time practice meditation. Five thousand years ago in the Bhagavad-gītā dialogue Lord Kṛṣṇa recommended the yoga practice to his disciple Arjuna. But Arjuna flatly expressed his inability to follow the stringent rules and regulations of yoga. One should be practical in every field of activity. One should not waste his valuable time simply in practicing some gymnastic feats in the name of yoga. Real yoga is to search out the four-handed Supersoul within one's heart and to see Him perpetually in meditation. Such continued meditation is called samādhi. If however, one wants to meditate upon something void or impersonal it will require a very long time to achieve anything by yoga practice. We cannot concentrate our mind on something void or impersonal. Real yoga practice is to fix up the mind on the person of the four-handed Nārāyaṇa, who dwells in everyone's heart. Sometimes it is said that by meditation one will understand that God is seated within one's heart always, even when one does not know it. God is seated within the heart of everyone. He is not only seated within the heart of the human being but he is also there within the hearts of the cats and dogs. The Bhagavad-gītā certifies this with this declaration of the Lord. "Īśvara, the Supreme Controller of the world, is seated within the heart of everyone. He is not only in everyone's heart but He is also present within the atoms." No place is vacant. No place is without the presence of the Lord.

"The feature of the Lord by which He is present everywhere is called the Paramātman. Ātman means the individual soul and Paramātman means the individual Supersoul. Both ātman and Paramātman are individual persons. The difference between them is that the ātman, or soul, is present only in one particular place, whereas the Paramātman is present everywhere. In this connection the example of the sun is very nice. An individual person may be situated in one place, but the sun, even though a specific individual entity, is present over the head of every individual person. In the Bhagavad-gītā this is very nicely explained. Therefore even though the qualities of all entities, including the Lord, are equal, the Supersoul is different from the individual soul by quantity of expansion. The Lord or Supersoul can expand Himself into millions of different forms while the individual soul cannot do so. The Supersoul, being seated in everyone's heart, can witness everyone's activities-past, present and future. In the Upaniṣads the Supersoul is said to be sitting with the individual soul as a friend and witness. As a friend He is always anxious to get the individual soul back to home, back to Godhead. As a witness He is the endower of all benedictions that result from the individual's actions. The Supersoul gives all facility to the individual soul for achieving whatever he may desire, but He instructs his friend so that he may ultimately give up all other engagements and simply surrender unto God for perpetual bliss and eternal life full of knowledge. This is the last instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā, the most authorized and widely read book on all forms of yoga. The last word of the Bhagavad-gītā, as stated above, is the last word in the matter of perfecting the yoga system. It is further stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that a person who is always absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the topmost yogi. What is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Just as the individual soul is present by his consciousness throughout the whole body, so the Supersoul or Paramātmā is present throughout the whole creation by His superconsciousness. This superconsciousness cannot be imitated by the individual soul."

Prabhupāda: This consciousness formula is very simple to understand. Anyone can understand. Just like this body, so long the soul is there within this body, there is consciousness. Just like so long the sun is visible, there is heat and sunlight. Similarly, so long the soul is there within this body, we have got this consciousness. And as soon as the soul is gone from this body, there is no consciousness. So… But this consciousness, my consciousness, your consciousness is limited within this body. I cannot feel what pain and pleasure is within your body, neither you can feel. Therefore your consciousness is individual, my consciousness is individual. But there is another consciousness, which is all-pervading. That consciousness is able to understand your feelings, my feelings, and everyone's feelings. The same example: The sun is located in one place, but five thousand miles away, you ask your friend where is sun, he will reply that "He is on my head." Similarly, you will say. Any direction. But the sun is one, but he is all-pervading. This is crude example. Similarly, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness means when you dovetail your consciousness with the supreme consciousness, then your life becomes perfect. Just like a motorcar is being driven at fifty miles speed, but a cyclist is going at ten miles speed. But if he catches the motorcar, he'll also have the fifty miles speed immediately. So the superconsciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness is all-pervading. If you dovetail your consciousness, then you get universal feeling. Otherwise it is not possible. The same example. So that is being explained. Read it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "This superconsciousness cannot be imitated by the individual soul who has limited awareness. I can understand what is going on within my limited body, but I cannot feel what is going on in another's body. I am present all over my body by my consciousness, but I am not present in any other's body by my consciousness. However, the Supersoul or Paramātmā, being present within everyone, situated everywhere, is conscious of every existence. The theory that the soul and the Supersoul are one is not acceptable because the individual soul's consciousness cannot act in superconsciousness. This superconsciousness can only be achieved by dovetailing individual consciousness with the superconsciousness. And this dovetailing process is called surrender, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. From the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā we learn very clearly that Arjuna in the beginning did not want to fight with his brothers and relatives. But after understanding the Bhagavad-gītā, when he dovetailed his consciousness with the superconsciousness of Kṛṣṇa, it was Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A person in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness acts by the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, and so Arjuna agreed to fight the battle of Kurukṣetra. In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness this dictation of the Lord is received through the transparent medium of the spiritual master. When one is sufficiently trained and acts with submissive faith and love for Kṛṣṇa under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, the dovetailing process becomes more firm and accurate. At this stage (Kṛṣṇa) dictates from within. From without the devotee is helped by the spiritual master, the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, and from within the Lord helps the devotee as caitya-guru, being seated within the heart of everyone. To simply understand that God is seated in everyone's heart is not perfection. One has to be acquainted with God from within and without, and thus to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the highest perfectional stage for the human form of life, and the topmost stage in all yoga systems.

"For a perfect yogi there are eight kinds of superachievements. One can become smaller than an atom, one can become bigger than a mountain, one can become lighter than air, one can become heavier than any metal, one can achieve any material effect he likes-create a planet for example. One can control others like the Lord, one can travel anywhere within or without the universe freely, one can choose his own time and place of death and take rebirth wherever he may desire. But when one rises to the perfectional stage of receiving dictation from the Lord, that is more than the stage of the material achievements above mentioned. The breathing exercise of the yoga system which is generally practiced is just the beginning of the system. Meditation on the Supersoul is just a step forward. Achievement of wonderful material success is also only a step forward. But to attain direct contact with the Supersoul and to take dictation from Him is the highest perfectional stage.

"The breathing exercise and meditation practices of yoga are very difficult in this age. It was difficult even five thousand years ago, or else Arjuna would not have rejected the proposal of Kṛṣṇa. This age of Kali is called the fallen age. At the present moment people in general are short-living, are very slow in understanding self-realization or spiritual life. They are most unfortunate, and as such, if somebody is a little bit interested in self-realization, he is misguided by so many frauds. The only actual way to realization of the perfect stage of yoga is to follow the principles of the Bhagavad-gītā as they were practiced by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is the simplest and highest perfection of yoga practice. Lord Caitanya practically demonstrated Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga simply by chanting the holy names of Kṛṣṇa as they were mentioned in the Vedānta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and many important Purāṇas. The largest number of Indians follow this yoga practice, and in the USA also it is gradually growing in many cities. It is very easy and practical for this age, especially for those who are serious about success in yoga. No other process can be successful in this age. The meditation process in right earnest was possible in the golden age of Satya-yuga, because the people at that time lived for a hundred thousand years on the average. If you want success in practical yoga, take to the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and feel for yourself how you are making progress. One should know for himself how much he is progressing in yoga practice. In the Bhagavad-gītā this practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is described as rāja-vidyā, the king of all erudition; rāja-guhyam, the most confidential system of spiritual realization; pavitra, the purest of all that is pure; su-sukham, very happily performed; and avyayam, inexhaustible. Those who have taken to the most sublime bhakti-yoga system, this practice of devotional service in transcendental love of Kṛṣṇa can testify to how they are nicely enjoying its happy and easy execution. Yoga means controlling the senses, and bhakti-yoga means purifying the senses. When the senses are purified they are also automatically controlled. You cannot stop the activities of the senses by artificial means, but if you purify the senses, they are not only kept back from rubbish engagement but also they become positively engaged in transcendental service to the Lord. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not manufactured by us through mental speculation. It is the injunction of the Bhagavad-gītā which says that when we think in Kṛṣṇa, chant in Kṛṣṇa, live in Kṛṣṇa, eat in Kṛṣṇa, talk in Kṛṣṇa, hope in Kṛṣṇa, and sustain in Kṛṣṇa, we return to Kṛṣṇa without any doubt. And this is the substance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Any question?

Young woman (1): I have a question. I would like to know your beliefs concerning who Jesus Christ was.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She wishes to know what your beliefs are concerning Lord Jesus Christ.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He is representative of God, son of God. That's all.

Young woman (1): Do you believe in the blessed trinity?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do you believe in the blessed trinity?

Prabhupāda: I do not know what is that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Father, son, and holy ghost.

Madhudviṣa: Holy spirit.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Holy spirit.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why not? (laughter)

Young woman (1): Thank you.

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Young man (2): What is the outcome of continuous practice of the chant "Oṁ?"

Prabhupāda: Oṁ is also another form vibration of Lord. Oṁ. That is also accepted in Bhagavad-gītā. So Hare Kṛṣṇa or oṁ, practically the same value, but this is easier. Yes. And because Hare Kṛṣṇa was chanted by Lord Caitanya specifically. Oṁ is generally added (when) just beginning one mantra. That is the Vedic way. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paś… Oṁ is also addressing the Lord. Oṁ. And Hare Kṛṣṇa is also addressing. But this is easier and recommended for this age. Otherwise, transcendentally or spiritually, there is no difference.

Young woman (3): What do you believe in reference to Ramakrishna? He was in the Hindu faith.

Prabhupāda: Not Hindu faith. What is your belief of Ramakrishna?

Young man (2): Well, I've read a little about him, and he supposedly…

Prabhupāda: What he is? What you have studied about him?

Young man (2): He was an incarnate of God. He believed in Jesus Christ, he believed in Buddha, he believed in yoga. I just wondered if you had anything to do with him.

Prabhupāda: We have got original Kṛṣṇa. So original Kṛṣṇa includes everyone. Kṛṣṇa, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So if you believe in the original, the categories automatically come. But the categories, under the influence of māyā, becomes different. So if you want to study any person, you have, you must have some standard way of studying. How you have accepted this Ramakrishna as incarnation? What is the authority? Simply suppose if somebody says, "I am incarnation." Will he be accepted? If somebody comes here and says that "I am President Johnson," will it be accepted like that? And if somebody believes in that way, is he very intelligent man? So what is your basis of taking Ramakrishna as incarnation? So far Vedic literature is concerned, we cannot accept. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, kāmais tais tair hṛta jñānāḥ yajante 'nya devatāḥ [Bg. 7.20]. If somebody is lost of his intelligence, then he worships demigods. What is that?

Young man (2): What do you think of kuṇḍalinī or rāja-yoga?

Prabhupāda: We are practicing the emperor yoga. Therefore rāja-yoga is included there. The Bhagavad-gītā says that,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate māṁ yo

sa yuktatamo mataḥ

[Bg. 6.47]

Anyone who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa within himself, he is the topmost yogi. Therefore a person who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness on the authority of Vedic literature, he is supposed to passed all kinds of yogic principles. What is your understanding of kuṇḍalinī yoga? Do you know?

Young man (2): It's very dangerous.

Prabhupāda: So why do you accept such dangerous thing?

Young man (2): No, I just wanted to know what you thought of it.

Prabhupāda: There is no need of… It is not possible to practice that yoga. Yoga practice… That kuṇḍalinī process of yoga is not possible in this age. It is a very difficult process. So we should recommend not to waste your valuable time following something which is not possible to be done by you. That is our recommendation. But if you have got some hobby, that is a different thing. But it will never be successful. It is very difficult to perform. At the present age, as it is recommended and it is followed, practiced, and experienced, this bhakti-yoga is the only possible way for self-realization. It is made very simple: simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma… Anyone can do it. Any part of the world can people practice it, of any age, it doesn't matter, either old, young, or child. We have got many children of our devotees, they are also chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And many old men like me, they are also chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And these young boys and girls, they are also chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So it is universal. And all these boys and girls, they are neither Hindus nor Indians, nor they have any knowledge of Sanskrit. But they easily pick up this Hare Kṛṣṇa and chant and getting the result. So this is the easiest, universal method of self-realization in the present age. Any other practice of yoga system will never be successful. It will be simply waste of time.

Young man (3): May I ask this, Swami, as you said after. Have you yourself reached the superconscious state, or the Christ consciousness state?

Prabhupāda: Why don't you come and sit down here. Yes. What is your question?

Young man (3): I asked, Swami, that you have yourself reached this Christ consciousness or superconscious state and then talked with the Divine.

Prabhupāda: It is not very difficult. You can also do that. It is the easiest process. What Christ consciousness? What did Christ say? That you surrender unto God. Did he say anything more than this?

Young man (3): No, the understanding I had of Christ consciousness was when one's mind reaches the state where he is within all atoms and all the flowers…

Prabhupāda: That we have already explained, that Kṛṣṇa is within yourself, within your heart, within my heart, within the atoms, everywhere. So if Christ thinks also like that, then there is no difference between Christ consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa is also, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. Nothing can move, nothing can act without spiritual touch. That is a fact. So this world, or anything, that is moving, jagat… The Sanskrit name of the world is jagat, "which is moving, making progress." That movement is not possible without the spiritual touch. Just like my body, your body is moving because there is spiritual spark within you, within me. So if you can understand this simple fact, that nothing can move without spiritual power, touch… Just like this watch. This watch is moving. You can say it is machine, but not machine. If I wind, then it will move. Therefore there is spiritual touch. If I don't wind, if I keep it in my box, it will not move. So this simple truth, that without spiritual touch nothing can move, and spirit is God. Therefore you can have immediately God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Young man (3): Isn't there a difference between… When I say Christ consciousness, to get your mind on the same level as the atoms, and on a higher level, beyond the atoms as pure spirit-are these two levels of consciousness in the atoms and…

Prabhupāda: Actually, there is no two levels. There is only one level. Just like there is one sky, but when the sky is overcast with cloud, you divide the sky: "This is friendly sky, and this is nonfriendly sky." Just like the airlines, they advertise, "Fly in friendly sky." Wherefrom this "friendly sky" comes? The sky is one. But the part of the sky which is covered with cloud, that is unfriendly sky. Similarly, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. There is… Without exception, everything is spirit. But the portion of spirit which is covered by ignorance, the cloud of ignorance, that is matter. Just like what is material civilization? All activities minus God. This is material. And as soon as all activities plus God, it is spiritual. So all activities minus God means trouble, and all activities plus God is wholesome, is pleasing. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means all activities plus God. That's all. We are also doing the same thing. The candle is burned here, you also have candles at your home. You have got your apartment; this is also apartment. What is the difference between this apartment, your apartment? Because here is relationship of Kṛṣṇa. So you make everything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, it is spiritual. That is the technique you have to learn in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually, there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but artificially we have covered Kṛṣṇa consciousness with something else, which is called māyā. So you have to get out of this māyā consciousness and stand in your original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is perfect. That is being taught. There is nothing artificial, neither extraordinary, neither a very difficult thing. It is very plain and simple.

Young man (4): Is there a regression at all in your system of reincarnation? Can we… What I mean to say is, can a man regress to, if you call it a regression, I don't know… Can a man become, after his body dies, I mean, say, an animal or an insect of some sort?

Prabhupāda: Yes. There are 8,400,000 species of different kinds of life. So, so far my condition is concerned, I am not this body; I am spirit soul. Just I am changing my body even at the present moment. Just like when you were born from your mother's womb, your body was very small. Now it has grown. You were a boy; now you are young. Now you will become old man like me also. That means the changing body. It is simple fact. You are changing. From your childhood body, this body is different. Either you take it that it has grown or either you take it that the body has changed, the same thing. But actually it has changed. So the changing of body is accepted. Therefore it is concluded that when you change this body, you may get another body.

Young man (4): What is it that you take with you? What is the…

Prabhupāda: Just like… I will explain. Now, how this change of body is being done? That change of body is being done according to your mentality. Just like here you have got different dresses, different features, different modes of life, all these boys and girls and ladies and gentlemen who are sitting. Why? Due to different modes of mind. Somebody likes to keep hair, somebody like to cleanse hair. Why? This difference. Difference due to mind. So according to your mind at the time of your death, the position, the status of your mind will give you a next body. So if your mind is God conscious, then you get your body next like God. And if your mind is dog conscious, then you get your body, next body, a dog. So it is a question of training your mind so that at the point of death if you keep yourself Kṛṣṇa conscious mind, then you get as good a body like Kṛṣṇa. This is the whole philosophy. And Kṛṣṇa's body is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1], full of bliss, full of knowledge, eternal. So we are hankering after eternal body, blissful body, and full of knowledge. That should be the destination. That is our aim. So to fulfill that aim, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very nice thing.

Young man (5): When we get the next body does our mind retain much of what is learned in the life before? At least the general principles? Or does it start all over again and live within that body and gain its knowledge through that body?

Prabhupāda: No. Death means forgetfulness. Death… Just like when you sleep you forget your day's activities. So sleep is partial death. In sleep also, you sometimes think that you have got a different body, you are floating on the air, or you have gone somewhere which you never seen. So that means the mind is forgetful of the day's activities. It has taken a different activity. Similarly, as soon as the body's changed, the mind is also changed. Mind function is thinking, feeling, and willing. So we feel, think, and will according to circumstances. Just like now you have got an American body, you are thinking like American. I have got an Indian body, I am thinking like Indian. Similarly, a dog has got a dog body, he's thinking like a dog. So mind changes also according to the position of the body.

Young man (6): Is it possible through Kṛṣṇa consciousness to, in the supreme state, to be able to remember all that you were?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is possible. If you come to the supreme state, you can remember. That is also possible. Because there are instances… One King Bhārata, he died thinking of a deer, so he got his next body as a deer. But he remembered that "I was such and such person." There are sometimes report in the newspaper that a child is dictating that "I have got my home there," and when he goes there he says, "He is my son. Here I kept in this box this thing." Perhaps… There are many instances like that. So that is, exceptional cases it is possible.

Young man (5): One more question. Could you tell me why at times it is dangerous to meditate on concentration on the astral world?

Prabhupāda: Because at the present moment mind is always disturbed, full of anxieties. You cannot concentrate. Therefore this process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, it is forcibly. When you chant, I chant, loudly, at least you hear "Kṛṣṇa," your mind is immediately turned to Kṛṣṇa. So that is meditation. Because after all, meditation means you have to concentrate on the Supreme. The Supreme is nondifferent. Supreme name-Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name, nondifferent. So when you hear Kṛṣṇa, the name, you immediately remember the Kṛṣṇa person, and there is no difference between His name and the person. So immediately you associate with Kṛṣṇa. Forcibly. Even you don't like, I'll chant "Kṛṣṇa," you'll be forced to associate. You will chant "Kṛṣṇa," I'll be forced to associate. This is going on. One devotee is forcing another devotee to remember Kṛṣṇa. And what he'll do by meditation? He'll think of his office or his home or his dog or his cat. That's all. So therefore meditation… Not only at the present moment, even five thousand years ago when Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna that "You take to this practice," he said, "Oh, it is not possible for me. I am a warrior. I am a politician. I have got to do so many things. How can I concentrate my mind? Kṛṣṇa, excuse me." You'll see in Bhagavad-gītā. But we are trying to be more than Arjuna at the present moment. It is simply waste of time. It is not possible. This is the only process of meditation.

Young man (5): I have known some people who have meditated, and they don't know how to meditate, and they try to meditate, as I say, on the astral, and they contact the incarnate souls in the astral world. And sometimes they get ahold of the wrong one. And when their mind is left open, these spirits or incarnate souls that are not good will take over the mind of a person. Now, how can one avoid this?

Prabhupāda: By Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You can avoid all rubbish things by simply keeping your consciousness in Kṛṣṇa. That's all. It is a very simple thing. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.14]. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Those who are great souls, they're always chanting, glorifying the Lord. So there is no opportunity of engaging the mind in something else which is nonsense. We are teaching our student, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma…" He is being practiced to this. He cannot avoid it. Even if he goes on the street he'll chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. His samādhi… He hasn't got to attain samādhi; the samādhi is going with him, samādhi. It is so nice thing, and easy. They are not practicing breathing exercise or sitting exercise. No. They are ordinary boys and girls. But simply by chanting they are making practical progress. Their health, their character, their mode of living-everything is increasing, developing. And spiritual advancement means all goodness. It does not mean that a man is spiritually advanced and doing all nonsense. That is contradictory. How pure thing can be impure? Pure is pure; impure is impure. If you say it is impure pure, how it is possible? One is addicted to all nonsense habit and he's practicing meditation and elevating himself. Is it possible? That is all bogus. As soon as one becomes purified, the manifestation of his character, of his mode of life, living, everything will be purified. That is the test. Pareśānubhava. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhava. Just like if you're cured, then there is no fever. The temperature is at the normal point. And if you say, "I am cured. I am taking medicine, and still, my temperature is 105," that is not possible. So advancement in self-realization means purification from material contamination. That is real advancement. This is practical. Now, how practical it is? In your country, smoking, drinking, taking tea, and keeping boyfriend, girlfriend, liquor, meat-eating, they are common affairs. How they have avoided all these things, within very short time? None of them are associating with me more than one year, and just see their character. It is so practical. You cannot induce them even to smoke. We don't say that you go on with all nonsense, at the same time you become spiritually advanced. We don't talk all this nonsense. There must be practical exhibition that one is advanced in spiritual consciousness. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ [SB 5.18.12]. All good qualities will develop. That is spiritual advancement. That is the test. But it may be due to my past habit I may sometimes commit mistake, I may fall down. But Kṛṣṇa says, śaśvad bhavati dharmātmā. Even if he falls down sometimes out of ignorance, still, he'll very soon become purified. The process is so nice. Just like a fan is moving and make the switch off. Still you will see the fan is moving, but rest assured it will stop because the switch is off. Similarly, a person taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his material life's switch is off immediately. And even though it is seen it is moving, it will stop very soon. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to put off the switch of material existence immediately. It is so nice. Yes.

Young man (5): Do you think that drugs would help attain the Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: It is nonsense. It will not help, but it is nonsense. We don't allow any kind of intoxication.

Young man (5): Does it interfere with the, the soul?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is artificial. You are already artificially complicated by your, this body, because you have got this body. And you want to make yourself more complicated? And do you mean to say that is advancement? You have to get free. So just like in order to get free from a type of disease one has to take proper medicine and proper diet, similarly, in order to get out of this material contamination, you have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the medicine. And you have to take Kṛṣṇa prasādam, the diet. The disease will be cured. Simple method. And it is practically seen. When these boys came to me first, from that time and this time, their face has changed so much. And what I am giving them? These fruits, Kṛṣṇa prasāda, that's all, and chanting. Their mind, their face, their activity, their habit, their character-everything has changed. But what is the process? This medicine and this diet. That's all. There is no surgical operation. It is very simple. You take to it and you see the result. Yes?

Young man (5): What are the good qualities you referred to not too long ago?

Prabhupāda: To become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is the greatest quality. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We have forgotten it. And when we come to understanding that "I am part and parcel of God," that is your greatest qualification. Simple thing. What is the greatest qualification of good citizen? American, when he thinks that "I am American citizen. I have to look after the interest of American state," that is his good qualification, or good citizenship. Similarly, when you transcend all these artificial designations, that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this or that…" "I am part and parcel of the Supreme," that is the greatest qualification.

Young man (5): When you succumb to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or to Kṛṣṇa, do you still have any obligation to, say, the worldly affairs, in making, say, the world a better place?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is my obligation, to give them education in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the best service I am giving to the humanity. Why I have come to your country? I am old man. Just to fulfill this obligation. So when one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious he feels obligation very extensive, not limited. He is called mahātmā, very broad-minded. Not cripple-minded. So "I am good, my father is good"-not like that. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that it makes your mind broader. Mahātmā. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. This exact word is there in the Bhagavad-gītā:

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

[Bg. 7.19]

After many lives' cultivation of knowledge, when one comes to the point that Vāsudeva or the Supreme Personality of Godhead is everything, He is the cause of all causes, then he surrenders unto Him. But such kind of surrendering soul is very rare. So in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we do not expect that everyone can join, but anyone who joins, it is to be understood that in his previous life he has passed all cultivation of knowledge. Otherwise it is not possible. But if one is… Just like this verse says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. If one is intelligent to understand this verse, that only a wise man, only one who has become very wise after many, many births; cultivation of spiritual knowledge, he surrenders to Vāsudeva or Kṛṣṇa… So I do not know whether I cultivated knowledge in my past life, but if it is a fact that this is the result of many, many births' cultivation of knowledge, why not surrender immediately and become the most learned wise man? Take the opportunity. One has to become very intelligent. Just like if one man is earning, say, ten hundred millions of dollars by depositing little, little, in the bank, so if somebody offers, "All right, you take immediately ten hundred thousands of dollars immediately," so who will refuse it? So if it is a fact that one comes to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness after many, many births… So, little intelligence required, that "Why not take it immediately? Even I did not cultivate knowledge in my past life, let me take immediately." So this opportunity is offered. Take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no tax. There is no loss. But everything is gained. Try it. At least, make an experiment for week or for fortnight and see. It is not difficult. Simply we must be willing. That's all. Because every one of us are independent. Not fully, little. So we can use our independence, we can misuse our independence. So here is the offering. Take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now it is your choice. If you can take, it is good. If you don't take, that is your good will.(?) Is there any difficulty to accept our formula? I ask all of you, is there any difficulty? I am asking this. You have asked so many questions of me. Is there any difficulty to accept this formula?

Young man: No.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Young man: No.

Prabhupāda: So why don't you take it?

Young man: I have.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. (laughter) It is so simple, nice. Try to understand by your knowledge, question. We are not pushing forcibly. You have got your intelligence, argument, logic, everything. But you'll find it. Caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. The author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that we are placing it for your judgment. Not that we are pushing it by force, that you have to accept it. Just like sometimes it is said that the Muhammadans, they propagated one hand sword and one hand Koran: "Either you accept Koran or there is sword for you." It is not that. It is placed for your judgment. And if you like, you can accept it. Otherwise, I came here empty-handed, I shall go back empty-handed. There is no loss, no gain. (laughter) So any other question? All right. Then join with Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant. Upendra will chant. (end)

681018LE.SEA

Lecture

Seattle, October 18, 1968

Prabhupāda: (sings "Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.'') So we are worshiping Govindam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original person. So this sound, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi, is reaching Him. He is hearing. You cannot say that He is not hearing. Can you say? No. Especially in this scientific age, when television, radio messages are broadcast thousands and thousands of miles away, and you can hear, now why can you…? Why Kṛṣṇa cannot hear your prayer, sincere prayer? How can you say it? Nobody can deny it. So, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. Just like thousands and thousands of miles away you can transfer the television picture or your radio sound, similarly, if you can prepare yourself, then you can see always Govinda. It is not difficult. This is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. Simply you have to prepare your eyes, your mind in that way. Here is a television box within your heart. This is the perfection of yoga. It is not you have to purchase one machine, or television set. It is there, and God is also there. You can see, you can hear, you can talk, provided you have got the machine. You repair it, that's all. The repairing process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, everything is supplied, complete, complete set of machine you have got within you. And just like for repairing, an expert mechanic required, similarly, you require the help of someone expert. Then you'll see that your machine is working. It is not difficult to understand. Nobody can say that it is not possible. In the śāstra we hear also. Sādhu śāstra, guru vākya, tinete kariya aikya. Spiritual realization can be perfected by three parallel process. Sādhu. Sādhu means saintly persons, who are realized souls, sādhu. And śāstra. Śāstra means scriptures, authoritative scriptures, Vedic scriptures, śāstra. Sādhu, śāstra, and guru, a spiritual master. Three parallel line. And if you place your car or vehicle on these three parallel line, your car will go direct to Kṛṣṇa. Tinete kariyā aikya. Just like in the railway line you see two parallel lines. If they are in order, the railway carriages are carried very smoothly to the destination. Here also, there are three parallel lines-sādhu, śāstra, guru: saintly person, association of saintly person, acceptance of bona fide spiritual master, and faith in the scriptures. That's all. Then your carriage will be going nicely, without any disturbance. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya, tinete kariya aikya.

So here in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead explaining Himself, Kṛṣṇa. So if you say, "How can I believe that Kṛṣṇa said? Somebody has written in the name of Kṛṣṇa that 'Kṛṣṇa said,' 'God said.' " No. This is called disciplic succession. You will see in this book, Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa said, and how Arjuna understood. These things are described there. And the sādhu, saintly person, beginning from Vyāsadeva, Nārada, down to many ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, and latest, Lord Caitanya, in this way, they have accepted: "Yes. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa." So this is the proof. If saintly persons have accepted… They have not denied. Authorities, they have accepted, "Yes." This is called sādhu. And because sādhu, saintly persons have accepted, therefore it is scripture. That is the test. Just like… It is common sense affair. If the lawyers accept some book, then it is to be understood that this is lawbook. You cannot say that "How can I accept this is law?" The evidence is the lawyers are accepting. Medical… If the medical practitioners accept, then that is authoritative medical. Similarly, if saintly persons are accepting Bhagavad-gītā as scripture, you cannot deny it. Sādhu śāstra: saintly persons and scriptures, two things, and with spiritual master, three, three parallel lines, who accept the sādhu and the scripture. Sādhu confirms the scriptures and spiritual master accept the scripture. Simple process. So they are not in disagreement. What is spoken in the scripture is accepted by saintly person, and what is spoken in the scripture, the spiritual master explains only that thing. That's all. So via media is the scripture. Just like lawyer and the litigants-via media is the lawbook. Similarly, the spiritual master, the scripture… Saintly person means who confirms the Vedic injunction, who accepts. And scripture means what is accepted by the saintly person. And spiritual master means who follows the scriptures. So things equal to the same thing are equal to one another. This is axiomatic truth. If you have got one hundred dollars, and another man has got hundred dollar, and if I have got hundred dollar, then we are all equal. Similarly, sādhu śāstra guru vākya, when these three parallel lines in agreement, then life is success.

So here Kṛṣṇa is speaking Bhagavad-gītā, mayy āsakta-manāḥ, about the yoga system. He has already concluded in the Sixth Chapter the yoga system. In the first six chapters it is explained what is the constitutional position of the living entity. There are eighteen chapters in the Bhagavad-gītā. The first six chapters explains only the constitutional position of the living entities. And when it is understood… Just like when you understand your actual position, then your activities actually begin. If you do not know what is your actual position… Suppose in the office, if your post is not settled up what duty you have to execute, then you cannot do anything very nicely. Here is a typist, here is clerk, here is a peon, here is a this and that. So they are executing their work very nicely. So one has to understand what is the constitutional position of the living entity. So that is explained in the first six chapters. Adyena śastena upāsakasya jīvasya svarūpa-prāpti-sādhanaṁ ca pradhānaṁ niṁ proktam (?). Baladeva Vidyābhūṣana, a very nice authorized commentator on the Bhagavad-gītā, he says that in the first six chapters the constitutional position of the living entity has been very nicely explained. And how one can understand his constitutional position, that is also explained. So the yoga system means to understand his constitutional position. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. We are busy with sense activities. The material life means business of sense activities. The whole world activity, when you go stand on the street, you will see everybody's very busy. The storekeeper is busy, the motor-driver is busy. Everyone is very busy-so busy that so many accidents in business. Now, why they are busy? If you minutely study what is their business, the business is sense gratification. That's all. Everyone is busy how to gratify senses. This is material. And yoga means to control the senses, to understand my spiritual position, my constitutional position. Just like a boy who is accustomed to playing only, he cannot concentrate in his study, in understanding his future life, or in elevating himself, a higher position. Similarly, if we are engaged like child without knowing the future of life, simply playing with the senses, that is called material life. The difference between material life and spiritual life is that if somebody is simply engaged in sense gratification business, that is called material life. And out of many thousands of such materialistic persons, if somebody is trying to understand, "What I am? Why I have come here? Why I am put into so many miserable condition of life? Is there any remedy…?" these questions, when arises, then, practically, his spiritual life begins. And the human form of life is meant for that. In animal life they do not know anything except sense gratification. They have no power. Their consciousness is not developed. Just like in the Green Lake park, there are so many ducks. As soon as somebody goes there with some little food, oh, they go gather: "quack! quack! quack! quack!" (laughter) That's all. And after eating, they are enjoying sex life. That's all. So, similarly, like cats and dogs and these animals, the human life is also like that if there is no question "What I am?" If they are simply directed by the sense urges, they are no better than these ducks and dogs.

So therefore, in the first six chapters it has been decided that a living entity is a spiritual spark. It is very difficult to find out where the spark is, because it is so small, minute. There is no material microscope or machine to find out. But it is there. It is there. The symptom is, because it is there in my body, because it is there in your body, therefore you are moving, you are talking, you are planning, so many things you are doing-simply for that spiritual spark. So we are very minute spark of the supreme spirit. Just like there are in the sunshine minute particles, shining particles. With shining, these shining particles, when they are mixed together, that is sunshine. But they are molecules. They are separate, atomic molecules. Similarly, in relationship with God and ourselves, we are also minute particles of God, shining. Shining means we have got the same propensities, thinking, feeling, willing, creating, everything. Whatever you see in yourself, that is there in God. So God cannot be impersonal, because we are all persons. I have got so many propensities-that is very minute quantity. The same propensities are there in Kṛṣṇa, or God, but that is very great, unlimited. This is the study of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply greatness, my position is very small. And we are so small, infinitesimal; still, we have got so many propensities, so many desires, so many activities, so many brain work. Just imagine how much greater brain work and desire and propensities are there in God, because He's great. His greatness means all these things, what you have got, that is existing in Him in greatness. That's all. Qualitatively, we are one, but quantitatively, we are different. He's great; we are small. He is infinite; we are infinitesimal. Therefore the conclusion is, just like infinite particles of fire, sparks, when they are with the fire, they look very nice with fire and sparks. But when the sparks are out of the fire, main fire, they extinguish. No more fire. Similarly, we are sparks of Kṛṣṇa or God. When we associate with God, then our, that illuminating power, fire, is renovated. Otherwise, we are extinguished. Although you are sparks, our present life, this material life, is covered. The spark is covered, or extinguished almost. This is only example. It cannot be extinguished. If it is extinguished, how we are manifesting our living condition? It is not extinguished, but it is covered. Just like when fire is covered, you'll feel heat on the covering, but you cannot see the fire directly. Similarly, this spiritual spark is covered by his material dress; therefore we cannot see. The doctor says, "Oh, the bodily function has failed; therefore heart has failed. He is dead." But why heart fails he does not know. There is no medical science, calculated. They will say so many reasons, that "Because the blood corpuscles, red corpuscles has ceased to function, it has become white; therefore it is…" No. This is not right answer. The blood can be made red… Or redness is not life. There are many natural product which is red by nature. That does not mean there is life. So this argument, that red corpuscles have ceased; therefore life has ceased-no. There are so many arguments and counterarguments.

Actually, this is the fact, because we are speaking on the strength of scripture, saintly persons and spiritual master. That is the way of understanding. You cannot manufacture with your teeny brain, imperfect senses. Human being, they're imperfect, always. Just for example, that a child is seeing the sun, and a scientist is seeing the sun. By nature, the child, their knowledge of the sun is imperfect. The same child, when he takes instruction from a scientist, he can understand the sun is so great. Therefore direct perception of knowledge by our the senses is always imperfect. You have to approach authority-in every sphere of life. Similarly, if you want to understand what is God, then you have to take shelter of this Bhagavad-gītā. There is no alternative. You cannot speculate that "God may be like this, God may be like that," "There is no God," "God is dead," "God is not dead." This is simply speculation. Here Kṛṣṇa says,

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

[Bg. 7.1]

If you believe that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is speaking personally, as Arjuna believed, then you can understand what is God. Otherwise it is not possible. Asaṁśayam.

So the process is, the first process is, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. You have to constantly engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa. That is the yoga process, which is, which we are presenting as Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness… Just like if you constantly join yourself with the electric powerhouse, there is incessant supply of electric energy. Similarly, if you constantly engage your mind in Kṛṣṇa, that is also not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive. Kṛṣṇa is beautiful. Kṛṣṇa has so many activities. The whole Vedic literature is full of Kṛṣṇa's activities. This Bhagavad-gītā is full of Kṛṣṇa's activities. Simply by understanding that God is great, that is neutral state of understanding. But you have to elevate more and more, how great He is. How great He is, it is not possible to understand, because our senses are always imperfect. But as far as possible you can hear about the activities of God, about the position of God, and you can think over it, and you can make your judgment, you can put your argument. Then you will understand without any doubt what is God. The first beginning is, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. In the last chapter Kṛṣṇa has explained that one who is constantly absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa, he is first-class yogi, first-class yogi. In your country the yoga system is very popular, but you do not know who is a first-class yogi. The first-class yogi (is) explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā [Bg. 6.47], that out of many, many thousands of yogis, the yogi or bhakta-yogi who is always seeing within himself, within his heart, the form of Kṛṣṇa, he's first-class yogi, he's first class.

So you have to continue that first-class yoga system, and that is explained here, mayy āsakta-manāḥ: being attached. Mind is the vehicle for being attached. If you are attached to somebody, some boy, some girl, some person… Generally, we become attached to a person. Impersonal attachment is bogus thing. If you want to be attached, that attachment must be personal. Is it not a fact? Impersonal attachment… You cannot love the sky, but you can love the sun, you can love the moon, you can love the stars, because they are localized person. And if you want to love the sky, it is very difficult for you. You have to come again to this sun. So yoga system, culminating in perfection, in love… So you have to love somebody, person. That is Kṛṣṇa. Just like here is a picture. Rādhārāṇī is loving Kṛṣṇa and offering His (Her) flowers to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is playing with His flute. So you can think of this picture nicely, always. Then you (will) become constantly in yoga, samādhi. Why impersonal? Why you something, something void? Void cannot be. If you think something void, there will be something light, something color, colorful, so many things we will find. But that is also form. How you can avoid form? That is not possible. Therefore why don't you concentrate your mind to the real form, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1], the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller, the supreme controller, who has got a body? How? Vigrahaḥ, vigrahaḥ means body. And what sort of body? Sac-cid-ānanda, eternal body, full of bliss, full of knowledge. That body. Not like body like this. This body is full of ignorance, full of miseries, and not eternal. Just opposite. His body is eternal; my body is not eternal. His body is full of bliss; my body is full of miseries, always something troubling me-headache, toothache, this ache, that ache. Somebody is, has given me personal trouble. So many… Adhyātmic, adhibhautic, severe heat, severe cold, so many things. This body is always under threefold miseries, this material body.

So if you think of Kṛṣṇa, that is the process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, if you practice this yoga system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how? Mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means "taking shelter of somebody who is in touch with Me." Mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means directly in touch with Him. Directly you are in touch with Him as soon as you think of Him, His form. But unless you take shelter of a spiritual master who knows about Him, you cannot concentrate for a long time. It may be temporary. Therefore you have to hear from a person who knows about Kṛṣṇa. Then your concentration of mind on Kṛṣṇa will continue. You have to act according to his direction everything. Your life should be molded in such a way under the direction of the spiritual master. Then you can continue this yoga system perfectly. What is that yoga system? That yoga system explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Sixth Chapter, last verse. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā: [Bg. 6.47] "One who is always thinking of Me," mad-gata, "He is first-class yogi." In many places it is stated. Premāñjana-cchurita. How you can think of Kṛṣṇa unless you develop love for Kṛṣṇa? Just like Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī, She has come. She was married, and household life, but She has come to Kṛṣṇa to worship Him. Similarly, we have to place Kṛṣṇa always in our mind, think of Him. Then this very process, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, "Under the protection of Myself, of My representative, when you understand samagram, perfectly well, then your life is successful." Asaṁśayam: "without any doubt." Not that because your spiritual master says that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." No. If you have got any doubt, just question, just try to understand. It is a fact that He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead, undoubtedly. But if you have got some doubt, you can clear it. Asaṁśayam. In this way, if you practice this yoga system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the topmost of all the yoga systems, asaṁśayam samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi [Bg. 7.1], then you'll understand Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, perfectly well, without any doubt, and your life will be successful.

Thank you. (devotees offer obeisances) Any question?

Jaya-gopāla: What is the difference between bhava and prema?

Prabhupāda: Prema is mature condition of bhava. Just like a ripe mango and green mango. Green mango is the cause of ripe mango. But to taste ripe mango is better than unripe mango. Similarly, before attaining love of Godhead, you have got different stages. Just like the same mango, it passes through different stages, then one day it comes nice yellow color, fully ripened, and taste is so nice. The same mango. The mango does not change, but it comes to the mature stage. So this… As this example, the mango is in the beginning a flower, then gradually a little fruit. Then gradually it grows. Then it becomes very tight, green, and then, gradually, it becomes little, little yellowish, and it becomes fully ripe. This is the process of everything. In material world also, there are six processes, and the last process is vanquish.

This mango example or any other material example, we can accept it so far the growth is required, concerned, but material example is not perfect. Just like mango, when it is ripe, somebody eats, that's all right. Otherwise it will overripe, it will decompose, it will fall down, and finish. That is material. But spiritual is not like that. It is not finished. If you once come to the stage of mature stage of love, then that perfectional stage continues eternally, and your life is successful. Premā pum-artho mahān. There are many different types of perfection in this material world. Somebody is thinking, "This is perfection of life." Materialists, they are thinking, "If I can enjoy my senses very nicely, that is perfection of life." That is their point of view. And when they are frustrated, they find out, or try to find out, something better. So if he's not guided, something better means the same-sex and intoxication. That's all. Simply becomes irresponsible. That's all. Because there is no guide. He's finding out, searching out something better, but because there is no guide, he comes to the same sense or sex and intoxication-to forget. A businessman, when he's failure, so much disturbance. He tries to forget him by drinking. But this is artificial way. This is not actually the remedy. How long you can forget? Sleep-how long you can sleep? Again wake up, again you are in the same position. That is not the way. But if you come to the stage of love of Godhead, then naturally you forget all this nonsense. Naturally. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. If you find out something more palatable, more relishable, you give up nonsense things which is not so nice to taste.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is such a thing. It is leading you to a standard where going you will forget all this nonsense. That is real life. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as you come that state, then your symptom will be that you are jolly. You are feeling everywhere. There is a… There are many instances. So when you accept this material world in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, you'll taste that love of Godhead, even in this material world. Actually, material world means completely in forgetfulness of God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is material world. Otherwise, if you are in full consciousness of Kṛṣṇa, you'll find only spiritual world, even in this material world. Consciousness-it is all consciousness. The same example. Just like the king and the bug is sitting on the same throne, but the bug knows that "My business is simply to get some blood." That's all. The king knows that "I have to rule. I am the ruler of this country." So sitting on the same place, but the consciousness is different. Similarly, if you change your consciousness to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, wherever you are, you are in Vaikuṇṭha. Wherever, it doesn't matter. Yes?

Guest: I would like you to explain the origin and significance of what you, what they call the Jagannātha car festival.

Prabhupāda: Jagannātha festival significance is that when Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana… Kṛṣṇa was raised by His foster father, Nanda Mahārāja. But when He was grown up, 16 years old, He was taken away by His real father, Vasudeva, and They left Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, two brothers, and They were resident…, Their kingdom was in Dvārakā. So in Kurukṣetra-Kurukṣetra is always dharma-kṣetra, pilgrimage-there was some lunar, solar eclipse, and many persons from many parts of India, they came to take bath. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and Their sister Subhadra, They also came in royal fashion, with so many soldiers, and so many…, just like king. So these residents of Vṛndāvana, they met Kṛṣṇa, and especially the gopīs, they saw Kṛṣṇa, and they lamented that "Kṛṣṇa, You are here, we are also here, but the place is different. We are not in Vṛndāvana." So there is a long story how they lamented and how Kṛṣṇa pacified them. This is a feeling of separation, how the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana felt separation from Kṛṣṇa. So this… When Kṛṣṇa came on chariot, that is called Ratha-yātrā. This is the history of Ratha-yātrā. So any pastimes made by Kṛṣṇa, that is observed in ceremonial form by the devotees. So that is Ratha-yātrā.

Guest: How may we recognize yogamāyā?

Prabhupāda: I do not know what is your question.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He wants to know how we may recognize yogamāyā, how we may know.

Prabhupāda: Yogamāyā? Yogamāyā means that which connects you. Yoga means connection. When you are being gradually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the action of yogamāyā. And when you are gradually forgetting Kṛṣṇa, that is the action of mahāmāyā. Māyā is acting upon you. The one is dragging you, and one is pushing you opposite way. Yogamāyā. So, just like the example, that you are always under the laws of government. You cannot deny. If you say, "I don't agree to abide by the laws of government," that is not possible. But when you are a criminal, you are under the police laws, and when you are gentleman, you are under the civil laws. The laws are there. In any situation, you have to obey the laws of government. If you remain as a civilized citizen, then you are always protected by the civil law. But as soon as you are against the state, the criminal law will act upon you. So the criminal activities of law is mahāmāyā, threefold miseries, always. Always putting in some sort of misery. And the civil department of Kṛṣṇa, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. You simply go on increasing the, I mean to say, depth of the ocean of joy. Ānandambudhi-vardhanam. That is the difference, yogamāyā and mahāmāyā. Yogamāyā is… Yogamāyā, the original yogamāyā, is Kṛṣṇa's internal potency. That is Rādhārāṇī. And mahāmāyā is external potency, Durgā. This Durgā is explained in Brahma-saṁhitā, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā [Bs. 5.44]. Durgā is the superintending goddess of this whole material world. Everything is going on under his, under her control. Prakṛti, prakṛti is energy. Energy is accepted as feminine. Just like these materialistic persons, they are also working under some energy. What is that energy? The sex life. That's all. They're troubling so much: "Oh, at night I'll have sex life." That's all. That is the energy. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. Their life is based on the sex. That's all. Everyone is working so hard, culminating in sex. That's all. This is material life. So energy. The material energy means sex. So that is energy. If a person who is working in the factory, if you stop sex, he cannot work. And when he's unable to enjoy sex life, then he takes intoxication. This is material life. So energy must be there. Here in the material world the energy is sex, and in the spiritual world the energy is love. Here the love is misrepresented in sex. That is not love; that is lust. Love is only possible with Kṛṣṇa, nowhere else. Nowhere else love is possible. That is misrepresentation of love. That is lust. So love and lust. Love is yogamāyā, and lust is mahāmāyā. That's all. (long pause) Is that all right?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah. (soft laughter)

Prabhupāda: So, any other question?

Jāhnavā: Christ consciousness and Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the words are so similar. Please combine the words, explain how the words came to us.

Prabhupāda: That I've explained many times: a pocket dictionary and international dictionary. You cannot say that pocket dictionary is no dictionary, but it is meant for a certain class of student. And international dictionary is meant for a certain class of student. They are all student. Was Christ… What was spoken by Christ, that is also God consciousness, but that was meant for a certain class of men. And what class of men they were? They're not even perfectly civilized. Because Christ was explaining God consciousness, that was his fault, and they crucified him. What class of men they were? Judge. His only fault was that he was explaining God, and they crucified him. The reward was crucifixion. So what kind of class of men they were? The status of that society, just try to understand. Therefore what spoke…, what was spoken by Lord Jesus Christ, for them, that was sufficient. But when Bhagavad-gītā is spoken to a person like Arjuna, that is different thing. So we have to speak according to the time, according to the circumstances, according to the audience. Don't you see that here only a few persons are attending? Why? They cannot understand this Kṛṣṇa science, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not meant for all classes of men. It is highest standard of God consciousness. Love. Love of God. So there is also teachings of love of God, undoubtedly. That is the difference. The same thing. Always try to understand. The small pocket dictionary for students while in the primary stage, and international dictionary for higher students, postgraduate students-the both of them are dictionaries. But it is meant for somebody, it is meant for somebody. And the test is phalena paricīyate. Phalena paricīyate, you have to understand. Suppose you are traveling in a forest. So many trees are there. But you cannot understand what is this tree, what is that. But as soon as you see the flower, "Oh, here is apple. Oh, this is apple tree." Just like the other day you were telling me, you never saw apple tree? Yes. Now, as soon as you saw the apple, you understood, "This is apple tree. Oh!" The test of any scripture is how one is developing love of God. Phalena paricīyate. If you find that following some religious principles you are developing your love of God, then it is perfect. It doesn't matter whether it is Bible or Koran or Bhagavad-gītā. It doesn't matter. We have to see what is the fruit. If the fruit is that people are developing love of Godhead, then it is perfect. Don't try to understand whether this is good, this is good, this is bad, this is… No. Try to understand by the result. Just like the same way: if you see the fruit, then it is first class. So it doesn't matter whether it is Bible or Gītā. If you can develop love of Godhead by reading Bible, it is first class, and if you can develop love of Godhead by Bhagavad-gītā, it is first class. And if you do not, then either it is Bible or the Koran or Bhagavad-gītā, it has no effect for you. So it is up to you. Not by comparison, but by your own activities. If you actually follow the instruction given by Lord Jesus Christ, you will also develop love of Godhead. There is no doubt. Similarly, if you follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, you will also develop. So it is up to you. You try to follow. If you do not follow, simply try to make a comparative study "This is good" or "This is bad," "This is bad" or "This is good," that is called śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]-simply laboring. Why comparative study? Just see how much you are developing love of Godhead, that's all. Phalena paricīyate. "Whether it is apple is there, that's all right; never mind what is this tree. I'm concerned with the apple." Yes.

Upendra: Prabhupāda, sometimes there may be differences between what is love of Godhead between Christian and Moslem, Moslem and Buddhist, Buddhist, Hindu. They may quarrel at what is love of Godhead.

Prabhupāda: The quarrel, they, those who are not in love of Godhead, they must quarrel. That is the… Because they are cats and dogs. You cannot expect any peaceful condition between cats and dogs. They will fight. So whatever they may be, so long they are fighting, that means they are not on the perfectional stage. Where is the fighting? If you love God, then you love everyone. That is the sign. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54]. After attaining the stage of equality, then you can enter into the realm of loving God. Before that, you have to pass. Just like before entering law college you have to become graduate, similarly, before entering the realm of devotional service you have to realize that all living entities are on the same platform. That is realization. You cannot make any distinction that "This is lower," "This is higher." No. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. When a person is fully learned, he does not make any distinction that "He is human being, he is cow, he is dog." He sees that he is spirit soul covered in different dress. That's all. That is his vision, universal equality vision. You cannot say that dog has no life, the cow has no life. How can you say that there is no life? That is lack of your knowledge. What is the symptom of life? You will find the symptom of life is there in human being, in ant also. How you can say that small creatures, lower animals have no life? That is lack of your knowledge. Even trees, plants, they have got life. So perfect knowledge required. So love of Godhead on the basis of perfect knowledge is real love of God. Otherwise it is fanaticism. So the fanatics, they may fight. That is not love of Godhead. (pause) Of course, it is very difficult to come to that stage, but one should try. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are all student. We are trying. But there are degrees also. Just like in a educational institution there is tenth class, eighth class, fifth class, sixth class. And with the yoga, it is just like a staircase or a lift. So there are different stages of perfection. The highest perfection is who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntarātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate… [Bg. 6.47]. The highest perfectional is Kṛṣṇa, thinking always Kṛṣṇa, and Rādhārāṇī. That is the highest perfectional stage. She has no other business: simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

Viṣṇujana: While we are chanting our rounds, or while we are chanting out loud in kīrtana, is it all right to be engaging our mind in thinking?

Prabhupāda: Is it not?

Viṣṇujana: He is already (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: This is practical way? (laughter) If you are not minding, the chanting will force you to mind upon Him. You see? Kṛṣṇa sound will by force. Chanting is so nice. And this is the practical yoga in this age. You cannot meditate. Your mind is so disturbed, you cannot concentrate your mind. Therefore chant, and by the sound vibration, it will forcibly enter it into your mind. Even if you don't want Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will enter within your mind. By force. (laughter) This is the easiest process. You don't require to endeavor. Kṛṣṇa is coming. (laughter) (Prabhupāda laughs) It is very nice process. This is recommended therefore, for this age. And others also will be benefited. You chant loudly. Others who are not accustomed, they will also. At least… Just like on the street, in the park, they say "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" How they have learned? By hearing this chanting. That's all. Sometimes the children, as soon as they see us, they say "Oh, Hare Kṛṣṇa!" In Montreal the children, when I was walking on the street, all the children, the shopkeepers, the storekeepers, they will say "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" And that's all. So we have forced Hare Kṛṣṇa within the mind. If you practice yoga, meditate, it may be beneficial for you, but this is beneficial for many others. Suppose something very good, you are enjoying yourself, some sweetballs-that is one stage. But if you distribute sweetballs, that is another stage. So by chanting on the road, on the street, you are distributing sweetballs. (laughter) You are not miser, that you are eating yourself. You are so liberal that you are distributing to others. Now chant, distribute. (laughter) (kīrtana) (end)

681020LE.SEA

Lecture to College Students

Seattle, October 20, 1968,

Introduction by Tamāla Kṛṣṇa

(kīrtana, prema-dhvanī)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thank you all very much for coming today to hear our spiritual master speak and join us in this saṅkīrtana festival. What we're doing here is searching and seeking after the Supreme Absolute Truth. We are searching after Kṛṣṇa, or God. In this last hundred years or so in this country there's been an increased awareness, consciousness, growing in the people-a need for expanded consciousness. People have been searching for some kind of spiritual realization. And to answer that kind of need there have been many men, so-called holy men or swamis, who have come, from mainly India. This began with Vivekananda. It is coming through this last hundred years, more and more men trying to answer the need of American people especially, for some kind of spiritual growth, spiritual realization. These men, unfortunately, are cheating the public. They are presenting the teachings that everything-all people, all objects, everything-is God, and that to enjoy, enjoy in this world, this is the world to enjoy. To increase your consciousness so that you can enjoy more, that we are all God, that all things are God. This is nonsense. No revealed scriptures ever stated this. All scriptures are in agreement with one single thing: there's a supreme lovable person, the Lord, and it is the business of all entities to develop a love for Him. That is our connection with God. We are part and parcel of the Lord. We are connected to Him but we are not Him. It is our ability.

Our consciousness can be brought to the point where I can develop love for God. This is what our spiritual master teaches, that God is great and He is mighty. He is teaching this, and there is no difference in any scripture. They all teach this. We are in complete agreement with Lord Jesus and the Bible. The Bible too states that the Lord is great, God is great, He is mighty. The differences in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the Bhagavad-gītā and the Vedic scriptures which we study in our courses at our temple, is that the Bhagavad-gītā is like this: If there is a young boy who is in the sixth grade and he wants to find out about birds, he'll open a dictionary, a pocket dictionary, and he'll read about birds, and the definition will state that it's an entity which flies through the air. There might be a picture there of a bird. Whereas a person who's studying for a graduate course and doing a thesis perhaps on the different kinds of birds, he needs something more for finding out about birds than just that they fly through the air. He opens an international dictionary. He opens an encyclopedia. He finds out all the varieties of birds, where they fly to, where they nest. He gets all the details about birds. Similarly, for those who are interested in finding out all the details about how God is great, how He is mighty, that is "What does He look like?" "What does He do?" "Who is He?"-you go through the Vedic scriptures. This is not to say that the Bible is nonsense. The Bible is the Absolute Truth. It is Absolute Truth that Lord Jesus taught. But look at the people to whom he taught. They crucified him for teaching about God. He could not teach as great a depth as he would have liked to. He could teach only to the audience that was listening, and yet they still crucified him. These Vedic scriptures, the Bhagavad-gītā which our spiritual master speaks from, is also the Absolute Truth, but it is in all its variegatedness, all its detail. And there's such a need to hear a man like our spiritual master, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, speak. He is a pure devotee, pure lover of the Lord. That is the qualification for one who can teach about God. He must be one hundred percent engaged in glorifying the Lord, that his every action, every word, must be spent on account of the Supreme Lord. Nothing else.

I had an article sent to us by some Godbrothers from New York. It's really a pertinent article. Very interesting. It's from the Daily News, a big New York newspaper. The heading reads, "Drive and aid(?) retreat for priests who drink." It goes on to say, "Right now there are 5,000 alcoholic priests in the U.S., and the number is growing, according to a spokesman for Guesthouse, a sanatorium dedicated to preventing priests from wrecking their lives." These are the holy men. Now I'm not to say that all priests are like this. That's not at all what I'm trying to get at. But the point is that so many spiritual men in this age are not spiritual men at all. They're cheaters, they're deceivers. They are themselves drunkards. That's the problem that's stated here. It goes on to say that alcoholism is not treated as a moral failure, but as a disease. But that's absurd. It is a moral failure. These priests have the right to drink or not to drink. They chose to drink and get drunk. But these are men that are leading us back to God. The point is, you must have someone who is pure, who does not take any kind of intoxicants, does not smoke, does not gamble, no illicit sex. These are the qualifications. Look to Jesus for example. He was the perfect example. Look to Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Look to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya for example. There are qualifications for a bona fide spiritual master just as there are qualifications for one who wishes to teach you any science that you take in this school. He must pass the examinations. He must be qualified. If his moral character fails, he gets booted out of the school. Similarly, to teach about God, there must be moral qualification. There must be status, and our spiritual master is a living example. He spends one hundred percent of his time in praise of the Supreme Lord. We ask you today, please listen closely and just try to understand his divine teaching. Just listen. Test with your reasoning ability, your intellect. All the knowledge you have gained, test and see whether this is not the bona fide way. Test and see whether this is not Absolute Truth. Now let His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda speak.

Prabhupāda:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

This prayer is to the spiritual master. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. Everyone born in this material world is in ignorance, born ignorant. We should take it for granted, this material world is called tama. The Vedic injunction is tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in this darkness; come to the light." Actually, this material world is dark. It is lighted with sunlight, moonlight, electric light, this light, that light. Its nature is darkness. That is a scientific fact. So anyone born in this material world, beginning from Brahma, the chief personality in the topmost planet of this universe, down to the ant-everyone is in darkness. Therefore this prayer, ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Everyone is put into the darkness, and one who opens the eyes by the torch of knowledge… Darkness means without knowledge. So it is the duty of the spiritual master to open the eyes of the person in darkness with torch of knowledge. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena. The person who opens our eyes in that way, he is the spiritual master. And one may offer his respectful obeisances unto such personality.

So people should not be put into darkness, but they should be brought into light. Therefore in every human society, there is a sort of institution which is called religious institution. Take it for granted-Hinduism, Muslimism, or Christianism or Buddhism-any "ism" you take-what is the purpose? The purpose is to bring the persons to the light. That is the purpose of religion. And what is that light? That light is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Religion means the codes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. Just like in the state, there is king's law. The king gives you some law, and if you are a good citizen, you are to obey those laws, and you live peacefully. This is crude example. Similarly, dharma or religion means to obey the laws of God, that's all. It may be different according to time, circumstances, people. Just like laws in India, the state laws in India may not agree cent percent with the laws of United States. But that does not mean there is no law. And one has to abide by the law. That is the general principle. Similarly, human being, without obeying the laws of God, he is animal. Just like on the street there is signboard, "Keep to the right." A human being obeys the law, "Keep to the right," and if he does not obey, he goes to the police custody. But if an animal disobeys, there is no law for him. So all those laws, all those scriptures, all those religious principles are made for man, not for animals. Therefore a person without religious principles, without God consciousness, is no better than an animal. That is the definition given in the Vedic literature. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. Eating, sleeping, sex life and defense, these four principles are equal, common, in human life and animal life. Dharma hy tasya eka viśeṣa. The distinction of human life and animal life is that a man is searching after God; an animal cannot search after God. That is the difference. Therefore a man without that urge for searching after God is no better than animal. That is accepted fact in every civilized society. Unfortunately, at the present moment, in every state, in every society, they are trying to forget God. Some of them are publicly speaking that there is no God, or if there is God, He is dead, and so on. So this is very precarious condition of the human society.

There is a very nice story. One rat, he was troubled with cat. So he came to a saintly person: "My dear sir, I am very much troubled." "What is the difficulty?" The rat said, "The cat always chases. So I'm not in peace of mind." "Then what do you want?" "Please make me a cat." "All right, you become a cat." After few days, the same cat again came to the saintly person, says, "My dear sir, I am again in trouble." "What is that?" "The dogs are chasing me." "Then what do you want?" "Make me a dog." "All right, you become a dog." Then after few days, again he comes. He says, "I am again in trouble, sir." "What is that?" "The foxes are chasing me." "Then what do you want?" "To become a fox." "All right, you become a fox." Then again he comes. He says, "Oh, tigers are chasing me." "Then what do you want?" "I want to become a tiger." "All right, you become a tiger." And when he became a tiger, he began to stare his eyes on the saintly person: "I shall eat you." "Oh, you shall eat me? I have made you tiger, and you want to eat me?" "Yes, I am tiger. I shall eat you." Oh, then he cursed him, "Again you become a rat. Again you become a rat." So he became a rat.

So our human civilization is going to be like that. The other day I was reading in your-what is called?-World Almanac. In the next hundred years people will live underground like rats. So our scientific advancement has created this atomic bomb to kill man, and it will be used. And we have to go underground to become again rat. From tiger, again rat. That is going to be. That is nature's law. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. If you defy the laws of your state and you are put into difficulty, similarly if you continue to defy the authority, the supremacy of the Supreme Lord, Personality of Godhead, then the same result: again you become rat. As soon as there is atomic bomb, everything, all civilization on the surface of the globe will be finished. So people may not like it. It may be very unpalatable, but the fact is like that. Satyaṁ brūyāt priyaṁ brūyāt ma brūyāt satyam abrūyāt. It is social convention that if you want to speak truth, you speak truth very palatable, flattering. Don't speak unpalatable truth. But we are not meant for that purpose, social convention. We are preacher, we are servant of God. We must speak the real truth. You may like it or may not like it, that a godless civilization cannot be happy in any stage. That is a fact. Therefore we have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to awaken this godless civilization, that you try to love God. This is the simple fact. You have got love within you. You want to love somebody. A young boy tries to love a young girl, young girl tries to love another young boy. This is natural, because the love is there. But we have created certain circumstances that love is being frustrated. Why? Everyone is frustrated. Husband, wife, boys, girls, man to man, states to states, everywhere, the love is not being utilized properly. Why? The missing point is that we have forgotten to love the Supreme Person. That is the disease.

So the purpose of religion is to train persons how to love God. That is the purpose of all religion. Either you take Christianism or Hinduism or any "ism," the purport is that you try to love God, because that is our natural inclination. Even in uncivilized society, when there is some thunderbolt, they immediately offer obeisances. That is natural. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. Now this word dharma is translated or explained in the English dictionary, "religion," as "a kind of faith." But in Sanskrit dictionary, dharma means characteristic. Just like sugar. Sugar's characteristic is sweetness. If you are given some sugar, if you find it, it is not sweet, you at once reject it: "Oh, it is not sugar. It is something else." So that sweetness is the characteristic of sugar. Similarly, sour taste is the characteristic of salt, pungency is the characteristic of chili. Similarly, what is your characteristic, living entity? That you have to study. That is your religion. Not that Christian religion, Hindu religion, or this religion, that religion. Your eternal characteristic, what is that eternal characteristic? You want to love somebody, and therefore you want to serve. That is your characteristic. You want your society… You love your society, you love your family, you love your country, you love your community. Because you love, therefore you serve. That is your characteristic. Either you are Christian or either you are Muhammadan, either you are Hindu, this characteristic will go on. Suppose today you are Christian, tomorrow you become Hindu. That service mood, that loving spirit, goes with you, either you become Hindu or Muslim or Christian. Therefore that service spirit and love, the tendency to love and service spirit, is your characteristic, and that is your religion. That is the universal form of religion. You have to apply your natural characteristic in a certain place, where you will be satisfied. Your service spirit is (indistinct). You have to apply your natural characteristic in a certain place, where you will be satisfied. Your service spirit is there, your loving spirit is there, but because it is misplaced, you are not happy, you are frustrated, you are confused. The Bhāgavata gives you indication, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. That is the first-class system of religion, which trains you to love God. And if you have developed that tendency to the fullest extent, to love God, then you are perfect man. And then you will feel perfection within yourself. Yayātmā suprasīdati. You are hankering after satisfaction, full satisfaction. That full satisfaction can be obtained only when you love God. That is the natural function. It doesn't matter whether you are following Christianism or Hinduism or Muhammadanism. Just try to understand how much you have developed your God consciousness to love God. Then in your any religion is nice, very nice. Otherwise it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. After executing your ritualistic performances in particular type of religion throughout the whole life, if you do not see that you have no love for God, then simply you have wasted your time. Śrama eva hi kevalam.

Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that: it is the postgraduate movement of all kinds of religion. We are inviting either Christian or Muslim or Hindus or this or that-we do not mind-"Please come with us and try to love God." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And the method is very simple. Method is very simple. You chant this holy name: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. All these, my students, all of them are Americans, and they come from Christian or Jewish group. None of them came from Hindu or India. But what is the process I have given to them? The process is chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very simple method. By chanting this mantra… Mantra. Mantra means… The Sanskrit word mantra, man means mind, and tra means deliverance. Mantra means that which delivers you from the mental concoction or hovering on the mental plane. Every one of us is hovering on the mental plane. By mind we are creating so many things: "I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in this way. I shall be happy in that way." But mantra means when you are delivered from that concoction, speculative way of your mind, and you come to the transcendental platform. That is the effect of mantra. So this mantra, this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, is called the mahā-mantra. Mahā-mantra means the greatest of all mantras. And this is the only suitable mantra for this age. This age is called Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means the age of disagreement. Nobody agrees. Even husband, wife does not agree, what to speak of others. The father, son does not agree. Nobody agrees with anyone. This is the age like that. So in this age of disagreement you cannot say that this type of religion is nice, that type of religion is nice. That is finished now. You have to take this mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And you'll find it that very soon you are coming to the light.

So I do not wish to take much of your time, but simply I want to impress upon you that this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is so nice that if you give in an experimental way… You can see. You chant for at least one week and you see how much you have changed. So these boys, they are chanting in the street. We have got many branches in your country, one in London, one in Germany, and everyone is taking part. It is increasing. So we don't charge anything, neither you have got any loss. If there is any profit, you can try it, but there is no loss. That is guaranteed. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much. (end)

681026LE.MON

Lecture

Montreal, October 26, 1968

Prabhupāda: Why people are forced to commit sinful activities? This point is also discussed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa, "What is that thing which forces a man to commit sinful activities?" Just like the same example that one man is seeing practically that one who has committed something criminal, he is punished. And he has heard it also from authorities, from lawyers or from respectable gentlemen, that "If you commit such and such sinful activities… If you steal, then you will be imprisoned for six months. If you cheat, you'll be imprisoned for such and such period. If you commit murder, then you'll be hanged." These things are taught some way or other. Either in religious scripture or by lawbooks or by morality or ethical principle, they are taught to the human, civilized human society. And he sees also practically that "This man has committed this kind of criminality, and he is punished." And again why does he commit? That is the problem. So kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. Kāma and krodha. Kāma means desire, lust. Kāma. And when the desire or lust is not fulfilled, then there is krodha. Krodha means anger. There are so many cases of criminality, when the lust is not fulfilled, one commits some criminal action and he is punished and so many things happen. So kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. As we have discussed many times that we are in this material world controlled by the three modes of material nature. Three qualities: goodness, passion and ignorance. So goodness… Yes, passion and ignorance are the causes of our bondage. And goodness is also cause of bondage, but in that platform one can see things as they are. Goodness. Prakāśa. Just like at night we cannot see, but in daytime we see. But seeing is not all. Unless I am convinced of something, even seeing… Just the same example: one man is seeing that a criminal person is punished; still he is committing criminal act.

So Śukadeva Gosvāmī's question is that suppose a man commits some sinful activities and he executes some atonement. In atone… This atonement is prescribed in every religion… (child sounds in background) (aside:) This is disturbing. Attention is diverted. Yes. So just like in the Christian church, they have the atonement process, confession. So suppose if you go weekly in the church and confess your sinful activities and it is excused, but again, next week you again commit the same sinful activities. Then what is the use of that confession and atonement? If you make it a business that "The whole week I shall commit sinful activities, and on Sunday I shall go to church and confess it, then everything will be balanced, squared-off account," that is all right. Then again from Monday you begin the sinful activities. So is that very good business? So Parīkṣit Mahārāja's question is that, that the atonement is there. But if one commits atonement and again commits sinful activities, then what is the use of such atonement? It is just like… He gave the example, kuñjara-snānavat. The elephant takes bath very nicely in the water, and as soon as he comes on the land, he takes dust and throws over, all over the body. So what is the use of taking bath? Similarly, if I am accustomed to commit sinful activities and for that reason I confess and make some atonement, then what is the use? That is the question of Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He's very intelligent. If I do again and again and again the same thing and make some atonement… So in every religion there are processes of atonement, prāyaścitta. In Hindu religion also there is such thing. Every religion such thing is there. But the purpose of such atonement is to bring the man, criminal man to consciousness. He should be conscious of his sinful activities. That is the idea. Just like a child has committed some wrong and he comes to the father. The father sees that he has done something wrong. So the child confesses, "Yes, father, I have done it. Please excuse me." "All right. Excused." The father says, "Don't do it again." Second time, again he commits the same thing. The father or the teacher says, "Oh, again you have committed?" "Yes. Please excuse me. I shall not do it again." "All right. Excused." But if on the third time again he commits the sin, what the father and the teacher will do? He will slap him. Yes. Just to teach him, "Nonsense. I have warned you twice, thrice, and again you are doing that? No more excuse. Now punishment." This is natural. So if I go to God, if I go and confess, "Father, God, Supreme Father, I have done these sinful activities. I am confessing," "All right." The father excuses. If you make it a business, that "I shall do it and confess," then what will be the result? The result will be punishment. That is natural consequence. So people should come to the understanding that "These sinful activities I shall not do." But he is forced to do, impelled by the quality of passion and ignorance. That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why does he so, as if being forced by some agent? That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā that rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ.

So we have to come to the platform of goodness from the platform of ignorance and passion. Then our life will be successful. Our life, the human form of life, is meant for changing the platform of activities. The animals, they cannot change their platform (of) activities. A tiger, however you instruct it nicely, it is not to be tamed. It is not… Because it is animal. It cannot change its, I mean to say, activities. But a human being, if he is trained… Therefore for human being there is system of the schooling. The children are… [break] They are advised to go to the church, to go to take moral instruction. It is for the human being, not for the animals. Because the human form of life can accept and make his path clear. His present activities, path, is very hazy. He does not know where he is going, what is his destination of life. That he does not know. Therefore education, training, and all so many things there are in every civilized human form of life so that he may come to the platform of goodness. And not only that goodness. One has to surpass that platform of goodness and come to the platform of pure goodness. In this material world it is very difficult to stand on the platform of goodness pure. Even a good man sometimes commits some mistake, commits some blunder in the material world. Because you should always remember that there are three modes of material nature-ignorance, passion, and goodness. Even you are on the platform of goodness, the other two qualities may be studied. Because it is the kingdom of māyā, or material nature, these things are very prominent. Sometimes goodness is prominent, sometimes ignorance is prominent, sometimes passion is prominent. In this way sometimes they are mixed up.

So three into three equal to nine. Nine into nine equal to eighty-one. Therefore you will find manifestation of eighty-one kinds of qualitative living entities. And they are divided into 8,400,000 species of life. These are very scientific studies. Try to understand it. And this human form of life is the chance to get out of this entanglement. These eighty-one, again if you multiply eighty-one by eighty-one, then it becomes huge quantity. So in this way these qualities are mixed up, colors. Just like three colors, blue, red and yellow. You mix and you produce multi-colors. If you are expert in color mixing… All these picture, whatever you are seeing, there are only three colors-blue, red and yellow-and you mix, varieties of color. Those who are artists, they know it very well. Similarly, these three qualities, three colors. The yellow is sattva-guṇa and the blue is the tamo-guṇa and the red is rajo-guṇa. These colors, they are representation of these three modes of material nature. Redness means passion, and blue, black, that means ignorance, and yellow, yellow is goodness. Therefore you see Kṛṣṇa and all others, they're in yellow dress. Of course in the spiritual world there is no such distinction. There is variety, but there is no inebriety. That is spiritual world.

Just like here you see Kṛṣṇa is in love with beautiful young girls. The same thing is here also. We are also accustomed to love beautiful girls, or beautiful girls accustomed to love beautiful boys. So the same thing is going on there in the spiritual world. It is simply reflection. The real thing is there in the spiritual world. It is simply shadow. The same loving affairs in a shadowy, hazy form is represented here. Originally it is in the spiritual world, in Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is not to be supposed old man. God is never an old man. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated,

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

[Bs. 5.33]

God, Kṛṣṇa, He's the original person because from the original father, you can take, from whom everyone has come. Therefore He's the oldest. Advaitam acyutam anādim ādyam. Ādyam means the original person. Man is made after God; therefore God is original person. So that person ādyam, acyutam, anādim, nava-yauvanaṁ ca. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca means He is always a young man. Just like you are all young men, attractive. Young life is attractive. So that youthful age is always in the spiritual world. And as the youthful means joyful life, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt… (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). All young boys and young girls, they are after joyfulness, but they are being frustrated in this material world. That is the inebriety. The spiritual world means these things are there, but without any inebriety. Here we love. A boy loves a girl; a girl loves… But they are frustrated. After few days it is broken. Or if it is married, then again there is divorce. He finds another husband; she finds out another… Like that. These things are not there. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, the love of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is never broken. Never broken. That is the significance of the spiritual… They are eternally enjoying the loving affairs. And if you qualify yourself, then you leave this material world, this interaction of the modes of material nature, and be implicated in such things and you become free, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very nice. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious perfectly, you are no longer living in this material world. You are in the spiritual world. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ

mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo-murāreḥ

bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ

padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

[SB 10.14.58]

Very nice verse. What is this? It is said, samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. The lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa is compared with a very nice boat. Boat. Just like lotus flower. His everything is like lotus flower. One who has accepted this boat… Because this material world is a great ocean of nescience, darkness. This is the nature. Just like at night you see, this space is a great ocean of darkness. That is the nature. Therefore it is called tama. This world's nature… Here we require the sunlight, the moonlight, the electricity; otherwise it is dark. By nature it is dark. So you are put into the darkness. There is no light. But there is another nature, which is full of light. Therefore Vedic injunction is tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in this darkness. Try to come out to the light." That is spiritual world. That is spiritual world. Jyotir gamaḥ tamasi mā. Don't remain in this darkness.

So the whole process is how to get out of this darkness. How to get out of this darkness. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. The world of light is the kingdom of God, or Kṛṣṇaloka. Everything. Because just like you find day. What is this day? Day means a planet which is called sun globe appears. That is day. That means when your, this planet, world planet, turns and comes in front of the sun, it is day. Actually, it is darkness, but when we come in front of light, it is day. So there, in the spiritual planet, all planets are illuminating. This is an example, a sample, the sun. Sun is the only planet within this universe which is illuminating. All other planets are reflection of the sun. The moon, the stars, they are simply glittering, reflected by the sun. They are dark, just like this planet is dark. So similarly, in the spiritual sky all the planets are illuminating. None of the planets are dark. Therefore the whole sky is illuminating. There is no darkness. Just get an idea. Of course, it is not possible to explain what is the spiritual world from the material world, but from the śāstra… Just like you read geography. If you want to go to India, you get some idea that "India is like this. The shape is like this, the climate is like this, the people are like that." So you simply get an idea. But actual experience you'll get when you go to India. Similarly, the, we have got all these explanation in the śāstras what is that spiritual world, but we cannot conceive at the present moment the spiritual world. But you can conceive it. When you are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you'll be able. Because everything will be revealed. Spiritual knowledge cannot be acquired by these blunt senses. It is not possible. Just like people do not take much interest in our movement because they cannot understand. The senses are so blunt that they are not receptive. Just like a child. A child, it is not receptive; therefore it is in its own business, crying or something want, talking. Similarly, our senses, our present senses, they are incapable of understanding what is God or what is God's kingdom. They cannot understand. It is not possible. The senses are blunt, ignorant. Ignorance and passion, the covering. But if you come out of this ignorance and passion, you come to the platform of goodness, then you can understand a little. Not fully. Then again you have to surpass, transcend the platform of goodness, which is called śuddha-sattva, without any tinge of material qualities. That position. Just like we are on the surface of this planet. There is chance of being covered by the cloud. There is clear sky sometimes, sometimes covered. But you go above, little above, say, seven miles, or just you go by plane seven miles above, then there is no chance of cloud. Everything is sunlight. Everything is sunlight. Similarly, so long you remain in the lower platform of ignorance and passion, it is very difficult to understand what is the science of God. Therefore you have to come to the platform of goodness, and there you'll understand what is sun, what is sunlight, without any interruption. So for that reason, just like you have to go by some plane, by some machine seven miles up to be completely in pure sunlight, similarly, you have to attempt… You have got… Kṛṣṇa, or God, has given you the senses, the mind, the intelligence. You have to use them. If you use them for gratifying your senses, then you go down and down and down to the animal life. And if you use them for understanding God and His kingdom and your life, your relationship, that is also possible. So both way you can use your intelligence, your mind, your senses. Both ways.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to engage the mind, the senses, the intelligence always in Kṛṣṇa. Then there is no chance of materially being contaminated. Just like if you keep yourself always in the sunlight there is no chance of coming down into darkness. The darkness cannot penetrate light. Light can penetrate darkness. This is our practical experience. You cannot make sunlight dark, but your darkness can be lighted by sunlight. Similarly, if you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no chance of coming māyā and attack you. No. That is not possible. But if you forget Kṛṣṇa, then māyā immediately will catch you. Just like side by side there is darkness and light. If you keep yourself light, there is no darkness, and if you keep yourself in darkness… So you have to use your intelligence. God has given you intelligence, mind, senses, and you have to utilize them. If you utilize, then you become free from these clutches of māyā or being covered by the three modes of material nature, ignorance, passion, even goodness. Even you become a very good man, moralist, that is also a bondage. That is also your bondage. You may have good knowledge, you may be a very good philosopher, you can understand, you may be a very learned man to understand what is this world, what is this, how it is working-very great scientist, advanced, educated man. That is goodness. But that is not the cause of your being freed from material contamination. You have to go above goodness.

Goodness is the qualification, is the symbolic representation of becoming a brāhmaṇa. You have heard this name brāhmaṇa. The brāhmaṇa means qualified man in goodness. That is the brāhmaṇa. And kṣatriya means qualified man in passion, and vaiśya means qualified man in ignorance and passion, and śūdra means qualified man in ignorance. These are the natural division of human society. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find it is said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. By the division, qualitative division and their engagement, there are four castes. You sometimes criticize that India has got caste system. Everywhere the caste system is there-everywhere, throughout the whole universe. Because the three qualities are ruling. So some of them are in goodness, some of them are in passion, some of them are in ignorance, and some of them are in mixed-up qualities. So mixed-up qualities means vaiśya, and pure goodness is brāhmaṇa, and pure passion is kṣatriya, and pure ignorance is śūdra. So these divisions you'll find everywhere throughout the universe. It is not that… But in India also at the present moment this caste system has become a hereditary. No. It is not hereditary. A śūdra can become a brāhmaṇa-if he qualifies himself. Just like a policeman can one day become the learned judge of high-court if he qualifies himself. There is chance. There is educational facilities. You educate yourself. You become doctor of law, you also one day. You become one day president. Everyone is open. Similarly, the chance is open for everyone how to become the supreme man. Supreme man means one who understands God and his relationship. He is supreme man. All others, they are below the supreme man. The supreme man is the first-class man, and the others, who are below God understanding, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are second class, third class, fourth class, fifth class, like that. This is the classification. So below the third-class, fourth-class man, śūdras, they are called caṇḍālas. Caṇḍālas. Caṇḍālas means fifth-grade man. The fifth-grade man also can be elevated to the first-grade man. That is the instruction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā

ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ

ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ

śudhyanti prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ

[SB 2.4.18]

God is so powerful. Just like sunlight is so powerful it can sterilize any infected thing. Any infected. Infection, we are afraid of being infected. But if you come to the sunlight, no infection. No infection. This is scientific. Similarly, whatever your qualification may be, however you may be impelled by the qualities of this material nature, if you come to the sunlight of Kṛṣṇa consciousness you become immediately purified. There are many instances among my students, how they have become immediately purified.

So we have to take to this process. Then there will be no more force that you commit criminality. No. There will be no chance if you become pure by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It has to be attained by tapasya. That is said tapasā. Tapasā means voluntarily being regulated. That is tapasā. Brahmacaryeṇa [SB 6.1.13]. Brahmacaryeṇa means controlling the sex appetite. That is a brahmacārī. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca. Śamena means keeping the mind, equilibrium, without being disturbed. The process of meditation is meant for keeping the mind in equilibrium. That is śama. And dama, dama means controlling the senses. My senses are always dictating me, "Oh, you take this. You enjoy this. You do that. You do that." And I am being driven by. We are all servants of the senses. So we have become servant of senses. We have to transform to become servant of God. That's all. That is Kṛṣṇa conscious. You are already servant, but you are servant of the senses, and you are being dictated and being frustrated. You become servant of God. You cannot become master. That is not your position. You have to become servant. If you don't become servant of God, then you become servant of your senses. That is your position. So those who are intelligent, so they will understand that "If I have to remain a servant, why I shall remain servant of the senses? Why not of Kṛṣṇa?" This is intelligence. This is intelligence. And those who are foolishly keeping themselves as servant of the senses, they are spoiling their life.

Thank you very much. (end)

681113LE.LA

Lecture

Los Angeles, November 13, 1968

Prabhupāda: …introduced by the disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya, and this Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura who has sung this hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu, he's a famous ācārya. His compositions are accepted as Vedic truth. So this purport of this song is very nice. He's lamenting, appealing to Hari, the Lord. Hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord, I have uselessly spoiled my life." Biphale means uselessly, and janama means birth, and goṅāinu means "I have passed." He's representing a common man, as every one of us is simply spoiling our life. They do not know that they are spoiling their life. They are thinking that "I've got very nice apartment, very nice car, very nice wife, very nice income, very nice social position." So many things. These are the material attractions. Gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair. (child crying) (aside:) Stop it. Oh, that's all… The attraction, material attraction, is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in many ways. In one place it is very nicely summarized what is this material attraction. The basic principle of material attraction is sex. (child crying) Pumsaḥ striya mithuni-bhavam etam [SB 5.5.8]. A man is hankering after another woman, and the woman is hankering after another man. This is the basic principle of material life. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam. Mithunī-bhāvam means sex. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim. And when they actually come into sexual life, each one of them becomes too much attracted. Hṛdaya-granthim. Granthi means very hard knot: "I cannot leave you." He says, "I cannot leave you. You are my life and soul," and she says, "You are my life and soul." For a few days. (laughs) And then again divorce. You see? But the beginning is there. Basic principle of material attraction is this sex life. This is general. Those who have organized the sex life in social convention in so many ways… The marriage is also another convention to give a very finishing nice touch than the animal. That's all. Just like sometimes it is said marriage is legalized prostitution. So for social convention the marriage is a license, but it is also based on the sex life. But for keep up social life, one has to accept some regulative principle. Therefore sex life like animals and sex life in marriage, there is difference. It is better. That is accepted in civilized world.

So when they're united some way or other, then next demand is nice apartment, gṛha. The next demand, gṛha-kṣetra, land. Because human civilization is based on land and cow, gavayā dhanavān. Formerly, a person was considered to be rich man by possession of the number of cows, by possession of land, not these papers, this false money. At the present moment, if you have got some printed paper, thousand dollars, they are papers actually. When the government is a failure, it has no value. But actually if you possess some land and cows, the government may fail or not fail, your value is there. That is actual property. Therefore in Sanskrit language it is said gavayā dhanavān. A man is known as rich man by the number of, by possession of the number of cows. That was the mode of civilization in the Vedic age. Gṛha-kṣetra-suta. Suta means children. When you have got apartment, when you have got wife, when you have got…, then next demand is children, suta. Because without children no home life is pleasant. Putra-hīnaṁ gṛhaṁ śūnyam. A home life is just like desert without children. Children is the attraction of home life. So grha-kṣetra-suta āpta. Āpta means relatives or society. Sutāpta-vittaiḥ: and all these paraphernalia are to be maintained on money. Therefore money is required, vittaiḥ. In this way, one becomes entangled in this material world. Janasya moho 'yam. This is called illusion. Illusion. Why illusion? So important things, why illusion? Illusion means that this nice paraphernalia arrangement-home, life, apartment, wife, children, society, position-everything is all right, but as soon as this body is finished, everything is finished. You're in a next platform. You do not know what is next platform. The next platform may be a human being or a cat or a dog or a demigod or anything. You do not know. And as soon as you have got a next life, you forget all these things. There is no remembrance what I was, what was my home. Everything is finished. Everything is finished-flash, just like a bubble. By the thrashing of different waves in the ocean, there are so many bubbles immediately generated, and the next moment they are all finished. Finished. Toye janame punaḥ toye samat (?). In this way the life is going on. The living entity is traveling in many species of life, in many planets. But this human form of life is an opportunity to understand how I am transmigrating from one place to another, one life to another, and simply wasting my time without understanding what is my constitutional position, why I am so much in distress, miseries. These things are to be understood in this human form of life. But instead of understanding my real position, the process of life, we reject everything. Simply I am engaged with the gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ [SB 5.5.8]. Gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ, home, society, money, position, everything is all right provided you can utilize it for elevating yourself from these material clutches. Otherwise, if you are simply engaged and captivated by these things, then I am spoiling my life.

So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, representing ourself, he is lamenting, "My dear Lord, I have spoiled my life. I have simply spoiled my life." Why? This life, this human form of life, manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā. This human form of life was meant for understanding what is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or Lord, His energy, whatever you call. Hare Kṛṣṇa or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma, the same thing, the Lord and His energy. So, "Instead of making contact with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, I am simply spoiling my life in sense gratification." So he's lamenting, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "Uselessly I have spoiled my life." Why? What is your lamentation? He says, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, this transcendental vibration is not any material thing. It is imported from the transcendental abode, golokera. Goloka means the transcendental abode of Kṛṣṇa. Golokera prema-dhana. From there, the transcendental abode of Kṛṣṇa… Just like the sunshine, wherefrom it has come? From the sun planet. Everyone knows it. Although you cannot go there, it is far, far beyond your reach, but you can understand that the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. There is no doubt about it. Similarly this vibration, this shining, is coming from Kṛṣṇa, Goloka. Golokera prema-dhana. And prema-dhana means this chanting is in love with Kṛṣṇa. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy. "I've no attachment for this." Why should one be attached to this? That is explained in the next line: viṣaya-viṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale. Hiyā means heart. Our heart is always burning. Why? In touch with this material sense gratificatory process. No sense gratificatory process is giving me satisfaction. I'm trying this way, that way, this way, that way, that way. You see? Just like people are trying sense gratification in so many ways. They have come to the last point, naked picture, naked dance. What is called? That short, what is called?

Devotee: Miniskirt.

Prabhupāda: Miniskirt, yes. (laughs) So because here the basic principle only sex, everyone is inviting, "Yes, come on, sex. Come on, sex." But this way, that way, sex, anyway you enjoy, you cannot be satisfied. That is certain. Because that is not your platform of enjoyment. You are spirit soul. Unless you come to the spiritual platform, these material, any kind of sense enjoyment… Therefore you will never be satisfied. You'll simply hankering after, but there will be no satisfaction. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, viṣaya-viṣānale. Viṣaya means these material demands, eating, sleeping, mating, these are called viṣaya. They are just like poison, fire. So everyone is burning. Viṣaya-viṣānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jvale. Jvale means it is burning, my heart is burning. Tari bare nā koinu upāy. "But I did not search out the relief, the immediate relief, hari-saṅkīrtana, this chanting. I have no attachment for this. Therefore I have spoiled my life."

Then he says, brajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta hoilo sei. Now, this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is introduced by Kṛṣṇa Himself, Vrajendra-nandana. Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Mahārāja Nanda in Vṛndāvana; therefore He is called Vrajendra-nandana, Vrajeśa-tanaya. These are names. So this same Vrajendra-nandana, Kṛṣṇa, has appeared as Śacīnandana. The Supreme Personality of Godhead takes pleasure when He's addressed with His devotee's name, with His energy's name. Devotee's also His energy. So He has no father. He is father of everyone. But He accepts some devotee. A devotee wants Kṛṣṇa as his son; therefore Kṛṣṇa accepts a devotee as His father. So nobody can become His father but a devotee… Just like this girl, Nandarāṇī, is raising her daughter, always giving service. The child is accepting service from the parents. Her business is only to accept. Torture and accept service. So devotees accept Kṛṣṇa as son so that Kṛṣṇa may simply torture them and accept service. That is the policy. Because the devotee want to render service, so this is the best way of service rendering. The child will draw always service. So this conception, fatherhood of the Absolute Truth, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is undoubtedly very good, but there is no service. Father is meant for exacting: "Father, give me this. Father, give me this." And here, the Vaiṣṇava conception, to accept the Supreme as child to render service. Not to accept. No parents accept any service from the child, but he simply gives service.

So anyway, Vrajendra-nandana, the idea of accepting the Lord as son… Mahārāja Nanda accepted Kṛṣṇa as his son, similarly Śacīdevī accepted Lord Caitanya as his (her) son. So both of Them are the one. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, "The same Vrajendra-nandana, Kṛṣṇa, has now appeared as Lord Caitanya, as the son of Śacī. And the same Balarāma has become Nitāi." And what is Their business? The business is pāpī-tāpī jata chilo: "They are claiming all kinds of sinful conditioned souls." Their only business is… Because in this age, Kali-yuga, you cannot find any perfectly pious man or saintly person. Everyone is addicted to so many sinful activities. So pāpī-tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo. Simply by distributing this chanting, He claimed everyone, however fallen he may be. "Come on, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and become delivered." So nice thing. Pāpī-tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārila. What is the evidence that He has? Ta 'ra sākṣī jagāi and mādhāi. Jagāi-Mādhāi, they were two brothers, debauch number one. You see. They were all kinds of sinful affairs. They were drunkards, they were woman hunters, meat-eaters, so many things. And, of course, they were born in a very high brāhmaṇa family, but bad association, they became like that. Similarly, at the present age, this human society, although they are coming from the Aryan family, very nice family, but due to association the only environment is there's woman and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. That's all. So Jagāi-Mādhāi is the specimen sample of this population, and Lord Caitanya delivered them simply by this Hare Kṛṣṇa. So this chanting process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, will actually deliver all these fallen souls without any failure. It is not bogus propaganda. Anyone who will take to this chanting process, whatever, you don't consider about his past life. He will become saintly. He will become a pure Kṛṣṇa conscious person. So pāpī-tāpī yata chilo, hari-nāme uddhārilo, ta 'ra sākṣī jagāi-mādhāi. The evidence is Jagāi-Mādhāi.

Then he says, hā hā… When he has come to the senses, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," then he surrenders. This process, the chanting process, will purify our heart, our burning heart, and one will come to the understanding that "I am eternal servitor of the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa." Then, as soon as he comes to this understanding, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19], "After many, many births when one person becomes actually wise, a man of wisdom, jñānavān'-jñānavān means wise man-then what does he do? "He surrenders unto Me," Kṛṣṇa says. Why? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. "Because Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything." Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ: "That kind of great soul is very rare." That is stated in… But Caitanya Mahāprabhu has made easy to become such kind of great soul simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, at the end he says, hā hā prabhu nanda-suta, vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta. Again the sutā, the son, son of Nanda, and Rādhārāṇī, the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu, They are standing. Kṛṣṇa… Vaiṣṇava, they do not worship Kṛṣṇa alone without Rādhārāṇī. They do not worship Rāma without Sītā. They do not worship Nārāyaṇa without Lakṣmī, because the Lord and the energy must be there. We don't say…, we don't believe that God is without any energy. No. "Hare Kṛṣṇa." First the energy is addressed, Harā, Hare, then Kṛṣṇa. So here also, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura prays, "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are now present before me with Your internal potency, Your pleasure potency, Rādhārāṇī. So I am surrendering unto You." Hā hā prabhu nanda-sutā. "Don't neglect me because I am so sinful, my past life is so black. Don't neglect me. Please accept me. Don't kick me away. I surrender unto You." This is the purport of this song.

So this instruction should be taken by all of us. The purificatory process is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as our heart is purified, we completely become convinced that "The Lord is Supreme. I am His eternal servant. I have forgotten this. Servant, my servitorship is there, but instead of serving the Lord, I am serving my senses. That's all. I have never become the master. I am not master of my sense; I am the servant of my senses. That is my position." So why not becoming the servant of the Supreme instead of serving on the servant of the senses? You cannot become master. Actually, you become master of the senses when you are actually servant of Kṛṣṇa; otherwise it is not possible. There are two words, gosvāmī and go-dāsa. Persons who are servant of their senses, they are called materialistic go-dāsa, and persons who are master of the senses, they are called gosvāmī. Gosvāmī. They control the senses. The tongue wants to eat something which is not… "Oh," he controls. "Oh, tongue, you cannot taste these things. It is not Kṛṣṇa prasāda." Therefore he becomes gosvāmī, master. He does not allow the tongue to eat any nonsense thing except Kṛṣṇa prasāda. He cannot allow his senses, his anything for sense gratification. Only for the service. That is called devotional service. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, this devotional service, means when you engage your senses for the satisfaction of the master of the senses. The supreme master of the senses is Kṛṣṇa. So we are trying to apply the senses for our personal service. This is called māyā; this is called illusion. The same senses purified, when they'll be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection. So we are not going to stop the activities of the senses, but senses are being purified for being engaged in the service of the Lord. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much. So any question? Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, how was it that Lord Jesus was called a son of God? If Kṛṣṇa is usually the son, how come Jesus was the son?

Prabhupāda: Not usually. Kṛṣṇa is father, that I told you. But He becomes son out of His love. Kṛṣṇa is father. Kṛṣṇa's position is father, but He's simply father. So he voluntarily becomes a son also sometimes to taste how to become a son. Son is not His constitutional position. Father is His constitutional position. But He voluntarily accepts to become a son. But who is going to be His father? He is the original father. He is father of everyone. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. In the Bhagavad-gītā says there, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. "There are millions, 8,400,000 species of life, and I am the father of all these living entities." So who is going to be His father? Nobody is father, but a devotee, when likes, "My dear Lord, I want a son like You," so Kṛṣṇa accepts, "Where is another son like Me? I'll become your son." That's all. Just like Vasudeva and Devakī. In their previous life they underwent severe austerities. They were married couples, but they had no sex. They were determined that "Unless we get the Lord as our son, we are not having any son." So they went on for many years, many thousands years' austerity. Then the Lord appeared: "What do you want?" "Sir, I want a son like You." "Where can I get another son like Me? I'll become your son." So Kṛṣṇa, or the Lord, is father of everyone, but He voluntarily accepts to become a son to His devotee. Otherwise His position is always father. Yes.

Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, I read in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Volume Three, that when one becomes a liberated soul, he attains perfect freedom, and even sometimes that freedom is on the same level as Kṛṣṇa or even more than Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Madhudviṣa: Can you explain that?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like this Vasudeva, he's more than Kṛṣṇa. Yaśodā, you have seen the picture? Yaśodā is binding Kṛṣṇa.

Madhudviṣa: Oh, the little baby. Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes, He has become… The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is, I mean to say, afraid, who is fearful by everyone, Yaśodā…, and Kṛṣṇa has become fearful to Yaśodā: "My dear mother, kindly do not bind Me. I shall obey your orders." So Yaśodā has become more than God, more than Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they want to be one with Kṛṣṇa or one with Lord, but our philosophy is to become more than Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) Why one with Kṛṣṇa? More than Kṛṣṇa. And actually He accepts. He makes His devotee more than Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa took the part of a driver, and he was the hero of the fight. Actually, Kṛṣṇa was the hero, but He gave position to His devotee: "You become the hero, I shall become your charioteer." That's all. Don't you see how Arjuna has become more than Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa says, "Arjuna, you are hesitating to fight, but you know that all these person who have assembled in this battlefield, they are not going back. They are already killed. That is My plan. You simply take the credit that you have killed them. That's all." (laughter) That He wants. Just like a father wants a son to see him more than himself. If a father is an M.A., he wants to see his son M.A., Ph.D., or something more. He's satisfied. He'll not tolerate anybody to become more than him, but he'll tolerate if his son becomes more than him. I'm giving you a crude example. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, or the Lord, wants to see His devotee more than Himself. That is His pleasure. He takes pleasure in that. So to become a devotee is not ordinary thing. You see. He has got the chance to become more than God. Why equal with God, one with God? No. More than God. Yes. That is our philosophy. Yes.

Jaya-gopāla: What is the relationship of the surabhī cow with Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: They are also… These cows are also devotees, and Kṛṣṇa is fond of keeping cows, taking care of them. The same love affairs, exchange of love. That's all.

Jaya-gopāla: Which…

Prabhupāda: Dāsya-rasa. Dāsya-rasa, servitude. There are different rasas, mellows of relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Śānta, dāsya… Just like Vṛndāvana-bhūmi or the trees, the plants, they are serving Kṛṣṇa silently. And the cows and servants, they are offering superior service. The friends, they are offering service as friend. The gopīs, they are… Gopīs or the motherly gopīs, just like Yaśodā and ladies, offer their, loving Kṛṣṇa as son, and the younger girls, they're loving Kṛṣṇa as husband, as lover. So in this way in Vṛndāvana there are different transcendental mellows of loving affairs. So the cows are on the śānta, dāsya-rasa, giving service, just like master and servant. They are situated in this transcendental humor. But they're all one with Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is inferior than Kṛṣṇa, but the relationship is exchange of loving service. That's all.

Nandarāṇī: Is our rasa with Kṛṣṇa already established? I mean, is it eternal? Or do we, can we attain…

Prabhupāda: No. It is already established. You have got eternal relationship. When you become liberated, you realize that your relationship is with Kṛṣṇa like this. You'll develop that taste, whether in śānta-rasa or dāsya-rasa or mādhurya-rasa or vātsalya-rasa. But that is not to be imitated at the present moment. When we are actually liberated. To come to that stage, the routine work, regulative work, should be followed: chanting, hearing, worshiping, following the regulative principles. In this way, gradually, as we are purified, we come to the pure consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then at once we understand, "My relationship with Kṛṣṇa is like this." And you are transferred to the Kṛṣṇaloka in that humor.

Dayānanda: We could also have a passive relationship with Kṛṣṇa, like a tree?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That will be revealed, how we are related with Kṛṣṇa. Every relationship is as good as the other. Just like in this material world, everyone's position, he thinks it is very nice. Similarly, in the spiritual, what to speak, they are all equal, but still, one is apprec…, one's aptitude is that "I want to love Kṛṣṇa in this way." Yes. So he's there in that way. There must be variety. If there is rasa-līlā, there must be nice trees, nice field, nice cows, nice Yamunā river. Otherwise how it is, simply if the gopīs and Kṛṣṇas are there, if the other things are not there? The background must be there. So everything is spiritual. Background is also spiritual. That is creation of Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahu-śyāma. Just like a painter paints a picture, he makes a nice background. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa wants to enjoy, so He has created us in different varieties to supply His pleasure potency. You see. Eko bahu-śyāma. This Vedic literature says that alone He has many. Why? Just to enjoy. Why? Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He's by nature joyful, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. So ānanda does not mean that one. No. Variety. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. So that variety, they're all spiritual. Just like the same example: you paint a picture with the same brush and color, but as soon as you make it variety, variegated, it becomes very enjoyable. So we don't say that the varieties created by God is false. No. It is real. How can I say it is false? This flower, it is designed by God so nicely, it is colored so nicely. It has got its use. There is variety. Even there is greenness… There is so many things varieties. There is color display, sometimes a dark red, sometimes it is light red. So nicely created by Kṛṣṇa, and I shall say it is false? Why it is false? It is Kṛṣṇa's creation. Let me take it and offer it to Kṛṣṇa. This is called bhakti. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I don't enjoy it; it is Kṛṣṇa's creation. It must be offered to Kṛṣṇa. And after offering to Kṛṣṇa, you'll enjoy. After offering nice prasāda, Kṛṣṇa is full, Kṛṣṇa is not eating. You'll enjoy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't reject anything. This tape recorder we don't reject. We don't say, "Oh, it is material. We shall not touch." Bring any scientific invention, we shall engage in the service of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. (laughter) We don't say it is false. Why? You have applied your brain, you applied your energy to invent such nice machine. Let it be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Your life will be successful. That's all. The flower from… The tree from which this flower is grown, if this flower is offered to Kṛṣṇa, his life is successful. So it is so nice program, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All round successful. There is no comparison with this program, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There cannot be any comparison, neither any rivalry with this conception of philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So try to understand, preach it nicely, and be happy, and let them become happy. So you want to chant something or no?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, the neighbors, ah…

Prabhupāda: All right. That's all right. We have chanted. Now we can distribute prasāda. You distribute. I want to go to the bathroom. [break] "Oh, I don't like this. He may come back." He must be seen as beloved child. First of all he gave him work just like ordinary laborer. He became sick. He's also tasting. That is nice. So tomorrow we must find out some store. (Prabhupāda eats)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda? I spoke to Puruṣottama. He is coming here.

Prabhupāda: Coming?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Brahmānanda said, "Do you know what you are doing to me, Tamāla? Now I have to do all the work here." So he said, "But it's all right." (Prabhupāda laughs) Number-one man.

Prabhupāda: So you may send somebody to help him.

Nandarāṇī: Who is coming? (pause)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Puruṣottama. He said it was all right because Puruṣottama can still get a lot of advertisements for Back to Godhead in Los Angeles area.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you can.

Devotee: When's he coming?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'm not sure. Maybe next week. (end)

681114LE.LA

Lecture Excerpt on Twenty-four Elements

Los Angeles, November 14, 1968

Prabhupāda: So what are these twenty-four elements? Can anyone say? If somebody asks you, "What are these twenty-four elements?" Yes? Go on, tell.

Viṣṇujana: I think I am only giving the gross ones: earth, air, fire, water, ether and intelligence, mind, intelligence and ego.

Prabhupāda: Eight, it comes to eight. Then?

Viṣṇujana: Then there's the senses, which are…

Prabhupāda: Ten. Ten knowledge-acquiring, five, and working senses, five. Ten. So eight, ten-eighteen. Then sense objects. Just like I have got eye, but I have to see something, dṛśya. So there are five sense objects. Eighteen and five-twenty-three. And mahat-tattva, the original stock of all material… In this way, they are called twenty-four elements. So this whole creation, whatever material creation we have got, they are made of these twenty-four el… Just like colors. Varieties of color means three colors: yellow, red and blue. Those who are expert in color mixing, they'll mix these three colors into eighty-one colors. Three into three equals nine; nine into nine equals eighty one. So expert colorists, they can display these three colors into eighty-one. Similarly, the material nature, of course, this is one, one energy, but within this energy there are three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. By interaction of these three qualities, the manaḥ, buddhi, ahaṅkāra-the subtle elements-are manufactured, and then from the subtle elements, the grosser elements are manufactured. Then their objectives. In this way, the creation is going on. But it requires so much time to create such huge cosmic manifestation, but God is so perfect, as soon as He desires, He says, "Let there be creation." Immediately the creation. That is God.

Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

681115LE.LA

Class in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, November 15, 1968

Dayānanda: Prabhupāda? That was the realtor on the phone. He said he'll have the lease ready Monday.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's all right.

Baby: Jaya. (cries)

Mother: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. Jaya. Jaya. Very nice. The first vibration is jaya. (laughs) (aside:) Your article is out. You have seen it?

Upendra: No, I have not seen it. I heard that it is out.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Very nice article you have… You are feeling all right?

Upendra: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is simply full of bliss. Nobody should become morose. If he's feeling morose, then it is lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the sign.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a stage after liberation. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ means "I am now free from all material anxieties." That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Just like a person suffering prison life for years together, and if he is given freedom, "Now you are free," how much delight he'll feel. "Oh, now I am free." You see? So that is the stage of brahma-bhūtaḥ. Prasannātmā, joyful, immediately. And what is the nature of joyfulness? Na śocati. Even in the great loss, there is no lamentation. And big profit, there is no jubilation, or there is no hankering. That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Equipoised.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu…

[Bg. 18.54]

In that stage one can see all living entities on the same understanding of spiritual identity. In another place Bhagavad-gītā says, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. When a man is learned he sees everyone on the same level of spiritual understanding. So when one has reached this stage, then actually Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that it is activities of liberated stage. Everyone is trying to get liberation from these material pangs, every philosophy. Buddha philosophy, they are also trying-nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means extinguish this. So they want to make void. All these material varieties, they want to make it zero. That is Buddha philosophy. Māyāvāda philosophy is more or less like that. It is a second edition of Buddha philosophy. Zero, but that zero is without life. Māyāvāda philosophy says, "Yes, that zero, but with life." That is the mistake. If there is life, then there must be varieties. Life without variety is not possible. Dead body without variety, not life without variety. So these are the defects of all other philosophies. They're not defects, but the class of people amongst whom the philosophy was taught, they could not understand more than that. That's all. Just like a patient too much disturbed, he wants some medicine from the physician: "Please stop my disturbance. Kill me. Kill me." Sometimes they say like that: "Give me some poison, kill me. I cannot tolerate." A physician says, "Yes, there is no need of killing. I shall give you good, healthy life." He's so much impatient, "No. I cannot tolerate. Please kill me." So this Buddha philosophy, Māyāvāda philosophy is like that. Kill him "Kill me, please. Make me zero, void." So much frustration. So much disturbance that they want to make it zero. But our philosophy is life, real life.

But it is difficult to understand this philosophy, Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Why it is difficult? That is explained, gṛha-vratānām. Gṛha-vratānām. Gṛha means "house." So vrata means "vow." Just like everyone, common man, anywhere, they are interested with these bodily comforts, nice apartment, nice country, nice state, confident, nice bank balance. These things are their aspiration, no more. Nothing more. First of all this body, gṛha. Gṛha means "house, living place." So I am the soul, I am living, and this body is my first living place. This is also gṛha. I am not this body. Just like I am living in this apartment, I am not this apartment. Similarly, I am living in this body, but I am not this body. This is the beginning of spiritual education. Unless one does not understand that "I am not this body; I am living in this body," there is no question of spiritual education. He does not know what is spiritual and material. So this misunderstanding, that "I am this body. I belong to this apartment, I belong to this society, I belong to this country, I belong to this nation, I belong to this world, I belong to this universe"-you can expand-that is all misunderstanding. All misunderstanding. If you say, "Oh, now I am not…" Just like big leaders, they say that "My life is for the nation." And some ordinary common man says, "Oh, my life is for my family." And a less important person, just like childlike, he is or she is for this body. That's all. So this expansion from bodily concept of life to family life, or to, from family to community life, from community to society life, or national life, or universal brotherhood life, that is very much appreciated. "Oh, this man is after universal brotherhood." These are all bogus. You see? But this is a misconception. You can expand. However you may expand, the defect will be there. Just like the so-called nationalist or humanitarist or universalist, they are packed up within the boundary of the human being. They have no expansions toward other living entities. Their national conception, that the human body should be given protection but animal body no protection… Why? They are also nationals. But they have no such idea because all these ideas are defective. There is shortcut.

So only Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the perfect… So Bhāgavata says, na te viduḥ… matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. So actually gṛha means this material confinement. Gṛha, real gṛha, means one is bound up within some limited space. So gṛha means to keep oneself within some boundary. So Bhāgavata says so long one is interested to keep himself within the boundary of some limited area, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Matir na kṛṣṇe. He cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. He's limited within certain boundary. So Bhāgavata says Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not possible for persons who are limited by certain boundary, including universal concept of life. That is also boundary. And matir na kṛṣṇe svataḥ. Svataḥ means by his personal mental speculation. Just like many philosophers are thinking to reach the Absolute Truth beyond this limitation. That is called svataḥ, by personal speculation. Svataḥ, parataḥ. Parataḥ means from authorities. From a spiritual master, from scriptures, from authoritative books, authoritative source of knowledge, that is called parataḥ. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho. Mitho means by great assembly. Just like the United Nation is trying to solve the problem for the last many years, twenty to twenty-five years, all the nations. This is called mithaḥ, assembly. Mithaḥ means assembly. So why it is not possible? Because they are limited. Their real concept is that "I am this body, I am this nation, I am this this, I am this, I am that." That's all. The basic principle is wrong. Therefore it is not possible to make a solution of the problems, either by personal speculation or by receiving knowledge. Just like our principle is to receive knowledge from the spiritual master. But if I keep myself within this boundary… Suppose if somebody thinks that "I am American," then naturally he'll be inclined, "Oh, why shall I be inclined to hear from a spiritual master who is Indian, who is Hindu?" So he'll not be able to capture parataḥ. Similarly, if you go to the assembly like United Nation or Commonwealth conference, like that, but if you keep yourself that "I am this, I am this, I am this," there is no possibility; therefore they are failing. The basic principle is wrong. Gṛha-vrata. The concept of life is wrong. Gṛha-vratānām. And why they want to be limited by this poor concept of life? This is called material existence. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram [SB 7.5.30]. This limited concept of life is due to unbridled sense. This limited concept of life they want to keep because they want to satisfy their senses. I am going to the assembly, United Nation, but I am keeping myself as American or as German, as Russian, or Indian, that "My nation shall be happy in this way." Indian is thinking in that way, American is thinking that way, Russian is thinking in another way, another way. They are keeping themself in that limited area, and what benefit they will derive simply by wasting time in the assembly and talking? This is called gṛha-vratānām.

So one has to go outside this limited area. That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Then they'll have real Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Matir na kṛṣṇe parato svato. So why I want that I shall be happy in this way? I make my own plan: "My nation will be happy in this way." This is called saṁsāra, adānta-gobhir, because I want to satisfy my senses. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram. And the position is punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30]. Punaḥ punaś carvita-car…, carvita-carvaṇa means chewing the chewed. Something is chewed and thrown away in the street, and if somebody comes and chews again that thrown away article, he cannot get any juice out of it. Similarly, we are making plan, but because it is on the platform of sense gratification, the whole thing is coming to the four principles of animal life-eating, sleeping, mating, defending-that's all. That means in a circle, coming to the same animal platform. The distinction between animal and man is that… Man and animal, they have got common platform of these four principles of life: eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. The only extra qualification of man is that he can come to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is God. That is his special qualification. But because they are trying to keep themselves within the limit of sense gratification, they're coming again and again to that same platform, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So this is the secret how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. We should not limit ourself under certain area. And how it is possible? That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, or God." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So if we keep ourself within some limit, then it will be not possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha… These are verses… Bhāgavata verses can be explained for so many days. They are so important. Yes. Another verse is, why they are keeping themself within the limit of this sense gratificatory platform? That is answered in Bhāgavata: na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31]. This is very important. These foolish persons, they do not know what is the ultimate goal of their life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know that their self-interest… Everyone is self-interest(ed). Everyone is eager to look after his self-interest, but they do not know what is the self-interest. Durāśayā. Because they do not know, therefore, out of ulterior motive, they are thinking that "Satisfaction in the material way of life will give me ultimate pleasure or ultimate satisfaction. That is my ultimate goal." Therefore the scientist, the politician, everyone is trying, making their own plan. And what is that plan? By manipulating this external energy, dura, bahir-artha, bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Now, we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People are not interested in this thing. Had I been an expert in certain technology, electronics, improvement in electronics, then thousands of students and people would come and hear me. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Because a person is dealing with the ingredients of the external energy, people are thinking, "This technological knowledge will give me happiness." Durāśayā. That is durāśayā. That is useless hope. Bhāgavata says this kind of hope, that this kind of material advancement, this kind of material adjustment… After all, it is material. That will not give you happiness. But they are thinking like that. They are hoping like that. Durāśayā. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās [SB 7.5.31]. Andhā. This means that we are blind, we do not know what is the goal of our life. (child making noise) (aside:) Stop. We do not know what is the goal of our life, and the leaders, they also do not know what is the goal of our life. Our Back to Godhead editorial, they have written very nicely that with the change of some politician we are thinking that something new will be done and we shall be happy. Just like there is advertisement, "America Needs Nixon Now." (laughter) People are thinking, "Now, instead of Johnson, when Mr. Nixon will be President, we shall be happy." But they do not know from which stock either this Mr. Johnson or Nixon is coming. The source of supply is the same. If the source of supply is the same, then what is there, replacing Mr. Johnson by Nixon or Nixon by Johnson? The leader(s) themselves, they are blind. They do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Therefore our position is that we are blind and our leaders are blind, so what will be the result? If a blind man leads other hundred men to cross over the street, certainly there will be some accident because all of them are blind men. If one man is with eyes, open eyes, he can lead hundreds and thousands of men behind him. But if the leader and the led, both of them are blind, then the result will be that all of them will fall into the ditch. So, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānā te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. They're promising, "My dear citizens, my dear countrymen, if you give me vote, because the country needs me at the present moment, then I shall give you all comforts, all solutions." But he is īśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. By the laws of God, by the laws of nature, he is tightly packed up. You see? If your hands are tightly knotted, if your legs are tightly, then how you can work? So these leaders, they do not know that they are under the control of the stringent laws of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. Suppose if there is a heavy earthquake. Suppose the Atlantic Ocean… And there is some suggestion like that, some years they will mix together, by the scientists. Suppose the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean mix together. Then how you can check? Your hands and legs are tightly packed up. You cannot check the laws of nature. Therefore blind leaders who are so tightly packed up by the laws of nature, how they can lead? They cannot lead. They cannot lead to the goal of life. The goal of life is God or Kṛṣṇa, but they are enamored by the glimmering of, the glittering of this material nature. So they cannot lead. Then how, what is the solution? If Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not possible to cultivate by speculation, by assembly meeting, or by knowledge derived from higher authoritative sources, the leaders are misleading, then how it is to be attained? How the goal of life can be attained?

Then that is suggested by Prahlāda Mahārāja: naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim [SB 7.5.32]. One cannot become Kṛṣṇa consciousness…, one cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious, naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim anartha, anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ. Spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ. As soon as one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious or one becomes in touch with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spṛśaty, anartha, immediately he becomes delivered from all these misgivings of material existence. That is the test. How one is in contact with Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be tested-how he is freed from all misgivings. Just like for example-not very gigantic example; very small-our students, as soon as they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, initiated, immediately so many misgivings they give up. So many. The basic principles of misgiving, what is that? No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. It is very difficult for persons, especially in the Western countries, to give up all these habits. They are so much entangled. Even Lord Ronaldsay said, Marquis of Zetland… One of my Godbrothers, some years ago, in 1935 he went to London, and Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland, Lord Ronaldsay… He was a Scotsman. I don't think whether he is living, but he was very interested in Indian philosophy. He was once governor of Bengal. In our childhood we saw him. He came to our college. So he inquired from this preacher, my Godbrother, that Bannerji, he was Mr. Bannerji, Goswami Bannerji: "Bannerji, can you make us brāhmaṇa?" Bannerji said, "Why not? Yes, we can make you brāhmaṇa. Then you have to follow the rules, these four principles of rules. Then you can become a brāhmaṇa." He said, "Oh, it is impossible." He said. You see? Such a big personality, he is interested in philosophy, he holds some position, responsible man, he flatly denied, "Oh, it is not possible to give up these habits." But our student, hundreds of students who are coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are giving up very easily. They don't feel any inconvenience. This is spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the first test is that in the beginning, from the very beginning, all misgivings will go on. Will go on. Our student can twenty-four hours sit down before a Deity and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Bring any student of any yoga society, let him sit down for five hours. He'll fail. They are so restless. Simply official fifteen minutes, half an hour, by closing the eyes and murmuring something, meditation. These boys are twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. That is the test. All these boys, any man can come and ask them how they are feeling. Unless they feel some spiritual satisfaction, how they can give up everything and be engaged in this Kṛṣṇa conscious chanting? Therefore this is the test. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim. Matis tāvad. Matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim. Urukramāṅghrim. Urukrama, Kṛṣṇa's another name is Urukrama. Urukrama means… Uru means very difficult, and krama means steps. Just like Kṛṣṇa in the Vāmana-avatāra, He forwarded His steps up to the sky. His name is therefore Urukrama. So one cannot fix up his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa unless mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat. This is not possible so long he has not the opportunity of touching the dust of the lotus feet of a personality who is niṣkiñcana, who has no material hankerings; mahīyasām, and life is dedicated only for Kṛṣṇa. As soon as one comes in touch with such personality, by his grace, this thing, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved. Not by any other method. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim [SB 7.5.32]. The test will be spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ mahīyasāṁ pādo-rajo-'bhiṣekaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat. This is the test, and this is the way to approach a bona fide person and receive this Kṛṣṇa consciousness from him, by his mercy, by his grace. But as soon as one receives, immediately his liberation from material entanglement begins. Immediately, immediately. And then as he makes further progress, progress, progress, his life becomes sublime. Now one thing… One may question, suppose one has taken up to Kṛṣṇa consciousness out of sentiment, but he could not finish it. What is the result? That is also said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer [SB 1.5.17]. Sva-dharmam. Sva-dharma means everyone has got some specific duty, occupation. Everyone. So if somebody gives up his specific duty in which he's engaged, tyaktvā sva-dharmam… Just like many boys and girls, they come here. They were engaged in something else, but all of a sudden they give up and they join this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So for them, Bhāgavata says, tyaktvā sva-dharmam… Sva means his own occupation, dharma. Now here the dharma is not religion. Occupational duty. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer. Suppose after hearing some lectures of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he settles, "Now I shall begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness," and gives up his prescribed duties or occupational duty. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi [SB 1.5.17]. Bhajann. Now he begins chanting or regulative principles, but all of a sudden, he falls down. He falls down. He could not prosecute. By some reason or by some circumstances, he falls down. So Bhāgavata says, "What is the wrong with him even if he falls down?" Just see. Even if he falls down due to immature development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, still, he's not loser. And Bhāgavata says, ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ. And what profit will he get, one who is very steadily engaged in his occupational duty? He's simply a loser because he does not know what is the aim of his life. But here, a person who comes in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even for a few days if he is with us, he gets the contamination of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that in his next life he'll begin again, again, again. So he's not loser. One injection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will make him some day perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and he's sure to go back to Godhead, back to home. So try to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And this is your sādhana, execution of austerity, penance. Because you have to meet so many opposing elements. You have to fight with them. That is tapasya. You are tolerating so much insults, so much botheration, and so much inconveniences, personal discomfort, everything sacrificed, money-but it will not go in vain. Rest assured. It will not go in vain. Kṛṣṇa will, I mean to say, reward you sufficiently. You go on executing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Haribol. (offer obeisances)

Prabhupāda: So any question?

Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, could you tell us something about Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā?

Prabhupāda: (pause) Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā should not be discussed in public meeting. It is most confidential. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu never discussed. He discussed Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, līlā with gopīs, with His confidential, very confidential circle. Or those who are… Lord Caitanya had many thousands of followers, and… He was not discussing even within these five persons, śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi, Nityānanda, Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa, and Himself, these five persons. So when He was at Navadvīpa, He was not discussing even with them, what to speak of others. He set up this example so that in future people may be very cautious. Because unless one understands what is Kṛṣṇa, how he can understand Kṛṣṇa's pastime? So this discussion of rasa-līlā is the summit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not ordinary thing. They're purely spiritual. There is nothing material. But because we are not completely free from material concept of life, we may think that Kṛṣṇa's līlā is something like this material. So that is offense. But that is the ultimate goal, to understand Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā. But you have to wait for relishing that Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā, to become more perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anarthāpagamam. Anartha means when one is freed from all anarthas. But it is so nice, even those who are with anartha, misgivings, if they are devotee, if they have got full surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, so they also will derive benefit. Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā means that Kṛṣṇa was adopted or foster child. Is that foster child? Yes. So, of Nanda Mahārāja. His father exchanged. His father Vasudeva wanted to save Kṛṣṇa, and he brought from Mathurā to Vṛndāvana, Gokula. And Nanda Mahārāja had a daughter. So he placed Kṛṣṇa on the lap of Yaśodā and took away the daughter, and this daughter was given to Kaṁsa for killing. Just see, there is selfishness. He wanted to save his own son and wanted to kill Yaśodā's daughter. (chuckling) You see? So this is not selfishness; therefore we shall misunderstand. That daughter was not ordinary child, she was the material energy herself, Durgā. So when Kaṁsa took that child by the leg and wanted to, what is called? Slash? Smash, yes. Smash on the stone, the daughter slipped from his hand and appeared as Durgā, that "You fool, you want to kill me. The boy, the child who will kill you, is already born. Don't try for killing me. He's already born."

So Kṛṣṇa, up to sixteen years, He was in Vṛndāvana. Naturally, there were many children, boys and girls. They played together. So they were very… Kṛṣṇa, everyone loved. Vṛndāvana means simply center figure is Kṛṣṇa, and everyone loves. So some of the girls, they loved Kṛṣṇa, and a girl's loving means she wants Kṛṣṇa as husband. But according to Vedic concept, the girls are married at the age of twelve to sixteen years, and boys are married from twenty to twenty-five years. So all the girls were married mostly, but Kṛṣṇa was not married. And some of the girls were not married, but all the girls, they were very fond of Kṛṣṇa. So from the childhood they were friends. So Kṛṣṇa used to play His flute, and all the girls would come. So this rasa-līlā was performed on this day, the Kṛṣṇa, in the full moon night, He played the flute, and the girls assembled and there was dance. There is similar dance, just like ball dance in your country. But the specific significance of this dance was that Kṛṣṇa bifurcated Himself in so many boys as many girls there were, and they began to dance in pair. That is sum and substance of rasa-līlā. So if you go to Vṛndāvana and if you like to dance with Kṛṣṇa, the facility is for you. That is the ultimate goal of our life. If you want to love Kṛṣṇa similarly as the gopīs loved, you can have the chance. Or if you want to love Kṛṣṇa as His cowherds boyfriend, that chance is also there. If you want to love Kṛṣṇa as child, that chance is also there. Any capacity you try to love Kṛṣṇa… Kṛṣṇa is ye yathā māṁ prapadyante [Bg. 4.11]. "Anyone who worships Me or loves Me in any way, I am prepared to answer." He can answer… Just like Nṛsiṁhadeva. Because Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to love Kṛṣṇa by becoming enemy, so He also answered as enemy. So there are twelve kinds of reciprocal exchange-seven secondary and five primary. So all these rasas… Rasa means rasa. Rasa means humor. All these humors are present even in this material world in different way, as perverted reflection of the spiritual rasa. Nothing can be new here, but here it is a reflection only. Reality is there. So the five primary principles of loving affairs is there in the Vaikuṇṭha world. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness while we are in this material body, and after giving up this body, we enter into the spiritual realm for factually participating with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So if you want to enter into the rasa-līlā, if you desire like that, so you love Kṛṣṇa in that way, as the gopīs. Then you'll have the same perfection. There is no difficulty. It is not at all difficult. Simply you practice. But you have to forget the rasa-līlā of this material world. (chuckling) Otherwise there world then you play havoc. That risk is there. Yes. "Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with so many girls, so let me also become Kṛṣṇa and enjoy." That is finished everything. (laughter) (pause) (baby laughs) Oh, she is appreciating. (chuckles) Yes. Thank you. Come on. Reach. So we'll have kīrtana or this record or we'll close our meeting?

Dayānanda: Maybe we should have just the recording?

Prabhupāda: All right. You play that record. So on Monday they'll give possession?

Dayānanda: I think so. I don't know. Monday we sign the lease. And one of the options was that we could get possession upon signing the lease. As long as that option goes through… [break]

Govinda dāsī: Everybody wants kīrtana.

Dayānanda: Can it be just sort of a quiet kīrtana, since it's getting a little late?

Prabhupāda: Quiet kīrtana? (laughter) Kīrtana means loud. (laughter) You make it quiet please. This. Have you got that tape?

Govinda dāsī: Yes, I have it, but I have to rewind this one and then rewind the other one, which will take five minutes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, no, no. Then let us have… Where is mine? So you play quietly. (kīrtana-Govinda jaya jaya, Prema-dhvanī)

Prabhupāda: What about your siṁhāsana, throne?

Vāmana: It's coming. It's coming. I'm building a small one out of balsawood to show you…

Prabhupāda: All right.

Vāmana: …and see if I got the proportions right.

Prabhupāda: Your picture? So you lost some money there?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ah… Ah…

Prabhupāda: How is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ah, yes. We didn't lose any, but we didn't make any money, Prabhupāda. He charged us for the half a month we had lived there. But I'm still going to tell him that if he doesn't give us more money, I'll call the housing authority. And we have a letter written to the housing authority, and we'll read it to him and tell him that if he doesn't gives us more money we are posting this letter immediately. He is a rascal. (end)

681204LE.LA

Lecture

Los Angeles, December 4, 1968

Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. (three times with devotees responding)

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.29]

(three times with devotees responding) Thank you very much. So we are worshiper of the original Absolute Personality of Godhead, Govindam. Govindam. Go means senses, go means cow, and go means land. And vindam, vindam means who gives pleasure-the pleasure potency of all these three things, senses, cows, and the land. The land. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29], in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. The proprietor of all land, the maintainer of all land, to give pleasure to the people of all land, is Govinda, Kṛṣṇa. Govindam. And He is the protector, and pleasing to the cows. You have seen many pictures of Kṛṣṇa, He is loving cow. Why cow is loved by Him? Why not another animal? There are many other animals. Why particularly cow? Because cow protection is the most important business of the human society. In offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa, it is said, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Person, who is the protector of the brāhmaṇas and the cows." Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca jagad-dhitāya. The first qualification is that He protects the brāhmaṇas and the cows. Next, He protects the whole world. Jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇa. And He is Kṛṣṇa, govindāya, this Govinda.

So the example is set by the Supreme Personality of Godhead that human civilization will advance only on the basis of brahminical culture and cow protection. As soon as there is falldown from brahminical culture, and as soon as there is discrepancy in the protection of cows, there will be no more peace in the world. Therefore He specifically said, go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for the protection of brahminical culture and cows. Then automatically the peace of the world will come, if two things are done. This is Vedic literature. They pick up the essence of the things, and all other things follows. Just like meditation. Meditation means… Not meditation, the yoga system. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. Yoga system means to control the senses. This is the primary factor of practicing yoga. Now the senses, we have got five senses acquiring knowledge and five working senses. So of all the senses, the tongue is considered to be the most powerful sense. The Vaiṣṇava, they therefore try to control the tongue. They do not allow the tongue to eat everything and anything. No. Svāmī or gosvāmī means who has control over the senses. Generally, people, they are servant of the senses. When people, when a man becomes, instead of becoming servant of the senses, when he becomes master of the senses, then he is called svāmī. Svāmī is not this dress. This dress is superfluous, just to… As in everywhere there is some uniform dress to understand that "He is, he…" Actually, svāmī means who has control over the senses. And that is brahminical culture. Satya śama dama titikṣa ārjavam, jñānam vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. Brahman, Brahman means brāhmaṇa, brahminical culture. Truthfulness, cleanliness, and controlling the senses, controlling the mind, and simplicity and tolerance, full of knowledge, practical application in life, faith in God-these qualifications are brahminical culture. Anywhere we practice these qualifications, he'll revive brahminical culture. It is not that in a particular country or particular society or particular class of men they are brāhmaṇas. No. Bhagavad-gītā does not say that. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. Svabhāva-jam, natural activities. So truthfulness, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, and simplicity, and cleanliness, and tolerance, and knowledge, and practical application of knowledge in life. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for training brahmacārīs. Brahmacārī means who are being practiced to the brahminical culture. So, there must be a portion of the population well versed in brahminical culture. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara sahasrasaḥ. Just like in a garden if there is one nice flower plant, rose, with good scent, the whole garden becomes flavored, you see? Scented. Similarly, we do not expect that the whole population of the human society will be taking to this brahminical culture; but even one percent of the whole population accepts this brahminical culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the whole world will be peaceful. Not even one percent, less than one percent. It is so nice.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very scientific movement. Unless you raise the population from the animal propensities, how you can expect peace? Do you think is there any peace in the dog society, in the cat society? No, it is not possible. You keep some dogs. They meet. As soon as they meet together there will be howling-"gow, gow, gow, gow." So you cannot expect if you create dog society, then you cannot expect. You have to create a portion, a certain percentage of the population, brāhmaṇas. Then there is possibility. Just like in the sky the numerical strength of the stars are greater, but there is one moon. That one moon is sufficient to illuminate the sky. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara sahasrasaḥ. Millions of millions of stars twinkling, they cannot dissipate the darkness. You see. Only one moon, only one sun. So try to make some percentage of the population actually brāhmaṇa. Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. And protect the cows. Actually, we are taking so much advantages. So from the cows, the milk. And from the milk we can make hundreds of vitaminous foodstuff, hundreds. They're all palatable. So such a nice animal, faithful, peaceful, and beneficial. After taking milk from it, if we kill, does it look very well? Even after the death, the cows supply the skin for your shoes. It is so beneficial. You see. Even after death. While living, he gives you nice milk. You cannot reject milk from the human society. As soon as there is a child born, milk immediately required. Old man, milk is life. Diseased person, milk is life. Invalid, milk is life. So therefore Kṛṣṇa is teaching by His practical demonstration how He loves this innocent animal, cow. So human society should develop brahminical culture on the basis of protecting cows. The brāhmaṇa cannot take any other food except it is made of milk preparation. That develops the finer tissues of the brain. You can understand in subtle matters, in philosophy, in spiritual science. Just like in a scientific college, not ordinary man can understand the scientific intricacies. They require some preliminary qualification to enter into the scientific college. They require some preliminary qualification to enter into the law college, in the postgraduate classes. Similarly, to understand the subtle or finer implications of spiritual science, one has to become brāhmaṇa. Without becoming brāhmaṇa it is not possible.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. There are four classes of men created by God: cātur-varṇyaṁ. How they are divided? How the classification is made? Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: by classification of quality and work. Not by birth. In India, of course, this classification of guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ was originally planned from the Vedic age. But later on, a class of men, without any qualification, without any practical work, they claimed that "I belong to such and such class." Therefore India's falldown was inevitable. So Bhagavad-gītā says, "Not like that." Bhagavad-gītā says that these classes of men, cātur-varṇyaṁ-the brahminical class, the kṣatriya class, the vaiśya class, and the śūdra class-is everywhere. Not only in India, but also throughout the whole universe, in every country, in every nation, in every society, there must be some people who have brahminical tendency. Just like from your country, we have picked up some boys and girls who are inclined to adopt this way of life. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply picking up where there are brahminical class of boys, girls, men. Not that we are taking account, "Oh, who is your father? Is your father a brāhmaṇa?" No. We don't take account. His father may be anything; it doesn't matter. But if he has got tendency to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we immediately welcome: "Come on." And we teach him this brahminical qualification-to become brahmacārī, not to indulge in illicit sex life, don't take nonvegetarian diet. We recommend not exactly nonvegetarian diet. We are vegetarian diet, we restrict from nonvegetarian diet, but we recommend Kṛṣṇa prasādam. We have no quarrel with the nonvegetarians, because vegetable also has got life. The plants, the grass, the trees, the fruits, the flowers, they have also life. They are not dead. So simply becoming vegetarian is no great qualification. Somebody is taking meat and somebody is taking vegetable, it does not make any difference. But we are taking vegetables not as vegetarian. We are taking as Kṛṣṇa prasādam, remnants of foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that,

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ

yo me bhaktyā prayacchati

tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam

aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

[Bg. 9.26]

Kṛṣṇa said that "If somebody offers Me some foodstuff prepared from vegetables and fruits and grains"-grains are also fruits-"so with love and devotion, then I eat." Therefore we offer these things to Kṛṣṇa. Just like here, we have offered fruits. Not that because we are vegetarian, but Kṛṣṇa wants this. Just like if you invite some of your friend, you ask him, "My dear friend, what do you like to eat?" So if he says, "I like this," so you immediately supply. This is the sign of love. Similarly, because Kṛṣṇa says, "If somebody offers Me fruits, flowers, grains, milk, with devotion and love, I will eat," so we are pledged to Kṛṣṇa, I offer these things to Kṛṣṇa, and we eat. That is our process. We have no quarrel with nonvegetarian or vegetarian. No. Because vegetable has also got life. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is also stated that yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. You have to eat after offering sacrifice. Sacrifice means to worship the Supreme Lord. That is called sacrifice. So if anyone eats the remnants of sacrificial foodstuff, then he is freed from all kinds of sins.

The purport is that those who are vegetarian, they are thinking that "We are better than the nonvegetarian." But it is not the fact. Either you eat vegetables or nonvegetable, you are liable to be punished because you are accepting something without offering to the supplier. That is the law. We must acknowledge at least that "This foodstuff is supplied by the Supreme Lord, and we are obliged to Him." In Christian Bible also, they pray, "O God, give us our daily bread." So one should accept that it is supplied by God. So if one does not even accept this obligation, then he is sinful, certainly. So, yajñarthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra. Yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ. One who offers sacrifice and then he takes foodstuff, then he becomes freed from the sinful activities. In the eating there is sinful activity also. But bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt: [Bg. 3.13] anyone who is simply cooking for himself, he is simply eating sins. These are the statements of Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore it is our duty to offer foodstuff to the Lord and then take it: "My Lord, You have supplied so nice foodstuff for my maintaining my life, so You first of all taste it, and then I shall eat it." It is very nice. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa is not going to take your foodstuff. But simply if you think like that, then you become freed from the implication of sinful activities.

We are in such a position that in every step there is sinful activity, every step. This world is so made. Just like nonviolence. Nonviolence, the Buddhist philosophy, the Jain philosophy, they advocate nonviolence. But how one can be nonviolent? We are walking on the street, there are so many ants and small germs, they are being killed. We are breathing, so many animals are being killed. We are drinking water, so many animals are being killed. How it is possible to become nonviolence? It is not possible. Therefore in every step we have to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. Then there is indemnity from the sinful activities. That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, that yajñarthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg. 3.9]. Unless you act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, or as ordered by Kṛṣṇa, or God, then you become bound up by the reaction.

yajñarthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra

loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ

tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya

mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara

[Bg. 3.9]

"Therefore, My dear Arjuna," Kṛṣṇa instructing Arjuna, that "you simply act for Kṛṣṇa, or God," tad-artham, "not for any other purpose." Don't create your action. Simply act according to the direction of the Lord. Mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara. Then you will be freed from the reaction of your act. There are many examples. Just like a soldier: when he is killing in the battlefield on the higher authorities of government and commander-in-chief, he is not liable for killing. He is, rather, rewarded. The same man, if he kills on his own account somebody, he is hanged. Immediately he becomes liable to the law.

Therefore the whole life should be so modeled that we shall simply act for God, or Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities are called bhakti, devotional service. And how they are discharged, that is very nicely explained in many Vedic literatures, Bhagavad-gītā also. Especially in Nārada-pañcarātra it is stated,

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-

sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

One has to become freed from all designations. Freed from all designation. What is the designation? "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am this," "I am that." These are all designations. Actually, I am spirit soul. I have got this designation on account of my accepting this material body, but I am not this body. This is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā. Spiritual instruction begins from this platform, that "I am not this body." Because bodily concept of life is animal life. The dog thinks that "I am this body"; the cat thinks, "I am this body." But if a human being thinks that "I am this body," then what is the difference between cats and dogs? Human being must try to understand, "What I am?" This is called knowledge. And when he comes to the understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul, oh, I am spirit soul…" Just like Socrates, he realized. When he was asked by the judge, "Mr. Socrates, how you want to be entombed?" he answered, "First of all, capture me; then you entomb me. You are seeing my body. You have no vision that I am soul." This is right vision.

Bhagavad-gītā says, therefore, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

Paṇḍitāḥ means one who is learned. He sees everything equally, because he does not see the body. He sees the spirit soul. He sees the spirit soul, both in human being… The different kinds of human being… Somebody may be very high, or somebody may be very, very low, or animal, or… But paṇḍitāḥ, one who is learned, he sees the spirit soul. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. He knows that this is only dress. Suppose a gentleman has come in this meeting. If he is not properly dressed, that does not mean he should be hated. Similarly, one who is paṇḍita, learned, he does not discriminate between man and animal because they have got different dress. No. The animal life and human life, so far maintenance of the body is concerned, it is equal. The animal eats, the man eats. The animal sleeps, the man sleeps. The animal mates, the man also mates. The quality or degree of mating or eating may be different, but the eating is there, sleeping is there, mating is there, and defending is there. But what is the difference between man and animal? Man knows, at least, he should try to know, "What I am? What is God? What is this world? What is our interrelation?" This is man's business. This is called athāto brahma jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra, the first sūtra, aphorism, is atha ataḥ brahma-jijñāsā: "This human form of life is meant for inquiry about the spirit, Supreme Spirit, Brahman." That is the beginning of spiritual education.

So spiritual education-first to understand "What I am," then "What is God," "What is this world." "What is our interrelation," then "What is God's position," "What is my position," "How I shall deal with God"-these things are spiritual education, and human life is meant for that purpose. The nature gives chance to the living entity, this developed consciousness of human being, in order to understand these things. And if he is fortunate enough to understand that he is spirit soul, he is Brahman, then the Bhagavad-gītā gives definition of such man that brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā: [Bg. 18.54] as soon as he comes to the understanding of spiritual platform, then he becomes joyful, immediately-freed from all anxieties. Joyfulness means freed from all anxiety. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. He has no more any hankering and no more lamentation. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu… And he sees everyone on the spiritual platform, equally. And then the life of devotion, service to the Lord, begins.

So this is the process. This is the process of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the process is recommended that one should become freed from the designation. Because designation, accepting the designation, means ignorance. That is ignorance. So we have to transcend this position of designation. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. And by reviving our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord, we become cleansed. That is brahminical stage. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam. Nirmalam means cleansed, and hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam. When your consciousness is cleansed, then you can only render service to the Lord. Otherwise not. So long our consciousness is not clean, consciousness is polluted, there is no possibility of rendering service to the Lord. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam. Hṛṣīka, hṛṣīka means senses purified by being freed from designation. When it is purified in connection with activities of Kṛṣṇa, or God, then he can render service to the Lord, Hṛṣīkeṇa. That is called bhakti. This is bhakti. Bhakti is nothing artificial. It is the activity of healthy stage. Just like a man, when he is diseased, his activities are differing from the man who is cured and healthy. To become healthy does not mean to kill the patient. To kill…, not to kill him, but to cure him from the disease, that is real treatment. The whole treatment of the human society should be like that: to cure him from the disease of forgetfulness his relationship with God. Then when he is cured, when he is in healthy state, then there will be no more trouble in the world. Peace and prosperity can be established when people are no more in the designated stage, when he is free. So it is not expected, however, that cent percent population of the world will be such free from all contamination. But even a certain percentage only, even most insignificant, one percent or less than that, millions in one, then the face of the world will change.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just trying to turn the face of the people towards the Supreme Lord and by practical application of the knowledge in life, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa… This is the process. So it is not sectarian process. Just like students can be picked up from any society, similarly, person inclined to understand the science of God can be picked up from any society. There is no question of designation. It is not that it is meant for the Hindu or meant for the Christian, meant for the Buddhist. Anyone who is interested in the science of God, they are welcome in this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) Any question?

Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, why did Lord Jesus Christ eat meat?

Prabhupāda: That was circumstantial because we have to take into consideration of the situation of the country and the people. Where there is no other food, one must live. Then meat-eating is not bad in that case. Because survival is required. But when there are substitutes… Everyone is eating another life. That is the law of nature. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that sahastānām ahastāni. The animals, animal who has got hands, he eats the animal who has no hand. That means four-legged animals. Ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām. And the animals or living entities who cannot move, they are foodstuff of the moving. That means the grass, plants, they are the foodstuff for the cows and other animals. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra. And the big animal eats the small animal. Just like we see a big serpent is eating a small serpent, a big fish eating a small fish. So this is the law, that nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. So one life is meant for maintaining another life. This is the law of nature. But Upaniṣad says that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: [Īśo mantra 1] everything belongs to the Lord. Just like in a hotel there are many kinds of foodstuff, but they all belong to the hotel keeper. And you can take only on your table what is offered to you. You cannot take anything, anything, whatever you like, no. That is illegal. Similarly, everything is food, that's all right. But you can take only what is allotted for you, that's all. So human being should take, as far as possible, vegetables. The teeth is made for eating vegetables. That is scientifically true. And if you take vegetables all along, then you will never be diseased. And so far we are concerned, we are taking Kṛṣṇa prasādam. That I have already explained, that Kṛṣṇa wants this foodstuff… If Kṛṣṇa says that "Give Me meat," then we shall eat meat. Because we are concerned with Kṛṣṇa prasādam. We are not distinguished that "Vegetable eating is nice, meat eating is not nice." No. The nature's law is that you must eat, and that eating is something living. Vegetable is also living. But we are not concerned, vegetarian or nonvegetarian. We are concerned with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me fruits, flowers, grains." We offer that. If Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me meat, chickens," we shall offer and we shall take.

Guest: What is the proper spiritual attitude toward rodents, reptiles, and disease-bearing insects? What should be the proper spiritual attitude toward those?

Jayatīrtha: Insects.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "What is the spiritual attitude towards reptiles, rodents…"

Madhudviṣa: Disease-bearing in animals, something that is diseased and can give you a disease, what is your, what is the Vedic attitude towards protection from these animals?

Prabhupāda: Protection? Cleanliness. Just like if you keep your apartment very cleansed, if you keep your clothes and body very cleansed, you won't find this insect disturbing you. Just like the flies, they go in a nasty place. So you should be cleansed. You should take protection in that way. You cannot kill them. The cockroaches, the modern method of bathroom attached in 600th floor… So (laughs) this is unclean. Therefore the cockroaches are born there, you see? So if you keep yourself clean, there will be no more disturbances. The incense will keep off all insects. You make fresh food, there will be no germs. You take warm, immediately prepared, that is germicide foodstuff. But if you keep for months together in the refrigerator, that will contaminate with germ, disease. Therefore the brahminical culture means cleanliness is next to godliness. You have to keep your body clean, you have to keep your apartment clean, everything clean, and there will be no more disturbance. Bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. The Vedic literature says that you should keep yourself externally and internally cleansed. Externally, you can keep yourself clean by soap, water, and change of dress, washed dress, externally. And internally, by thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Then there will be no more disturbance.

apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ

Śuciḥ means cleansed. Therefore we prescribe so many things just to keep you cleansed-cleansed within, cleansed outside. Then there is no affection of māyā. Otherwise, you will be harassed by three kinds of miserable condition: adhyātmika, adhibhautika… I have seen many persons in India, within two or three days, by perspiration, within their coat, they germinate so many germs. Do not take bath, unclean. You see? So cleanliness is the protection from infection. And water is very disinfectant, natural disinfectant. This is the medical opinion, water. Therefore God has supplied unlimited quantity of water. You can spend it as much as you like. Yes?

Guest: Aren't they allowed to boil water in India?

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not?

Guest: In boiling the water do you kill any little insects that are in the water?

Prabhupāda: Yes. But that I have already explained, that we are killing every moment. Therefore we have to keep from the reaction by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You cannot avoid killing. Whenever we are cooking, we are killing so many germs, the water. While we are burning fire, then so many germs are being killed. So the killing process cannot be stopped, but you should not do it willingly, and you should keep yourself God conscious. Then you are freed from the reaction.

Revatīnandana: What distinguishes bhakti-yoga from karma-yoga?

Prabhupāda: Karma-yoga means karma mixed with bhakti. And bhakti-yoga means pure bhakti. Somebody is attached to some kind of work, so he is advised karma-yoga. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi

yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat

yat tapasyasi kaunteya

kuruṣva tat mad-arpaṇam

[Bg. 9.27]

"My dear Arjuna, whatever you do," yat karoṣi, yad aśnāsi, "whatever you eat," yat karoṣi yad aś…, yaj juhoṣi, "whatever you sacrifice," dadāsi yat, "whatever you give in charity," kuruṣva tat mad-arpaṇam, "do it for Me." This is called karma-yoga. Somebody is very much fond of giving in charity. Just like in your country there are so many foundation for giving charity. But as soon as you go that "We are spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You give us some charity," they will immediately deny, "Oh, we are, we have no concern with religious movement." You see? But Kṛṣṇa says, "If you are so much charitable, give Me something, at least portion of your charity, to Me." Dadāsi yat. Yad aśnāsi. "Whatever you eat, you offer Me." In this way, when people are not directly coming to the bhakti-yoga, so he's advised, "All right, you do like this. Whatever you eat, whatever you give in charity, whatever you make in sacrifice, do it for Me." Then… Just like Arjuna's example is karma-yoga. Arjuna is a fighter, he's a warrior, military man. And he fought for Kṛṣṇa. This is called karma-yoga. You be whatever you may be. You may be a brāhmaṇa, you may be a kṣatriya, you may be a vaiśya, you may be a intelligent man, you may be a military man, you may be a administrator, you may be a business man, or you may be ordinary worker, it doesn't matter. But if you offer the result of your work for the satisfaction of God, then you are perfect. This is the whole thing. That Bhāgavata says,

ataḥ puṁsāṁ dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

[SB 1.2.13]

There are different classes of men. Generally, they are divided into four classes: the intelligent class of men, the administrator class of men, the business class of men, and the general worker, laborer class of men. So Bhāgavata says, "Whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. You just try to satisfy the Supreme Lord by your work. That's all." If you are intelligent man, oh, write nice books to propagate God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But if you write books that "God is dead. There is no God. It is all nonsense," then simply misusing your intelligence. Yes?

Guest: You say we should lose the designations. Now, would you consider the caste system as designations?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: You would be, then, for abolishing the caste system.

Prabhupāda: Yes. For a devotee there is no caste, because he's servant of God. He does not belong to any material consciousness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is transcendental. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that one who is engaged in the service of the Lord, he is on the platform of becoming Brahman. Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān…. Guṇān means this world, this material world is full of three qualities: the quality of goodness, the quality of passion, and the quality of ignorance. Or mixed. Three into three into nine, nine into nine equal to eighty-one. There are so many mixture of qualities and different kinds of men, because they are within the material qualities. But as soon as you engage yourself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, you are no more within these qualities; therefore you are freed from designation. Just like these boys, they are not thinking that they are American. I am not thinking "I am not Indian," "I am Indian." Actually, our platform is Kṛṣṇa. We are loving each other. So we have forgotten our designation. Otherwise, how they can work so nicely? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. They are now thinking in terms of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Similarly, if this consciousness is spread, so simple, then they will lose designation, there will be no more distinction, "Oh, I am Chinese," "I am Russian," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." The fighting is on the platform of designation. But if you say that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also a designation, but that is not designation, because in the Vedic literature it is said that ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is pure consciousness. Asmi, my identification, shall continue because I am an individual soul. That cannot be abolished. So when I am thinking that "I am God's," that is my designation-free stage. And when I think that I belong to this family, this country, this society, this group, so many things, then I am designated.

Guest: The basic concept that you are preaching and teaching is the same as the basic content of Christianity, of Buddhism. And if the people of the world would accept this basic principle, there would be no wars and there would be no fighting amongst one another and no disagreement. Because the basic and the fundamental is love.

Prabhupāda: But the thing is…

Guest: If we had that love we would then be united with God. That is our ultimate end.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, you are already united with God because your relationship cannot be rejected with God. Just like father and son. The son may forget his father. That does not mean the relationship of father and son is no more there. So our relationship is there with God, but we have forgotten. So we have to revive our consciousness. It is not that it has to be manufactured something new. The relationship is there. Just like a son, he has forgotten his father. He is very rich man's son, but he's loitering in the street, and he does not know. Just like there is a story of Tarzan. So we are all Tarzans. So we have forgotten, you see? So the whole process is to revive. That is called ahaṁ brahmāsmi. "Oh, I am the son of God. Then where is my distress?" So revival, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to free, make free the consciousness from all contamination of material existence. You call it Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, the same thing. So this is purificatory process, that "I am Kṛṣṇa's, I am God's." Everyone is God's, but he has forgotten. In the animal species of life, they cannot revive, they haven't got that chance, but here is the chance, human form of life. If you miss this chance, then you again go to the cycle of so many species of life. Then our human form is spoiled. So we should try for it. That is the perfection of life. Premā pumartho mahān. Lord Caitanya preaches the highest perfection of life, to revive our natural love for God. And any religion which preaches love of God, that is perfect religion. It doesn't matter whether it is Christianity or Buddhism or Hinduism or anything. That is Bhāgavata religion. Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. That is first-class religious system. What is that? Which trains the followers to love God. That is first-class religion. And religion without God, that is not religion. That is not religion. Because Bhāgavata says, dharmaṁ tu sākṣāt bhagavat-praṇītam. Bhagavad-gītā also says that: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. Religion means re-establish relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is religion. What is your question?

Jāhnavā: Śrī Bhaktivedanta, how is it that the Absolute, which is so, at this point, for me, beyond human comprehension, how can it take this form of Kṛṣṇa-Rādhā?

Prabhupāda: It is His mercy. The Bhāgavata says that if you want to understand God, His name, His quality, His paraphernalia, His form, it is not possible to realize by your present senses. It is not possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. These present senses, they are so contaminated that it is not possible that you can understand God, His form, His name, His quality, His paraphernalia by speculation. No, it is not possible. Then? How it is possible? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. God reveals to you by your service attitude. And that service attitude begins from your tongue, jihvā. Jihvā means tongue. How? You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Then you will realize. Two things. Very simple method. He'll reveal. You cannot understand what is God, but God will reveal to you, "Here I am." Just like you cannot ask the sun, "Please rise up. I want to see you." Oh, he is not your servant. But when sun reveals to you, you see yourself, you see the sun, and the whole world, everything nicely. So you have to wait for that revelation. And you have to practice this, first of all, this tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau [Brs. 1.2.234]. This particular tongue is mentioned. You can begin to reach that stage of revelation by training your tongue. What is that? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Very simple method. You try it and see. Otherwise it is not possible. God is not so little that you can order Him and He'll… No, that is not possible. But if He's pleased, then He'll reveal Himself. So any other question? Or let us chant. (devotees offer obeisances) (end)

681222LE.LA

Press Release

Los Angeles, December 22, 1968

Prabhupāda: Give me that.

Govinda: What?

Prabhupāda: I shall speak. Record it. "Manifesto of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness." The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a movement aiming at the spiritual reorientation of mankind through the simple process of chanting the holy names of God. The human life is meant for ending the miseries of material existence. Our present-day society is trying to do so by material progress. However, it is visible to all that in spite of the extensive material progress, the human society is not in peaceful condition. The reason is that a human being is essentially a spirit soul. It is the spirit soul which is the background of development of the material body. However the materialist scientist may deny the spiritual existence in the background of the living force, there is no better understanding than accepting the spirit soul within the body.

The body is changing from one form to another, but the spirit soul is existing eternally. This fact we can experience even in our own life. Since the beginning of our material body in the womb of our mother, the body is transforming from one shape to another in every second and in every minute. This process is generally known as growth, but actually it is change of body. On this earth planet we see change of day and night and of seasons. The more primitive mentality attributes this change to changes occurring in the sun. For example, in the winter they think the sun is getting weaker, and at night they presume sometimes that the sun is dead. With more advanced knowledge of discovery we see that sun is not changing at all in this way. Seasonal and diurnal changes are attributed to the change of the position of the earth planet. Similarly, we experience bodily changes from embryo to child to youth to maturity to old age and to death. The less intelligent mentality presumes that at the death the spirit soul's existence is forever finished, just like primitive tribes who believe that the sun dies at sunset. Actually, the sun is rising in another part of the world. Similarly, the soul is accepting another type of body. When the body gets old like the old garments and is no longer usable, then the soul accepts another body just like we accept a new suit of clothes. The modern civilization is practically unaware of this truth. They do not care about the constitutional position of the soul. There are different departments of knowledge in different universities and many technological institutions to study and understand the subtle laws of material nature-medical research laboratories to study the physiological condition of the material body-but there is no institution to study the constitutional position of the soul. This is the greatest drawback of material civilization, which is external manifestation of the soul. They are enamored by the glimmering manifestation of the cosmic body or the individual body, but they do not try to understand the basic principles of this glimmering situation. The body looks very beautiful working with full energy and exhibiting great traits of talent and wonderful brain work. But as soon as the soul is away from the body, all this glimmering situation of the body becomes useless. Even the great scientists who have discovered many wonderful scientific contributions could not trace out about the personal self, which is the cause of such wonderful discoveries. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement basically is trying to reach this science of the soul-not in any dogmatic way, but in complete scientific and philosophical understanding.

You can find out the background of this body as the soul and the soul's presence as perceived, perceivable by consciousness. Similarly, the presence of Supersoul and superconsciousness in the universal body of cosmic manifestation is perceived by the presence of the Supreme Lord, or the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is systematically experienced in the Vedānta-sūtra, generally known as the Vedānta philosophy, which is elaborately explained by a commentary by the same author of the Vedānta-sūtras known as the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to understand the constitutional position of the Supreme Lord, or the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding, namely as Brahman, or the impersonal universal soul; Paramātmā, or the localized universal soul; and at the end as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. An individual soul is understood in three aspects, namely first in the consciousness pervading all over the body, then as the spirit soul within the heart, and ultimately exhibited as a person. Similarly, the Absolute Truth is first realized as impersonal Brahman, then as localized Supersoul, Paramātmā, and at the end as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa means all-inclusive, or, in other words, Kṛṣṇa is simultaneously Brahman, Paramātmā, and the Personality of Godhead. As such, as every one of us is simultaneously consciousness, soul, and person, this individual person and the Supreme Lord Person are qualitatively one but quantitatively different. Just like the drop of sea water and the vast mass of sea water-both are qualitatively one. The chemical composition of the drop of sea water and that of the mass of sea water are one and the same, but the quantity of salt and other minerals in the whole sea is many, many times greater than the quantity of salt and other minerals contained in the drop of sea water. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement maintains the (sic:) speciality of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul. From the Vedic Upaniṣads we can understand that both the Supreme Person, or God, and the individual person are eternal and living entities. The difference is that the supreme living entity, or Supreme Person, maintains all the innumerable living entities. In the Christian way of understanding, the same principle is admitted because in the Bible it is taught that the individual entities should pray to the supreme father for supplying means of maintenance and giving pardon for their sinful activities.

So it is understood from any source of scriptural injunction that the Supreme Lord, or Kṛṣṇa, is the maintainer of the individual living entities, and it is the duty of the individual entity to feel obliged to the Supreme Lord. This is the whole background of religious principle. Without this acknowledgement, there is chaos, as it is happening in our daily experience at the present moment. Everyone is trying to become the Supreme Lord, either socially, politically or individually. Therefore there is competition for this false lordship and there is chaos all over the world, individually, nationally, socially or collectively. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to establish the supremacy of the Absolute Personality of Godhead. The human society is meant for this understanding because this consciousness makes his life successful. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new introduction of the mental speculators. Actually this movement was started by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. At least five thousand years ago the movement was presented by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. From this Bhagavad-gītā we can understand that this system of consciousness was spoken by Him long, long before-He imparted to the sun-god Vivasvān. That calculation goes to show that before the repetition of the Bhagavad-gītā in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, it was once before explained at least forty million years ago. So this movement is not at all new. It is coming down from disciplic succession, and in India from all great leaders of the Vedic society like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, and lately, about 480 years ago, Lord Caitanya. The principle is still being followed today. This Bhagavad-gītā is also very widely persued in all parts of the world by great scholars, philosophers, and religionists. But in most cases the principle is not followed as it is. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to present the principles of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any misinterpretation.

In the Bhagavad-gītā we can understand five main principles: namely God, the living entity, the material or the spiritual nature, time, and activities. Out of these five items, God, the living entities, nature-material or spiritual-and time are eternal. But activities are not eternal. The activities in the material nature are different from the activities in the spiritual nature. In the material nature, although the spiritual soul is eternal, as we have explained before, the activities are temporary. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is aiming to place the spirit soul in his eternal activities. The eternal activities can be practiced even when we are materially encaged. It requires simply direction. But it is possible, under the prescribed rules and regulations, to act spiritually. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement teaches these spiritual activities, and if one is trained up in such spiritual activities, one is transferred to the spiritual world, of which we get ample evidence from Vedic literatures and also from the Bhagavad-gītā. And the spiritually trained person can be transferred to the spiritual world easily by change of consciousness. The consciousness is always there because it is the symptom of the living spirit soul. But at the present moment the consciousness is materially contaminated. Just like pouring water, water pouring, down from the cloud is pure, distilled water, but as soon as the water comes in touch with the earth it becomes muddy immediately. Again, by filtering the same water, the original clearness can be regained. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the process of clearing the consciousness, and as soon as the consciousness clear and pure it is transferred to the spiritual world for eternal life of knowledge and bliss, which we are hankering for in this material world, and being frustrated in every step on account of material contamination. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be taken very seriously by the leaders of the human society. (devotees offer obeisances)

So,

utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt

tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt

sato vṛtteḥ sādhu-saṅge

ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati

[Upadeśāmṛta 3]

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, or a person's Kṛṣṇa consciousness, can be progressively improved by six processes. What is that? Utsāhā, enthusiasm. Dhairyā. Dhairyā means patience. Utsāhān, dhairyāt, and niścayāt, firm conviction. Utsāhān dhairyāt niścayād tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. And following the regulative principles. Sato vṛtteḥ. The profession must be strictly honest and serious. Sato vṛtteḥ. And sādhu-saṅge, and in the association of the devotees. So you attempted today a press conference, but don't be dejected. We have to become patient, and we must be firmly convinced that our movement shall be successful, provided if we follow the regulative principles. Sato vṛtteḥ and sādhu-saṅge. Sādhu-saṅge means in the association of the devotees. So there is nothing to be dejected. You try and follow the principles. It will come out successful without any doubt.

Thank you. Yes?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have prepared a very large feast.

Devotee: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: That's all right. You eat. It is, today is a ādivas (?) day. Ādivas day means the inauguration. Inauguration day. So you shall prepare the large feast every day and chant every day and eat prasādam every day. This is the inauguration day. (laughter) Yes. At least, make your program that every day in the evening, from seven to eight, at least one hour this kīrtana will go on. I'm very glad that Viṣṇujana chants very nicely, and you also, one after another. So every day make chanting at least for one hour in the temple. And do your activities as usual. Don't be disappointed. Kṛṣṇa will see His own business. So you have prepared large feast. You eat. What is there?

Vīrabhadra: A thousand people in this room?

Prabhupāda: Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ. If we can, I mean to say, raise one person Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means we have successfully preached our mission. One moon is better than millions of stars. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can have kīrtana and soon the prasādam will be ready.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can we have kīrtana, then serve prasādam?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kīrtana have, twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc. Ādi 17.31]. Always.

Revatīnandana: Did you mean from seven to eight every evening, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can repeat that, replay, the tape.

Govinda dāsī: Āratika?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You… (end)

681223SP.LA

Recorded Speech to

Members of ISKCON London

Los Angeles, December 23, 1968

Prabhupāda:

ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur-unmilitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual master, who has opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge in my material existence of darkness. Ladies and Gentlemen, please accept my greetings in the happy new year of 1969, and blessings of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for your kindly participating in this happy meeting of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa appeared on this earthly planet five thousand years ago and gave us the unique philosophy and religious principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the shape of the Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, in course of time, as things change and deteriorate in the material world, people deteriorated and forgot the art of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Kṛṣṇa again therefore appeared as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu at the end of the fifteenth century to revive the same Kṛṣṇa consciousness atmosphere in the human society. Lord Caitanya's special gift to the fallen souls of this age of quarrel and disagreement is to induce the people in general, the religionists, the philosophers and everyone to take to the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. He informed us that the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead can descend also in transcendental sound vibration, and thus, when you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra offenselessly, we immediately contact Kṛṣṇa and His internal energy, and thus we become immediately purified from all dirty things in our heart.

Our conditional life of material existence is due to dirty things in our heart. Originally we are all Kṛṣṇa conscious living beings, but due to our long material association in different species of life, varying to 8,400,000 different forms of life, we are accustomed to transmigrating from one form of body or another. In such cycle of birth and death, I, you, and every one of us, although originally spirit soul and therefore qualitatively one in constitution with the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, we have identified with this material form of life, subjected to various forms of material pangs, specifically in the shape of birth, death, old age and disease. The whole material civilization is a process of hard struggle of life, ending in birth, death, old age and disease. The human society is struggling fruitlessly against these perpetual problems of life in different ways. Some of them are making material attempts and some of them are making partially spiritual attempts. The materialists are trying to solve the problems by achievement of scientific knowledge, education, philosophy, morality, ethics, poetic thoughts, etc., and the spiritualists are trying to solve the problems by different theses like discerning matter from spirit in various ways. And some of them are trying as mystic yogis to arrive at the right conclusion. But all of them must know it for certain that in this age of Kali, or the age of quarrel and dissension, there is no possibility of success without accepting the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the speaker of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, has therefore recommended that everyone, be he a fruitive worker, a salvationist or a mystic yogi, if actually he wants to be freed from the pangs of material existence, he must take to the process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is therefore an art of changing our hearts by purification from the dust of material desires. We cannot stop our desires because as living entities, desiring is the component part of our constitution. Therefore we cannot give up our desires, but we can purify our desires. Killing of desire is no solution, but curing the desires, diseased condition of desire, is the right solution. As such, therefore, this dust of misunderstanding is cleared off. We can see our real position of life and make steady progress towards the ultimate goal of life. We have forgotten the ultimate goal of our life due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore our entire activity should be executed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to revive our lost relationship with God, or Kṛṣṇa. We do not prohibit anyone to cease from the present occupational duties, but we simply recommend that he executes such duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu never recommended changing one's position of life, but He favored the process of hearing about Kṛṣṇa from the right, bona fide source. One should give up the artificial process of philosophical speculation to arrive at the real goal of life, but one should submissively hear about the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is generally inculcated in Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If one submissively chants the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and hears the message of Kṛṣṇa as it is in the Bhagavad-gītā without any malinterpretation, then he does not have to change his position by some artificial method. Simply by the method of chanting and hearing, he comes to a transcendental position which will help him to know God, His name, His form, His quality, His pastimes, His paraphernalia, and so on.

We are, however, misled by persons and leaders who have very little connection with God, or Kṛṣṇa. Some of them are denying the existence of God, some of them are falsely trying to place themselves in place of God, some of them are in favor of the impersonal feature of God, and, at last, some of them, without being able to reach any right conclusion, are accepting the ultimate goal of life as void, or zero, in utter hopelessness and frustration. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is solid ground for understanding Kṛṣṇa, or God, directly by the simple method of chanting the holy name of God, or Kṛṣṇa. Misled by blind leaders, the followers who themselves are blind have failed to achieve the desired success, but here is a method called by the name Kṛṣṇa consciousness which is directly offered by Kṛṣṇa, and the instructions are plainly described in the Bhagavad-gītā, given to us five thousand years ago, and again confirmed by Him in the form of Lord Caitanya five hundred years ago. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a great art of life, very easy and sublime. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement gives you everything you want, without any artificial endeavor. It is transcendentally colorful and full of transcendental pleasure. We prosecute these Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities through singing, dancing, eating, and talking philosophy received through authorized disciplic succession, and therefore it gives us everything we want, without any artificial change of our natural instincts. The consciousness is there in you, but it is now dirty consciousness, and what you have to do now is to cleanse it from all dirty things and make it clear Kṛṣṇa consciousness in pleasant method by chanting the glorified holy name of God: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. These performances we can practice anywhere. It does not matter either in a temple, or in a street, or in a park, or at home. But to assemble together and sit together, we require a place for congregation; therefore a temple of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is required to be established in various centers of the world, irrespective of the particular countries, culture, philosophy, and religion. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so universal and perfect that it can appeal to everyone, irrespective of his position; therefore I fervently appeal to you, all present in this meeting, to extend your cooperation for successful execution of this great movement.

Thank you once more. (Hare Kṛṣṇa bhajana by Prabhupāda with harmonium)

Śrīman Gurudāsa Adhikārī and his associate Godbrothers have very eagerly asked me to visit London, and I am also very much anxious to see you all there. So as soon as there is opportunity, I shall go with my saṅkīrtana party, who are now engaged in Los Angeles, and that will be a great pleasure for us all to meet together. (aside:) That's all right. (end)

690113LE.LA

Lecture Excerpt

Los Angeles, January 13, 1969

Prabhupāda: We are all in ignorance, in the darkness of ignorance. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya. So the disciple is praying that "I am… I was in the darkness of ignorance," but jñānāñjana-śalākayā, "but you have opened my eyes by the torture of knowledge…" Not… What is called? "Torch," "torch of knowledge." Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā, cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena: "One who has opened my eyes in that way," tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ, "I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master."

So in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is stated that parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. We are all born ignorant. Either in human society or in animal society, we are born all ignorant. Therefore, in the human society the system is that children are given education. Why? Because it is supposed that the child is born ignorant. Similarly, as we give material education to the children, it is the duty of the parents to enlighten them with spiritual education. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that "Nobody should desire to become a father, nobody should desire to become a mother, unless one is able to save the child from the impending death." So that is also the duty of spiritual master. One should not become a spiritual master unless one is able to save the disciple from impending death. And what is that impending death? Impending death means… Because we are spirit soul, we have no death. But impending death means of this body. So it is the duty of spiritual master, it is the duty of the parents, it is the duty of the state, it is the duty of kinsmen, friends, everyone, to save people from this impending birth and death.

So how to save? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Lord Kṛṣṇa says,

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

"Anyone who comes to Me, he has no more to go back to the miserable material existence." Therefore it is the duty of a spiritual master, it is the duty of the parents, that they should enlighten their dependents to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one becomes fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, the simple factor, then he is saved from this material existence, or accepting repeated birth and death. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. Here, everything in the material world, everything is born, it remains for some time, it grows then dwindles then vanishes. So this is not very desirable. But unfortunately, the modern civilization, they do not know. They are very much proud of advancement of knowledge, but they do not know that the cause of suffering is this body. They do not know. And they do not know how to make a solution of this material existence. Therefore parābhava. Bhāgavata says all their so-called, nonsense advancement of civilization is defeat. Defeat. Lord Jesus Christ also said like that, that "If one gains everything and then loses his own soul, what does he gain?" Similarly, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. A man's life is defeat only. However he may be very expert in driving motorcar day and night, this way and that way, very busy man, but if he does not inquire about his self-"What I am? Wherefrom I have come? Where I have to go to? Why I am suffering? Why I am put to this disadvantageous position?"-when one does not inquire for all these things, then his activities are defeat, only defeat. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness will save not only humanity but the living entities from this disastrous position of repeated birth and death. The Bhagavad-gītā, therefore, they stress on this point. Lord Kṛṣṇa stresses that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam: [Bg. 13.9] "You are very much proud of your knowledge, but if you want to be at all a man of knowledge, a man of wisdom, then you should first of all keep before you the problems of birth, death, old age and disease, because your so-called advancement of knowledge cannot make a solution of this birth, death, old age and disease."

So we have spoken many times in various meetings in this hall about these things. Whole Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for this, to get out of this material stage-playing. We are playing in a stage under different bodies. Just like in a stage, we play-somebody is playing the part of a king, somebody is playing the part of a queen, and so many things-similarly, we are, on the material stage, playing different parts, but we are all living entities, pure soul. Antavanta ime dehā: [Bg. 2.18] "This body is perishable." Nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ: "But the proprietor of the body, that is eternal." [break] …vāṇī and vapu, and vapu means the physical body, and vāṇī means the vibration. So we are not concerned about the physical body. Not concerned means… We are concerned, of course, because the spiritual master, those who are ācāryas, their body is not considered as materiel. Arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir. Just like the statue of Kṛṣṇa, to consider that "This is a stone…" Similarly, arcye śilā-dhīr guruṣu na… Guruṣu means those who are ācāryas, to accept their body as ordinary man's body, this is denied in the śāstras. So although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master, vibration. What we have heard from the spiritual master, that is living. You'll see in these pictures. This movement was started by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and then it was entrusted to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Then we are trying to serve his word, and many of my Godbrothers, they are also… (break-end)

690115LE.LA

Lecture

Los Angeles, January 15, 1969

Prabhupāda: So this yoga system, bhakti-yoga, means to concentrate only to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa and His expansion also… In the Brahma-saṁhitā Kṛṣṇa's expansions are described:

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu

kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.39]

Kṛṣṇa is always existing with innumerable forms. How? Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Aṇḍāntara-stham. Aṇḍa means this universe. It is just like an egg. Aṇḍa means egg. All these planets and universes, they are made on the shape of egg. Aṇḍāntara-stham. So each and every universe, Kṛṣṇa enters as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Just like within matter, when there is male and female, sex, it becomes just like a small pea. That is also egglike, emulsified. And the living entity enters, and then the pea form becomes developed into a body. Similarly, without entrance of spirit, no matter can develop. Matter itself cannot develop. There must be spirit soul; then it develops. Pregnancy is formed when the spirit soul is there within the matter. Not that simply material secretion makes life. That is foolish understanding. Without spiritual spark being entered within the matter, it does not develop. Just like if a dead child is born, the form of the child may be preserved some by chemical process, but it will not develop. The developing process is stopped immediately, as soon as the spirit spark is gone out of it. So the conclusion is, matter cannot develop without spirit being within. So this material world, it is developing. The modern scientists also agree that the universe is increasing in volume. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa has entered within this universe as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore it is developing. So there are innumerable universes, and so therefore there are innumerable Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇus. Because without Viṣṇu entering, this universe cannot develop. And the first creature is Brahmā. From the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, a lotus flower is grown. And upon that, Brahmā is the first creature. So the first creature is the most intelligent person. So Darwin's theory cannot be applicable because his theory is that human form develops after many evolution. That is another process. That is also stated in the Padma Purāṇa. That is called jīva-paryāyā. But this is not a fact, that in the, during…, in the beginning of the creation there was no human being or intelligent creature. The first creature is Brahmā, who has created this universe.

So our point is, when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, we mean with all His different forms, Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. So bhakti-yoga can be applicable to any one of these form, either Kṛṣṇa or Rāma or Viṣṇu or Nārāyaṇa, so many forms. Generally, Vaiṣṇavas worship the form of Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. In our conditional stage, we cannot worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-sevā is for them who has developed spontaneous love for God. For them. Spontaneous. The spontaneous love… The example is given: just like a young man, young girl, without any acquaintance, when they see each other, there is some loving propensity. That is called spontaneous. Not that one has to learn how to love. Simply very sight will invoke some loving propensity. That is called spontaneous. When we are advanced in the matter of loving God, so much so that as soon as you see or remember anything about God, immediately you become ecstatic, that is spontaneous. Just like Lord Caitanya, when He entered the temple of Jagannātha, as soon as He saw Jagannātha, immediately fainted: "Here is My Lord." So this spontaneous love, those who have developed this spontaneous love, there is a stage. By practice, one will come to that stage. Because that spontaneous love is eternal. It is not artificial. We have got, but it is now covered by our material association. So it has to be uncovered. And when you come to that stage, spontaneous, without any paraphernalia… Here we are trying to love Kṛṣṇa with so many paraphernalia. We must have a nice temple, nice dress, everything very favorable. Then we have some spiritual, ecstatic love. We have to create the groundwork. But spontaneous, there is no necessity of groundwork. Immediately one remembers of Kṛṣṇa, he becomes ecstatic. So that is the highest perfection of love of Godhead, spontaneous, without any external influence.

Now, we are teaching devotional service by the order of spiritual master: "Our spiritual master has said this; we must follow." That is required, routine, practice. Just like in India, formerly, the boys and girls were married at very early age. So I was also married very early age. My wife was only eleven years old. So I have heard my mother-in-law was married-she was seven years old and my father-in-law was eleven years old. So this marriage was performed, but it is not that the husband and wife live together unless they are mature, grown-up. So there was a system to, in order to… Because premixing is still not allowed in India, but the husband and wife… The wife by the elderly members was asked that "Just take this foodstuff, tiffin, to your husband." So she comes, offers little foodstuff, pan. In this way they gradually develop their relationship, loving relationship. But actually, when that love is mature, there is no need of introduction. In the beginning it is required. So devotional service is divided into two portions. Vidhi. Vidhi-mārga, rāga-mārga. Vidhi means by according to the order of the spiritual master. Then, when it is fully developed, then no more vidhi. Automatically one will be anxious to serve Kṛṣṇa: "How I shall make nice dress. How I shall serve Kṛṣṇa. How I shall cleanse the temple." There is no question of ordering. Spontaneous love. By rendering service, he feels transcendental bliss. That is spontaneous.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we have to increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa to the perfectional stage, when there is no more order, but automatically. Automatic. That is required. Mayy asakta-manaḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. That yoga system… At that time there is no yoga. It is already… Yoga system means a process which helps uniting with the Supreme. That is called yoga system. But when there is spontaneous love, that is not a yoga system. It is yoga already. United. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that united means the individual soul has no more any separate existence, monism. They become one. But Vaiṣṇava philosophy, they say they become one, but at the same time they remain separate. So these things are to be realized. As we make advance in spontaneous love for God, then these things become automatically revealed. It is… Simply by theoretical exposition they cannot be understood. Therefore we have to practice. Vidhi-mārga… That vidhi-mārga is called bhakti-yoga. Vidhi-mārga means by following the regulative principles of śāstra, orders of the spiritual master, when we engage ourself in devotional service, that is called vidhi-mārga. So we should not at once try to rise up to the rāga-mārga, or spontaneous. It is not an artificial thing. When one is, I mean to say, raised to the platform of spontaneous love, there is no question of falling back. During rāga-mārga, or regulative principles, there is chance of falling back because that is not mature. But when it is mature, then there is no falldown. At that time, without Kṛṣṇa, without serving Kṛṣṇa, nobody can live. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He said that "I have no love for Kṛṣṇa." Just try to understand. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "I have no love for Kṛṣṇa." Why? Then why You are crying? So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I am crying just to make a show to others that I am a devotee. Actually I am not a devotee. If I would have been actually devotee, how I am living without Kṛṣṇa? I should have died." This is ecstasy. "If I had any love for Kṛṣṇa, how I am living without Kṛṣṇa?" That means, "I do not love Kṛṣṇa."

So these are the highest stage. We should not imitate. We should follow the regulative principles. But some day will come when you'll be feeling the separation of Kṛṣṇa as death, as good as death. (end)

690119LE.LA

Sunday Feast Lecture

Los Angeles, January 19, 1969

Prabhupāda: The real meaning of Sanskrit means "reform." It is not whimsical, just like in English language, "beauty but, peauty put." It is not like that. Every word, every syllable has got a symbolic meaning. Bhaga. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means one who possesses. There are many words like that, guṇavān. Guṇavān. Guṇa means quality, and vān means one who possesses. Similarly, the Sanskrit word, equivalent word of the English word "God" is Bhagavān. Bhaga… God… Generally described, God is great. That is perfect. Actually God is great. Nobody can be equal to God, and nobody can be greater than God. Greatness… If I am great and if there is another competitor great, then I am not God, neither he is God. When we say, speak of God, there is no competitor. The Sanskrit word used, asamaurdhva… Asama. Sama means equal; a means not. Nobody is equal. Asama, urdhva. There are three positions. Just like we are sitting here. Somebody is equal to me, somebody is greater than me and somebody is lower than me. You will find, everyone. Anywhere you go, you'll find, somebody is greater than you, somebody is equal to you and somebody is lower than you, anywhere you go. But in case of God, there can be only lower; nobody greater or equal. That is God, simple definition of God. Nowadays there is a disease, to declare oneself as God, "I am God." And there is regular propaganda that everyone is God. Now, how everyone can be God? The definition of God is like this: "Nobody shall be equal; nobody shall be greater." Then He is God. If somebody says, "I am God," say, if somebody thinks that "I am God," he should think also, "Whether I have no more any greater than me or equal to me?" Oh, if you find so many equal and greater, lower also… But first thing is whether there is nobody greater than you or nobody equal to you. Then you are God. Don't be crazy and think that "I am God." God is not like that. Here is the definition, bhagavān, asamaurdhva. In Sanskrit word, it is very nicely described.

So bhaga… Bhaga means opulence. And what are the opulences? That also, we can very easily understand. If one man is very rich, we call opulent. If one man is very famous, reputed, he's opulent. If a man is very advanced in learning, in wisdom, he's al… That is also opulence. A scientist, a philosopher… If one is very beautiful, he is also opulent. So there are six kinds of opulences: richness, reputation, strength, influence, beauty, and wisdom. So asamaurdhva, that equality and greatness… When you'll find a certain man is in such a position that nobody is richer than him and nobody is famous, more famous, than him, nobody is more stronger than him, nobody is more influential than him, nobody is more beautiful than him, and nobody is wiser than him-if you find somebody full in six opulences… These are the definition given in Vedic literature.

aiśvaryasya samagrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

ṣaṇṇāṁ iti bhagaṅ ganā

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Bhaga, these opulences… So you have to find out. You do not accept any cheap God. You just try to find out whether this man claiming as God has no greater than him and no equal to him. Then he is God. This simple test. Don't accept any bogus, so-called God. Just try to put him to the test whether he is actually God. This is the test, that nobody should be greater than him; nobody shall be equal to him. Then he is God.

So in the Vedic literature, in India, you know there were many saintly persons, great scholars from time immemorial. Even not very recently, say, five hundred years ago there were such men, personalities. Now it is almost finished, but still, if you find, you will see there are great sages, saintly persons, who understand the meaning of Vedic literature, and they live up to the standard of Vedic life. So that is the definition given by great saints and sages, this definition given by Parāśara Muni, a great sage. He was the father of Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is called Veda-Vyāsa. His another name is Veda-Vyāsa. Veda-Vyāsa means… His actual name is Vyāsadeva, but because he compiled all the Vedic knowledge in book form… Before the advent of this present age, which is known as Kali-yuga… He compiled all Vedic knowledge… Before that, there was no necessity of book writing, neither there was facility of printing books. There was no press. People had no necessity of keeping knowledge in writing. There was no necessity. Their memory was so sharp that once heard from the spiritual master, they remembered. But in this age, in this Kali-yuga, memory, duration of life, mercifulness, stature of the body, and so many things, they are reducing. They are reducing. We are not advancing. That is wrong idea. For example, in your country the stature is also reducing. Formerly in our childhood, I saw Europeans and Americans, they were very tall. But not only in your country, every country the stature is reducing. The memory is reducing. The duration of life… Your grandfather or great-grandfather, perhaps he lived for hundred years. I saw. My grandmother lived for ninety-five years. My father lived for eighty-four years. So I do not know how long I shall live. Still I am living. So in this way the age, duration of life, will reduce in this age. And it is also said that at the ultimate stage, at the end of this age, if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he'll be considered a grand old man. So because our human assets are reducing… Practically there is no mercifulness now, dayā. Formerly a man was very charitable, but here, at the present moment, where is the question of charity? He cannot maintain oneself. So these things are reducing. Therefore Vyāsadeva thought it wise to give the Vedic knowledge in writings so that we can read, we can hear, and we can utilize, we can take benefit out of it. So Vyāsadeva gave us this Vedic literature. His father, Parāśara Muni, gave us the definition, the understanding of God, what we mean by God. So he gave us this definition, that "God is He who is full with six kinds of opulences, of which there is nobody greater or nobody is equal. Then he is God." You try to understand the six kinds of, I mean to say, opulences, and you try to find out a person who has no competitor, neither greater than him. Then you accept him as God. Otherwise reject. Don't accept.

So how you can find out a person who is the richest man within this…, not within this world, within this universe. It is very difficult. You cannot find out a being who is the most, I mean to say, famous within this universe. We can know. Just like in your country, your President is the most famous man. But in other country there may be another famous man. In other planet there may be another famous man. So you cannot fix up that "Here is the man who is the most famous within this universe, who is the most influential, strong, wise." So therefore, if you try to understand who is God by corroborating the definition of God, it is very difficult to find out. If you travel all… Now you have got sputniks, but you cannot go further than 25,000 miles. But there is no limit even of this material, one universe, and there are innumerable universes. To find out the most important man or living entity within this universe… Of course, from Vedic literature we understand Brahmā is the most, I mean to say, opulent personality within this universe, Brahma. He is called the creator of this universe. But from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we understand that Brahmā is not the ultimate creature. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you'll find. It is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. The definition of God is given there, and the qualification of God is given there, that He instructed Brahma. Brahmā is calculated to be the prime personality within this universe, but he was also instructed by God. Tene brahma, ādi-kavi. Ādi-kavi. Ādi-kavi means the first man, the first man of knowledge. So you may question that "In the creation, first, there was only one living creature, Brahma. Then where he went to take lessons? Who instructed him? There was no other living creature." That is also another qualification of God. God created. That also you know. You have read in your Bible. God created, but He is not one of the created beings. He created. Therefore, before creation, He was there. It is to be concluded. Before creation of this cosmic manifestation, He was existing. That information you'll have from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1], in Vedānta-sūtra, "the original source of all emanation."

So God created. Try to understand what is the position of God. God created means before the creation, God was there. Just like if you say that "Mr. such and such has constructed this building," that means before the construction of the building, Mr. such and such was living, was existing. So "God created" means God is not one of the beings who were created. He is beyond creation. Therefore one great stalwart ācārya of India, Śaṅkarācārya, whose name you might have heard, he says, nārāyaṇaḥ para avyaktāt, avyaktāt anya-sambhavaḥ: "Nārāyaṇa, God, the Supreme Lord, He is beyond this creation. He's not one of the created beings." You try to understand. God said, "Let there be creation," and there was creation: "Yes." His word is sufficient. His word is sufficient. You can take practical example. In your country you can understand this nice example. During the fall, all of a sudden, all the leaves of the tree, they fall down. There is no more leaf. And again, during the beginning of spring, the, immediately everything becomes green. Now, how this is happening? If you decorate one tree, if you want to take out all the leaves of a tree, it will take months together. And if you want to decorate one tree without leaves, it will take months together. But you can see that within a few days all leaves are fallen down, and within a few days all leaves are coming out. So why don't you believe that simply by word of God there may be creation, there may be destruction? That is sufficient. He doesn't require any engineering. Simply that vibration is sufficient. Śabdāt pravṛttiḥ.

So these things are very nicely, clearly explained in the Vedic literature. If you take advantage of this Vedic literature, especially of the… Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study, ABCD. Bhagavad-gītā is not very high standard spiritual knowledge. It is simply elementary, ABCD knowledge of spiritual life, rudimentary knowledge. And if you want to study more and more, there is Vedānta-sūtra, there is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Upaniṣad, so many things. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give people chance to take advantage of this Vedic literature. There is a very nice verse in Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

anādi bahir-mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gelā

ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā

We do not know when we have forgotten God, when we have missed our relationship with God. We are eternally related with God. We are still related. Our relationship is not lost. Just like the father and the son, the relationship cannot be lost, but when the son becomes crazy or mad, he thinks that he has no father. That is a conditional… But actually the relationship is not lost. When he comes to the consciousness, "Oh, I am the son of such and such gentleman," the relationship is immediately there. Similarly, our consciousness, this material consciousness, is a condition of craziness. We have forgotten God. We are declaring God is dead. Actually I am dead. I am thinking, "God is dead." Just like I am deaf, I am asking somebody, "Oh, Mr. such and such." He's replying, but I am deaf. I cannot hear. I say, "Mr. such and such, he cannot hear me." You see? He himself is deaf. The answer is there, but because he cannot appreciate, he says, "Mr. such and such is deaf." He is deaf. Similarly, we have become so much materially dead that we have lost our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, but we are declaring, "God is dead." God is not dead. How God can be dead if functions are going on? According to His order, the sun is rising every day. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. The moon is rising, the air is changing, the season is changing. Everything is going on nicely. How you can say God is dead? God is not dead, but we are dead to appreciate the function of God. We are dead.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give life to the dead society of human being. They are now dead, crazy dead. So our request is that you take full advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Your life will be happy. You'll find a new phase of existence, happiness, fullness. That is sure. And the method is very simple. We don't ask you… Just like as soon as I enter, all of you join in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy thing. Even a child can join. And simply by chanting, you'll be purified, simply by chanting. You haven't got to make any exercise, keeping your head down or this or that. No. Simple method: chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So this is our propaganda. We don't charge anything. We don't say that "I sell one mantra. You take it and give me some dollars." No. It is freely distributed. Freely. In the street they are being distributed. But don't neglect it. Because we are distributing this, the most valuable asset of the world so cheaply, don't neglect it. Take it. Don't minimize the value because we are distributing free. It is the most valuable thing of your life, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And you'll practically find the result. It is not bluff. So many American boys and girls, they are chanting. They are not imported from India, but they have taken it very seriously, not only here. We have got seventeen branches all over your country, and they are very happy. And there is no loss. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, what is your loss? But the gain is very great. You can chant. Simply while walking in the street you can chant. While working, you can chant. While at home, you chant. When at office, you chant. There is no license, no expenditure, no loss, but the gain is very great. That is our request.

So we thank you very much that you are sympathetic with this movement and coming every weekly to participate in our love feast. So if you simply come by taking part in this feasting festival, you'll be infected with Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Devotees: Haribol! Jaya!

Prabhupāda: Everything has got some infectional influence. So if bad thing has got infectional influence, why not good thing? So you try to associate with us and you'll be infected. You'll chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much. (end)

690209LE.LA

Lecture Excerpt

Los Angeles, February 9, 1969

Prabhupāda: …it is taken orphans are very much forlorn. But in the presence of parents also, many children are suffering. And (in) the presence of good medicine, good physician, many people are dying. It is not guaranteed. Suppose one is diseased, suffering. If you engage good, qualified physician, good medicine, and therefore there is no guarantee of cure. No. There is no guarantee. The medical practitioners say, "We cannot guarantee. We are trying our best. That's all." Similarly, when a person is drowning in the water, if you send a good boat to save him, that is also not guaranteed. In this way, if we study that we are completely dependent on something else… Our process of making ourself independent… We may manufacture so many things for our independence, but śāstra says, unless there is protection from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, these methods and processes will not save us. Tāvat tanu-bhṛtāṁ tvad-upekṣitānām. If Kṛṣṇa does not like, does (sic:) not wish that "These children will suffer in spite of good parents," so that suffering nobody can check. "This man must drown in spite of very nice good boat and ship"-nobody can check. "This man must die in spite of good physician and medicine"-he must die. Therefore our first relief, guaranteed relief, is this shelter of Kṛṣṇa. If you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, even there is some deficiencies in the matter of protecting us, Kṛṣṇa will save. Therefore we should depend on Kṛṣṇa. That is called śaraṇāgati, surrender, to believe that "Kṛṣṇa will give us protection." Without Kṛṣṇa's protection, no other protection is valid. There is no guarantee. So in every way we shall surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa also guarantees, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg. 18.66]. Our sufferings are due to our sinful activities. So Kṛṣṇa gives guarantee that ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "I shall save you from all kinds of sinful reaction."

So śaraṇāgati, surrender to Kṛṣṇa, is our only business. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to teach people to, not to declare independence, which is not possible, nor to try to make this world happy without Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. That is our propaganda. Whatever you do, you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, or God. "Kṛṣṇa" is the most explicit term for God. God may have many names. Kṛṣṇa is the perfect name. God has no name; some philosophers say like that. No name means that His name is understood by His different action. Just like Kṛṣṇa is sometimes called Yaśodā-nandana. Because He has accepted mother Yaśodā, to become her son, therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Yaśodā-nandana. Kṛṣṇa's name is Pārtha-sārathi. Why? Because Kṛṣṇa has accepted to become a chariot driver of Arjuna. Pārtha means Arjuna, and sārathi means chariot driver. So Kṛṣṇa's name became Pārtha-sārathi. Kṛṣṇa used to steal butter from the stock of His mother's butter stock; therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Mākhana-cora. So in this way Kṛṣṇa's name are varieties. Kṛṣṇa has unlimited number of activities, and according to such activity He has got unlimited names. But the primary name which is applicable in all circumstances is "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone. Otherwise how you're attracted? If Kṛṣṇa is not all-attractive… From the beginning of your life you never heard of Kṛṣṇa, neither you knew about Kṛṣṇa. Why you are attracted? Huh? So Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive. That is the perfect name of God, "Kṛṣṇa." Otherwise, Kṛṣṇa has got many names, sahasra nāme, thousands of names. This name is… (aside:) Just, time is up? Or…

So kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. According to Vedic literature, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, svayam. Svayam means original. Kṛṣṇa has many extension, incarnation. We are also Kṛṣṇa's extension. We are, all living entities, we are also Kṛṣṇa's extension. We are called vibhinnāṁśa, separated extension. Separated extension means just like this finger is the part of your body, but when it is separated from the body for some reason… The finger's name is "finger," but it is separated; it is no longer used for the whole body. Similarly, the conditioned souls, we… We have come to this material world being conditioned by the laws of material nature; therefore our so-called independence is bogus. There is no independence. We are completely under the grip of material nature, so therefore we are separated. When we are again joined with Kṛṣṇa, then we are one with Kṛṣṇa. Just like this finger is one with this body; although it is called finger, but it is the same. The importance of the finger is as good as the whole body. Similarly, when we shall join again with Kṛṣṇa, then we become as good as Kṛṣṇa, advaya-jñāna, absolute. Just yesterday, day before yesterday, I was explaining, aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛtti-manti [Bs. 5.32]. Every part, every limb of Kṛṣṇa has got the potency of acting like other limb. We can only see with our eyes, but Kṛṣṇa can eat also with His eyes. Therefore absolute.

So Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel is also one with Kṛṣṇa. In the spiritual world there is no two. All one, one unit. This will take time to understand. Theoretically we can understand. And here, in this material world, we are all separated. Therefore, just like if electric bulbs are separated from the powerhouse, practically it has no value, similarly, so long we are separated from Kṛṣṇa, we have no value. Sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ. Sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ. Sthānāt means from the right position one falls down. So by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by reviving your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by engaging yourself in Kṛṣṇa's service, you revive your original position. That is called liberation. Now we are not liberated; we are dependent on so many laws, so many conditions, although we are very much proud and puffed-up, independent. Who is independent? Nobody is independent. It is not possible to become independent. It is simply false pride, independent. So don't try to become independent. Please try to become dependent on Kṛṣṇa. That will make your life successful.

Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

690210LE.LA

Lecture Excerpt

Los Angeles, February 10, 1969

Prabhupāda: After each and every verse we chant, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Similarly, we repeat Kṛṣṇa-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Why we repeat? The more we repeat means we learn to love. That is required. Anything which you do not love, you cannot repeat. It will be disgusting. Anything, any word you take, if you simply repeat, you'll feel disgusted. Sometimes those who are not in Kṛṣṇa conscious life, they also feel this repetition as disgusting, hackneyed, because they have not developed love. Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "What shall I chant with one tongue and what shall I hear with two ears? If millions of tongue I would have possessed, then I could chant little." And they're tasting… Because they have got love for Kṛṣṇa, they are tasting the nectarean of chanting. They cannot give up. In the material world also, there are many slogans. We repeat because we love.

So real thing is to develop love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vṛndāvana standard. In Vṛndāvana, Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā-mayī, Rādhārāṇī, gopīs, the cowherdsmen, boys, cows, calves, trees, they do know that Kṛṣṇa is God. You have read in Kṛṣṇa book, sometimes when Kṛṣṇa does something wonderful, they take Him as a wonderful child, boy, that's all, or child. They do not know that Kṛṣṇa is God. But they love Kṛṣṇa more than anything. They do not know except Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Not very much philosophy. Whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not, whether the symptoms of God are there or not, the Vṛndāvana-vāsī, inhabitants, they do not care for it. Kṛṣṇa may be God or a man, but they love Him. That's all. That is wanted. We have to increase our love for Kṛṣṇa; therefore this worship, temple worship. If you always be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, naturally you develop love for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Premā pumartho mahān. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that prema, love for Kṛṣṇa, love for God, that is the highest achievement in human life. Premā pumartho mahān. It is not religiosity. Religiosity is different thing. Everyone goes to church or temple with some material purpose generally, to get… Just like in church they go: "God, give us our daily bread." That is material purpose. Not only church, everywhere, that is the system. Ārto arthārthī. Of course, that is good. Four classes of men whose background is pious life, they go to God, church or temple, when they're distressed. Others, those whose background is not piety, simply mischief, they cannot go. Therefore even one goes to God for praying something material, they're better than those who do not go to God. Just like in Communist country, they do not believe in God: "Why we shall go to God? We shall create things. We shall create bread." In the Communist country the propaganda was that these Communists would go to villages, ask the villagers to come to church and pray to God, "Give us our daily bread," and they would ask, "Whether you have got bread?" Of course, in the church where is the bread? They will say, "No, we haven't got bread." "All right, you ask us." And they ask the Communist leader, "Give us our daily bread," and they give sumptuously. "Why should you go to church?" They preached godlessness in this way, that "You are not getting bread from the church. You are getting bread from us. Why not worship Lenin and his followers? He gave sufficient bread." In this way they tried to make people godless, that "Don't go to church." Still their propaganda.

But our relationship with God is so permanent that artificially we may try to banish God some way or other-it cannot go on. To become atheist, not to believe in God, they're simply artificial. These godless persons, when they're actually in danger, they think of God. I have seen it. Automatically they think of God. So this godlessness is not our natural life. To love God, that is our natural life. (end)

690212LE.LA

Lecture Excerpt

Los Angeles, February 12, 1969

Prabhupāda: …controlling the mind and the senses. So a devotee says that to control the mind and senses, that is also required, but if one has gotten the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu… These senses are like serpents, they are so dangerous. But protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate: a serpent without poison teeth. Suppose we are sitting here. If you find a serpent here, you'll be all afraid, and the whole meeting will be disturbed: "There is a serpent." But if you know that serpent has no poison teeth, you'll not be disturbed, if his poison teeth is broken. Sometimes for medical purpose the serpent's poison teeth is taken away, to take that, what is called, anti-venom, anti-venom injection they prepare. So serpent is dangerous on account of these poison teeth. So here the devotee says, yes, the senses are serpentlike, dangerous, but by the mercy of Caitanya we can break the poison teeth. How it is that? If you constantly engage your senses for Kṛṣṇa, oh, the poison teeth is broken. The poison teeth is broken. The most formidable serpent is this tongue. If you simply talk of Kṛṣṇa and if you simply eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam, oh, the poisonous effect of tongue will be broken. You'll have no opportunity to talk nonsense or to eat nonsense. Then your life becomes advanced immediately fifty percent(?). If you can control the tongue, then you control all the senses. If you cannot control the tongue, then you cannot control other senses. Therefore it is said, protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate, the poison teeth is taken away.

And viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. Oh, people are harassed with so many problems. The politicians and the humanists, the socialists, the ambassadors, the presidents, they're all harassed with the problems. And a Kṛṣṇa conscious person has no problems. (laughter) Has no problems. Viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. The whole universe becomes happy to them. And vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. What to speak of this man or that big man, that big man, a devotee doesn't care a fig even for the great demigods. Otherwise, they don't care for any big demigod. They simply care for Kṛṣṇa. So vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. Kīṭāyate means they consider just like ordinary worm. "What is this? He's also a living entity. That's all." Yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ gauram eva stumaḥ. Oh, Lord Caitanya's mercy is so valuable, so great, that one can be posted in this position. (end)

690323LE.HAW

Lecture

Hawaii, March 23, 1969

Prabhupāda: So the first question is, "What is the practice you preach?" Yes. We are preaching the original practice. Practice means which is practically done. And sometimes things are impractical when they are unnatural, and natural things can be practiced very easily. So our preaching is to reinstate the living soul to his original condition. The original condition of living being is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. As such, the part and parcel is meant for rendering service to the whole. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. The finger is expected to give service to the whole body. When I am feeling itching, my finger is helping it. When I want to pick up something, my finger is helping. Similarly, any part of my body… When I want to go out, my leg is walking. When I want, I want to see something, my eyes are helping. So in this way you can understand what we mean by part and parcel. Take materially also, any machine. The part and parcel… Just like here is a machine, tape recorder. There are different parts. One part is required to give, adjust speed; one part is required how to move, how to start, how to stop, how to increase. So different parts. Similarly, we are living entities, and the Lord is also a living entity. And we are originally created to help the Lord. He does not require… Because He's complete. But just to give a crude example, as the part and parcel required: now, suppose this finger is not giving me service. It is diseased. So sometimes doctors advise that "You have to amputate this finger, otherwise it will affect the whole body." Similarly, we living entities, being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, when we rebel, that is our diseased condition. We, when we don't want to render service to the Lord, that is a state which is called demonic state.

The demonic state… Just like a citizen of this state is part and parcel. A citizen expected to render service to the state, but if he refuses, then he's considered a traitor or a criminal and is put into punishment. Similarly, all the living entities who are in this material world, they have rebelled. They are part and parcel, sons of the Lord, but they have refused to give service under certain condition. It may be… And they are all put into this material world. And in this material world there are different varieties of living entities. So all of them are criminals, maybe first-class criminal, third-class criminals, second-class criminal. Amongst the criminals also, in the prison house, there are divisions. So here those who are materially prosperous, they are also criminals but first-class criminals. That is the difference. And those who are suffering materially, they are also criminals. They are third-class criminals. But all of them-criminals. How they're criminals? Because either one is rich or poor, he's subjected to the tribulations of this material nature. It does not mean that the rich man will not die, but everyone wants to live, either rich man or poor man. It is not that the rich man will not be diseased, but everyone wants to take precaution against disease. No one wants to become diseased, but everyone becomes diseased. Everyone dies. It is not that rich man will not become old and the simply poor man will become old. No. Everyone will become old. It is not that… When a child takes birth, the condition within the womb of the mother, air-tight packed, cannot move-we forget, but that is a great suffering. The suffering of death, suffering of birth, suffering of disease and suffering of old age-these are imposed on the living entities, those who are criminals. Criminals means revolted against the service of the Lord.

So we are trying to bring them into practice, how to serve Lord, how to, how to serve the Supreme Lord. That is our movement. It is not patchwork. Other humanitarian societies or welfare societies, they are trying to give some patchwork. They cannot give relief to the stringent laws of nature: birth, death, old age and disease. But we are giving the final cure of the disease of condition of material existence. That is the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā: māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg. 9.32]. In this material world there are consideration of pious activities or impious activities. By pious activities one gets very good family, birth in very good family, and nice education, beautiful body, janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī [SB 1.8.26]. Four things: birth either in good nation or in good family, janma; and aiṣvarya means wealth, richness; and ṣruta means education; and śrī means beauty. So this is the consideration of material pious or impious. And impious means just the opposite: birth in abominable species of life, just like cats, dogs, hogs, or uncivilized people, ugly feature, no education. These are consideration, pious or impious. But either you become pious or impious, you cannot get out of these stringent laws of nature: birth, death, disease and old age. So we are educating our students to practice how to revive his old, the eternal constitutional position to serve the Lord. This is our practice. Just like here you can see the boys have decorated the sitting place of the Lord, how nice, with flowers and candles. It is not very expensive, but it is so beautiful that immediately it attracts. You see? So everyone can practice at home. Is it very difficult task, to gather some flowers and some leaves and decorate and have some picture or statue of the Lord, offer Him some fruits, flower? Everyone can do this. And by doing this, he gets the highest perfection of life: no more coming into this material world and suffer all these nonsense. This is our practice.

Then what is the basic idea behind Kṛṣṇa consciousness? That means originally we are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Kṛṣṇa, or God, is my Lord, is my father… Because part and parcel… Just like somebody's children. The children is a part and parcel of the body. Why I love my child? Because he is my part and parcel of this body. I don't love so much other children because they are not part and parcel of my body. This family affection means the family members, they have got with bo…, relationship with my body; therefore he has got the consciousness, "He is my father. He is my mother." And the parents lave consciousness, "They are my child." So they have got some duty. The father wants to see how the children are comfortably raised, and the children also seeing the interest of the father and mother. Just like in family life we have got a certain kind of consciousness, "He's my father. He's my child." Similarly, if we develop our original consciousness, that "God is our father; we are all children," then the whole trouble ceases. If God is the proprietor of everything and every children has got right to enjoy the God's property, then where is the trouble? For want of this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is claiming, "This is my property. This is my state. This is my country." Ahaṁ mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Aham means "I," and mama means "mine." This is nonsense. Nothing belongs to you. Everything belongs to God. Everyone has got right to live on God's property. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If everyone is taught this God consciousness, there is no need of this artificial United Nations. We are united by nature. God is the center. Why artificial spending so much money? We are united not only in the human society, but we are united in all living societies, all living entities. Why we should treat the animals as different? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I have got my consciousness that "The human beings in America are my brothers, or my countrymen. They should be given all protection." And why not cows? They are also born in America. Why they are being sent to slaughterhouse? Because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore this partiality, that "Only human being is my brother, and the cows and the other animals, they are not my brother," this is lack of knowledge. But if we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if we take teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ: [Bg. 14.4] "In all species of life, in all forms of life, as many creatures are there, they are all My sons." So how can you treat others as not your brother? They are also your brother. Even the ant is also your brother. He is in a different class of imprisonment, that's all. A different body. The ant has got also the same punishment-birth, death, old age and disease-as you have got. You are also criminal; he is also criminal. But he is also son of God; you are also son of God. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54], as soon as he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, then he becomes joyful because he has no more enemy. "Everyone is my brothers." Therefore he has no fear. If I become enemy to you, you become my enemy. If I am friendly to you, you are my friend. So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not see anyone as something other than son of God. He sees not that only this, this person, is son of God and that person is not son of God. This is lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Every living entity's son of God; therefore one can love, one can actually have the idea of universal brotherhood, only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not otherwise. Otherwise, they are simply false propaganda.

Real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when one achieves, he becomes prasannātmā, joyful. That is the first symptom of becoming full, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Prasannātmā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. He has no hankering. He has no lamentation. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. This is the highest stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Samaḥ means equality; sarveṣu, "all"; bhūteṣu, "entities." This is third stage. First stage is joyfulness, second stage is no want, no lamentation, and third stage, to see all living entities on the same… Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. When one is actually learned, he sees… Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54]. Then he becomes eligible to be a devotee of the Lord. To become devotee of the Lord is not so easy. These are the conditions. The beginning is joyfulness. The second stage: no want, no lamentation. "My father is Kṛṣṇa, so I'll be fully sup…" Just like a child. He knows, "My father is there. I have no want." Everything is there. Prasannātmā. "Why shall I hanker him? My father…" [break] …is now diseased. He's now lunatic. Similarly, tiger is my brother, but not that because originally he's my brother, I shall go and embrace. No. I shall be careful. But not that I shall kill. Why shall I kill? He's not coming to encroach upon my property. He's living in the jungle. Why shall I go and kill a tiger? This is all nonsense, lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has not done any harm to you. He is living in his own jurisdiction. He is uncivilized. He is ferocious. God has given him direction: "Oh, you live here. You don't go there." That's all right. And why should you go to kill a tiger? He's not coming to encroach him. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why should I kill unnecessarily an animal? We have got so many nice foodstuff. Kṛṣṇa has given me grains, fruits, milk. The cows, they are supplying tons of milk, but they are not claiming, "It is my milk. I shall drink." No. It is giving to you, as mother gives. And we are killing cows, killing mothers. This is lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So we teach all these things to our students who are going to be Kṛṣṇa conscious (reading:) "ISKCON members talk about serenity, tranquillity and bliss." That is already explained. If I am trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then I am a sane man. I am not a madman because I know what is my position, what is God, what are other living entities, what is this world, what is this material nature, what is this time, what are these activities. This knowledge is in full because Kṛṣṇa consciousness teaches all these things, what is God, what you are, and then what is this nature, beyond the nature, what other things are there. Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, they do not know. They are frogs of the well, simply calculating, "This three feet, water, space, is my habitation." And when he's given information of the Atlantic Ocean, he does not believe. "Oh, there is Atlantic Ocean? What is that nonsense?" "Oh, it is very, very big," somebody says. He's simply calculating his well water. "Oh, it may be four foot?" "No, very big." "All right, ten feet? How…?" He's calculating, this. These materialistic scientists, they are simply speculating like the frog in the well. They do not know; neither they have means. But a Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows. He gets information from Kṛṣṇa.

athavā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam

ekāṁśena sthito jagat

[Bg. 10.42]

"Now, this material world is simply a fractional part of My creation." And what is this material world? This material world, we cannot even estimate one universe, what is the length and breadth and how many planets are there, how they are working. We have no information. And we are very proud of advancement of knowledge. And there are innumerable universes. All taken together, that is called material world. Yasya prabhā prabhavato… [Bs. 5.40].

In the Brahma-saṁhitā we get this information: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa. Jagad-aṇḍa means universes. Koṭi means innumerable, hundreds of thousands multiplied by another hundred, hundred, hundred. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that this universe is a grain of mustard seed in the bag of a mustard seeds. Just imagine. Can anyone count what is the number of mustards seeds in a bag, in a one-ton or two-ton bag? Innumerable. It is beyond our experience. But there are so many universes just like packed up in a bag. This is called material world. So what to speak of the spiritual world? The spiritual world is at least three times greater than this material world. That information we get from Bhagavad-gītā. Ekāṁśena sthito… Ekam means one part. Even you take… One part, maybe, one hundred. But even not going so far, one part means divide the whole thing into four parts. That will be one fourth. This material world is only one fourth of the whole creation, and the three-fourth part is spiritual world. In the spiritual world there is similarly innumerable planets, innumerable living entities. Just like, as I have already explained, that this material world is the just like prison house of the criminals. So our criminal department in the state, say, jail or prison house, that is not the countrywise, as big as the country. That is a fractional part only. Maybe a few hundred people or few thousand people living there, but the state is very big. Similarly, the Lord's state is so big, though the criminal living entities are living in a corner only. This material world is in a corner. So what information we can get about God? "God is great," we simply theoretically say, but we do not know how great it is, He is, and how His greatness is working. That we do not know. But Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, because they are getting knowledge from Kṛṣṇa directly, they have got all this knowledge. Therefore their knowledge is perfect.

(reading:) "If one were to begin to study ISKCON techniques, what would he have to give up?" Give up… Give up means… First give up is that "I am this material body." The nonsense idea that "I am this body," that is the root of all misunderstanding. So he has to give up this bodily consciousness. That is naturally. That is the beginning of teachings of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Bhagavad-gītā teaches Arjuna. Arjuna was overwhelmed of family affection, that "How can I fight with my members of the family? They are my brothers…" So this conception, bodily conception, was first of all eradicated in the Bhagavad-gītā. He lectured… Arjuna was talking, arguing with Kṛṣṇa, that "If I kill my family, male members, the female members will be without husband, and they will be polluted, and there will be unwanted children and this on…," so many, as far as one can, materialistic person can think. So he was talking like that as very man of wisdom. So Kṛṣṇa first of all chastised him-not in the beginning, because in the beginning there was friendly talk, but when Arjuna surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa that "You don't take me as Your friend. I accept You as my spiritual master. So You teach me." This relationship of spiritual master and student… The student is called śiṣya. Śiṣya, the Sanskrit word śiṣya, this word comes from the root śas. Śas means ruling. From śas, the śāstra. Śāstra means authoritative books. They have been derived. And śastra. Śastra means weapons, armaments. That is called śastra. Just like sword, guns, they are called śastra. These two things are rulings. The state has got lawbooks, authoritative books, and one who does not obey the lawbooks, then the next word is gun and sword. This, these two words, means to accept authority. So śiṣya means one who accepts the authority of the spiritual master. He voluntarily accepts the rulings or the punishment of the spiritual master. That is called śiṣya. One voluntarily agrees to the spiritual master… This initiation is going on. This is the beginning of voluntary acceptance of the spiritual master. That means he agrees that he will abide by the orders of the spiritual master. This is called acceptance of spiritual master. Śiṣya. Śiṣya means voluntarily accepting the ruling. Everyone is free. If I give you some ruling, why should you accept it? Therefore this formal initiation ceremony is performed. He promises, "My dear sir, I shall abide by your order." So Kṛṣṇa was accepted by Arjuna as spiritual master just to teach him what is the actual duty in that warfield. So at that time the first śiṣya, śāsana, ruling: He chastised Arjuna by these words, "My dear Arjuna, you are talking just like a very learned man, but no learned man talks like this." That means "You are a fool." He very politely said that "You are talking with Me as if you are very learned man, but your subject matter is so third-class that no learned man takes this subject matter very seriously." What is that? Bodily conception of life. "You are talking just like a very learned man, but your center of activity is the body. So this is not a learn…, symptom of a learned man."

So if we take this crucial test of learning, we shall find hardly a learned man in this world, hardly one man, because everyone is absorbed in this bodily conception of life. All their ideas-this nationality, humanity, this duty, that duty, all-everything on this. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. They are accepting this bag of skin and bones as self. You see? This is a bag made of skin and bone, and this… Is spirit soul so cheap thing that it is a bag of skin and bone and some stools and urine, combination? That is nonsense. So hardly you'll find any sane man or any learned man in this world. You see? So first teaching is that "You are not this body." That is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa's teaching.

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntaraṁ prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

"My dear Arjuna, you are posing yourself as very learned man, but a learned man is not disturbed by this change of body." Just He says very nice example. Just like a child. A child is growing. Growing means he is changing body. A child is born so small; a few years, he becomes big. Now where is that small body? That body is gone. You tell whatever you think, but that body is gone-another body. Then the same child becomes youth, young man. That body is gone. The same man becomes old man. That, that youthful body is gone. So every second the body is gone, but the soul is there. Anyone knows… You can remember; I can remember. When I was child, I remember I was doing this. And where is that body? That body is gone, but I am remain… Why I am remaining? Because I am eternal. I have changed my body, but I am there. Similarly, when I change this body, still I'll be there. This is knowledge. This is nir(?) condition. If in this, during this life, I am changing so many body, so many bodies, still I am there, similarly, it is natural conclusion: when I change this body, I shall remain. I may be in another body. This simple logic is sufficient for a sane man to understand that living soul is eternal; the body is artificial, dress. By changing dress, one does not die. He is eternal.

So, (reading:) "Is the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa the answer to living successfully in today's world?" Oh, that is the only successful living in this, today's world. So long people do not understand it, they are still in the darkness. This is the only. Why it is the only? Just see these boys, these girls. I have not imported from India. I came here single-handed with seven dollars. I have got hundreds of students like that. How they have changed, their character, their behavior. I have given them life. Some of them are married. They are living very nicely. They have got children, and they have given up their all bad habits. You see? They are not, I mean to say, eating meat. They have no illicit sex life. They are strictly vegetarian. They are preparing nice foodstuff from vegetable and grains. They do not take part, intoxication. They do not smoke even. Just see practically. If everyone becomes like them, then what is the trouble? If you encourage them to indulge in illicit sex life, to become intoxicants, to gambler and eating everything, without any discrimination, then how you can expect to have very good men in this world? They are mad. So this question, that "Is this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa the answer to living successfully in today's…?" What do you mean by "successfully living"? Successfully living does not mean that you work hard just like cats and dogs, and eat something and have sex life at night. That is not successful life. That successful life is there even in the cats and dogs and hogs. The hogs are also laboring very hard. The cats and dogs, they are also for their food. And the sex is there. Everything is there. That is not successful life. Real successful life is how to understand his real constitutional position as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. That is successful life. This is not successful life. What is this successful life? I see… I have got so many students. They are well-qualified. But they have got… When they work, they have to work so hard, they go at six o'clock to the working and comes again at six o'clock, all day, tired. They lost all vitality, all sense. Is that successful life, simply for one morsel of food, working so hard? And unless one works so hard, he cannot eat. We have created a civilization that one must earn thousands of dollars, then he can live like a gentleman. Is that successful life? And for earning that thousands of dollars he has to work so hard, just like animal, beast. No. That is not successful life. Successful life is that, that we should make our bodily necessities of life as far as required, not more than that. I want to eat something. God has given sufficient food. You grow. You live anywhere. You grow foodstuff. You grow grains. You grow fruits. You grow vegetables. Keep cows. Take milk. You can live anywhere. You haven't got to go fifty miles off with a car to attend your office at six o'clock with velocity of hundred miles' speed. Is that successful life, do you think? So where is successful life? We are proposing successful life.

So whatever you do, you just become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and at least he will feel that "I am… My future hope is there. There is Kṛṣṇa." That is successful life. At least he is hopeful that he is going to Kṛṣṇa. Even he is working very hard, never mind. "I have been put into this condition of life." So that is successful life. At least one life, anyway, passed on. Kṛṣṇa gives him assurance that one who understands the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa… Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Anyone who simply understands what is Kṛṣṇa, then his privilege is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: [Bg. 4.9] "He does not take any more birth in this material world." Then where does he go? Mām eti: "He comes to Me." Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Even if you don't serve Him, but Kṛṣṇa is so attractive. As soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you have to serve Him. You see? It is so nice. That is successful life. This is not successful life. This is unsuccessful life, laboring whole life, and he does not know where he is going. Next life, what is, whether cat or dog or animal or this or that, he does not know. He's in the darkness. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām [SB 7.5.30]. The same repetition of same foolishness and uncontrolled senses, he does not know where he is going. Just like unbridled horses. The man does not know "Where the horses are dragging me, either in the hell or heaven? I do not know." But the horses are not controlled, under his con…, simply running, high speed. That these motorcars are running this way and that way. They do not know whether they will reach their destination. Any, at any point, they may be striking each other and finished. This is not successful life. Successful life means one should have peaceful life, with great hope, future hope, without any disturbance. What is successful life? Even a man is not secure. He does not know when he goes to his office whether his household things are taken away by some thief. You see? Where is success? Successful life means he must feel secure that the government is taking care of everything. That is successful life. He has no cares and anxieties. He's simply developing his spiritual life. That is successful life.

(reading:) "How much does this course of study cost?" It costs nothing. If you simply come here, you understand everything. We don't charge anything. But they will not come. They go to a rascal who will charge fifty dollars for meeting and all talk nonsense. They'll go there. And because we are not charging anything, they are not attracted. You see? But how we can charge? We are servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that "You speak," so we are speaking. That's all. Why should we charge? But if somebody, out of sympathy, gives us something, we don't refuse. But we have no cost. We are working ourself as far as possible and maintaining ourself, but anyone who comes, we don't charge anything. We have got volumes of books. I have translated six books, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and one book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, one book, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Some of the books are there. You can see. So there are so many books, immense knowledge. So it is not very costly. We charging very low price, just to printing charges. If somebody wants to purchase, we have got our magazine, monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. But if one does not pay, the same thing we are repeating daily in our meeting. Also he can come and hear. God has given him the ear, and he can learn. So there is no cost. There is no official cost. (reading:) "How much does this course of study cost?" We don't charge anything.

(reading:) "What should one know about Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Is it something mystical?" No mystical. No bluffing. You are part and parcel of God. Who can deny it? There is no secrecy. As you are part and parcel of your father-God is the supreme father-so you are the part and parcel of your father, and it is your duty to love God. So what is the secrecy and what is the mystical? We don't teach that you press your nose, you put your head, you go up and down. Nothing required. Simply to know that "God is my father; I am His eternal son. My duty is to love Him," that's all. There is no secrecy. There is no so-called bluff or mystical, this or that. It is simple truth. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. God is teaching that "You simply surrender unto Me, My dear son. Why you are independently…?" Just like here is one of my students. His father is a very big doctor. But he said, "My dear son, you come home." He's very moneyed man. He can give him some few hundred thousands of dollars. "But you don't go to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is his view. Similarly, as the father is claiming from the son, "My dear son, you just surrender unto me. I shall give you my wealth, my everything," similarly, God is also canvassing us, "My dear sons, why you are unnecessarily traveling here and making plans to be happy here, nonsense place? You just surrender unto Me. I shall give you all protection." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ: [Bg. 18.66] "I shall give you all protection." Father is always ready to give son all protection. That is natural. So we are all sons of God. We simply surrender to Him and the business finished. Then where is the mystical and this or that? There is nothing secret. So simply one has to agree. But if the rascal son does not agree: "Oh, why shall I surrender unto Him? I shall remain independent," all right, you remain independent. You remain and suffer. So there is no mystical. Everything is clear.

(reading:) "ISKCON members speak knowingly of happiness. Don't followers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness ever get angry?" Yes. They can get angry. Why not? They're very much angry to the nondevotees: "You rascal! Why you have not, are not surrendering yourself to God? You rascal." Yes. We are angry. This anger is service of Kṛṣṇa. How can I give up anger? But we use anger in a different way, not for our sense gratification: "Why you have not paid me such and such money?" No, we don't say like that. "Why you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious?" That is our anger. So the anger can be utilized in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything can be utilized in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why should I give up anger? Kṛṣṇa is also angry, and I am son of Kṛṣṇa. So anger is in me because I have got the qualities of my father. So how can I give up anger? But I use anger only for Kṛṣṇa. So we do not leave anything, but we utilize everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy. So (reading:) "Don't followers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness ever get angry?" Yes, we get angry. Why not? We are not artificial. Human nature is to become anger, sometimes satisfied, sometimes… So we utilize this. We are angry when one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, when he's against God.

(reading:) "Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had a plan to start teaching the people at sixteen…" Well now, we can teach even a child, without waiting for sixteen. We can teach even… Today this boy's wife has not come. We have got a little child, his daughter. Only one and a half years… She's also learning how to bow down, how to eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam, how to clap during kīrtana. There is no question of waiting for sixteen years. That is artificial. That is artificial. Why one should…? Who knows? Who will live up to sixteen years? Begin immediately. Begin immediately. You have got this chance of human form of life. That is the duty of the father and mother. All right, here is a child. Let him take a little prasādam. All right. Little beginning. And it is simple. Why one should wait for sixteen years or sixteen or thirty-two years? No, there is no waiting. Immediately. (reading:) "Will ISKCON accept people this young?" Oh, yes, we, younger, even younger. Even one child is within the womb of his mother, we can teach. It is so nice thing. The instance is Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was in his womb of his mother, one saintly sage taught his mother about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the child became Kṛṣṇa conscious from the womb of his mother. So we can teach even in the womb of the mother because it is spiritual. It is not material. No material condition can check this teaching. Ahaituky apratihatā. That is the highest perfectional system of religion which is unchecked and develops love of Godhead. That is first-class religion, not under any condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means without being checked. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not such thing that because one is child, he cannot learn; because one is blind, he cannot learn; because one is poor, therefore he cannot… Because one is rich… No condition, anyone, simply he must be a living entity, that's all. He must not be a dead stone. If he has got life, he can learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is so simple and so nice.

(reading:) "What is the significance of the food that is eaten at ISKCON kīrtanas?" The significance of our food: not exactly vegetarian or nonvegetarian. Don't mistake. We simply take what is offered to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. So Kṛṣṇa can be offered anything? No. Just like if some guest comes to your house, you ask, "How can I serve you? What foodstuff you'll like to eat?" He says, "I like this." "All right." Similarly, we are order-carrier of Kṛṣṇa. We ask Kṛṣṇa, "What do You want to eat?" And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "Give me vegetable, fruits, liquids. I shall be very much pleased." So we offer Kṛṣṇa fruits, grains, milk, and their preparation. They're very nice. If you come here and eat with us, you'll forget meat-eating. You see? It is so nice. So our proposition is not that vegetarian-nonvegetarian. Vegetarian or nonvegetarian, it is not very important thing. Vegetable has got also life. It does not mean that one man is eating meat; therefore he is killing. But even vegetarians, they are also killing. But our process is… We… Killing is not very important or nonimportant for us. If Kṛṣṇa says, "Kill," we can kill. If Kṛṣṇa says, "Don't kill," we don't kill. Because we are simply order-carrier. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was posing himself by his family relationship that he's very perfect, nonviolent gentleman. But Kṛṣṇa induced him to fight, to kill the other party. So for us, killing or nonkilling is not very important thing because everyone is killing, knowingly or unknowingly. So our point is we take foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa, and whatever Kṛṣṇa eats, that is our foodstuff. We distribute that thing.

(reading:) "Does ISKCON believe in reincarnation?" Well, this, there is no question of belief. It is a fact. I have already explained that the child, a small child, is reincarnating from one body to another, one body to another, one body to another. So similarly, the final change is called reincarnation. So there is no question of believe. It is a fact. Only the blind man, he cannot see it. Believe means it may be fact or not fact-I blindly believe. That is another thing. Here is a science. "One plus one equal to two." Just like that. This body changes, this body changes, this body changes, and the living entity's there, everywhere. Therefore every moment the reincarnation is going on, every second. What is the question of believe? It is a fact.

(reading:) "Why are Kṛṣṇa students given spiritual name?" So just to remember Kṛṣṇa. We… Suppose… This boy is Gary. So I've given him the name of Gaurasundara. Gaurasundara is Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So at least he chants… At least, when I ask him, "Gaurasundara," then I get the opportunity of chanting Lord's name. You see? Because our process is chanting. So if my students, my son, my friends, they are all in God's name, then I chant always. This is the significance. I ask him, "Gaurasundara." I ask him, "Vāmanadeva." I ask her, "Govinda dāsī." That means I am chanting. Harer nāma iva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. My business is to chant the name of the Lord. So they are giving me chance to utter the name of the Lord. And, besides that, there is another affix: "dāsa." "Gaurasundara dāsa," "Vāmana dāsa." Dāsa means servant. He also remembers that "I am servant of Gaura, Lord Gaurāṅga," "I am servant of Lord Vāmana," "I am maidservant of Govinda." So… And friend, Sudāmā was a friend of Kṛṣṇa. So "I am the servant of Kṛṣṇa's friend, Sudāmā dāsa." So in this way our relationship with Kṛṣṇa we always remember. That remembrance is also self-realization process. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam [SB 7.5.23]. Smaraṇam, memorizing, by context. As soon as I utter, "Sudāmā," I immediately remember, "Sudāmā was a friend of Kṛṣṇa." So I remember Kṛṣṇa. Reference to the context. So therefore this is offered, spiritual name.

(reading:) "What are ISKCON's future plans here? Will a temple be built?" Yes, temple is already there. Here is a temple. Unfortunately, nobody coming. What can I do? We are prepared to give this nice philosophy to everyone. There is no necessity of creating a very huge building as temple. We can sit anywhere and carry this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and keep there and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is a temple. We don't require any huge building. You see? Temple means wherever there is God, that is temple. What is the difference between temple, church, and ordinary house? Temple means where there is God. Or church, where there is God. God means where there is God's name. Because in this condition we cannot see God, but God is not different from His name. So wherever the chanting is there, that is temple. And if other rules and regulations are followed, then it is temple. Tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyanti mad-bhaktāḥ. It is said, Lord says, that "I stay there. Wherever My pure devotees are glorifying Me, I stay there." God is everywhere, but particularly He is there. So temple, there is no necessity. But if somebody has got money and if he wants to spend it for Kṛṣṇa, then we can give plan, a very nice temple, you see, spending millions of dollars. We have got such ideas and such plans. But that does not mean that we are depending on a temple. We can create temple anywhere and everywhere simply by sitting, chanting.

So last question: "If so, where?" So there is no particular place where we have to start our temple. Anywhere we can start temple. If we start… We are starting temple daily, either in the beach, or underneath a tree, or anywhere. But for special purpose this temple is already there. So people are welcome and hear this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy and takes benefit out of it. That's all.

Thank you. (end)

690330LE.HAW

Lecture

Hawaii, March 30, 1969

(Gaurasundara lectures for about 25 minutes, then asks for questions)

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can question about the speaking.

Guest: Could you elaborate a little bit on the point of debate of Kṛṣṇa manifesting everything, and therefore He's attractive?

Gaurasundara: Well, the point is, Kṛṣṇa is the fountainhead of everything-everything, what you can conceive and what you can't conceive. And that relationships stands for every entity. Therefore He is all-attractive because He has everything.

Guest: He's all-attractive because He is the source?

Gaurasundara: Yes. Any desirable quality is perfect in Him; therefore He is all-attractive.

Prabhupāda: How a man becomes attractive? First of all we have to understand that. Suppose a very rich man is attractive, a very intelligent man is attractive, a beautiful man is attractive, a famous man is attractive, a wise man is attractive, a renounced man is also attractive. These are attractive features. So if we analyze Kṛṣṇa, we find all these six opulences of attractive men fully present in Kṛṣṇa. So even from historical references, there is not a single person who can be compared with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is all-attractive. And everything that we experience, that is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. His energies are differently manifested. Similarly, in Viṣṇu Purāṇa also, it is said, parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathaiva akhilaṁ jagat. Akhilaṁ jagat means the whole cosmic manifestation is a display of the multi-energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So because He is fully energetic, therefore He is attractive and the cause of all causes. These are the evidences of Vedic literatures. And when He was actually present, He was attractive in so many features. In the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, when He was speaking the Bhagavad-gītā, the speech which He delivered, although He is not present now in our vision, you cannot find in the whole world such attractive speech of wisdom. Nobody can say. What we have got, practical experience, about His speech, which is still going on, still we are trying to understand. The greatest scholars of the world, the philosophers, they are trying to understand Bhagavad-gītā. There were many, many great scholars and saintly persons all over India, but each and every one of them have tried to understand Bhagavad-gītā. Even Professor Einstein, he was reading Bhagavad-gītā.

So His attractiveness is evidently presented by the wisdom of Bhagavad-gītā. So He is all-attractive. There is no doubt about it. And in the Vedic literature we also understand: tasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati: "If you can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the Absolute Truth, then sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, you can understand everything, how it is working." Because everything is display of His energy. So if you can understand how His energy is acting, then you can understand the whole cosmic manifestation. That is explained in the Vedic literature. Just like in our presence we have got practical experience, the sun. The whole material world is maintained by sunlight. The planets are rotating by the heat of sunlight; the vegetation, the water, everything is being conducted by the sunlight. It is by scorching sunlight the water is evaporated from the sea. It is formed into gas, cloud, and it is distributing all over the land. Then vegetation is coming, and it is becoming green, yellow, many colorful. So actually, the sun is the cause of all material manifestations. So if anyone can study what is sun, then he can understand how everything is appearing. That is practical.

Similarly, sun is also not ultimate cause. The ultimate cause is Kṛṣṇa.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam means "the cause of all causes." And the sun is described as the eye of Kṛṣṇa. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām.

yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ

rājā samasta (sura-mūrtir) aśeṣa-tejaḥ

yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro…

The sun is so powerful that it is the life of every planet. Without sunlight, nobody can see anything. We are very much proud of testing everything by seeing: "I want to see." Now that seeing power is resting on the sunlight. Without sunlight, your eyes are useless. Therefore sun is the eyes for all planets. All planets means all the residents of each and every planet. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtiḥ. Therefore he is the king of all planets. These are described in Brahma-saṁhitā. Aśeṣa-tejaḥ, unlimited potencies or unlimited heat. There is no limit how much heat is there in the sun globe. So that sun also rotating. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. That sun is also rotating under the guidance of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. The sun is rotating; it has got its orbit. It is rotating sixteen thousand miles per second. It is rotating. That you cannot deny. These are facts described. So somebody has arranged how the sun is rotating. Just like your sputnik rotates in the space by the scientist who is playing on the electronic machines in the laboratory, and the sputnik is rotating. So why don't you think that the sun is also rotating under some guidance? How you can deny it? So that is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. It has also a lifetime duration. As soon as that lifetime duration is finished…

Now, now, who gave him this lifetime duration, this movement? Just like Śrīman Gaurasundara began his speech, that without pushing on, without being moved by somebody else, nothing can move. So He is also moving. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. Therefore He is there.(?) We must know how He is acting. Simply by understanding the word "Kṛṣṇa," you do not… We must know thoroughly how Kṛṣṇa is acting. That is all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. If we study Bhagavad-gītā very carefully, as it is, we can understand. Tasmin vijñāte sarvam eva vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you can simply understand the Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa philosophy, then you understand everything. It is so perfect. [break] …question you can put. [break] Now, modern-days people are very much attracted by scientific knowledge. Oh, there is complete scientific knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you want to understand, even from scientific point of view, these boys will be able to answer you. [break] …question, then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

690409LE.NY

Śrīla Prabhupāda and Disciples Speak

New York, April 9, 1969

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. So today you speak something, I shall hear. Yes. Any of you can speak something from Śikṣāṣṭaka? Yes? Stand up.

Viṣṇujana: "Glory to Śrī Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years together. And thus the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death, is extinguished. Such saṅkīrtana movement gives the essence of all nectar of transcendental bliss and helps us to have a taste of that full nectarean for which always anxious we are." So this is the mercy you have given us, this saṅkīrtana movement, that every day, ten hours a day, we can chant the holy name of God right out on the street, and everyone who sees and hears is learning about Lord Caitanya, is learning about the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement and is practically engaged in devotion.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Ṛṣi Kumāra, you can speak something? Yes.

Ṛṣi Kumāra: In the Vedic literatures it is stated that there are 8,400,000 species of life that one can take in this material world. So we've come to this human form, taken this human body, and it's such a great opportunity for realizing the purpose of life. We're so fortunate that Prabhupāda has come to teach us this process of realizing our self in this human form. So take advantage of this causeless mercy which Kṛṣṇa has sent us.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Hm. There is a verse by Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam apāyayan mām anabhīpsum andhaṁ kṛpāmbudhir yas tam aham… [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Sanātanam… Kṛpāmbudhir yas sanātanaṁ prabhu tam aham āśrayaḥ. Like that. Sanātana… Six Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī. So Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was a very rich man's son and he was youngest. All the Gosvāmīns used to treat him as younger brother. So he's writing his realization, vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yogam. This bhakti-yogam, devotional service, is…, another name is vairāgya-vidyā. Vairāgya-vidyā means… Vairāgya means renunciation. We are now caught up by this material body, and we have to get out.

So this process of getting out is noncooperation. That is called vairāgya-vidyā. So Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī says that "I was unwilling to accept this vairāgya-vidyā, but He forced me to take it." And… Apāyayan mām anabhīpsum andham: "Because I was blind, I thought that this material world is everything. Therefore I was blind. And therefore I was unwilling also." People are unwilling to accept the Kṛṣṇa consciousness because they are blind. They do not see actual position of their life. That is the position (of) conditioned soul. They are busy simply for sense gratification. So vairāgya-vidyā means not sense gratification, but to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam: [Cc. Madhya 19.170] to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. Material life means satisfying our own senses, and vairāgya-vidyā, or devotional service, means satisfying Kṛṣṇa's senses. That's all. What is the difference between material so-called love and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love? The difference is, in the material world, both the parties, they are trying to satisfy their own senses. It doesn't matter. When a boy loves a girl or a girl loves a boy, the motive is his or her own sense satisfaction. But the gopīs, their view is… Not only gopīs. All the cowherds boys, mother Yaśodā, Nanda Mahārāja, the Vṛndāvana party. So all of them-ready to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when He was a boy, His father was arranging for Indra-yajña. Kṛṣṇa said, "My dear father, there is no need of arranging for Indra-yajña. Better you offer these materials to Govardhana Hill." The father answered, "My dear boy, if You want to offer some sacrifice to the Govardhana Hill, I shall arrange for another yajña. This is our custom. We are observing this traditionally. So let us perform this." Kṛṣṇa said, "No, there is no need." The old man immediately rejected, "All right. Kṛṣṇa, to satisfy Kṛṣṇa." The old tradition immediately gave up. And Indra saw, "Oh, this boy is so impudent. He has stopped my yajña. All right, I shall teach something."

So there was torrents of rain, heavy rain, for seven days in Vṛndāvana, and Kṛṣṇa took up that Govardhana Hill on the little finger of His left hand and kept it for seven days in this way. (referring to picture?) Where is that Govardhana Hill? Is that Govardhana Hill? No. Inside, yes. No, no. No, there is no need. Yes. So Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that even when He was seven years old He could raise the hill, Govardhana Hill, on the top of His little finger, left hand, like this. So we worship such kind of God. Yes. Who can… (chuckles) We don't want petty gods. You see. We want God like that. Yes. When He was on the lap of His mother and the Pūtanā came to kill Him by sucking her breast, so Kṛṣṇa sucked her breast and life both. This is Kṛṣṇa. God is not made, manufactured, that by meditation one becomes God. "First of all he was dog; now he has become God." It is not like that. God is God from the very beginning, always God. Whether He is a small baby or He's young man or… God never becomes old man.

So Kṛṣṇa showed all these demonstrations just to attract us. Just to let us know what is God. You are puzzled about God, you are speculating. Somebody is saying, "There is no God." Somebody is saying, "There is this, there is that." But here is actual God. So you see. And if you want God, then "Come on. I have come to take you back, back to home, back to Godhead." So this same thing is still going on. If you want to go to God, you can go. There is no hindrance. But if you want at all, then there is way, this Bhagavad-gītā. And the way is very simple. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ [Bg. 18.66]. Simply you become surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and always pray to Kṛṣṇa. Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura prays, hā hā prabhu nanda-suta, vṛṣabhānu-sutā-yuta: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Mahārāja Nanda, now You are standing before me with Rādhārāṇī, the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu." Hā hā prabhu nanda-suta, vṛṣabhānu-suta, karuṇā karoho ei-bāro: "Many lives I have wasted in this material encagement. Life after life, I was frustrated and baffled. Now, this life I am dedicated unto You." Hā hā prabhu nanda-suta, vṛṣabhānu, karuṇā karoho ei: "Now You become merciful. You are already merciful, but due to my forgetfulness, rebellious condition of life, I did not surrender unto You. Now I have come to my senses." Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. "After many, many births, so I surrender unto You. Please give me Your protection." This much. That's all. There is no necessity. Of course, not in the beginning, but actually, one who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa fully, without any reservation, his life is perfect. That's all.

So keep this attitude of surrendering and then everything will come, perfection. And this remembrance also will be kept by chanting the mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Yes. Prabhati, Prabhati(?) should… Morning tune. Yes. (kīrtana) (end)

690411LE.NY

Lecture Excerpt

New York, April 11, 1969

Prabhupāda: …society. Lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau. So loka-hitam. Varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ [SB 2.1.1]. Varīyān means glorify; eṣa, this; praśnaḥ, question; kṛtaḥ, what you have done; loka-hitam, the best welfare activities. This kind of question and answer. And not only that. One may say that "In your society, you are talking something of Kṛṣṇa. That is your hobby. You may take pleasure." Because everyone has got some, his hobby. But it is not like hobby. Not only loka-hitam, it is said ātmavit-sammataḥ. It is approved by the transcendentalists. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna says that "You are accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Not that because I am Your friend, out of my whims or affection I am talking of You as the Supreme Personality. You are accepted by such great sages like Nārada, Vyāsa, Asita." Great stalwarts, Vedic scholars.

So Kṛṣṇa is accepted by all Vedic scholars. Not only in the bygone ages, just like Nārada, Vyāsa, but in the recent ages, within, say, one thousand years. Within one thousand years, there happened to be many great scholars, just like Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Lord Caitanya. They were very, very learned scholars. They have accepted Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Person… Even Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya is more than one thousand years ago. Śaṅkarācārya's time is just after Buddha's age. Buddha, 2,500. Śaṅkarācārya, about 1,500 years ago. He also accepted. Although he was impersonalist, he accepted, sa bhagavān svayam kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has come, has descended as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī." He has clearly mentioned. Because one may not misunderstand, "This Kṛṣṇa may be different." But he has specif… Just like identification. If you go to the court, you give your identification by your father's name. So Śaṅkarācārya has given identification of Kṛṣṇa by His father's name, by His mother's name. Devakī vasudevāsya. We also say Devakī-nandana, Vasudeva. So ātmavit-sammataḥ. It must be approved by great ācāryas. We are pushing on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness not by whims. It is approved by great ācāryas. We are following their footsteps. That's all. That is our business. Ātmavit tattva, ātmavit-sammataḥ. And then puṁsām, for the people in general, śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. They have got many subject matter for hearing, ordinary people. But this subject matter, hearing of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the, śrotavyādi… Whatever subject matter you have got for hearing, this is the topmost. This is the topmost. Śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ.

So he's beginning, Śukadeva Gosvāmī is beginning to talk about Kṛṣṇa, and this book is The First Step in God Realization. How, for ordinary common men, how one can realize God, these things will be described. We shall describe.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

690412LE.NY

Lecture Excerpt

New York, April 12, 1969

Prabhupāda: …how to love God. It is not our proposition that you are Christian, you become Hindu, or you are Muhammadan, you become Christian, increase our numerical strength. We don't want. We don't want any numerical strength. We want one sincere person who has learned to love God, Kṛṣṇa. That's all. I have come to your country with this mission, and if I find one or two boys or girls sincerely have learned how to love God, Kṛṣṇa, then my mission is successful. I'm not after any number of… Because if I can turn one soul to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he'll do tremendous work, because he'll be fire. You see? He can do tremendous work. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ. One moon is complete to drive away the darkness of night, not millions of stars required. What these millions of stars can do? One moon is sufficient. So our propaganda is to create one moon. You see? But fortunately, by Kṛṣṇa's grace, many moonlike boys and girls have come to me. You see? Many moons. (chuckles) I was thinking of having only one moon, but Kṛṣṇa… I am hopeful that there are many moons, and in future they'll be doing very nice. This is para-upakāra. To spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the best service to the humanity. Please try to understand this. It is not a bluffing thing. To love God, premā pumartho mahān… Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that the highest achievement in the human form of life is to attain perfectional stage to love God. That is the highest. Not dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa [SB 4.8.41, Cc. Ādi 1.90].

People are after becoming religious person or economically very well situated person or desiring all facilities for sense gratification. And when one is frustrated in all these attempts, he wants to become God. You see? By meditation, he wants to become God. You see? God is not so cheap thing that simply by meditation one can become God. People do not know what is God; therefore they accept. Just in Los Angeles airport, one boy was asking, some person in your country is declaring himself as God, Meher Baba. So he asked him…, asked me, "Whether you accept Meher Baba as incarnation?" So I asked him, "What do you mean by incarnation?" So he replied that because Kṛṣṇa or God is everyone's heart, therefore everyone is incarnation. Then he… I said, "Then what is difficulty? Then we are all incarnation. What is the specific quality of Meher Baba?" Because īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. The Lord is situated in everyone's heart. The Lord is situated in the heart of cats and dogs also. Sarva-bhūtānām. Sarva-bhūtānām means all living entities. It is not that God is not situated in the cat's heart or dog's heart. He is there. Therefore he is also incarnation. If that is the formula… These impersonalists… Because… Just like in Ramakrishna mission, they say, "Because Nārāyaṇa is in everyone's heart, therefore everyone is Nārāyaṇa." This is not very good logic. Even Nārāyaṇa or God, He is omnipotent, omnipresent, He can be present everywhere, that does not mean everyone is God. This is not very good logic. Anyway, then when I asked him that "If everyone is incarnation, then what is the speciality of Meher Baba?" Then, "He knows more than others." Then next reply is that somebody may be more than Meher Baba. So if you go on searching like that, you will find Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa. Therefore He is the Supreme. By logic. You go on by logic. If everyone is incarnation and if everyone, out of many, one who is still more advanced, he is accepted as God, then you have to search more-if there is any other person who is greater than that person.

That has been searched in Vedic literature by Lord Brahma, and he said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]: "We have searched out all types of gods, all types of gods, but the Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa." "Everyone is God," that's nice. But there is bigger God and little God also. So if you go on searching after bigger God, bigger God, bigger God, when you come to Kṛṣṇa you'll find nobody bigger than Him. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nasti. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, Kṛṣṇa said that "Nobody is greater than Me." And actually when Kṛṣṇa was present on this earth, there was no contemporary who was greater than Kṛṣṇa. Neither even at the present moment, there is anyone who can claim that "I am greater than Kṛṣṇa." In opulence… Greatness in six kinds of opulences: in richness, in reputation, in strength, in beauty, in wisdom, and in renunciation. If you analyze, you'll find nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa even in material richness. Everyone wants to become rich, to have a nice family, nice wife, good bank balance, a nice house. But Kṛṣṇa married 16,108 wives. Is there any history, any instance? And each wife had a palace which did not require any lightening, electricity. It was jewel-bedecked. So at night, by the light of the jewel it was brilliant. So these description are there. And 16,100 palaces. And not only that. Nārada wanted to see how Kṛṣṇa is enjoying His family life, so he entered each and every palace, and he saw Kṛṣṇa is present there with His wife. That means He was enjoying, expanding Himself in 16,000. Not that one wife is lamenting, "Oh, my husband is not here. He is in that apartment or that palace." No. She is satisfied that Kṛṣṇa is there. This is called opulence. Compare His opulence. And so much strength is concerned, from when He was a child on the lap of His mother, He killed a great demon, Pūtanā-twelve miles long when she fell down.

So God is not created by such artificial meditation. God is God. Just like chemically you cannot produce gold. Gold is gold. Iron is iron. Law of identification. So His opulence, His strength, His reputation… His reputation, taking Kṛṣṇa as a great personality, I don't think any personality in this world is existing who is so reputed as Kṛṣṇa from historical point of view, five thousand years past. You may… "Kṛṣṇa was Indian. He is famous in India." No. Kṛṣṇa is famous in every country all over the world for His Bhagavad-gītā. You'll find Kṛṣṇa's name in the dictionary also. So in reputation nobody can compete, in wealth nobody can compete, in strength nobody can compete, in wisdom… Take Bhagavad-gītā. Such a book of wisdom, knowledge. There is no comparison in the world. Take it philosophically or religiously or any way, there is no comparison. And renunciation. When Kṛṣṇa was present, His Yadu dynasty consisted of many hundreds of thousands members. And before His departure He finished them and went away. Renunciation. So my request to you all, that don't accept God very cheaply. If you don't like God, that's nice. That's not… Nobody is blaming you. But don't accept a false God. That will be great blunder. Don't do that. Try to understand actually what is God. And the man who is claiming, "I am God," whether he has got such qualification. That can be tested by only three, six things. Try-whether he's richest than all the people of his contemporary life. Is he the richest than all? Or is he the strongest man than all? Or is he the most reputed person than all? Or is he most beautiful? Or most wise? You have to test like that. Don't accept cheaply if some rascal comes, "I am God," and "Yes." Don't do it. You test like this. Test in six symptoms: wealth, strength, reputation, wisdom, beauty, and renunciation. If he excels… [break] …in all these qualification all other contemporary persons, then he's God. Very simple description. If he is God, then who can be richer than him? And who can be stronger than him? These six things, six opulences.

aiśvaryasya samagrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

ṣaṇṇām iti bhagaṅganā

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Bhagavān. Bhagavān means… Bhaga means fortune. So Bhagavān. Vān means possessing fortune. So these are the symptoms of becoming fortunate: wealthy, strong, wise, beautiful, reputed, and at the same time, renouncer, without any attachment. These things are to be tested. So don't accept cheap God, or don't try to imitate God, "I am God." This is a great, what is called, standard of ignorance. Anyone falsely claiming that "I am God," that is the last snare of māyā, that one is falsely claiming God.

So our students in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, wherever it is possible, try to preach this principle. God is not so cheap that any rascal can come and claim that "I am God," or anyone can claim as God. This is most foolish claim. Our Vedic literature gives hundreds and thousands of description how God is to be understood. In the Upaniṣad it is stated, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the chief amongst the living entities. He is the chief amongst the eternals. How He is chief? He is one. God is one. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He is one living entity, supreme living entity, and He is supplying the necessities of all other living entities. That is God-whether He is supplying necessities of all other living entities. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Similarly, there are many descriptions about God. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ [Bs. 5.48]. Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ. In each universe there is a chief man, just like Lord Brahmā. Just like in your country the chief man is the president, Mr. Nixon, similarly, in this universe the chief man is Lord Brahmā. And in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, Brahmā's age you cannot calculate even one day. He's living so long a duration of life. But he's not independent. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya [Bs. 5.48]. His life, his duration life, although so long, still, it is said that that life is only a breathing period of Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu. Niśvasita-kālam. Just like we are breathing, exhaling and inhaling, coming out and again taking. So when Mahā-Viṣṇu exhales, all the universes coming, and when He inhales, it goes again within. And the duration of Brahma's life you can calculate.

So that God, that Mahā-Viṣṇu, is stated (He) is one portion of the portion of Kṛṣṇa. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṇur mahān [Bs. 5.48]. He is called Mahā-Viṣṇu. Viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo. This Mahā-Viṣṇu is portion of the portion of Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. In this way, there are different description of God, how great He is. That greatness cannot be had by any nonsense rascal. You see. So don't be misled in that way. Even you don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, don't be misled by cheap Gods. That is our request. God is great, and try to understand how great He is. That description you'll get in Vedic literature sufficiently, how great He is. Don't be satisfied simply by understanding that God is great. That's nice, but as far as possible try to understand how great He is. Then you will not accept any cheap God. Otherwise you'll simply speculate on frog philosophy. You know that frog philosophy? He's calculating the length and breadth of Atlantic Ocean from the small well. Somebody's saying there is Atlantic Ocean, very great, and the frog has never seen the Atlantic Ocean. He is always in the well. He says, "How great? It is three feet? It may be ten feet?" "No, sir, it is very great." "All right. Hundred feet." "No, it is very great." "All right. Thousand feet." So go on. Where is the comparison of Atlantic Ocean within the well? (chuckling) So these rascals are calculating, speculating about God, how great He is by three feet, six feet, or ten feet, or hundred feet, thousand feet, like that. But He is greater than all your calculation, all your measurement. Avāṅ-mānasa-gocaraḥ. You cannot calculate how He's great. Simply you accept His greatness and surrender. That's your business. You just calculate yourself. Your infinitesimal identity is very small. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadha kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madhya 19.140]. Just divide the tip of your hair (in) ten thousand parts, and that one part is your identification, spiritual measurement.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says that don't be falsely proud. Just become submissive. Namanta eva. Namanta. Namanta means submissive, meek. Lord Jesus Christ also advised, "Those who are meek, the kingdom of God is for them." Is it not? So that's very nice qualification, to become humble and meek. Don't try to imitate falsely, "I am God." That is simply rascaldom. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also advised that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Giving up the false speculation of understanding God in your calculation, just become humble and meek. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. And try to hear about God from realized souls-from Kṛṣṇa or His bona fide representative. That is very nice qualification. Simply hear. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir. In this way you remain in your position, try to understand how great is God through the authoritative sources, and your life will be so successful that one day you'll find God is within your hand. It is so nice thing. Just like you keep a child within your hand, just mother Yaśodā kept Kṛṣṇa within his (her) arms always, you'll also have a similar position simply by hearing about Him.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for giving chance… [break] …everyone, hearing about God, Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa kīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, is the beginning. And in that Hare Kṛṣṇa, hearing is everything. Then we speak something from Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Upaniṣad-many hundred and thousands of books we have got. Even he, our Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one cannot finish reading in one life. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so great. Our project is for sixty volumes. So these sixty volumes, it will be very difficult for any person to read it carefully throughout the whole life. So there is so much information about God that… But it is possible to understand Him if you associate with pure devotee of the Lord. Then svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Then God will reveal Himself. He is sitting within everyone's heart, and as soon as He sees that one is very sincere and "He's trying to understand Me," then He will teach you from within and you'll understand. Even without reading book, by His grace you will understand. But anything we should not claim falsely. We should be very sincere and serious to understand God. Then God will help us. God is within everyone's heart. There is no difficulty. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So I'm very glad that you are all coming to our, this center. And these boys are trying to convince you in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Please try to cooperate with us so that we may be encouraged also.

Thank you very much. (end)

690416LE.NY

Lecture

New York, April 16, 1969

Prabhupāda: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto. Second Canto is not yet published. First Canto is published, our English translation. So, the Mahārāja King Parīkṣit, he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa to die within a week. That was the problem. So because he was emperor and… He was assured that he was going to die within a week, so he prepared himself. That is the duty of every human being, to prepare oneself before death. That is the defect of modern civilization. They do not know what is life. They take it very easily, this life, just like animals. "If I can eat nicely, if I can sleep nicely, if I can have sex life nicely, and if I can defend my country or my home nicely, then my business is finished." This is the modern way of civilization. They take account of the small portion of our life. Just like in the cinema film spool, there are hundreds and thousands of pictures, and that makes one complete picture. Similarly, we are passing through the different phases of life. So out of many thousands of pictures within the film spool, if I simply take care of one picture, that is not very intelligent. That is foolishness. If we take, "Oh, this picture is very nice," that's all-no. So we are passing through many phases of life, different dresses. Vāsāṁsi. Bhagavad-gītā says, vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya [Bg. 2.22]. Just like I am putting on this dress. If it is dirty or if it is very old, then I change; I accept another dress. Similarly, this body is also like that. When it is dirty or when it is old enough, not to be used, then we change to another body, and this body we leave. This is the whole instruction of all Vedic literature.

Therefore the activities of this body is not all. And as there are different types of body, as we have come to this body, this status of body, passing through many, many types of abominable body-aquatics, beasts, trees, plants, microbes, reptiles, so many… Repeatedly we have said, 8,400,000's of bodies. So this is an opportunity. This life, this human form of life, is an opportunity to make further progress. It is not that after this human body is finished, then there is no life. This misconception, this misleading philosophy, that after death there is nothing, void, is killing the human civilization. Is killing practically. They do not know "What is my next life?" The next life is there. As there are, you can see so many varieties of planets, so there are lives also, different grades of lives, different standard of life. Take for example the moon planet. What do they know about moon? They are trying to reach there by some mechanical means. That is not possible. Anyway, even if it is possible, one should know what is the standard of life there. That you can get from Vedic literature. There is very vivid description. They are not ordinary human being like us. The scientist says that the temperature is 200 degree less than zero. Even here, in your Western countries, although sometimes the temperature goes down below zero, if it is below ten degree or twenty degrees, you become suffocated. So how you can go there and live in a place where the temperature is below zero degree, 200 degree below the zero? So it is not possible. Even if you go, it is not possible to live there. If you have to live, then you have to dress yourself nicely. Just like when men like us from tropical countries come to your country, we dress… In India, practically there is no dress. You see these pictures, they are without any dress because there is no need of dress. It is tropical country. But in your country you require dress. You cannot go out without dress. You have to take precaution. Similarly, in other planets the atmosphere is different, the standard of living is different, the duration of life is different. There are varieties. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.25]. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that if you want to go to the higher planets, there is ways and means. So we have discussed this point in our small book Easy Journey to Other Planets. So there is life in other planet, there is standard of living.

Now, in the moon planet we understand the duration of life is ten thousands of years according to our calculation. Scientifically, everything is relative. Just like nowadays, formerly, to come to your country it would take two months from India on the surface. And now the airplane is there, we come within one day, within fifteen hours or twenty hours. So everything is relative. Just like the sputnik. The sputnik surrounded, circumambulated the earth in one hour, twenty-five minutes, three times. That means by the sputnik speed, the three days… To circumambulate the earth three times means three day and night. That means according to our calculation, seventy-two hours. That seventy-two hours was finished in one hour and twenty-five minutes. How? Because the thing is relative. If you accelerate your speed, the whole thing becomes relative. So what is seventy-two hours on this planet, just above this planet, say about a few thousand miles up it becomes one hour twenty-five minutes. Similarly, when we speak of that in other planet the life is ten thousand years, that ten thousand years is in our calculation on this planet. But on their calculation, the same hundred years. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll learn, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ [Bg. 8.17]. Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna that our one thousand yugas… One yuga, one aggregate of yuga, according to our, this planet's calculation, it is forty-three hundred thousands of years. So that multiplied by one thousand becomes twelve hours of that planet. So there are different calculation according to different planet, different situation. But there is life. Don't think that this planet is finished, that "Oh, this life is finished." It is simply ignorance. We have to take information from higher authoritative scripture.

So there is life, and we are preparing for the next life. That is real knowledge. So we should not waste our, this valuable life whimsically. That is the instruction of all Vedic literatures. Don't spoil it. Even an ordinary moral instruction by one Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he says, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. Your one moment of your life cannot be returned back even if you are prepared to pay millions of dollars. Today is 16th April, 1969. Now it is about 8 o'clock. The 7 p.m. of 16th April, 1969, is gone. If you want to take it back again and if you are prepared to pay millions of dollars, that 7 p.m., 16th April, 1969, will never come back. That's a fact. That 7 p.m., 16th April, 1969, if you have spoiled, then just imagine how much money you have spoiled, because you cannot get it even in exchange of millions of dollars. Therefore if you have spoiled that point of time without any utility, then you have spent at least many millions of dollars for nothing. That should be our calculation. Āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ sa cen nirarthakaṁ nītiḥ. If that valuable time is spoiled without any benefit, then just imagine how much you are losing every moment. So we should be very careful about our time. Don't spoil time. That is our request. Don't spoil time like animals. They have no responsibility because there is gradation. After this life, they get another life. After this life, they get another life. From aquatics they are promoted to the plant life. From plant life they are promoted to the insect life. From insect life they are promoted to the birds' life. Gradual evolution. They are coming by nature's way. Nature is helping. And nature has helped you to come to this life, to civilized form of life, where you can have education, where you can have nice compartment, apartment, nice food, nice association, nice car, nice city. Because… What is the difference between this nice and, I mean to say, not nice? Because you have got nice intelligence. In this land of America, when the Europeans did not come here to colonize, the Red Indians were there. They could not develop this American land so nicely, nice cities, because they were less intelligent. Now you are intelligent, you have developed it. That means if you have got nice intelligence, you can live nicely. Now what is the limit of that nice intelligence? That limit of nice intelligence is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After developing, going through many species of life, many intelligent human forms of life by cultivating knowledge, education, when one comes to the limit of education and knowledge, he understands what is God. What is God. That is the limit of. And to understand that knowledge, vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ. The most learned scholars, they have agreed that if you want to achieve knowledge, then you should study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ. Limit of knowledge, limit of education, highest limit of education can be found in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was narrated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī and it was heard by Mahārāja Parīkṣit. At that time he was the emperor of the world. He was very big emperor. Formerly, at least five thousand years ago, there were not many flags. There was only one flag. Now, with the advancement of civilization and in the name of United Nation, we are simply increasing flags. You see? So we are not increasing our civilization; we are decreasing. Disunited. In the name of United Nation, we are becoming disunited. You see? So this is not actually advancement of civilization. Actually, we have to study, phalena paricīyate. We have to study things by the result, not by propaganda. By false propaganda, if you study something, that is not studied. You have to see the result. Phalena paricīyate.

So the thing is that we should be very careful to utilize our life. This duration of life, it should not be squandered away for nothing, without any profit. Of course, the Western people they are very busy making profit, undoubtedly. Economic development, that's very nice. But economic development is not actual advancement of civilization. Economic development means the material comforts: a better standard of eating, better standard of sleeping, better standard of sex life, and better standard of defending. But we have got another. We are not this body. Better standard of living, sleeping, mating, is meant for this body. But I am not this body. That is my first proposition, that I am not body. I am not this room, apartment. If I simply decorate this room with all my energies, forgetting about myself, then that is not very good intelligence. You decorate your body, decorate your room, decorate your dress-that's all right-but take information of your soul also. Lord Jesus Christ said that if after achieving everything one loses his self, then what does he gain? The same thing is also in the Bhāgavata. There is no difference between the instruction of Lord Jesus Christ and Bhāgavata, but Bhāgavata is very elaborately described. And Lord Jesus Christ gave you in nutshell. Just like he gave you the information of the kingdom of God. Now, what is that kingdom of God, how it is being conducted, what is the situation, that you will find here. That is the difference. So this civilization, this civilized form of life, we should be careful. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit is the instance, that he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa that he would die within seven days, and he was preparing. He was preparing himself, because "I have to meet death." But we are so forward that we do not think of our death. But death is in… "As sure as death." Everyone has to meet death. And we have to consider what we are preparing for our life after death. That is intelligence. That is intelligence. Not that to be absorbed in simply only this small duration of life, say fifty years, sixty years or hundred years. You are not hundred years or sixty years, fifty years. You are soul. You are eternal. So what is your eternal life? How you can become eternally happy? How you can have eternal life? That is your problem. That is your problem.

So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, therefore, when he was preparing… Because he was emperor, many great sages, saintly persons, many great kings and emperors assembled there, because everyone knew that "He is going to die within seven days." So he had some notice that "My dear sir, you'll die within seven days." But we can die any moment because there is no notice. Even if I stepping down on the street I may die. There may be some accident. Even if we are sitting here, there may be some accident; we may immediately die. So we have no notice. So we should be more careful and cautious than Parīkṣit Mahārāja, who had seven days notice at least, that at least he was not going to die within seven days. So he was preparing. At that time he was asking all saintly persons there that "What is my duty? Now I am going to die. What is my duty?" So in that way… Because he was from the very beginning Kṛṣṇa conscious and devotee of Kṛṣṇa, so he also questioned, "Whether I shall simply remember Kṛṣṇa?"

yac chrotavyam atho japyaṁ

yat kartavyaṁ nṛbhiḥ prabho

smartavyaṁ bhajanīyaṁ vā

brūhi yad vā viparyayam

He said, yac chrotavyam: "Now my time is limited. So what is my duty to hear?" Because our life is śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. We hear something, we chant something. Maybe our business chanting and hearing or maybe some educational chanting hearing or something else, the whole life is chanting and hearing. Therefore he asking question from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, yac chrotavyam: "What is to be heard just now, now I'm going to meet death?" Yac chrotavyam japyam: "What shall I meditate upon?" Japyaṁ yat kartavyam, "Or what shall I do now?" Smartavyam, "Or what shall I remember or what shall I worship?" So many things he said. Brūhi yad vā viparyayam: "Or you can explain what is my duty." That was his…

So because he inquired about Kṛṣṇa, therefore the speaker, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who was inquired from Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he's first replying,

varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ

kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa

ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ

śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ

[SB 2.1.1]

"My dear king, your question is very superexcellent. Superexcellent." (reads Sanskrit commentary) "You have inquired whether I shall now simply absorb my mind simply for hearing and chanting of Kṛṣṇa." That was his question. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī affirms that "This is a very nice inquiry, and your selection is also very nice." Śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. We have got to hear so many things. As soon as we get out of this Kṛṣṇa temple, many, many friends will ask me so many things, and I'll talk with him so many things about politics, economics, social affairs, this country's position, this, that. Because without chanting and hearing, we cannot live for a moment. Either we shall talk nonsense or we shall talk about business or we talk of sex or talk some this or that, talking and chanting. You talk I hear, and I talk, you hear. That is the business going on everywhere. Now here Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that "You wanted to hear about Kṛṣṇa. That is your superexcellent proposal." Varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa [SB 2.1.1]. "And because you have inquired and I'll have to say something about Kṛṣṇa, so it is the most beautiful and superexcellent welfare activities for the all people of the world." Loka-hitam. And ātmavit-sammataḥ. And this sort of question and answer is confirmed by persons who are self-realized, ātmavit. Ātmavit. Ātmā means soul, or self, and vit means one who knows. So "Your, this proposal, this inquiry, is approved by persons who are self-realized." Ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Paraḥ means transcendental. There are many things, many subject matter for hearing, but this subject matter, Kṛṣṇa, is transcendental.

Then he said,

śrotavyādīni rājendra

nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ

apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ

gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām

[SB 2.1.2]

There are very important words here. Gṛheṣu. Gṛheṣu means at home, and gṛha-medhinām, gṛha-medhinām means persons who are simply attached to home life. There are many persons, different grades of persons. Generally, people are very much attached. Why men? Even animals, they are also. Even a tiger, he has got a wife and few cubs. So he's happy there. Gṛha-medhinām. A serpent, he has got also wife, a few children. Or any animal, dog, cat-the husband and wife and few children. That is everywhere. It is not only in the human society. But the human society, even they are with wife, home, and children, they can talk about Kṛṣṇa. That is the facility. Otherwise, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ [SB 2.1.2]. There are thousands and thousands of subject matter for talking. Just like you take a newspaper in the morning. In your country, a bunch of paper. You see. Although you cannot read, you must get one newspaper. You'll read only one column or one page, but there are thousands of pages. You see? You cannot finish even in one month such reading. (laughter) But what are those containing? The same thing-talkings about eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That's all. In different pictures, in different set up, but the subject matter is eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. So those who are simply attached to this materialistic way of life, their subject matter of hearing and chanting are many, many thousands forms. There is no limit. Why? Why they do it? They have no attraction for these things, but still, they engage themselves in such topics. Just like the same example. Actually, that newspaper tidings, whatever is brought before you, you are not interested, but you purchase one newspaper. Thousands of newspapers are selling. I see when I travel in the street the people are all engaged in reading newspapers. So this is a fact, that every man is engaged in thousands of topics of hearing and chanting in different ways. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2]. But they are blind about their own self. They are spending so much time in different topics, but they are blind about their self realization. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām [SB 2.1.2]. Gṛha-medhinām, because they have made their life only to engage in these four things, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. In another place also, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. The same gṛha-vratānām, who has made their life, the aim of their life, simply for these things, eating, sleeping, mating and defending, for them, matir na kṛṣṇe, they cannot come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā. Parato means even after hearing instruction from some saintly person or from books, they cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ… Parataḥ means by instruction of others, and svato means personally cultivating knowledge. Parataḥ svato vā. Mitho vā. Mitho vā means assembly, just like we are talking about this in assembly. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām. Gṛha-vratānām, those who have fixed up their aim of life simply to enjoy these four things, eating, sleeping, mating and defending, they cannot be attracted by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And Śukadeva Gosvāmī also confirms here that apaśyatām ātma-tattvam: [SB 2.1.2] because they do not know what is the goal of his soul. That they do not know. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam. And because they have not engaged themselves in the spiritual culture or cultivation of self-realization or advancement of the self, their business is simply on these four principles of life, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending.

So how they are spending, spoiling their life? That is stated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī: nidrayā hriyate naktam. We have got at our disposal twenty-four hours, say, twelve hours night and twelve hours day. So how these twenty-four hours is being spoiled by persons who are simply interested in sleeping, eating, mating and defending? So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, nidrayā hriyate naktam. At night they sleep. Nidrayā. Nidrayā means by sleeping; hriyate, spoiling. Spoiling the time of night by sleeping. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā [SB 2.1.3]. Or by sex life. Two businesses. One has no opportunity… One who has no sex opportunity, he's sleeping. Or enjoying sex life. Then what about day? Divā cārthehayā rājan. And the whole day is being spoiled, "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" All right, you take money. Here is money. He gets, say, one thousand dollar, earns the whole day. Then? Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā [SB 2.1.3]. Then shopping. As soon as you get money there are nice shops, all advertising, "Come here. Take this garment. Take this. Take that. Take that car." Always advertisement. Anyone who has got his money in the pocket, he's immediately spending. So for earning money and to spend them or to sleep at night or to enjoy sex life at night. So this is the engagement of a materialistic man throughout the whole day and night. So dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api [SB 2.1.4]. But they are so fool that dehāpatya. This body and these children and this wife, this home, dehāpatya-kala…, ātma-sainyeṣu. Just like one feels very confident when he has got a great number of soldiers. Suppose we are fighting somewhere. If I have got a nice arrangement for defensive measure, then I feel confident. Similarly, we are thinking that "This home, this wife, this children, this society, this friendship, this love, this nation, that will give me protection." Teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati. But they are so mad that although they are seeing that others' children are dying, others' wife is dying, one, another friend is dying, other nation is being defeated, other social custom or social friendship or any attachment, they are being spoiled, they are attached to all these things only. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu [SB 2.1.4]. They have no other information.

But you are not like that. You are, from the beginning of your life, you are given advantage by your parents, by your family, to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because Mahārāja Parīkṣit, when he was in the womb of his mother the other side of the Kuru dynasty, they released atom bomb to kill him, and Kṛṣṇa saved him. And after his birth, the boy was playing with Kṛṣṇa statue. So he is from the very beginning Kṛṣṇa conscious. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is advising, "My dear king, you are not this type of man, because as soon as you have heard you are sure that you are going to die, immediately you have come out from your home and all attachment of your kingdom, wife and children. So your business is," he advises, tasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ. "Therefore you have asked me what is your duty. Now I give you to understand that this is your duty." What is that? "Bhārata…" He's addressing Mahārāja Parīkṣit as Bhārata. Bhārata means he belongs to the dynasty of Mahārāja Bhārata, under whose name this planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. So he's also descendant of that dynasty. He's addressed as Bhārata. Tasmād. Tasmād means "therefore." "My dear king, you are descendant of Bhārata Mahārāja." Sarvātmā bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ. "The Lord, Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead," śrotavyaḥ, "you simply hear about Him," śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca, "and also chant about Him," śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca and smartavyas, "and remember always."

So here is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, simply to hear and chant about Kṛṣṇa and remember Him always. Then you are safe. You have nothing to be disturbed. Your life is safe. Your next life is assured, very good life. And it is very simple. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) All right, chant, or you want to ask me any question about this? Yes.

Devotee: Prabhupāda, Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa from his birth. So is he actually in need of these talks by Śukadeva, or is this for the benefit of others?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You never think that you have become very stalwart, you do not need any spiritual master's instruction. Don't think that way. Then you are spoiled. You should always think that you are nothing. Even you are very much advanced. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "My spiritual master saw Me a great fool [Cc. Adi 7.71]." You see? So we should remain always a fool. We should never think that we have advanced. Then we can advance. Then we can advance. And as soon as we think, "Oh, I have advanced now. Nobody has to instruct me. Now I shall…" That's not good.

Devotee: Wasn't that the case with Arjuna?

Prabhupāda: Everyone. We should always be prepared to take instruction from the authorities. We should never think that we have become perfect. Although you are perfect. Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. One should be very humble, meek, and always think that "I am nothing." Just like the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, such a great, stalwart man, such a great devotee. Nobody has produced such literature as Caitanya-caritāmṛta. He is presenting himself that "I am lighter than the worm in the stool." Purīṣera kīṭa haite muñi se laghiṣṭha [Cc. Ādi 5.205]. Purīṣ means stool and kīṭa means worm. So "I am lower than the worm in the stool. Anyone who takes my name, all his pious activities immediately becomes lost." In this way he is presenting himself. That does not mean that he's actually so, but that is the attitude of a devotee. He's always very meek and humble. And the opposite side is, "I am God. Now finish all business." You see? So this māyā is very strong. He's (She's) always enticing me, "Oh, you are so great, so big, so… You have nothing to learn. Finish all…" This is māyā's instruction. But we should always be very humble, meek, and we should know always that "What I know? I do not know anything." The knowledge is unlimited. God is unlimited. And my position is very minute, fractional, infinitesimal. What I can accommodate? I shall go on. I shall go on. Remain. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. We shall always try to remain servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the… Hundred times servant. Then it will be all right. The more you become humble, meek, the more you advance. That is real advancement.

Jayadvaita: If we're so much puffed up by our previous practice, how can we develop…

Prabhupāda: That is material life. We are falsely puffed up. Don't you see? Every… Majority of the persons, they'll say, "Oh, what is God? What is God?" The scientists, as soon as you say… Any foundation you approach, "Sir, can you give us some money for spreading this Kṛṣṇa…?" "No. What is this?" You see? They have practically forgotten what is God. So anyway, we don't want many men. If there is one man to understand about this science of God, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is sufficient. He can deliver many men. You see. Chant always Hare Kṛṣṇa, remain humble, meek, pray to Kṛṣṇa, "Please save me," then it is very nice. You should always remain. (child crying) [break] (fire sacrifice?) Yes, everyone, take, those who are to be… Chant, always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees chant japa) That's all right. Now wash. Wash your hand. You should see how I've done it. Yes. You should be intelligent. That's all right. Once wash your hand.

Birbhadra: Like this.

Jayadvaita: Once more?

Prabhupāda: Yes. You have not seen it. You should be intelligent enough. Just see everyone. One, two, three. (sips) Now again. That's all. Finish. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) That's it. Do everyone like that. Do. (kīrtana) (Prabhupāda several times says, "Chant loudly. Loudly.") (kīrtana) [break] Prabhu kahe tomāra dui-bhāi prayāge rūpa anurag vṛndāvana (?). So Lord Caitanya informed Sanātana Gosvāmī that "Your two other brothers, I met them at Prayāga, and they have started for Vṛndāvana." Lord Caitanya deputed this Sanātana Gosvāmī… (end)

690417LE.NY

Lecture

New York, April 17, 1969

(Prabhupāda singing along with "Govindam" record)

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. Everything all right?

Devotees: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (chuckles) Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim [Nārada-pañcarātra]. Govindam ādi-puruṣa is known as Hari. Hari means "who takes away all your miseries." That is Hari. Hara. Hara means taking away. Harate. So just like thief also takes away, but he takes away the valuable things, material consideration, sometimes Kṛṣṇa also takes away your material valuables just to show you special favor. Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ [SB 10.88.8]. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja inquired from Kṛṣṇa that "We are supposed to be very pious. My brothers are great warriors, my wife is exactly the goddess of fortune, and above all, You are our personal friend. So how is this that we have lost everything? (chuckling) We have lost our kingdom, we have lost our wife, we have lost our honor-everything." So in reply to this, Kṛṣṇa said, yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ: "My first favor is that I take away all riches of My devotee." Therefore people are not very much enthusiastic to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But He does it. Just like the Pāṇḍavas were in the beginning put into difficulty, but later on they became the most exalted personalities throughout the whole history. That is Kṛṣṇa's favor. In the beginning, He may do like that because we have got attachment for our material acquisitions.

So… That is my personal experience. In the beginning, when my Guru Mahārāja ordered me, I thought it that "I shall first of all become very rich man; then I shall preach." (laughs) So I was doing very nice in business. In the business circle, I got very good name, and with whom I was dealing business, they were very satisfied. But Kṛṣṇa made so trick that He broke everything, and He obliged me to take sannyāsa. So that is Hari. So that I had to come to your country with only seven dollars. So they are criticizing, "The swami came here with no money. Now he's so opulent." (chuckles) So they are taking the back side, black side, you see? But the thing is… Of course, I have become profited, profitable, or I have acquired profit. I left my home, my children and everything. I came here as a pauper, with seven dollars. That is no money. But I have got now big properties, hundreds of children. (laughter) And I haven't got to think for their provision. They are thinking of me. So that is Kṛṣṇa's favor. In the beginning, it appears to be very bitter. When I took sannyāsa, when I was living alone, I was feeling very bitter. I, sometimes I was thinking, "Whether I have done wrong by accepting?" So when I was publishing this Back to Godhead from Delhi, one day one bull thrashed me, and I fell down on the footpath and I got severe injury. I was alone. So I was thinking, "What is this?" So I had very, days of very tribulations, but it was all meant for good. So don't be afraid of tribulations. You see? Go forward. Kṛṣṇa will give you protection. That is Kṛṣṇa's promise in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: [Bg. 9.31] "Kaunteya, My dear son of Kunti, Arjuna, you can declare throughout the whole world that My devotees will never be vanquished. You can declare that." And why He's asking Arjuna to declare? Why He does not declare Himself? There is meaning. Because if He promises, there are instances that He sometimes broke His promise. But if a devotee promises, it will be never broken. Kṛṣṇa will give protection; therefore He says His devotee that "You declare." There is no chance of being broken. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that sometimes He breaks His promise, but if His devotee promises, He takes very careful attention that His devotee's promise may not be broken. That is Kṛṣṇa's favor.

So ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim [Nārada-pañcarātra]. We are worshiping govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ, the supreme original Personality of Godhead who is known as Hari. The Vedic scripture says ārādhito yadi hariḥ. If you have come to the point of worshiping Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, tapasā tataḥ kim, then there is no more need of austerity, penances, yoga practice, or this or that, so many sacrifices, ritualistic… All finished. You do not require to take trouble for these things if you have come to the point of sacrificing everything for Hari. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And you are performing austerities, penances, sacrifices, ritualistic ceremony-everything-but I do not know what is Hari: it is useless, all useless. Nārādhito yadi hariḥ, nārādhitaḥ. If you do not come to the point of worshiping Hari, then all these things are useless. Tataḥ kim. Antarbahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. If you always see Hari within yourself and if you see Hari always outside, inside and outside… Tad vantike tad dūre tad… What is that verse? Īśopaniṣad? Tad antare… Dūre tad antike sarvasya. Hari is present everywhere, so one who sees Hari, antike, near, or distant place, within, outside, he does not see anything except Hari. How it becomes possible? Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. When one is merged into the love of God, he does not see anything in the world except Hari. That is his vision. So antarbahir yadi hari, inside and outside, if you always see Hari, Kṛṣṇa, tapasā tataḥ kim, then what is the use of your other austerities and penances? You are on the topmost level. That is wanted. Nanta-bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And if you do not see within and outside Hari always, then what is the value of your austerities? Therefore in the morning we chant this mantra, govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. We have no other business. Simply we have to satisfy Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Then everything is complete. He is complete and His worship is complete, His devotee is complete. Everything is complete.

Thank you. Chant. (kīrtana) (end)

690423LE.BUF

Engagement Lecture

Buffalo, April 23, 1969

Prabhupāda: …cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ.

om ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

The meaning of this verse… It is offering obeisances to the spiritual master. The spiritual master opens the eyes of the ignorant disciple in the matter of transcendental knowledge. Therefore it is the duty of the disciple, before speaking, to offer obeisances to the lotus feet of the spiritual master. Our Vedic process is not research work. Just like in the mundane scholarship, one has to show his academic career by some research work. The Vedic process is different. Vedic process is that our research work is not complete because the instruments and the means by which we make progress in research work are blunt and imperfect. We are conditioned. At this stage of our material existence, we are conditioned by so many laws of nature. Under the circumstances, every conditioned soul has four defects. Just like to commit mistake. There is no man, even great man, who does not commit mistake. More or less, he commits mistake. Just like in our country there was Mahatma Gandhi. He was supposed to be a very great personality, mahātmā, but he also committed mistake because when he was killed, five minutes before his coming to the meeting, he was warned by his confidential associates not to go to that meeting, but he persisted, and as soon as he entered the meeting hall he was killed. So I am giving an instance that even a great personality like Mahatma Gandhi, he also committed mistake. So in the conditioned state of our life, committing mistake is very natural. Just like we say, "To err is human." Any human being is susceptible to commit mistake. Another imperfectness is that every man is illusioned. Illusioned means to accept something which is not, phantasmagoria. Just like every one of us in this meeting, we are under the impression that "I am this body." But actually I am not this body. This is called illusion, māyā.

So to commit mistake, to become illusioned, number two, and number three: a cheating propensity. Everyone, conditioned soul, thinks himself very expert, and he talks with his, I mean to say, fellow man as a very intelligent man. And he has got every… Just like in business. In business you go to a storekeeper. He'll say, "Oh, you are my great friend. I am not taking a farthing profit from you." But you must know that he is taking profit, at least fifty percent. So this is called cheating propensity. One who is not in the knowledge, but he puts forward his theories and theses and so many by the words "perhaps," "it may be," like that-this is called cheating. So to commit mistake, to be illusioned, and cheating propensity, and at last, imperfectness of the senses. Our senses are limited. We cannot see far distant place. We cannot see nearest. Just like our eyes cannot see the eyelids because it is the nearest. And you cannot see the farthest. So the eyes also see under certain condition, in certain perspective position. Similarly, all our senses are limited. They cannot understand, or it is not possible to understand the unlimited by these imperfect, illusioned, and cheating senses. Therefore Vedic process does not accept that one should endeavor to know the ultimate truth by exertion of our present senses, which are conditioned by so many ways. Therefore those who are students in the Vedic literature, they accept authorities. Just like you are reading Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is being taught by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna. He is authority. And Kṛṣṇa says that "This Bhagavad-gītā is taught from time immemorial by disciplic succession," not by research work. As soon as you study Bhagavad-gītā by your academic knowledge, without reference to the authoritative description, then you commit mistake. You do not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, that "This disciplic succession is now broken. I therefore establish again the disciplic succession unto you." That means Arjuna becomes the disciple of Kṛṣṇa, and anyone who understands Bhagavad-gītā, following the footprints of Arjuna, he can understand rightly what is the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā. So all Vedic literatures, not only Bhagavad-gītā, all the Vedas… There are four Vedas: Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva. Then there are Upaniṣads, 108 Upaniṣads. Out of that, nine Upaniṣads are very important: Īśopaniṣad, Kaṭha Upaniṣad, Taittirīya Upaniṣad. So then again, Vedānta-sūtra, then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way there are various Vedic literatures. And if you are interested… You should be interested. These Vedic literatures are not meant for a particular class of men. It was meant for the human society so that they may take advantage of this knowledge and make a perfection of their human life.

So I shall try to speak before you this evening one of the instruction of Vedic literature spoken by Ṛṣabhadeva. So our offering of obeisances to the spiritual master is in accordance with the disciplic succession. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā, cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena: "The personality who opens the eyes by the torch of knowledge." Tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual master." So here is a speech by Ṛṣabhadeva. Ṛṣabhadeva is accepted as incarnation of Godhead. And long, long years ago He appeared on this earth, and He was father of the King Bhārata, under whose name this planet is called Bhārata-varsa. He had one hundred sons, and out of them, Bhārata was the eldest. He was very intelligent. So the father entrusted the kingdom to the eldest son, Bhārata Mahārāja, and before retirement He was speaking to His sons a spiritual instruction which is recorded in this Bhāgavata. And He said,

nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke

kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye

tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ

śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam

[SB 5.5.1]

He is advising, "My dear sons, this life…" "This life" means this human form of life. Ayam deha. Ayam means "this," and deha means "body." Na means "not." Na ayam deha: "This body is not meant." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. Deha-bhājām: "those who have taken or accepted this material body, amongst them." Now, this is a very significant word, those who have accepted this material body, deha-bhājām. And according to Vedic literature, we understand that this material world is only one-fourth manifestation of the complete creation of God. The three-fourths' portion of God's creation is spiritual world. That you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says,

atha vā bahunaitena

kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna

ekāṁśena viṣṭabhyāham

idaṁ kṛstnaṁ jagat

Ekāṁśena means a part, a fractional part. This material world is a fractional part of the whole creation. You see this universe, as far as you can see up to the sky. That is only one universe. And there are unlimited universes. They are clustered together. And that is called material world. And beyond that clusters of unlimited number of universes, there is another, spiritual sky. That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paras tasmād tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Lord says that "Beyond this material world, there is another bhāva, nature." Just like this is material nature. He says, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ, bhāvaḥ anyaḥ [Bg. 8.20]. Anya means another. "There is another nature, which is sanātana." Sanātana means eternal. There is no history of its beginning, or there is no end-that is called sanātana, eternal. Eternal means which has no end, no beginning. Nobody knows where it has begun and where it has ended. Nobody knows. Just like the Vedic religion is called sanātana-dharma because nobody can trace out when this Vedic religion begun. Therefore it is called sanātana-dharma. Every religion in our present experience, it has got a history. Your Christian religion, it has got a history, two thousand years old. Buddhist religion, it has got a history, 2600 years. Muhammadan religion, it has got a history, one thousand years. But if you trace out Vedic religion, you cannot find out the history, date. There is no date. You cannot find out. No historian can give. So therefore it is called sanātana-dharma. And in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says that "There is another nature, which is sanātana." Sanātana means there is no history of its creation or… But this material creation, as you know… We say, "God created." "God created" means before creation, God was existing. "God created"-this very word suggests that before this creation of this cosmic manifestation, God was existing. Therefore God is not under this creation. If God is under this creation, then how He can create? He becomes one of the object of the material creation. So God is not under creation. He is the creator. Before creation, He was existing. That is called sanātana. That means He is also sanātana. And there is a spiritual nature, sky, where there are innumerable spiritual planets also. And there are innumerable spiritual living entities also. And some of them, those who are not fit to live in that spiritual world, they are, I mean to say, sent to this material world. The same idea is expressed in Milton's Paradise Lost.

So we all, conditioned souls, we are practically living in a place after paradise lost. We should understand this. So here the specific instruction is that deha-bhājām. Deha-bhājām means we have voluntarily or willingly we have accepted this material body. Actually, we are spirit soul. We should not have accepted this material body. But when we have accepted, how we have accepted, there cannot be any tracing of history. It is not possible. Anādi karama. Anādi karama. Nobody can trace out the history when we, the conditioned soul, accepted this material body. And deha-bhājām means that anyone who has accepted this material body… Not very big. There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities. Nine hundred thousand species of living entities in the water. Similarly, two millions species of life in the plants and vegetables. In this way, on the total, there are 8,400,000's of species of life. Unfortunately, this Vedic knowledge is not instructed in any university, but these are fact. They should try. If they are very much inquisitive to make research work, now let them research away how the Vedic knowledge says there 8,400,000's of species of life. Let the botanists, let the anthropologists, or so many-there are department of knowledge-let them research out. Darwin's theory, evolution of the organic matter, they are very much prominent in the educational institutions. But there is Padma Purāṇa and other authoritative Vedic scriptures. They give the magnitude of the living entity. They have different forms of body. How they are evolving one after another-everything is there. It is not a new thing. But people are giving stress only to the Darwin's theory. But in the Vedic literature we have got immense information of this living condition in this material world.

So apart from that, here it is said, deha-bhājām. Deha-bhājām means "those who have accepted this material body." That means there are some, not some… There are many who have not accepted this material body. But they have no experience who has not accepted this material body, in this material world. That is there in the spiritual world. These living entities, innumerable living entities in so many universes in the material world or material universe or material nature, they are only fractional portion of all living entities. Only a fractional portion. Because they are condemned. Those who are in this material world, with this material body, they are condemned. Just like you take another example: just like in the prison house. The prison house, population in the prison house, they are condemned by the government. But their number is only fraction of the whole population, not that whole population of the state goes to the prison house. Some criminals who are disobedient to the laws of the state, they are put into the prison house under confinement. Similarly, these conditioned souls within this material world, they are only fractional portion of the whole living enti…, number of living entities in the creation of God, and because they have disobeyed or declined to obey or abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa, or God, they have been put into this material world. Now, the problem is: if one is sensible, if one is inquisitive and serious, he should try to understand that "Why I am put into this material conditional life?" That should be the inquiry. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra this is the first inquiry, that people should be educated to that standard of life when he will be inquisitive to know, "Why I am put into this conditional life? What is the condition? I do not wish to suffer."

There are three kinds of sufferings. Many times I have explained. They are called ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, ādhidaivika. Ādhyātmika sufferings means pertaining to this body and mind. Suppose I have got some pain here today. This is bodily suffering. Or my mind is not in… [break] They do not mind it. Just like animals. Animals, they are always in suffering, but they do not mind it. Recently I was in Hawaii. So in front of my house there was a man who was keeping some animals and birds for slaughtering. Not there, but he was dragging for selling the animals and birds for slaughtering. Now, I was giving example to my students. Now, these animals are standing here, and tell them, "Oh, my dear animals, why you are standing here? You go away. You are meant for being slaughtered." But he has no intelligence. He cannot go. Even in the slaughterhouse also, he cannot go. So suffering without knowledge, without remedy, means animal life, means animal life, one who cannot understand his suffering and he thinks, "Oh, I am very well off. I am very well situated." But that is animal consciousness. One should be cognizant of the suffering, threefold miseries of his life. One should know there is suffering in birth, there is suffering in death, there is suffering in old age, and there is suffering in disease. And one should be inquisitive. That is the real research work, how to avoid death, how to avoid birth. We have suffered during our birth. We have suffered as a child, as a baby. We remained within the abdomen of our mother, tightly placed in a airtight bag for ten months, and I could not move even, and there are insects biting me. I could not protest. But we have forgotten. After coming out, we had… Our sufferings are there. Mother is taking so much care undoubtedly; still, the child is crying. Why it cries? It has got some suffering, but he cannot express. There are some bugs biting or some pains within somewhere. The child is crying, crying. The mother does not know how to pacify it. So in this way our suffering has begun from the womb of our mother. And then I do not wish to go to school. I am forced to go to a school. I do not wish to study. The teachers give me tasks. If you just study, analyze your life, it is full of suffering, full of suffering. But we have no inquiry. We have no inquiry. This is not education. Therefore Brahma-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now you should inquire why you are suffering. Is there any remedy for suffering? Then, if there is remedy, then you must take it. You must take advantage of the remedy." But we are callous. We do not care for it. This is not good.

Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says to His sons, "My dear sons, now you have got this opportunity. Out of 8,400,000's of lives, take…" Forget Ṛṣabhadeva's sons. I will speak to the American boys and girls. Now you have got very nice body, very beautiful body, very nice country. You have no poverty. So many ways, you have an advantage than other nations. So if you apply this instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons… Ṛṣabhadeva spoke to His sons does not mean only it was meant for His sons. It is meant for the whole human race. So he said that "My dear sons, this body, this nice body, beautiful body, this own flesh(?) body, is not meant for sense gratification like the cats and dogs and hogs." He says that kaṣṭān kāmān na arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye: "By hard labor, by hard work, culminating into sense gratification, simply for that satisfaction, if we spoil our life, oh, it is not very good." Take that instruction to your life also, that you are very nicely placed, but according to Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction, you should not spoil this beautiful life simply for sense gratification. Why? Ṛṣabhadeva answered, "That sense gratification process is there, viḍ-bhujām." Viḍ-bhujām means the stool-eaters. What animal is the stool-eater? The hog. This kind of sense gratification, working day and night hard, is available even in hog's life. Therefore… You have got so nice, beautiful body. You should not imitate the hogs. You see? I was surprised to hear from one of my principal disciples, Brahmānanda-I was walking in Central Park-that the groups of the hippies, they have begun to worship hogs. You can explain that, why they are doing. This is not very hopeful. You see? After having this nice body, nice country, nice civilization, nice education, the result is hog worshiping. Will you explain today. Still silent?

Brahmānanda: Yes. We have experience not only in New York City but many places around the country-I'm sure you're familiar-of worshiping hogs. Many places where we go chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, the Lord's name, we've experience of groups of young people chanting "hog, hog, hog." This is going on in New York City. And also they actually have parades where they parade with hogs and pigs. And they bow down before the pigs, and they worship the pigs. And they want the hogs to become… They want to run the hog for president, and they want the hogs to lead them. It's even gone to such lengths that at one be-in-this was in Seattle-there was a massive demonstration with hogs. There, boys and girls undressed themselves and got in the mud and they just played with the hogs. Dirty, just living like the hogs, which they worship.

Young man: You don't think there's some irony in that?

Prabhupāda: So anyway, this hog worship was anticipated long, long ago. Otherwise how they could be described in the Bhāgavatam, which was compiled at least five thousand years ago? Anyway, the idea is that beautiful life, beautiful education, beautiful situation, should be utilized for beautiful end, not degrade to the platform of hog worship. That is not very palatable thing at least. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, "My dear boys, the sense gratification process after hard work day and night is available in the hog's life. That is not a very important thing. This human form of life is meant for a different purpose." And that purpose he explains, that tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattva śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam: [SB 5.5.1] "This human form of life is meant for austerity and penance." You will find in the history of Vedic literature, there were many, many exalted emperors and kings. They also gave to the, led to the practice of austerity and penance. Dhruva Mahārāja, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja-they were all kings. They were called rājarṣi. Rājarṣi means although they were king, most opulent, still, they were great sages. So the same thing is advised, that those persons who have got this opportunity of the spiritual, human form of life, with facility for economic welfare, with facility for giving very nicely everything-the opportunity should be used for better life. Ye tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. Tapasya, austerity. A little penance. Just like our students. They are practicing… [break] …is also explained, tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam. Sattvam means pure existence. I am existing in this body, this material body, but if you take to this austerity process, it is not very troublesome, at all troublesome. It is pleasant. You can ask our students who are practicing it. They are very much pleased to practice this. So it is not troublesome. It is pleasing. So tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. Your existence will be purified. As soon as your existence is purified… The difference between animal life and human life is that human life, existence, is more purified. He has got better consciousness than the animals. Similarly, if you more purify your existence, you (are) gradually elevated to the spiritual existence, which is completely pure life.

So Ṛṣabhadeva advises, "My dear boys, you don't spoil your life simply for sense gratification, but voluntarily accept some austerity and penances so that your existence will be purified. And when you get your purified existence… You are seeking after happiness. Whatever happiness you are inclined in this material world, that is only limited. But if you purify your existence and some way or other be promoted to your spiritual existence, then…" Brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam. Brahman. Brahman means the greatest. As I told you from the Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā, so what is the Brahman life, so there is Brahman pleasure also. In the Brahman pleasure there is also dancing, there are young girls, young boys-everything. These are only reflections. Whatever we are finding in this material world, the last evening we explained, that it is that perverted reflection of the spiritual world. So if you want unlimited happiness, unlimited knowledge, and eternal life, you should not spoil your, this very nice opportunity simply for sense gratification, but adjust it to accept this life of austerity to promote yourself to the spiritual life. Then you will get unlimited happiness, unlimited life, unlimited pleasure. That is the sum and substance of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

So we have got literature and magazines in this respect, publishing. We have got our Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Nectar of Devotion, Easy Journey to Other Planets. So I request you that this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, especially in your country, is meant for giving a finishing touch to your present position. Don't take it otherwise. You are all educated students and girls and boys. I request you, try to understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and take it very seriously. You will be happy, and because people of other countries, they are following your progress, so if you take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement seriously and rightly, the whole face of the world will be changed. It will be turned into spiritual world. Of course, we do not expect that everyone will accept this philosophy, but even one percent population of the whole world accepts this… Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭha lokas tad anuvartate [Bg. 3.21]. The Bhagavad-gītā explains that if some principal man accepts some theory and some philosophy, others follow. So we have got our center here. I request you all student to try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and purify yourself. And the purificatory process is very simple. We are simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So my request, my fervent request to you all, that you are very nicely placed. Please try to understand this philosophy. Make your life very happy in this life or in the next life so that people of the world will be happy by following your example.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) (end)

690425LE.BOS

Lecture

Boston, April 25, 1969

Prabhupāda: When I was in Buffalo, my last lecture was at Buffalo University college. So I began a series of lecture for the young boys and girls. This series of lecture is not manufactured by me. Our process is not manufacturing. The Vedic process is not personal opinion. Our process is simply to carry the transcendental message to the people. Our system is so nice that we haven't got to manufacture daily a new thesis. The difficulty of modern age is… Not modern age. It is also old system, because in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we find one verse which says, tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ: "Simple arguments and logic will not carry you to the Absolute Truth." Tarkaḥ. Tarkaḥ means arguments. You may be very good logician, you can argue very nice, but another logician may come and defeat you. That is going on. New philosopher, new logician, new thinker means he defeats his previous other scripture in some details. Of course, on nkers, logicians, and philosophers, and becomes prominent. That is the materialistic way of gaining name, fame and popularity. But our process is different. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ. We accept that simply by arguments and logic, it is not possible to approach the Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth is not subjected to our deficient logic or argument.

So tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā. If somebody says, "Well, argument and logic is not the way to approach the Absolute Truth. Then let us take scriptures, the authority of the scriptures," that is also very nice. In every human society there is some sort of scripture. Just like in your country there is Bible or any other scripture. We have got Vedas. The Muhammadans, they have got Koran. They can help also, because that is also authority. But you will find that one scripture is differing from the average there is no difference. Just like Bible preaches, Lord Jesus Christ preaches love of God, we are also preaching the same thing, love of God. But our process is little different. That's all. That process may be different according to time, circumstances, people. That is natural. Therefore, for a neophyte, simply by consulting scriptures, he will not be able to reach to the absolute goal. Because he will find, "Oh…" Sometimes they become skeptic. Just like in the modern age, the youngsters, you all boys and girls, they are becoming skeptic. They don't believe in any scripture now because they find some differences. Therefore Bhāgavata said that tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā: "Simply by argument you cannot establish what is Absolute Truth, and if you consult different scriptures, you will find difference of opinion, or difference of procedures, rituals." So śrutayo vibhinnā nāsāv munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And if we consult great thinkers or philosophers, they have got their different opinions. Some philosopher says, "I think this is right. I think this is right." So whom you will accept? They are also of different opinion. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā nāsāv munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. You won't find a single philosopher whose opinion is not different from the previous philosopher, or muni. Muni means thinker, thoughtful man, muni, from mind. Nāsāv munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam, dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām.

Therefore to understand the Absolute Truth, it is very difficult to find out how to have it. But the only one way recommended in the Vedic scripture, that mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ… [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Mahājana. Mahājana means great personality. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. That is the real path, if you follow the great personality. Now, there is a difference of great personalities also. You think that he is great personality; he thinks another great personality. But there is a definition of great personality. That definition is given in the Bhagavad-gītā, that,

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vasudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

[Bg. 7.19]

"After many, many transmigration, or changing the body…" We should always remember that our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins from the fact that we living entities, we are not material product. We are part and parcel of God. We are qualitatively one with God but quantitatively different from Him. That is our philosophy. Living entity and God, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, they are qualitatively one. God is also a living entity like you and me, but He is qualitatively unlimitedly powerful. That is the difference. Just like we find, every one of us sitting here, you will find some difference. You may be a greater personality than me. Another gentleman may be a greater personality than you, and somebody may be greater than him, somebody may be greater than him. Similarly, if you go up to the post of your president, Mr. Nixon, he is supposed to be the greatest personality in your country. But you will find a greater personality than him also. Go on searching. So these greater personalities… You may be greater than me, but you are also person, I am also person. President Nixon is also a person. All this greatness may be different, but so far we are personally concerned, the personal propensities, the personal needs, personal necessities, everything, they are equal. Come on. There is no difference. So God is also a person, but His personality is different from us because we know that God is great. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. There are so many qualifications we qualify God.

So mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]. The great personality… So far we are concerned, a great personality is he who is a devotee of God. He is great personality. Just like in your country, you accept Lord Jesus Christ as great personality. He is son of God. Or take him as personality, one of the human beings; still, he is great because he preached God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the test of great personality. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. So in Buffalo I was instructing the younger boys and girls in the college that "You are very nicely situated. Your country is economically very well equipped. You are very good looking. Your education is very nice. You have got hundreds of universities in your country. Practically there is no man or woman illiterate. So your situation, comparatively with other nations or other country, is very good. That is admitted by everyone. So you should utilize this opportunity. That is my request. Your well situation, your material prosperity, your intelligence, your education should be properly utilized. It should not be misused." What is misused and what is proper utilization? That is also explained by Ṛṣabhadeva in this instruction. He says that nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke. You have got this opportunity. Ṛṣabhadeva was instructing to His sons. Ṛṣabhadeva was the emperor of the world. Naturally His sons were also princes; they were not ordinary boys. He had hundred sons, and he was instructing them before retirement. He was instructing them, "My dear boys," that "this body, if you think that you have very, very nice princely body and you are the son of a great emperor, so if you simply utilize your opportunity for sense gratification, that is not good. That is not good." Because every conditioned soul, every living entity is prone to certain types of sense gratification. So when one is very nicely situated, sense gratification can be seen, can be acquired, can be had, even in the lower animals. So Ṛṣabhadeva instructed His sons, "My dear boys, you do not misuse your opportunity simply by sense gratification. Because sense gratification is also possible in the lower animals like cats, dogs, and hogs. They have got also ample opportunity for sense gratification." The dog in the street, he can gratify his senses, sex life, with so many dogs. The hogs also, he can also satisfy his senses in so many she-hogs. So that opportunity is there in the cats' and dogs' and hogs' life. So Ṛṣabhadeva advised His sons, "Don't spoil your opportunity simply by imitating the cats, dogs and hogs."

So the same thing… Not I am manufacturing. I am just following the footprints of Ṛṣabhadeva. Although I am not emperor of the world, but I am a teacher. It is my duty not only to you, to everyone. But I take your country, I have come to your country with a special purpose, with a special mission, that if the American boys and girls take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, then that will be followed by other countries, and the face of the world will change. That is my request. And I am glad also that my students, my disciples, who are already under my instruction and following, they are all boys and girls. None of them are above twenty-five years. Our, I think, oldest student is Kīrtanānanda. He is thirty or thirty-one years. Otherwise all our students are young boys. You see all these boys. They are sitting. So I am very hopeful that youngsters of this country are taking this movement a little seriously. Therefore I am hopeful. And I request also that you have got all opportunities. You don't misuse it simply for sense gratification. That is my request.

Then what should be the purpose of life? This opportunity, this nice intelligence, nice education, nice beautiful body, nice economic condition-that should be utilized for tapasya. Tapasya means austerity, restriction. Restriction. Just like our students. We advise our students-and they follow-that "You don't have illicit sex life." Boys and girls, they are mixing, making friendship. That is nice. That is natural. A young boy is attracted by a young girl, or young girl is attracted by young boy. That is not unnatural, because it is in the Supreme Lord. That nice love attraction is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is a boy, sixteen-years-old boy, and Rādhārāṇī is also a fifteen-years-old girl. Not even one year's… I think, fifteen days younger. So our worshipable object is that spiritual love, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. But the so-called love in this material world is only a perverted reflection. It is only lust. So you have, by austerity, you have to change that lust into love. If you love one girl, if you love one boy, that is very nice. That is natural. That is not unnatural. But don't change that love. Be combined permanently. Be combined. Not that "After few months I give up this girl," "I give up this boy," "I capture another." No. That is austerity. That is austerity. Oh, I purposely… Although I am a sannyāsī-I have no interest with family life, neither we are expected to take part in this man and woman relationship-but still, purposely I have married so many couples, boys and girls, just to see them happy. Without happiness, without being in good mood of mind, you cannot prosecute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ

mukta-saṅgasya jāyate

[SB 1.2.20]

Prasanna-manaso. Unless you become joyful in your mind by executing devotional service… Evaṁ prasanna. Prasanna means joyful. Manasa, manasa means mind. When you are fully joyful in your mind by executing devotional service… Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. How one can become joyful? Simply by executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not otherwise. It is not possible.

So austerity means we are not imposing upon you that you go to the forest and live in a cave or you don't eat or don't see any human being-you just meditate for three hundred years. No. That is not possible. That is not possible. You cannot go to the forest, you cannot go to the mountain, neither you can meditate. All these are not recommended in this age. That is not possible. If somebody imitates or tries to imitate, he is simply wasting time. Only austerity is that don't have illicit sex life just like cats and dogs, because marriage is recommended in the human society. There is no marriage in cat society, dog society, hog society. Any human society you take, either in the Western world or in the Eastern world, or in Christian society, Hindu society, Muhammadan society-in every civilized human society there is a ceremony called marriage. And that is also Vedic system, that one should not have any illicit sex life, but one should be combined according to religious rite and live peacefully and execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This much austerity.

The next austerity, we say that don't take any animal food. There is no need of taking. Perhaps you are coming to our love feast. We can prepare. Of course, these boys and girls, they are not very expert, but still, whatever they have learned, and they are supplying prasādam to your American boys and girls, and people, they are appreciating very much. In Los Angeles-that is our biggest temple in your country-we get in every love feast day not less than two hundred guests. They come from far away with their car and they take. They like it. You see? So if you accept this austerity, that "We shall not eat meat, but we can have very nice foodstuff from grains, from fruits, from vegetables, milk, sugar, so many nice foodstuff," you will forget. Simply you have to learn. That is not very severe austerity. Simply our process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how from this present consciousness we want to change to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So these austerities are required: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no intoxication. No intoxication. Our boys and girls, they do not even smoke. They do not take tea, coffee, and what to speak of other intoxicants. They were intoxicated. Some of them were LSD, but they have given up to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And no gambling. These four principles you accept. It is not very difficult, not very severe. Simply you have to be willing, "Yes. Why? If I can live on such nice foodstuff, why shall I take to animal food, for which so many animals have to be killed, so many birds have to be killed?"

So Ṛṣabhadeva… It is not new introduction. Ṛṣabhadeva also instructed His boys, princes, that "My dear boys, if you simply indulge in sense gratification, then the result will be that you cannot get real, unlimited happiness." The whole program, austerity, He is advising to His sons, that "My dear boys, this beautiful body, this opportunity, you cannot misuse it simply for sense gratification." But tapa putrakā: "My dear boys, you please accept austerity." Now I have explained what is our austerity. It is very simple, four items of austerity, nothing more. We are not stopping your love or your sex life. No. Simply we are trying to regulate it. That's all. There is no question of stopping your eating or stopping your mating or stopping your sleeping or stopping your defending. Nothing. No stop. But don't increase the degree to the death point. Just like for to live, when we live, we must have some temperature. When there is no temperature, that means he is dead body. But that temperature should not be increased to the 107 degree. That should be controlled. You see. We must have some temperature. Without temperature, if our body is cold completely, then it is finished. Temperature must be there, but not more than 96.6 degree or 98.6 degree. Yes. But if we increase the temperature to 107 degree, that means death. When there is 105 degree temperature the doctors take very precautionary measure so that it may not increase further. And actually I have seen. As soon as one gets 107 degree, he collapses. (end)

690426LE.BOS

Lecture Engagement and Prasāda Distribution

Boston, April 26, 1969

Prabhupāda: This age is called, according to the Vedic language, Kali. Kali-yuga means the age of disagreement and dissension. So in the Vedas it is recommended that kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇu [SB 12.3.52]. In the Golden Age… Of course, the kṛte, the Sanskrit word, exactly there is no English translation, but generally we have got a conception of Golden Age. So take it for granted that kṛte, kṛte means in the age when everyone was pure. Cent percent, people were pure. That is called Kṛta-yuga. The next yuga is called Tretā, when seventy-five percent of the people, they were pure, and twenty-five percent were not pure. And then Dvāpara. Dvāpara means fifty percent-fifty percent pure and fifty percent nonpure. Then this age is called Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means seventy-five percent or more than seventy-five percent, they are impure, and twenty-five percent, I mean to say, that is in book, but actually ninety percent or more than that are impure and maybe five percent pure. This is the situation of this age. And they are also living very short time. In this age, life, duration of life, is reduced, memory is reduced, man's compassion is also reduced. Similarly, there are so many things, they are reduced. Although we are thinking that we are advancing, but actually the most important things we are reduced. Take for example the duration of life. Every one of us knowing very well that as your father or forefather or grandfather lived for long duration of life, it is very difficult to find out a man who is over seventy years or eighty years. I have got experience. My grandmother lived for ninety-five years.

So the duration of age is reduced, and people are not very intelligent. Of course, it is very revolutionary that I am speaking that people are not very intelligent, but actually it is. Why they are not intelligent? Because they do not know what is the destination of life; therefore they are not very intelligent. The Bhāgavata says that destination of life is God realization. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. God-realization. In this human form of life we can realize what is God. It is not possible in other form of life. There are 8,400,000 forms of life. You have seen it. There are trees, there are aquatics, there are germs, reptiles, then birds, then beasts, then human beings. Out of this human form of life, more than fifty percent, they are uncivilized, and maybe twenty-five percent of the human beings, they are civilized. And out of them, maybe ten percent are believing in God, following religious principles. In this way the whole thing is being reduced. So in the Bhāgavata it is said that not only they are living for short duration of life, they are not intelligent enough that this human form of life is meant for God-realization. Now, especially nowadays amongst the educated circles, they inquire, "What is God? What is God?" You see. But apart from your country or Western countries, in… I have met in many, many large gatherings of universities. Especially, I am very sorry to say, many Indian students ask me that "What is God?" Now, India is supposed to be the place where God descends as Lord Kṛṣṇa, as Lord Rāmacandra, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So it is very surprising that Indian students are asking, "What is God?" So this is lamentable in this sense, that people are reducing in their sense of spiritual realization. That is a very regrettable fact. And the Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam: "A man is supposed to be defeated in all his activities if he does not inquire what he is." This statement is also in Bible, you know, that "If one loses his own self and he gains all material prosperity, what does he gain?" Actually, this is the fact.

Therefore Lord Caitanya, five hundred years ago, He appeared in Bengal and He introduced this movement, saṅkīrtana movement-not whimsically, but according to the tenets of Vedic literature, where it is stated that kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum [SB 12.3.52]. In the Golden Age it was possible to realize God by meditation, when people were all cent percent pure. Then tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ: "And in next age, God-realization was by offering great sacrifices." And dvāpare paricaryāyām: "And in next age, by temple worship or church worship or mosque worship. Now, at this present age," kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt, "in this age, simply by chanting the glories of the holy name of God." This was introduced by Lord Caitanya. And in India there are millions and millions people who follow these principles, and it may be a new thing in your country, but it is very easy and, I mean to say authorized and immediately realizable. If you follow this one principle, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare… There are sixteen names: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Actually, there are three names only-Hare, Kṛṣṇa, and Rāma-but they are very nicely, systematically assorted in sixteen names. It is very easy to chant. Just this evening one American child, girl, she was cycling in the street, and one of my students, she asked her to chant: "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," and she was very nicely chanting.

So it was… It is not very difficult. Because it is composed in Sanskrit words, it does not mean that you cannot chant. We have experimented. Now, I ask my students… They are all American boys and girls. None of them are Indian or Hindu. Not only here in Boston, but in many other cities like New York and San Francisco, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Santa Fe, Montreal, so they are very nicely chanting and enjoying. Not only that, I have got some restriction. The student who comes to me for initiation, I ask them to restrict some habits. So they are easily doing that also. Just like I ask them not to indulge in any intoxication, including smoking, tea-taking, coffee-taking. So they are following. And I ask them not to eat meat. These things are very usual things in your country, but my students they are very easily following. They don't feel any difficulty. So this formula, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, this sound vibration, you can practice it. It is not difficult. There is no secret. I don't say that "I have got a secret mantra which I shall give you, and you pay me fifty dollars" or like that. It is open secret. You have simply to accept kindly. Then you see the result. There is no loss on your part, but the gain is very great. Why don't you try it? I request you, most humbly I request you that you kindly chant these sixteen names-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma… We have got our record also. If you want to practice, you can play the record and it will be very easy. So this is my humble request to you American ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. It is not difficult, but it has got a sublime effect. You will find it. If you practice it, you will find it.

So if you think that "Why we shall chant 'Kṛṣṇa'? Kṛṣṇa was Indian, and it is Hindu god's name," but that is not a fact. Kṛṣṇa never claimed that He is Hindu or Indian or black or white. He doesn't claim anything. He said… Most of you have read Bhagavad-gītā. He said, He claims,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ

tāsāṁ mahad-yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

Sarva-yoniṣu: "In all species of life, in all forms of life…" There are 8,400,000 forms of life. So Kṛṣṇa claims that "All form of life, not only human being-the beast, the birds, the aquatics, the, I mean to say, reptiles-everywhere, wherever there is life, therefore, their mother is this material nature, and I am the seed-giving father." So Kṛṣṇa claims everyone's father. So He is neither Indian nor Hindu. He is-we accept Him according to Bhagavad-gītā-He is God Himself. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. If we take authorities of Vedic literature, it is stated in all Vedic literature, in Ṛg Veda, in Atharva Veda, in Brahma-saṁhitā, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and what to speak of Bhagavad-gītā… Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. He says, mattaḥ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7].

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

dhīra bhāva-samanvitāḥ

[Bg. 10.8]

So He claims that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He exhibited, He manifested Himself, as the supreme independent Personality of Godhead. If we read His activities from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then we can see.

So there is a definition of God also in the Vedic literature. A great sage, the father of Vyāsadeva, Parāśara Muni, he has very nicely defined what is meant by God, and all the symptoms were visible in the person of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And according to our Indian, Vedic culture, all the great ācāryas, just like Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka, even Śaṅkarācārya… Śaṅkarācārya is considered to be impersonalist, that He believes in impersonal Brahman. So impersonal Brahman is mentioned in all Vedic literature. We also know that. But beyond impersonal Brahman there is Supersoul realization, and beyond Supersoul realization there is the personal realization, the Supreme Personality of God. Bhāgavata says that vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam: [SB 1.2.11] "The Absolute knowledge, the Absolute Truth, is nondual." How it is nondual? Now, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Either you realize the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā, Supersoul, or as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, they are one and the same. How one and the same? That is also explained. So God realization, it is said in the Vedic literatures, that avāṅ-manasā-gocaraḥ. It is very difficult to realize God. He is beyond our mental speculational field; He is beyond our conception, beyond our words. But there is other verses also, that athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi, jānāti tattvam [SB 10.14.29]. One can understand what is God by the mercy of God, not by mental speculation. It is not possible. We have got very limited scope of knowledge. Our senses are imperfect, we are full of cheating propensities, and we are liable to commit mistake. These four defects are within us. However a great man one may be, he is sure to commit mistake. I shall give you one tangible example in the life of Mahatma Gandhi. You know he was a very great man, political leader in India. So he was also very God-fearing man, a very nice soul. But he also committed mistakes so many times. So to err is human. This is a fact in every person. Therefore, because we commit mistake, because we are sometimes illusioned, and because we have got a propensity of cheating others, and because our senses are imperfect, therefore, simply by mental speculation it is not possible to realize God. Then how one can realize God? That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā and other literatures, that by the mercy of God one can realize God. So by His causeless mercy, He comes down. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7], it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So Lord Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead at least by the great ācāryas of India. Even, as I was speaking of Śaṅkarācārya, he was impersonalist, but he has admitted in his commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that sa kṛṣṇa bhagavān svayam. He has accepted. In the beginning of his commentary he said, nārāyaṇaḥ para avyaktāt: "Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this material creation." And in next page he has admitted, "That Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa is Kṛṣṇa, who is born as the son of Devakī and Vasudeva." So, so far Indian scholars… I don't speak of modern scholars. Those who are authorized scholars of bygone ages, admitted by the Vedic society-Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, and Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka-and they are stalwarts. And there are many hundreds and thousands of temples of Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, in India. If you have ever gone, you might have seen. In Vṛndāvana, only a small city of people, there are five thousand Kṛṣṇa temples. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very strong and very old in India. And if you also accept this, without any loss on your part, you will be happy. You will be happy. That is the process of peace.

Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

[Bg. 5.29]

"The śānti, peace, real peace, can be achieved simply by understanding that God is the proprietor and God is the enjoyer of everything-that conception." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram. And suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: "And He is the friend, most intimate friend, well-wisher friend of everyone." And He is seated with everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati: [Bg. 18.61] "My dear Arjuna, the Supreme Lord is seated with every living entity." So according to Vedic literature, Upaniṣad, we understand that the Supreme Lord, in His localized aspect, He is all-pervading. He is present everywhere. Not only that He is present in the church, but He is outside church, everywhere. It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayān…, "He is present even within the atom." That is omnipresence. So He is present within you. It is not that you have to search out God anywhere else, but you can search out within yourself. And that searching process is called yoga. Our this subject matter today is yoga. That means to search out your self. Meditation means you have to meditate upon what you are. Are you this body? Are you this finger? Are you this head? You analyze one after another. You will find that you are not this. Then you analyze your mind, whether you are mind, you will find you are not mind also. If you analyze your beyond mind, your intelligence, then you will find that you are not intelligence. Beyond that intelligence, you are sitting. These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. And when you find out your self, that is self-realization. And as you become self-realized, the symptoms become that you become jolly and free of all anxieties. So long you are not self-realized, you are full of anxieties. That is the nature, material nature. Not only we, human beings, even birds, beasts, they are also full of anxiety. You give some eatables to the pigeons, to the birds, he will eat and look like this: "Oh, somebody may not come, kill me." Yes. This is the nature. Now, you are American people, supposed to be the richest country. Oh, you have also many anxieties. You are (not) free from anxieties. You are also afraid of China or Russia or somebody else. So how you can be free from anxiety? That is yoga system. If you actually practice yoga system… Yoga system, the whole Bhagavad-gītā is yoga system. It is said in the Fourth Chapter that imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. The Lord says that "This yoga system I first of all spoke to the sun-god." Imaṁ vivasvate. Vivasvata means… The sun-god's name is Vivasvān. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān manave prāhuḥ: [Bg. 4.1] "And Vivasvān, he explained this yoga system to his son Manu." Now, if we calculate the age of Manu, it comes to some millions. At least forty millions of years before, it was spoken.

So this yoga system, Bhagavad-gītā yoga system, is very popular book and widely circulated. I have seen many English translation of this Bhagavad-gītā in your country. Some of them are translated by American scholars, and some of them are translated by other countries, scholars. But there are many. But unfortunately, none of them have presented Bhagavad-gītā as it is. They have tried to exploit the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā and put something of their own idea. This is the defect. But Bhagavad-gītā, if we want to understand, then we have to accept it by the formula as described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Just like if you have got the medicinal bottle, the direction and dose is on the label, that "Two tablets thrice in a day, after meals," like that. But if you take the tablets according to your own whim or somebody who does not know how to use that medicine, without consulting the physician, then you may be in dangerous position. You will not get the result. That is sure and certain. But you may meet some dangerous position. Similarly, so far Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, the prime standard book of yoga system, if you want to learn something from Bhagavad-gītā about the peace and prosperity and anxietylessness of your life, then you have to take this medicine of Bhagavad-gītā according to the dose prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā, not outside.

So what is that dose? That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā:

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ

proktavān aham avyayam

vivasvān manave prāhur

manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt

[Bg. 4.1]

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

sa kāleneha (mahatā)

yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

[Bg. 4.2]

He says, "My dear Arjuna, this yoga system, I spoke to Vivasvān, the sun-god, some millions of years ago. And Vivasvān explained this yoga system to his son Manu, and Manu explained this yoga system to his son Ikṣvāku." Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam: "In such disciplic succession, the confidential knowledge of yoga was coming down, but unfortunately it is now broken, and therefore it is lost." Sa kāleneha yogaḥ naṣṭaḥ. Naṣṭa means it is lost. Now, you can think that when Kṛṣṇa was present five thousand years before, there were many big scholars, learned. Even Vyāsadeva was present. And not only Vyāsadeva, there were others also, great scholars, great sages. But Kṛṣṇa said, sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa: "In course of time, that disciplic succession being broken, the purport of this yoga system is now lost. And because it is lost, therefore I instruct you to understand this system of yoga." "Why to me? I am not a scholar." Arjuna was a military man, warrior. He was kṣatriya, not even brāhmaṇa, not a Vedāntist, nothing of the sort. He knew how to fight only. That's all. That was his qualification. But Kṛṣṇa wanted to teach him. Why? That is also explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Bhakto 'si: "Because you are My devotee." Therefore, to understand Bhagavad-gītā, the yoga system, one has to become a person of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is bhakta. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si: [Bg. 4.3] "You are My devotee, and you are very dear to Me. Therefore I am explaining to you." So if you want to know the perfect yoga system, then you will know it from Bhagavad-gītā perfectly. It is very easy. And you have to accept it… Because it was spoken to Arjuna very confidentially, bhakto 'si, so as Arjuna understood it… That is also explained in the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, how Arjuna accepted Bhagavad-gītā. In that process, if you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you can practice yoga system at home without any difficulty, and your life will be successful.

So yoga system is described in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Sixth Chapter. Of course, I do not know how much time you can spare. I could explain. How much time? It is now 8:15. Anyway, I shall try to explain some of the verses. The haṭha-yoga system, as mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, that is also prescribed, the haṭha-yoga system, that… [break] Now, He is prescribing the preliminary process of practicing yoga. What is that?

śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya

sthiram āsanam ātmanaḥ

nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ

cailājina-kuśottaram

First of all, to practice yoga, you have to find out a very secret and sacred place. Yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ. Rahasi means in a secluded place. Yoga practice cannot be done, haṭha-yoga system, as it is prescribed, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, the eight divisional yoga system, that cannot be practiced in assembly or in a crowded place or in a class. But Bhagavad-gītā says that yogī yuñjīta satatam ātmānaṁ rahasi sthitaḥ. Rahasi sthitaḥ means in a secluded place. Ekākī. Ekākī means alone. Ekākī yata-cittātmā, "controlling the senses and mind." Nirāśīḥ, "without any material desire," aparigrahaḥ, "or taking some help from others." Not that "I shall teach you yoga system by some monetary exchange." This is not yoga system. Aparigrahaḥ. Aparigrahaḥ means one should not expect something from others for learning or manifesting or exhibiting yoga system. Then not only he has to remain alone in a secluded place, but śucau deśe. Śucau deśe means a very sacred place. Pratiṣṭhāpya sthiram āsanam ātmānaḥ. One should have his own sitting place. Not that… That means he cannot change his sitting place. The same sitting place he should continue yoga system. Nāty-ucchritaṁ nāti-nīcaṁ cailājina-kuśottaram. There are skin, deerskins, and then straw mat, and then some soft clothing. In this way there is system of making your āsana, seat.

Then,

tatraikāgraṁ manaḥ kṛtvā

yata-cittendriya-kriyaḥ

upaviśyāsane yuñjyād

yogam ātma-viśuddhaye

"In that seat you have to concentrate your mind in order to purify your senses." That is the process. Real yoga process means to purify the senses and purify the mind. Then how one has to execute that yoga system? It is said, samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvam. Kāya means this trunk, body, and śira means head, and grīva means the neck. So it should be in a straight line. Samaṁ kāya-śiro-grīvaṁ dhārayann acalam. You should sit in such a posture that it will not move. It will not move. Straight, straight line. Then samprekṣya nāsikāgraṁ svam: "You have to see the tip of your nose, sitting straight line, without any movement, and you have to see the tip of your nose." Samprekṣya nāsikāgraṁ svaṁ diśaś cānavalokayan: "And you cannot see any other side. You have to simply see…" These are the process of concentrating the mind. Then praśāntātmā, by practicing, when you will be completely peaceful. Praśāntātmā vigata-bhīr. Vigata-bhīr means without any fear. And brahmacāri-vrate sthitaḥ, without any sex life. A yogi cannot indulge in sex life. That is the first principle. Brahmacāri-vrata sthitaḥ manaḥ saṁyamya mac-citto: "Concentrate the mind," mac-citto, "focusing the mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ. This is the yoga practice. But unfortunately, who is practicing yoga in this process? Nobody can find out a secluded place; nobody can concentrate his mind in that way; nobody can fix up in one seat; nobody can constantly look on the tip of the nose.

So there are many other formulas explained here. So therefore, as Lord… And in the Bhāgavata it is stated that kṛte tad dhyāyato viṣṇum: "These processes were tangible or possible to perform in the age which is known as Satya-yuga, or the Golden Age." Now you will find in these Bhagavad-gītā pages that after explaining the process or practice of yoga system, Arjuna said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, excuse me. I cannot practice it. I cannot practice it. It is impossible for me." Why? "Oh, I am a military man. How can I find out a secluded place? How can I sit in such a way? My mind is always restless. I have to do so many political affairs. So it is not possible for me." So how it is possible for the present-day people, which was refused by Arjuna five thousand years ago? It is not possible. The yoga system is accepted in the Vedic literature, that is a standard practice for self-realization. But the diagnosis of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum [SB 12.3.52], "The yoga system of meditation was possible to be practiced in the Golden Age, or in the Satya-yuga," but not in this age. Then how self-realization is possible? That is said, kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt: "Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa." It doesn't require a secluded place, a sanctified place, or so many rules and regulations. Anywhere you can chant. While you are walking on the street, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You are in meditation. While you are working, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is going to tax you; nobody is going to bother you. You have no loss, but the gain is immense. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is started, and it is easy, it is prescribed. If you at all want to get some spiritual benefit, you try to follow this prescribed method. Just like if you want at all to be cured, you must take the prescription of an experienced physician. Don't take any prescription who is a quack. If you take proper treatment, if you follow the instruction, then you be sure that you get the result out of it.

So in the last, when Arjuna refused, that "Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible. This system is not possible for me," then Kṛṣṇa, as the last standard of this yoga system process, He said plainly that,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntarātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

[Bg. 6.47]

Yoginām, "all kinds of yogis." There are many yogis: karma-yogī, jñāna-yogī, dhyāna-yogī, hatha-yogī, bhakti-yogī. Yoga system is just like a staircase. Just like in New York, that Empire State Building, that 102-story building. So there is a staircase or a lift. So yoga system is just like a lift to go to the highest perfection of life. [break] …I mean to say flat (indistinct). Just like karma-yoga. You can approach, you can make progress to the first or second floor. Similarly, by jñāna-yoga, you can make progress to the fiftieth floor. And similarly, by dhyāna-yoga, you can make progress up to the eightieth floor. But by bhakti-yoga, you can go to the highest platform. This is also very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: [Bg. 18.55] "If you want to know Me cent percent, then come to the bhakti-yoga." And the bhakti-yoga means this śravaṇam. The first thing is śravaṇa and kīrtana. You simply chant and hear, simple process. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and hear. Immediately you become benefited, immediately, and you get ecstasy. So our humble request is that this is very simple process, recommended process, approved process, and experimental process. If you try it without any loss, but with a prospect of a great gain, then you are requested that you can accept it.

Thank you very much. Now if there is any question, you can ask. No question? Yes.

Guest (1): You were speaking about the Golden Age, the age when seventy-five percent of people were pure.

Prabhupāda: No. Cent percent, Golden Age.

Guest (1): How many?

Prabhupāda: Cent percent.

Guest (1): Ten?

Prabhupāda: Cent percent.

Guest (1): Ten?

Prabhupāda: Cent.

Guest (1): Oh, a hundred.

Prabhupāda: Hundred percent. Yes.

Guest (1): Why would they practice yoga at a time when everybody was pure already?

Prabhupāda: Pure means materially pure. But yoga practice means go to the spiritual platform. Just like in the material qualities, some men are very good men-the quality of goodness-and some men are in passion. That is the rajo-guṇa. And some men are in darkness. So there are three qualities in the material world: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, and tamo-guṇa. So those who are situated in the modes of goodness, they are called perfect in the material world, very good men. That "very good man" does not mean that he is spiritually advanced. He may be moralist. He may be philanthropist, just like so many leaders of nations. That is another thing. The spiritual state is called viśuddha-sattva. Viśuddha-sattva means goodness where no other quality can contaminate. Here even one man is very good man, sometimes he is tinged with passion or ignorance. Just like I told you that Mahātmā Gandhi, he was a recognized good man, but he committed so many mistakes. So pure goodness is not possible in this material world. Pure goodness means spiritual life. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ [SB 5.18.12]. So because the spirit soul by nature is pure, by nature… As God is pure, similarly, we are part and parcel of God. We are also pure in our original position. But since we have come in contact with this material nature, our inferiority in different qualities or different degrees are present. So for spiritual advancement, one has to come first to the platform of goodness, then pure goodness.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

These things are there. So in the Satya-yuga, cent percent, or hundred percent people, they were on the platform of the quality of goodness.

Guest (2): If a person is married and they are interested in entering into Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, can they reach the ultimate?

Prabhupāda: Why not? There is no restriction. Marriage is sanctified prescription in every scripture. There were many great souls who were married. Marriage is no hindrance.

Guest (2): But what about celibacy?

Prabhupāda: Celibacy is still better. But one cannot, I mean to say, prosecute a celibate life, he can marry. There is no such restriction.

Guest (3): You talk about different yogas reaching different platforms, like one the twenty-fifth, one the fiftieth, and one the eightieth. Now, is it really… Does each one really reach the same point? Say one reaches the eightieth. Does it first reach the fiftieth and then the eightieth? In other words, do two yogas get to the same point? Then one can take you further, but the other one…

Prabhupāda: Yes. You have got the alternative. The same example: Just like in that Empire State building there are staircases, and there is lift also. So if you want to go step by step, then you can go. That is your option. But if you take the advantage of the lift, oh, in a second you can go.

Guest (3): And bhakti…

Prabhupāda: Similarly, there are different yoga processes. If you stick to some process you go little further. Then you take another-you go little further. But if you take the bhakti-yoga process, it is a lift immediately. Because, as I quoted the verse from Bhagavad-gītā, yoginām api sarveṣām [Bg. 6.47]. Sarveṣām means all. There are different kinds of yogis. So "Out of different kinds of many yogis," mad-gatenāntarātmanā, "one who is thinking of Me always within his heart," mad-gatenāntarāt…, śraddhāvān bhajate mām, "and is engaged in My service with faith and devotion," sa me yuktatamo, "oḥ, he is the first-class yogi." He is the first-class yogi. Because yoga means to contact the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the ultimate goal. So if by some process you can at once contact the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is first class. That is made easy in this age. Simply by chanting Kṛṣṇa, you immediately contact. Immediately. So why not take this process? Why not try? Just give a try and reach immediately. That is our proposal. We request everyone, "Try this process." Yes?

Guest (4): Does devotion come before wakefulness, or does wakefulness come before devotion?

Prabhupāda: Before?

Guest (4): Wakefulness, awareness.

Guest (2): Does devotion come before wakefulness, or does wakefulness come before devotion?

Prabhupāda: What do you mean by wakefulness?

Guest (4): Awareness. Feeling the present, being aware of yourself.

Prabhupāda: No. First you have to execute devotion; then awareness comes. If you do not read or labor for passing your examination, how you can pass examination? So therefore devotion is the prescribed rules and regulation. That is not very difficult. The primary rule is that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Just see. It is not difficult. Yes.

Guest (5): Should not one try to purify one's heart first and personality?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That will go. Just like if you take proper medicine for curing your disease, the more the disease is cured, you feel healthy life. Pure life means healthy life, and impure life means unhealthy life. So there is a process of bhakti-yoga, how one becomes purified. The first stage is ādau śraddhā. Just like you have, all ladies and gentlemen, come here with little respect for this, I mean to say, movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the basic principle. A little faith. "Oh, all right. Let us hear about it. Let us see." This is the beginning. Ādau śraddhā tato sādhu-saṅga. Now, if you think, "Oh, it is very nice. Oh, Swamijī explains very nicely," then you come again. That is called sādhu-saṅga, association. We have got our class. If you want, you can associate with us. Ādau śraddhā tato-sādhu-saṅga tato bhajana-kriyā. Bhajana-kriyā means practice. Just like my students, they came also like this. Not in the beginning they accepted, but he came after attending some lectures, then advanced, then offered that "Swamijī, I want to be your student." That is called bhajana-kriyā. So if he practiced the bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then he becomes purified. This is the process of purification. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Tato niṣṭhā. And as soon as he is purified, he become stuck up to this principle. He cannot give up. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ. Ruci means he gets a taste for it. Don't you think they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa always… Hackneyed, for others it is hackneyed, but they are feeling pleasure. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ. Ruci means taste. Tathāsakti. Then they cannot give it up. Tato bhāva. Then ecstasy. Sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ: "These are the gradual process of developing love of Godhead." And as soon as you develop love of Godhead, your life is successful. Yes?

Guest (6): Can you explain the reason why yogis don't eat meat?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Guest (2): Why shouldn't they eat meat?

Prabhupāda: Meat-eating, and if you believe in Bhagavad-gītā, is not the…, against the, our purificatory process. You cannot kindle fire, at the same time add water on it. If you want to kindle fire, then you have to keep that place very dry and fan it. Similarly, there are rules and regulations. Out of that rules and regulation is jīva-hiṁsā. Jīva-hiṁsā means unnecessary killing of animals. Now, if you have got sufficient foodstuff-a state I see in America… You have got sufficient grains, sufficient fruits, sufficient milk, milk products. Then if you can live on these things which are meant for human beings, why should you kill animals unnecessarily? If there is no alternative, that you cannot live… Just like in the desert, Arabian Desert, there is no food, no grain, for them animal-eating may be permissible. Because after all, we have to live. That is a different thing. But when you have got very nice foodstuff, and a very nutritious, palatable, sweet, why should you indulge in this unnecessary killing of animals? That is, will go against your purification. Therefore it is prohibited.

Guest (6): Is the unnecessary killing of animals part of, say, in relation to the incarnation, evolution to manual(?) forms. The objection to doing it is…?

Satsvarūpa: Is the objection to eating meat based on transmigration from animal to man?

Prabhupāda: No, animal can eat… The tiger, he is… By nature, he does not eat food or grain. He simply eats animals. So he can do that.

Guest (2): No, he was saying is the relationship, is the reason why we're not eating meat due to the fact that once we were animals and now we've progressed to human nature, to human form? Does that have any relationship?

Prabhupāda: Yes. The nature is that everyone should eat another animal or another living creature for existence. That is the law of nature. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam: "One living entity is the life of another living entity." That is a fact. Just like sahastānām ahastānam. Those who have got hands-that means men-for them, ahastāni, means the animals who have got no hands. And apadānanaṁ catuṣ-padām: "And the four-legged animals, they eat the grass, who cannot move." So grass has got life, as the animal has got life. We have got life. So this is… Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra: "The strong is eating the weak." So this is the law of nature. We are eating the grains and fruits. They have got also life. It is not that those who are vegetarians, or eating grains and fruit, they are not eating life. They are also eating life. But the bhakti-yoga process is that, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that the devotees, they take prasādam. We have got arrangement of distributing prasādam in every Sunday. Prasādam means the foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa and then you take. So what Kṛṣṇa wants, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Therefore we are not propagating the philosophy of ahiṁsā, or nonviolence, because in some way or other, there is violence, either you take fruit or grain or animal. But the principle is that you have to take prasādam, the foodstuff which is offered to Kṛṣṇa, and then eat. So these things, fruits, grains, are accepted by Kṛṣṇa. We offer to Kṛṣṇa and then eat them. This is the philosophy. Not that because we are eating fruits, therefore we are getting pious, and because… [break] Yes. When you become cent percent purified, then you go to the spiritual world. You haven't got to come back. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yad gatvā na nivartante yad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. So purificatory means that we are changing our bodies life after life, transmigrating. Now this is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to purify ourself so that next life we can get complete spiritual life, full of bliss, knowledge, and eternity. This is the process. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to get the highest perfection of life. And that opportunity is offered to the human society. The animal society, they cannot take advantage. The Bhagavad-gītā is meant for the human society. So if we take advantage of the presentation given by Kṛṣṇa, if we practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is opportunity of becoming fully, cent percent perfect. We have to take advantage of it. That's all. Yes?

Guest (7): To give up matter through the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, to make this contact by using the words of matter, how…?

Prabhupāda: It is very simple. It is sound vibration. Sound is the beginning of all material creation. Everywhere there is sound. So… And God is in everywhere. Therefore He is also in sound. So in sound form we can realize Him. The Kṛṣṇa, the transcendental sound, and the Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, is identical. That we have to realize by practicing.

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś

caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ

pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto

abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

[Cc. Madhya 17.133]

There is no, I mean to say, difference between the Supreme Person and His name. Just like in the material conception there is difference. If you want water, simply by chanting, "water, water," your satisfaction will not be there. But in the spiritual world, everything being absolute, there is no difference between the name Kṛṣṇa and the person Kṛṣṇa. Therefore by… And it is the easiest process for you. You can chant this name "Kṛṣṇa." That means by sound contact, you contact the Supreme Person. That is a point of realization. You have to practice it, and you know it really.

Guest: With the use of science(?) and to chant before us?

Satsvarūpa: To chant now?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on chanting. Yes. Thank you very much. You join with us these sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Please, you can try in this class and try to find out how it is nice. (kīrtana, prasāda distribution) Distribute prasāda. Oh, you should have cut it before. Why did you not cut it before? Take somebody and distribute. Take that pot. Distribute one. You can distribute. You supply. You take and supply. Yes. Yes. You take and supply. What is that? Why you have not cut it? It is taking simply time. Cut it. Yes. Go on, take it. You take it. You take it. Supply that. You take and supply that. Take it there. (sounds of utensils and pots) (long pause) Go take that pot. The very pot, you can take. That pot. All right. Take it. Go on. You can wash later. (end)

690429LE.BOS

Brandeis University Lecture

Boston, April 29, 1969

Prabhupāda:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes of ignorance with the torch of knowledge."

My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for participating in our saṅkīrtana. It is very simple, chanting the sixteen words Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Actually there are only three words: Hare, Kṛṣṇa, and Rāma. It is not difficult. Everyone can immediately, within a second, can chant these three names, Hare, Kṛṣṇa, and Rāma. But to make it still easier and suitable, they have been arranged in two lines of eight words each line. That is very rhythmic, and one feels immediately transcendental pleasure to chant. It is not hackneyed. We have chanted about exactly half an hour, but if we chant even twenty-four hours, you'll never feel tired. That is the significance, practical. You will feel more and more enthusiastic to chant. Our boys and girls do that. In the beginning, of course, you may not understand, but you take to this practice of chanting, you'll feel immediately transcendental pleasure. I saw, although some of you could not join us in dancing and chanting, but you were, from your seat, you were trying to dance. That I have seen. It is practical. We have seen even children, they immediately take to this dancing and chanting. So it is not very difficult. The most easy process of transcendental realization. We don't ask you to press your nose, or put your head downwards, or make some gymnastic. No. In whatever condition you are, it doesn't matter. You simply chant these sixteen names. There is no secrecy. We are not charging any fees, that "You pay me so many dollars, I'll give you a secret mantra, and you chan…" No. It is open. It is distributed freely. Simply you have to take it. That's all. The result will be, oh, great. Make an experiment. You have no loss. You haven't got to pay anything. But if you take this, the result will be very, very great, which has no comparison in this world. That is practical.

So result is… That is stated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who inaugurated this movement. You see this picture, five learned brāhmaṇas. In the center there is one picture who is Lord Caitanya. He started this movement when He was only seventeen years old, a boy. A boy only-a schoolboy. He was student, but He introduced this movement five hundred years ago, and some of the elderly men, as you see, one elderly man with beard, He also helped Him, and the others… Actually this movement was originally started by young boys. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, and Advaita Prabhu, They started. And there was a great agitation against Them by the brāhmaṇas, priestly brāhmaṇas, at that time. So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu picked up these sixteen words from Vedic literature. It is not that He manufactured something. No. In the Vedic way there is no question of manufacturing something, religious process. No. Just like you manufacture law. In your state, privately, you cannot manufacture law. The law is given by the state. Similarly, any process, any process for self-realization, you cannot manufacture. That is to be taken directly from God and His representative. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated,

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati…

abhyutthānam adharmasya

tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

[Bg. 4.7]

"Whenever there is discrepancies in the religious principle, then," the Lord says that "I appear to establish the real purpose of religiosity." That is going on. So according to our Vedic principle, there is no question of manufacturing a new type of religion. No. So Lord Caitanya introduced this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, not that He manufactured something. No.

It is stated in the Agni Purāṇa-perhaps you have heard. There are eighteen purāṇas. Out of that, one Purāṇa is called Agni Purāṇa, and another Purāṇa is called Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa. So in these two purāṇas, and many other purāṇas also, this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is there, that in this age… "In this age" means this age of Kali, where everything is based on disagreement and dissension. Nobody will agree with others' proposal. Everyone is thinking that "I am independent. I can think in my own way. I can have my own process of self-realization." So many. Therefore it is recommended in this age that for self-realization these mantras, sixteen mantra, should be chanted… Faithfully. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as follows: kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ [SB 12.3.52]. In the Golden Age, when everyone was pious, at that time, meditation was recommendation. Meditation. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum: meditation on Viṣṇu. Tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. In the next age, the recommendation was to perform great sacrifices. And the next age was recommended for temple worship, or church worship, or mosque worship. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ, dvāpare paricaryāyām. Dvapar… Next age, just the age about five thousand years ago, the age was called Dvāpara-yuga. At that time temple worship was very gorgeous and very successful. Now, in this age, Kali-yuga, which has begun about five thousand years past, in this age, it is recommended, kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. You can realize yourself simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. And if you take to this simple process, result will be that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. The rubbish thing which has gathered in your heart will be cleansed. And what is that rubbish thing? That rubbish thing is also described, that yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. Anyone… These are the description of rubbish things. Anyone who is thinking this body, this bundle of skin and bones, is the self… This skin and, I mean to say, blood, and intestines, and stools, and urine-this body means combination of all these nice things, skin, bone… Bone, when you touch, according to our Hindu scripture, one has to take bath. So that bone is within you. Blood is also sometimes accepted as contagious. So this is not the self. Everyone is thinking that "I am this body." This is rubbish thing.

So, if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, then you will very easily understand that you are not this body; you are spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. That is the first installment, you'll understand. For self-realization, there are so many different processes. There are mystic yogis. There are philosophical speculators. There are karmīs. There are jñānīs. And… But this process, immediately you will realize that you are not this body. You are not matter; you are spirit soul. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And, as soon as you understand that you are not this body, you are not matter, that you are spirit soul, then immediately you become joyful. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, and actually it is a fact. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as one becomes elevated to the platform of spiritual realization, self-realization, immediately he will be free from all anxieties. Material life means full of anxieties. However great you may be, you are always full of anxieties. But if you come to the platform of spiritual realization, immediately you become free from anxieties. This is the test. Simply by advertising that you have elevated to the highest platform stage by taking some drugs or medicine or this way or that way… No. The result will be practical that you will immediately feel joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. And what is the symptom of joyous life? No more hankering, no more lamenting. So long we are in the material stage, we have got two kinds of business: we are hankering after something which we do not possess, and we are lamenting after something we had which we have lost. So as soon as you come to the spiritual platform, then you will understand that "I do not belong to this material world. So what is my gain and what is my loss? I do not belong to this platform at all." Suppose we are sitting in this room. Because I do not belong to this room, if there is some loss in this room or gain in this room, we are not interested. We are not interested. Similarly, this is self-realization.

So if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, your self-realization will be possible on the second stage. First stage: you'll realize that you are not matter but you are spirit soul, Brahman; and the second stage is: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni means these material anxieties. It is compared with forest fire. Forest fire means in this material world everyone wants to be happy. That is a fact. Everyone. But some, by some cause or by some way, there is a fire just like forest fire. Nobody's interested to go in the forest and set fire there, but there is fire, automatically. Similarly, this world… Nobody wants war, nobody wants famine, nobody wants earthquake, nobody wants disease, nobody wants death, but these things happening. It will happen. Even if you do not want, you cannot, I mean to say, combat all these, I mean to say, attacks of the material nature. That is the way of material nature. Therefore self-realization is the opportunity of this human form of life. This human form of life… According to… Most of you, many of you may be students of anthropology, of Darwin's theory, that the life is evolving. This anthropology long, long years was stated in the Padma Purāṇa. There it is, it is stated, aśītiṁ caturaś caiva bhramadbhiḥ jīva-jātiṣu. Bhramadbhiḥ jīva-jā… These very words are there. These are Sanskrit words. What is that? Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs… That means 8,400,000 species of life, and you have got this human form of life, civilized form of life. This life has to be properly utilized. That is the whole purpose of Vedic literature. It is not to be spoiled like cats and dogs simply for sense gratification. One has to control the sense life or animal life and take to tapa. This very word is used there. Tapa means austerity, penance. We have read in the Indian history that there were many, many great sages, even kings; they left everything, they went to the forest for practicing austerity and penances. Recent, very recently… Every one of you know it that Lord Buddha… He was also Indian. He was also a kṣatriya, a prince, but he left everything and he went to the forest for self-realization.

So the self-realization process is to be achieved by this human form of life. That is… Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is indicating everyone. We are teaching that "Don't spoil your this rare human form of life simply by engaging yourself in the matter of sense gratification." Because sense gratification ample, or sufficient sense gratification opportunity you had even in the hog's life. Because we have migrated, we have evolved from hog's life also. Sometimes we had been a hog or a dog or something like that. Now we have come to this stage of life, this life should not be spoiled like the cats, dogs and hogs. But we should have some restraint and realize ourself. This possibility is there simply by chanting these sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is possible. This is practical. Since I came to your country in 1965… Of course, for one year I was traveling here and there, but in 1966 I established first my class in New York at 26 Second Avenue. Then there were many branches now. We have got about sixteen branches all over the country. And these students, they are chanting, and they have taken to the austerity. I don't accept any cheap student or cheap disciple. My first condition is that there is no illicit sex life, there is no intoxication, there is no gambling, and there is no meat-eating. These four principles are there, but all my students in these twenty, about sixteen centers-one in London, one in Germany-but you will be surprised that all these boys and girls, they have taken to this austerity very seriously. They're not drinking even tea or smoking a cigarette.

So spiritual life does not mean a whimsical life. It is, first of all basic principle is, that building character. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that when Arjuna is accepting Lord Kṛṣṇa, he is saying that paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: [Bg. 10.12] "My dear Lord, Kṛṣṇa, You are the most purest." Purest. Most pure. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma: "You are the Supreme Lord. You are pure." So idea is that if you want to have spiritual life, you have also become, to become pure. Without being pure… That pureness… This evolution means gradual process of purifying process. You are not… You are distinct from cats and dogs means your body is purified than the body of the cats and dogs. So purification required. The first principle of purification are these four regulative principles. So they have taken to this very easily. Some of them, students, they were, six months ago they were not my students, but by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa they have seriously taken to these principles of austerities. That is not… That is stated by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. As soon as you come to the understanding that "I am not this ma… I am not this matter; I am spirit soul," immediately this process will follow, that you will have no unnecessary material demands. Smoking is not a necessary thing, but you have learned it by society or by company. So it is not necessary. It is unnecessary. Similarly, gambling is also unnecessary. Simply… Similarly, illicit sex life is also unnecessary. Oh, all these things are unnecessary, but we have gathered by some association for company. Similarly, you can give it up also, by association. So ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nir… [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And unless you purify yourself, you cannot understand yourself or the position of God.

It is stated, all these, in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ

mukta-saṅgasya jāyate

[SB 1.2.20]

Prasanna-manaso. You have to first of all place yourself in a platform which is full, free of all anxiety. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso. Prasanna means full of joy, full of life. Evaṁ prasann… That can be achieved simply by practicing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service to the Lord.

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam…

[SB 1.2.20]

This science of God is not a petty thing. You see? We are going to understand the supreme cause of everything. What is God? God means the Supreme, the ultimate cause, or sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1]. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Just like you are searching out what is the cause of this thing, what is this cause of this thing, this thing… Go on searching. When you come to the ultimate cause, that is God. That is explained in the, I mean to say, Vedānta-sūtra. The Vedānta-sūtra, the first code is athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now let us discuss about the Supreme Absolute Truth." And immediately the answer is… What is Brahman? Janmādy asya yataḥ: [SB 1.1.1] "The ultimate source of everything." A simple word. You have to find out the ultimate source of everything, the cause of all causes. Then you have found out God. Don't accept a nonsense as God. Find out the cause of causes, ultimate cause, where there is no more cause. He is the ultimate cause. That is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā and all Vedic literature. Just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated,

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

[Bs. 5.1]

This sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam, cause of all causes. Of course, it is not possible to explain all the science of God immediately, within half an hour or fifteen minutes. It is not possible. But our request is that don't spoil your human form of life. You are all young boys and girls. You have got ample time. I am old man. I will die, say, within five or ten years, but you'll live at least for sixty, seventy, eighty years. Culture. Cultivate this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you'll be happy. Your life will be successful. That is all.

And the method is simple: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare… If you simply chant, that is sufficient for your self-realization. But if you want to study this philosophy, or the science of God, through your philosophy and argument, logic, we have got enough stock of books. We have got sixty volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Already we have published five volumes. We have got Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. We have got Teachings of Lord Caitanya. We are publishing Back to Godhead paper. So if you want to understand this philosophy by your learning, by your academic career, we have got sufficient stock to supply you-sufficient stock. Don't think that we are all sentimentalists, simply dancing. No. There is a background. There is a background. If you want… You are educated boys and girls. Try to understand this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Your life will be successful. That is our aim. I'll not take much of your time.

Now, if you have got anything to ask from me, I shall reply for fifteen minutes. Then we shall begin our chanting, and I shall request you that you also join with our chanting. That is our request. Thank you very much. (pause) You have got any question? All right. Thank you. There is no question. Then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

690430LE.BOS

Northeastern University Lecture

Boston, April 30, 1969

Prabhupāda: My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for attending this meeting. We are spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because there is a great need of this movement through the whole world, and the process is very easy. That is the advantage. First of all, try to understand what is the transcendental platform. So far our living condition is concerned, we are in different platforms. So we have to first of all stand on the transcendental platform. Then there is question of transcendental meditation. In the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Third Chapter, you'll find that we have got different status of conditional life. The first is indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur… [Bg. 3.42]. Sanskrit, indriyāṇi. First thing is bodily conception of life. Every one of us in this material world, we are under this bodily concept of life. I am thinking Indian, "I am Indian." You are thinking you are American. Somebody's thinking, "I am Russian." Somebody's thinking, "I am somebody else." So everyone is thinking that "I am this body." This is one standard, or one platform. This platform is called sensual platform because so long we have bodily conception of life, we think happiness means sense gratification. That's all. Happiness means sense gratification because body means senses. So indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ [Bg. 3.42]. Lord Kṛṣṇa says that in the material concept of life, or bodily concept of life, our senses are very prominent. That is going on at the present moment. Not at the present moment; since the creation of this material world. That is the disease, that "I am this body." Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhiḥ [SB 10.84.13], that "Anyone who has the concept of this bodily understanding, that 'I am this body…' " Ātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātu. Ātma-buddhiḥ means concept of self in this bag of skin and bone. This is a bag. This body is a bag of skin, bone, blood, urine, stool, and so many nice things. You see? But we are thinking that "I am this bag of bone and skin and stool and urine. That is our beauty. That is our everything."

There are many nice stories… Of course, our time is very short. Still, I wish to narrate one short story, that one man, one boy, was attracted by a beautiful girl. So the girl does not agree, and the boy is persistent. So in India, of course, the girls, they keep their chastity very strict. So the girl was not agreeing. So she said, "All right, I agree. After one week you come." She appointed, "Such and such time, you come." So the boy was very glad. And the girl took some purgative throughout the seven days, and she was passing stool, day and night, and vomiting, and she kept all these vomits and stool in a nice pot. So when the appointed time came, the boy came, and the girl was sitting on the door. The boy inquired, "Where is that girl?" She said, "I am that girl." "No, no. You are not. You are so ugly. She was so beautiful. You are not that girl." "No, I am that girl, but I have now separated my beauty in a different pot." "What is that?" She showed: "This is the beauty, this stool and vomit. This is the ingredient." Actually anyone may be very robust or very beautiful-if he passes stool for three or four times, everything changes immediately.

So my point is that, as stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that this bodily concept of life is not very sanguine. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. This body, composition of several things like bones and skins and blood and urine and stool and secretions, so many things, that is not right calculation of self-realization. Of course, those who are too much engrossed with the bodily concept of life, they have been recommended to practice the haṭha-yoga system. That is also mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā. Just like you'll find in the "Sāṅkhya-yoga." This Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, as we have published, page number 153, there is a statement how one should practice this transcendental meditation. Verse number thirteen and fourteen, it is said, "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line." This body, this body, this head, this neck, and the body, whole body, trunk, should be erect in a straight line, and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Just like you have to sit like this and you have to look, not closing your eyes but half-closing your eyes, and you have to look on the point of your nose. "One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me," the Lord says. Before that, the primary prescriptions, how one should practice this transcendental meditation, that one has to restrict especially sex life… One has to select a very solitary place and a sacred place, and he should sit down alone. This meditation process is not practiced in a place like this, where many men are gathering. It is recommended, it must be a solitary place, sacred place, and alone. And then you have to sit, or you have to select your sitting place. There are so many things. Of course, those things cannot be explained within few minutes. If you are very much interested, you'll find in this book, "Sāṅkhya-yoga" chapter.

So one has to, from the bodily concept of life, one has to transcend himself to the spiritual platform. That is the whole, meaning of whole process. Just like I began to say that in the beginning our self-realization means we are thinking this body. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur [Bg. 3.42]. Then one who has transcended this bodily concept of life, he comes to the platform of mind. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ. Manaḥ means mind. Somebody, some people, some of…, practically the whole population of the world, they are under the bodily concept of life, and, above them, there are some people who are on the mental concept of life. They are thinking mind. And somebody is on the intellectual platform of life.

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur

indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhiḥ…

[Bg. 3.42]

Buddhiḥ means intelligence. And, when you transcend the intellectual platform also, then you come to the spiritual platform. That realization first of all required. Before you practice transcendental realization, you have to reach to the transcendental platform. That transcendental platform is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Perhaps you have heard this word, Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is transcendentalist, that "I am not this body, I am not this mind, I am not this intelligence, but I am spirit soul." That platform. Then what is the symptoms of a person who has reached that platform? Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. When you reach to the platform of Brahman realization… Brahman realization means transcending. We are talking on the transcendental meditation. So transcending the bodily concept of life, transcending the mental concept of life, transcending the intellectual concept of life, when you come to the real spiritual platform, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ stage.

So brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, it is not simply word, that "I have realized Brahman." There are symptoms. Everything has got symptoms, how one has realized Brahman. That stage is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. When one is on the transcendental platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, his symptom is that he's always joyful, joyful. There is no moroseness, And what is joyful? That is also explained. What is joyfulness? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He does not hanker after anything, neither he laments. In the material platform we have got two symptoms: hankering and lamenting. The things which we do not possess, we hanker after it: "I must have it. I must have it. I must have this, this, that…" Gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ [SB 5.5.8]. There is nice explanation how this hankering, hankering is expanded. This hankering expanded: this whole material world is hankering after sex life. That is the basic principle of hankering. Puṁsāṁ mitho. Puṁsāṁ striyo mithunī-bhāvam etam. This is Sanskrit language. Mithunī-bhāvam means sex life. Either in human society or animal society or bird society or insects'-everywhere you will find that sex life is very prominent. That is materialistic way of life, indriyāṇi, senses. So the everyone… A boy is hankering after a girl, a girl in hankering after a boy, or a man is hankering after woman, woman is hankering… This is going on. This is not unnatural. This is the natural life. And tayor mitho, the hankering is there. But as soon as they meet or unite, it becomes a hard knot, tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ [SB 5.5.8], a hard knot in the heart, that "I am matter. I am this matter. This world belongs to me. This country belongs to me. This body belongs to me." That means hard knot. Instead of transcending from the concept of body life, it becomes still more hard knot. It is very difficult. Therefore those who are practicing yoga, or trying to be on the transcendental platform, the restriction is that one must cease sex life, if you at all interested. But that is not possible. Therefore our, this method, we don't say "Stop sex life," but we say "Don't have illicit sex life." Illicit sex life, of course, even there is no question of transcendent life, that is a question of civilized life. Civilized life. In every civilized society-it may be Hindu society or Muslim society or Christian society-any civilized human society, there is the system of marriage. And beyond marriage, if there is sex life, that is called illicit sex life. That is never indulged in any society. So what to speak of transcendental life? Transcendental life must be purified from mental concoction or bodily concept of life. It is the transcendental platform. Tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ.

So these things are very restricted in order to reach that transcendental platform. But in this age, in this age of Kali, where everything is disturbed, always full of anxieties, and the life is very short… That is also explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: prāyeṇa kalau asmin yuge janāḥ. Life is very short, and they are not interested for any transcendental subject matter. They are interested only with the bodily concept of life. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ [SB 1.1.10]. And always disturbed by so many anxieties. How he can ascend to the platform of transcendental realization? It is very difficult in this age. Therefore Arjuna, who was being taught by Kṛṣṇa that "You try this practice of transcendental life," but Arjuna said… Arjuna means he was taking this instruction five thousand years ago. He was a royal prince. He was very much advanced in so many things. He said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible to practice this transcendental process of ascending by yoga practice, this haṭha-yoga practice. It is not possible." He refused. He refused that "Because I am a family man, I have come here to fight for my, I mean to say, political interest, how I can practice this system, that I have to go to a solitary place, I have to sit down like this, I have to practice like this, I have to cease from sex life? It is not possible." Just try to understand. So transcendental platform by the haṭha-yoga system, practicing all the rules and regulations, is not possible in this age at all. If somebody is trying to practice that thing in so-called ways, that is not… Actually you cannot perform this transcendental meditation in city life. It is not possible. That is very clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You'll read. So you have to live in the city. You have to live with your family. You have to live with your friends. It is not possible to go to the forest and find out a secluded place.

So here, in this age, if you want to rise on the transcendental platform, then, as it is recommended by Vedic literature, kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt: "In this age, simply by chanting the holy name of God…" Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. We are introducing this system not to make it very easy by our mental concoction. It is recommended. It is practiced. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced this transcendental meditational process. You'll see. You have already seen that these boys and girls, as soon as they begin chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, immediately there is a transcendental feeling. If you practice, you will understand how you are feeling transcendentally. The easiest process. Now I have began this movement in this country, say, from 1966. So I began in New York in a small storefront, and gradually they came. Now it is spread. There are about fifteen, sixteen branches all over your country, and these boys are practicing simply, the simplest process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This sound vibration, this transcendental sound vibration, immediately will carry you on the transcendental platform. And if you kindly hear also… You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and try to hear so that your mind is absorbed in the sound vibration. And this Kṛṣṇa sound vibration means Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute, God is absolute, there is no difference between God's name and God. Just like in the material world there is difference between water and the name "water," the "flower" and the thing, flower, in the spiritual world, in the absolute world, there is no such difference. Therefore, as soon you vibrate this transcendental sound, Kṛṣṇa, Hare, Rāma, immediately you associate with the Supreme Lord and His energy. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa… The meaning of this transcendental vibration is Hare… Hare means "O the energy of the Supreme Lord." Everything is being done by the energy of the Supreme Lord. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Just like you have got practical example. This material world means creation of the energy of the sunshine. Every one of you-you are all scientific students-you know that all these planets, they are rotating on account of heat and light of the sun. And similarly, the whole creation, material and spiritual creation, they are manifestation of the energy of the Supreme Lord. Just like the sunshine is the energy of the sun globe, similarly, there is a supreme planet which is called Kṛṣṇaloka, or Goloka. These things are mentioned in the Vedic literature, Brahma-sūtra, Brahma-saṁhitā. If you want, you can read them. There is immense literature for this information. So we are praying to the energy of the Supreme Lord and the Supreme Lord, "Please pick me up. Please pick me up. I am in this transcend…, the bodily concept of life. I am in this material existence. I am suffering. Please pick me up to the spiritual platform so that I will be happy." Because, as I explained just a minute before, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā: [Bg. 18.54] as soon as you come to the transcendental platform, you become joyful, happy. Joy… That is the sign. It is not that simply you say that "I am in the transcendental meditation. I am a…" No. Actually you have to become happy. How you have to become happy? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. There is no hankering; there is no lamentation. And material life means as soon as we are hankering after sex conjugation, and as soon as there is conjugation, atha gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ [SB 5.5.8], as soon as we are united, man and woman, then I want a nice apartment, I want some business, I want some land, I want some friends, I want some society. Similarly, we extend our bodily concept of life. There is no question of transcendental platform.

So we have to wind up from the material concept of life to the spiritual concept, or spiritual platform. That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. When… One who is on the spiritual platform, he has no more hankering, no more lamentation. Why he should be hankering? He knows that "I don't want anything material. Why shall I be hankering? Whatever is, I mean, barely required, I must be satisfied with that thing." So that is a, a very, not very nice proposal to the materially advanced world at this present moment. People will not accept it. Therefore this process, transcendental… Yukta-vairāgya. It is called yukta-vairāgya. You just remain in your place. This is the facility of this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You haven't got to change your place. You remain. You are student; you remain a student. You are businessman; you remain businessman. You are woman, man, or anyone, any, black, white, anyone-you remain in your position. Simply you try to hear. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You just remain in your position. You simply hear. Kindly give your aural reception to this transcendental sound. Very simple process. No charges. We are not charging anything, that "You give us so many dollars, then I shall give you this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa." It is publicly distributed. You simply catch up and try it. You'll… Very quickly you'll come to the transcendental platform, and when you hear the chanting, that is transcendental meditation. This process is recommended in all scriptures of Vedic literature, and it is followed by Lord Caitanya and His disciplic succession for the last five hundred years, and people are achieving good result. Not only in India, here also, the young boys and girls who have joined this movement… You try to understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, how transcendental meditation is possible. We are not sentimentalists. We have got many books. Just like here is our Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and Teachings of Lord Caitanya. We have got our magazine, Back to Godhead. We have got Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, five volumes. So many things. Īśopaniṣad. It is not that we are sentimentalist. We are backed by high philosophical thoughts and everything. But if you take this simple process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you immediately are elevated on the transcendental platform without reading so many big literatures, philosophy, or understanding. That is the gift to the present conditional souls of the world by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in accordance with this Vedic sanction.

So our request-that you give a try. You simply chant, at home or anywhere. There is no restriction that "You have to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in such and such place, in such and such condition." Niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. There is no restriction of time and, I mean to say, circumstances or atmosphere. Anywhere, at any time, you can meditate. You are… No meditation is possible while you are walking on the street. But this meditation is possible: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And go on with your work. You are working with your hands? You can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. So this is very nice. So kindly accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. At the same time, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. Lord Caitanya says that the Lord's name… Lord's name is not, I mean to say, limited with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the perfect name. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. And Rāma means the supreme pleasure. So if God is not all-attractive and supreme pleasure, then what is the meaning of God? God must be. He must be the supreme pleasure. Otherwise how you can be satisfied with Him? Your heart is hankering after so many, so many pleasures. If God cannot satisfy you with all the pleasures, Rāma, then how He can be God? Therefore these two names, Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, and all-attractive. If Kṛṣṇa cannot be attractive to any person, then how He can be God? He is attractive actually. So these three names… We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So if you think, "Oh, this is Indian name. This is Hindu name. Why shall we chant? Why shall I chant the Hindu name…?" There are some sectarian people, they may think like that. But Lord Caitanya says, "It doesn't matter. If you have got any bona fide name of God, you chant that. But you chant God's name." That is the prescription of this movement. And do not think that this movement is a proselytizing movement from Christian to Hindu, or Hindu to… No. You remain Christian, Hindu, Jew, or Muhammadan. It doesn't matter. Our process if that if you are really to perfect your human form of life, then try to learn, develop your dormant love of Godhead. That is perfection of life. That is perfection of life. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje [SB 1.2.6]. You profess any type of religion-then just test whether your religion is perfect or you are perfect, whether you have developed your love for God than any other love. We have distributed our love in so many things. When all those love will be concentrated simply on God, that is perfection of life. Love is there, but because we do not know, because we have forgotten our relationship with God, therefore we are imposing our love on dog. That has been our disease.

So we have to transfer our love from so many dogs to God. That is the perfection of life. And we are not teaching any particular type of religion. We are simply teaching that you love God. And this is possible simply by chanting these three names, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare… It is sixteen names. Actually there are three names: Hare, Kṛṣṇa, and Rāma. Rāma means the supreme pleasure, Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive, and Hare means the energy. Then it is perfect. Energy and the Lord, that is whole sum and substance of all creation, cosmic manifestation, anything. They are detailed in this Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but that is the sum and substance of everything.

Thank you very much. Any questions? [break] I told you. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Have you got any idea, all-attractiveness? How one can be all-attractive, have you got any idea? Will any of you explain? Yes.

Devotee: By taking everything as prasāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise, how He can be all-attractive? That is explained. I will explain what is Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive. We have got idea. If one man is very rich, he is attractive. If one man is very strong, he is attractive. If one man is very beautiful, he is attractive. Man or woman, it doesn't matter. If one man is wise, he is attractive. In this way there are six opulences: richness, strength, influence, beauty, wisdom, and renunciation. When these six things are in complete in one person, that is all-attractive. So Kṛṣṇa exhibited all these things, six opulences, in one person. Therefore He's all-attractive.

Student: You said something about the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Er, is He the energy that divides the energy from everything, or is He all…? Everything comes down to just another form of energy, another form of complexity, so that everything is suited to one thing and yet it's different?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like by electric energy you have got heater, at the same time, cooler also. The energy is one, but in one place it is utilized for heating; in another place it is utilized as cooling. Similarly, this, er… Take the energy of sunlight. The sunlight is one, but by the sunlight some flowers are becoming red, some flowers are becoming blue, the leaves are becoming green. So everything is due to the same energy, sunlight, but the variety is there. Variety is there. So energy may be one. Just like in your country, by electric energy you are working in so many ways. So do not, I mean to say, make minus all these varieties, the energy in diverse varieties. Therefore the whole conception is, Brahman conception is, that unity in diversity. Everything is working by the energy of the Supreme Brahman, and in the energy we have got different diversities. So we cannot neglect the diversities, although the energy is one.

Student: God is a state of mind?

Prabhupāda: No. That I have explained, that we have different stages of understanding. The first stage is this bodily concept of life. That is material and gross. Then mental stage, that is finer, subtle. And intellectual stage, that is still subtler. And you have to transcend all these stages, up to intellectual stage. That is spiritual stage. God is complete spirit, full spirit.

Indian woman: Is God the one energy you speak of?

Prabhupāda: God is… What is your question? "God is one energy?" No. God is not energy. God is one, but He has diverse energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. In the Vedic literature we understand that God is one, but His energies are many, multi-energies. We are also one of the energies of God, we living entities. We are also energy. That is stated in the, er… Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Lord Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that "These material energies, namely fire," I mean to say, "earth, water, fire, air, mind, intelligence, ego, they are inferior energy. Beyond these inferior energy, there is another, superior energy. That superior energy is called jīva-bhūto mahā-bāho. These living entities, they are superior energy." Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat: [Bg. 7.5] "They are," I mean to say, "ruling over these material energies." So living entity is superior energy, and this material energy is inferior energy. Therefore we are trying to control over the material energy, but because we are very small, it is not possible to have full control over the material energy. After all, this is energy of… Just like we can utilize the sunshine some way or other, but it is not possible for us to utilize the whole sunshine. It is not possible. So that is called māyā. The superior energy, living entity, is trying to control over the inferior energy, material energy, but because we are very minute, small, it is not possible to have full control over the material energy. Rather, we are being controlled by the material energy due to our smallness. These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter. If you are interested, you'll find.

Student: You say there's pure joy in achieving the transcendental platform. Why? Why necessarily joy and not sorrow?

Prabhupāda: Because you are seeking after joy. Because you are originally transcendental, spirit soul. You're hankering after. Your business is to come to that platform of joyfulness. But you are somehow or other put into this material platform. You are not having fulfilled your joy. Just like you belong to this land, and if you are put into the ocean, Atlantic Ocean, however expert swimmer you may be, you cannot be happy. You have to come back to the land. Then you can be happy. Similarly, we are all spiritual souls, spiritual sparks. Just like the sunshine. Sunshine means there are molecular parts of shining principles. Similarly, we are also molecular parts and parcel of God, who is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra… He is full of joy. So we, as part and parcel also, we are full of joy. So unless we come in contact with the Supreme, our joyfulness will never be fulfilled. Therefore we have to come to the spiritual platform if we want to have that full spiritual or full joyfulness, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. (end)

690501LE.BOS

Lecture Excerpt

Boston, May 1, 1969

Prabhupāda: …and, I mean to say, ornament Kṛṣṇa, the more you become rich. The reflection… Kṛṣṇa being richly dressed, richly fed, it will be reflected on you. Kṛṣṇa is not in necessity, but we should dress Kṛṣṇa with the first-quality ornaments. In India, the Deities, They are given very, very valuable jewelry. The Muhammadans were attracted for these jewelries. They came to India to plunder the temples to get the jewelries. Still in temples there are millions of dollars of jewelries, temple. In Jagannātha temple there is a valuable jewel just here. It is kept here in a pocket. So the Deities should be very nicely dressed. That will be temple worship. At the same time should also chant. (break-end)

690503LE.BOS

Lecture at International Student Society

Boston, May 3, 1969

(kīrtana led by Satsvarūpa dāsa)

Prabhupāda: (recites maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your participating with us in the saṅkīrtana movement, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to awake the sleeping living entities. In the Vedic literature, Upaniṣad, we have these verses, which says, uttiṣṭha jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata. The Vedic voice, transcendental voice, says, "O humanity, O living entity, you are sleeping. Please get up." Uttiṣṭha. Uttiṣṭha means "Please get up." Just like when a man or a boy sleeps past, and the parents, who has got knowledge that he has got to do something important, "My dear boy, please get up. It is now morning. You have to go. You have to go to your duty. You have to go to your school." Just like responsible parents, fathers, mothers, they awake the sleepy, indolent boy, similarly, the Vedas are considered as the mother of the human society. So Vedas, it is crying, uttiṣṭha: "Please get up. Please get up." And what is that sleeping? Sleeping means just like when we sleep we forget ourself. Anyone, either common man or very rich man, when he's fast asleep he forgets himself. Sometimes he dreams. Although he is sleeping in very nice apartment, nice bedstead, but he is dreaming that he is thrown into the ocean or into the fire or something like that. Sometimes he is dreaming that he is flying in the sky-so many things dreaming. Everyone, you have got experience. Similarly, our this state of consciousness, material consciousness, is on the sleeping state, in the darkness of sleeping state. We do not know. We do not know what is my identity. We do not know wherefrom we have come in this place, where we have to go. Neither they have any information whether there is life after death. Very gross understanding, just like animals. Animal is standing, eating some grass. Although next moment he'll be taken to the slaughterhouse and he'll be killed, but he has no information. He is very happy eating the grass. And even if it is informed, "My dear Mr. Ox, you are eating grass here very happily. Just half an hour after you will be taken to the slaughterhouse. You go away from this place," but he has no knowledge. The grass-eating is very palatable to him than to take protection from being killed. So this is called ignorance, ignorance, sleeping state. Therefore the Veda is crying, uttiṣṭham jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhatam, kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā: "You have got now this human form of life, a great boon, not like animal. Please do not therefore waste your time sleeping like animals simply in the matters of eating, sleeping, mating and defending." That is the verdict of Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15].

Therefore, human life should be very much responsible. This life is the preparation for the next life. Next life we have always, but we do not know what kind of life we are getting next. That we should know. That is the business of human form of life, not to waste life like animals and evolve. By the laws of nature, we get another form of life. We are evolving by the evolutionary theory. It is not theory. Of course, Mr. Darwin has called it theory, but in the Padma Purāṇa, Vedic literature… This evolutionary process is very nicely explained in Vedic literature. Aśītiṁs caturaś caiva bhramadbhiḥ jīva-jātiṣu. These Sanskrit words are there in the Padma Purāṇa, that "A living entity is traveling or evolving from lower grades of life to the higher grades of life in 8,400,000 species of life." There are 900,000 species of life in the water. There are 2,000,000 species of life of plants and vegetables. Similarly, microbes, reptiles, there are 1,100,000 species of life. Then birds, 1,000,000 species of life. Then beasts, four-legged beasts, there are 3,000,000 species of life. Then, from beastly life, he comes to the human form life. There also variety, 400,000's of varieties. In this way we come to the point of civilized human form of life. The evolution is coming. Just like we evolve our body or grew our body from the womb of our mother. It is stated… Everything is there in the Vedic literature. After the sex intercourse of the man and woman, there is an emulsification of the two kinds of secretion. And in the first night there is a pealike form that takes place. Then he grows, growing. Then many holes come out of that pealike form-that becomes our eyes and other nine holes. In this way the body is developed in seven months. Then the child gets consciousness, and he feels very much inconvenience. Therefore moves this side, that side. Then, if he is fortunate, he prays to God, "My Lord, please save me from this inconvenience, this position." Just imagine, airtight packed. In this way he comes up and cries, and again grows. But after coming out, he does not…, he forgets in what position he was. But mother, father takes care. He forgets, again grows. So this evolution is going on. In the material stage of our life, we have got birth, growth, sustenance, by-product, then dwindling, then this body vanishes, again accepting another body. This is called cycle of birth and death. But in this human form of life one can understand what he is, what is this world, who is controlling, what is God, what is his relationship with God, what is this time factor, what are his activities. These things are to be learned, not that simply like animals, cats and dogs and hogs, whole day working for getting food. You see? And satisfied only by some sense gratification, business finished. No. That is animal life. Simply people are engaged for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That is the modern trend of civilization. Everyone is busy how to eat and how to sleep nicely in big palatial building, nice apartment, very good room, sleeping, the business of sleeping. And economic condition, developing the business of economic condition, means the business of eating. And defending-either you defend with atomic energy or with your nails and claws, the process is defending. That is in the animal life also. And mating, sex intercourse or sense gratification.

So human life is not meant for simply for these four kinds of business. There is another business. Therefore the Veda says, uttiṣṭhaṁ jāgratam: "Please get up. Don't be sleeping simply for these four principal things(?)." These are not problems, eating, sleeping, mating, and… The Vedic literature says, "Wherever you take your birth, the eating, sleeping, and mating and defending is there, even in animal life." Suppose there is a cat. It knows how to eat, it knows how to sleep, it knows how to mate, and it knows how to defend. The dog also knows. The hog also knows. So do you mean to say scientific advancement of education is simply for this purpose-how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate, and how to defend? No. That is not human civilization. These are bodily needs undoubtedly, but we are not body. That we do not know. We are spirit soul. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely in a very common sense words:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

Just like within this body there is soul, and it is changing bodies, from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youthhood, from youthhood to old age. And then again, when the body is useless, no more, cannot be maintained, then we will give up this body and accept another body just like we change our dress." That is going on. So I am eternal. Although I am old man, I can understand what I was in my childhood, in my boyhood, youthhood. So body has changed, but I am existing. This is very simple thing. Everyone can understand. Therefore I, as spirit soul, I am not body. Body is changing; I am different from body. Therefore change of this body does not mean I am finished. I am continuing. Therefore I should be responsible: "What kind of body I am going to accept next?" That is my responsibility. If you don't take this responsibility, "What kind of body…?" It may be, if I am of doggish mentality, my next life will be just a dog because I will have to accept the dress of a dog. And if I am evolving my godly mentality, then I'll have to accept, or I will accept another body just like God. So that is in my hands.

So in the modern educational system, universities, there is no such information, we see. It is very lamentable, but these knowledges are there in the Vedic literature. The summary of all Vedic literature is Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There are many other literatures-Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, eighteen Purāṇas. They are meant for human society, not for these cats and dogs. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just to awake people to their rightful position, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to understand how he is related with Kṛṣṇa. When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means God. The word Kṛṣṇa, Sanskrit word, means all-attractive. So without God, nobody can be all-attractive, all-powerful, all-opulent. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directed to awake people to the rightful position of his spiritual existence, the, I mean to say, process. Of course, there are many different kinds of processes recommended in the Vedic literature. Just like some of you, or any one of you, know that one process is very important process which is called meditation, dhyāna. So that dhyāna, that is also mentioned, kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum [SB 12.3.52]. This meditation process was possible to be executed in the age when people were very pious and very honest and the duration of life was very long. That is called Golden Age, or Satya-yuga. According to Sanskrit word, it is called Satya-yuga. This meditation process was possible to be executed in the Satya-yuga, Satya millennium. Then the next millennium, Tretā-yuga. There is a great description of these yugas. In the Satya-yuga, people used to live for hundred thousands of years. People used to live. It is not that, that according to the modern anthropologists, they say that ten thousand years ago there was no human being. These are the not the Vedic version. We do not accept this version, because we find that there was age, which is called Satya-yuga, when people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. The next age, Tretā-yuga, when people used to live for ten thousands of years. The next age is called Dvāpara-yuga, when people used to live for one thousand years. Now it is called Kali-yuga, when people can live, utmost, one hundred years. These are the calculation of different ages.

So Vedic literature informs us that the meditation process was possible to be successful in the age which is called Satya-yuga, when people used to live for hundred thousands of years. The next age, Tretā-yuga, the self-realization process is offering sacrifices. And the next age, Dvāpara-yuga, when people used to live for one thousand years, the recommendation is temple worship or church worship, like that. But in this age the recommendation is kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Kalau. Kalau means in this age, when duration of life is very short. Actually, although officially the age is calculated that we can live for one hundred years, but nobody goes up to that limit. Most utterly, very old man means eighty years or eighty-five years. That's all. But gradually, the duration of age in this period will decrease so much so that it is stated that if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he'll be considered a very old man. That is also predicted. So we are gradually declining in our strength, in our duration of life, in our memory, in our merciful activities, so many things. So in this age there is no time for meditation, there is no money for offering great sacrifices, neither people are very much interested in temple worship or church worship. Therefore, wherever you remain, you can simply chant this mahā-mantra-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. That is the recommendation of Vedic literature. Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Simply by chanting these sixteen names, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare… There are actually three words only-Hare, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma-but they are set up very nicely.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just according to the direction of authoritative Vedic literature, and we are distributing this knowledge without any charge. We don't say there is any secrecy. It is wide open. Open secret. Anyone can take up these sixteen names and chant. And test it, chanting, say, for a week, and see the result. See the result, how you are spiritually realizing yours. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If you go on chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then first installment of your gain will be that you will understand that you are not this body, you are spirit soul, which takes at least many years to understand, that "I am not this body." Everybody… You ask anybody, "What you are?" He will say, "I am this, sir, this and that. I am American. I am this body. I am that body." But nobody knows that he is not this body. But if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the first installment of your gain will be that you will realize yourself, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this body, but I am spirit soul. I am part and parcel of the Supreme Lord." And as soon as you come to this platform of understanding, then the next stage will be you will (be) jolly. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. Brahma-bhūta [SB 4.30.20] means self-realization, when one understands that "I am not this body." Due to this body, all sufferings are there. That we do not understand. We simply go to the physician. Although we know the body is the temple of all kinds of diseases, but we do not know how to get out of this material body. But there is possibility. There is a statement in the Bhagavad-gītā, you will see, that,

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti (mām eti) kaunteya

[Bg. 4.9]

We do not care for it. This is the animalistic life. Just like animals, they do not care. They are suffering, but they have no remedy. Simply eating, sleeping. This is not civilization. This is not civilization. There are ample informations. Take advantage of this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and be benefited. That is our mission. Uttiṣṭhata: "Please get up. Don't be asleep."

So we have got this literature printed in English. Bhagavad-gītā is already printed in so many editions, but unfortunately, those Bhagavad-gītās are interpreted in their own interest. You see? Therefore we have published this Bhagavad-gītā. It is the essence of all Vedic literature, Bhagavad-gītā as it is. You have to learn Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Don't interpret in your own way. There is no possibility. But people do it, and foolish persons, they accept it. No, there is no question of interpretation. The first verse of Bhagavad-gītā is,

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre

samavetā yuyutsavaḥ

māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva

kim akurvata sañjaya

[Bg. 1.1]

So these are plain truths. Kurukṣetra… Still there is a place of the name Kurukṣetra near Delhi. And people interpret, " 'Kurukṣetra' means this body." We do not know wherefrom he gets this meaning, what is that dictionary. Now, how he can establish? Kurukṣetra is still existing, and it is called dharma-kṣetra; it is a place of religious pilgrimage. So everything is clear. There is no need of interpretation. Simply you have to take the teachings. Then you will be benefited. So in this Bhagavad-gītā you will find so many nice information that if you see… If you don't see, that is another thing. You have to see that "Why I am put into so many miserable conditions of life although I do not want it?" That should be your question. If this question does not arise in your mind, that means still you are in the animal state of life. That is the human stage of life, when one inquires that "I do not wish to suffer. I do not want this suffering, but I am put into this suffering. Why?" This "why," for this "why," there is Upaniṣad which is called Kena Upaniṣad. So this "why" question must be there in the developed stage of human consciousness. And when that "why" question comes, there is an answer. There is answer in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and all Vedic literatures. So although people are not very much interested with all these questions and answers, but they are essential. If they do not question and seek for the answers, then they are simply wasting their the opportunity of human life. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma

yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti

na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam

asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

[SB 5.5.4]

The Ṛṣabhadeva says that "People have become mad after sense gratification." Pramattaḥ. Pramattaḥ means mad. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma [SB 5.5.4]. And they are doing which they should not have done, but they do not know that "By doing nonsense things we have got this body, which is so much miserable." And still, he's preparing for another miserable body.

So this is not very good. These things are there. Although people have no interest in all these questions and answers, but it is our mission to awake people to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Although it is not possible that cent percent people will accept this or try to understand, but if one man can understand, one woman can understand, then our mission is successful. The subject matter is very difficult, but we are prepared to convince any man to this understanding provided he is serious to understand. But we don't… Very little, very few men are interested to understand this philosophy seriously. Simply they are busy with process of sense gratification, and if somebody comes, "All right, you go on with your sense gratification. You simply meditate for fifteen minutes, and within six months you become God," these bluffs like this will be accepted very easily. But we are not meant for giving people false information. We are trying to give you information from authoritative scriptures, Vedas. And if you are fortunate enough, you will take this information, try to understand by your reasoning, by your logic, and adopt it, and your life will be sublime. Your life will be successful. Otherwise you will be put into the cycle of birth and death and going on, and sufferings will continue. In the Bhagavad-gītā, therefore, it is said,

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

"One who has attained the highest perfectional stage of life, he comes to Me. He comes. Then he hasn't got to come back again in this miserable condition of material existence." These things are there.

So our business is to inform you. Just like one of the devotees of Lord Caitanya, he said that padayor nipatya, "Falling down on your feet," padayor nipatya, dante nidhāya tṛnakaṁ padayor nipatya, "taking a blade of grass on my mouth and falling down on your feet with flattering and informing you, 'My dear sir, you are very learned man. I know that. But for the time being, please set aside all your learning. Kindly hear what Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says.' " We belong to that sect, Lord Caitanya's disciplic succession. So our business is falling down on your feet and flattering you and making many, I mean to say, salvation(?), I mean simply we request you that try to understand this philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You will be benefited. The so-called knowledge, so-called elevation, so-called upliftment, oh, this will be all finished as soon as your body is finished. But you are pure soul. You have to educate yourself how your soul can be saved from this cycle of birth and death within the species of 8,400,000's in different planets and different places. Just try to elevate to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead. That is the mission of your human life. Don't lose this opportunity. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is easy thing, Hare Kṛṣṇa, only sixteen names. Anyone can chant. Even the child can chant. You try it. There is no payment; there is no loss. But you try it and you'll be benefited. That is our proposition.

Thank you. Any question? So no question from the audience? Yes?

Woman (1): I want to know what it means, "If you touch the element, then you can be healed."

Prabhupāda: You touch the element?

Woman (1): "If you touch the element, you can be healed."

Prabhupāda: You can be healed? What do you understand by this healing?

Woman (1): Well, if you can be healed if you touch the element, I want to know how this is.

Prabhupāda: No. Healing means that you have got some pain, and to get out of the pain, is that not healing?

Woman (1): I don't have a pain… No, I mean…

Prabhupāda: Now, healing, because the word healing, the word healing means if somebody has got some trouble or pain, that healing is sought after, how to heal it. Is it not? What do you think? Healing? Anybody? What is the meaning of healing? Will you inform this old lady. She says she does not know what is the meaning of healing.

Woman (2): (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Illness means suffering. Is it not?

Woman (1): No. I don't mean that at all. It's sort of a truth, that if we touch the element, touch the element…

Prabhupāda: What is that element?

Woman (1): I don't know. I'm asking you.

Prabhupāda: Element, we generally mean, there are five elements. [break] That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur

indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir

yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

[Bg. 3.42]

So you, the spirit soul, you are above the intellectual platform. So this dress is the gross, gross covering. It has nothing to do with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But just like you go to your office, you dress in some way, similarly, this is a particular type of dress. It is sanctioned by our predecessors. We adopt. So if you don't accept this dress, that does not mean you cannot be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved in any condition of life. It doesn't matter whether you are dressed in this way or in your American way or any way. That doesn't matter. It has nothing to do.

Woman (3): But I would think, sir, that that does make a little bit difference that you feel that way.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it makes a psychological condition if you dress. Just like if you dress yourself just like a queen, sometimes you feel, "I am queen." You see? Just like an actor in a theatrical stage, or if you sit down on a car, you think that you are much elevated. These are temporary, but they are not very important. If you have no objection to accept this dress, that's nice. But if you have got objection, then we have no objection. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is different from this dress or that dress. Just like a policeman, police constable, he is dressed in a different type than ordinary gentleman. But that does not mean simply by dressing, he is a perfect policeman. Even without dress, he can become a perfect policeman.

Woman (4): It is motivation. It is just like policeman. He feels…

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just to make others know that he is a policeman. But his business does not depend on that dress. Similarly, our this dress may be advertisement to others that "We belong to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness group." That is another thing. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not depend on dress. Ahaituky apratihatā. Without any reason and without any impediment. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be executed without any material condition. There is no material condition for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (aside:) Why you are late? (chuckles)

Devotee: Somebody gave him the wrong address.

Prabhupāda: Oh, thank you. It is better late than never. (laughter)

Woman (5): It sounds like whenever you have a conflict, problem…

Prabhupāda: Not whenever. You have got always a problem. It is not… Because we have got this material body, we are simply meeting problems. That's all. You're simply thinking that "This is good problem, and this is bad problem." But on account of possessing this material body, beginning from this body, just like a pealike form within the womb of mother, till death, it is simply problem. If you do not understand it, then it is our less intelligence. That is called sleeping.

Woman (5): But when you have a real problem, because…

Prabhupāda: Real, everything is problem with this body. Everything is problem. Beginning from the birth of your this body, manufacturing of the body by father and mother, it is a problem. Therefore a serious man will always think how to get out of this problem, setting aside all other problems. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. How to get out of this material body. It is not that "This is small problem; this is big problem." The whole body, material body, acceptance of material body, is problem. The disease… Yes.

Woman (4): But you have to accept the problem because you have the body.

Prabhupāda: That's it, to make the best use of a bad bargain.

Woman (4): I wouldn't think so bad bargain. If you have a bad body, that's a bad body…

Prabhupāda: It is a bad bargain because there are four problems. Even if you are very rich, you have no economic problem, you've got everything(?), but you have to take birth, you have to die, you have to suffer from disease, you have to accept old age. These problems you cannot avoid. Either you are rich man or poor man or American or Indian or white or black, it doesn't matter. The problems, the four problems of material existence, will always trouble you. Nobody wishes to die, but he has to die. Nobody likes disease, but he has to suffer from disease. So these are the problems. If you don't think they are not problems, then you are less intelligent. You have to become more intelligent. The animals, they don't care for death. Now, here is a slaughterhouse. Another animal is being killed, and this animal, little grass, oh, he is happy. He does not know that "Next moment I am going to be killed." This is ignorance. Ignorance means animal life, and knowledge means human life. Therefore there is so much educational system in every human society. Why? Knowledge means human life, and ignorance means animal life. So why should we be ignorant of these four problems, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9], the problems of birth, death, old age and disease? Why you set aside these problems and think you are happy? That is animal life. They don't care for the problems, and eating grass. That is animal life. Yes?

Man (6): What do the, what is normally called pleasure, like eating, sleeping, sex…

Prabhupāda: Defense.

Man (6): What part do they play when a person's reached this higher level of consciousness?

Prabhupāda: They also eat, they also sleep, they also mate, they also defend, but there is adjustment.

Man (6): But how could there… Is it more pleasurable?

Prabhupāda: Yes. [break] …not more vegetable. There is more vegetable also. An elephant eats hundred pounds' vegetables at a time.

Man (7): Is it more pleasurable?

Prabhupāda: What is that? Oh. More pleasurement? Oh. There is no question of pleasure or distress. Pleasure must be there always, but it is the question of curing. Just like when you are under the treatment of an expert physician, he says that "You shall eat like this. You shall sleep like this. You shall mate like this. You shall do like this," so it may not be pleasure, but if I want to cure myself, we have to accept the physician's direction. It is pleasure because the physician is taking him to the healthy state of life. So as soon as he gets that he is getting healthy or he is getting out of the diseased condition, that becomes pleasurable-"Oh, yes, I am being cured. I am being cured." So apart from that point of view, it is not the question of whether it is pleasurable or nonpleasurable, but (if) you want to cure yourself from the disease, you have to follow the directions. That is the process. Yes.

Man (6): But… But I need pleasure.

Prabhupāda: Therefore it is called tapasya. The Sanskrit word is tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some unpleasurable thing, voluntarily. That is called tapasya.

Man (6): What relationship…?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Devotee: He wants to know what relation the body and the mind have to a higher level of consciousness.

Prabhupāda: As you can see, the difference of body and mind between animal and human being. Is there no difference? Do you think animal body and human body and human consciousness and animal consciousness is the same? So you have to elevate yourself. As you have elevated yourself from animal consciousness, animal body, to this beautiful human body, similarly, you have to still more elevate yourself to higher standard of life. They are called demigods. But the final stage is to get a body which is called spiritual body in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. That is the perfection of… This evolutionary process is going on. As you have come up so much to this civilized form of life from animal status, similarly, you can still make progress. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended that by progressing, you may go to the topmost planet of this universe. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl-lokāḥ [Bg. 8.16]. That is called Brahmaloka or Satyaloka. But everywhere the four problems of birth, death, old age, and disease are there. But if you come to the spiritual sky and the planets there, then there is no more death, birth, old age, and disease. Life eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful life. That should be attained, that should be endeavored in this human form of life, setting aside all others. That should be the business of human life.

Man (6): How do you explain suicide?

Prabhupāda: Suicide is killing the body. What is that explanation? Untimely. Untimely. Suicide means that you were given some body to suffer or enjoy for a certain time according to your last fruitive activities. Now, if you commit suicide, that is just like a prisoner is condemned to live in the prisonhouse for six months, but some way or other, if he gets out of the prison, when he is again caught, then he is punished to remain there for one year more. Suicide is like that. You are having a particular type of body that is given to you for enjoyment or suffering according to your last work. If you finish it untimely, then you have to accept such body again, and the duration will be extended.

Man (6): I'm not sure that I understand you. You mean that suicide is putting an end to suffering which was…

Prabhupāda: Suffering you cannot end in that way. Just the same example, that if you get out of the prison some way or other, that does not stop your suffering. As soon as you are arrested, you are put again. The law of nature is not so insignificant that simply by suiciding, you'll stop suffering. No. You have to accept again body and have to suffer.

Man (8): Excuse me. But how do we know that we're going to have a body in the next life?

Prabhupāda: There are books, knowledge books, books of knowledge. Therefore I am speaking of Vedic knowledge.

Man (8): Books can be wrong also.

Prabhupāda: No, why…? Then you are wrong also. You are learning from books. What is your education? You are learning from books.

Man (8): No, but we read these things from Bhagavad-gītā, as it…

Prabhupāda: No, no. What is your education? What is your process of knowledge?

Man (8): Well, the process of knowledge-you are reading something in the form of authority.

Prabhupāda: That's their way. So similarly, you take the books of authority, Vedic knowledge. You have got all knowledge.

Man (8): No, but lot of times, books you read one thing, and lot of times, as soon as you've taken to it… You don't understand it. Few days more… Something wrong from what you wanted to know.

Prabhupāda: What is wrong?

Man (8): Suppose you read a book of one kind.

Prabhupāda: No. You have to select the authoritative books, not "kind." Just like lawbooks. Oh, there is no "one kind" of lawbook. Lawbooks means that is given by the state. That is one lawbook, only one. That cannot be two. It is not that you take lawbook from other state or other authority. No. Lawbooks means it is the books, it is the laws, which is given by the state. Similarly, our process is to accept the Vedas, not other kind of books. There is no question of other kind of books. Only Vedas. Just like we are speaking of Bhagavad-gītā. So that is one, not "other kind of Bhagavad-gītā." Bhagavad-gītā is one.

Man (8): But that one may be also wrong.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Man (8): Why not? You take philosophy wrong. You won't take from another script(?).

Prabhupāda: No. If you take in that way, then it is not book of authority. If it is wrong, then it is not book of authority. The Vedic literatures are accepted, fundamentally accepting that they are not wrong. They are not cheating. They are fact. Without this understanding there is no question of accepting any book.

Man (8): But who makes the background? (?)

Prabhupāda: It is coming from… Who makes you that you are son of such and such gentleman? Who makes you convinced?

Man (8): Okay, but I have to convince myself. Suppose my father is only one.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Man (8): If I change my father's name to somebody else… What…?

Prabhupāda: You cannot change your father's name.

Man (8): Why not? Who knows?

Prabhupāda: Who knows me?

Man (8): You cannot prove everything by one authorized man. Another authorized man, he can change the words. Anybody can. Prabhupāda: No. If he is a perfect man, then he will not change because he knows the thing, "Yes, it is this." But if he is imperfect rascal, then he will change.

Man (8): How do you know that person who wrote it was perfect?

Prabhupāda: That you have to know from the perfect man. That is the way.

Man (8): And who is the perfect man?

Prabhupāda: That you have to find out, if you have got that capacity.

Man (8): How do you find out?

Prabhupāda: How do you find out a lawyer?

Man (8): Well, that's what I'm asking, you see. I've got a…

Prabhupāda: You have to see that "This man is lawyer, and many men is going there to take law advice, and he is gaining case. He is working." In that way you have to know.

Man (8): Well, sir, you're one of the authorities in the same subject. But…

Prabhupāda: No. Authority is in, not that way. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that authorities are accepted by disciplic succession. And just like Bhagavad-gītā, it is accepted. There are authorities like… In our India there are authorities like Śaṅkarācārya, authorities like Rāmānujācārya, authorities like Madhvācārya, authorities like Viṣṇu Svāmī, authorities like Lord Caitanya. They have all accepted that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme authority. So you have to accept that. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. You have to follow the footprint of higher authorities. So if you say that "I don't accept anyone authority," then your authority is sufficient. Whatever you like, can do.

Woman (9): We have to start somewhere or the other.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is going on.

Woman (9): The basis… If we don't start the basic, change our words, what other things do… But life, what it says, "Be good." It says in Bible, it says in Koran, everything, "Be good." If you take that word, that's enough, without any big book.

Woman (1): Is astrology of any importance to a way of life, I mean…

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is a science. Yes. This is a science. It is a science. That science is acceptable by the human society. Medical science, legal science, engineering science. Similarly, astrology also, another science. But the astrology is simply useful so long you have got this body. But as soon as your body is finished, there is no more use of astrology.

Devotee: Should we chant?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you can. What is that? Take it. Chant. Authority, it is accepted like that. Because other authorities whom we are accepting, they have accepted… Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. We have to follow the footprints of other authorities. Leadership. In every society they are accepting leadership. So in that way you have to accept authority. There is no other process.

Man (8): No. Change is good wherever it's necessary, but according to…

Prabhupāda: Authority, everywhere authority is there. You have to accept authority. Without authority there is no, I mean to say, advancement. That is impossible. Now you have to select your authority. That is a different thing. But you have to accept the authority. In every society there is leadership, there is authority. So people accept it, and that is the way. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. That is stated, that "We have to follow the footprints of the authorities." Now the next question will be whether you will accept this man as authority or that man as authority. That is a different question. But if you want to advance, you have to… Just like even in the crossing, you ask the police authority, "Whether I shall go this way or that way?" Authority is to be accepted because we are not independent. So you may select a different kind of authority. That is your selection. But authority you accepted, even if he is wrong. Without that, you cannot make progress. Yes?

Man (10): I'm not sure I understand what you mean by a spiritual body. When I look at you, it seems that you're…

Prabhupāda: A spiritual body is like… This is body, but this is material body. Just like here there is, there are different kinds of bodies, as I explained, 8,400,000's different forms of bodies. Even in human form of body there are so many difference of bodies. Similarly, there is a body which is called spiritual body, of which you have no experience at the present moment, but there is a spiritual body.

Man (10): And a person can take on such body if he's been purified after…

Prabhupāda: Yes. Body is already there. Spiritual body is already there. Just like from Bhagavad-gītā we understand that this body is dress. Just try to understand. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya [Bg. 2.22]. The Bhagavad-gītā says that "As we give up old dress and accept another new dress, similarly, we give up one body and accept another body." Now, if this body is dress, so dress cannot stand without real body. Now, one dress is moving, coat-pant. That means that within that dress there is a man, not that automatically the coat-pant is moving. Similarly, this dress is standing so long the soul is there. As soon as the soul is gone, it is flat, no more moving. This is very easy to understand. It is dress, but dress is moving. Just like coat-pant moving, how long? The real man is there. If the man is not there, finished. The coat is coat; pant is pant. That's all. It is so simply given in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya [Bg. 2.22]. It is dress. So dress means there is real body. Otherwise how dress can be made? Because you have got this hand, therefore your coat has got a hand. Because you have got leg, therefore your dress, pant, has got a leg. So if it is dress, then it is to be understood that within the dress the spiritual body is there. It is common affair. First of all try to understand this. Yes.

Man (11): Who is the original authority of Bhagavad-gītā?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa. Yes. You have read Bhagavad-gītā? You read it thoroughly. Then you will understand.

Man (11): No, but I think (I've seen?) Bhagavad-gītā without…

Prabhupāda: You think. That is a wrong thing. Your thinking is not authority.

Man (12): The man's protesting.

Devotee: That's the man's opinion.

Prabhupāda: That's your opinion. That's all right. Opinion may differ. That's all right. That's your opinion. Opinion may be… You may have one opinion; another have another opinion. But whose opinion should be accepted? That is the question.

Man (13): (indistinct)

Woman (9): He said he can have his opinion.

Prabhupāda: All right. So any other questions? Let us chant. (kīrtana) (end)

690505LE.BOS

Lecture Excerpt

Boston, May 5, 1969

Prabhupāda: …come to the light of the sun, immediately you get out of your room and get, immediately. Similarly, although God is far, far away, He is everywhere at the same time. That is God's nature. Simply we have to agree that "Now I shall realize…" [break] …without any difficulty, very easily. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, yayātmā suprasīdati [SB 1.2.6]. And without spiritual realization you cannot have peace of mind. That is impossible. If you want to make… If you want to have peace of this world, of your mind, of your society, of your family, simply by amassing money, by material advance, it will never be possible. But if you improve a little in spiritual life, you become immediately happy.

So your business is how to become happy, because by nature you are happy. Diseased condition, that happiness being checked. So this is our diseased condition, this material, conditional life, this body. So as one intelligent person puts himself under the treatment of a physician to get out of the disease, similarly, human life is meant for putting himself to the expert physician who can cure you from your material disease. That is your business. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. That is the injunction of all Vedic literature. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna. Arjuna is surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'ham māṁ prapannam: [Bg. 2.7] "My dear Kṛṣṇa, so long I was speaking with You just as friends. Now I surrender unto You as Your student, as Your disciple. You become my spiritual master and teach me properly." This is the process. Arjuna is exampling himself that he's accepting Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master, teacher. And then Kṛṣṇa began to teach the Bhagavad-gītā, and he changed his decision, and he was freed from all anxieties. This is spiritual life. So this spiritual realization is easier than any kind of material realization because we are not meant for material realization. We are meant for spiritual realization, the human form. So that we should take advantage of. That is the mission of human form of life. If we miss this, then we are committing suicide.

So now you can… If you have got any question, you can pose.

Girirāja: You talk about the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa. How does service of our fellow man come in?

Prabhupāda: How these boys are coming here? How you have come here? It is not service? The best service, to take them out from the illusory life of material existence, the best service. This is the best service, to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What do you mean by service? To give him relief from the suffering. That is service. This is the best relief. Yayātmā suprasīdati. The Bhāgavata says, "That is the best service, that is the best religion, that is the best philosophy, which teaches one how to love God." And as soon as he comes to that position, without any motive, without any impediment, yayātmā suprasīdati, immediately he becomes satisfied. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. Dhruva Mahārāja, a five-years-old boy, was insulted by his stepmother, and he wanted the kingdom of his father. So his real mother advised him, "If God gives you, then you can get. Otherwise it is not possible." So he went to the forest. He inquired from his mother, "Where is God? I shall go there." The mother said, "My dear boy, I think He is in the Himalaya or in the forest, because many sages go there and find out God." The five-years-old boy immediately went to the forest and began to search out where is God. He was so… That means (in)tense desire: "I shall find out God, where is God." So, many people went there. Even Nārada Muni came there: "My dear boy, you are prince. You are so delicate. You are so nice. You cannot undertake this austerity, this severity of penance, finding out God. You better go home. Go to your father, mother." "Oh, sir, oh, I don't want your advice. Can you give me any way to find out God?" Then Nārada Muni initiated him, and he began to meditate, and ultimately he found out God. But when he saw God, he says, "My dear Lord, I do not want anything. Now I am fully satisfied." Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: [Cc. Madhya 22.42] "I came here for something which is just like broken pieces of glass, but I have got the diamond. So therefore I have nothing to ask for." Similarly, when one finds out his eternal relationship with God, loving spirit, then he becomes, say, "Oh, I do not…" Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find. If you, I mean to say, go that standard of life, then you will feel, "I have no more want. Finished. All want finished." That is the best gift, that is the best service, when a man will feel that "I have no more want. I am fully satisfied." That is the best service. What is this service, nonsense service? Suppose I am hungry; you give me some food. Does it mean that I shall not be hungry again? That food is already given also in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness move… That is not very difficult job. That is being given also. But we are giving some food which will make him satisfied for good. No more hunger. That is the best service. Just try to understand what sort of service is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness: no more hunger, no more demand. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi: "Oh, I am fully satisfied." Varaṁ na yāce: "I have no more demand. Finish." And if you go materially, satisfy your hunger, this, that, this, that, this, that, oh, it is simply illusion. It will never be finished. Just like you are advanced in material prosperity than other country. Does it mean that you are satisfied? Why there are hippies? Why there are so many frustrated youngsters? The richest country in the world. That, this richness of material world, the rascals, they are following that "If we become like America and some industrial, we shall become happy." That is rascaldom. Actual happiness is how you learn to love God. Then you get happy. That can be achieved without any material advancement. Anywhere you can have, without any expenditure, without any effort, without any education, without any knowledge. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you develop that love. This is the highest service to the human society. Just try to understand. Everyone will say, "Oh, I am now satisfied, fully satisfied. I don't want. No more stealing, no more pick-pocketing, no more cheating, because I have no want. Why shall I cheat? Why shall I cheat?" Everything will be complete, fully satisfied. Yayātmā suprasīdati. Suprasīdati, this very word, Sanskrit word, is there. You have to make yourself fully satisfied. Then there will be no more want. You see?

Just like there is a story, "Alexander and the Cynic." Perhaps most of you know. There was a cynic. He was saintly person. He was sitting in a solitary place, almost naked body. Alexander the Great went there and asked him, "If I can do something for you? You are a great man." He said, "Oh, please don't obstruct sunshine. Please be aside, That's all. (laughter) You may do this. Don't obstruct the sunshine. I am quite pleased. You please set aside." Because he was fully satisfied, why this Alexander Great will, can do him?

yam labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ

manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ

yasmin sthito guruṇāpi

duḥkhena na vicālyate

[Bg. 6.20-23]

In Bhagavad-gītā you will find. If you are situated in that transcendental position, then there is no more demand. And if you are situated in that position, the greatest difficult position, you don't care for it. Yasmin sthito guruṇāpi duḥkhena. Guru means heaviest type of difficulty. If you are put in, you don't care for it. This is life. Any condition, in any position, you are satisfied. You are not disturbed. That is required. That is called peace. That can be achieved by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not by any other method. Any other questions?

Indian man (1): I have a question. Are you trying to say that human beings are created for sacrifice of God from the beginning to the end?

Prabhupāda: What is your idea?

Indian man (1): I want your idea.

Prabhupāda: First of all I want your idea. (laughter)

Indian man (1): I'm here to listen to you.

Prabhupāda: Then you listen. We are listening that you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that is perfection.

Indian man (1): You are a giving a truth, a side, already handed out to me, that you have to be Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Prabhupāda: Because you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious… Because you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, therefore we have to teach you that you become Kṛṣṇa conscious and you become happy.

Indian man (1): That's a given truth you are giving to me.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian man (1): Well, how do you know?

Prabhupāda: How do you know it is not truth?

Indian man (1): I don't know. I haven't found out.

Prabhupāda: Therefore you take it truth because we accept the truth from Kṛṣṇa.

Indian man (1): You have accepted it. Have you ever found out?

Prabhupāda: What is that "found out"?

Indian man (1): That being Kṛṣṇa conscious, you're the most happiest person?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian man (1): You are?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughter) Don't you see practical happiness? I left my home, sannyāsī. I have got my wife. I have got my children… (end)

690519LE.COL

Lecture at Engagement

Columbus, May 19, 1969

Prabhupāda:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhusya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

My dear boys and girls. I thank you very much for your participating in this great saṅkīrtana movement. This saṅkīrtana movement is recommended for self-realization in this age. This age is called, according to Vedic understanding, it is called Kali-yuga, the age of quarrel and disagreement, this age. So, besides that, there are many other symptoms of this age. They are described in the Vedic literatures, and they are coming exactly true. That is scripture.

So the summary of this age is described that, in this age, the duration of life is very small. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Everyone, we are decreasing our duration of life. You know, every one of you, your forefathers, your grandfather lived for hundreds, at least one hundred years. I have seen my grandmother, she died at the age of ninety-six years. My father died at the age of eighty-four years. So, I do not know how long I shall live-I am now seventy-three-maybe a few years more; but actually the duration of life gradually decreases. This is the symptom of this age, practically. And it is said that at the end of this millennium, that if somebody lives from twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as very old man. So, memory is decreasing also. People's sentiment for doing good to others, or to become merciful, that is also decreasing. Strength is decreasing, stature is decreasing. So this is one side. Another side, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā [SB 1.1.10]. One side they're decreasing so many nice things, another side they're very slow for self-realization. Practically, they have no interest. This human form of life is meant for self-realization. This life is not meant for working hard like cats and dogs and hogs for sense gratification. No. This life is not meant for that purpose. We have got developed consciousness, intelligence. We should ask, "What is this life?" The Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. We are ignorant, we are born ignorant, and we are doing so many things, activities, we are engaged. But we should see whether we are gaining or losing, whether we are conquering or being defeated. That should be our business to see.

So, how to test it? The Bhāgavata says, so long you do not come to the platform of understanding yourself, whatever you are doing, it is simply defeat. Zero. Zero has no value. If you go on adding zero, zero, zero, zero, million times, the value is zero. But, if there is zero and put on the left side one, it becomes immediately ten. Therefore, according to… Not according to. Everyone, everyone reasonable man can understand that "What I am doing? What I am gaining?" In your country especially, I see there is so much frustration among youngsters. They are finding that this is zero. Somehow or other they are trying to realize that this sort of life is zero. Actually. Human life, simply increasing the demands of our senses, these activities are zero activities. Parābhava, defeating. Yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. When a human being, as long as a human being does not inquire "What I am? Why I am suffering? I do not wish to die. Why death is enforced upon me? I do not want to be diseased. Why disease is forced upon me? I do not want to become old. Why I become old? I do not wish to die. Why I…" These things are very important questions. That is called ātma-tattvam, self-realization. Human life is meant for this purpose, enquiring self-realization. And if we do not enquire, then we are no better than animals. Animals have no power to enquire about the self. They are simply busy with the problems of the body-eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Similarly, if human body is also engaged simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is not very good civilization. That is not at all human civilization.

Human civilization is meant for understanding one's self, what I am, and act according to that. So Bhāgavata says, if we do not come to that point of understanding my self, then whatever I am doing or acting, this is simply defeat, or simply waste of time. At the same time, there is warning that we should not waste even a single moment of our life. Please try to understand these Vedic instructions, how nice they are. There is a great politician of the name Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. He was prime minister of Emperor Candragupta, a contemporary to the reign of Alexander the Great, in Greece. So, he was Prime Minister of that Emperor Candragupta, and he has many moral instructions and social instructions. In one of his verses, he says that āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. Āyuṣaḥ, "of your duration of life." Suppose you are twenty years old. Today is 19th May, and there was 4 p.m. Now, this time, 4 p.m., 19th May, 1969, gone. You can never get it back even if you are prepared to pay millions of dollars. Just try to understand. Similarly, even a moment of your life is wasted for nothing, simply in the matter of sense gratification-eating, sleeping, mating and defending-then you do not know the value of your life. You cannot get back even a moment of your life by paying millions of dollars. Just try to understand how much valuable is your life.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to let people know how much valuable life is his, and utilize it in that way. Our movement is sarve sukhino bhavantu: everyone become, be happy. Not only human society, even animal society. We want to see everyone happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And it is practical; it is not dream. You can become happy. Don't be disappointed, don't be confused. Your life has value. You, in this life, you can realize your eternal life, eternal blissful life of knowledge. It is possible; it is not impossible. So we are simply transmitting this message to the world, that "Your life is very valuable. Don't waste it just like cats and dogs. Try to utilize it fully." That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gītā. We have published Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Try to read it. In that Bhagavad-gītā in the Fourth Chapter it is said, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: if simply tries to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His business, what is His life, where does He live, what does He do…., janma karma. Janma means appearance and disappearance; karma means activities; divyam-transcendental. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. One who knows the appearance and activities of Kṛṣṇa in fact, in truth-not by sentiment but by scientific study-then the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, you'll no more have to come back to this miserable condition of material existence. This is fact. Even in your life, in this life, you'll understand, you'll be happy.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is no religious movement or any sectarian movement. This movement is to see everyone, every human being, not only human being, even the animals, everyone be happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. And the process is very simple. Very simple. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That you have already seen. This chanting is not at all difficult. Anyone, even a child was sitting here, he was just trying to clap and understand. It is immediately appealing, because this vibration is from the platform of the soul. Try to understand that we have got different platforms of our life. In the beginning we understand that this body, "I am this body." Therefore, so long the bodily concept of life is there, we are interested in sense gratification, because body means the senses. And when we fail to achieve any gratification by indulging in the senses, then we become philosophers or thoughtful. That is the mental platform. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ [Bg. 3.42]. Because these senses are centered round by, of the mind. Mind is practically the controller of the senses. So when you fail to achieve real, I mean to say, pleasure from the senses, we go to the mental platform: poetry, philosophy, similar, songs. But you have to transcend even the mental platform. That is intellectual platform. Above that intellectual platform, your soul is there. So you have to immediately come to the platform of soul, and you'll be happy. That is the program of Kṛṣṇa consciousness,

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

These are very scientific facts. You have to simply… You are all students; therefore I place before you, I appeal to you, try to understand the problems of life: what is your body, what is your mind, what is your intelligence, what are you…, how we are a soul, the spirit soul. So when you come to this platform of the spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am Brahman," don't be mislead that you are this body, you are this mind, or you are the intelligence. You are spirit soul, Brahman.

So Bhagavad-gītā informs, when one come to the platform of Brahman understanding, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, brahma-bhūtaḥ… This is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ means a realization of one's self as Brahman. At the present moment our realization is that "I am this body," and because this body is produced in a certain country or a certain place, a certain society, therefore I am identifying my body as American or as this or that. These are all designations. When we actually come to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ platform, in that platform only, you can become joyful, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as you come to that platform of self-realization, then you will be joyful, immediately. And you are seeking after that joyfulness, that pleasure, because by nature you are joyful. By nature… It is your nature. Just like a diseased man, that diseased condition is not his nature. Healthy condition is his nature; therefore he is trying to be healthy. Every diseased man is trying how to get healthy, how to get health. Similarly, this position, this present consciousness of material existence is full of threefold miseries. It takes very long time to explain each and every word, but I tell you in summary, this life is subjected to three kinds of miseries, always-either bodily, mental, or some miseries inflicted by other living entities, or by nature. So many things. At least one or two. We must be under the subjugation of some kind of misery. But if you become situated in your spiritual platform of life, brahma-bhūtaḥ, you immediately become joyful, prasannātmā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. And how one becomes prasannātmā? What are the symptoms? The symptoms are also stated, na śocati na kāṅkṣati: he has no more any demand for satisfying the senses, neither he has any lamentation for any loss. This is prasannātmā, joyfulness. That joyfulness is your inherent quality as Brahman, as soul. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. You have heard of the Vedānta-sūtra. In that Vedānta-sūtra you'll find this sūtra, these codes are there. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt brahma. The Vedānta-sūtra begins, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life, this human form of life, is now meant for inquiring about Brahman. What is that Brahman, that is immediately answered: janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Brahman is the supreme source from where everything emanates, or everything is born. So in the Vedānta-sūtra, and that is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So you are student, you should take advantage of these great literatures. Don't remain in darkness. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. The Vedas informs, "you don't remain in darkness, but come to the light, that is your business." Asato mā sad-gamaḥ, don't remain in the non-permanent situation. This body is non-permanent situation. You are thinking, oh, you have got this nice body, American body, "We have got so much opulences. What we have to learn about Vedānta? We are very much happy." But, try to understand that how long you shall remain American? It is all right, you have got this nice body, beautiful body, you have got opulences, your country is very nice. But as soon as you change your body, that change of body is going on. Try to understand. You were a child when you were born out of the womb of your mother, or in the womb of the mother your body was so small. Just like a pea it has developed, and when it's fully developed you come out. You have come out, you are developing. Developing means changing. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

As you are changing your body even in this present life, you remember that you were a child, you were a boy… I remember I was a child… I was a baby. I still remember in my babyhood I was lying down on my elder sister's lap. She was knitting. I can still remember. So, we can remember our childhood, our boyhood, our youth, but I am the same, the body is changing. It is a fact. Similarly, when these bodies ultimately lapse or change, I am accepting another body. That is a fact. This is called transmigration of the soul. As we are changing our dress, similarly we are changing our body. And there are 8,400,000 of different kinds of bodies.

So our, at present moment, our business is simply to change bodies, change body. So we do not know what kind of body I am going to take next. There is a vast science about it, so one should know, one should prepare. Just like you are preparing yourself by education to be well situated in your future life, in this life; similarly, you should prepare yourself to get the best body in you next life. What is that next body? That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā:

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

"The highest perfection of life is to come back to Me, and you get this spiritual body, eternal body, blissful life, full of pleasure." Dance with Kṛṣṇa, mām upetya duḥkha, without any miserable condition. That is the highest… Saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ. That is the highest perfection of life. You are trying to go to the moon planet, you are trying to go to the sun planet or you can go any other planet. There are millions of planets. And the highest planet is called Brahmaloka. And modern scientists say that to reach to the highest planet in this universe it will take forty thousands of years. So even if you go there, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. Anywhere you go, in any planet you go, these four conditions of material existence-birth, death, old age and disease-they are existing everywhere. Yaṁ prāpya na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: but if one goes to that planet, Kṛṣṇa planet, then he hasn't got to come back again. He gets eternal life, blissful life, simply joyful life.

So our proposal is that in this life you have got this opportunity, the informations are there, the scientific methods are there-take advantage. Fully utilize your, this valuable life by changing simply your ordinary consciousness to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the greatest boon offered to the human society by Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you take advantage of it, then sarve sukhino bhavantu-then you'll become happy. It is not a mental concoction; it is very authorized. It is accepted by great stalwart scholars and ācāryas like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, those who practically guided the whole destiny of Indian civilization-even Lord Buddha, he was Indian-but all of them accepted these authorized scriptural… Don't try to manufacture. There are so many things in store, in Vedic knowledge, and they're all summarized in the Bhagavad-gītā. Try to understand. It is not very expensive or very difficult, but you have to understand it with full brain, then your life will be successful.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to preach the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā as it is, not to interpret it any nonsensical way and mislead the people. We don't try to mislead the people. We give without any changes and without any cost, any loss on your part. But, give a try, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, simple thing, just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, these sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. You practice it, you chant anywhere you like, either in your home or anywhere. There is no restriction, there is no hard and fast rules and regulation for chanting, and anyone can chant. You see all our…, you also chanted just a few minutes ago. You chanted. So it is not difficult. Give it a try. That is our request. We request you, most humbly, that you take these sixteen words, you chant, and your heart will be cleansed of all dirty things. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Every dirty things. Our, we do not know how long we are changing births-900,000 species of births in the water, and two million species of life as plants and leaves and trees, and so many lives as reptiles, and cats and dogs and so many… Now we have come to this, by evolutionary process, this civilized form of life, human form of life, very beautiful form of life. Why you should waste this life, again go to that cycle of changing birth after birth, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]? The intelligent man should understand, try to understand, how much miserable it is to undergo birth and death and disease and old age. Don't be carried away by whims. You are intelligent boys and girls, born in rich family and rich nation. Just try to utilize, then it will be finishing touch to your country. Your country is advanced in so many ways. You have no poverty. You are advanced in so many ways. Take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Your country will be perfect, actual leader of the whole world. I have come to your country with this purpose, that if American boys and girls should accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it will be good for them and good for the world. So try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is very easy-it is not difficult-but it is sublime. It is the most sublime movement. It can solve all the problems of the world. That we are sure.

So I do not wish to take much of your time. The sum and substance of our movement I have explained to you, and these boys are also there if you want to inquire. We are prepared to answer your inquiries. But we request you, please take seriously about this movement and you'll be happy, sarve sukhino bhavantu.

Thank you very much. (end)

690511AD.COL

Address to Indian Association

Columbus, May 11, 1969

Prabhupāda:

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ

śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ

sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

[Cc. Antya 20.12]

All glories to the saṅkīrtana movement. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, five hundred years ago in Navadvīpa, at the age of sixteen years only, a boy of sixteen years, He introduced this movement, saṅkīrtana movement. Not that He manufactured some religious system. Just like nowadays there are…, so many religious system have been manufactured. Actually, religion cannot be manufactured. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam: [SB 6.3.19] "Religion means the codes of God, the laws of God." That's all. Just like you cannot live without obeying the state laws, similarly, you cannot live without obeying the laws of God. And in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati: [Bg. 4.7] "Whenever there is discrepancies in the process of religious, prosecution of religious activities," yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, abhyutthānam adharmasya, "and there is predominance of irreligious activities," tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham, "at that time," Kṛṣṇa, the Lord, says that "I appear." That is the way. The same principle. Just like as soon as there is disobedience of state laws, there is advent of some particular state officer or the governor or the state man to take step and to set things right. That is the way.

So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is worshiped by the Gosvāmīns, and there is a verse written by Rūpa Gosvāmī, one of His principal disciples. There were six Gosvāmīns: Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, and Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. All of them were Gosvāmīns. Gosvāmīns means… Go means senses. There are three meanings of go. Go means land; go means cow; go means senses. So gosvāmī… They were gosvāmī means they were master of the senses. Svāmī or gosvāmī, the same category. Gosvāmī is more explained. Svāmī means master. So when one becomes master of the senses, gosvāmī, he can make progress in the spiritual life. That is the meaning of svāmī. Svāmī does not mean that he is servant of the senses. Svāmī means master of the senses, gosvāmī. So they were all gosvāmīs, and one of the gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, he was the head. So he compiled one nice verse in respect of honoring Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says,

anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau

samarpayitum unnatojvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam

hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ

sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandana

He is blessing the people in general that "This incarnation of God, Kṛṣṇa…" Anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau. Kalau means this age, this age of Kali, which is very much contaminated, or the age of quarrel and disagreement. This is called Kali, age of Kali. So Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "In this age of Kali, where everything is disagreement and quarrel, you have descended to offer the highest, topmost love of God." Samarpayitum unnatojvala-rasām. "And not only topmost, but very brilliant rasa, transcendental mellow, humor." Anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau samarpayitum unnatojvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam, hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti: "Your complexion is just like golden, luster of gold. So You are so kind. So I bless everyone…" Gosvāmīs, they can bless because they are master of the senses. "…that this form of the Lord, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, may always remain dancing in your heart." Another place, when Rūpa Gosvāmī first met Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Prayāg, Lord Caitanya was dancing on the street, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." At that time also, he offered one prayer, namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: [Cc. Madhya 19.53] "Oh, You are the most munificent of all incarnation because You are distributing love of Godhead." Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te, kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ: "You are Kṛṣṇa Himself, because without being Kṛṣṇa, You cannot distribute Kṛṣṇa-prema. Love of God or love of Kṛṣṇa is not so easy thing, but You are distributing freely to everyone."

So this saṅkīrtana movement was inaugurated in Bengal in India and in Navadvīpa. So in this sense the Bengalis are very fortunate that in their country this movement was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya, and He predicted that… Those who are Bengalis here present, they will understand.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagaradi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

He predicted that "As many villages and towns there are all over the world, everywhere this saṅkīrtana movement will be preached." That is His future prediction. So by the grace of Lord Caitanya, this movement is already introduced in the Western countries, beginning from New York. Our first movement, the saṅkīrtana movement, was introduced in New York. I came in New York first, and I began to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in the Tompkinson Park. Is that Tompkinson Park or Square?

Devotee: Tompkins Square.

Prabhupāda: Tompkins Square. So I was chanting there for three hours with a little small mṛdaṅga, and these boys, American boys, they assembled, and gradually they joined. And it is increasing. First of all it was started in New York in a storefront, 26 Second Avenue. Then we started our branch in San Francisco, in Los Angeles, in Santa Fe, in Buffalo, then here. We have got now twenty branches, including one in London and one in Hamburg. And in London, the boys-they are all American boys, American boys and girls-they are preaching. They are not sannyāsī, neither they are Vedāntist, neither they are Hindus, neither they are Indian. But they have taken this movement very seriously. Here one lady from London, she has come. She was very much praising about their movement. And in London Times there was an article. They said that "Kṛṣṇa Chanting Startles London." So we have got many followers now. All my disciples till now, at least in this country, they are all Americans and Europeans. They are chanting, dancing. They are issuing paper, Back to Godhead. Now we have published so many books, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya.

So this movement is not like that is a sentimental movement. Don't think that these boys are dancing in some religious sentiment or fanaticism. No. We have background. We have background, highest philosophical and theosophical. Whatever you like. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, while He was preaching, He went to Benares. So Benares is the seat of Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. The followers of Śaṅkarācārya, they are mostly seen in Benares, Vārāṇasī. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was there, He was chanting and dancing. So some of the people, they became very much appreciative of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's dancing and chanting, and there was a big sannyāsī, Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, leader of many thousands of Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. So somebody went to him and said, "Oh, from Bengal one young sannyāsī has come. Oh, He is so nicely chanting and dancing." So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, he was a great Vedāntist. He did not like the idea. He said, "Oh, He is a pseudo sannyāsī. He is chanting and dancing. This is not the business of a sannyāsī. This is the… Sannyāsī should always engage himself in the study of philosophy and Vedānta, and He is simply chanting and dancing?" So he remarked that "He's a pseudo sannyāsī. He is not actually sannyāsa." Then one of the devotees, he did not like the idea, remark of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. He came back and informed Lord Caitanya that "These people are blackmailing You. I cannot tolerate this. So if something can be done to stop this blackmailing?" So that's a long history. So one devotee, he arranged the meeting of all the sannyāsīns, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was also invited, and there was Vedānta philosophical discussion between Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This description and philosophical discussions are given in our Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and it is very nice that Prakāśānanda himself with his, all his disciples, they became Vaiṣṇavas. The idea is… Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu had a great discussion with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, the greatest logician of that time. He was also Māyāvādī, impersonalist.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is not sentimental. People think that this is a sentimental movement. No. We have got very good background. If one wants to understand this saṅkīrtana movement through philosophy and learning and logic, oh, there is ample opportunity. It is not sentimental. It is based on science and based on authority of Vedas. But it is simplified. That is the… That is the beauty of this movement. Either you are great scholars or philosopher, or either you are a child just like this child, everyone can take part, without any difficulty. Any system of self-realization, either jñāna process or yoga process or any process, they are also recognized, but they are not possible to be practiced in this age. That is not possible. That is the verdict of the Vedas.

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ

tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ

dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ

kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt

[SB 12.3.52]

In the Satya-yuga it was possible to execute the meditation process. Just like Vālmīki Muni. He meditated for sixty thousands of years to get perfection. So where is your age? Besides that, that process, meditation process, are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. You have to select a secluded place, you have to execute it alone, you have to sit down in such a posture, you have to completely lead a life of celibacy, and so many rules and regulations. So aṣṭāṅga-yoga, meditation, that is not possible. But if you are satisfied by doing some imitation, that is different thing. But if you want right perfection, then you have to execute all the different stages of yoga practice, aṣṭāṅga-yoga. There are eight divisions: dhyāna, dhāraṇā, āsana, prāṇāyāma… So if it is not possible, then it is waste of time. What is the ultimate goal of yoga process or meditation? To contact the Supreme, the Supersoul, the Supreme Lord. That is the aim and object of yoga process. Similarly, philosophical research, jñāna process, that is also, the aim is to understand Supreme Brahman, realize Brahman. So they are recognized process undoubtedly, but according to authoritative description, those processes are not practical in this age. Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Therefore one has to take to this process of hari-kīrtana. Anyone can take, without any prequalification. You haven't got to study philosophy or Vedānta. This Vedānta philosophy was very much discussed between Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī… Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked first of all Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "I understand that You are were a very good scholar in Your previous life." Caitanya Mahāprabhu actually was a very great scholar. His name was Nimāi Paṇḍita. And at the age of sixteen years old He defeated one great scholar from Kashmir, Keśava Kāśmīrī. So He was a great scholar. So Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked Him that "I understand that You are a great scholar, Sanskrit scholar, and especially in logic You are a very good scholar. And You are now sannyāsī. You were born in a brāhmaṇa family. How is that You are chanting and dancing without reading Vedānta?" This was the first question made by Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. And He replied, "Yes. The thing is that when I was initiated by My spiritual master, he said that 'You are fool number one [Cc. Adi 7.71]. You don't discuss Vedānta. Simply You will spoil Your time. Please take to this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and You will be successful.' " That was His reply.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was not a fool, but Vedānta is not for fool. It requires sufficient education, sufficient status. Then one can understand Vedānta. In each and each code, each word, there are volumes of meaning, and there are many commentation, commentary by Śaṅkarācārya, commentary by Rāmānujācārya, commentary by…, big, big volumes in Sanskrit language. So how one will understand Vedānta? It is not possible. It may be possible for one person or two persons to understand what is Vedānta, but for the mass of people it is not possible; neither it is possible to practice yoga. Therefore this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's method, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa… He says, the first installment of gain will be ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] All the dirty things from your heart will be cleansed simply by chanting. You chant. There is no expenditure; there is no loss. But as we are chanting, if you kindly chant… You just do it for one week, and you see how much you progress in spiritual knowledge. We are getting many students. Simply by chanting, they are understanding the whole philosophy. They are giving up their bad habits, they are becoming purified, so many things. They are practical. This Society, movement, is started practically not more than two years, 1966, and we have got so many branches. The American boys and girls, they are taking it very seriously and do it very nicely. They are following all rules and regulation, and they are happy. Ask any one of them.

So this is practical, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], cleansing the dirty things from the heart simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Yes. And the next thing is that bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. As soon as your heart is cleansed of all dirty things, then all the problems of material existence immediately solved. Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni. It has been compared with dāvāgni. Dāvāgni means the blazing fire in the forest. In this material existence, nobody wants unhappiness, but it comes, forced, by force. That is the law of material nature. Nobody wants that there may be fire, but especially in this country, wherever in a city we go, the fire brigade is always active. You see? Nobody wants fire, but the fire brigade is active. Yes. There is fire. Similarly, nobody wants so many things. Nobody wants death; there is death. Nobody wants disease; there is disease. Nobody wants old age; oh, there is old age-against my, against my desire. We should have to think that what is the status of this material existence. This human form of life is meant for understanding. The human form of life is not meant for wasting the valuable life like cats and dogs in the matter of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That is not advancement of civilization. The Bhāgavata says that "This body is not meant for working very hard simply for sense gratification. No." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye: [SB 5.5.1] "To work very hard and satisfy oneself by sense gratification, that is the business of the hogs or dogs, not for human being." The human being, tapa, they should learn tapasya. And especially in India so many great sages, so many great kings, and so many brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs, they passed their life in great tapasya, not to go further. Just see Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha was a prince. He gave up everything, and he engaged himself in tapasya. This is life. King Bhārata Mahārāja, under whose name India is called Bhāratavarṣa, when he was twenty-four years old he gave up his kingdom, he gave up his young wife, young children, and went for tapasya. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was only twenty-four years He gave up His young wife, mother, everything. There are various, many, many examples. India is land of tapasya, but we are forgetting that. We are forgetting. Now we are making it the land of technology. It is surprising that India has gone so down, forgetting its tapasya, the land of tapasya, the land of dharma. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre [Bg. 1.1]. Dharma-kṣetre.

So it is not only in India. Everywhere in this age, everything is degraded, degraded in this sense, prāyeṇa kalau asmin alpāyeṣu yuge janāḥ. The duration of life is diminished. They are not very much active to understand what is self-realization. And if they are, some of them are very much active, oh, he is misled by so many misleading, so-called leaders. So the age is very corrupting. Therefore this Caitanya Mahāprabhu's process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa is the best method and the simplest method. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam. Kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. There is no other alternative. In the Agni Purāṇa this verse appears, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam. Three times: "Simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa," kevalam, "only." You cannot offer any other alternative. No. Only. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam. Kalau: "In this age," nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā, "there is no other alternative for self-realization except this." So we have to accept. There is another version in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was instructed by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He described the faults of this age. There is… In the Twelfth Canto, Third Chapter, you will find. Everything is now being corroborated, what is described five thousand years ago. So in that conclusive portion, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, kalau doṣa-nidhe rājann hy asti eko mahān guṇaḥ: "My dear King, this age, Kali, is full of faulty things, but there is one good opportunity." What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet: [SB 12.3.51] "Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one becomes liberated and he goes back to Godhead, back to home." So this is practical, this is authorized, and you can yourself test also how you become advanced simply by chanting.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is nothing… It is not a new thing that we have introduced or manufactured. No. It is authorized on the Vedic principle, authorized by ācāryas like Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all other ācāryas. So join us. You will be happy. Your human life will be sublime. And the method is very simple. There is no loss. We are not charging anything, that "You give me fee. I shall give you some secret mantra, and within six months you shall become God." No. It is open for everyone. Even child, even woman, girls, boys, old-everyone can take it and chant it and see the result. That is our request. So this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is universal movement. I would request you to join. We have got branches here. We are chanting daily twice. Especially we are holding meetings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. And you try to understand. We have got… Not that we are sentimentalists. We have got books, philosophy, everything. So please join and take advantage of it. That is our request.

Thank you very much. [break] Yes?

Indian man: Would you elaborate what you are doing as New Vrindaban? We heard… What is it you are establishing there?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are not only establishing New Vrindaban, but there is New Navadvīpa, New Jagannātha Purī. Yes. We have already started New Jagannātha Purī in San Francisco. The Ratha-yātrā festival is going on. And this year there will be a great ceremony of Ratha-yātrā in London. There will be three cars: Jagannātha, Subhadrā and Balarāma. And it will be taken to the riverside, Thames. So this American land, they have imported "New England," "New York"; why not New Vrindaban? So you should all join. Those who are Indians, they should join this movement especially to establish this New Vrindaban. Because Lord Caitanya recommended, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayam. The vrajeśa-tanaya, Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja in the Vṛndāvana dhāma, or Vrajabhūmi, He is the supreme worshipable Deity. Tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. And His place, Vṛndāvana, is also worshipable. So these Western boys and girls, they are taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So they should have a place like Vṛndāvana. So here is present our Swami Kīrtanānanda. He went to Vṛndāvana with me two years ago, and he has taken the idea, what is Vṛndāvana. So I have instructed him that "You should construct at least seven temples." In Vṛndāvana there are five thousand temples, not one, two. Five thousand temples of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. But the most important temples are seven, established by the Gosvāmīs. So our program is to live there, depending on agriculture and cow, cow protection and agriculture. That should be the economic solution. And peacefully be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the Vṛndāvana scheme. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya yogo bhavati siddhidaḥ. This human form of life is not meant for increasing artificial needs. We should be satisfied just to maintain the body and soul together, and balance time we should save for enhancing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or spiritual consciousness, so that after this body we haven't got to make another material body, but we go back to home, back to Godhead. That should be the motto of human life.

Another thing I may inform you in this connection, that when I first came to New York, one big man in India, mean rich man, Sir Padampat Singhania of Kanpur, I had correspondence that "Singhaniajī, if you give me some money, I can construct a temple here of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." So he was ready. He said that "Swamijī, whatever amount you want, I can give, provided the government gives sanction." So I had many correspondence with the government, but they did not give me sanction. But here the embassy, they have given me sanction that "You can raise funds from the residents in America and construct temple." So you are so many Indians. If you help me, I can construct temples everywhere. We have got many assistants. Of course, the American rich men, they are not coming. The boys and girls who have joined me, they are very not rich but very sincere. They are working and maintaining these twenty centers. We have got good expenditure. You know. It is America. Sometimes we have to spend two thousand dollars in every center. So Kṛṣṇa is giving us opportunity. Although there is no temple, but we are, I mean to say, our own temple, but temples we have got everywhere. We have got our Deity, Jagannātha, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. They are being worshiped nicely, and we are offering prasādam. Every Sunday we are distributing prasādam. So the system is going on. Especially if you go to Los Angeles, we have got the biggest temple there. At least, daily, fifty, sixty persons are taking prasādam. On Sunday there are guests, more than one hundred. They are taking part. It is going on nicely. Similarly, we'll have in every place. So that foretellng, prediction of Lord Caitanya, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma, that time has come. Let us cooperate and distribute this nice thing, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. People will be happy. [break]

Indian man: Is there any place in the movement for the drug addicts, a new class which has come…

Prabhupāda: Yes. Our students are forbidden not to accept any kind of intoxication. They do not drink even tea or coffee, or they do not smoke, what to speak of other things. That is our first condition to become disciple: no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling. These four things must be there. Otherwise we don't accept anyone as disciple.

Indian man: Because for an average American, a man in the street who doesn't know what Hinduism means, he thinks…

Prabhupāda: This is Hinduism.

Indian man: …probably this is a meeting of hippies going on here.

Prabhupāda: Hippies who are coming in our touch, they are giving up all these things even. Because they are not guided-misguided-they are seeking after something better, but there is no leader. But this movement will give them relief, to everyone. We are… Anyone who comes to us for initiation, our first condition is that there should be no illicit sex life, no boyfriend-girlfriend. No. Just get yourself married. Although I am sannyāsī, I have no connection with this marriage, but I do it for the sake of my disciples, just to settle them nicely. So all the boys or girls, they are being married. In Boston, while I was coming, there was three couples married. So they are living peacefully. There is no intoxication. They do not smoke even, do not take even tea or coffee. And they are taking nice prasādam every day. They are happy, they are healthy, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

Indian man: Could I ask a question?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Indian man: Is there a basic conflict between a spiritual life and material living? How does the philosophy…?

Prabhupāda: No. Material life means eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is material life. And spiritual life means something more than this. Just like animal life or human life. Animal life, the common formula is eating, sleeping, mating and defending. A dog also eats; a man also eats. A man also sleeps, and a dog also sleeps. The man also have sex life, and the dog also have sex life. The dog also defends in his own way, and man also defends in his own way, maybe atomic bomb. That is a different thing. But the defense, defense measure… These four principles are common between human being and animal. So advancement of these four principles is not human civilization. That is animal civilization. That is not human civilization. And human civilization means that athāto brahma jijñāsā, the Vedānta-sūtra says. The Vedānta-sūtra, first aphorism is athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now it is the time for inquiry about the Brahman." That is human life. Without this inquiry, that is animal life. So that is material life and… So long one is not spiritually inquisitive, jijñāsu śreya uttamam, he is animal because he has got only these four principles: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That's all. He must be inquisitive, "What I am? Why I am put into these miseries of life-birth, death, old, disease? Is there any remedy?" These things should be questioned. Then it is human life. Then it is spiritual life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the beginning of Vedānta. Brahma-jijñāsā: One should be inquisitive to understand what is Brahman. That is spiritual life.

So our Vedic system was so nicely designed that automatically one will be elevated to the understanding of Brahman. This caste system is condemned because they have been vitiated by designing person. Actually, caste system, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ… [Bg. 4.13]. According to division of qualities, there are caste system everywhere. Goodness, passion, and ignorance-these three qualities are working in the material nature. The persons who are in goodness, they are called brāhmaṇas. Not that birth. Kṛṣṇa does not say, "By birth." Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. There is no question of birth. Simply by quality. Quality, the division is everywhere: intelligent class of men, administrative class of men, productive class of men, and laborer class of men. This is brāhmaṇa, śūdra… That's all. So everything should be taken scientifically. Human… That is human civilization, human life; otherwise animal life. Spiritual life means human life, and material life means animal life. That's all. So we have to make adjustment, as it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, yuktāhāra-vihārasya. It does not mean because I am going to be spiritual man, I shall give up eating. No, not that. But my eating should be adjusted. These things are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, what class of foodstuff is first class, in goodness, and what class of foodstuff in the passion, third class, in ignorance. So we have to raise ourself in the goodness platform of human civilization, then revive our transcendental consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These things are, everything is there in the śāstras. Unfortunately, we do not consult. [break]

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ

mukta-saṅgasya jāyate

[SB 1.2.20]

Unless one is liberated from the clutches of these three modes of material nature, he cannot understand what is God. Prasanna-manaso. He must be Brahman-realized soul. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. These things are there. So you should take advantage of these śāstras and preach. That is the responsibility to the Indian. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said,

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

"Anyone who has taken his birth in India as human being, he should learn all the śāstras, make his life successful, and distribute this." That is the responsibility of India. This is the injunction of Lord Caitanya. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]. So Bhāratabhūmi is not… To take birth in India is not ordinary thing. You must know. But you should utilize the opportunity. That utilization you should read, study, understand volumes of Vedic literature, and you should distribute the knowledge to the rest of the world. Rest of the world, they know God is great, but they do not know how great is God. That you will find in the Vedic literature. And that is our duty. That is kīrtana, hari-kīrtana. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam, to glorify. So I shall specially request our Indian nationals to join this movement and distribute the knowledge. I am doing it now alone. And if you join, it will be great help to this movement. Try to understand.

Indian man: We understand from the newspaper that there is a temple which has been started on East 20th Street. Can somebody tell us at what stage it is?

Prabhupāda: In New York?

Indian man: Here in Columbus. We read in newspaper yesterday.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. That is our temple. Our temple, yes. So you come and see. That is just started for the last few weeks only. Yes. But we have got very nice temples in Los Angeles, in New York, in San Francisco.

Indian man: We saw the one in Montreal.

Prabhupāda: In Montreal also. You saw me there?

Indian man: Yeah, we saw last year.

Prabhupāda: Last year, no. I think in June I was there. Montreal also we have got. In Vancouver we have got. So as these boys are growing, so we are starting. Bala bari duḥkha kande (?). When the children are grown up, the father's labor diminishes. So all right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Please join with us. (end)

690512LE.COL

Lecture with Allen Ginsberg

at Ohio State University

Columbus, May 12, 1969

Allen Ginsberg: The amazing thing was that everybody was able to shake their own ass and get up and dance after…, a long time, and not knowing what to do. When ancient rhythms were floating through, everybody thought and certainly everybody desired to dance and sing rather than be frozen. But such is the nature of our condition, in this, which is called the Kali-yuga, according to Hindu fairy tale, Hindu mythology, Hindu religion, Hindu belief, Hindu metaphysics, Hindu cosmography, probably corresponding to what in our Western tradition we know as the gnostic tradition, through Pallet Harichosis(?), Yaka Burma(?), and William Blake. This is an Orient version of what may be the same tradition, suppressed in the West when the CIA took over religion in 313 A.D., (laughter and applause), when Constantine, Caesar, made a deal with the church to suppress all alien thoughts and heresies and to formulate a square Western version of heaven and hell. The Kali-yuga concept is one that you can, in a sense, interpret ecologically. If you've been following the scientifical pronouncements of doom possibility coming over television, radio, and slick magazines, as well as from the underground press, you will notice that there's increasing attention to the fact that our own fecal material, the waste products of our robots, have now so polluted Lake Erie that it's a great lake of green goo slime, biologically dead; that our atmosphere, the planetary atmosphere, is increasingly polluted with carbon wastes; and that we are so sunk in our attachment to automobile exhaust fumes, to sulphur wastes from great steel factories producing metals that can be sent flying to explode on the other side of the planet with the collaboration of the science faculties in such universities as this, (applause) so that we find ourselves increasingly sunk into what is called a materialistic habit, like a junky stuck on his junk.

People are hooked on matter and on their own identity in matter, taking their own identity from their faces, nose, bodies, and immediate physical city-complex around them, and not realizing another, sweeter, deeper but wilder or "transcendental" identity than the identity of the one-dimensional man that Marcuse has talked out. So what we are proposing here is a modern-minded view, or some indications of a modern Western, i.e., gnostic, Marcuse view of Kali-yuga, as applying to our own situation, rather than being an oriental fairy tale. As it stands, I read in the paper today, the prognosis for our… According to U Thant in today's paper, according to the head of the U.N., mankind has only ten years to reverse the political, social, moral, emotional, bhakti course of the planet, and alter our technology, alter our consciousness radically enough to preserve human existence on the planet. (applause) So this is not only the official U.N. pronouncement; it's also the pronouncement of most of the ecologists, biologists, and ecosystemic students of the planet that are presently considering the ecological disruption that we have caused through our greed and destructiveness.

The oriental tale, or analysis, has it, however, that we have a good deal more time. The Kali-yuga, or age of heavy metal entanglement, iron age, lasts 432,000 years, and we're only five thousand years into it. So there is 428…, 427,000 years to go. In a conversation with Swami Bhaktivedanta today, I was inquiring more about the details of the mythology, which are found in a book called the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. He explained that according to Hindu analysis we are five thousand years into the descent from a lighter age, the age of brass, the disappearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa, an aspect of the Hindu Deity Viṣṇu, preserver, or perhaps the supreme form of the preserver aspect of the universe, of ourselves, or of Viṣṇu. The disappearance of Kṛṣṇa, mythologically or historically, is five thousand years ago. We're five thousand years into the age of iron, and we have ten thousand years in which to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, which is to say, repeating the name of the aspect of the preservation, hope, that particular vibration of dancing joy transcending our cosmopolitical words. We have ten thousand for that play before there is a total descent into one-foot-tall monsters who eat each other up for meat because all the vegetables have disappeared, because DDT has completely geared out any biological life form except mammals who go around eating each other at that point.

For… I've known Swami Bhaktivedanta for about three years, since he settled in the Lower East Side in New York, which was my territory and my neighborhood… (applause) It seemed to me like a stroke of great intelligence for him to come, not as an uptown swami (laughter) but a real down-home street swami, and make it on the street in the Lower East Side, as also opening a branch on Frederick Street in San Francisco, right in the center of Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, so that people who were tripping in Haight-Ashbury several years ago, coming down, wanting some, quote, "permanent-eternal reassurance," formula, ritual, magic, hope, feel, one truth, if you wish, zeroed in on the Frederick Street rugged, performed, incensed, ashram, where chanting would be heard at dawn as they were coming down off a trip all night. A great many people who were hung on acid or other varieties of chemical psychedelics found it much more stable to practice a prolonged ritual or sādhana following the instructions of Swami Bhaktivedanta, which are old, classical, Indian-style instructions for both ritual, daily living, diet, sexuality, thought consciousness, apparel, hand gestures-in other words, a very complicated ritualized yoga, a very ancient one also. I thought Swami Bhaktivedanta made a great move in coming to the Lower East Side and to Haight-Ashbury. And then, naturally, because people dig chanting, centers formed in other parts of the United States, so that there are small street-level houses or storefront centers in Vancouver, or in L.A., in Montreal, up in Buffalo, down in… There's some Buffalo chanters here. And "chant" comes from the word enchant, which means to make oneself into, to make a magical spell about oneself. So there are Santa Fe centers also.

In other words, the indigenous, the importation of a very strange oriental form, almost a hard-shelled Baptist oriental form, in the sense of its traditionality and its fundamentalism, its reliance on ancient texts and interpretation of ancient texts by long tradition of teachers-it's strange it's so far-out and ritualized an Indian form should take root in the United States a little more naturally than the more Protestant Vedānta Society or the extremely rigorous Zen groups that have taken root. I think partly it's due to the magnanimity or generosity or the old-age charm, wisdom, cheerfulness of Swami Bhaktivedanta, his openness of heart, his willingness to come down on to the street, and his sense of his own divinity and the divinity of others around that it's been possible for the bhakti-yoga cult of India to be planted very firmly here in America so that now there are communes, or ashrams, functioning on the basis of the Kṛṣṇa rituals, which are, in some respect, a model for all those anarchists and political people who are interested in establishing indigenous American communes. The regulations on food, on sexual relations, which generally cause much confusion in mutual-living health pads, the regulations on sleep and thinking process, are like an interesting model to study for those who are interested in forming affinity groups or large family communes. I will have my turn at language tomorrow because I'm giving a poetry reading at the student union somewhere-I'm not sure where-which is my regular thing, which is why I was invited here by the student activities committee. So I will cut myself off now and be brief and leave the rest of the evening to Swami Bhaktivedanta, who will give a language explanation, or whatever he wants to say, of the cultural, or metaphysical or religious roots in… Pardon me?

Student: What time?

Allen Ginsberg: I don't know. The time now…

Hayagrīva: Mention we'll have more chanting.

Allen Ginsberg: Yes, I will. So the rest of the evening will be, Swami Bhaktivedanta will explain his divine self. Then we will continue chanting. Swamijī. (applause)

Prabhupāda:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur-unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

My dear boys and girls, I thank you very much for your coming here and participating with this saṅkīrtana function. The saṅkīrtana function, or… It is called saṅkīrtana-yajña, sacrifice. There is a statement in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that saṅkīrtanair yajñaiḥ prayair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]. In this age… As poet Ginsberg has explained to you, this is called Kali-yuga, or very degraded age. From the spiritual point of view, from material point of view also, people are reducing their duration of life and their merciful tendency, their strength, their stature. If you study scrutinizingly, you will see that your stature is reducing, your memory is reducing, your duration of life is also reducing in this Kali-yuga. There are many symptoms. So Bhāgavata recommends, "For self-realization in this age, simply by performing this sacrifice of saṅkīrtana…" The saṅkīrtana-yajña is so nice that at once you get transcendental ecstasy, and from spiritual consciousness, you try to join. Even a child desires like that. This is the effect of the saṅkīrtana-yajña. And Lord Caitanya, the inaugurator of this movement five hundred years ago, He says that if you chant this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, then the first installment of your gain will be that all the dirty things in your heart will be cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And when we are in clean heart, then the next stage will be bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam: "The problems of material existence will be solved." And when you are spiritually steady on the platform of saṅkīrtana-yajña, then your original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and its concomitant joyfulness begins.

This thing also is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

It is said there that "When one comes on the platform of spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at that time he becomes completely joyful." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. Prasanna means joyful; ātmā means soul. And the symptom is na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He does not lament, neither hanker. In the material existence we have got two diseases: hankering for things which we do not possess, and lamenting for things which we have lost. But actually we don't possess anything; everything belongs to God. That is the Vedic injunction. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Whatever we see, that is the property of the Supreme Lord. And this claiming that "This is my property. This is my body. This is my country. This is my home. This is my…, this is my…," this is called illusion. Actually we do not possess anything. So when you actually come on the spiritual consciousness, you understand that nothing belongs to you. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. Kāṅkṣati means hankering, and socati means lament.

Then the next stage is samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then you can see everything, or every living entity, on the equal status. People are trying to come to that platform of oneness, but that is only possible when you come to the spiritual platform, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the material platform it is not possible. Practically we see the United Nations, they are trying to come to oneness of all nations, but they failed. Simply the flags are increasing. Instead of being united, we are increasing our flags. So if you want actually oneness, then you have (to) come to that platform of brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]-prasannātmā, joyfulness. Everyone is hankering after joyfulness. How that joyfulness can be attained? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says,

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yayātmā suprasīdati

[SB 1.2.6]

Ātmā means soul, your self. We are, every one of us, hankering after that peace and tranquillity. How it is possible? Bhāgavata says, yayātmā suprasīdati. Suprasīdati means completely becomes satisfied. How it is possible? Now, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ: "That is the first-class occupational duty by which you develop your love of God." That is first class. The test of religion… Every religion has got some conception of God. That's all right. But if by following the principles of that religion, if you see that you are developing your love for God, then that is first class. Otherwise, Bhāgavata says, it is simply wasting time laboring.

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed ratiṁ yadi

śrama eva hi kevalam

[SB 1.2.8]

The Bhāgavata says that "You are very nice man. You are very honest to your occupational duty. That is all right. But if by discharging your occupational duty you do not develop your eagerness to understand what is God and what is love of God," then, Bhāgavata says, "it is simply laboring and wasting time." That is the test. And why we should try to increase our love of God? That is also explained: ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. Ahaitukī, without any cause. We should love God without any cause. Just like we go to temple, church, with a motive. We go there: "O God, give us our daily bread. I have come to You for my bread." That is not love of God. That is love of bread. (applause)

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given nice sample of love. He is playing the part of Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī is the conjugal consort of Kṛṣṇa. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not dry. You'll see the picture, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is a boy, sixteen years old, and Rādhārāṇī, a young girl, a little younger than Kṛṣṇa. They are enjoying, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmāt. There are different potencies of God. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. In the Vedic literature you'll find, Vedas, "God has many energies." Parāsya śaktiḥ. Śakti means energy, power. Vividhaiva, multi, various. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svabhāva… Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. This is the injunction of Vedas. "You cannot find anyone equal or greater than God. Nobody can be equal with God; nobody can be greater than God." Then he is not God. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca. Sama means equal; adhika means greater. Na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. They have analyzed who is God. The great sages, the liberated sages, they are not fools, rascals, that they will accept anyone God. No. They will test. This is the test. If you find somebody, that he is neither lower than anyone, neither equal to anyone, then he is God. There are other, many definitions of God. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). Analytical study. Try to understand God. This is the business of human form of life, not that simply eating, sleeping and mating and defending. These are animal business. The animal knows how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate, and how to defend in its own way. So that is common formula for human being or animal. But there is one speciality in human society or human being-he can understand God, what is God. If I explain to a human being, however illiterate, uneducated, he may be, if he has simply these two ears, he will understand what is God. Therefore the Vedic information is called śruti. Just try to hear. You haven't got to be educated or literate. God has given you these two ears and you can learn. Simply you have to learn from the authorized sources. Then you will understand God. And when you understand God, then you develop love of God. And when you develop love of God without any motive and without any impediment, then you find, "Oh," svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce [Cc. Madhya 22.42], "I have no more any demand. I am completely satisfied." Try to come to this platform, transcendental stage. You cannot be happy simply by material advancement. That is not possible.

That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Every one of us are rascals, born ignorant. But we have got the capacity to take the message of God from authorized information. That we have got. So Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ: "All living entities who are born ignorant, whatever they are doing for advancement of society, culture, education, civilization, all such activities are defeat only if he does not inquire what he is." Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Ātma-tattvam. So long one does not inquire, "What I am? What is God? What is this material nature? What are these activities? What are our relationships?"-if these inquiries are not there, then all our activities are simply defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Yāvan na prītir mayī vāsudeve: "So long one does not develop his dormant love of God," na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat, "so long he will not be able to get out of this repeated birth and death and transmigration of the soul." This transmigration of soul, repeated birth and death, is a diseased condition of the spirit soul. That we do not know. Neither in our education system there is any department of knowledge teaching what is the soul, what is after death, what was before birth. There is no science. It is very lamentable. Education in the name of simply eating, sleeping, and mating, this is not education. If my bodily conception continues… The Bhāgavata says, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke: [SB 10.84.13] "Anyone who is thinking that this body of flesh and bone is self, he is an ass." (laughter) Sa eva go-kharaḥ. Go-kharaḥ. Khara means ass. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. And by his conceiving this body as self… They have no even common reason that "This bag of flesh, bone, urine, stool and secretion-can it be soul? Can it be self?" But they are finding out by exercising this body to find out the soul. The soul is there, but you cannot see it by material instrument. It is very fine. It is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of your hair. These are explained in the Vedic literature. So how you can find with your material eyes? You cannot see it. And because you cannot see it, you are concluding there is no soul. That is the ignorance. There is. There is soul, and this body has developed on the platform of that soul, and that soul is migrating from one body to another. That is called evolution. And that evolutional process is going on, 8,400,000's of species of life, aquatics, birds, beasts, plants, and so many species of life. And we have got now this developed consciousness, human form of life. We should properly utilize it. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We simply educating people, "Don't waste your valuable life, the human form of life. If you are missing this chance, you are committing suicide." That is our propaganda. Don't commit suicide. Take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

And the process is very simple. You haven't got to take difficult processes like yoga system or philosophical, speculative system. That is not possible in this age. That is… I am not speaking from my own experience, but I am taking the experience of big ācāryas and big stalwart sages. They say that kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. If you want to realize yourself, if you want to know what is your next life, if you want to know what is God, if you want to know what is your relationship with God, all these things will be revealed to you-this is real knowledge-by simply chanting this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It is practical. We are not charging anything. We are not bluffing you that "I shall give you some something, secret mantra, and charge you fifty dollars." No. It is open for everyone. Please take it. That is our request. We are begging you, "Don't spoil your life. Please take this mantra. Chant wherever you like." It has no hard and fast rules you have to follow. Whenever you like, wherever you like, any condition of life… Just like we chanted half an hour before. Any condition, you felt ecstasy. Similarly, you can continue this. Chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It is given to you free. But if you want to know what is this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra through philosophy, through knowledge, through logic, we have got volumes of books. Don't think that we are simply sentimentally dancing. No, we have got background. So try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. I have especially come to your country to deliver you this good message, because if you accept this, if you can understand this science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, other part of the world will also follow, and the face of the world will be changed. That is a fact.

So therefore I request you that you take this chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, with you, and wherever you live, in whatever condition you are, you don't require to change. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that, sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ prāyaśa ajita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām. Caitanya Mahāprabhu discussed about spiritual realization with one of his great devotees called Rāmānanda Rāya. And Rāmaṇanda Rāya placed before Him many theories expounded in the Vedic literature. And at last, when Rāmānanda Rāya placed this verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva… Don't be foolishly try to speculate to understand the unlimited. It is not possible. By your tiny senses you cannot understand the unlimited. It is not possible. Therefore the first recommendation is that jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Don't try to be a dry speculator to understand the ultimate truth. Namanta. Just become meek and humble. Namanta eva san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. And try to receive the message from authorized sources. Then sthane sthitaḥ śruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhiḥ: in whatever condition you are, you don't require to change. You simply hear. Then a day will come when you will be able to conquer the Supreme Lord, who is unconquerable. God is great, nobody can conquer, but if you simply follow this process, then-in whatever condition you are, simply try to hear about God from authorized sources-then one day you will be able to conquer God within your hand. This is also confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā:

advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam

ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca

vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau…

[Bs. 5.33]

You cannot find out, simply you find out searching in the Vedas or scripture where is God. You have to conquer Him by your love. He will reveal to yourself. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

[Bg. 10.10]

Everything is clearly explained there. Please try to read this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It is science of God. You will understand… You will realize. And chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will cleanse your heart. And after cleansing your heart, if you read one chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, you will understand gradually what is God, what you are, what is your relationship with God. And when you understand all these things and you develop your love of God, you become perfectly happy.

So we want to see you all happy. That is our program. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Every one of you become happy. But you must take the path how you can be happy. This is the path, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much. (applause) (end)

690607LE.NV

Lecture

New Vrindaban, June 7, 1969

Prabhupāda: Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja? You can sit down here. That's all. No more want. Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja feels inconvenience. Yes.

So I thank you very much for you participating in this saṅkīrtana movement.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalaṁ

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

This is a verse from Vedic scripture, Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa, that "In this age, if you want to realize yourself, then the simplest process is to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.' ' It has got so transcendental power that simply by participating in this chanting process, gradually you will come to the highest stage of transcendental position. How it happens? That is also described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

[SB 1.2.17]

Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is present before you in three features. Simply you have to make your senses perfect to perceive it. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a person, a person like you, like me. Just like we are facing each other, similarly, when you are spiritually perfect, you will be able to see Kṛṣṇa exactly like face to face.

Kṛṣṇa is not imperson. He is imperson also. He is present in three features: by His personal feature, by His impersonal features, and His localized feature. By His personal feature, He is always present in His abode known as Kṛṣṇaloka or Vaikuṇṭhaloka in the spiritual sky. And by His impersonal feature He is present as impersonal Brahman effulgence. You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā also, brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā: "I am the source of Brahman effulgence." Brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Similarly, in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated,

yasya prabhā prabhavato jagadaṇḍa-koṭi-

koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam

tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.40]

Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, He has got rays from His body. Just like you see the sunshine. The sunshine is the rays of the body of the sun-god. That you are seeing every day. You can see only the sun globe. But if you have got power, as you are trying to go to the moon planet, similarly, if some day if you get such scientific power and you can go through the sun planet, then you can see there sun-god. It is not imagination; it is a fact. Just like in every planet there is a predominating man. Take for example in this planet, the president of United States is to be a predominating personality. Similarly, in every planet there is a predominating personality, and the predominating personality in the sun globe is called Vivasvān. The name is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. Kṛṣṇa says that "First of all I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā, bhakti-yoga, imaṁ yogam, to the sun-god Vivasvān." The name is there. Just like your president's name is Mr. Johnson or Ni…, or…?

Devotee: Nixon.

Prabhupāda: Nixon. Yes. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. So similarly, in every planet there is a president, and this president is called Vivasvān. Vivasvān manave prāha. And Vivasvān spoke this yoga system to his son Manu, the present Manu. He is present, the… The father of the mankind is called Manu. From Manu this word has come, "man," or manuṣya. So vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt: "And Manu spoke to his son, Ikṣvāku." Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam [Bg. 4.2]. In this way, by disciplic succession, either from the father to the son or from the spiritual master to the disciple, this knowledge is coming. Just like you know your forefather's name-suppose the grandfather of your grandfather. How do you know? By the paramparā system. Your grandfather's grandfather was known to his son, then his son, then his son, then his son, then your father, then you are. You cannot know directly; you have to know by the step. Similarly, you have to know the previous personalities by this paramparā, disciplic succession. You cannot speculate how is your grandfather's grandfather. You have to hear from your father or grandfather. That is the process. Similarly, you cannot imagine what is God. You have to hear from the disciplic succession who is coming from God. Then you will understand what is God. So that is the personal understanding of God.

Then impersonal understanding of God, just Brahman… Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: "Everything is standing on Brahman." Just like materially you understand: everything in the material manifestation, that is depending on the sunshine. The trees, as soon as there is sunshine, there is green foliage. As soon as there is no sunshine, there is no leaves, no greenness. So everything is depending on sunshine. The sunshine is also depending on Kṛṣṇa; therefore Kṛṣṇa is the original cause of all causes. That is Kṛṣṇa realization. You can realize Him personally, you can realize Him impersonally, and you can realize Him localized. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati: [Bg. 18.61] "Arjuna, that Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated, localized, in everyone's heart." Just like the sun globe is there, and the sun globe's effulgence is the impersonal representation of the sun-god. And suppose there are five millions of people standing in the sunshine, and everyone will see the sun is above his head. That is localized. You go five thousand miles away and ask your friend here, "Where is the sun?" Your friend will say that "It is on my head." And you will also see it is on your head. As it is materially possible, why not spiritually? So spiritually, Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Simply you have to realize it.

How you can realize it? That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. If you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, even if you do not realize, simply if you come here and chant and dance, puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, because you are chanting and hearing, you are getting piousness; you are becoming purified-simply by joining. This temple is situated just to give you facility for your purification. Why don't you take advantage? I am very glad that you have all come, and it will be further our enjoyment and pleasure if you come and join. Please come here, join here. We have got very nice arrangement. We supply prasādam, we have got dancing, we have got chanting. Why you should deny it? (laughter) And if you join us, then gradually you realize what you are, what is God, what is this world, what is your relationship. Then your life becomes successful. You'll not be confused. You will understand what is real life. Simply by the spell of the material qualities you have become covered. But if you come here, if you hear and chant, then gradually… Kṛṣṇa is within you. He is sitting within your heart as a friend, not as an enemy. Kṛṣṇa is always your friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 5.29]. You are searching out friends to talk with, to joke with, to love. Kṛṣṇa is sitting there for that purpose. If you love Kṛṣṇa, if you make friendship with Kṛṣṇa, if you love Kṛṣṇa, then your life will be successful. You haven't got to search out any other friend. The friend is already there. Either you are a boy or a girl, you will find a nice friend within yourself. That is yoga system, when you realize this friend.

So this friend is so nice, as soon as you become little inclined to hear about Him, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ-about Kṛṣṇa, not any other nonsense talks, simply about Kṛṣṇa-then Kṛṣṇa will be so pleased. He is within you. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ sthaḥ [SB 1.2.17]. Hṛt means heart. Antaḥ stho. Antaḥ stho means "who is sitting within your heart." So hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi. We cannot see Kṛṣṇa, we cannot realize Kṛṣṇa-He is sitting within my heart-due to my contamination, abhadrāṇi. We have contaminated ourself with so many material desires. That is contamination. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is pure. Just like you take the sea water-it is pure. But as soon as it touches the land, it becomes impure, cloudy, muddy. Similarly, your consciousness, because you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, is as clear as Kṛṣṇa, but due to this contamination with this material world, you have contacted the muddy things of three qualities: ignorance, passion, and goodness. So if you hear about Kṛṣṇa, these muddy things will be precipitated and they will be separated. Then, gradually, as the…, proportionately, as you clear these muddy qualities of the material nature, you come to pure consciousness.

First of all, you come to the goodness of consciousness. When you come to the goodness of consciousness, then you become a brāhmaṇa. What is the quality of brāhmaṇa? Satya śama dama titikṣa ārjava, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42]. You come to the brahminical position, or stage. Then you will be truthful. First thing is truthful, satyam. Śamam, self-controlled; damam, the senses are controlled, mind is controlled. We are practically driven by the uncontrolled mind and uncontrolled senses. So when you come to the brahminical position, then your senses become controlled, your mind becomes controlled. Just like our students, all our students, how they are controlling? They are also born in your country. They are also Americans. None of my students are Indian. But how they are controlling illicit sex life? How they are controlling not to drink, not to take any intoxicants? How they are controlling not to take part in gambling? No illicit sex, no meat-eating. You are born eating meat. How they have given up? Because they have come to the stage of this brahminical understanding-satya, śama, dama, titikṣa. Titikṣa means tolerance. Suppose any one of my students was practiced to all these habits and by my word, if they have given up, they may be feeling some inconvenience. Still, they are tolerating. That should be done, tolerating. Titikṣa, ārjava, simplicity. They have taken my words by simple faith, simplicity, ārjava, sad-lata (?). Then jñānam, then their understanding what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness; vijñānam, they are applying in practical life. Āstikyam, they are believing in the śāstras, in the Vedic literature. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam: [Bg. 18.42] "This is the nature of a brāhmaṇa." Therefore, as soon as I see, I give him the sacred thread: "Yes. You are now recognized brāhmaṇa."

Then, from this brāhmaṇa stage you have to become a Vaiṣṇava. That is transcendental stage. Simply by hearing… This chanting and hearing will raise you, higher and higher stages of life. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu [SB 1.2.18]. By this process, when your contamination will be almost clear, not completely clear, almost clear… Completely clear is not possible because we are in this material world, we have got this material body. But Bhāgavata says, "Even it is not completely cured, almost cured," nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā… Nityam means daily, regularly. Bhāgavata-sevayā. Bhāgavata means in relationship with Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa. So these boys are engaged in reading Bhāgavatam, in reading Bhagavad-gītā and other literatures which gives them knowledge about Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And bhāgavata means the devotee. They have accepted a spiritual master, as a good devotee, so they are serving, bhāgavata-sevayā. Then bhagavati… Then, by this process, he becomes fixed up in the transcendental loving service of God. In this way, evaṁ prasanna-manaso [SB 1.2.20]? "By this way, he becomes jolly." Because jolliness is my original consciousness, but due to my material contamination I am not jolly, I am morose, I am full of anxiety. So as soon as you become freed from this material contamination… Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ. How you can become such happy mood? Bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ: by the bhakti-yoga process.

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ

mukta-saṅgasya jāyate

[SB 1.2.20]

Bhāgavata-tattva… This is a science to understand God. Just like you have got different departmental sciences to understand perfectly a subject matter, similarly, this bhāgavata-tattva, this truth of God, you can understand by practicing this bhakti-yoga, and you become jolly. (laughter) Yes. This is practical.

So this is a great science. It is a great science. Don't be confused and frustrated. Take this. Take this. It is very easy. You come to this temple and chant and dance and take prasādam and be jolly and be happy.

Thank you very much. That's all. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Now chant again. (end)

690622LE.NV

Lecture

New Vrindaban, June 22, 1969

Prabhupāda: Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that this Kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana-Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare-paraṁ vijayate: "All glories." Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Because the śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana will increase the ocean of transcendental bliss. Now, here in this meeting we are present. I am an old man of seventy-four years old, and here is a child, one year old. So beginning from this child, abala-vṛddha-vanita (?), the Sanskrit word. Beginning from the child, woman, up to the old man, everyone can take part in this saṅkīrtana movement. Actually we can see practically that everyone can take part in it. This is such a nice yoga system. There is no need of any material qualification. But we don't neglect material qualification. We can dovetail material qualification to render service to Kṛṣṇa, and that will make our all material possessions, assets, successful. (child making noises, like japa) He is trying to…

Brahmānanda: Yes. He's reaching(?).

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) He is seeing mother's. You see? Therefore such child, they are all fortunate child. You see? He is learning automatically how to chant, how to keep the beads. So śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo sañjāyate [Bg. 6.41]. It is very nice that you have got tendency for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and this is the duty of father and mother, to raise children in that Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that this child can be saved from further bondage of birth and death. Bhāgavata says that "One should not become father, one should not become mother, unless they are able to save the child from the impending mouth of death. And hariṁ vinā na mṛtiṁ taranti: "Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, nobody can be saved from the cycle of birth and death." That is not possible. There are many Vedic versions. Yāvan na prītir mayi vāsudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat. Deha-yoga means contacting this material body. We are not this material body, but we have contacted. Just like we contact some infectious disease, similarly, we have somehow or other contacted. Deha-yogena. And that is the cause of all our misery.

So Bhāgavata says, yāvan na prītir mayi vāsudeve. So long one does not develop this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no chance of getting out of this contact of material body. We can get very nice body or very bad body. That doesn't matter. We can get a dog's body, or we can get a demigod's body. We can live for five minutes. There are many insects and germs which live for five minutes, and there are living entities in Brahmaloka who live for five millions of years. All varieties of life there are within this universe. By Kṛṣṇa's creation, you will find, aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān: the bigger than the biggest and the smaller than the smallest. You will find. Just see in this New Vrindaban. There are big trees, also small, very insignificant, so small tree that you are trampling over it. So in the living condition there are so many varieties, 8,400,000's of species. But the problem is not to promote ourself from this small body to big body, from the ant's body to elephant's body. That is not our problem. Not to accept this material body-to have our spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Just like Kṛṣṇa has sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, Nārāyaṇa has got sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. So that is our problem.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness will give us that opportunity, and those who are gṛhasthas, family men, their duty is to raise their children to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that actually the child will have full advantage of having a nice parent, nice father and mother. So this New Vrindaban we have selected to grow a community of such nice father and mother. There is sannyāsī also, brahmacārī, gṛhastha. We have no such distinction. Yei kṛṣṇa bhaje sei guru haya. Anyone who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and full in the understanding of science of Kṛṣṇa, he can become a spiritual master, a teacher. So in this Vṛndāvana, New Vrindaban, you should live in such a way, ideal way, that people will learn that what is actually human life, what is human civilization, how, what is, it is meant for. That we have to teach to the world. So those who are conducting this institution, my request is that you develop this place in such a nice way. And you can practically see. If we train… Just this child is dancing. This child is trying to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa with beads. Simply they are to be instructed. They must have the association. Then there will be a new growth of population, not like cats and dogs, but actually demigods, devatā. Demigods means devotees of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. And asura means nondevotee. So there is enough population of asura in this world. And the people are not happy because āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. This demonic civilization is killing the human race. So it is the responsibility of the members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness to save so many ignorant, innocent people. They have got this human form of life to end all miserable condition of material existence. They are being misguided simply just like animals. It is not a good civilization. So this place is out of contact. It is Kṛṣṇa's desire that here no man of ordinary interest will come here. It is in a very nice location. It is beyond the reach of the ordinary class of men. (laughter) Just like Howard's father said that "I'll never come here." (laughter)

Kīrtanānanda: Hṛṣīkeśa's lawyer, he just walked up here two miles looking for his dog.

Prabhupāda: Oh, his dog lost?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes. And he is all upset.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So it is Kṛṣṇa's grace. (laughter) He had some affection for the dog. Now he can turn his affection for Kṛṣṇa. The dog is lost. So… No, dog will not be lost. He will greet. The dog, they are very… They will soon smell and find out the way. Dog will never be lost.

So our Mr. D.D. (referring to Dvārakādhiṣa) is in samādhi. Let him take rest. You can take rest. Go. (laughs) Yes. You are feeling samādhi, Mr. Ekendra? No, you can go and take rest. Yes. You are very good. So these children, they are coming. I especially request Swami Kīrtanānanda to take care of them. And here is a nice, motherly girl, Satyabhāmā, and her husband. They are all… So take care of these children. If you can make one child Kṛṣṇa conscious, it is a great service. Kṛṣṇa will be very pleased. So, so many children will come. This place is nice. And Kṛṣṇa will give us all opportunity. So I will also come again, and I like this place. So… Because I have come to preaching work, so let me finish whatever little work is still remaining. I want to go once to London and Germany. Then I will entrust the whole thing to you. So let us cooperate in this movement very nicely, and here in this spot, New Vrindaban, the woman's business will be to take care of the children, cooking cleansing, and churning butter. (laughter) And those who have the knowledge of typing can help in typing also. No other hard work. That's all. This is for woman. And for men, hard work, field work, taking care of the cows, of the animals, to go to collect wood, to construct building. In this way cooperate. The girls who are here, they should prepare nice prasādam so that the boys, in time they can get their prasādam, timely. This is the duty. And they must be given timely breakfast, lunch prasādam. They will work hard. And the churning business is for the girls. That will keep your health very nice. Ma Yaśodā, the mother of Kṛṣṇa, just see how exalted she was. Materially, she was rich also. She had many maidservants. Still, she took pleasure in churning. You have seen the picture. Recently in Los Angeles they had the festival, dadhi-maṇḍa… What is called? Butter, butter ceremony. So people took part in churning, and there were twelve pounds of butter churned in the meeting. Yes. And they collected good amount by churning.

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very nice. We churn butter and have festival and live nicely and dance, Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is very nice life. So just cooperate and try to improve. It will improve if you be sincere. Kṛṣṇa will send all help. And some day it will be actually replica of that Vṛndāvana. And our Kīrtanānanda Swami, he was in Vṛndāvana. He has got the ideas. Here is Keśighāṭa also. And try. Cooperatively you can do. Kṛṣṇa will help. So… And Jack and you… You have decided to remain here? Very nice. You have got very nice child. And now Mr. Ekendra is feeling samādhi. He can also take… (laughter) Let him take rest. You take rest. Ekendra? You take rest. Go. He is…

Devotee: He says he wants to stay.

Prabhupāda: No. You are feeling samādhi. Take rest. Yes. That will be nice. Then I shall call you again. No? All right. Let him stay. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Let us begin. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Do it like that, as I have done. Little, little. Yes. (devotees chanting japa; initiation ceremony beginning?)

Kīrtanānanda: Three times. Now like this.

Brahmānanda: Drink. Drink.

Kīrtanānanda: And now once and throw.

Prabhupāda: Throw it. Yes. That's all. You take. (end)

690914LE.LON

Lecture

London, September 14, 1969

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor

mama manda-mater gatī

mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau

rādhā-madana-(mohanau)

mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes

tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam

mahāntas te sama-cittāḥ praśāntā

vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ sādhavo ye

[SB 5.5.2]

Last meeting we have been describing the symptoms of mahātmā, great soul. So the first symptom is that he is equal to everyone, sama-cittāḥ. And the next qualification is praśāntā. Praśāntā means pacified. He's not disturbed by any material anxiety. And why a great soul should be disturbed by material anxieties? Because he has no material desire. Anyone who has got material desire, he is full of material anxiety. But one who has no material desire, one who lives only for serving Kṛṣṇa, naturally he has no anxieties. Praśāntā. There is another verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam quoted by Yamunācārya, that he says, bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ.

bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ

praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ

kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ

praharṣayiṣyāmi sanātha-jīvitam

This is very important verse. Śrī Yamunācārya says, "My dear Lord," bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ, "when I shall be fully engaged in Your service?" This is the process of being freed from all anxiety. Just like this child. This child is restless. He's going here, going there. But if the child is given some engagement, toy, which he likes, then she will remain there pacified and will not disturb anyone. That is natural. Similarly, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. So long we are not again linked up with His service, with His… So long we are not again reestablished in our lost relationship with Kṛṣṇa, we shall remain restless. That is our natural condition. Just like the child is crying, restless. But as soon as the mother takes the child on the lap, the child is immediately pacified. Why? Because the child wants that. She cannot express what she wants. She is crying. But she has no language to express, but she can express her feelings. As soon as she is on the lap of the mother, she understands, "Now I am fully satisfied." You can also understand. So even there is no language, there is a stage of satisfaction. That stage is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as one comes to the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he'll be satisfied. And unless he comes to that stage, he'll always be disturbed, full of anxieties.

Therefore our prayer should be how we shall be twenty-four hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ praśānta-niḥśeṣa. I'm just trying to explain the word praśānta, pacifism, how one can be pacified, fully satisfied. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, a boy. He wanted the kingdom of his father and he underwent severe penances to see God, Nārāyaṇa, so that he may ask His benediction to be, I mean to say, seated on the throne of his father. That was his desire. He went to forest to undertake severe penances to see Nārāyaṇa so that he can ask from Him the benediction that he should have…, seated on the throne of his father. Because by the intrigue of his stepmother, he was rejected by his father. He wanted… That material desire we, every one of us in conditioned state, we want. Sometimes we compete. We become very much obstinate, that "I must have this," and we work very hard. Just like in Europe, that Hitler, he wanted supremacy over Europe, and he fought very valiantly. But at the end he became vanquished. Similarly, in the material world we have got so many desires and we want to fulfill it-and for which we work very hard. But at the end it becomes frustrated. That is the nature of the material world. You cannot have anything here permanent, however hard you work… You may achieve that. Not only in this material world. Even you achieve the liberation, perfectional stage, as the impersonal philosophers want. They want nirvāṇa. Just like Buddhists, they want nirvāṇa, extinction of this material conditional life. That is called nirvāṇa. And the Māyāvādī philosophers, impersonalists, they want not only extinction of these material pangs but they want to be situated in spiritual consciousness only. But our Vaiṣṇava philosophy is that you cannot keep yourself in spiritual consciousness unless you are fully engaged in spiritual activities. That is the perfect philosophy.

So Yamunācārya is praying to the Lord, "My dear Lord, when I shall achieve that stage of life when I shall be fully engaged in Your service?" Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ. Nirantaraḥ means without any interval. In the material world, after working for some time, we want an interval for rest. But if you are actually engaged in spiritual activities, you won't like to be rested. You want to continue always: work, work, work. Rest will be disgusting. Of course, so long we have got this material body, we have to take rest, but this rest is also not required, because in the spiritual world there is no such fatigue. Everyone is always active. So that is perfectional stage. Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. And how one can be pacified fully? When he does not manufacture the fulfillment of desire. We manufacture. The whole material world is going on by manufacturing ideas. The so-called scientists, the so-called philosophers, poets, they are manufacturing ideas that "We shall be happy in this way, in that way." So this will not help us, this manufacturing. I may be satisfied by some manufactured ideas. Just like in U.S.A. especially, the frustrated, confused younger generation, they are manufacturing ideas that "We shall be happy in this way." But that is not possible. You cannot be happy. So long you manufacture ideas, you may be pacified for some time, but it will not exist. Therefore you have to stop this manufacturing process, that "I shall be happy in this way." No. That is called free of anxieties. If you want to manufacture, that "I shall be happy in this way," that will also create another anxiety. That will create another anxiety. Therefore Yamunācārya says, praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Mano-rathāntaraḥ, this particular word, is used: "mind, on the chariot of mind." In the material stage of life, we are being driven by the chariot of mind. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is stated, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg. 18.61]. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni. All living entities are traveling within this material world in different species of life, in different planets. Sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā: on the chariot given by the material energy. So that is mind.

So, so long we shall travel on the chariot of the mind, mano-ratha, then there is no question of our being freed from anxiety. Therefore we have to give up this chariot of mind. The chariot of mind will not give us satisfaction. We have to transcend the mental state, the intellectual state. The philosophers, they are intellectually trying to be happy. That also we have to transcend. We have (to) come to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ. And not only come to the spiritual platform, we must have spiritual engagement. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have got engagement. We are not only satisfied that "I am spirit," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. No. There must be duties of the Brahman. The Brahman must be engaged. Otherwise… Because we want some work, because we are active… We are not just like stones. We cannot sit down. So there must be activities. Just study the nature of the child. He's always active, must be doing something. Maybe it is useless, but how can you stop the child's activities? That is not possible. Similarly, we are active. So simply by understanding that "I am spirit soul" will not help me. I must be active in the spiritual world. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everyone is engaged in some activity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that will make him praśānta. Niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ. That stage of pacified condition of life can be attained, as it is stated by Yamunācārya, kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ. Aikāntika. Aikāntika means absolutely, without diverting my mind in any other thing; nitya-kiṅkaraḥ, eternally servant of God, eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. When I am convinced in that way, then I shall be happy. Kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ praharṣayiṣyāmi. Praharṣayiṣyāmi means "I shall be always jolly." How I shall be jolly? Sanātha-jīvitam: "Because I will (be) living under the protection of my Lord." Just like this child is happy. She's happy because it knows, the child knows that "I have got my parents. So as soon as there is some danger, I shall immediately call my mother, and mother will give me protection." This confidence is there. She doesn't care for anyone. She wants to go to touch the fire; mother is going behind to give her protection. That is natural.

So as soon as you become free from all these designations, manufacturing process of the mind and intellect, and fully engage in Kṛṣṇa's service… Therefore, we require to be trained in the service of Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of representative of Kṛṣṇa, training. In this way, when we are fully trained, we shall reach that stage, oh, that "I am protected by Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa gives you assurance, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: [Bg. 18.66] "I shall give you liberation from all sorts of sinful reaction of your life." Then immediately I will come to Kṛṣṇa. Of course, it does not mean that anyone who comes to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative, he has finished all the reaction of his past sinful activities. That is not possible. Everyone is full with the result of his past sinful… Here in the material world, whatever you do, it is more or less all sinful activities. So therefore, our life is always full with sinful activity. So when you surrender to Kṛṣṇa through his transparent via media, not that immediately your sinful activities are stopped, but because you surrendered to the Supreme, He absorbs your sinful activities. He makes you free. But you should be conscious that "I shall not commit any more." Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He accepted Jagāi-Mādhāi, great sinful brothers, He simply asked them, "You simply promise that 'Henceforward we shall not commit any sinful activities.' Whatever you have done I am taking. I am absorbed." That is the process. So the Lord or the spiritual master absorbs. But we should be conscious that "We shall not commit any more sinful activities so that my spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa will have to again accept them on my behalf." We should be conscious. The Christian process, that going to church, confession, that is very nice. You confess. And God or God's representative is quite able to excuse you and to make you free from all sinful reaction. But why should you commit again? Why should you commit again? This is not good. Lord Jesus Christ… The Christians believe that he has taken the reaction of everyone's sinful activities and he has suffered by crucification. That's all right. But why should you commit again the same sins for which Lord Jesus Christ suffered? This is less intelligent. We should not indulge in that. In our ten kinds of offenses in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra there is one item, you know: nāmnād balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. The… We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we are, I mean to say, becoming free from the sinful reactions of our past activities. But if we think that "Because I am now…, I have got a machine of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, so I shall commit as much sin as possible and it will be counteracted by this process," oh, that is the greatest sin. You cannot do that. You cannot make Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as agent of nullifying your sinful activities. Similarly, you cannot make God or His agent or His representative as a machine for counteracting your sinful activities. You should stop. Therefore niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. Niḥśeṣa. You must cease all kinds of sinful activities. We prescribe to our students that "You should not do this, you should not do this, you should not do this." That is a warning that these are the different gates of sinful activity. If you indulge in illicit sex life, then you open the gate of sinful activities, and you go deeper and deeper. Similarly, if you take meat-eating, that is also opening the gate of sinful activities. Similarly, if you indulge in gambling or intoxication… These are the gates. As Ṛṣabhadeva has said, tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. If you indulge in the process of… These are sense gratificatory process. Why a person eats meat? It is simply sense gratification. Now our students, they have given up eating meat. Are they dying? They are eating nicely, capatis, vegetables. So it is simply sense gratification, that "I like this." Why you like? This is not a liking thing. But we shall, for sense gratification we are prepared to enter into the darkest region of the hell. We should not do that. Therefore praśānta.

So a spiritual master or a representative of Kṛṣṇa or a mahātmā, he is praśāntā. Praśāntā means he is freed from all these manufacturing process of the mind. He is no more conducted by the dictation of the mind. He is conducted by the dictation of Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's words. Just like Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa's words. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's words are not different. So if you abide by the words of Kṛṣṇa, just like Bhagavad-gītā-there are many others-then you are abiding by Kṛṣṇa. You are not abiding by the dictation of your mind. That should be the motto of our life. And a spiritual master or mahātmā is he who is situated in that position. He is not dictated by the mind. He is simply following the scriptural injunctions. Therefore he is praśāntā. Sama-cittāḥ praśāntāḥ. And vimanyavaḥ. Vimanyavaḥ means without any anger. Anger… A devotee should not be angry. But that does not mean that he has lost his capacity of anger. No. Everything is there. Just like a person does not have illicit sex. That does not mean he has no sexual capacity. He has full sexual capacity, but he does not want to do it unless it is required for certain purpose. That example is given: just like the tortoise. The tortoise, as soon as he likes, he opens his different limbs from the body, and as soon as he does not like, immediately winds within the body. So we should be like that. That is real control.

So vimanyavaḥ means that devotee does not generally become angry. But that does not mean that he has lost his power of becoming angry. No. He can become angry at any time, when it is required. And he should be angry? He is angry, krodha bhakta-dveṣi janam. He'll be angry when there is somebody who's against God and God's devotee. He'll be angry. As soon as one says, blasphemes, that "I am God. There is no God," immediately he should be very angry because he is preaching false things. He's blaspheming against the Supreme Lord, that he is making God as very cheap. He should be angry. Bhakta-dveṣi. Just like our student Govinda dāsī in Hawaii. In a meeting she became very angry when the so-called incarnation of God and God… Perhaps you know this incident. And the people did not say, of course, Govinda dāsī, but they heard her husband, Gaurasundara. But she became very angry, that "These rascals," and so many things she spoke. (chuckles) So she did right, like a heroine. I very much liked it. So we should be very much angry. When? When there is anything against God and God's devotee. But generally, for my personal interest, I should not be angry. "All right, if you like to call me by ill names, I don't mind. You go on with your business." I do not become angry. So just like Hanumānjī, Vajrāṅgajī. Vajrāṅgajī, he set fire in the kingdom of Rāvaṇa. A very beautiful kingdom, almost made of gold, but he set fire in that capital of Laṅka. He became very angry. But why he became angry? Not for his personal interest. But he was angry for the interest of Lord Rāma. Sītā, the Lakṣmī, wife of Lord Rāma, was kidnapped by this man Rāvaṇa, and he was very angry that "He has kidnapped my Lord's spiritual energy, Sītā. I shall set fire in his very valuable capital." So this anger, this demonstration of anger and setting fire was accepted as service.

So we should know when to be angry. Not that for our personal interest we shall be. Generally, those who are devotees, they are not angry. Just like see the example of Arjuna. Arjuna was so much harassed, all the five brothers, by the opposite party, his cousin-brothers. They insulted their wife, Draupadī. They wanted to make naked Draupadī because they lost Draupadī in the gambling. Therefore gambling is so sinful, you see. The kṣatriyas are allowed to gamble. So the bet was… They made a trick: "Now bet your wife." So if a kṣatriya is challenged to bet something, they cannot deny it. "Yes, I am betting my wife." And they lost in the game. So the wife became the property of the other party. So they wanted to retaliate only. So then, in the assembly they said, "Well, Draupadī has now become our property. Whatever we like, we can do. So we want to see her naked beauty." You see. This was the demand. So one of the brothers of Duryodhana was asked, "Make her naked. Let us see naked." So she became the property. The others, they did not protest. But Kṛṣṇa supplied clothing as much as required. You have seen the Draupadī's vastra-haraṇa. So these Pāṇḍavas, they were so much harassed. They were by trick taken away their kingdom; they were put into a house which was set into fire; their wife was insulted; they were driven to the forest for twelve years. So many things harassed. But still, when there was fighting in front, when he saw his brothers are standing, he said, "Oh, I will have to fight with my, these cousin-brothers. Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight." Just see how much tolerant. Not at all angry. This is the position. In order to make him angry, the whole Bhagavad-gītā was taught to him. Just see. This is the position, that for personal interest, a devotee or a mahātmā is never angry. Never angry. Just see the case of Arjuna. But when Kṛṣṇa, he understood that Kṛṣṇa wanted this fight, it is for Kṛṣṇa's desire, oh, he became immediately prepared: "Yes." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava: [Bg. 18.73] "Yes, I shall fight. That's all right. I shall fight." And he fought and killed everyone. So generally, the devotees are not cruel, angry. But they can be the foremost angry person for Kṛṣṇa's sake. So generally, we should not be angry. A mahātmā is never angered.

So vimanyavaḥ. Vimanyavaḥ suhṛdaḥ. Hṛda means heart, and su means good, good heart. A devotee, a mahātmā, is good heart. How he is good heart? He sees everyone that "This living entity," especially human being, "he is engrossed in the clutches of māyā. He is suffering. Let me try to make him understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa." He tries everywhere. That is his business. He doesn't mind whether he is failure. Failure or success, he doesn't mind. But he thinks, "Oh, this conditioned soul is suffering. Let me do something." Therefore Vaiṣṇava's prayer is vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca. A Vaiṣṇava, he is just like the ocean of mercy. He always feels for the sufferings of the humanity. That is their business. People think that they have taken relief from all social work. But a Vaiṣṇava is giving the best social service because he knows what is the cause of suffering, how people can be saved. Therefore he is suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ means well-wisher friend. A Vaiṣṇava or spiritual master or a saintly person is suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ means he is well-wisher friend. As Kṛṣṇa is suhṛdaḥ, He is the friend of all living entities… Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. Similarly, a Vaiṣṇava, Kṛṣṇa's devotee, is also suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. Suhṛdaḥ. Sādhava. And sādhava means well-behaved. Sādhavaḥ. Sadācāra. His character is firm, without any spot. So these are the qualifications of sādhu, mahātmā, or spiritual master. Sama-cittāḥ, praśāntā, vimanyavaḥ, suhṛdaḥ, and sādhavaḥ.

So when one is in contact with such person, then the door of liberation is open. If one is in contact with a pure devotee of the Lord, it should be understood, if he follows his instruction, then it is sure and certain that he is going to Kṛṣṇa without any fail.

Thank you very much. Any question? Yes.

Makhanlal: Prabhupāda, are all living entities, always under the protection at all times of the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, at all times?

Prabhupāda: Yes. But generally, he is under the protection, but in spite of all protection, if he violates the rules and regulations, he become immediately subjected to the laws of nature. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, gives protection. He says,

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

[Bg. 18.66]

"You just surrender unto Me. You give up all other occupational duties. You simply become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and I'll give you," I mean to say, "immunity, or protection from all sinful…" But if you do not accept, Kṛṣṇa will not force you. So He is giving protection to everyone, generally. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Not only giving the human society-the animal society, the birds, trees, every… Don't you see it, how the arrangement is there? Everyone is living under certain conditions. Just like a prisoner. Prisoners are condemned, at the same time, given protection by the government. Within the prison walls they are protected. If somebody comes to kill them, government immediately calls for military or police to protect them. But because they are condemned, they are put into the prison. Similarly, all living entities, they are children, they are sons of God. So God is giving them all protection. Kṛṣṇa is giving them all protection. But by misuse of their little freedom, they are misusing, they are misusing their liberty. Therefore they are put into this material world. Otherwise, generally, the protection is there. Any other questions?

Yes, try to understand clearly this philosophy. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34]. These things are required. You should try to understand the transcendental subject. First of all surrender, praṇipāta. Then paripraśna. You cannot question if you are not surrendered. Just like the other day one rascal was asking-he is not a surrendered soul-"Swamijī, you know Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Just see. So this is not the process of question. One must surrender. Otherwise, you have no right to question. Praṇipātena, paripraśnena, and sevayā. Sevayā means service. You must find out a suitable person where you can question and get the proper answer, a spiritual master. That means surrender. Then question. Question is not a challenge. Question is to understand. Which I could not follow, I may ask repeatedly to understand. So two sides: sevā, service; and surrender. And in the middle, paripraśna. So paripraśna is required. Otherwise how one can understand? So questions are required. But that question is not a challenge. You should not question any person by challenging spirit. You should simply question, being inquisitive to know. That is bona fide. Otherwise, if you question just to examine his strength, that will create only fighting spirit. That is not good.

So you should question, also put your question, to a person who can actually answer. That means you must question only to the spiritual master. Otherwise, you may be misled. He may give you some wrong information.

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti tad-jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 4.34]

All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)

690915LE.LON

Conway Hall Lecture

London, September 15, 1969

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for coming to this meeting, saṅkīrtana movement. This saṅkīrtana movement is very authorized, according to Vedic literature. Most of you are well acquainted with the studies of Bhagavad-gītā. And in the Bhagavad-gītā also you'll find,

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ

yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ

namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā

tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca

[Bg. 9.14]

Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām. Those who are mahātmās… Mahātmā means great soul. Mahātmā is not created. Mahātmā means… That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, who is mahātmā. Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: [Bg. 7.19] "After many, many births." Of course, at the present moment they do not believe whether there is birth after birth. But it is not the question of whether you believe or not believe. The truth is truth. So there is birth after death. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. You do not die after finishing this body. You accept another body. That you can experience daily. In your childhood… You can remember that you had a body just like this child. Now you are grown up. Where is that body? That body is gone. Now you have got a new body. But you know that "I had a childhood body like this. I was attending such and such meeting," but that body is now no longer existing.

So this transmigration of the soul is very simple subject. Any sensible man can understand. And in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the very beginning of the instruction, Kṛṣṇa says,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

Dhīra, those who are sober, intelligent, they are not bewildered when a living entity changes his body. So change of body is going on in every moment, in every second, imperceptibly. Medical science also accepts that in every second we are changing our blood corpuscles. That is a fact. We are changing body every moment. And the final change is called death. But actually, there is no death. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. You accept another body. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19], "After many, many births," bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān, "when a man or a living entity becomes actually wise and intelligent…" Not fools. Fools cannot understand. One has to become very intelligent. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. Jñānavān means very intelligent, wise man. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. Kṛṣṇa says that "After many, many births of struggle, or attempt for acquiring knowledge, when one comes to the summit point of understanding, he understands that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], the origin of everything is Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa." Vasudeva. Origin of everything is Kṛṣṇa.

The Vedānta-sūtra says, the first aphorism of Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now this human form of life is meant for inquiring about Brahman." And the Veda says that ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman. I am not this body. I am spirit soul." And when one understands that he is spirit soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54], at once he becomes joyful. That is the sign of brahma-jñāna. Brahma-bhūtaḥ. These are the versions of Bhagavad-gītā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. As soon as one realizes that "I am Brahman. I have nothing to do with this material world," his all anxieties immediately finished. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati. In the Vedānta-sūtra you'll also find, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The spirit soul or the Supreme Soul, both of them are ānandamaya. Ānanda means blissful, by nature blissful. Always wants to enjoy. That is the nature of spirit. But at the present moment, because we have forgotten that I am…, we are spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7], identifying ourself with something else which is transitory, we are suffering. This is the cause. There are many places. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād īśād api etasya viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ. Viparyayo 'smṛtiḥ means converted thinking. I'm not this, any product of this material world, but I am thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Englishman," "I am German," "I am Chinaman," "I am Russian," or "I am cats and dogs." There are so many. These are all designations. These are all designations. My real identity is ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman. I am the part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. Qualitatively, I am one with God." Just like a particle of gold is also gold. A small particle of the ocean is also salty. The chemical composition of the small particle of ocean water is the same as the big ocean. So qualitatively, I am one with God, or Kṛṣṇa.

When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, you'll please understand that I am meaning God. Because Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Without being all-attractive, there cannot be God. God must be all-attractive, all-opulence, all-powerful, all-wise, all-renounced, all-beautiful. These are the qualifications of God. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. After cultivation of knowledge, many, many births… Cultivation of knowledge is also not easy for everyone. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: [Bg. 7.3] "Out of many millions of persons, human beings, one may be interested to know 'What is the aim of life? Why I am suffering?' " Everyone is suffering. That is the fact. In the material world nobody can be happy. If one is thinking that he's happy materially, he's a fool. Nobody can be happy. This is the place for distress. It is certified by miseries, as well as it is temporary. Even if you accept, "All right, it is a miserable place. I shall stay here. Never mind," but nature will not allow you to stay even. One day it will come, immediately kick you out. You have seen the great President of United States, Mr. Kennedy. He was supposed to be the happiest man in the world, but within a second he was kicked out, immediately. In our country Mahatma Gandhi was very popular leader, but in a second he was removed from the field. So we do not know when we shall be removed immediately by the freaks of nature. Therefore the intelligent man should try to know, "What is my constitutional position? Why I want to stay, but some superpower kicks me out of this stage?" Why? This is question. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra instructs that every human being, not the animals but human being, you should not be bewildered. You should question, "Why I am suffering threefold miseries? Why… I do not want death. Why death overcomes me?" Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. An intelligent man should always keep before him four principles of material miseries: birth, death, old age, and disease. These are instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā. One who is making progress in knowledge, he must keep before him these four problems-birth, death, old age, and disease. You may be very much proud of your scientific advancement of knowledge, but here is the real science. If you can overcome birth, death, old age and disease, then you can say your science is triumphant.

The Bhāgavata says, therefore, that,

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed yadi ratiṁ

śrama eva hi kevalam

[SB 1.2.8]

Śrama eva hi kevalam. After executing your proper service or duties… Everyone is entrusted with some kind of duties. So if, after properly executing your duties as Indian or as American or Englishman or scientist or businessman or father or mother… So many duties we have got. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed yadi ratim [SB 1.2.8]. After executing your duties, if you do not develop your anxiety to inquire about Brahman… Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra. People are indulging in studying Vedānta, but Vedānta-sūtra is not a matter of speculation. It is to be studied from the authorities. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. So if, after executing your duties very properly, if you do not develop your consciousness to know about yourself or the Supreme Self, then whatever you have done, it is simply waste of time. That's all. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply laboring after nothing. That's all. That means spoiling human life.

So this message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, is to warn you, "Don't spoil this opportunity of human form of life. Don't spoil it." Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām. Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, these things are common to the animals and the human being. You eat; the animals eat. You sleep; the animals sleep. You mate; the animals mate. You are also afraid of your enemy; they are also afraid of their enemy. So by discovering very palatable dishes to eat, or fashionable dresses for sex life, or atom bomb for defending… Eating, sleeping, mating and defending, these four principles, if you advance in these four principles only, that does not mean that you are better than animals. You are as good as animals. [break] …under the control of this material nature. They are under the control of the spiritual nature. Daivī-prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is the symptom of such persons, that he is under the control of spiritual nature? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ

bhajanty ananya-manaso…

[Bg. 9.13]

Bhajanti. This bhajan, that is the sign of mahātmā. You cannot create a mahātmā by rubberstamp or by votes. Mahātmā's symptom is that he's fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and always engaged in glorifying His activities. His activities. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.14]. He's always very much careful about executing devotional service. Namasyantaś ca mām. He's always offering obeisances. Tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. In this way they enjoy, tuṣyanti, and they're satisfied. These are the signs of mahātmā.

So to become mahātmā and liberated… There are so many theories how to become liberated, how to become mahātmā, how to become religionist, how to become philosopher. There are many thoughts and theories, but real success of life is to become a mahātmā, broader, broad-minded. Mahātmā means broader-minded. They are not, I mean to say, short-minded, that "I am this," "I am that"-"I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Indian," "I am German," "I am Englishman"-no. Mahātmā is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. He is freed from all designation. These are all our designations. When I think, "I am Englishman" or "I am Indian," this is my designation. Because as soon as I change this body, I accept another body. Then all my philanthropy as Englishman or Indian-immediately finished. Just like President Kennedy's presidentship and philanthropy all finished. Now we do not know where is Mr. Kennedy and what he is doing. But he has got a body. That's a fact. That I have already explained. But neither you know, neither he knows that "I was President," or "I was this or that." Therefore this is called illusion, māyā. So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, keno māyāra bośe, yāccho bhese: "My dear friends, my dear brothers, why you are being washed away by the waves of this illusion? Don't be wasted. Don't be washed away." Just like if you are thrown into the ocean you are washed away by the waves, similarly, by the waves of this material nature, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27], we are being washed away from one body to another, in this way. But actually we do not want this. Actually every one of us, we want a permanent body, a permanent situation, a permanent life, a blissful life, a life of knowledge. That is our hankering. But we do not know, do not know because we do not care to know. Otherwise everything is explained. You haven't got to study many books. You just simply study Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. We have therefore published this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is without any nonsensical interpretation. "As It Is." Then you'll get all the knowledge and you'll know what you are meant for. So this movement is just to revive your consciousness, original consciousness. Original consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And all other consciousness which you have now acquired, these are superficial, temporary. "I am Indian," "I am Englishman," "I am this," "I am that"-these are all superficial consciousness. Real consciousness is ahaṁ brahmāsmi.

So Lord Caitanya, who started this movement five hundred years ago in Bengal, India, He immediately informs you that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109], that our real identity, real constitutional position, is that we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God. Therefore you can understand what is your duty. Just like this hand is part and parcel of your body. Now, what is the duty of this hand? To serve the body, that's all. The hand cannot enjoy independently. It is not possible. If you cut off this hand from this body and throw into the street, nobody will care for it. But so long it is attached with this body, it has got millions and trillions of dollars' value. If there is any trouble, you will be prepared to spend any any amount. But when you are detached, this hand is detached from this body, you don't care for it, even it is trampled down by any man. So this is our position. We are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. There are many examples I can give you. Just like a machine part, a screw. If it is fallen down from the machine, it has no value. But if the machine is in trouble for want of that screw, you'll purchase that screw to set in and spend many dollars. Similarly, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. If we remain attached with the Supreme Lord, then we have got value. Otherwise we have no value. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You just be attached to Me. Then your all problems are solved."

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is… Just like you are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. You are now detached. We are trying to dovetail you. That's all. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya. This is not an artificial imposition on you. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. The living example you can see, that I have got now branches, twenty branches in Europe and America. They are neither Hindus nor Indian. How they are accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness? In our society, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, perhaps I am the only Indian. Perhaps I am the only Indian. Perhaps it is fact. But why, how they are taking it? Because it is there, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there, within you, within me, within everyone. Simply we have to invoke it. That's all. And that invoking process is the saṅkīrtana movement. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If you chant this simple process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you'll very quickly clear up your heart and you will understand, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. You'll understand that Kṛṣṇa, Vasudeva, is everything. So this movement is neither manufactured nor bogus nor bluff, but it is genuine. It is authorized and it is natural, constitutional. Try to understand this philosophy. We are teaching nothing, no new philosophy. Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that's all. Unfortunately, Bhagavad-gītā is read all over the world, but there are many rascal interpreters. They have spoiled the whole thing. Simply spoiled. So we are struggling against them. You try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and you get the thing. The thing is immediately delivered. That is our request. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He says, kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ: "My dear King…" He was explaining Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to King Mahārāja Parīkṣit. So he says… Before saying this, he described about the condition of this age of Kali. It is very… At the end of this age the condition will be very horrible. So… Of course, there is not much time. Otherwise I would have explained something. But you know. You are experiencing about this age. So after explaining the difficulties of this age, Kali-yuga, of which five thousand years we have already passed, and still, 427,000's of years are still remaining… So we have to pass through. So he says, "My dear King, I have explained to you the difficulties and miserable condition of this age, Kali-yuga. But there is a great opportunity." Asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ: "A very nice thing is there," mahān guṇaḥ, "very great opportunity, great boon." And what is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet: [SB 12.3.51] "Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one can become freed from all contamination and he'll be eligible to be promoted to the spiritual param." Param means beyond this dark region. This material world is called tamaḥ, darkness. Just like there is no sun now. It is dark. We have to illuminate by electric light, by moonlight, by so many things. Actually the nature is dark. Therefore the Vedic injunction is tamasi mā jyotir gama: "Don't try to remain in this dark region. Go to that effulgent region." Tamasi mā jyotir gama. The Bhagavad-gītā also says the same thing. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg. 8.20]. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So our request is that you read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Here there are many Englishmen and Indians. That is my request. I am not charging anything. I am not making a profession. This saṅkīrtana movement, we are chanting freely. You can hear. There is… Not that it is a secret thing-if you pay me something, then I shall disclose. No. It is open secret. Anyone can take, and there is no loss. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, there is no loss, but there is great gain. You can try it. So we are freely distributing it by chanting. You can join with us, you try to understand us, what is our philosophy. We have got monthly magazine, Back to Godhead. We have got many publications, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you want to understand this movement through philosophy, science argument, we are prepared. There is ample opportunity for you. But if you simply chant, there is no need of education, there is no need of philosophizing. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and you gain everything.

Thank you.

Devotees: Haribol! [break]

Prabhupāda: …mantra, you'll have Kṛṣṇa consciousness as soon as… The process is to cleanse your heart. So when your heart will be clear, then you'll understand your own position, your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and your relationship with this world. Then you'll be able to chalk out your plan, what to do. But without knowing your identity, whatever you are doing, that is simply waste of time.

Guest (1) (Indian man): Would you say that Kṛṣṇa is God or Kṛṣṇa is love?

Prabhupāda: Well, without love how Kṛṣṇa can be God?

Guest (1): No, I ask you.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the real position. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Anything which is all-attractive you generally love.

Guest (1): So the particle of man of the Supreme Being is all-love.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. You want to love somebody, and Kṛṣṇa wants to love you. This is loving exchange. But instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, you are trying to love something else. That is your trouble. The love is there in you and Kṛṣṇa, and when the love will be exchanged between you and Kṛṣṇa, that will be perfection of life.

Guest (1): Thank you.

Guest (2) (Indian woman): Would it matter if I worship any other? Would it matter whether I worship Kṛṣṇa or Śiva or Christ or Buddha? Would it matter? As long as… [break]

Prabhupāda: If you worship Śiva, you'll get Śiva. If you worship Kṛṣṇa, you'll get Kṛṣṇa. Why do you expect Kṛṣṇa by worshiping Śiva? What is your idea?

Guest (2): My idea is, would it matter, I mean, if instead of…

Prabhupāda: Suppose if you purchase ticket for India, you'll go to India. How you can go to hell?

Guest (2): That is not the point.

Prabhupāda: This is the point. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.25].

Guest (2): But my point is…

Prabhupāda: Your point you understand. Why you don't understand? This is the description of the Bhagavad-gītā. If you worship demigods like Śiva and others, you will go there. And if you worship Kṛṣṇa, you'll go to Kṛṣṇa. What is the difficulty to understand?

Guest (2): Do you mean that Śiva is demigod?

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not?

Guest (2): Because according to the philosophy…

Prabhupāda: What is that philosophy?

Guest (2): Kṛṣṇa says that it doesn't matter the way you worship Him. All means has the same goal, reaches to the same goal. "You can take the different paths, but you will come to Me eventually." Then why you are saying that Śiva is…

Prabhupāda: Well, same goal, you just try to understand. Same goal. Suppose you have to go to the forty-second or hundredth story. Now, you are stepping one after another. The goal is there, the forty-second story, but you cannot claim, after going a few steps, you say that "I have come to the forty-second story." The path is one. That's all right. But you have to reach the ultimate goal. You do not know what is the ultimate goal. You simply say all paths reach to this goal, but you do not know what is goal.

Guest (2): Because what I meant… I would like to know… Suppose… This is the point that we want to recommend. We are like drones(?), and we could go to Gokula in any way, in any other way.

Prabhupāda: No. That is not explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, and that is your wrong interpretation. Any way, no. The same way you have to go. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ: "Everyone is trying to come to Me," but someone has come a few steps, another has come to another few steps, another step. Ultimately… That was… I explained it. You have to reach that Vāsudeva. That comes to the…, or that is possible after many, many births. It is clearly said, "After many, many births," bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19], "one comes to this point." Another verse in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said that kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ [Bg. 7.20]. Anya-devatāḥ. Those who are bewildered by lust, material lust, they go to worship other demigods. So these things are there. How can you deny it?

Guest (2): I'm sorry, I couldn't agree with you that Śiva is a demigod. I couldn't believe it.

Prabhupāda: That is stated in everywhere. You have to learn it.

Guest (3) (Indian man): …consciousness, then what is that other Kṛṣṇa? Or, other than Kṛṣṇa, what … And wherefrom…?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I quite follow you. Everywhere is sunshine, but still, the sun's situation is a particular place. The sunshine is everywhere, but still, the sun planet is situated at a particular localized place.

Guest (3): It is manifested locally. It is not localized. It is manifested locally.

Prabhupāda: But do you distinguish between sunshine and the sun planet? Or you say because the sunshine has come within your room, therefore sun planet has come within your room? Do you think like that?

Guest (3): It is a conception of the mind.

Prabhupāda: Why mind? It is a fact. Why do you say "mind"? Can you say that "Oh, because the sunshine has come within my room, the sun planet has come"? Everyone will say you are a fool. It is not mind. It is a fact. The sunshine is light, and the sun globe is light. So light is there, both, but still, there is difference between sunshine and the sun globe. That difference. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's energy everywhere. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ

jagad avyakta-mūrtinā

mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni

nāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

[Bg. 9.4]

"Although everything is resting on Me, still I am not there."

Guest (4) (Indian man): Is this world a real place? Is this world a real place?

Prabhupāda: What do you mean by real?

Guest (4): According to what you were saying, it's illusion.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Illusion in this way, that when you take it as a fact, but it is something else. It is not a fact. Māyā. Myā means mā-yā: "It is not this." Just like you are thinking that you'll be happy in this material world by adjustment, but you'll never be happy. That is called māyā. So whatever you are struggling for, that is illusion.

Guest (4): If this is an illusion, then why is it here? What's it doing here?

Prabhupāda: Illusion is temporary existence. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. It comes into existence, just like cloud. Of course, we Vaiṣṇava philosopher, we do not say actually illusion. We say temporary. Actually we say temporary. Anitya. Anitya. The exact word is anitya. Anitya means… Nitya means eternal, and anitya means temporary. So we say this material world… (end)

690916LE.LON

Lecture

London, September 16, 1969

Prabhupāda: They are working so hard, just like animals, simply for sense gratification. That is the beginning of His speech. But the human form of life is meant for saving time for spiritual cultivation. We should be satisfied with the bare necessities of life, and the time should be saved to cultivate self-realization. That is the basic principle of Vedic civilization. Therefore in Vedic civilization a certain period is devoted for accepting renounced order of life, sannyāsa. Compulsory. This sannyāsa order, as we have accepted, it is compulsory regulative principle of Vedic way of life. The first twenty-five years brahmacārī, strict life of celibacy, student life, without any sex indulgence completely, up to twenty-five years. Then gṛhastha. That is not for also all. If somebody is unable to remain a brahmacārī all through, then the spiritual master gives him permission to marry a suitable girl and become a householder. This is called gṛhastha life. Then, up to fifty years, he can indulge in householder life. Householder life, according to Vedic civilization, is a sort of license for sense gratification. But not for all the time. The injunction is pañcaśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. Just after your fiftieth year you must give up, retire from householder. That is called vānaprastha. Vānaprastha means you can take your wife with you and travel all over the world in places of holy pilgrimage just to give up your attachment for family life. In this way, when one is completely detached from family affection, then he sends back his wife to the elderly children to take care of her and he takes sannyāsa, renounced order of life. This renounced order of life means dedicate completely for the service of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated,

anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ

kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ

sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca

na niragnir na cākriyaḥ

[Bg. 6.1]

Lord Kṛṣṇa said that one who acts for the sake of duty, not for enjoying the fruit, when it is possible… Now, if you are family man you have to work for maintaining your family; therefore you have to enjoy the fruits of your work. So this is possible only for a person who had completely dedicated for service of the Lord.

So Ṛṣabhadeva recommends that human form of life is specifically meant for austerity, regulative principles, not to do anything according to whims. Very regulative life, that is human life. We require, so long we have got this body, we require four things for maintenance of the body: āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. We require to eat something, every one of us. We require to sleep; therefore we must have an apartment or sleeping place. That may be very nice or… But we must have some place to sleep, shelter. So eating, sleeping. Then some protection, defense, and sense gratification. We have got our senses; they want some satisfaction. So these are, these principles are bodily needs. These are not the needs of the spirit soul. So long we have got this body, we have to satisfy it, but not, I mean to say, unrestricted. That is not human life. That is the difference between human life and animal life. But at the present moment human life has become more than animal life. The animals have restricted periods of sense gratification, but the human life has no restricted… So Ṛṣabhadeva is instructing, "This should not be done." If you want to purify your existence, then you have to live under restriction. Just like a patient, a diseased fellow. If he wants to be cured, he must live restricted life under the direction of the physician; otherwise, he is sure to die, or he is sure to suffer, prolonging the disease. He must. So Ṛṣabhadeva advised His sons, "My dear boys, if you want to purify your existence, then you have to live a restricted life." Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam [SB 5.5.1].

And what is the benefit of purifying my existence? That is also stated, that if you purify your existence, then you'll be situated on the Brahman platform. You'll understand that you are Brahman, you are spirit soul, you are not this body. Just like the animals, they cannot understand what he is. He identifies himself with this body. But a human being should not identify himself with this body. That is ignorance. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. If anyone identifies himself with this body, then he is said, according to the Vedic version, he's an ass. Sa eva go-kharaḥ. Khara means ass, animal. Animal, he does not know what he is. The human form of life, there should be inquiry, "What I am? Am I this body?" This is called meditation. Think over, "Whether I am this body or I am something else?" The whole self-realization process depends on this question, "What I am?" But that understanding cannot be achieved unless you purify your existence. Therefore you accept any process of self-realization… There are in the beginning the karma process, fruitive activities, offering sacrifices, performing great sacrifices. And then, out of many thousands of such karmīs, one jñānī, a person, wise man, who understands that "I am not this body. My interest is something… I am spirit soul," he is called jñānī, or wise man. Then, out of many thousands of jñānīs, one becomes mukta. Simply to understand that "I am not this body; I am Brahman," this is not sufficient. You must be situated in actual platform of Brahman. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

After self-realization, there are activities. What are those activities? Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. That is devotional service.

So devotional service begins from the stage of liberation, when one is freed from the concept of bodily life, from this wrong concept that "I am this body." That is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Teachings of Bhagavad-gītā begins from that. Kṛṣṇa wanted to teach Arjuna in the beginning, first of all, that "You are not this body." He was talking with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was asking him to fight, and he was placing so many pleas that "If I fight, my family will die and the women will be widows. They will be polluted." So many arguments he placed. That means Arjuna was identifying himself with this body. And Kṛṣṇa, when Arjuna submitted to Kṛṣṇa that "I am now puzzled, bewildered. I cannot understand what is my duty at the present moment; therefore I am submitting unto You," śiṣyas te 'ham: [Bg. 2.7] "I become Your disciple." Śādhi māṁ prapannam: "I am surrendered unto You. You please instruct me." So because they were talking like friends in the beginning, so argument like friends, talking, that cannot give any conclusion. Here is the Vedic process. Just like Arjuna said that śādhi māṁ prapannam, śiṣyas te 'ham: "I become your śiṣya." Śiṣya means disciple. That means "Whatever disciplinary action You will ask me to follow, I shall do it." This is called śiṣya. The word śiṣya comes from the word, Sanskrit word, sas-dhātu, means to rule over, sas-dhātu. So ruling by instruction, ruling by laws, and ruling by force, weapon. There are three kinds of ruling. If instruction fails, then evidences from lawbooks. And when that also fails, then force. That is the whole arrangement everywhere. The instruction is that you should not kill. But if you violate, then according to law you are arrested. If you still violate, then you are punished in so many ways by force. As this is going on in our ordinary life, the same thing is going on by God's will also. The kingdom of God… Here is also kingdom of God, and there is another, spiritual sky. That is also kingdom of God.

So here all living entities, we are condemned. We are under force. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ [Bg. 3.27]. We have disobeyed the laws of God; therefore we have been put into this material world to abide by the laws of God by force, by force. You have to. Nobody wants to die, but you have to die. You cannot avoid it. Nobody wants to be diseased. Oh, you have to become diseased. Nobody wants to be old. Oh, you have to become old. Force! This is going on. But the fools' paradise, we are thinking, "We are happy. We are making progress." What progress you have made? Have you surpassed the laws of birth, death, old age and disease? "No, sir." Then what progress you have made? So this is their progress. But if you want really relief from these four principles of material way of life, then you have to purify your existence. You purify yourself; then you will be allowed to enter into the purified spiritual sky, and you'll get a place in one of the planets there. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama. These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

na tad bhāsayate sūryo

na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ

yad gatvā na nivartante

tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

[Bg. 15.6]

The hint is given there that in the sky of freedom, in the spiritual sky, there is no need of sunshine. That is the distinction. Try to understand. This is also confirmed in the Upaniṣads. In the spiritual sky there is no need of sunshine, there is no need of moonshine, there is no need of electricity, because everything is shining there, all Brahman effulgence. And as we have got one huge planet here, the sun planet, which is efful…, effulgent, dazzling, bright, in the spiritual sky all the planets are like that. So therefore, there is no question of darkness. Darkness is here. So you try to understand that there is a spiritual sky. That is not like this sky where we experience darkness. Now we are experiencing at night… Night means we are experiencing darkness; therefore we require this electricity or moonlight or sunlight. But the Vedas say, tamasi mā: "Don't remain in this darkness." Jyotir gamaḥ: "Go, just try to reach that system, that planetary system, where everything is dazzling, bright." That is the human form of life. That is required, how to enter into that spiritual kingdom or spiritual sky. These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So here also, Ṛṣabhadeva says that live restricted life, tapa. And tapa, restricted austerity, why? What for? Tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. Divyam means for getting transcendental blissful life. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam. Your existence will be purified. And you are hankering after happiness. This happiness can be had only when your existential form, you have become purified. Your existence becomes purified. Brahma-saukhyam anantam. Then… Brahman means the greatest, unlimited; sukham, happiness; ananta, unlimited. You are enjoying so-called happiness, or real happiness, but for moment. That is not ananta, unlimited. Not unlimited. But there is unlimited happiness. You should know it. There is unlimited happiness. Therefore Vedic literature says, ramante yoginaḥ anante [Cc. Madhya 9.29]. The yogis, they are also after happiness for satisfaction. Not only the materialists, but the yogis, the bhaktas, the jñānīs, they are also for happiness, brahma-saukhyam. But they want unlimited, unrestricted happiness, not this flickering happiness. That is their aim. Rāmante yoginaḥ anante. Those who are yogis, bhakta-yogī, jñāna-yogī or haṭha-yogī, everyone is trying to reach that platform. So why? For unlimited happiness. Ramante yogino 'nante satyānande. And that is real happiness. Happiness means unlimited, unrestricted happiness, without any condition. That is real happiness. If there is restriction, if there is condition… Just like here, if I go to a restaurant, the condition is you first of all pay, then you enjoy something. So similarly, if I have to enjoy a nice apartment, a nice house, first of all pay so many dollars, so many pounds, and then enjoy. There is condition. But in the brahma-saukhyam, there is no such condition. If you simply, if you can approach that platform, then… That is the meaning, rāma. Iti rāma-padenāsau paraṁ brahma ity abhidhīyate. Rāma. Rāma means rāman. Rāma. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Rāma. If you associate with Him, Rāma or Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa… Nārāyaṇa parā avyaktāt. He is transcendental. So some way or other, if you make association with Him, if you are elevated to that position, then you get ananta, unlimited happiness. That is required.

Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. The Lord is eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge. Similarly, we are also part and parcel; we are also eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge. But because we are part and parcel, very small particle, therefore sometimes our knowledge becomes disturbed. Just like little boy and elderly man. The elderly man hardly commits mistake, but little boy commits so many mistakes because he has got little knowledge. So because we, the living entities… We have got knowledge, but because our knowledge is limited, therefore sometimes our knowledge is covered by māyā. But the knowledge of the Supreme is never covered by māyā. Just like the cloud. Cloud covers the sky. If an insignificant portion of the sky is covered by cloud, the cloud cannot cover the whole sky. You'll never hear that "A cloud is on London; therefore the cloud is all over the world." No. Similarly, the knowledge is covered of the small particle Brahman, not of the Supreme Brahman. There are many instances. So some way or other, our knowledge is now covered in this material existence, so we have to get out of this ignorance. For that purpose we require tapasya, tapo divyam [SB 5.5.1]. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some inconveniences. Voluntarily… Just like a man is very happy in his family life… He has good house, good wife, good children, and good bank balance, enjoying life, but śāstra says, "No. You are fifty years old; you must get out." So he has to get out. He cannot say that "I am so happy in my family life. My wife is so nice. My children are so obedient. I have got nice money, income. Why shall I go out?" But śāstra says, "No. Vanaṁ vrajet." Vrajet means must. You must go to the forest. But if you disobey, then you will be in trouble. Just like you disobey the laws, you will be in trouble. So this is called tapasya. I do not like to go out of my home, very comfortable home, happy home, but śāstra says, "You must." So I have to accept inconveniences. If I leave my home, comfortable home, I do not know where to live, how to eat, where to stay. These are experienced. When we took sannyāsa, in the beginning, we thought like that, but by the grace of God, Kṛṣṇa, we are not uncomfortable. We have got… We left only three or four children; now we have got hundreds of children, without any botheration of wife. (laughter) And they are so obedient and so beautiful, so nice, that I could not expect even the children which I begot at home. So by Kṛṣṇa's grace, by God's grace, everything is there, provided you depend on Him. There is no fear. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati [SB 6.17.28]. If you want to become dependent on God, you'll never be afraid-svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ-either you are put into the heaven or hell or anywhere.

So this is tapasya. If you perform tapasya for transcendental understanding, then the result will be that your next life you will be promoted to the spiritual sky. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. After leaving this body, one does not come again to this material existence, miserable existence. But unfortunately, we do not accept that we are living in miserable condition. That is called māyā; that is called ignorance. We are actually in a miserable condition. We are trying to adjust things. But that cannot be adjusted. We have to suffer. The only way is that you realize yourself, what you are, and act accordingly. So your position is you are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. You just practice how to serve Kṛṣṇa; then your life will be successful. So that is our movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is training people how to become unalloyed servant of Kṛṣṇa. Śuddha-bhakta, unalloyed, without any adulteration. What is that adulteration?

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

[Brs. 1.1.11]

No other desire. Not that "By worshiping Kṛṣṇa or acting devotional service I shall get this opportunity, this facility," material or spiritual. A real devotee, he does not aspire even for liberation. He doesn't want. He simply wants, "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, wherever I may be, it doesn't matter. Please keep me always engaged in Your consciousness." That's all. A devotee never aspires that he'll be elevated to the spiritual sky or Vaikuṇṭha or… Never mind. "For thousands and thousands of births I may rot into the hell, but simply I want my Lord, that wherever I may be situated, I may not forget You." Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]. Lord Caitanya teaches this. Janmani janmani. Where there is janmani janmani, that means that is not liberation. As soon as you're liberated, you are not supposed to take birth again. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, janmani janmani. He doesn't aspire about liberation. "Birth after birth, please keep Me engaged in Your devotional service." That is pure devotion. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā [Cc. Madhya 19.167].

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for purifying the existence of the living entity and engage him constantly in the service of the Lord, and thus he achieves all success of life. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā,

māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṇa

bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate

sa guṇān samatītyaitān

brahma-bhūyāya kalpate

[Bg. 14.26]

"Anyone who is engaged in unalloyed devotional service of Me, he is already transcendental to all the three modes of material nature." Sa guṇan samatītya etān. All these. There are three modes of material nature, sattva-raja-tamaḥ. So a devotee surpasses very easily. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam. Bhavāmbudhiḥ, the great ocean of nescience, becomes just like the water pit made by the hoof of a calf. You see. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām [SB 10.14.58]. For the devotee, this place is not for them. This… Which place? This material world. What is that material world? Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. In every step there is danger. Every step. But they are meant for the paraṁ padam. Paraṁ padam, the supreme post, or the supreme abode. That is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, kalau doṣa-nidhe rājann asti eko mahān guṇaḥ. In this age of Kali it is a great ocean of faults. But still, there is one sublime gain. What is that? Now, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya [SB 12.3.51]. Simply by kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ, he becomes liberated. And paraṁ vrajet, and he goes to the supreme kingdom. Simply. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also says, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam: "All glories to the śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana." So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and go back to Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Haribol.

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (devotees offer obeisances) (end)

690926LE.LON

Lecture

London, September 26, 1969

Prabhupāda: Ladies and gentlemen, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just the appropriate movement for self-realization in this age. Self… When we speak of self, there are two kinds of self according to Vedic literatures. The exact word in Sanskrit, the self-ātmā. And there is another word-Paramātmā. Ātmā and Paramātmā. There is some other words also-mahātmā, durātmā. Mahātmā means one who has expanded his soul up to the Supersoul, Paramātmā. He's called mahātmā. Another word is durātmā, when one is far, far away from the Supersoul. Dur, dur means distant. Bahut dur. Bahut dur pare hai (?), they say. In Hindi also, they say dur. Dur means distant. So Paramātmā and ātmā, or God and Godhead, the Supreme Godhead or Supreme God. So we cannot place everyone on the same level. That is nonsense. As in this world we see that you are richer than me, and somebody is richer than you, and somebody is richer than somebody else… You go on finding out who is the richest, then you'll come to God. You cannot find anyone in this material world as the richest of all. No. Somebody will come who is richer than him, and somebody will come out who is, I mean to say, poorer than him. Any position you stand, you'll find somebody greater and somebody lesser. Even in the lowest stage of life also, you'll find somebody is lesser. In any capacity, either in richness or in knowledge or in beauty or in strength-in so many things we have got. So everyone cannot be placed on the same level, not only materially, but also spiritually. If you say that "This higher status, lower status, are calculated in the material world; in the spiritual world there is no such distinction," that is partially true. In the spiritual world there is no such distinction, but that spiritual distinction is not exactly like material distinction. That distinction is of consciousness, varieties of consciousness. That distinction.

So in the higher status of life, when this distinction is not recognized or cannot be understood, that is called impersonal status, Brahman. Nirviśeṣa-brahman-Brahman realization without any distinction. This realization of Brahman, impersonal realization, is the beginning of self-realization. That is not final or ultimate. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a statement about the Absolute Truth. What is the Absolute Truth? That it is stated, Absolute… Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam [SB 1.2.11]. "Those who are actually in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, they speak of the Absolute Truth in this way." What is that? Advaya-jñānam: nondual. There is no duality. Although there is variety, but there is no duality. Here in the material world, as soon as there is variety, there is duality. But in the spiritual world, there is variety, but there is no duality. How is that? There is crude example. Many, you can try to understand. Just like this sun. You are seeing every day, sun. Now the sun means there are three divisions: the sunlight, sunshine; the sun globe; and the sun deity. Don't think in the sun planet there is no living entities. That is a wrong conception. As in this planet there are living entities, similarly, in the sun planet also, there are living entities, but their bodies are differently constructed. Just like your body is differently constructed. You cannot remain in the water. But the fishes, the aquatics, they can remain in the water. It is the question of construction of the body. But you cannot say that "Because I cannot live in the water, therefore nobody can live in the water." That is nonsense. This is nonsense. So they, our scientists are so-called nonsense only. They say, "No, there cannot be any existence of living entity in the moon pla…, moon planet or sun planet." They say like that. But our Vedic literature does not say like that. Living entities… It is said, sarva-gaḥ. They can go anywhere, and they can live anywhere. Sarva-gaḥ. Sarva means all; gaḥ means going. You can go. Just like here in London city, you are sitting here, you can go any other part, similarly, you can go any other part of the universe or any other part of God's creation. There is material world, spiritual world… You can go everywhere. But you must be capable of going there. Just like we Indians. There are many Indians… Or there are many Englishmen also, some of them want to go to India. Some of the Indians, from India they want to come to London. They think London is very wonderful city. And some Englishmen also think, "Oh, India is very wonderful land." So we are thinking that moon land or sun land or so many other planets, Venus…

So this sun example we have to understand, that to understand the sun there are three divisions. The first division is the sunlight or sunshine. The sunshine is all-pervading over the universe. It is not imagination. We get from Vedic information. It is said, yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. This is brahmajyoti. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. Savitā, the sun-god, is called yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ. So the sun is described as the eye of the Supreme Lord. Just like we have got our eyes; we can see to some extent, three feet, four feet, or ten feet, or hundred feet. But the eyes of God is so powerful, He can see the whole universe. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Savitā means the sun. The sun is… So we have to study in this way. People say, "Can you show me God?" Yes, why not? You just try to see God. Here you see the eyes of the God: the sun, the moon. Why don't you see it? Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Just try to understand the one eye of God, then another eye, then try to understand other senses. But you cannot understand even one eye. What you will understand of God? In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: [Bg. 7.8] "The taste in the water I am." Just try to understand. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the shining in the sun and the moon. I am the sound in the sky." So this light, sound, these are scientific studies. Kṛṣṇa says, Bhagavān says, that "I am the sound in the sky." So if you can practically study sound, light, nicely, scientifically, then you'll see Kṛṣṇa also. That is required. Education means to find out the ultimate goal, Absolute Truth. In whatever field of education you may be, that doesn't matter. But try to find out the ultimate. Because in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, "What is Absolute Truth?" The first question in the Vedānta-sūtra is athāto brahma jijñāsā. "Now, this is the time." This means the human form of life is the opportunity to understand the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is neither discussed nor understood by the animal society. It is not possible. There is no arrangement in the animal society to understand God or the Absolute Truth. Because they're animals, it is not possible. It is possible in the human society. This association, this room, is an attempt to understand the Absolute Truth, because it belongs to the human society. But if you go to the animal society, they haven't got such room, such arrangement. So that is the distinction between animal and human being. Human being, in any part of the world, it doesn't matter, even uncivilized, there is an inquisitiveness to search out what is the Absolute Truth.

So this Absolute Truth is in three varieties, understood. Absolute Truth is one. Just like the same example: the sun is one, but the study of the sun are in three phases. First of all, you have to study the sunlight. The heat, the illumination, the molecules, the illuminating particles… There are so many things you can study in the sunshine. Those who are scientists, who are physicists, they can study the sunshine. But this sunshine study is not final study about sun. Then the next question is, "What is the sun globe?" If you have got power, if you have got capacity to manufacture some machine… Just like you are trying to go to the moon planet. Similarly, if you can have some capacity to enter into the sun planet, then you study what is the sun planet. And then again, further if you study, then what are the living entities in the sun planet? And when you study the living entities in the sun planet, who is the head? Who is the chief of the living entities in the sun planet? Just like we are foreigners. We have come here. We inquire, "Who is the chief of your country?" Oh, you'll get answer, "The queen," or "The prime minister." Similarly, in every planet there is a chief predominating personality, in every planet. Not only in this planet, but in every planet. They are called devatā in higher planets. These things are described in the Bhagavad… Yānti deva-vratā devān [Bg. 9.25]. If you want to go to the moon planet, you can go. There are rules and regulation, mean, how you can prepare yourself. Not like that you go there with some masked dress and capture some sand and come out of the… Not like that. Actually, you go there and live there and enjoy life there. That is possible. Otherwise Bhagavad-gītā would not have said, yānti deva-vratā devān [Bg. 9.25]. Devān. Devān, this is plural number. There are many higher planetary systems where the demigods live, devān. They are extraordinarily intelligent. Their standard of living is far, far sublime, better than this planet. Therefore they are called demigods, almost God. God is the supreme, but they're almost like God. They're beautiful. It is said in the Vedic literature the more you go to the higher planet, your opulence, your standard of living is thousand, thousand times better than this planet. So these arrangements are there.

Now, amongst all these planets, the sun planet is the chief. How the sun planet is chief? Practically we can see. Everyone, we can see that there are so many glittering planets, illuminating planets, at night, millions and millions, but still, there is darkness. There is darkness at night. In spite of presentation of the moon and millions of other stars, still, you require light. But in the daytime, simply one planet, sunlight, oh, everything is dazzling light. Therefore it is called yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā. Savitā means this sun planet is the eye of God. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā. Rājā means king. Sakala-grahāṇām, all other planets, it is the king. And actually, scientifically, it is true that due to the heat of the sun planet all other planets are rotating; otherwise they'll fall down. But they're floating in the air, in the sky, due to this sunlight. Anyone who knows science, he'll admit, "Yes, that's a fact." And sun is the source of all energy in this material world. All this vegetation, all living condition, minerals-there are so many things-this is due to the sun. So sun in the king of all planets, as it is stated in the Vedic literatures. That's a fact. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ means unlimited tejāḥ. Tejāḥ means temperature. Unlimited temperature. The sun temperature, you see… Of course, you have no experience here. In India we have got experience. During summer season, when there is scorching heat, it is unbearable. You see? But the sun is ninety million miles or something like that away. Still, the temperature is so high. You see. And it is the estimation that so many millions of miles, if we go nearer to the sun, immediately we shall be burned into ashes, the temperature is so high. Therefore it is said, aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ. So in this way, if you simply study this sun… There are three phases: the sunlight, or sunshine; the sun globe; and then the living entities who are in the sun planet. There are living entities. Because it is impossible to go… You cannot go even near the sunlight, sunshi…, globe. You cannot go even to the moon planet.

So our material knowledge, material science, our material endeavor is very, very insignificant to understand the Absolute Truth. It is almost impossible. You cannot understand even a planet, and what to speak of the Supreme. Therefore in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam [SB 1.2.11]. Those who are in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, they say that the Absolute Truth is realized in three phases. But they're nondual. How nondual? Just like even if you study the sunshine, it is not different from the sun, because the same quality is there. The temperature and the illumination, two main qualities, in the sunshine you'll find. And in the same way, if you study the sun globe, you'll find the same quality: light, illumination, and temperature. And if you go further, if you study the living entity, you'll find the same thing: temperature and light. But there is difference still, varieties. You cannot say… When the sunlight enters within your room through the window, you cannot say, "I have got the sun now. Sun is within my room." That is nonsense. No. Sun is far, far away, but his energy has entered your room. So much you can say, but if you think that because the sunlight is within the room… Sunlight within your room? Sunlight, if it comes a few millions miles nearer this planet, it will be finished. What about your room? The temperature is so high.

Therefore the Absolute Truth are realized in three phases: Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. Śabdyate means we receive from the Vedic literatures. Śabda-brahma, śabdyate. By sound vibration, by transcendental sound transmission, we understand that the Absolute Truth is realized in three phases. What is that? Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. So what is the difference between Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān? That difference is just like the same. If you study, if you become satisfied, "Now I am in the light, sunshine; finished my business," that is Brahman realization. But that is not final. By Brahman realization, you are in the light, that's a fact. You are in illumination, you are in temperature, that's a fact. But if you are satisfied with such temperature and light, then you remain there. And if you are fortunate enough to make further progress, that is Paramātmā-to realize the Supersoul in everyone's heart: in your heart, in my heart, everywhere, all-pervading. Sunshine is also all-pervading. Brahman is also all-pervading. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Similarly, Paramātmā, the Supersoul, is also all-pervading. Meditation means to realize the Supersoul, and to realize that Supersoul is everywhere. How everywhere? Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham [Bs. 5.35]. The Supersoul is within the aṇḍa. Aṇḍa means brahmāṇḍa, universe, and everybody up to the atom. He's within the atom also. Paramāṇu. Paramāṇu means atom. The Supersoul is within the atom. That is the power of God. He can become bigger than the universe. He can put many millions of universes within His belly. At the same time, He can enter within the atom. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. Mahato mahīyān means greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest. So in this way, first realization, Brahman, impersonal. Then next higher realization is Paramātmā, Supersoul. Brahman realization more or less realized by philosophical speculation, and Paramātmā realization is achieved more or less by meditation. But Bhagavān realization is transcendental devotion. That is beyond the philosophical speculation and mental meditation, beyond.

So these are gradual processes, but… Just like if you actually serious about studying the sun subject matter, then you have to study the sunlight, then sun globe, then enter into sun planet and try to understand; similarly, if you want to understand the Absolute Truth, you have to make progress in that way: Brahman realization, Paramātmā realization, then personal, Bhagavān realization. The crude example: as in the sun there is a supreme person, Sūrya-nārāyaṇa, or the predominating deity in the sun globe, and then the sun globe is there, and then the sunlight is there, similarly, Absolute Truth means the, in the beginning, the Supreme Personality of Godhead-person-and then His plenary expansion. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Plenary expansion. That person is not like us. Just like I am sitting here, but I am not in my apartment. God is not like that, person. He… He's in His apartment; at the same time, He is everywhere, in everyone's heart, and within the atom also. But we do not wish to accept God as person because we are thinking God must be a person like me. No. That is our less intelligence. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]. Īśvaraḥ, the Supreme Lord, is residing in everyone's heart. Sarva-kṣetreṣu. Ksetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. In Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, kṣetra-kṣetrajña: the self and this body. And Bhagavad-gītā is stating what is this body and what is the self. So in that connection the Lord says that "You, the individual soul, he's the proprietor of this body." Or not exactly proprietor, but leaseholder. You cannot say you are proprietor, because as soon as you'll be asked, "Vacate," oh, you have to vacate. But you can say "leaseholder." Actually, it is leaseholder. We are, we are holding this body on certain lease term, for so many years. As soon as the lease period is over, "Vacate, please vacate." "Oh, I have got so much attraction for this body. How can I vacate?" Oh, there is no argument. "Please get out, immediately." "Oh, I am President of USA." "Oh, never mind. Immediately." (laughter) Yes, immediately. So don't you see? So what is use of becoming President? If I am so much under the laws of nature, under the order of Supreme, that immediately, I am going in procession very nice, and then, oh, there is shot and finished everything…

Therefore those who are sensible, they do not aspire for all these temporary things. Temporary bodily acquisitions, good birth, good opulence, good beauty, and good knowledge-these are bodily acquisitions. (affections?) Everyone is very much proud if he's born in a nice family or nice nation. Oh, he's very proud, "I am Englishman," or "American," "I am this," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this, first class." Why? Good birth. Then, if one is very rich, oh, he's very proud. Then, if one is very much learned, he is very proud. And if one is very beautiful, he's also very proud. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhiḥ [SB 1.8.26]. These are our objects of being proud. But this can be finished within a second, because it is due to this body. So actually, those who are in the bodily concept of life, they're in lower grade of human civilization. Just like animals. They are considered as animals. Just like the animals, they are fully absorbed in the thought that "I am this body," similarly, if a man is absorbed in such thought, that "I am this body," then he is equal to animal. That's all. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13]. And with bodily relation we make our identification. "Because my body is born in this land, England, therefore I am Englishman. Therefore all Englishmen are my countrymen." Or my family: "Because I have got this bodily relationship, they are my kinsmen, they are my sons, they are my wife, they are my father, they are my mother, they are my societymen." In this way, all our conception of life is on the bodily concept of life. But we are not body; we are ātmā. This is self-realization. This is self-realization. Self-realization does not mean that for a few minutes I think that "I am not this body. I am something extra." But what is that extra? That should be clearly understood, that "I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. "I am Brahman." Then? Is that finish? Simply by understanding that I am Brahman? No. That is not finish. You have many other steps to go forward.

So simply by Brahman realization, you cannot stay on the platform of understanding that "I am not this body." You'll fall down again. You'll fall down again and accept this body, "Yes, I am this body." Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ [SB 10.2.32]. After much meditation or hard work, you realize that you are Brahman. But if you do not go further-Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān-then you'll fall down again. Again fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Just like, take a crude example. You have got very nice sputnik, and at that time you have said that "I have reached moon light, moon planet." But if there is no place to live, you come down again here. What you'll do? You must have some shelter. They must advertise… Just like when I was in San Francisco, so many reporters asked my opinion: "Swamijī, what is your opinion that they have gone to the moon planet?" I told, "It is simply waste of time." Oh, what is the use of going there and catch some sands and come back? You live there, utilize; otherwise, what is the value? What is the use of spending so much money? Similarly, if you simply realize that "I am Brahman," you cannot utilize the opportunity, then what is the use of realization? You'll surely fall down. Just like the man has come down again. He may advertise, "Oh, I went to moon planet." That's all right, but what you have gained? You are liv… You are here, like me, with me. What is your extra qualification? You are now living with me. Why did you… Rather, I did not take so much trouble. You have taken so much trouble, and you have come back again. So what is the use of such realization if you cannot utilize it? So Brahman realization is not sufficient, that "I am not this body," ahaṁ brahma. No. That is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā. Brahman realization is not rejected, but if you do not go further, do not make further progress, then it is useless waste of time. Exactly like that: if you cannot go further, make arrangements how to live… You go with great speed in the space, but if you cannot stay in any other planet, then you come back again here. That's a fact. Similarly, you go, you realize Brahman-that's very nice-but if you cannot stay in the Brahman realization and again come to this bodily realization, bodily platform, then what is the use? Why you have taken so much trouble? Just after meditation, if you come again and you take to these, all these nonsense habits again, then what is the use? You must stay. That should be our…

Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. If actually one has realized Brahman, then he should be free from all anxieties. Prasannātmā. Prasanna means joyful. Because all our anxieties are due to this identification of this body-"I am Englishman," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." Therefore I am…, we are always anxious, anxiety. Even the cats and dogs, they are also anxious for their body, protection. As in nationwise, everyone is anxious, "Oh, let them… Russians, they may not come." The Russians thinking, "Here… Yes. They may not come." Oh, should be… Oh, wars and peace.(?) All anxiety! Advancement, so-called nonsense advancement is increasing anxiety. That's all. But brahma-bhutaḥ means no anxiety. That is the first stage. That is the first stage, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. And what is that? How? What is that quality of prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. There is no hankering and there is no lamentation. So long we have got this bodily identification, we have got sense gratification. What we haven't got for sense gratification, we hanker after it. And if we lose something, then also we lament. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na…. But a brahma-bhūtaḥ person, he has no hankering, no lamenting. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then he sees equally everyone. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. Not that "He is animal. He should be sent to the slaughterhouse for our eating purpose, and the animal may suffer and we may enjoy." This is not Brahman realization. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Equal: "Oh, if somebody pinches me, I suffer." Lord Buddha preached this Brahman realization, that if you suffer by others' pinching, why should you pinch others? Nonviolence.

So everyone stops to different stages of Brahman realization, but the ultimate goal, as we get from Vedic literature, is mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg. 18.54]. When one is perfect in Brahman realization, he's engaged in devotional service, bhakti. After being liberated from material concept of life, when one is actually in the Brahman state of transcendental life, he can begin this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate… Why? Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Because without going to that stage, you cannot understand God. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. It is not said that by meditation, by philosophical speculation, one can understand God. No. Bhaktyā. So they cannot understand anything, these meditators and speculators. No, they can, partially. But bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ [Bg. 18.55]. "As I am, Absolute Truth, that can be understood through this devotional service." And this devotional service is attained after attainment of this brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. So the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage is not final. We should not be satisfied either living in the brahma-bhūtaḥ platform or Paramātmā realization platform. We must make farther progress and go to the platform of Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage ourselves in His loving transcendental service. Then our life will be successful. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Guest: How it is possible… How we can (indistinct)?

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance. Can you not do this? Even a child can do it. What we are appealing? "Please come chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance." What did these boys? One year before they did not know anything. So they, along with their wives and children, they are now dancing and chanting. That's all. Is it very difficult process, to come and chant and dance? The easiest process in the world! Without any education, without any knowledge. Simply come, chant and dance. If… There is a realized practical example, these boys and girls. They began with this chanting and dancing. Now see their faith, their advancement, their knowledge, their temperament, their attitude. So much advanced. You cannot compare with any other group in this world. So easier. So take to this movement; your life will be sublime. Easiest process. There is no charge. There is no fee. We don't charge anything. We don't say that "I give you some secret mantra. You give me some dollars." No. It is open: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." (end)

680507LE.BOS

Lecture: "Nobody Wants to Die"

Boston, May 7, 1968

Prabhupāda: So actually everyone is trying to live. Nobody wants to die. Why this psychological desire is there? I want to live. That, that means that he is eternal. Therefore he wants to live. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. That soul existing within this body, or "I," I am eternal. So we… I am struggling now with this body. This body's temporary. I am changing different bodies. Just like in my this present life also I have changed so many bodies. So there is no difficulty to understand this philosophy that "I am changing bodies every moment. But I am the same, eternal. Similarly, after changing this body, I shall have another body." That is very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntaraṁ prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

"As the living spark, the soul, is changing from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youthhood, from youthhood to old age…" This is a fact. Everyone knows. Similarly, to change to another body is a fact. And dhīras tatra na muhyati: "Any intelligent man is not surprised." He doesn't say that there is no life after death. There is. Now that life after death may be in one of the so many, 8,400,000's of bodies. There is no guarantee what kind of a body you are going to get. In our last meeting we explained that from Bhagavad-gītā, that yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg. 8.6]. Ante, at the time of death, as his mental position is there, he gets the, another body, similar. There are many historical references. As I told you the other day, that King Bhārata, he was very much elevated and very great soul. At twenty-four years of age he was emperor of the world, but at the very young time he gave up his wife, children and kingdom and went to the forest for spiritual enlightenment. And he was making progress. Unfortunately, one day he saw that a deer cub was in helpless condition. It's mother came to drink water from the river, and there was a roaring of lion, and she begot the calf and fled away-after all, she's animal. So Bhārata Mahārāja took compassion on the little, just-born calf: "Oh, it will die. Let me take care." So he was taking care. One evening that calf did not come back. So he was anxious where it was gone, and so he went to the forest, and while he was on the up, hill, he slipped from the hill and fell down and died. And at that time, his mind was absorbed in the thought of that calf. So next body, he got a deer. Yes.

So Bhagavad-gītā also confirms this. So we have to prepare our mind in such a way that we should always think of Kṛṣṇa. Then that is meditation, real meditation. And practical. There is no use thinking of something void. That you cannot concentrate. That is not practical. You can simply struggle for it and waste your time. But if you have got something tangible to meditate, that is very easy. So why not Kṛṣṇa? So nice, beautiful, and He's accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead by great sages, saintly persons, scholars and Vedic literature. And they have achieved success. Why not follow their example and simply concentrate your mind, meditate on mind? And that meditation is very nicely done by chanting. As soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, your ear is forced to receive this Kṛṣṇa. And the Kṛṣṇa sound and Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent. This is the philosophy. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa sound… Because Kṛṣṇa is everything, God is everything, so why not this sound, "Kṛṣṇa," which is approved? So by chanting Kṛṣṇa, you receive Kṛṣṇa in transcendental vibration immediately, and your meditation is there because your attention is diverted to Kṛṣṇa. So your attention, your mind and the word, and the authority-everything is there. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take…, feel practically how it is working. There is no charge. There is no exertion. It is very easy. Kartum… Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam [Bg. 9.2]. This process of meditation is easy, happy and indestructible. There are so many instances from śāstras. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ, abhinnatv an nāma-nāminoḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. There is the spiritual platform, everything identical. Just like you get some thousand miles away in the radio: this sound and the person who is transmitting the sound is identical, although materially we cannot derive the same benefit. That is the difference between material sound and spiritual sound. The spiritual sound, there is no such difference. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. So it is a fact that by sound vibration, Kṛṣṇa, you immediately contact Kṛṣṇa. So if there is any spiritual benefit by contacting Kṛṣṇa or be in touch in Kṛṣṇa… Just like if you be in contact with fire you get warm, similarly, by contact with Kṛṣṇa you immediately get spiritual warmth. That is the technique of this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And that is being experienced by the students, those who are sincerely doing it without any offense.

So this is the simplest method, and Lord Caitanya therefore recommended, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. In this, in this age… This age is called Kali. Kali means the age of disagreement. Nobody agrees. Nobody agrees. I don't agree with you; you don't agree with me. I quarrel with you; you quarrel with me. Everyone thinks that he is independent, he is God or he is everything. But he is dependent in every step. But still, he's proud of becoming God. So these nonsense things are going on. Of course, this is a process of spiritual understanding, ekatvena bahudhā pṛthaktvena bahudhā viśvato-mukham, that "I am God," whether "I" means this body or "I" means this mind, or there is something "I" else than this body and mind. Therefore meditation required. Accepting that you are God, now find out "I." Now what is that "I"? Is that "I" this body or this, that "I" the mind, or is that "I" the intelligence? So meditation means to find out that "I" who's claiming that "I am God."

So if you identify yourself with this body, then there is no need of meditation because body, you are actually seeing-this is body. No meditation means that you have to transcend the bodily platform, the mental platform, the intellectual platform. Then you find out what is the "I." That is meditation. But fortunately we get information directly. Instead of searching out what you are, what is your position, what is this "I," you get direct information from Kṛṣṇa. What is that? Kṛṣṇa says that "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel." So as part and parcel, you may claim as God. How is that? Just like this whole body. Now, the finger, which is the part and parcel of this body, can be said also "body." But the finger is not the whole body. A finger, if it claims that "I am the whole body," then it is wrong conception. But if the finger claims that "I am body," there is no wrong. Finger is… Because it is part and parcel of bo…, this body, whole body, therefore it is also body. Just like part and parcel of gold is also gold-it is not different from gold-similarly, I, individual I, I am the part and parcel of the Supreme "I," Kṛṣṇa. That is the real philosophy. And as soon as you understand that you are part and parcel of the Supreme, then your function is also immediately fixed up. What is that? Now, this part and parcel of this body is the finger, or anything you take. What is the duty of this finger? The duty of the finger is to serve the whole body. That's all. It has no independent existence. The… A finger, if it noncooperates with this body to work for the body, then it is to be understood that the finger is in diseased condition. Suppose if I have got some pain. I want my finger to work in some part of my body like this, and if it cannot, that means it is in diseased condition. If there is some pain, you are feeling not to work the finger. Similarly, our position, being part and parcel of the Supreme, our function is to serve the Supreme. If we do not serve the Supreme, then it is our diseased condition, which is called māyā. Māyā means which is not actual fact. Mā-yā. Mā means "not"; yā means "this."

So, so we are thinking at the present moment that "I am God. I am independent." That is māyā. Māyā means which is not actual fact. Plain philosophy. If you are God, then you must know what is God. God is never dependent. That is the definition given in Vedānta-sūtra: svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means fully independent. That is one of the quality of God. Janmādyasya yataḥ 'nvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means fully independent and fully conscious. So your consciousness is not full. Your independence is not full. That you cannot have. Now you belong to a independent country, but you are not fully independent. As soon as the state laws want you for some particular purpose, in spite of your unwillingness, you have to act. That means you are not fully independent, even in the state relationship. And how you are fully independent in God's relationship? So your claim that "I am God" is not fullfilled there, because God is independent. You are not independent. How you can claim that you are God? Can you answer this question? Because in your school it is taught that "I am God." I say God is fully independent. Are you fully independent? Then how can you claim you are God? Can anyone answer this? Because this philosophy is going on. Everyone is thinking, "I am God." So if you are not fully independent, you are, if you are not fully conscious, everything, you are simply a minute part. Minute part means because you are part and parcel of the Supreme. So everything is there in you in minute parts but not in full.

Just like the definition of God as it is given in the Vedic literature:

aiśvaryasya samagrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś ca

ṣaḍ iti bhagaṁ ganaḥ

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Bhaga. The exact Sanskrit word of the Absolute Truth, or the Personality of Godhead, is called Bhagavān. Bhaga means six kinds of opulences. What is that? Aiśvarya, wealth. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. Vīryasya. Vīryasya means strength. Wealth, strength and yaśaḥ. Yaśaḥ means fame. Aiś… Wealth, strength, fame and śrī. Śrī means beauty. And jñāna. Jñāna means knowledge. And vairāgya means renunciation. Wealth, fame, then strength, beauty, and knowledge and renunciation. If these six things are in full present in anyone, He is God. Otherwise, he's a dog or less than God. And in the Vedic literature we find the definition: na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Now, are we in that position that we have nothing to do? Oh, if you do not work I cannot eat even. The whole function is stopped. But the definition is na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Now, take for example this beautiful flower. This beautiful flower, you have to accept there is a great brain behind this beauty. Because here we have got so many artists. When they draw picture, oh, how nicely they apply their brain, their painting, everything, then… But that beauty is not as beautiful as this flower. If ordinary beauty painted by a, an artist, it takes so much time and labor, do you think that this beauty is done automatically? What is the explanation? This is nonsense, that there is no brain behind it. There is. That is the brain of God. That is explained: na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Although it is so beautifully done, but He has nothing to do. How? Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. His energy is so powerful that svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca: everything is coming out as natural product, energy. Just like so many things happening in your body. The hair is growing. Can you explain how the hair is growing? You do not know even in your body how things are taking place. But there is energy. It is accepted that there is energy in your body which is helping to grow so many things in your body. So if you have got so much energy that things are taking automatically, just imagine how much energy He has got.

So these are explained in the Vedic literature. Na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: "He has nothing to do and nobody is equal or greater than Him." Therefore God is great. Nobody can be equal. You cannot claim that you are God. Then you claim "God," I claim "God," he, she claims "God," he claims "God." Then what is the meaning of "God"? Nobody… God is great. Nobody can be greater than Him. Then how you can claim that you are God, I am God? Then either you do not know what is the definition of God or you are foolishly claiming that you are God. You must… If you claim, if you come here and introduce yourself, "I am President Johnson," oh, you must present your credential that you are President Johnson. Otherwise, we shall say you are crazy. So if you cannot present yourself even like ordinary president-you are claiming that you're God-how much nonsense you are. Don't claim in that way. There is no equal to God. Oh, there are so many equals to you, so many greater than you, lower than you. So you are not absolute. God is absolute. In the Bhagavad-gītā the same thing is described, that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "My dear Dhanajaya, Arjuna, nobody's greater than Me." Anyat. Anyat means anyone. So this is the one of the symptoms of God, that nobody is greater than Him. So you have to prove that nobody's greater than you. If you simply think falsely that "Nobody's greater than me. Nobody's…I am moving this sun. I am moving this moon. I am…," so you have to prove it. Otherwise, it is nonsense. But if you remain in your actual position, that "I am not God, but I am part and parcel of God, and God is nondifferent…" Just like the part and parcel of your body, this finger, and the whole body… If you make analytical study: "Oh, there is blood, there is vein, there is muscle, there is skin, there is bone, everything complete," as much as there is blood, vein, muscle, bones, everything in the whole body, so, as part and parcel, the, all the qualities, or all the ingredients of God are there. But he is a small quantity; therefore part and parcel. But even it is small quantity, if you actually come to the platform of God, then you'll become almost equal like God. But you cannot be God. That is not possible. Then there is no meaning of God, because God is great. And in the Vedic literature it is confirmed that na tasya kāryaṁ ca vidyate na tasya sama adhikaś ca dṛśyate: "Nobody's greater than Him, nobody's equal to Him. He, He has nothing to do. Everything is being performed by His multi-energies."

So these descriptions are there. So you have to… Vedic knowledge means the knowledge of authority. So you have to prove. But there is a process for understanding God, that "I am God." That is a process. But not that one is God. "I am God" means in that way: "Qualitatively, I am God." So we have to find out, meditation, "What is that quality?" That quality is the spirit soul, on account of whose presence the whole body is working. As soon as the spirit soul is absent from this body, this body has no more any value. That you have to understand. And what is that spirit soul? That you have to find out, where it is. Where is the spirit soul… Now, if you medically analyze where is the spirit soul, you cannot find out. But there, in the yoga process, there are different rules and regulations, sitting posture and then breathing exercise, controlling the air passing through this body. In that way, gradually you come to know what is that… Not only you come to know, but the perfection of yoga system is that you can practice to take the soul from six different position, from the navel position to the heart, then to the, it is called, what is called?

Jadurāṇī: Throat.

Prabhupāda: Neck. Yes, kantha. Then you can bring it between the brows, and when you are sufficiently practiced, you can transfer your soul from the top of your brain to any planet you like. That is the perfection of yoga. That is not possible nowadays. Nobody can practice. Real perfection of yoga is not possible in this age. That breathing exercise, the sitting posture, following the rules and regulations… Nobody's following the rules and regulation, what to speak of the sitting posture. That is a process, recommended process. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā also, and in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also. But that process is not possible at the present days. But if you want spiritual perfection at the present age, then this is the recommended process by Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma iva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

Anyathā means other process. Anyathā. Because we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, it does not mean that we are condemning other process. No. The other process is there in the scriptures and authoritative scriptures. But other process is not possible to be practiced in this age. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, kalau, "In this age," nāsty eva nāsty eva, "it is…, there is no possibility to practice other process." Nāsty eva nāsty eva, three times. Just like if I say three times, "It is not possible, not possible, not possible," that means to confirm it, three times. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva: "It is not possible, not possible, not possible." Gatir anyathā: "There is no other alternative." If you are at all seriously, I mean to say, interested for spiritual salvation, then this is the process. This is the process. Now, so far this process is concerned, we have got many students. Now you can talk with them and you can see practically how they have advanced by practicing this simple process. At least they are pure in their habit and they are confident about their progress. There are so many things.

So we have to follow the prescribed process. There are different processes mentioned in the Vedic literature that kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇu [SB 12.3.52]. Kṛte means in the Satya-yuga. There is no English translation, what is called Satya-yuga, but people have got imagination, "Golden Age," or something like that. Satya-yuga. Satya-yuga means cent percent people are pure. And Tretā-yuga means seventy-five percent people are pure and twenty-five percent impure. And Dvāpara-yuga means half and half-half pure, half impure. And Kali-yuga means almost impure. Impure. Ninety-nine percent impure. This is Kali-yuga. So, for spiritual salvation, for transcendental realization, it is said when… Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇu. When people were cent percent pure, at that time, the process of meditation was successful, because this meditation requires fully purification of the body. Otherwise, simply closing your eyes, if you meditate and sleep… I've seen, practically. They are meditating (snores). I have seen. Perhaps you have also seen. Yes. Because it is naturally. If you close your eyes and you have nothing to do, oh, naturally you'll be, feel sleepy. And you'll feel sleepy and go on. You see? So this is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇu. The meditation of Viṣṇu was possible in the Golden Age when everyone, cent percent, people were pure. Then next age, tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. Makhaiḥ means sacrifice, performing great sacrifices. Sacrifice means, if you want to perform sacri…, you require hundreds of mounds of butter and so much grain, so many things that you cannot provide at the present moment. Nobody can provide. So that is also not possible. Yajato makhaiḥ. Makhaiḥ means sacrifices, great sacrifices. And dvāpare paricaryāyām. The next stage, by temple worship, or church worship. That is also not possible. Nobody is interested in this age to go to the temple or to the church, or they are not satisfied with the management of the temples or the church. So many things. Anyway, this has become practically impossible to get any enlightenment. So dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. Therefore in this age of disagreement and quarrel, this is the best process. Never mind whatever you are. It doesn't require any prequalification. Simply you sit down. You sit down together and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You see? Very practical. You haven't got to sit in a particular position or fashion, āsana. You haven't got to exercise your breathing process. Nothing. Simply you sit down and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. And that we have read just now, a practical experience of one reporter, and there are students. They have got practical… Simply by chanting you get the highest ecstasy.

So it is said in the Bhāgavata:

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇu

tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ

dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ

kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt

[SB 12.3.52]

This is hari-kīrtana. This is the process. So we have to… There are many, many things in the drug shop, but you have to accept a medicine out of thousands of medicines which is described by the physician. Your physician gives you note that "You get this medicine from the drug shop and you'll be cured." Similarly, there may be different processes for self-realization, but at the present, this is the only prescribed method for self-realization. If you do not accept it, then you'll be misled. Just like if you say to a drug shop, "The doctor has asked me to take some medicine. So give me any medicine," oh, the drug shop owner will say, "No, I cannot give you any medicine. You give me… Bring the prescription of the doctor. Then I shall give you." That is real treatment. If you actually want spiritual understanding, then you must follow the prescribed method. And you can practically feel also. In other method, you have to do so many things which are practically impossible. But, if you simply imitate or do something which will never be fulfilled, then you can indulge in such waste of time. But, if you actually want result, then this is the process. Kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu thrice, three times He says, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative. This is the easiest process and you have no loss. You haven't got to pay us anything as fees. If you pay us, it is welcome, but we don't charge anything. But to maintain the establishment, sometimes we beg from you. That is a different thing. But we don't demand that "You give me so many dollars. Then I shall teach you what is Hare Kṛṣṇa." The Hare Kṛṣṇa is there, openly written, and you can chant. You can take the advantage.

So don't falsely claim that you are God. You are everything. You are moving this world. Why? Actually are you doing that? Then why do you falsely claim like that? What is your answer? If I… You meditate that "I am moving the sun. I am moving the moon. I am moving everything." Are you dong that? You do…, cannot move yourself. You are so much dependent on the laws of nature. Why you are falsely claiming like that? What is your answer? Give me your answer, those who are thinking that "I am God." Do you think thinking, by thinking one will be God? Where is your power? Yes? You want to ask? No? So actually it is not the position. I am God in that sense, I have already analyzed, that I have got the, in minute quantity… As I am minute quantity, fragmental portion of God, so similarly, I have got all the qualities of God in fragment. For example, this consciousness take. That is practical. We are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now, it is not that Kṛṣṇa has got consciousness and you haven't got consciousness. You have got also consciousness. That's a practical experience. Every one of us are conscious as God is conscious. So you are also conscious. Now, what is the difference between God's consciousness and your consciousness? That you have to find out. Can you say me? You should know all these things. Consciousness…

Devotee: God's consciousness is absolute; mine is not.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore you are not God. God consciousness is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetra. The Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, says that "This body is the field of our activities." Otherwise, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: "I am also conscious. I am also knower." As you are knower, so God is also knower. But the difference of His knowledge-that He's omnipotent, omnipresent; you are not omnipotent, omnipresent. That is the difference. You have got some potency, and you are also present in some limited circle, but He is present everywhere. You are not present in another planet, but God is present everywhere. That is His omnipresence, omnipotent. So He's also conscious, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: "Also know that I am also knower, but My knowledge expands everywhere, but your knowledge expands only within this body." That is the difference.

So similarly, in any capacity you analyze, so far the definition of God-wealth… Now, He's the proprietor of all wealth. Now, nobody can claim… Even the, I mean, the biggest rich man of your country, the Rockefeller or the Ford company or…, nobody can claim that he's the only richest man. No. There are many others. So nobody can claim that "I am the richest." No. Nobody can claim that "I am the most famous." No. Nobody can claim that "I am the most beautiful." Nobody can claim that "I am the absolute knower." In this way, you apply the definition in yourself, you'll find that you partly and partially represent all the qualities of God. That you can claim, that you are partial God, or part and parcel of… That is the exact word, part and… Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta [Bg. 15.7]. These living entities, jīva-bhūta… There are two definitions of the living entities. One definition is jīva-bhūta, and another definition is Brahmā bhūta [SB 4.30.20]. What is the jīva-bhūta? So long the living entity has got the misconception of his existence, that "I am this body," he's called jīva-bhūta. And when he is completely in knowledge that "I am not this body," that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. The same "I," one is false identification, and another is real identification. The real identification begins-brahma-bhūtaḥ, to know that "I am not this matter; I am spirit soul." That is the beginning. Even in that beginning understanding, that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," there is Brahman realization, but that Brahman realization has to be increased. That means not only realize yourself that you are Brahman or spirit soul, but you have to engage yourself as Brahman and spirit, to work as Brahman. Then the perfection is complete. And how to work that? So long as you are inactive, your Brahman realization is not perfect. I have several times given this example, that if a diseased man is cured, the temperature is no more coming. That is the stage of cure. But that is not perfect stage of cure. When you actually work without any fever, without any disease, that is your perfect stage. Similarly, simply by understanding theoretically that you are not this body, you are soul, that is not perfect realization. Perfect realization is to work in Brahman stage.

Now, how is that working? That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

That means the same thing. Just like here, in this jīva-bhūta stage, false identification stage, we are also anxious to hear something. We are reading daily in the morning some newspaper, "This, this thing has happened there. This thing has happened here. Here is something available." But as soon you become brahma-bhūta [SB 4.30.20], you lose all interest in such nonsense things. You'll be interested to hear about Kṛṣṇa, not about the newspaper. This is called liberation. No more attraction for material engagement. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Viṣṇu means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So your hearing, your chanting, your remembering, your acting-everything will be in connection with Viṣṇu. That is real Brahman realization stage, active stage.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ

smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ

sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

Take, take the example of Arjuna. What is that? He was in the battlefield. The problem was to fight or not to fight. But so long he was not in the brahma-bhūta stage, identifying his body, that "I am this body," he was thinking the bodily relationship: "Oh, he's my father. He's my brother. He's my uncle. He's my grandfather." He was hesitant. But the same fighting remained after hearing Bhagavad-gītā. And what is the change? The change is that bodily identification gone, spiritual identification taken, that he, as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, it is his duty to serve Kṛṣṇa: "Kṛṣṇa wants this fight. I must fight. That's all." Similarly, brahma-bhūta stage means when you fight for Kṛṣṇa. The fighting here, in this world, nobody can remain without fighting, struggle for existence. Everyone has to fight. Daily you are fighting to exist. Utilize this fighting for Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. Yuddhyasva mām anusmara [Bg. 8.7]. It is not that, oh, fighting is stopped. Fighting you have to do so long you are in this material world. Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not mean to become lazy. You have to act practically for Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So everything will remain the same. But when it is done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means you are making progress, spiritual realization. And, doing that, if you are so fortunate that always thinking of Kṛṣṇa and dying for Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. You at once transferred to Kṛṣṇaloka. This is the process, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So you haven't got to do anything. Simply you have to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and for Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: yat karoṣi yad juhoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam [Bg. 9.27]. Now, yat karoṣi. You have to do something. You have to work. Kṛṣṇa does not say, "Oh, because you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you, you simply…" If you can, simply can think of Kṛṣṇa, it is very good. But in our present position, that is not possible, because we are not so advanced that we can simply think of Kṛṣṇa. But simply think of Kṛṣṇa is automatically done if you work for Kṛṣṇa. The same example, just like I gave you several times, that a woman who is attached with another lover, he, she appears to be very much engaged in the family duties but she's always thinking of her lover, when she'll meet at night. The thinking process is going on even with the activities of her household affairs. These examples are given in Vedic literature. Similarly, if you actually love Kṛṣṇa, then, in spite of your being engaged in so many works, you can think of Kṛṣṇa, full meditation. That is possible, practical. If you have got, I mean to say, very eager attraction for a certain thing, in spite of your acting differently, you are thinking of that. There are many examples. Suppose somebody beloved, your son, is ill at home. You have come to office to work. You are working but you are thinking, "How is the boy? How the child is there? How the child is there?" It is a question of love only. So there are certain processes, regulative processes. If you follow those processes, then automatically you become a lover of Kṛṣṇa. Just like one process: this chanting. You go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and you'll find very soon you become a lover of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the boy. Here is our Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. He says that "I was attached to drug habit, to intoxication habit, meat-eating. Now my attachment is now changed. I am now for Kṛṣṇa." So automatically he has become pure. It is so nice. Therefore I asked him to read that paper because that is practical experience. No more, no more they feels any inconvenience, those who have given up even smoking, tea-taking, coffee-taking, meat-eating. Because these practices are very common thing in your country. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so wonderful that for years together they are no more taking tea, coffee, smoking, meat, everything; they don't feel any inconvenience. They are happy, quite happy, in taking simple Kṛṣṇa prasāda. Similarly, in so many ways you'll be freed, and that is brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā: [Bg. 18.54] no more anxiety. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, even if he does not eat for three days, he'll not feel unhappy. These are practical.

So from jīva-bhūta stage, completely dependent on the laws of nature, you gradually become free from the laws of nature. And when you are perfectly free from the laws of nature, that is called brahma-bhūta stage. Brahma-bhūta stage means self-realized stage. And, and the symptom is prasannātmā, always joyful. An ordinary man, habituated to smoke, oh, if I ask him to don't smoke, oh, he'll feel inconvenience after half an hour. There is many chain-smoker. They feel… They ask permission, "Swamijī, can I smoke?" Feeling disturbances. But these boys and girls who were habituated to smoking and everything, they have given for years but they don't feel any inconvenience. This is liberation from one point. Two points. Second point. When he's cent percent liberated from these material demands, then he's perfect, as good as God. But I've seen that so many, I mean to…, students of yoga class, they cannot give up their these habits. I have seen. Neither they ask them to give up this habit. Then nobody will go. These are practical. (pause, phone rings, devotee answers and gives temple address-95 Glenville, Allston)

Any question? If you have any doubts you can make question. We shall try to clear it.

Young woman: What is Kṛṣṇa consciousness in relation to other faiths, like, say, when you think of Kṛṣṇa and you die, in a battle for Kṛṣṇa or something? What if you believed in Jesus Christ and you died…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Young woman: …in battle for Jesus Christ?

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can think of Jesus Christ. That is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Young woman: And so then you would immediately go with…

Prabhupāda: Yes, you go the platform where Jesus Christ is there. You go there. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni

mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām

[Bg. 9.25]

There are many platforms of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So even in this material world… This is a fact. If you want to go to the moon planet, oh, there is no necessity of going by some sputnik or by mechanical arrangement. You can go there simply by following the consciousness to go to the moon planet. That is there in the Vedic literature. You can immediately… Not immediately. After… But you cannot go with this body-even by sputnik. They are trying. It is no t possible. It is not possible. Several times I have explained that in the moon planet the temperature is-that is scientists' explanation-two hundred degree below zero. So with this body, if you go to the moon planet, you shall immediately die. So you have to prepare yourself for getting another suitable body with which body you can exist in the moon planet. Similarly, you can go to the Kṛṣṇa planet. But, if you go to the Kṛṣṇa planet then you haven't got to come back. Mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. You can go to any planet if you desire. You can remain in this planet or you can go down also, according to your… This is the preparation stage. So why not utilize this life for going back to Kṛṣṇa?

Young woman: Well, I don't quite understand how you say you go to the moon planet and die. What about the space suits or living inside a spaceship on the moon. That's…

Prabhupāda: By spaceship you can… At least, at the present moment, the spaceships are not so perfect that it can go to the moon planet.

Young woman: Not at the present.

Prabhupāda: It may be in the future, the spaceships are perfect and you can go to the moon planet. But even if you go to the moon planet, that is not your highest perfection, because within this material world, if you go to any planet, moon or the highest planet, Brahmaloka… Moon planet is very near to us. It is only few hundreds thousands miles away. But there are many planets very, very high. The Brahmaloka, they are also described. Even in the Bhagavad-gītā there is description. So ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. You can go there. Just like I came to your country-very nice, comfortable apartment, all things are available; everything all right. But now my visa period is finished. I'll have to go to Canada. You see? Similarly, if you have got so much restriction in, in a ordinary state that people from other parts of the world may come but they can stay here for six months or one year, or as limited by the visa, then go back, similarly, anywhere you go within this material world, you have to come back. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. You have to come back. And besides that, any planet you go within this material world, the four principles of material sufferings are there. What are those? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: [Bg. 13.9] birth, death, old age and disease. Everywhere there is. Your period of life may be very long, but these four things are there. You have to take your birth. Suppose you prepare yourself for going to the moon planet. Then next life, after leaving this body, you'll be pushed into the womb of a mother there in the moon planet, and you'll come out with a suitable body. So the birth is there, and wherever there is birth and death, there is disease and old age. But I am, as spirit soul, I am free from… Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. I have nothing to do with birth, death and disease and old age. I am spirit soul. Na jāyate na mriyate na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇaḥ. It is always, although it is the oldest, it is always fresh. Just like I have become. Now, amongst you, I am the oldest man. You are fresh. But the propensities of you and when the…, of me, it is the same. I want to enjoy life. The same propensities which I had in my youthful life, I've got still. But because my body has become old, I cannot enjoy like that. So it is the bodily impediments that is hampering my real happiness. So problem is how to get out of this entanglement of repetition of taking one body after another, one body after another, as we are taking in this life also. That is the solution. That solution is yad gatvā na nivartante. Kṛṣṇa says, tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: [Bg. 15.6] "If you go to My planet, you have no more (to) come back again." You get your eternal life, eternal, blissful life, full of knowledge and remain, enjoy like Kṛṣṇa with Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection.

So we are giving the information of the highest perfectional stage of living entity. It is nothing bluff or artificial; it is fact, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are volumes of books, volumes of understanding. If you have got time, read them. Just like if you want to be a scholar, there are facilities. But, if you want to simply waste your time some by thinking artificially that you are God and do nothing, you can do that. You are at liberty. That will not bring any benefit. Maybe some benefit, temporarily, but real solution is there. If you believe in the Vedic scriptures, then real solution is yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama [Bg. 15.6]. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta [Bg. 15.7]. So everything is there. You can take advantage of these facilities. Therefore we have opened this center. You come. You try to understand and be benefited. We are not asking you that "Give us thousand dollars. Then we shall open our secret." Our secret is all open secret. You simply take advantage of it. Try to understand with your reason, with your sense, everything. We are prepared to convince you because we have got every equipment(?). We are not manufacturing anything bogus. We have got everything complete. So what was your question? Your question? Yes?

Young woman: No.

Prabhupāda: No, you just asked me this question. You asked me this question.

Young woman: Oh, I asked you…

Prabhupāda: Yes, what is the question?

Young woman: The question was basically… The first question was what was the relationship of Kṛṣṇa with Christ, and you answered that. The second question was about, just about going to the moon, and you were saying that it would be possible, but you would…

Prabhupāda: There is no eternal life. In the moon planet… It is a planet like this planet. So as there is death, birth, old age and disease, so you go in any planet within this universe-there are millions of planets-the same thing will follow. The moon planet's…, standard of moon planet may be a little more comfortable materially, just like the standard of living in your country is little better than Indian standard of living. But that does not mean you are not under the laws of these material sufferings. The same thing, either you become white or black or American or Indian, the material sufferings are there, birth death, old age and disease. But if you want to get out of it, then Kṛṣṇa. Yes.

Bhaktijana: If you come to the Brahmaloka, do you have to come back to the…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhaktijana: …the earth planet?

Prabhupāda: Yes, any planet, earth planet or any planet. Suppose if I go out of your state-I may go to England or I may go to hell, but I am out. That's all. Your immigration departments wants that I, I must be out. I may go to hell or England or any other. (laughs) They want to say, "You are out." Similarly, the Brahmaloka planet, you'll see that you are out, either you come to this planet or moon planet or hell planet or heaven planet. That doesn't matter. They won't allow you to stay there. But the advantage of Brahmaloka planet is that you get very, very long duration of life and the standard of living, and there are so many things. Yes. Similarly, moon planet also, the standard of living and duration of life, you get ten thousand years of life, and there one day equal to your six months. What you calculate as six months here according to the solar system, in the moon planet that six months equal to their one day. Similarly, thirty days, one month; twelve months, one year. Similarly, ten thousand years you get, life there. But there is death. Just like the small microbe; it has got life, say, for few minutes, and you have got life, say, for a hundred years. That does not mean that you are immortal and that the microbe is a mortal. Both of us. Similarly, there are, in other planets, the duration of life may be very, very, very long, but that does not mean that they will not die. The death is there. Death can be eradicated only when you go to Kṛṣṇaloka, or in the spiritual sky. Yad gatvā…

na tatra bhāsayate sūryo

na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ

yad gatvā na nivartante

tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

[Bg. 15.6]

These descriptions are there in the Bhagavad-gītā, that in the spiritual sky there is no need of sunshine. Bhāsayate sūr… Na yatra bhāsayate sūryaḥ. Sūrya means the sun. There is no need of sun. There is no need of moon. There is no need of electricity. These descriptions are there.

na yatra bhāsayate sūryo

na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ

yad gatvā na nivartante

tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

[Bg. 15.6]

If one, one, anyone goes there, he doesn't come back again. So to go to that platform, or that plat…, planet, you don't require any sputnik or any airplane. Simply you have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That's all. But unfortunately, we have no taste for this simple thing. We want to do something wonderful. Very simple thing. Kṛṣṇa does not prescribe anything which is impractical. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg. 9.14]. The process is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām: [Bg. 9.14] "Always chanting about Me." This "Me" means…, does not mean Kṛṣṇa. I mean to say, Kṛṣṇa means God; you can chant that also. But it must be bona fide. But this is approved, "Kṛṣṇa." Therefore if our aim is to make our, I mean to say, if we want to revive our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God, this is the simplest method. You can do it.

Young woman: (indistinct) proofs (indistinct) of the name of God?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Young woman: How do you know that a name is approved?

Prabhupāda: How do you know even your name? How do you know?

Young woman: It's given by a human being.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Young woman: It was told to me by a person.

Prabhupāda: So who? Who told you?

Young woman: I suppose my mother.

Prabhupāda: Why do you believe her? That is your name?

Young woman: Why do I believe her?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why do you believe her? I say that it is not your name. Why do you believe that this is your name?

Young woman: I can choose my name if I don't like the name I have.

Prabhupāda: That is all right. But why do you believe? When I say, "What is your name?" you put your name which is given by your parents? And why not by your friend?

Young woman: It's arbitrary.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Young woman: It's arbitrary.

Prabhupāda: But you accept it.

Young woman: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So you have to accept because your mother is authority.

Young woman: Yes. But who is the authority for telling me…

Prabhupāda: That's all right. This is the principle. So you have to accept the name of God from God. You cannot manufacture.

Young woman: How do you know that "Kṛṣṇa" is a name of God?

Prabhupāda: That, it will take some time. How do you know he's your father? Some gentleman comes. Your mother says, "He's your father." How do you know it?

Young woman: I have no proof?

Prabhupāda: Can you have any proof, that he's your father?

Young woman: I suppose there will be biological…

Prabhupāda: No. You are not born at that time. How can you know that he is your father? You have to take, accept, your mother's version. That's all. That is your authority. Your mother says, "This gentleman is your father." You have to accept it. There is no other way to understand.

Young woman: …convenient to accept it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So you accept the authority. Then you know Kṛṣṇa, who is God, who is Kṛṣṇa.

Young woman: Then who is the authority?

Prabhupāda: Just like your mother is authority, similarly, there are authorities. This is the process. This is the process. If you want to know who is your father, you have to know it from your mother. There is no other alternative. Is it not a fact?

Young woman: I might know…

Prabhupāda: First of all, you answer this. If you want to know who is your father, who can be better authority than your mother?

Young woman: No one. But she may also make…

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Young woman: …mistakes.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Young woman: No one, but she may also make mistakes.

Prabhupāda: That is your misfortune. If your mother misleads you, gives you misinformation, then that is your misfortune, but there is no other way to know who is your father except your mother.

Young woman: But also there is no way for me to know who my mother is.

Prabhupāda: That may be, but I am speaking of the process to understand. This is the process. I may be the, the man who is presenting or the woman who is presenting somebody as your father, she might be misleading you. That is a different thing. But you have no other process to understand your father except your mother.

Young woman: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's it. Similarly, there is a process how to know God. So you have to accept that process. Then you'll know God. There is no other alternative.

Young woman: Yet you say that there are several processes for knowing God. Is that right? That are written? And that only one can be used now?

Prabhupāda: That several processes may be, but you have to take any process from the authority. Any process you accept, that means you accept the authority.

Young woman: How does the authority know to tell you?

Prabhupāda: That he knows. You have to accept that he knows that… Your mother knows. You have to accept it. Otherwise, there is no question of believing your mother. Unless you believe that your mother knows who is your father, then there is no question of asking her who is your father. If you don't believe your mother, then you have no necessity of questioning who is your father. First of all, you have to believe that your mother is the only authority to let you know who is your father. If you are not convinced in that point, then don't ask. Then always remain in oblivion who is your father.

Young woman: I understand the first example, but not the analogy.

Prabhupāda: Why? If you want to know your father, you have to know it from your mother.

Young woman: I understand.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Young woman: But…

Prabhupāda: But, if you don't believe your mother, then there is no other way to know your father.

Young woman: I understand that.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Similarly, here are scriptures who are telling, speaking about God. If you have no faith in scripture, there is no other process to know God.

Young woman: I see. But I understand why I should have faith in my mother for biological reasons, and I don't see why I should have faith in…

Prabhupāda: But that is the rule. You may, biologically, may be different, crazy, but that is the rule.

Young woman: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Well that is the rule. How can you change the rule? You are female. You have got some specific rules. You have to follow. He's a man. He has got some specific rules he has to follow. This is the nature's law. How can you avoid it?

Young woman: Sorry?

Prabhupāda: How can you avoid it? You have certain feelings, propensities, as woman. How can you avoid it? So you cannot avoid the nature's law.

Young woman: But then some, some rules have to be told to me or read from the scriptures. And some I know inherently, in myself.

Prabhupāda: What you know inherently, that is not correct. Then why do you go to school? You know that the…

Young woman: Yes, but there are…

Prabhupāda: No. You know that the sun looks for your… By your direct experience, you see the sun just like a disc…

Young woman: Yes.

Prabhupāda: …but when you go to school, you understand it is many hundred thousand times bigger than this earth. So your knowledge is always imperfect. You have to know from authority. That is the rule. If you want to know about the sun, you have to go to the authority who knows about the sun, not by your intuition, you think, "Oh, it is a disc. It is like this. It is like that." You go on speculation, but it is not perfect knowledge.

Young woman: When I go to the authority, and he tells me about the sun…

Prabhupāda: Anyway, wherever you go, first of all you believe that "Here is the place where I can know the real thing." That is the authority. If you have no faith, then you have no knowledge. You remain with your own knowledge. Go on speculating. Therefore the Vedic instruction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. If you want to know that science, then you have to approach a bona fide spiritual master. There is no other way. You cannot speculate. You cannot manufacture. That is not possible, because your senses are all imperfect, your capacity is imperfect, so you cannot have any perfect knowledge. You have to get it from authority who has got perfect knowledge. That is the principle. So if you want to know God, then you have to approach a bona fide person who knows God. Otherwise, it is not possible. If you don't find such person, then you'll always remain ignorant what is God. That is the process. But there is authority. There is possibility, provided we are fortunate, we get in contact. Then everything is all right.

Bhaktijana Does Jesus Christ reside in the Vaikuṇṭhas or Brahmaloka?

Prabhupāda: No. Vaikuṇṭha. He's person. Brahmaloka, Brahmaloka is within this material world, and Vaikuṇṭha, in the spiritual world. Do you follow what I say? That if you want to know God, you have to approach a person who knows God. Otherwise there is no possibility. If you think that "Here is a man who knows God," then you ask him. If you don't think that in this world there is no man who knows God, then you have to remain in ignorance about the knowledge of God.

Young woman: That seems a very hopeless situation.

Prabhupāda: Then hopeless for you, but not for others. One who accepts…

Young woman: How, how do I…

Prabhupāda: One who accepts the authority, then it is not hopeless for him. It is very simple. Just like one is asking, "Swamijī, what is this?" I say, "It is rose flower." Then the knowledge of rose flower is there. Then, if somebody says, "I don't accept it," then he may not know. So you have to accept authority. There is no other alternative. Now you have to find out who is authority. That requires intelligence. If you go to a bogus man and ask him about God, you may be misled. That is a fact. That is your duty-to find out a man who knows God. Then you'll get. Just like… This is commonsense affair. Suppose if you want to purchase something in the market, some milk. So you have to know that "I'll have to go to some store." You don't go to a hardware man, hardware dealer's. If you go to a hardware dealer and ask him, "Give me one bottle of milk," he'll say, "You are crazy. This is hardware shop." So you must have such common sense where to go and ask for God. That common sense must be there. And that is also very easily understood. Those who have devoted their life for God and they have no other business than God, to serve God, he is the right man.

Young woman: May I ask another question?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Young woman: Thank you. Do you say that God has nothing to do?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Young woman: But He has lots of energies, and…

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Young woman: …it is the energy that creates beautiful things?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Young woman: How is the energy ordered?

Prabhupāda: How is the energy…?

Young woman: Is ordered? How is it that there are both roses…

Prabhupāda: Well, that energy is so perfect. Just like you are feeling some itching. You want to itch it. Immediately hand goes. It does not require that you have to train the hand to itch it. So you have got such energy. So just imagine-He's complete. He's full-how much His energy is perfect. He doesn't require. Immediately He desires… Just like in Bible it is said, "God said, 'Let there be creation,'-immediately there was creation." So His energy is so perfect that He wanted to see this material cosmic manifestation-immediately there was. But because we haven't got such energy we think this is all illusion or fictitious or something like that. Because if you want something immediately, you have no such energy that, immediately, the same thing is done. That is not possible. That is possible also when you are also in spiritual life. But now you are conditioned by the matter; therefore that is not being perfected. But when you are also in pure spiritual life, you can do like that, like God. Immediately, whatever you want, you can do. Immediately, wherever you want to go, you can go. That is the… That perfection is there.

Young woman: Does that mean that you can do it just so that you see it or so that other people can see it?

Prabhupāda: No, anyone who comes to the spiritual perfection, he can act like that.

Young woman: Then my question is if you have a man who has spiritual perfection and another man sitting next to him who does not have spiritual perfection, and the man who has perfection wishes to have a rose, and, and…

Prabhupāda: Wishes to have?

Young woman: A rose. And, a rose…

Disciple: A flower.

Prabhupāda: A rose? Oh.

Young woman: …and he might see the rose or have that rose because he has spiritual perfection.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is possible.

Young woman: Can the other man see the rose?

Prabhupāda: That is possible.

Young woman: The other man can…

Prabhupāda: That is possible. That is the yogic perfection. If anyone… There are eight kinds of yogic perfection, and one is called prāpti. Prāpti means if actually a man is in yogic perfection, he can immediately have whatever he wants. That is possible.

Young woman: How do you measure…

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Young woman: …your liberation from the laws of nature.

Prabhupāda: Well, that, as you replace yourself to Kṛṣṇa consciousness… You are under the laws of nature because you are material conscious. Just like one who is in criminal consciousness, he's committing criminal activities and going to jail. It is the change of consciousness. The same man, if he changes his criminal consciousness, then he's no more subjected to go to the jail. Similarly, liberation means, if you become complete in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are liberated. All right. Have saṅkīrtana. (kīrtana; Prabhupāda leads prema-dhvanī) Thank you very much.

Devotee:

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine

Prabhupāda: Give me that paper. Distribute prasādam. [break] …this appreciation one thing. And another thing is how to produce a flower like Kṛṣṇa with my energy. Do you follow? Two attempt. One is appreciation of Kṛṣṇa's energy, how great He is, that simply by His desire, His energies are so perfect that it is producing such nice flower. This is appreciation. And another thing is, how shall I get that power, yogic power, so that as soon as I desire, there may be a rose flower. Now, suppose I attain that power, to produce with my desire a rose flower. In Benares there was a yogi, Viśuddhānanda Sarasvatī. Whoever used to come to him, he would at once take a plate and give him, and at once he'll find two nice sweetmeat. So by this extraordinary power, many learned scholars and professors and big men: "Oh, he is a great yogi. He can manufacture rasagullā." You see? "In a plate, as soon as you go, there immediately he presents." This is magic, they are captivated by the magic. They are not… They are so foolish that they did not consider what is worth this sweetmeat? Four cents and four cents, eight cents. So even if he has achieved that power, for producing this rasagullā what he has attained? It is worth eight cents. Suppose if I show some magical power and present one rose flower in your hand, you may be very surprised-now, "Oh, Swamijī is wonderful." But what is the meaning of that wonderful? Say ten cents. That's all. You can purchase one flower with ten cents. So don't be after these magical things. Just try to appreciate Kṛṣṇa, how He's great. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Do you follow what I say? Don't be after magicians. The magic, magician can also play very nice, wonderful…, so many things. But that is not perfection. Suppose if I can create by my yogic power two rasagullā or one rasagullā, what is the worth? A few cents only. Just try to revive your eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of life. Then you get all perfection. Don't be after… People are after magical things. What magic I can show God? Just like the scientists. They are trying to create life in the laboratory, although they have not been able to create even an ant. Suppose he's able to create some living entity. Just like the scientist is very proud for inventing this flying machine. But just see how many millions and trillions of flying machines are flying in the sky created by God-without any machine. So you cannot surpass the intelligence and energy of God. Therefore you simply appreciate. That is your perfection. Yes.

Young woman: When you say one, one has been, one has perfection, then one is no longer interested in reading the newspaper and what goes on in the world-is that right?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Young woman: If one has achieved spiritual perfection…

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Young woman: One is no longer interested in what goes on in the world.

Prabhupāda: Why not interested?

Young woman: I'm asking…

Prabhupāda: Why do you say "not interested"? I can understand you also.

Young woman: Because you said we wouldn't read the newspapers any more…

Prabhupāda: Eh? No… (end)

Lecture

Boston, December 23, 1969

691223L2.BOS

Prabhupāda: …ways that God is giving facility to become one of His associates. (indistinct). So, nobody is seeking after God. When you will seek after God, God is situated within your heart, He will give you all facility. And so long you want to become God, you will be cheated, because you are trying to cheat yourself. How you can become God? First thing is that, you are trying to become God, then how you became a dog? God cannot become a dog. God is always God. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that "I am God, but I am, by māyā, I am thinking I am not God. So by meditation I shall become God." But that means he is under the punishment of māyā. So, God has become under the influence of māyā. How is it that? God is great, and if he is under the influence of māyā, then māyā becomes great. How God becomes great?

So the real idea is, so long we shall continue this hallucination, that "I am God," "There is no God," "Everybody is God," so many things like that, there is no question of getting favor of God. Then you do your own business, and try to find yourself, whether you are God or something else. As soon as I think that "I am God," that is I am trying to cheat myself. Who will help me? So that is going on. Everyone is thinking, "I am God." So what you are thinking? You are trying to become God, or what is? What is your idea? Or you are thinking there is no God?

Man: I am thinking that there is one.

Prabhupāda: There is God? You are thinking like that?

Man: Yes. I am also…, can see that I was trying to become God.

Prabhupāda: So, you are trying to become God, that means you are not God. Is it not? How you became not God? (laughter) How you became not God? God is (indistinct) just like so many think that, there are, it, it becomes not. That God is great, then how He is great? Then you, your conclusion should be that "I am not that God who is great. I am a different God who becomes sometimes not God." (laughter) Therefore you are a different God from that God who is great. Is it not? So that is a fact. Because you are part and parcel of God, you are minute God, therefore you have the potency of becoming not God. Just like fire and spark of fire. The spark, when it is with the fire it is bright fire, but as soon as it goes out of the fire, it extinguishes. But the big fire never extinguishes. Similarly, you are not that big fire, you are that small spark fire. You have fallen down; therefore you are not God. Now you have to raise yourself again to the fire, you will be again blazing spark. So that is the difference. Thatis stated in the Vedic literature Brahman, every living entity is Brahman, but the Supreme Brahman is Kṛṣṇa. He never becomes not God. We see Kṛṣṇa's life, when He was a child on the lap of His mother, He is God. So many demons they are killed. He hasn't got to meditate to become God. When He was playing, He was God, and when He was fighting in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, He is God. That is God. Not that sometimes not God, sometimes God. That is not God. God is always God, in any circumstance. That is God. (pause) Hare Kṛṣṇa. I am not God. I cannot give so many things. (laughter) So distribute prasādam. (everyone chants japa) (indistinct) Huh? Oh, yes, why not? Nobody, who will please go, please take prasādam.

Devotee: There is a big feast here. Please stay and take prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Please wait two minutes, (indistinct). (end)

691224LE.BOS

Lecture at Harvard University

Boston, December 24, 1969

Prabhupāda: I shall speak or you shall speak? I shall speak?

Satsvarūpa: I shall speak?

Prabhupāda: What do you want? I shall speak or you?

Satsvarūpa: I think there's enough people. You could speak.

Prabhupāda:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]

You can… Because I have not seen this ordinary.(?) Bring it. Yes. Yes.

śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhistam

sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale

svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ

dadāti sva-padāntikam

[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]

he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho

dīna-bandho jagat-pate

gopeśa gopīka-kānta

rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te

[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi

rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari

vṛṣabhānu-sute devī

praṇamāmi hari-priye

[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I thank you very much for joining us in this evening of chanting together Hare Kṛṣṇa. The saṅkīrtana movement is a prescribed performance in this age. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Eleventh Canto, Ninth Chapter, 6th verse, there is a statement that,

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā-kṛṣṇaṁ

sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam

yajñair saṅkīrtana-prāyair

yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

[SB 11.5.32]

Su-medhasaḥ, this Sanskrit word, means intelligent persons. Medhas. Medhas means brain substance, one who has got very good brain substance. The brain substance… According to psychology, there is difference of brain substance. Not the brain substance equally, of equal weight, in every man's brain. You know, you are all educated students, psychology students. In our boyhood when we were a student in psychology class, Dr. Urquhart explained this brain substance. The man has got the highest brain substance-not all-up to sixty-four ounce. And woman has got the highest up to thirty-six or thirty-four. Of course, we are not discussing that point. Our movement is a spiritual movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is beyond brain. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhir [Bg. 3.42]. So there are different platforms and status of consciousness. Bodily consciousness means sensual consciousness. Above that, there is mental consciousness, speculative, philosophical, poetic. Above that, intellectual consciousness. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness-above intellectual consciousness.

So the recommendation is… That was a topic between Mahārāja Nimi and great sages called nine sages, navayogindra. Nava means nine. Yogindra means mystic yogis. So they were talking, and Mahārāja Nimi questioned the different incarnations in different ages. And Camasa Muni was replying. In that replying, he said that in the Kali-yuga, in this age… This age called Kali-yuga. This Kali-yuga has begun about five thousand years ago. So he said, "In the Kali-yuga the process of self-realization is saṅkīrtana movement." Saṅkīrtana. Saṅkīrtana means bahudhā, bahubhir militvā. When congregational chanting is done, that is called saṅkīrtana. So in this age the saṅkīrtana movement is recommended. There is no question of what is your religion, what is my religion. Everyone can join in this saṅkīrtana movement, without any discrimination. That is the recommendation. Yajñair saṅkīrtana. This is also yajña, sacrifice. You are sacrificing some time, your valuable time, in joining with us to perform the saṅkīrtana movement. That is a sacrifice. And sacrifice means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yajña. Yajña is the name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yajñārthāt karma anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. Whatever you have to act, you have to act on the basis of pleasing the Supreme Lord.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata there is another verse, that,

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

[SB 1.2.13]

Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī is addressing the learned sages assembled in a place called Naimiṣāraṇya. That place is still existing in India, in northern India. It is very old place. Now the place is named Nimsar, but original name is Naimiṣāraṇya. So in that Naimiṣāraṇya meeting, the president, Sūta Gosvāmī, addressed the brāhmaṇas. He said, ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā. Dvija-śreṣṭhā means in that assembly the high-class brāhmaṇas, very intelligent class of men, they assembled. So he addressed them, "My dear learned scholars, brāhmaṇas, the duty of the human society," ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ… The duties are different according to different divisions of social order and spiritual order. That is Vedic civilization. There are four kinds of social orders and four kinds of spiritual orders. The social orders are the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas, and the śūdras; or the intellectual class of men… Brāhmaṇa means intellectual class of men-one who devotes his life only in studying Vedas and acquiring knowledge and distributing that. Every time, in every age, there is a class of men who are intellectual class. So this intellectual class of men is called brāhmaṇa. And the next class, the administrative class. Those who takes part in politics for administration of the state, government, they are called kṣatriyas. The actual meaning of kṣatriya is "one who protects a man from being hurt by others." That is called kṣatriya. That means, that is the business of the administrators, government. So brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, then vaiśyas. Vaiśyas means productive class who are interested in producing things for consumption by the people. Mercantile class, industrialists, they are called vaiśyas. And the last class, fourth class, they are called śūdras. Śūdras means that they are neither intellectual, nor they're administrator, nor industrial or mercantile, but they can serve others. That's all.

So it is said that kalau śūdra sambhava. In the modern age, people are being taught in the university to become śūdra-neither brāhmaṇas nor kṣatriyas nor vaiśyas, generally. Because after education, they will have to seek after some service. He becomes a great technologist, but unless he gets a good job, his whole education is spoiled. You see? So therefore, in the Vedic śāstra it is said, in this age people are almost all śūdras. Kalau śūdra sambhava. So the president of that meeting, Sūta Gosvāmī, said that it doesn't matter whether one man is brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or a vaiśya or a śūdra. This is social order. And then spiritual order: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. Brahmacārī means student, unmarried student, without any sex life. That is brahmacārī. And then gṛhastha, householder. Those who are living with wife and children, they are called householder, gṛhastha. Then vānaprastha, the retired persons. And then sannyāsa. After retirement, one dedicates his whole life for preaching work, preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is sannyāsa order. So this is… These four divisions are in the spiritual order, and the other divisions are in the social order. Human society without these eight divisions-means social divisions and spiritual divisions-it is not called civilized. They must have. Therefore Sūta Gosvāmī said, the social orders are there, and the spiritual orders are there, and each and every order, there are prescribed duties. The brāhmaṇas, they are engaged in such and such things, the brahmacārīs are engaged in such and such thing, the kṣatriyas are engaged… There are different prescribed duties. Now Sūta Gosvāmī says that varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. There are divisions of duties and divisions of social and spiritual order. That's all right. But how one can understand that by executing his duty, he's going to the path of perfection? Everyone should be confident that whatever he is doing, he's doing for the perfection of life. That should be the aim of. In the modern education system, not only education system, in every field of life, practically we do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know what is the goal of life. The goal of life is Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Lord, or God. That one has to understand what is the Supreme Lord, what is Absolute Truth, "What is my relationship with Him and what is my duty towards Him?" These things are to be known, and one has to adjust his life in that way. So Sūta Gosvāmī says, never mind in whatever order one may be situated, the perfection is saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam [SB 1.2.13]. Ataḥ varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ dvija-śreṣṭhā svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya. One should try to test, "How my duties are being perfectly done?" That one has to see.

So that perfection is recommended, hari-toṣaṇam: whether by your duty, by your action, the Supreme Lord is satisfied. Just like we want to satisfy… In the schools, colleges, we want to satisfy our professor, teachers, principal. Or as good citizen we want to satisfy our government or… Similarly, you have to satisfy somebody. That is the perfection. The highest perfection is to satisfy hari-toṣaṇam. Hari means the Supreme Lord, and toṣaṇam means satisfaction. Whether by your work and duties, discharging your duty, the Supreme Lord is satisfied-that is your perfection. But this is very rare thing. At the present moment practically nobody has any information what is his relationship with God or what is God. Practically, they are declaring "God is dead," and "I am God, you are God, everyone is God." These things are all… "There is void." "There is no God," "There is no control." So, so many things are going on. That is the disease of this present age. And this movement is practically against this idea of godlessness, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The whole idea of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to fight against the idea of godlessness. So the Bhagavad-gītā is there. We are fighting in two ways. One way is that this chanting, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Very simple thing. Everyone can join: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. By chanting this movement, by the vibration, gradually one's heart, which is so contaminated that he is denying the existence of God, will be gradually simplified or clarified. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Just like the mirror, when it is overcast with dust, you cannot see your face nicely. But if you clear the dust you can see clearly. Similarly, our, this disease, denial of God, or "God is dead," "There is no God," "I am God," "You are God," such kinds of conception is due to covering of material dust on the mirror of our heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. If you simply chant this transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you don't require any qualification and you don't require that you have to become intellectual man or an administrator or a productive man or… Never mind whatever you are. You be situated in your place, but you try to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. The result will be that your heart, the dust on the mirror of your heart, will be gradually cleansed. And when it is completely cleansed, then you will understand that you are not this body. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam [Cc. Antya 20.12].

All the problems of our life, whatever you may say, social, political, religious and whatever… There are so many problems. The whole material world is full of problems. These problems are compared just like blazing fire in the forest. Just like in the forest, there is fire, nobody can check. Although nobody goes to the forest to set fire, it takes automatically. Similarly, in this material existence of life, we do not want any problem, but problems are created. Just like automatically there is fire in the forest without our endeavor, similarly, material problems are created automatically by our dealings, by our behavior. So if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the first result will be that you will understand your real constitutional position, for which many great mystics, sages and saints are meditating, "What I am?" That, I mean to say, procedure of spiritual realization will be the first installment, your profit. You'll understand that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am not matter, I am spirit soul." And as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, as soon as one is self-realized, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this body, I am spirit soul. I am part and parcel of the Absolute Truth." This realization is called Brahman realization. And as soon as you come to the platform of Brahman realization, then the result will be brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. You'll be joyful. You'll be free of all anxieties. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. That is the sign. It is not that simply… I may advertise that I am self-realized, but my behavior will show whether I am self-realized or not. Everything is stated in the Vedic literature, that a brahma-bhūtaḥ person, a self-realized person, the symptom of the self-realized person is that he is joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. Without any anxieties. This materialistic life means full of anxiety always. And spiritual life means without this anxiety. Just the opposite. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. And what is the symptom of being joyful? That is also stated: na śocati na kāṅkṣati. There is no lamentation for loss, and there is no hankering for gain. Everyone in this material world is hankering after some gain. And if you have got some gain, if it is lost, then he's lamenting, "Oh, I have lost so much." So these two business… Hankering, when we do not possess, we hanker. And when we possess, it is lost. Because everything… The material waves are such that whatever we possess, we shall lose it. We have got this nice body, one day we have to lose it. Everything. You possess and lose, possess and lose. Therefore the…, punaḥ punaś car…, the same thing repeatedly: gaining and losing, and lamenting and hankering, lamenting and hankering. This is the position of material life.

So in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as you come to that platform, prasanna, joyfulness, then samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. The next stage is that you look everyone on the same level. There is no distinction between black and white or the Indian or American or Russian or this and that. No. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. One who is actually learned, he sees everyone on the same level of spiritual understanding. So brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. This is the stage of acquiring Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

Then he comes to the standard of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when he can begin his duties in transcendental lovings towards the Absolute Truth. And when we begin that activity, that spiritual activity, then we can understand, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55], what is God. These are the stages. We cannot understand by speculative method. God is unlimited, and we are very limited. Our knowledge is limited because our senses, the instruments by which we acquire knowledge, that is imperfect and limited. Just like my eyes. I cannot see perfectly. I cannot see the eyelid. I cannot see the distant place. Although I am very proud that "I want to see face to face," but what you can see? What is your value of your instrument, seeing? That is imperfect. Therefore we cannot get perfect knowledge by these imperfect senses. By sense perception, by direct utilization of our senses, we cannot get perfect knowledge. The perfect knowledge you can get when your senses have been purified to the perfect order. Then you can see.

So that stage is brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. When you are on the brahma-bhūtaḥ, or spiritual, self-realization platform, then your senses are purified and you can see things in two perspectives. And at that stage, you can see God also. You can talk with God also. Just like in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. You have… Most of you know the yoga. The yoga system means to see the Supreme Person, or the Absolute Truth, or the Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, within your heart. That is the perfection of yoga. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yam… Dhyānāvasthita, by meditation, one can see. So this perfectional stage can be achieved when you are in the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, Brahman realization stage. So Lord Caitanya said that if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the first installment of your gain will be that your heart, which is contaminated now with so many materialistic dust, it will be cleansed. And next stage will be bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. That means you'll realize yourself that "I am not this matter, I am soul. And my relationship with God is this. God is like this." And gradually, you will develop your love for God. You have got that love. Dormant love is there, but because we do not know what is God, because we do not see the beauty of God, because we do not know the mercy of God, therefore our love has been forced or placed in the dog. Instead of God, we have placed our love on dog. So we have to simply change. Our love is distributed in the matter in so many ways. That will not make me happy because I am not matter. I am a spirit soul. I have to transfer my love towards the Supreme Spirit, God, then I'll be happy.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a process by which you can transform your love from matter to God. That's all. You have got love but you are being frustrated. You are being frustrated. You are being baffled. Your love is not placed in the proper place. Therefore we have to make our choice, "Where I shall place my love?" Then I'll be satisfied. That is replied in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktiradhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yayātmā suprasīdati

[SB 1.2.6]

Ātmā, self. Everyone is seeking after peacefulness, peacefulness of ātmā, or self. So this is the process recommended. Not recommended, it is the fact, that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo [SB 1.2.6]. In whatever occupation you are situated, doesn't matter. You have to see simply whether by your occupation the Supreme Lord is satisfied, or your love for the Supreme Lord is increasing. That is the test of perfection. And when your love is increased in that way, adhokṣaje ahaituki-ahaituki means without any cause, without any reason, and apratihatā, without any impediment-then you'll see yayātmā suprasīdati. Your ātmā is fully satisfied. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi. "My dear Lord, I am now fully satisfied. I have no more any demand." The material world, material life, means simply demands, increasing the demands. That is the modern way of life, increasing artificial demand and being frustrated. That is our life. But if you want satisfaction, not frustration, not bafflement, then increase your love for God. And the process is very simple, recommended in this age. You haven't got to perform any severe austerity, penance, or you have got to go to the forest or Himalayan mountain or you have to do this, that. Nothing. You be situated in your place, whatever you may be. But if you simply chant this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, you will gradually develop.

Your first, the first installment will be that your heart will be cleansed of all material contamination. Then you'll be situated on the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. Oh, prasannātmā! Oh, joyfulness! Without being joyful, you cannot understand what is God. If your mind is disturbed always, you cannot meditate, neither you can understand what is God, what you are. It is impossible. Therefore we have to accept any process which can make me joyful. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We have got… Simply we are not chanting by sentiment. We have got enough literature, philosophy, background. It is not that we are sentimentalist. But this is a fact, that if you simply… You do not require to read all this literature. If you can, it is very good, but if you have no time, simply chant these sixteen words, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Make an experiment. We are not charging anything. We are not cheating you, that "Give me some fifty dollars or twenty dollars. I'll give you some secret mantra." No. It is open. You can take. Everyone can take. Everyone. We are chanting. You can chant with us and practice it, and there is no hard and fast rules and regulation. You can chant anyway, anywhere. Whether you are in the college, whether you're on the street, whether you are sleeping, lying, or whatever, you can chant. Because God has given you this tongue and you can chant. And this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, a dog or cat cannot chant although he has got the tongue. So you have got the facility. By God's mercy you have got this facility to chant the holy name of God. If you think that Kṛṣṇa is Indian God's name, actually it is not Indian God's name. Kṛṣṇa never claims that He's Indian or Hindu. Most of you have read Bhagavad-gītā. He claims everyone as His son. Not only human society-the animal society, bird society, the beast society, the plant society, the aquatic society, all. Sarva-yoniṣu. Sarva means all. Yoni, yoni means species of life. Everyone, all living entities, Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa must be… If He is God, He must claim that, that "The material nature is their mother and I am their father." So Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Not that… Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is for the Indian or for the Hindus. No. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. For the human being, for the animals-everyone. So if you think that Kṛṣṇa is belonging to some particular country or religion, then you can chant your own way. If in your religion, in your scripture, there is any God's name, you can chant that also. Our only propaganda is that you increase your love of God. And the simple process is to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. There is no charge for it. There is no loss on your part. There is no inconvenience on your part. At any moment, at any place. There is no restriction. So why don't you take advantage of this great boon to the human society?

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not any sectarian movement. It is practically postgraduate movement of all religion. Any religion, they have got some idea of God. But here, we are explaining what is God, how great He is, how you can establish your relationship with Him. These things are there. So any religious person, or any person, without being religious, if anyone joins with us in this saṅkīrtana movement, his life will be sublime. And our method is very simple. We place before you to judge and join with us. That is our request.

Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) Any question? Yes?

Student (1): Apparently, there are two parts to this. The first, the kīrtana singing and dancing, to some extent resembles the rock music that appears in the Western world within the last five years. Very notably the Beatles song last year, "Hey Jude," in the second part, is very similar in tune to this. The second, which is quite remote, but there is a connection-your message is similar in some ways to the message of evangelical or fundamentalist teachers in Christianity, who are taking the name of Jesus Christ…

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Student (1): …and excluding everything other than complete devotion to Christ. Would you comment on this?

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's very nice. We completely agree. We say that chant the holy name of God. The vibration, the sound which you chant, that must be the holy name of God. Then it is all right. It doesn't matter what is the language. Language has nothing, no significance. But this word "Kṛṣṇa," we consider it is transcendental vibration because all great saints and ācāryas, they chanted, especially Lord Caitanya. As I explained from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇam [SB 11.5.32]. Kṛṣṇa varṇa, kṛṣṇa varṇayati. Lord Caitanya was always chanting, "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." Therefore He is called kṛṣṇa varṇayati, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. Tviṣākṛṣṇam: by complexion He's not black. Kṛṣṇa was blackish, but Lord Caitanya, He was golden colored. So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam: always associated by followers. Yajñair saṅkīrtana, chanting and dancing with Kṛṣṇa's name. Yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ: this form of the Lord should be worshiped by persons who are intelligent. So if you follow the method, evangelist, that is also very nice, or this method… The business should be that we must realize in this human form of life what is our relationship with God. If we fail to do that, then we are misusing this human form of life.

In the Garga Upaniṣad it is said, etad viditvā ya prayāti sa brāhmaṇa. Etad aviditvā ya prayāti sa kṛpaṇa. Brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇa means broadminded, liberal. So one who… Everyone will die. The cats and dogs and human being, everyone will die. But the Garga Upaniṣad says that if one dies after understanding the science of God, then he is perfect. He is brāhmaṇa. His life is broader, mahātmā. And if one dies without understanding this, he is kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means miser. Miser means… Suppose if you have got millions of dollars. If you cannot utilize it, if you simply waste it, then you are kṛpaṇa, miser. You do not know how to spend money. Similarly, we have got this body which is worth…, not millions-trillions and more than that, because we can realize in this life what is our relationship with God, what is God. We can understand. But if we don't do that, simply we waste our time in sense gratification, then we are kṛpaṇa, miser. We are losing our opportunity. So these things are there. So in whatever way you like, either this evangelistic way or this way or that way, try to understand what is God and what is your relationship with God and try to invoke your dormant love of God. Then your life will be perfect. That is our mission. If you have got your own method, that's all right. You take it. Otherwise we are giving this method, very simple. You take it. Your life will be sublime. That is our request. Yes?

Student (2): …question you stated. If (we devote) time trying to figure out our relationship to God, perhaps that takes time away from trying to figure out our relationship with all men. And I think I would anticipate your answer, I think, upon the… You're talking about ātmā, and if one clearly has perception of the reality of their own ātmā, he would also see others as himself. Right? And to know his self and his God through others. But that doesn't really answer. It doesn't mean we'll be able to decrease that condition. A lot of people suffer in this world, and they suffer for pretty indefiable(?) reasons: economic exploitation, racists trying to put structures, militaristic powers. And it seems somehow we might be able to do something to attack those kinds of evils and suffering in the world, other than telling a man to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and the world will be solved.

Prabhupāda: That is automatically solved. If you chant, if you come to this God consciousness, those things will be automatically solved. Just like if you get million dollars, then your fifty dollars' business will be automatically solved.

Student (2): Yeah, I guess that you could believe that.

Prabhupāda: Not believe. Is practical.

Student (2): And I think the reason I don't believe that is because history has told me differently. History has told me that people who have managed to achieve freedom for themselves have not achieved it by doing something like chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And I refer you to…

Prabhupāda: You can show in the history there was chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa? Is there any history?

Student (2): I won't say chanting only Hare Kṛṣṇa, but give you a similar time and place.

Prabhupāda: What is that similar time?

Student (2): Well, in Russia, in the nineteenth century, there were people who were religious, who traveled the countryside chanting the word "Jesus Christ." It was quite prominent then. Tolstoy tells us about it. And I would assume that a similar kind of teaching was given. The only problem I see with that is that I don't think it would solve the very basic human problems.

Prabhupāda: So do you think that Russia has solved their questions? That their problems, all problems are solved?

Student (2): I would say that in 1917 the state of the Russian peasants was fundamentally better by the revolution.

Prabhupāda: Well, the history will repeat itself again. It will be wars again. So do you think by adopting the Russian method, people have become very happy?

Student (2): No.

Prabhupāda: Then? So we manufacture something. This material world is like that, problematic. That I have already explained. Just like the blazing fire. So the answer is given in the Bhagavad-gītā, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama duratyayā [Bg. 7.14]. In this material world the onslaught of the material nature is very, very severe. Nobody can surpass it. In some way or other it will come in a different form. The problem will not be solved. The problem can be solved, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te, when one surrenders unto God, Kṛṣṇa. Then he can surpass this onslaught of material nature. So that is the real remedy. Unfortunately, people does not take that process. But if anyone accepts this process, his problems are solved. That is the fact. That is the fact. But we do not expect that everyone can accept this process. But if anyone can accept this process, at least his personal problems will be solved. But it is the duty of such God conscious persons to distribute the message. If anyone likes, he can take, he can solve his problems. And if he does not take, that business is the own business. What can I do? But any material method, either this Russian method or American method or Indian method, anything, materialistic method, that cannot solve the material problems. That is a fact. If you want to solve all the problems, then you have to invoke your dormant love for God. That is the solution. There is no other solution. Yes.

Student (3): I was wondering how important the choice of words are to the chanting. And if, perhaps, if you just count to ten in your mind or out loud, I thought it might work just as well.

Satsvarūpa: "Could you just count numbers and think about God and that would work just as well? Are the names important?"

Prabhupāda: Count words?

Satsvarūpa: Could you just count-one, two, three, four-and that would work just as well.

Prabhupāda: Well, that is not possible, of course, but as soon as stop counting, you can chant. (laughter) That's not difficult. Yes?

Student (4): What is consciousness?

Prabhupāda: Consciousness is very difficult to understand? Now you are talking, and when you don't talk, you lie down. People will say this man has become unconscious. So this is the distinction. When you are in full knowledge of things, that is consciousness. It is not difficult to understand. Sometimes teachers say to the student, "Do it conscientiously, with attention." When our full attention is there, full absorption, full concentration of the mind, that is consciousness. And another way of consciousness is the feeling which is spread all over your body. Just like I pinch over your head or any part of your body, you feel-that is consciousness. But when this body is dead or when you are out of this body, if I chop up your body, there is no consciousness. That is the distinction between consciousness. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. In the Bhagavad-gītā the consciousness is stated: avināśi. Avināśi means cannot, never dies. Always living. Avināśi tu tad viddhi. You just try to understand that thing without always living. What is that? Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam-by which your whole body is spread by air(?). And anywhere of your body, that consciousness is spread. And that substance, consciousness, is always living. When you leave this body this consciousness goes to another body. Just like the air passes, the flavor the air carries from one garden to another place. Similarly, this consciousness will carry you to another body after your death. After you leave this body… Just like we are changing our consciousness also from childhood consciousness to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, and the old age. The consciousness is carrying me although the body is changing. Similarly, when you change this body, the consciousness will carry you to another body. That consciousness is always living. It is never dead. [break] Because they don't take it.

Student (5): Then why are we born without feeling.(?)

Prabhupāda: That's your independence. If you like you can take it. If you don't like, you don't take it. There are so many things. If you like, you take it; if you don't like, you don't take it. There is no enforcement. Every individual soul has got little independence. Not full independence. That can be used properly; that can be misused also. That depends on me. I am the master. So similarly… Just like the government. The government does not force anybody to go to the criminal department, neither government forces anybody to come to the university department. It is your individual liberty. You become criminal or a high standard scholar. [break] …has to make his choice. He has got the freedom. He may be Kṛṣṇa conscious or he may be material conscious. If he's material conscious, he'll never be happy. If he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he'll be always happy. Now it is up to you whether to accept this or that.

Student (6): How would you say the chant in English?

Prabhupāda: Chant in English?

Student (6): Yes. How would you say it in English?

Devotee: He wants a translation in English.

Prabhupāda: So there are many boys. You can have the translation. We have got our translation in many literatures. In our paper, Back to Godhead, in many books. We have got many books. So translation is there. We are simply publishing so many English translation. So there is no scarcity of translation. Yes?

Student (7): Are you happy always in reflection?(?)

Prabhupāda: What do you think? What do you think? I'm happy or not happy? What is your opinion? And if I say false, why do you believe? If I say falsely, "I am happy," will you believe it? If I say falsely, "I am happy," will you take it?

Student (7): That I don't know.

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Student (6): If I can rephrase that, if you were American, how would you say the chant? In other words, I know it has many translations, but what would it mean to you? How would you say it in English?

Prabhupāda: English, the translation… What is that?

Jadurāṇī: These words are Sanskrit. He wants to know if they were English what would they be?

Prabhupāda: Well, proper names cannot be translated. You know that. Suppose if your name is John, and if I come from India I cannot translate into Indian language. I have to speak "John." You see? Just like people say "Swami Bhaktivedanta." Is there any translation, Bhaktivedanta Swami? Proper noun is never translated. That everyone knows. But the meaning can be translated. So we have got translation of the meaning, what is this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means. But so far chanting is concerned, that if I call you, you are American boy, Mr. John, so I'll have to call you Mr. John. I cannot translate into Sanskrit and call you. Yes?

Student (8): How important is your diet?

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is a very important thing. If you read Dr. George Bernard Shaw's book, You Are What You Eat, you see. So if you eat like human being, then you can increase your qualities of human being. If you eat like cats and dogs, you increase the quality of cats and dogs. That's all. So we must have discrimination what to eat. That is there in the human world. Eating is there, but everything eatable. Even stool is eatable by a certain kind of animal, but that does not mean that stool has to be eaten by human being. Human being must have discretion what kind of food will be just suitable for my health, for my intelligence, for my brain. So these things are prescribed. If we eat things which are in goodness… They are prescribed in the Vedic literature that wheat, rice, sugar, milk product, vegetables, fruits, these things are in goodness. So if you want to increase your quality of goodness, that is required for God realization. Unless you are situated in the quality of goodness, you cannot be promoted to the higher platform. So your eating should be arranged within this group: rice, wheat, sugar, milk product, vegetables, and fruits. In your country you have got enough nice grains, nice fruits, enough supply of milk, butter. So there is no question of accepting any other food. You can accept foodstuff within this group and become healthy and good brain, good conscience. You can engage yourself in God consciousness. That is possible. So therefore "Discrimination is the best part of valor." We should discriminate what kind of food we should eat. We cannot eat anything and everything. That discrimination must be there. Yes?

Student (8): Would it not be better if intellectual (indistinct) and would it not be better for them to leave the father and devote their status, instead, to the Lord?(?)

Prabhupāda: Of course, in the beginning I said that there is no question of changing your position. In whatever position you are, either you are a student or a lawyer or something else, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and realize yourself. We don't recommend that you change your position. That is not our recommendation. But if you can (be) fully devoted in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is very nice. But don't do it whimsically. There will be a mature platform when you can do that. Just like I was a family man, I was living with my family. I have got my wife, sons, daughters, grandchildren. So in this old age I left them. So I'm not in difficulty although I am alone. I came in your country alone. That's a long history. So that dependence on God, when you actually develop, then you can give up everything, depend only on God. But don't do it by whimsically. No. That will not do. You stay in your position, realize yourself, then time will come when God will dictate you, "You can do…, become free from all obligation." So please join with us in the kīrtana. (kīrtana) (end)

691228LE.BOS

Lecture to International Student Society

Boston, December 28, 1969

Prabhupāda: …for your participating with us in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. I understand that your, this society is known as International Student Society? Yes. There are many other international societies. There are international United Nations also. The idea is very nice, but we should try to understand-internationally or universally-what is the central idea. Just like if you throw a stone in the middle of water, it expands. It becomes, the circle expands, and the circle goes to the limit of the bank of the water. That is the way. The vibration, sound vibration also, radio message also. Similarly, the circle increases and you capture the waves and you understand. Similarly, international feeling can be extended also. In the beginning of our life, just like a child, anna-brahman: everything he wants to eat. A small child, whatever he captures he wants to eat. Personal interest. Then, when the child grows, he tries to participate with his other brothers and sisters: "All right. You also take little." This is increasing the feeling of fellowship. Then he grows again, he feels for his father, parents, society, then community, country, and at last, international. Expansion. But in such feelings, unless the center is right, that expansion of feeling, universally or internationally or nationally even, that is not perfect. That is not perfect. Take, for example, internationally. In your country, what is the meaning of national? National means one who has taken birth in that particular country. Is that all right? National? You feel for another American because he is born in this country. Or any other country, Indian. That national feeling, that is called national feeling. You feel for your countrymen. You sacrifice your life for your country. But there is defect. What is that defect? If this is the definition-that a living entity or a person born in that country, he is a national-then why not the animals? They are also born in that country. But we are not expanding our feelings beyond this human society. We don't think animals are national assets. Animals are sent to the slaughterhouse. So this is because the center of national feeling or international feeling is losing. The center is not fixed up. If the center is right, then you can make circle from that center, any number of circles, they'll never overlap. They'll be growing, growing, growing. They'll not interact with one another if the center is all right.

So everyone is feeling nationally or internationally, but the center is missing. Therefore your feeling, your international feeling, my international feeling, your national feeling, my national feeling, they are overlapping. So we have to find out the center. Then you expand your circle, it will not, I mean to say, overlap or counteract. It will go on. That center is Kṛṣṇa. Our society, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, is teaching to the people of all countries that the center is Kṛṣṇa. You try to think from the central point of Kṛṣṇa. That Kṛṣṇa philosophy is the Bhagavad-gītā. I take it for granted that many of you have studied Bhagavad-gītā. In the Seventh Chapter there is a nice verse that,

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti

sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

[Bg. 7.19]

You have heard the word mahātmā. That is a Sanskrit word, or Indian word, which is applied to a person whose mind is expanded, whose feelings, the circle of his feelings, is very expanded. He is called mahātmā. Mahā means big or great, and ātmā, ātmā means soul. Who has expanded his soul very wide, he is called mahātmā. So this Bhagavad-gītā gives the definition of the person who has expanded his feeling very wide. Who is that? It is said there, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. We are trying to expand our feeling socially, communally or nationally or internationally or universally or some way or other. This is going on. We try to do it. That is our natural function, especially in the human form of life-expanded consciousness, broader consciousness. We try, we try to do some service to the whole humanity, to society, to the country. That is expanded consciousness. But Bhagavad-gītā says that bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. Bahu means many, and janma means birth. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: at the end of. At the end of many, many births. Perhaps you know that we believe the theory-not theory, the fact-of transmigration of soul. We are changing bodies one after another. There are 8,400,000's of different species of life, and we are evolving. And at last we come to this form, human form of life. This is also called bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births. Labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte.

In the Bhāgavata there is a verse. It is said there, labdhvā su-durlabham idam. Idam. Idam means "this." This body, labdhvā, you have got it. Labdhvā su-durlabham idam. Su-durlabham means it is very rare. This is not very cheap. The body of cats and dogs or animals, they are cheap, but this is not very cheap. Su-durlabhaḥ. Bahūnāṁ janman… Labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambha-vānte. After many, many births, at least, 8,000,000 births of different species of life, we get this human form of life. It is stated in the Bhāgavata, and similarly, all Vedic literatures, they corroborate one another. It is… The person who can understand, he doesn't find any contradiction. The same statement is there in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19]. So this human form of life is obtained after many, many births of lower animal or other than human form of life. But even in this human form of life also, if one is cultivating that knowledge to find out the central point, what is the central point, then that also requires he gets many, many births in human form of life also. But he has to find out that central point. That central point is there, Kṛṣṇa is saying, that bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān [Bg. 7.19]. Jñānavan means who has actually acquired knowledge. Jñānavān. Jñāna means knowledge, and vān means one who possesses. One who possesses actual knowledge, after… We are cultivating knowledge. If we are actually cultivating knowledge, spiritual knowledge, not in one life but many many lives, then when we actually become on the highest platform of knowledge, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān, then Kṛṣṇa says, mam prapadyate: "He comes and surrenders unto Me, Kṛṣṇa," or God. When I speak "Kṛṣṇa," "Kṛṣṇa" means the Supreme Lord, the all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. Surrenders. Why? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. This word mahātmā is there, because after cultivating knowledge many, many births, he has expanded himself to be very great. God is great, and His devotee who expands up to the point of God, he is also called great. His ātmā is also great. Mahātmā. But He says, sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. That sort of mahātmā, or great soul, is very rare to be seen. Su-durlabhaḥ. Su-durlabhaḥ. Su means very, and durlabhaḥ means rare. Very rare.

So this is the definition we get from Bhagavad-gītā, that we are expanding our feelings of love, different types of love-love of the country, love of the nation, love of the society, love of the community, love of the family, or love of the cats and dogs. Love is there. Love is there, but we are expanding it according to our expansion of perfect knowledge. That perfect knowledge comes to exist when we come to the point of loving Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. But it is very difficult to find out such person who has developed love of Kṛṣṇa. But that is the aim of life. That is the aim of all activities. Similarly, in the Bhāgavata, there is another verse. It is said that,

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed yadi ratiṁ

śrama eva hi kevalam

[SB 1.2.8]

It is said that you are doing your duty according to your position. Everyone is doing. Svanuṣṭhitaḥ dharmaḥ. Dharma means occupational duties. Everyone has got duty. A student has a duty, or a householder has got some duty, a sannyāsī has got some duty, a brahmacārī has got duty. So there are different types of duties according to different occupation or profession. But Bhāgavata says that you can perform your duties very nicely, very accurately, but if by performing your duties you do not come to the understanding of Kṛṣṇa, or God, then whatever you have done very nicely, śrama eva hi kevalam: it is simply laboring. Simply laboring. But if you want to perfection, come to the point of perfection, then that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, as I said, that bahūnāṁ janmanām, after discharging duties very nicely, very accurately, very faithfully, if one comes to the point that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19], then you should understand that your feelings of love or international feeling or national feeling has actually expanded. That is expanded.(?) That is real national feeling.

And what is the symptom? A man says, "Yes, I have expanded very widely my feelings of love." No. There are some symptoms how you are feeling, how you are… That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Paṇḍita means learned. Sama-darśinaḥ.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

A paṇḍita, if one has actually elevated to that stage of perfect wisdom, then he is sama-darśinaḥ, that actually sama… How sama-darśinaḥ? Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe. A brāhmaṇa, according to Vedic culture, a brāhmaṇa is considered… Brāhmaṇa means vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. He is very gentle and very learned. That is the first qualification of brāhmaṇa. Not by birth but by qualification. Gentle and learned. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi, brāhmaṇe gavi hastini, paṇḍitaḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. Because his vision is no more on the platform of this body. Sama-darśinaḥ. He sees a learned brāhmaṇa is also a spirit soul, and a dog is also a spirit soul, an elephant is also a spirit soul, or a low-born man, he is also spirit soul. Beginning from the high-born brāhmaṇa up to the caṇḍāla, there are social stages in the human society. But if a man is really learned, he sees everyone, every living entity, on the same level. That is the stage of learning.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca…

[Bg. 5.18]

Śva-pāk means the dog-eaters. In India there are many types of flesh eaters. Not higher caste, amongst the lower grade. But anyone who eats the flesh of dog, he is called caṇḍāla, lowest of the mankind. But here Bhagavad-gītā says even if he is caṇḍāla, the paṇḍitaḥ, he sees equally like the brāhmaṇa because he sees the spirit soul.

So our point is that if we actually want to expand this international feeling, then we must find out the real center. That center is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, or God, I have already explained. Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad-gītā… You'll please always remember that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means placing Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Whatever I am speaking, it is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, Bhagavad-gītā has been misinterpreted by so many commentators that people have misunderstood the Bhagavad-gītā. Actually, Bhagavad-gītā means to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and we are trying to do that. So in that Bhagavad-gītā, as Kṛṣṇa has given the definition of mahātmā, broadminded… So what is that broadminded? He says next verse, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]. Mahātmā, who is actually wise and broadminded, he is no more within the spell of this material energy. He is under the shelter or protection of spiritual energy. Everything, just try to understand. Whatever we are seeing, they are different energies of God. Parāsya brāhmaṇa śaktir…, akhilaṁ jagat. Whatever we are experiencing, they are all different energies of the Supreme Lord, parāsya śaktir. In the Vedic literature, Upaniṣad, it is said, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate. The Supreme Absolute Truth has many varieties of energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. And the energies are acting so nicely that it appears that it is being automatically, nicely done. Just like a flower is (blooming). The energy of God is acting there, but we are seeing that it has automatically become so beautiful and blooming. No. That is energy. That is the vision how we can see God. How we can see Kṛṣṇa? In the Fourth Chapter you'll find, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: [Bg. 7.8] "My dear Kaunteya, Arjuna, you, if you try to understand Me, if you want to make your soul broader to understand Me, try to understand Me-raso 'ham apsu kaunteya-I am the taste, the sweet taste in the water." So every day we are drinking water. There is nobody here who does not drink water. So when you drink water and you feel satisfaction, that satisfaction is Kṛṣṇa. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. Nobody can escape seeing the light of the sun, of the moon. Śaśi, śaśi means moon. Sūrya means sun. So Kṛṣṇa says, "That illumination is I am."

So there is so many list of understanding that God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when one is fully cognizant of the energies of the Lord, how they are acting… And we have to practice. We take lesson from Bhagavad-gītā and we practice. You will be able to understand. Then after bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg. 7.19], when you become mature, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, "Oh, Vāsudeva is everything," then you surrender. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That person, who has widened his soul in that way, he is very rare to be seen. And what are the functions of such mahātmā? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ [Bg. 9.13]. Mahātmā, one who is so broadminded, he is not crooked to be under the spell of this material energy. He is under the protection of the spiritual energy, daivī prakṛti. Prakṛti means nature. This nature is called the material energy. And there is another, spiritual energy. These things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam. These are aparā. Aparā means inferior energies, material energy. Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Beyond this inferior energy, there is another, spiritual energy. There are so many verses you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So our propagation is to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any nonsensical commentation. There is no need of nonsensical commentation. Bhagavad-gītā is as clear as the sunlight. As you do not require to see the sun with another lamp, similarly, you do not (chuckling) require to study Bhagavad-gītā with another commentation of a common man who has no knowledge. Bhagavad-gītā as it is, you should study. Then you will get all this knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: [Bg. 7.19] you become wise and you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Then you surrender. Then you become mahātmā. And what is the function of mahātmā? Mahātmā is under the protection of spiritual energy. And what is the symptom of that protection of spiritual energy? That is also stated,

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ

bhajanty ananya-manaso…

[Bg. 9.13]

He is always engaged in devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. That is the only symptom. That is mahātmā.

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ

bhajanty ananya-manaso

jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam

[Bg. 9.13]

Does he follow this devotional service blindly? No. Jñātvā. Jñātvā means "knowing perfectly that I am the source of everything." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: [Bg. 10.8] "I am the source of everything." So these things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It is not possible to explain all the verses. But our request is that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to spread the knowledge depicted in the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any nonsensical commentation. Then the human society will profit by it. They are actually not in sound condition of living atmosphere, but if they understand Bhagavad-gītā and if they actually expand their broader outlook, then these questions of social, national, international, all will be automatically solved. There will be no difficulty. And without finding out the center, if we manufacture our own ways… Not to speak of any individual persons, the different nations of the whole world, they are trying to be united. And in your country there is United Nations organization. Unfortunately, instead of becoming one, the flags are increasing. Daily you pass, you'll see another flag is there. Just like in our India, there was one Hindustan. Now (chuckling) there has become another, Pakistan. And sometimes there will be Sikhistan and there will be some-stan. So instead of becoming united, we are being disunited because we are missing the center.

So my request is that you are all international students, you try to find out the center of any international movement. That international movement does not mean that "My brother is international and I am international. All others, they are nothing." Not like that. Actually, you try to feel internationally. That international feeling will be possible when you find out the center, Kṛṣṇa, as it is in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. When you actually understand Kṛṣṇa, the Kṛṣṇa philosophy, that will be perfect. And Kṛṣṇa says, in the Thirteenth Chapter, you'll find,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ

tāsāṁ mahad yoni brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ (pitā)

[Bg. 14.4]

He is claiming that "I am the father of all forms of life." Sarva-yoniṣu, "all species of life." "The material nature is the mother, and I am the seed-giving father." Just like without father and mother nobody can appear, similarly, in this material world, whoever has come, every one of us, beginning from Brahmā down to the ant, everyone, the mother is the material nature. The mother supplies this body. So our, this body is material; therefore it is the gift of the material mother, material nature. But I, the spirit soul, that I am part and parcel of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7]. "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel." So if you try to wide your feelings of internationality, please try to understand Bhagavad-gītā. You'll be getting enlightenment, you'll understand what is international feeling. Sarva-yoniṣu. Sarva-yoniṣu means then you will feel international even for the cats and dogs and animals and reptiles. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam… These people are manufacturing communism, but in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, we'll find a statement given by Nārada Muni that if in your house there is a snake even, you should give him something to eat. Just see how the feeling. Even there is a snake, what to speak of other animals.

So these feelings will be enlightened. We cannot be enlightened unless we come to the real point of God, or Kṛṣṇa. So we are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. It is not a new movement, because as I told you that this is based on the principles of Bhagavad-gītā, and Bhagavad-gītā is not new. At least from historical point of view, it is five thousand years old. And beyond history, pre-history, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Fourth Chapter, it is said, Kṛṣṇa said,

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ

proktavān aham avyayam

vivasvān manave prāhur

manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt

[Bg. 4.1]

That means "I first of all spoke to the sun-god." Now if you take that duration, it will be some millions of years before it was spoken. These things are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So apart from that statement, from historical point of view, since the days of Mahābhārata, yes, Battle of Kurukṣetra… Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. From historical point of view, it is five thousand years old. So this Bhagavad-gītā teaching is coming from, at least, from five thousand, since five thousand years. So it is older than any other scripture in the world. So you try to understand as it is, without any unnecessary commentary. You do not… There is no use of commentary. The words are sufficient to give you enlightenment, but unfortunately, people take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā, and they try to impress under the shelter of Bhagavad-gītā their own philosophy or own idea. That is useless. You try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is; then you will get this entitlement, enlightenment, that Kṛṣṇa is the center of all activities. And if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then everything will be perfect, all problems will be solved. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. These things are there, and actually, they are happening. Our students are feeling, they are actually doing that. So we shall request you to read this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, so your feelings of international spirit will be perfect and you'll be happy, and wherever you preach this cult, they will be also happy. And that will be very nice thing.

Thank you very much. [break] If there you have any question you can ask. Yes?

Guest: Could you discuss the various levels on the way to bliss consciousness? What happens to the body and the mind as one approaches bliss consciousness?

Prabhupāda: What is that question?

Satsvarūpa: What are the different levels that you go through on the way to getting bliss consciousness. What happens to the body? What happens to the mind?

Prabhupāda: We are acting not singly, simply with mind or simply… Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. Kāya-mana-vākya. Whatever we do, we do with our body, mind and words. But this consciousness means if you put your mind in Kṛṣṇa, then your words and body also become Kṛṣṇized. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor [SB 9.4.18]. There was a nice king, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. He was great king. He had to administer a great kingdom, whole world. But he was a great devotee also, although he was very busy. Because it is said, sa vai manaḥ. Manaḥ means mind. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor. He always kept his mind in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. And therefore his mind was always dedicated to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. He could not speak anything but Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇa. So the whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transferring the business from matter to spirit, or Kṛṣṇa. There is a nice definition how to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Nārada-pañcarātra. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. If we become freed from all these designations… "I am American," this is a designation. "I am Indian," this is a designation. I am not Indian, you are not American. We are all parts and parcel of the Supreme. This is only dress. It does not mean because I am in this saffron colored dress and you are in black coat or green coat, there is difference between you and me. We are all human beings. Similarly, we have to understand that this body is our dress only. Because we have got a different dress, a black dress or white dress or Indian dress or American dress, that does not mean we are different. When we can feel in that way, when we are trained in that way, that is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. He is freed from all designations. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam. That time he becomes purified, nirmalam. So long I have got identification that "I am this," "I am that," "I am that…" Simply when I shall understand that "I am part and parcel of God," that means, that status of mind is called nirmalam, without any contamination. And when you are in that status of life… That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is called brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. Brahma-bhūtaḥ means self-realization. And the symptom will be prasannātmā, joyfulness, without any anxiety.

So there are stages. One has to learn this from authoritative sources. Then it is possible to become… But our movement, this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, is so nice that what was possible after many, many births, you can get it within a few weeks. That is a fact. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as we are doing, then you'll understand. Very quickly your self-realization, your freedom from designation, your mental concoction, everything will be cleared off, and there will be no more anxiety. So we request everyone. We are not charging anything. We are not saying that "I shall give you some mantra. You pay me fifty dollars and it is private." No. It is open, without any charge. Anyone can. These boys, American boys and girls, they are chanting. Similarly, you can also chant. There is none Indian, but they are nicely chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. You can also chant. There is no fee. You just make an experiment on how you become free from this designation. So our request is that everything will be complete if you take to this chanting: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And there is no very strict rules, regulation. You can chant anywhere, either in this room or outside the room or on the road, street, bus. Wherever you find opportunity, you chant simply Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the result.

So this is a process of purification. When we actually purify our, this material contamination and designation, we, I mean to say, raised, we are promoted to the actual spiritual life. And then, at that time, we shall feel happy and our consciousness will be broader, and everything will be all right.

Indian man: I don't know the equivalent verse in Sanskrit from the Gītā, but somewhere it says that…, Kṛṣṇa says, "All roads lead to Me. No matter what one does, no matter what one thinks, no matter what one is involved with, eventually he's evolving towards Me," this Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's nice, but…

Indian man: In this evolution, is it a natural evolution that you can teach people, you can guide people, you can show them the path, but the actual progress that one would make towards the supreme knowledge, is that a natural evolution or is it…? Can that be influenced by external teaching?

Prabhupāda: No. There is natural, of course…

Indian man: But no one person having no control on it. One may get there sooner than the other, but in reality there may not be any control that one really has on this…

Prabhupāda: No, it requires, it requires. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa is teaching? Why Kṛṣṇa's teaching is required?

Indian man: Kṛṣṇa, in the Gītā it says the student comes to the teacher.

Prabhupāda: If it is natural, then why it was needed that Kṛṣṇa would teach Arjuna? It is not natural. You have to select by getting knowledge from superior person. Otherwise there is no meaning of teaching, Kṛṣṇa's to Arjuna. Arjuna was perplexed. He could not understand whether he should fight or not. So that is the position of everyone. Everyone is perplexed. He requires a guidance like Kṛṣṇa. Then you can find out the… It is not natural. Natural means up to the animal life it is natural. Then come to the human form of life. Then it is discretion. As you like, you make your choice. If you like Kṛṣṇa, you can go to Kṛṣṇa. If you like something else, you can go there. That is your discretion. Everyone has got independence, little independence. Kṛṣṇa says at the end of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Just you surrender unto Me, giving up everything." If it is natural, then why He should say, "You should do this"? It is not natural. One has to learn it. Therefore he requires a spiritual master like Kṛṣṇa or His representative. But he has got the potency to accept it. And because he has got little independence, he can reject it. So it is not natural evolution. You have to accept the principle as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why it is said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]? If it is actually evolutionary, then why there is dharmasya glānir? Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham: "As soon as there is discrepancies in the discharge of real duties, I appear." So it is natural. If we keep ourself in natural life, it is natural. But because we are developed consciousness, we do not keep in natural life. We accept so many unnatural things. Therefore our knowledge becomes covered by unnatural material nature. So that has to be cleared by superior instruction. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Therefore we have to take; voluntarily we have to accept. Just like a man who lives naturally, he never gets disease. But one who lives… Just like you don't find any disease amongst the animals. But amongst the human beings, oh, there are so many medical science, so many things. Why? They live unnaturally. So if you live naturally there is natural evolution, but if you block the natural course, then how you can do it? If you lit fire and let it go, it will grow. But if you pour water in it, how it will grow? So in the human form of life we do not go according to natural intuition. Just like amongst the animals, amongst the birds you'll see. Take the pigeons. You give them some peas-they will eat. But if you give them some particles of meat, they'll not eat because they are living natural life. A tiger, he will not accept. You give him nice foodstuff, prepare your vegetables, he'll not accept. So natural life evolves up to the animal life. But when you come to the human form of life you have got developed consciousness, and instead of using your intelligence and consciousness for further develop naturally, you put unnatural impediments; therefore you are covered. That is called yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, tadātmānam [Bg. 4.7]. Therefore you require instruction of Kṛṣṇa.

Guest: One of the major criticisms today of most religions are their irrelevance to tackling the social problems or immediate external problems. You talked about things beyond the self. In the Bhagavad-gītā I think you have references such as Arjuna being told not to become attached to the fruit of his actions, but act. Can you give us some idea of, more specific idea, of the principles which would guide one's action while trying to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: That principle is stated as the ultimate instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. We have got two kinds of religion. One is called, what is called, pravṛtti. Pravṛtti means we are inclined, because we have got this material body, we are inclined to material activities. That is called pravṛtti-mārga. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur [Bg. 3.42]. This body means senses. So because so long we are absorbed in this bodily concept of life, then we try to give comforts to the senses, sense gratification. This is one stage. So dharma means occupation. People are engaged in various types of occupational duties for sense gratification. Sometimes in religion they say you'll go to heaven. What is that heaven? That is also sense gratification. You'll live so long years, you'll have so many beautiful wives and so many things, so many things. All flowery language. What is the basic? Sense gratification. That's all. This is one way. Another way is nivṛtti-mārga. When one has seen perfectly that "This process of sense gratification cannot give me actual happiness," then they began to give it up. Just like the Māyāvādī philosophy. They say brahma-satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This world is false." Just like in your country, a section of youngsters, they're disgusted with this materialistic way of life. They have taken to the hippies' path. Why? It does not give satisfaction, but they do not know the right way. They have taken a wrong way, hippies. So this is called accepting and rejecting. So Kṛṣṇa says, "You have to give up all this nonsense accepting and rejecting. You have to take to Me, then you'll be happy." Sarva-dharmān. Sarva-dharmān means some religious occupation is for sense gratification and some religious occupation is rejection of this material world. So we have to give up both these, the acceptance and rejection. We have to accept the Kṛṣṇa's path, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Surrender unto Me." Then we'll be happy.

Guest: I'd like to just digress on that. Arjuna had a very difficult problem with whether to go into combat or not. Today…

Prabhupāda: Yes. He accepted Kṛṣṇa's, Kṛṣṇa's path, surrender. Kṛṣṇa wanted that "You must fight." So in the beginning he did not like to fight, but when he surrendered… Kṛṣṇa asked him, "My dear Arjuna, I have spoken to you everything. Now what you are going to do?" Now here also Kṛṣṇa is giving independence to Arjuna: "What you are going to do?" Yathecchasi tathā kuru [Bg. 18.63]. "Now whatever you like, you do." He never interferes. And what Arjuna said? Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava: [Bg. 18.73] "Oh, I shall do what You are saying. Yes." (laughter) This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava. Yes. He changed his decision and he wanted to do as Kṛṣṇa desired. This is Kṛṣṇa conscious. He remained the same military man, but he changed his consciousness. He perfected. Arjuna, after learning Kṛṣṇa consciousness or teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, he did not go away from the battlefield, but he sternly fought the fight because he knew that "Kṛṣṇa wants it. All right." Kariṣye vacanam. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when we take to this conclusion, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73], "Kṛṣṇa whatever You want, I shall do," that is perfection.

Guest: Under what conditions would Kṛṣṇa sanction violence?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Satsvarūpa: Under what conditions would Kṛṣṇa sanction violence?

Prabhupāda: Violence? Kṛṣṇa does not sanction violence, but if there is absolute necessity, then violence is required. Yes. Kṛṣṇa wanted to mitigate the misunderstanding of two groups of cousin-brothers. So Kṛṣṇa personally induced, "All right, they are, your brothers are kṣatriyas. Kṣatriyas, they cannot do any business or take the profession of a brāhmaṇa. So you give them five villages. They will be satisfied." And they replied, "Oh, what do You call five villages? I cannot spare even that land which can hold the tip of this needle." Then Kṛṣṇa says, "You must fight." So Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's devotees, they are not after fight, but if there is absolute necessity of fight, then they can fight also. Because they are prepared to do anything. Just like in Rāmāyaṇa also, the same subject matter. Hanumān. Hanumān is a devotee of Lord Rāmacandra. So he fought with Rāvaṇa not for his personal self, but Rāma wanted, that "He has kidnapped the queen of Rāma. She must be delivered." And there was fighting. That is the principle. When one does not agree to the religious principle or to the moral principle or any instruction, he is adamant, then there must be fight.

Guest: What are the specific principles that you would use in trying to determine whether it is absolutely necessary to fight? That sounds sort of like "Whenever in doubt, do the right thing." That's a very vague directive. You know that perhaps if somebody comes into your house and threatens your family, then you have to repel them with a certain amount of force, but how would you…

Prabhupāda: These instructions, these directions are there in the Vedic literatures. If somebody, it is said if somebody kidnaps your wife, if somebody sets fire in your house, somebody comes to kill you, then he is understood as aggressor and you can kill him immediately. There is no question of nonviolence. These are śāstric instructions. All right. So I think we can chant again. You can join. (end)

700416LE.LA

Lecture

(Day after Lord Rāma's Appearance Day)

Los Angeles, April 16, 1970

Prabhupāda: …the incarnation of Godhead in the form of fish, beginning. Then Kūrma avatāra. Kūrma avatāra means the incarnation of God in the form of tortoise. Then Varāha avatāra, the incarnation of Godhead in the form of boar. Then Nṛsiṁha avatāra, incarnation of Godhead, half lion and half man. Then incarnation of Vāmanadeva, dwarf brāhmaṇa. Next incarnation is Paraśurāma, and the next incarnation, Lord Rāmacandra. You have heard the story of Rāmāyaṇa. That is the activities of Lord Rāmacandra. Last, yesterday, we observed the birth ceremony of Lord Rāmacandra. And then incarnation of Balarāma. And the next incarnation is Lord Buddha. And we are awaiting another incarnation at the last stage of this Kali-yuga. This age is called Kali-yuga.

So about Lord Buddha we have got a nice prayer:

nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātaṁ

sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam

keśava-dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare

This song was sung by a great Vaiṣṇava poet, Jayadeva Gosvāmī. So the purport of this verse, Sanskrit verse, is keśava-dhṛta-buddha-śarīra. "My dear Kṛṣṇa"-Keśava means Kṛṣṇa-"You have assumed the form of Lord Buddha. And what is Your function? Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātam." In the Vedic literature there are numerous prescription of sacrifice. And in some of the sacrifices animal sacrifice is also recommended. So that animal sacrifice does not mean to kill the animal. Animal sacrifice means to prove the strength of Vedic hymns so that one old animal is put into the fire and he's given again a new life, renewed life, just to show the potency of the hymns, Vedic hymns. But in this age, Kali-yuga, those sacrifices are forbidden. So Lord Buddha, when he saw that people are sacrificing animals in the name of religious rituals without any pity for them, at that time Lord Buddha appeared. Therefore it is stated, sadaya-hṛdaya-darśita-paśu-ghātam: "My dear Lord, You have appeared as Lord Buddha, just being compassionate to the poor animals." Lord Buddha preached ahiṁsā paramo dharmaḥ: "The best religious principle is to become nonviolent." He preached this philosophy, that "If somebody hurts you, you feel pain, then why should you kill other animal and put it into painful condition? So don't do these sinful activities." That was his main principle of philosophy that he preached. He was Hindu, kṣatriya, Hindu prince, born in a kṣatriya family, and he was prince, a very luxurious life. So as young man, when he saw an old man and he is traveling, walking with great difficulty, he asked his servant, "What is this? Why this man is walking in this way?" He was explained that "This is old age, and in old age everyone has to become like this." So he at once left home and sat down in Gayapradesh, a province in Bihar in India. And he began to meditate how to make solution of this old age.

So there are four problems. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is mentioned that janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam [Bg. 13.9]. If you are actually intelligent, then you must keep these four problems before you. Do not think that the problems of life are solved by material advancement. Do not think that by building, constructing skyscraper houses, the problems of life are solved. No. The problems of life are these four principles: birth, death, old age and disease. If you cannot solve these problems, then your problems of life remain the same. The solution of the problems… Just like our bodily demands, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca samānyam etat paśubhiḥ narāṇām. The problems of eating, problems of sleeping, problems of defending and problems of mating, or sex life, these problems are there in the animal life or amongst the living entities lower than the human beings. But those problems are solved automatically by laws of nature. The birds, beasts, they are also eating. They have no economic problem. They are also sleeping, and they are having their mates and sex life. And they are also defending in their own way. Human form of life, the most developed consciousness, intelligence, if we are also busy in solving these problems of life, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating, then we are not very much advanced than the animals, because they have got these problems and they are trying to solve them. So what advancement we have made, we human beings? We claim to be superior, to possess superior consciousness, and how we are utilizing our consciousness and superior intelligence? Simply just like animals. That requires meditation. That requires meditation, what is actually the problem.

So the meditation means, "What I am?" If you think, meditate, that "Am I this body?" then you'll come to understand that "I am not this body." If you think… Just to see, see your hand, "Am I this hand? Am I this finger? Am I this leg? Am I this body? Am I this head?" Every point you analyze, you'll say, "It is my hand, it is my finger, it is my head, it is my…" Everything "mine." And where is "I"? That you have to find out by meditation, where is "I." That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā. How it is answered? It is said that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. One thing, avināśi; and another, vināśi. Avināśi means eternal, and vināśi means perishable. So this body is perishable, everyone knows. Either it is young body or old body or child's body or boy's body-anyone's body-today, tomorrow or one hundred years after or fifty years after, it is perishable. There is no doubt about it. But what is that thing imperishable? That imperishable is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "That thing is imperishable which is spread all over your body." That is very easy to understand. What is that? If you pinch your body, any part of your body, you feel pain. That means your consciousness. Your consciousness is imperishable. The body is changing. When you took your birth from the mother's womb you were a small child. But perhaps you may remember your childhood activities. The consciousness is the same, but the body has changed. The body has changed. If you have got sharp memory you can remember so many things of your past life, and that means the consciousness is the same but body is changing. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that,

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

[Bg. 2.13]

Asmin dehe, in this body, there is one thing which is the proprietor of the body. And that proprietor of the body, due to the presence of the proprietor of the body, the body is changing from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youthhood, from youthhood to old age. And when it is too old, when it is not useful any more, you have to change another body, that is called death. So dhīras tatra na muhyati. One who is intelligent, one who is in the knowledge, he is not bewildered. He sees that every second, every moment, the body is changing, and the last phase of change is called death.

So these answers are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. The problems of life is that how to stop these changes of body. Because it has been spoken that that thing which is not changing, unchangeable, that is soul and eternal. Avināśi tu tad viddhi. That is eternal. Now, if there is any possibility of getting eternal body also? Yes, there is possibility. That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā, how you can get eternal, blissful, all-knowledge body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. This body is not eternal, neither it is blissful, neither it is full of knowledge. It is full of ignorance, it is temporary, and always miserable. And if you say, "Now we are very happily living," that is māyā, that is illusion. Lord Buddha's teaching is that he was prince and there was no want in his life. He was luxuriously living. But he left home for meditation. Therefore he understood that "I am not living comfortably." This understanding, when we can understand that this life, this material life, is not at all comfortable, it is full of misery, that is called buddha life, intelligent. Buddha means intelligent. And if we are thinking that "I am living very comfortably. I am very happy," that is called māyā, illusion. Actually, we are always in miserable condition. In the Vedic language the miserable conditions have been described in three ways: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika, miseries due to the condition of this body and due to the condition of the mind. Sometimes you feel headache. This is due to the body, gross body. And sometimes you feel morose. This is due to the mind; the mind is not in quite order. Similarly… This is called adhyātmika. Then adhibhautika-misery inflicted by others, other living entities, some of your enemies. Just like somebody murders somebody. This is misery inflicted by other living entity. The mosquito bite, the bug bite, or the tiger attacks you. So many living entities there are, they're always busy to inflict misery. This is called adhibhautika. And there is another misery, which is called adhidaivika, nature's disturbance. All of a sudden there is earthquake, there is famine, there is pestilence. So many, in which you have to control. In every misery, there is no control. Ultimately, all the miseries are summarized in four things: the misery of birth… We do not… We have forgotten how much miserable condition we passed during our stay in the womb of mother, in a suffocated condition. You just imagine. Some of you might have seen the picture how the child remains within the womb of the mother. It is air-tight packed. And there are many germs who are biting the delicate skin of the child. And when the child is little grown up, at seven months, it feels too much pain. Therefore the mother can feel that the child is moving. It wants to come out, and prays… One who is fortunate, he can pray to God, "Please give me relief from this condition. This time I shall try my best not to come again in this position of life." So there is severe pain of birth. Similarly, there is severe pain during death. And for disease and old age, everyone has got experience. When you are diseased, simple, if you have got some headache… So these miseries are there always. If we forget and if we think that we are living very comfortably, this is called illusion.

So we have to prepare for eternal life, blissful life, and life full of knowledge. If we do not do that, then our this human form of life is missing, is misused. That is the philosophy not only of Lord Buddha, but Lord Caitanya, Śaṅkarācārya, or Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone you take, nobody will recommend that you make your plan and live in this material world very happily. Nobody has recommended. Everyone has said that this life is the preparation stage of your next best life. If you do not believe in that, if you think that this life you can make this world happy by arrangement, by scientific advancement, that is not possible. That is not possible. It is plainly and very straightly said in the Bhagavad-gītā,

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

[Bg. 7.14]

It is very difficult to surmount the stringent laws of material nature. It is not possible. If you surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it is possible. So this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is very scientific movement. It is based on authentic scriptures and experience and recommended by personalities like Lord Caitanya, Rāmānujācārya, and many stalwart scholars and devotees. So we are spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement… Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā in practical demonstration of life. So we are requesting you to study this movement. And it is very easy. It is…, you do not require any very big qualification to understand this movement. Anyone, even a child, can take part in this movement. We have got practical experience. When we chant, even children, they also take, they also chant, they also dance.

So we request you that on this great auspicious day of Lord Buddha's birthday, there should be… Lord Buddha laid down the basic principle of meditation, that people should not forget the ultimate goal of life; they should meditate upon what is the mission of my life, what is the end of my life. Not that just like animals we shall spoil our life simply by eating, sleeping or sex life or so-called defending. We may discover so many defending instruments or weapons, but there is no defense from the cruel hands of death. However you may be advanced in manufacturing so many nice things, you cannot manufacture anything which can save you from death or from disease or from old age. These primary principles of life should be understood, and if there is any possibility to make a solution of these four things, then it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā,

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

[Bg. 8.15]

The Lord says that "One who comes to Me," mām upetya, "he hasn't got to come back to this condition of miserable life." Duḥkhalayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. And if anyone agrees, "All right, let it be miserable or pleasant, I don't mind. I want to remain here…" Just like there are many scholars and many new doc…, degrees holder, they say that "We want to remain in this world happy." But who is going to allow you to remain in this world? You'll not be allowed. Even if you agree that "In spite of all miserable conditions, I shall be happy to live in this world," but the nature will not allow you to live. Immediately, as soon as there is call that "You have to leave this place immediately…" "Oh, I have manufactured these things so nicely, I have got this good apartment, dress, and my wife and children. How can I leave?" "Yes, you must leave. There is no time. Immediately you leave." So who is going to allow you to live even if you think that "I shall live in spite of all miseries"? Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam [Bg. 8.15]. This place is full of misery; at the same time, it is not allowed to remain here permanently. So the solution is, as Bhagavad-gītā says, mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ. Mahātmānaḥ means… Mahātmā means the person who is broad-minded. Broad-minded means he is not…, his intelligence is not teeny, that he is satisfied with this material world full of misery. He wants to go to the life of eternal. Just like the Vedas say, tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. Jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in this darkness. Come out for the light." So one who wants to go out to the light, he is called mahātmā. And in Bhagavad-gītā there are so many instances, so many instructions about this, and the last instruction is,

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

[Bg. 18.66]

The Lord says that "If you surrender unto Me, giving up all other things, then I'll take charge of you." Ma śucaḥ. "There is no question of anxiety."

So we are teaching the same principles of Bhagavad-gītā, that "Let us surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." And the process is very easy. You simply chant the name of Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is not a very difficult problem. Anyone, we have seen it practically, although this Hare Kṛṣṇa sound is Sanskrit sound, still, as soon as we chant it… Perhaps I am here the only Indian who can pronounce in Sanskrit, but you are all Americans. You also joined with us. And we have practical experience that everywhere we chant, everyone can join this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we simply request. Our movement is to request persons that "You please chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, and if you go on chanting, you will find the solution of your life very easy." There is no expenditure and there is no loss. Suppose if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa-nobody will object. There is no tax. But if there is some gain, why don't you try to achieve it? Just make an experiment for one week. Chant as many times as you can: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And you'll find so many things in…, new in your life. That is practically experienced, and if you try to chant, you'll also feel. And I shall be very glad if you join with this chanting again when we shall perform again, and you shall join with us: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Thank you very much. (end)

701102LE.BOM

Lecture

Bombay, November 2, 1970

Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers) Before speaking on the verses already quoted by my disciples, I may be permitted to read a portion of my preface to the Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement. Those who are my, our life members, they have got the Śrīmad-Bhavagatam, First Canto, Part One. There you'll find this preface. But for general information as to the need of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, I may read a portion of it.

"We must know the present need of human society. And what is that need? Human society is no longer bounded by geographical limits…" Just like we are traveling all over the world-not only once, but twice, thrice in a year. Because there is facility for traveling the airways, so it has become very easy to go from country to country. And practically, while I am in India, all my disciples are coming here from different parts of the world, every morning. There are facilities now. Therefore the world is now not limited by geographical condition. Anyone can go anywhere very swiftly. You can go to London from Bombay within nine hours. So the world is not bounded anymore by "geographical limits to the particular countries or communities. Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state of human society." There is already the United Nations. In New York, they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations. But actually, when we pass through that road-I think it is First Avenue-instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing. They are becoming disunited. Just like in India, our independence movement was started by Mahatma Gandhijī for uniting all the different section of the people, but actually, the result was that instead of being united, India was partitioned. And the partition has become so poisonous that formerly there was only sporadic Hindu-Muslim riots in some place; now there is organized fighting between Pakistan and Hindustan. So although the tendency is to unite, but in fact, it is not being united; they are becoming disunited more and more-not only the Hindus and Muslims. Now in India, there are many provincial questions. Just like in Andhra the fight is going on for separation. Punjab is already separated. So actually, we are not being united. We are being separated. So the ideals of human society "is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state or one human society. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Śrīmad-Bhāvagatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, on the entire energy of living beings."

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for not only uniting the human society, but also all living entities. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

When one is actually paṇḍita, learned, he becomes sama-darśī. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. One learned brāhmaṇa, gentle brāhmaṇa…, vidyā-dadāti namratā. Education means one becomes gentle, sober, cool-headed. Therefore, it is said, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne. When one is learned, advanced in education, he must be very gentle, not haughty. So vidyā-vinaya-sampanne gavi hastini [Bg. 5.18]. And one side, the brāhmaṇa with gentle behavior, learned scholarship, then the other side an animal, say, a cow or a dog or a elephant. And another side, the caṇḍāla, the lowest of the human society. According to Vedic civilization, the dog-eaters are called caṇḍāla. Just like in Hindu society a person is not permitted to eat cow's flesh. Even in human society, although they are eating different types of flesh, one is considered abominable than the other. The cow-eaters are taken as abominable than the goat-eaters, and the dog-eaters are accepted as abominable than the goat-eaters. So although they are eating flesh, they have got some distinction. That is material. But according to Vaiṣṇava philosophy… Because a Vaiṣṇava sees every living entity, not only human being, not only animals, birds and beasts, anyone, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. If one is actually learned and advanced, he sees all living entities on the equal status. Because, the reason is that a learned Vaiṣṇava… Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa-paṇḍita-these are the designations. A brāhmaṇa cannot be illiterate or rascal. And after becoming brāhmaṇa, one has to become Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa, generally… Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ, one who knows Brahman, brahma-bhūtaḥ. At the present moment, we are under the bodily concept of life, every one of us. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am sannyāsī," "I am brahmacārī," "I am gṛhastha." There are so many designations. So these designations are pertaining to the body and mind. But when you transcend the bodily and the mental concept of life, then you can become Vaiṣṇava.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati nakāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

Mad-bhaktim. Vaiṣṇava means bhakta, devotee.

So this Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for devotee. Without becoming devotee one cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. The nondevotees accept Kṛṣṇa (pause-drinks water) as ordinary person. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg. 9.11]. Because Kṛṣṇa comes before you as a human being, therefore, because one has not sufficient knowledge about Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ, therefore such foolish persons accept Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being, or a little greater than ordinary human being. But that is not the fact. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the verdict of Vedic instruction. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. There is a list of incarnation of God. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Lord Buddha is also accepted as śaktyāveśa avatāra, especially empowered incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra, jaya jagadīśa hare. Although Buddhism, we do not accept the philosophy of Buddhism, we Vaiṣṇavas, we do not accept, but we accept Lord Buddha as incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra, jaya jagadīśa hare. Sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam. Lord Buddha appeared being very much compassionate on the matter of animal slaughter. As nowadays, animal slaughter is going on without any check, similarly, sometime before about 2,500 years ago in India, the same condition prevailed. Vedic civilization is very liberal. According to Vedic civilization, the king has to give protection to all the prajās. Prajā means one who has taken birth in his kingdom. Prajāyate. So the animal is also prajā of the government. The trees are also prajā of the government. So formerly, nobody could slaughter an animal, nobody can cut even a tree without reason, without sanction by the Vedic injunctions. At the present moment, in our country… This Bhārata-varṣa is called puṇya-bhūmi. Actually, it is so, because on this land, all the great saintly persons appeared. The incarnation of God, Lord Rāmacandra, Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Buddhadeva, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all the big, big ācāryas-Śaṅkarācārya, Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī. So… Vyāsadeva. All of them appeared on the sacred land of Bhārata-varṣa. But the present Bhārata-varṣa has degraded so much that we have lost our Vedic culture. We are eating meat, we are eating…, drinking wine, and we are having illicit sex life, and indulging in gambling. This is India's position. It is due to this Kali-yuga. Otherwise the land is puṇya-bhūmi. Because the land is puṇya-bhūmi, therefore in spite of so much fallen conditions, still, you are anxious to hear about Kṛṣṇa. You ladies and gentlemen who have come here, sacrificing your time… Why? Because still the Vedic culture is twinkling within your heart. And you are anxious to hear about Kṛṣṇa, to hear about Śrīmad-Bhavagatam. Even somebody wants to cheat you, but because it is advertised in the name of Bhagavad-gītā, many people flock there.

So Bhārata-bhūmi is puṇya-bhūmi, the land of piety. We should understand this. After many pious activities… I have traveled all over the world. They have got enough money, enough material facilities, but still this Vedic culture is different. It is so high. And it is taken still in estimation, in adoration, all over the world. So my request, especially to the Indians, that do not neglect your culture, the Vedic culture. Vedic culture means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no other different meaning of Vedic culture. In the Bhagavad-gītā you have seen,

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo

mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca

vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam…

[Bg. 15.15]

The Kṛṣṇa is to be understood. Vedic culture means to understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. Vedic culture… All the Vedas, they're meaning how to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva… Vedānta. Vedānta means… Veda means knowledge, and anta means the end. There is… Everything has got the ultimate, the supreme summum bonum. The summum bonum of Vedic knowledge, or Vedānta, is Kṛṣṇa. So that Vedānta knowledge, Kṛṣṇa personified, He is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. Everyone is searching after God: "Where is God?" "What is God?" "What is the meaning of God?" "What God does?" "What is the power of God?" So many things. So everything He explains in the Bhagavad-gītā, what is God. Sarvasya… In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said… "What is God?" That is the first question of Vedānta-sūtra. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The human life especially meant for inquiring about God. Unfortunately, people, instead of inquiring God, they're very much eager now to inquire about dog. This is the position. There are big, big dog shows in India at the present moment. We have seen many places.

So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to revive the Vedic culture. And the Vedic culture, another name of Vedic culture is sanātana-dharma. Sanātana means eternal, and dharma means characteristic. Dharma, generally, in English is translated "religion." Religion means a kind of faith: "I believe in such and such faith." "I believe in the Muhammadan faith," "I believe in Christian faith," "I believe in Buddha faith." But actually, dharma does not mean faith. Dharma means characteristic. What is that characteristic? Just like everything, every little item, has got his characteristic. Just like take for example chili: it is very hot. The more the chili is hot, it is good. But if the sugar becomes hot like chili, immediately rejected. But if the chili is hot, you accept: "It is good chili." Similarly, dharma means characteristic of the living entity. That is dharma. The living entity is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ [Bg. 15.7]. Sanātana means eternal. God is eternal, sanātana. We are eternal, sanātana. And there is an eternal place also. This material world is not eternal. The characteristics of this material world is that it appears at a certain date, it continues to stay for a certain period, it develops, then it dwindles and then vanishes. Just like our body, your body, my body: It has got a date of appearance. It is going or changing from one state to another. It will stay for some time. From this body, some by-products will come out, sons and daughters. And then, it will become old, dwindling, diminishing, and then it will vanish. One day it will come, no more this body. Similarly, this material world is also like that. It is a gigantic body only. Whole cosmic manifestation has a date of its creation. It is expanding and it is giving so many by-products. Then time will come which is called devastation. There will be no more rain, and everything will dry up. All living entities will die. Then there will be devastating rainfall; everything will be absorbed in water, and then vanish. We have got this information from Vedic literature. So this is not sanātana-dhāma. This is not eternal dhāma. This is temporary. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. It comes into existence and it disappears. Therefore it is not sanātana-dhāma. But there is another dhāma, sanātana, eternal. That is also… There is information in the Bhagavad-gītā: paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ [Bg. 8.20].

So there is sanātana-dhāma, the living entity is sanātana, and God is sanātana. Kṛṣṇa is sanātana. So these three sanātanas… Just like we have our dealings. In Bombay, there are so many businessmen. The place is Bombay, and two parties, business parties, they're dealing. Similarly… But these are all temporary. Our staying in Bombay city is temporary, the dealing is temporary. But there is another place, which is called sanātana-dhāma. That place is eternal, and the parties, namely God and the living entities, both of them eternal, their dealing also eternal. That eternal dealing is called nitya-līlā, eternal pastimes. These descriptions are there in the Vedic saṁhitā, Brahma-saṁhitā.

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

[Bs. 5.29]

Govinda has dealing. That dealing He represents exactly when He comes, when He appears on this planet, and that dealing is exhibited in Vṛndāvana-dhāma. You know Vṛndāvana-dhāma. When Kṛṣṇa comes… About forty-three crores of years interval, Kṛṣṇa comes. This estimation, these things are there. Kṛṣṇa comes in one day of Brahmā. The duration of Brahmā's day, you know. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ [Bg. 8.17]. This means forty-three lakhs of years multiplied by one thousand. That is the duration of one day of Brahmā. And similarly, the duration of his night. So Kṛṣṇa comes in one day during that duration. So when Kṛṣṇa comes, He comes here the same place, Vṛndāvana. Therefore Vṛndāvana is held in so much estimation by the devotees. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ. Ārādhyaḥ, worshipable Deity, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, who appeared as the son of Mahārāja Nanda, vrajeśa. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. Similarly, His place, Vṛndāvana, is also worshipable. Therefore those who are Vaiṣṇavas, especially Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, they live in Vṛndāvana in numbers. There are hundreds and thousands of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava still living in Vṛndāvana, because they worship the land, Vṛndāvana, as good as Kṛṣṇa because it is Kṛṣṇa's place.

So the sanātana-dhāma… Vṛndāvana is also part of the sanātana-dhāma. The living entity is sanātana, eternal, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. He do not die after destruction of this body. This is the preliminary instruction to understand Vedic knowledge, or spiritual knowledge. If you do not understand the plain fact that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. I live within this body…" Dehino 'smin yathā dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Dehinaḥ. Dehinaḥ means the proprietor of the body. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate [Bg. 13.2]. This śarīra, this body, is called kṣetra, and the person, or the living entity, who is working on this body, he's called kṣetrajña. Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, they have come to this understanding of kṣetra-kṣetrajña. Kṣetrajña means I, you. I know about my body, about the interest of my body. If somebody wants to kill me, I take protection because it is my body, kṣetra. Just like your land. If somebody comes to encroach upon it, you take care. Similarly, this body is kṣetra, the field of activities, and I or you, the proprietor of the body, is kṣetrajña one who knows about the body. But there is another kṣetrajña. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. Sarva-kṣetreṣu. Kṛṣṇa is also kṣetrajña. Kṛṣṇa is also sitting. As I am sitting within this body, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also sitting within this body.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni

yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

[Bg. 18.61]

He's directing. Actually, under His instruction, we are taking permission. Just like you do business in your business office establishment, but you have to take permission, license, from the government. It is very easy to understand. Although you are proprietor of the business, you cannot do anything without being permitted by the government. Similarly, although this body is yours, you are the proprietor of this body, you have been given freedom to utilize the body to your best interest, still, you cannot do anything without the permission of Kṛṣṇa.

That is the subject matter to understand spiritual life. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi… Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo: [Bg. 15.15] "I am entered in everyone's body." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: "Through Me, one remembers and one forgets." Because our capacity is very limited. We forget very soon. Even we do not know two hours before, what we were doing. That is our nature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa helps us from within. Even though we forget, Kṛṣṇa does not forget. That is also there in the Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna asked Him, "Kṛṣṇa, You say that You gave instruction on Bhagavad-gītā long, long ago, some forty thousands of millions of years ago to sun-god. How can I believe it, because we are contemporary?" so Kṛṣṇa answered, "Yes, at that time, you were also present, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten." That is the distinction between ordinary living being and the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being is also nitya. The Supreme Being is also conscious, as we are eternal, nitya, and conscious. That is the statement of the Vedas: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's the supreme conscious, He's the Supreme Living Being. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is person. Kṛṣṇa is not imperson. Impersonal feature is one of the partial manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita, brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Kṛṣṇa is the basis of Brahman, but the original Brahman is Kṛṣṇa, Paraṁ Brahma, as Arjuna accepted-paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān [Bg. 10.12].

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is India's movement because it was started from India. It is meant for everyone because every living entity is sanātana, eternal. It is not that only Indians are eternal. Everyone is eternal. Even the animals, they are also eternal. They have got different body according to their karma. Therefore paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]. The paṇḍita does not see the outward dress. If we talk with you, I do not see what kind of dress you have got. I talk with you as gentleman. Similarly, a paṇḍita sees the inner soul. He does not see the outward dress, that "Here is a human being," or "Here is an American," "Here is an Indian," "Here is a brāhmaṇa" or "Here is a elephant" or "dog" or "caṇḍāla," "tree." No. He sees only the spirit soul, the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as one sees the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, he immediately remembers Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, one who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even though he sees a tree, immediately he sees Kṛṣṇa. For as soon as he sees the tree, he understands that "This tree is standing here for seven thousands of years, according to his karma, but here is a living entity. And this living entity is the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." And as soon as he remembers Kṛṣṇa, he sees Kṛṣṇa. Just try to understand. Therefore a maha-bhāgavata, advanced devotee, he sees everything, but in everything he sees Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's energy. That is perfection of life. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ life, realization of Brahman in everything. He understands himself; he understands others. Just like when there is sunrise… In the darkness of night, I cannot see you properly, neither you can see me properly. Suppose if the streets are dark, we cannot see, even we pass very near. Similarly, in darkness of ignorance, we do not know actually what is our position. But as in the daytime, when there is sunrise, you can see the sun, you can see the world, you can see yourself, you can see your friend, you can see the whole world; therefore, we have to see Kṛṣṇa. Then this stage will come.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that one can see in terms of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "In terms of Kṛṣṇa consciousness" means that every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta: [Bg. 15.7] "All these living entities, they are My part and parcels." In another place He says,

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ

tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

[Bg. 14.4]

So Kṛṣṇa is the ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. Just like the father gives the bīja. Yoni, the mother is the yoni, and the father is the bīja. Yathā bījaṁ yathā yoni. We get our body by the bīja and yoni. Similarly, this material world is the yoni, mother, and the Kṛṣṇa is the bīja. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. So in this way, different forms of life has come in-8,400,000 species of life. So they're all sanātana. All these living entities are sanātana, but on account of their forgetfulness being diverted, misled by the illusory energy… Māyayā apahṛta jñānāḥ. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā [Bg. 7.15]. Their jñāna, their knowledge, has been taken away by māyā; therefore they do not understand Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ. Because they're foolish, rascal, therefore Māyā has taken their knowledge. And therefore, na māṁ prapadyante, "They do not surrender unto Me." Therefore Kṛṣṇa's last instruction is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66].

So we shall gradually discuss all these points. The preliminary is that the present moment, although we are trying to be united-United Nations, united society, united religions, united… So many things, we are trying to be united-communism, united community-but this unity can be possible only when we are actually learned in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

One has to become learned. And the process of learning is not very difficult. It is very easy, especially for the men of this age-that is this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, is it very difficult for you? God has given you tongue. We are talking so many things, whole day and night. But if we utilize this tongue for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, what is the loss there? That is the injunction of the śāstras: Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty gatir anyathā. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam [Cc. Ādi 17.21]. Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached this cult.

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ

śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ

sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

[Cc. Antya 20.12]

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading this cult of Kṛṣṇa understanding. And we have got very good scheme of communism. As I have stated here in this…, "The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, on the entire energy of the living beings." This is spiritual communism. The Communist cult is concentrating on the state. That is also limited. Not only on the state, there are so many limitations. Actual communism is this:

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

[Bg. 5.18]

Paṇḍitāḥ sama… When we see equal not only the learned brāhmaṇa… The learned brāhmaṇa or the elephant or the cow or the dog or the caṇḍāla-no matter. Whatever the bodily condition is there, the spiritual condition is the same. Paṇḍitāḥ sama. This samatā, this communism, equality, is perfect. The modern theory of communism, that "I am good, my brother is good, and all bad," this is not communism. When we are…, we can see that "I am good, my brother good, the dog is good, the cat is good," or "the Englishman is good, the every living entity is good," that is perfect. That is perfect communism.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, or the Bhāgavata-dharma, there is ideal communism. You'll find in Śrīmad-Bhagavatam in the Seventh Canto, Nārada Muni is instructing to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about this communism, that "A gṛhastha, before taking lunch, he must see that every insect, every lizard, every cat, every rat…" [break]…whether a snake in that house must have been fed, must have taken their food. This is so hospitable that the householder, the owner of the house, not only see that his wife, children, servants are well fed, but even the rats, cats, or the insect or the lizard or even the snake has got his food. That is the ideal communism. Because when you are paṇḍita, learned, you cannot distinguish that "This is animal and this is human being." You can treat them differently because their consciousness… But on the basic principle, the living entity, any living entity-it doesn't matter whether is animal or man-he's part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So you cannot kill one living entity for the satisfaction… (end)